driver for 3x cree t6

[fandango]

hi,can some kind person tell just how much voltage could i put into this convigaration which is 3 cree xm-l-t6 in parallel the original driver went south so got one of dx a sku 26106 but haveing problems with it,it puts out 18v from 1 or2 18650 the leds are ok if i wire them to a single 18650 it nearly blinds you,so if this driver was working ok would that be to much voltage going in to it,also is there a better driver i could use i am happy running it flat out as its only on for a short time 10-20 mins,yhanks for reading look forward to you replys

 

[Luminater]

This ......

 

[fandango]

thank you luminater for you rapid reply,i think i may just get this to fit,cheers

 

[fandango]

hi, just had a play with dx sku 26106 again,it is putting out at its max,18 volts what effect on the leds would that have,thanks for reading

 

[tinkerman]

@fandango , you seem to be using the 26106 driver incorrectly!
The reason you are getting such high light output (you wrote: "it nearly blinds") is because it's not working in current limited, boost mode as it should, but rather in unlimited current direct drive mode (current through the LEDs limited only by the driver's coil resistance, diode voltage drop and wiring resistance). This fault mode could easily burn an XML! (depending on battery voltage and current capability, luckily your 18650 and wiring limited the current).
The 26106 is designed for boost mode with series connected LED's. You should always check that your LED's total forward voltage drop is higher than the driver's input voltage.
So you should be connecting those LED's in series, but then the current limiting to about 0.7A won't drive them to their full capability (which is 3A with good heatsinking).
Do a quick search for HansV's post re the 26106 to get all the details including mods for higher LED current (I read it can be upgraded to 2A but you must know what you're doing). Otherwise, get a 2800mA AMC7135 driver board for each XM-L and drive the LED's off a 4.2V battery pack or paralleled 18650 as I'm doing. You'll need to disable the mode in those boards (very easy, see HansV's thread) so you won't get an unsynchronized blinking circus of all three...