SPORTAC® P60 drop-ins ©2014 Eagtac™ LLC

[kyhunter1]

Update: 33 hours in now, and it's still holding steady around 2-3 lumens.

Thanks for the correction. The batteries are obviously not being drained at a high rate as shown by the extended runtime. If they were giving all they had, they would be dead by now.

Just want to make one correction to an otherwise good answer.

It isn't that the batteries are giving all the current they're capable of, but rather it's all the LED is capable of flowing at the provided voltage.

That woulda' driven me nuts all night... lol. Thanks for the testing!

 

[AngryDaddyBird]

Awesome! Thanks for foing this for everyone!

 

[Lighthearted1]

Time for my new update. I received my extension tubes. I can go with 3x Cr123 or 2x 18650 now.

I thought it was brighter on these higher voltages at first, then I wasn't sure after more switching back and forth. Since I don't have two drop-ins I can't AB compare.

So I did the closest I could come to that. I have another P60 with an XM-L driven to 3A on one 18650. I went in the bathroom and did an AB with that on ceiling bounce illumination.

I started the Sportac Nicha with 3x CR123 slightly used down to 8.93V. The XM-L was a bit brighter. I switched to the 2x 18650 at 8.2V and found the difference to be the same. Finally, I tried the single 18650 at 4.1V and it also showed the same difference compared to my XM-L.

Conclusion: the driver regulates the output between 9v and 4.1V... somewhere below that (but I don't know where) it drops off regulation. Well, when I tried a single CR123 at 3.2V it was already off regulation and giving about 75 lumens. So I think it drops out somewhere between 4.1 and 3.2V. I would guess around 3.6-3.7V, but that is just a guess.
Eagletac states operating voltage 2.7-9V. We don't know what part is regulated.

My observation is different than timbo114 has reported. He reported a big brightness difference when using 9V instead of a single 18650.
I can't explain the contradiction. There may be a slight difference at 4.1V but I think it drops out somewhere below that.

Further input welcome.

 

[wertzius]

The XM-L2 needs around 3A for the 1116 lumens and has a forward voltage of 3.3 to 3.4V at this point. With a typical voltage drop of 0.2V in the driver an a voltage drop of 0.3V of good ceels under this load the light will fall out of regulation at 3.9V cell voltage.

 

[RI Chevy]

Update: 33 hours in now, and it's still holding steady around 2-3 lumens.

Thanks for the correction. The batteries are obviously not being drained at a high rate as shown by the extended runtime. If they were giving all they had, they would be dead by now.

When you are done with this experiment, can you check the battery voltage on the AA's please. I am interested in how low the batteries will go with this type of setup. Thank you in advance.

 

[kyhunter1]

Update: Running strong ~ 44 hours in now. Output is around 2 lumens. Im really curious now to see how long this thing will run.


Is the 3.9 cell voltage in the cell after being put under load?

The XM-L2 needs around 3A for the 1116 lumens and has a forward voltage of 3.3 to 3.4V at this point. With a typical voltage drop of 0.2V in the driver an a voltage drop of 0.3V of good ceels under this load the light will fall out of regulation at 3.9V cell voltage.

No problem. Remind me if I forget. These kinds of tests sometimes take several days

When you are done with this experiment, can you check the battery voltage on the AA's please. I am interested in how low the batteries will go with this type of setup. Thank you in advance.

 

[Aperture]

I'm down to 2.55V now with the Triple XP-G2 on two Eneloop XXX AAs in a stock 9P and the LEDs are getting very creative color wise (orange, pink and yellow).

Earlier this week I stopped at 2.4V with a K2 123LFP, the setup still worked but I wanted to spare the 123LFP, I went through a lot of hoops to get them here in Amsterdam and do need them for my Surefire Saint (my preferred headlamp in the Minimus configuration).

Also tried one AA but that didn't work but a triple AA setup worked very nice though I didn't check for how long, might do so later.

 

[wertzius]

Is the 3.9 cell voltage in the cell after being put under load?

No, in idle. Therefore the 0.3V drop under load.

 

[kyhunter1]

So it looks like a full charged 18650 will almost run the module in regulation for a little while until the voltage starts dropping?


Update: 53 hours in now and no change in output. ~ 2 lumens.

 

[wertzius]

Yes, that is correct.

 

[kyhunter1]

68 hours in now and holding steady at 2 lumens. How many days is this thing gonna run? Looks like we have a new battery vampire.

 

[boudeou]

received mine, triple XP-G2, love it

 

[DAN92]

boudeou,

Very nice!

 

[RI Chevy]

From looking at another post that he made, it looks as if he is using a Cryos M2 head on a Solarforce L2 body.

 

[DAN92]

From looking at another post that he made, it looks as if he is using a Cryos M2 head on a Solarforce L2 body.

Yes,I have seen and edited my post.

 

[boudeou]

thanks DAN92

yes, i use a Cryos M2, the head is larger, drop-in come deeper, and made contact with the lens, so i have a very large beam.
L2 body is anodised inside and allows lock-out , also it free of etching on mine, full black.

i just cut a spring to make contact between drop-in and body, i have no gap.

 

[DAN92]

[...]the head is larger, drop-in come deeper, and made contact with the lens, so i have a very large beam.
L2 body is anodised inside and allows lock-out , also it free of etching on mine, full black.
i just cut a spring to make contact between drop-in and body, i have no gap.

Okay, thank you for the information.

 

[Lucky Duck]

I've recently picked up a NW XM-L2 single. Popped it into a VME head on an LX2, and... Voila!,a nice 2 speed! Not really a H/L, more like a H/M output. Guess that may be the result of the LX2's switch rather than the Sportac. No noticeable gap BTW. Also tried it out in a 3x123 setup and it is definitely brighter.

 

[erehwyrevekool]

Anyone knows if is it a Carclo optic the one used in the triples? :thinking:

 

[kyhunter1]

About all the triple optics are carclo's. The triple looks awesome in the M2 Cryos.


Update: The AA runtime test has passed the 3 day now and no sign of quitting. Output seems to be holding steady around 2 lumens. From here on, I will give one update each day. I was skeptical about the single mode only at first. With the battery compatibility across different sizes and chemistries possible, it's a homerun for Eagletac.