HIVE McG converter used in the Aqua line of lights.

[calflash]

One aspect i have to comment however is the "toggle quickly to leave setup mode". You only have to go through the 5 settings of the so called "Setup level 1", to get to the settings #6 through #18, you have to explicitly change setting #4.

Or have you seen a different behavior on your driver Calflash?

yea - my light seems to memorize level 4 as open once I have opened it.

 

[KDM]

Rush, you asked for ideas on how we would do things differently. Setting the brightness level 6-10. Triple flash-setting number(6-10flashes)-display high beam 1.5 sec. for increase-pause-display lower beam for 1.5 sec. decrease. Toggle the switch during either 1.5 second level would advance you to display the lights current brightness then begin to step through the levels. Once you reach the desired level toggle the switch to select it.

This would speed up the amount of time it takes to change brightness levels and also visually see the setting as opposed to a number code. Really enjoying the light and ability to make the multiple setting changes.

 

[rush]

Calflash,
After reviewing the code i believe that you must recall a preset first that has setting #4 set to "Yes" in order for you to then step through the rest of the settings and being shown both the level 1 and level 2 settings. Or do you really see that happen if you simply enter the setup mode and without changing any other settings or loading a preset step through them?
If it is the former then i understand, as this would be unintentionally possible if you save to a preset after having gone through the level 2 settings during the same "programming session". I'll change the behavior so that the setting #4 is not saved to a preset in the enabled state, as this is not a logical behavior.

KDM,
i'm glad that you did not have a hard time with the manual, i guess i somewhat missed the irony in your words
Its great to hear that you are finding the customizability of the driver that useful!

Also a very good suggestion about a ramping mode that steps through the brightness levels to let you change settings #6 to #10. This would certainly be possible and would make changing the output levels by several brightness levels much faster. I will add this to the list of possible additions in future revisions.

Please keep the suggestions coming!

 

[richstag]

I just picked one of these up in the form of an Aqua Ram 119v. I was talking to Martin about IMR performance. He gave me the clever advice of shooting both and comparing.

So I did just that. Identical camera settings locked in tripod. The first is 4.2v charge level NCR-18650B-3400 and the second is 4.2v charge level US18650VTC5. I could have picked a better backdrop that had less possibility of giving off uneven highlights with differing angles of the light, and I could have locked down the light, but I just made a mark to sit the light each time and the results are so close I feel they are good enough.



A more detailed histogram is available in camera, and they are nearly identical.

I would say this throws out any and all reason to run a lower capacity IMR cell in this light.

Thanks to Martin for thinking up this test.

Kevin

 

[rush]

Thanks for the comparison Kevin!

As you have just proven, regular Li-Ion 18650 cells should be able to provide the necessary current to drive the LED at the higher output levels. Going to a higher output current than the 1400 mA stock, there could be a point down on the discharge curve of the cell where it can't supply enough current anymore, but that would probably be at a lower discharge capacity than an IMR cell can provide.

 

[richstag]

Yeah, I only tried this at 1400 mA.

I doubt I will compare the 119v any higher.

If I do I will post results.

 

[richstag]

Okay, I feel very dumb, but I can't seem to focus enough to set max brightness to 2.2 amps. I just received a second aquaram head with XML2. Does anyone have a quick step by step to simply change max output to 2.2 amps? That is ALL I want to do. I had a crazy busy day, and I feel like my brain is broken, but I also rfeel like a quick step by step for just this would help.

I got into the settings mode okay. Then I cycled through to where I thought I should be for current settings and then I had no clue what I was doing. I just cycled until the light worked as a light again.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Kevin

 

[KDM]

My best advise is to print the programming schematic out on paper. It helps me to follow it a lot easier.

 

[richstag]

I did. Maybe I just need a weekend day. Thanks anyhow.

My best advise is to print the programming schematic out on paper. It helps me to follow it a lot easier.

 

[calflash]

Enter programming. Cycle through to level 4. Make sure it's on setting 2.

Cycle from level 6 to 16. Level 16 will be max current setting. Cycle up to 22. Should be two double flashes and two single flashes.

Cycle from 17 to 18 to 5 and pick a preset. Cycle out of 5 and it should recalibrate and voila.

 

[rush]

Calflash has outlined the steps correctly, except that it is not necessary to make any changes to the setting 5 (Save preset) as the maximum current applies to all presets. So you can just skip out of programming (toggle fast) after you have set Setting 16 (Maximum current) to 22.
After you have left programming you will get the calibration sequence the next time you turn on the light and are all set then.

 

[richstag]

I have followed this and other very helpful members instructions and now my light doesn't even function right. Maybe new versions could incorporate a way to connect to a computer for a GUI that even a non-techy like me can understand.

 

[richstag]

I finally figured out the max brightness. How many flashes is level 21?? I understood two fast and 9 slow for 19 then it lost me a little and I just guessed.

How do I use setting 18 to restore defaults???'

For some reason my light will cycle level 1,2,3,4 but then not down to 1 again.

Thanks,

Kevin

 

[richstag]

It only took four hours but now I understand it and fixed it. Sorry for being an idiot and thanks so much to the people that helped.

 

[rush]

Thank you for being so patient after all!
You already figured things out, but to reiterate for everybody else too, the values are signaled with blinks of different speeds, the blinks for the setting number are slightly slower than for the value of a setting. If any of these numbers is 10 or greater, then the digit for the tens (i. e. 1 in this case) is signaled with a quick double blink, not unlike the triple blink showing the beginning and end of the signal block.
Except for the double blink for numbers >= 10, all this is also illustrated in Fig. 2 of the manual.

You restore defaults by changing the value of setting 18 to "2".
When your light just went up to level 4 and couldn't be cycled any further you probably have changed the operation mode (setting 2) to "Volatile", which goes back to level 1 when you leave it switched off for more than the toggle period of half a second.

Hope you can enjoy your light now!

 

[richstag]

Thank you.

I appreciate all the help.

Thank you for being so patient after all!
You already figured things out, but to reiterate for everybody else too, the values are signaled with blinks of different speeds, the blinks for the setting number are slightly slower than for the value of a setting. If any of these numbers is 10 or greater, then the digit for the tens (i. e. 1 in this case) is signaled with a quick double blink, not unlike the triple blink showing the beginning and end of the signal block.
Except for the double blink for numbers >= 10, all this is also illustrated in Fig. 2 of the manual.

You restore defaults by changing the value of setting 18 to "2".
When your light just went up to level 4 and couldn't be cycled any further you probably have changed the operation mode (setting 2) to "Volatile", which goes back to level 1 when you leave it switched off for more than the toggle period of half a second.

Hope you can enjoy your light now!

 

[archimedes]

Is there a video guide for programming these ... ?

 

[rush]

Good question Archimedes,
I made a video introduction to the programming of the driver quite some time ago. I however didn't feel it helped a lot in understanding how it works, that is why i haven't published it.
I can dig it out and let you guys decide if it is indeed helpful or not.

 

[archimedes]

Took a bit of practice ... :thinking: ... but I think I got the programming to work.

I found one odd effect of changing to "volatile" memory, though. With this setting, it does always start on low, but I don't seem to be able to cycle past the highest output setting with "short toggles" ?

If I want to go back to low output, I have to either shut it off and wait (briefly), or use a "long toggle" to get out of max output.

Is this expected functioning ?

 

[Matrix 100]

I am very interesting in ordering this driver/ flashlight - but I don't see a price and I do not see who you order from -Don or Rush

any help would be appreciated

Thanks

Matrix