Maelstrom S12 Factory VS Maelstrom S12 Direct Drive on IMR 26650

[Got Lumens?]

BigC,
Your pictures didn't make it. reposted for you, click thumbs for fullsize, GL

I could't get it to work using the (-) direct to heatsink so i took it apart all the way!
...

 

[bigchelis]

Thank you all, but as you just saw I am going all the way now....

This is underneath the board. Looks like copper.

Huge empty space once the driver is removed.

Huge Driver of course

this is how I had it, but couldnt get it to work.

 

[Skylumen]

New finding: I did a runtime test as connected in post 138 and found out that the light shut off at 3.25V!

Theory one: Tactical HID Orange IMR has build in circuit protection at 3.25V.
Theory two: The light preserve voltage cut off at 3.25V by wiring as post 138.

Let me know what yall think? Eitherway, this is GREAT news for S12 DD fans out there! Never have to worry about over discharging your IMR cell.

 

[Glenn7]

It will be interesting how many lumen's you measure OTF Bigchelis

 

[Glenn7]

 

[bigchelis]

Hi all,
Special Thank you to PCC for making a solid Copper Slug heatsink to fill that huge void/Cavity where the Driver used to be. Its now Direct Drive with a huge copper slug heatsink that is stepped, so makes good contact with outer shell.

At the moment it does 3.67A at the tail off un-protected 26650 cell.



EDIT***** I been running 4 NiMH C Tenergy Cells to burn in the LED*******************

The bezel gets smoking hot at 1min and the body and tail get hot too. So, heat transfer is working wonderfull.

 

[Skylumen]

Me and BigC have recently ran into some very stuborn S12 LED. both of our most recent S12 only pull 3.5A on regulation! This is surprisingly low. I DD it and only increase to 3.8. I guess this mean not all SST-90 are equal... :-(

 

[bigchelis]

Me and BigC have recently ran into some very stuborn S12 LED. both of our most recent S12 only pull 3.5A on regulation! This is surprisingly low. I DD it and only increase to 3.8. I guess this mean not all SST-90 are equal... :-(

Very true. My other SST-90 burn-in lights were all top bin SST-90 from cutterelectronics.com. This is my 1st production light SST-90 that I tried to burn-in and just got from 3.6A to 4A at the tail after the burn. arghhhhh They are probably low bin types, I bet!

Anyway at 4A and with my copper heatsink the light gets almost really hot at 5min anyways. So, its not like it can take anymore or my thermal path is just freaking insanely efficient.

bigC

 

[Skylumen]

Now I know why some people don't like their S12...I think SST-90 is the most inconsistent LED in terms on Tint and brightness.

Question...

XM-L can make 800 lumen at 3A
SST-90 make 800 Lumen at 5A

?! What the heck?

 

[Skylumen]

Very true. My other SST-90 burn-in lights were all top bin SST-90 from cutterelectronics.com. This is my 1st production light SST-90 that I tried to burn-in and just got from 3.6A to 4A at the tail after the burn. arghhhhh They are probably low bin types, I bet!

Anyway at 4A and with my copper heatsink the light gets almost really hot at 5min anyways. So, its not like it can take anymore or my thermal path is just freaking insanely efficient.

bigC

You need my 7A LED on that copper block! LOL

 

[bigchelis]

Now I know why some people don't like their S12...I think SST-90 is the most inconsistent LED in terms on Tint and brightness.

Question...

XM-L can make 800 lumen at 3A
SST-90 make 800 Lumen at 5A

?! What the heck?

Not the case, at lower current or underdriven the SST-90 (all of them) they out do the paper spec or are just freakinshly too bright.

All my SST-90's from Milky, Lamdalights, Custom 2D Mags, and my current SST-90 lights. All make around 1000 OTF at 4A.

As I go up in current they become less surprising and give out expected outputs.

At 5A most = 1200~1500 OTF
At 6A most = 1300~1800 OTF
At 7~12A = 2000~2300 OTF

In my experience after 7A there is not much gain at all. I think only a huge chunk of coper and LED to copper bonding will show a benefit at these currents. Lamdalights.com pushes the SST-90 at 15A but he continues to show gain/benefit in brightness where as I have not been so lucky after 7A.

bigC

 

[Stephen Wallace]

15A!?

Hadn't realised anyone was pushing them quite that hard.

 

[bigchelis]

15A!?

Hadn't realised anyone was pushing them quite that hard.

Kevin doesnt use IMR 26650 because of cell sag. In fact he only does it with NiMH C or NiMH D cells because they sag considerably less then even the IMR 26650.

Then the fact that Lamdalights/Kevin uses copper and LED to copper technology makes the heat transfer have the ultimate thermal path. Only Milky and Saabluster are doing this LED to copper bonding too.

bigC

 

[Colonel Sanders]

Hey guys, I found out tonight that if you don't clip the black ground when you solder directly from the LED negative to the ground screw something really neat happens. You get 5-5.3A on high and YOU STILL HAVE A LOW SETTING complete with memory! The only difference is that the low goes from being about .350A to around .600-.650!

I don't know what kind of lumen this thing is putting out now but the throw picked up a bunch! Vinny, set that thing back on STUN and go check out the throw!

Maybe I should start a new thread about this. This thing is really putting out now! :devil:

 

[Skylumen]

Yayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy. Yup you go start a new thread i am sure a bunch of people will want this... ;-)

Hey guys, I found out tonight that if you don't clip the black ground when you solder directly from the LED negative to the ground screw something really neat happens. You get 5-5.3A on high and YOU STILL HAVE A LOW SETTING complete with memory! The only difference is that the low goes from being about .350A to around .600-.650!

I don't know what kind of lumen this thing is putting out now but the throw picked up a bunch! Vinny, set that thing back on STUN and go check out the throw!

Maybe I should start a new thread about this. This thing is really putting out now! :devil:

 

[Got Lumens?]

Hey guys, I found out tonight that if you don't clip the black ground when you solder directly from the LED negative to the ground screw something really neat happens. You get 5-5.3A on high and YOU STILL HAVE A LOW SETTING complete with memory! The only difference is that the low goes from being about .350A to around .600-.650!

I don't know what kind of lumen this thing is putting out now but the throw picked up a bunch! Vinny, set that thing back on STUN and go check out the throw!

Maybe I should start a new thread about this. This thing is really putting out now! :devil:

Could you post some pics?
Thanks
GL

 

[Colonel Sanders]

I was half asleep when I posted at 2:05am so with this being an S12 thread I should have mentioned that this was done on my X10. But, I'd be willing to bet that it work just the same on an S12.

GL, I might go back and take some pics but I think I can describe it pretty easily using Vinny's pics from this thread. But, yeah, I guess I should just start a new thread and do it right. I guess this "Homemade and Modified Flashlights" would be the forum to do it in instead of the LED forum, right?

 

[Colonel Sanders]

Click here----> http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...-that-retains-low-mode!&p=3710276#post3710276

 

[Baddog]

I saw my friend attempted and I gave up...If anyone found a super good way please post here.

Direct Drive Update:

I got the batteries from BigC and have initiated the burn in process. 4 of those little CR123 1.2 V push 8.5A at full charge. I can only burn in the light 30 seconds at a time. The lights get too hot to hold so I just want to be on the safe side. Originally an IMR 26650 push 3.8-4A Max. After 6X30sec burn in I have gotten the light to pull 4.7A! Yayyyyyyyyyy I have to recharge the batteries after 3X30sec burn in. The battereis also gets hot after the 3rd consecutive burn in. I will continue to burn in and hopefully reach 6.5A as BigC did. Pray for me ;-)

IMO This light can run reliability at 5A constantly if you hold it in your hand....The light does not get too hot to hold at 5A. Mounted on a bike being air cooled this light can be run at 6A constantly. These are just my opinions again.

a quick question if i may, would u think it ok to burn in with 2 26650's in parallel?

cheers