SPY005 Sign Up List

[cave dave]

***EDIT Sign me up for 1000mA option. ***EDIT***

I thought we had discussed this before and it was a no go. I guess you have some free time while waiting for knobs?

The original according to the first post is:
· Current levels: 1000*, 700, 400, 100, 20, 6mA, * intermittent use only

so would that make this option: ?

· Current levels: 600, 420, 240, 60, 11, 3mA


Don has Integrating sphere results and some comments about drive levels in this post from the prototype (I'm not sure what the drive levels on the prototype were, I think they were higher):
http://candlepowerforums.com/vb/show...1&postcount=13

[Rudi]

Will the 600ma version be upgadeable to 1000ma if so desired later on?

[Kiessling]

600 for me, please!
thanx !
bernie

P.S.: how about 700mA?

[brightnorm]

The power levels are going to be 1000, 500, 250, 100, 30*, 4* mA. That is a good power spacing to give a pleasing and useful change to each click.

Having the top power level at 1000 is wonderful when you need a nice bright beam for a few minutes. To me its range is the very definition of what the Spy stands for. In an EDC package it can be an ultra bright Luxeon III light and it can run so low that you want to be in darkness to use it.

The control on the Spy gets you quickly to the level you need. Most times I whip out the light and spin it right to 250. I do not have to think about it ahead of time, it just feels right.

Occasionally I set the light on high. It takes a few minutes before it starts to warm. Because of the ease of changing power levels, if at that point I still need light, I click it down to 500 or 250mA.

Cheers
Dave

Seems like a good reason to keep it as is, unless further testing has revealed any downside or other testers have proven less adept at intuitive level selection.

Brightnorm

[Data]

Rudi

If you turn the SPY on high it will get really hot in about 5 minutes. So hot that you may find it uncomfortable to hold. Usually the IC takes this OK but if you do this often it will fry. That in of itself is no big deal because you can send the light back and have me replace the converter board. This service will not be free but not expensive either.

Yes you can change it back to 1000mA it is just the replacement of one resistor.


flashlight

If you have two cheep soldering irons that you do not mind taking a dremel to than you can make the tool to change the resistor yourself. They need to have sharp points and you have to have sharp eyes.


karlthev

Come by and see me anyway! Too few CPFers have seen my shop.



cave dave

Those are not the numbers, these are the numbers:

1000, 500, 250, 100, >30*, >30* *= adjustable from 30 to zero



brightnorm

The main issue is heat dissipation. The SPY is tiny and lite and needed to be that way to go unnoticed in your pocket. The body mass and surface area of the SPY is too small to dissipate 5+ watts of continuous power. In using the light you can not turn it on high (1000mA) and set it down and walk away. If you do you will need to turn it back down in a couple minutes or it may damage the IC. The high power setting is for temporary use only! I have added a heat sync to the IC on all the production SPY converter boards. It does stand the 1000mA pretty well.

In normal use I never hesitate to use the high power. If in a couple minutes I start to feel the light getting warm I just click it down one power level. This works fine unless you are going to have your kids playing with the light all the time. In that case go with the reduced power option.


Cheers
Dave

[Data]

If you run the SPY at 500mA it takes 30-40 minutes to get pretty warm. If you hold it in your hand your body will keep this from happening indefinitely. At 500mA the IC is not in danger.


Dave

[Darell]

Hey Dave .... Look at all these smart folks opting for a reasonable drive level. 600mA for me please... but you already knew that, didn't you?

[Rudi]

600 for me please.

[paulr]

If 1000 can fry the board, then I think you should make all of them 600 unless someone asks for 1000. Or if you can safely crank it up to 700 or whatever, then do that.

[cave dave]

So what would be the highest "safe" level? I would say set it to that, and make possibly "unsafe" an option.

[Data]

paulr

I do not mind if everybody switches to 600. It is not difficult for me to switch the resistors. But make no mistake, if you do not post about wanting a 600 I will leave it at 1000. This should not be a difficult decision because it can be changed at a later time if you have the skill or know somebody that does.

cave dave

I am quite sure that 600 is a safe level. But for higher levels there is no magic number, the ambient temp of the environment plays a big roll in this.

Dave

[Bob_G]

Make mine a 600 please. Is it going to be something like:

600-300-150-60-*-* ?

[alauda]

If it is good enough for Darrell and Don...it is good enough for me.

600 for me please.

[cave dave]

I see the pros and cons of both sides, and I am sure I would be happy either way, but since I don't have the light to play with I can only ask questions.

Will the lowest adjustable levels still be 0-30mA or will they also get 40% lower aka 0 to 18mA?

[karlthev]

Well Dave, I just may ask to take you up on that one....when these are doen and I need to get mine from you. I'm just up the road.



karl

[Data]

The max value of the lowest two levels will be reduced as well.

[Raindrop]

Please put me down for the 600ma versions as well.

~Greg aka Raindrop

[MSaxatilus]

Well as much as I respect Don, and the others.....

I'm going to be a rebel and keep MY Spy at 1000ma Data.

Thanks for the offer though.

MSax

[scrappy]

Keep Spy005 #008 at 1000 please.....

[brightnorm]

I have the HDS Ultimate 60XR and the Firefly III and I use highest level on each one sparingly, never more than 20 or 30 seconds at most. It's really nice to have that power available if you need it and there have been a couple of times when it has really come in handy. If the only issue is not abusing the 1000mah level then I see no reason not to have that option.

...In normal use I never hesitate to use the high power. If in a couple minutes I start to feel the light getting warm I just click it down one power level...

Sounds good to me, I'll keep the original recipe.

Brightnorm

[Vifam]

600 for me please.

Thanks,

[andrewwynn]

1100 for me (grin). I like the 'afteburner' option.. i'll probably only use it above level 3 about 5% of the time.. and when you can click down one level, why not have the max.. as harryn will point out.. correctly so.. the overdrive only works to output more light when the light is cold anyhow.. probably somewhere around 600-800mA will be the maximum sustained output.. for example.. my LDO^3 driver.. it is not 'constant current'.. it is 'constant brightness'.. and the current when set to start at about 730mA will climb to 850 or more in an attempt to keep output constant.. as the battery dies and the light cools off.. the emitter outputs more lumen/watt and attempts to output constant light.

All that said, i'd rather have afterburner, so 1000mA for me.

I'm jonsin' for a fix of the spy.. only got to play with it for a day!

=awr

[Sturluson]

I'd like Extra Crispy please - full 1000mA.

Thanks for giving us the option!

[paulr]

I don't think this can be compared to the HDS which has thermal sensing and backs off the brightness automatically if it gets too hot. I just can't imagine a product being released for wider distribution if it self-destructs from being left on for too long. So I have to think of 1000 ma as a "hotwire"-like version.

[andrewwynn]

'we' aren't the 'mindless masses' that buy maglite either though. If the spy was mass-produced it would be a different story for sure.. any mass produced light has to be able to left on w/o consequence due to heat.

[xpitxbullx]

I want the option for maximum power. Stick with 1000mA, please.

Jeff

[paulr]

I wonder if some future version of the board could have thermal protection. That could solve this dilemma.

[Data]

I wonder if some future version of the board could have thermal protection. That could solve this dilemma.

Wayne has talked about it and we do have room on the board.


Wayne?

[andrewwynn]

my solution takes way too much space .. 4x 0603 and a SOT-23-5 opamp. i think for vThree of the hotdriver i'll find an SOT-23 temp chip preprorammed to a temperature.

-awr

[Data]

'we' aren't the 'mindless masses' . . .

Well said, if you can keep it under control it will be fine.



MSaxatilus

Don and Darell are smart, but too conservative. If Don ordered a Corvette it would be equipped with turtle power and if Darell ordered a Corvette he would just have them hold the engine all together but keep the starter.