I presume that was with 2x 18650 protected cells? If so, do you have a DMM to check voltage? It sounds like one of the protection circuits tripped.I left the light on high until it would turn off from the heat basically. It lasted 13 minutes on top of a wooden table in my 69 degree condo.
It is common for the battery near the LED to be drained slightly faster than the one near the switch. Not entirely sure why, but it may have to do with heat (i.e., the main source of heat is coming from the head). I've done temperature measures, and there can be quite a gradient across the batteries in series.#2-one battery does PCB After the light overheats, which I've made happen multiple times on purpose, the light won't turn on. Even if I wait for like 5 minutes and then reinsert the batteries the same order. So, next I put each battery in the light in single 18650 setup. Only one ever works. The other one won't work until I put it into the charger for 5 seconds. I don't know what I'm talking about, only I thought it might be something with the PCB going off. The battery that doesn't work is always the one closest to the led in order. Anyone know why this happens?
There is often some degree of artifacts in the beam corona with smooth reflectors. These are hard to capture with a camera, but can you post a picture? If it seems really bad, you could consider returning it. Hard to advise without seeing it.#3- And I don't notice this from 30 plus feet, but heres what happens in he beam. Even when I shine it at the wall from like 2 feet away, the beam has a hotspot, but then has two less intense interlocking ovals going through the center around 3 the diameter of the hotspot, and then there's a couple rings off different brightness, but they are small and I assumed they came with having a smooth reflector. Are these ovals normal? I looked at your review again, where you have beamshots, but you used autobalance so the hotspot is just a big white blob. So I can't tell if it's normal.
I presume that was with 2x 18650 protected cells? If so, do you have a DMM to check voltage? It sounds like one of the protection circuits tripped.
It is common for the battery near the LED to be drained slightly faster than the one near the switch. Not entirely sure why, but it may have to do with heat (i.e., the main source of heat is coming from the head). I've done temperature measures, and there can be quite a gradient across the batteries in series.
Again, it sounds like your front-most cell is triggering its protection circuit. I am going to guess that your cells are not in very good shape. Are they old, or of uncertain quality (i.e. Ultrafire?). Quality cells should give you a lot longer. There's certainly seems to be a lot of old laptop pulls floating around under new Ultrafire wrappers out there ... that would explain the poor performance.
There is often some degree of artifacts in the beam corona with smooth reflectors. These are hard to capture with a camera, but can you post a picture? If it seems really bad, you could consider returning it. Hard to advise without seeing it.
Not to my knowledge, but best to ask the experts in the batteries forum.Also, is the PCB set off by a temperature? Which is usually gained through extreme current? So, can the PCB be tripped just from the temp of the light?
I'll have to check out those, and I'll be sure to do the voltage test multiple times. I'll also do it after the pcb is supposedly tripping. I'm assuming it should read 0v, or around there.Not to my knowledge, but best to ask the experts in the batteries forum. With primary CR123A, the PTC (basically a thermoresistor) limits current to the battery once a certain temperature threshold is reached. But you don't see an abrupt shut-off of the cell - current (and output) just drops rapidly once it engages, and then slowly recovers as the cells cool. You can see evidence of this on some of my high-output runtimes (especially 4xCR123A ones), but the Thrunite Scorpion V2 review also has a link to an extensive discussion of this. Of course, some lights also have circuit-based temperature sensors and cut-off features that will shut a light down abruptly once a circuit temperature is reached. But the cells would still re-activate in a cool light. It definitely sounds like one your cells is tripping pre-maturely. Once your DMM arrives, I would verify the resting voltage of the cells fully charged, and periodically stop the run and measure again (to see if they are remaining balanced during the run). If not, I'd return the malfunctioning battery.
Well, because this thread includes the aspheric, I'll post here.
I just got the 7G5CS as well as the aspheric lens today. I'm running 4xCR123A (they rattle around a bit inside.) The 7G5CS with the stock reflector is quite awesome. This is my first searchlight, keep in mind.
I put the collimator on there, and I really did not notice any increase in throw. The spill obviously went away--into the hotspot. I was doing this in an alley, 100 meters to the end. Walls were about head height, 14 feet apart.
I've picked out an open area, hopefully I'll get to it tomorrow, where it's 300 meters from end to end. Perhaps then I'll see some benefits from the aspheric, but the stock reflector seems to do a pretty good job concentrating that beam.
The only benefits I think are happening (but I'm not sure I'm seeing) is that the collimator does not make imacts to my night vision at close range.
Updates to follow.
The head also needs to be focussed to the LED to gain the maximum advantage. If you were just shining it down an alleyway then you might not have enough distance to see the gains in throw. Looks can be deceiving when talking about a high throwing device. For even more throw I suggest dedoming the LED and refocusing the head.
Yes, this is likely a big part of why you are not noticing a significant gain in throw - you need to focus the aspheric until it projects the sharpest image of the die (looks like a "space invader"). If you still don't notice the difference, it is like due to the distance now being far out enough (as TEEJ pointed out).The head also needs to be focussed to the LED to gain the maximum advantage. If you were just shining it down an alleyway then you might not have enough distance to see the gains in throw. Looks can be deceiving when talking about a high throwing device.
The head also needs to be focussed to the LED to gain the maximum advantage. If you were just shining it down an alleyway then you might not have enough distance to see the gains in throw. Looks can be deceiving when talking about a high throwing device. For even more throw I suggest dedoming the LED and refocusing the head.
Agreed on the distance problem. I'm planning on heading out tonight to a place where I can do 300 meters.
I got a bit confused about how to focus the aspheric lens... There is a threaded part on just the lens itself. There are two o-rings on there. It's pretty tough to turn, I can't get a good grip on it. I've got some super-lube that I can throw on there, should I?
Then there is unscrewing the lens from the led base.
Which one should I be turning?
I can see the die image when I have the collimator on. It's pretty close to what I see when I put a loupe up to a smaller light.
Can I do the focusing inside my house, or do I need to do it outside?
Ideally, you should be turning the top part of the collimator relative to the bottom part - not unscrewing the entire head assembly from the light. You want to make sure the o-rings remain engaged on the body. It should loosen with practice - but once you get the focus right, you are unlikely to be changing it anyway.I got a bit confused about how to focus the aspheric lens... There is a threaded part on just the lens itself. There are two o-rings on there. It's pretty tough to turn, I can't get a good grip on it. I've got some super-lube that I can throw on there, should I?
Then there is unscrewing the lens from the led base.
Which one should I be turning?
Can I do the focusing inside my house, or do I need to do it outside?
Okay guys, I took the light with the stock reflector and the collimator head out last night. I started out with the collimator focusing part loose and tightened it down until I got the best focus at range. I compared the reflector to the collimator.
I can notice a difference in throw with the collimator. I could make out a tree about twice as well at 400 meters than I could with with just the reflector. However, I had a hell of a time making it out in the first place. So, yes, the collimator seems to be making a difference, but I'm not getting the "WOW!" factor I was hoping for. I think this is in part due to the wider profile of the XM-L emitter. Now I'm wondering how much better a Dereelight or a Tiablo could do due to the tigher beams. 200 meters seemed to be about the extent of what I could reasonably make out with either head.
I've seen some material on dedoming, looks risky. I was wondering if anyone had some thoughs about replacing the emitter entirely? Or would that not work with the reflector and the collimator? I can do the soldering work if I can figure out how to get that plastic cover off the PCB, preferably without destroying it.
What's next if I really want to push the limit? Is it HID? Am I doing it wrong with the collimator? Something with 3 or more LED emitters in one light?