KL4 + MC-E = stooopid bright!

[AaronM]

On my Milky U2x2, all the levels are exactly four times brighter. This one however, is different: The high level of course, is lots brighter, but the low is about the same as the stock low.
The good news is the levels are pretty evenly spaced and it still has a LOW low.

The current draw with a 18650 in the U2 is 1.45A.

Edit:
Even though I am now out of MC-Es, I carved on another KL4 in preparation for more emitters.
In this pic you see the stock emitter & heatsink and the carving I did to the back face of the reflector so I can push the emitter further forward to get a little tighter focus.

As a result of the milling, the reflector hole is a bit bigger.

 

[roguesw]

Hi AaronM, this is a nice build and i am thinking of doing the same with my KL4.
Could you please tell me how do you wire 2S2P configuration for the MC-E?
Any help would be appreciated.
Cheers mate
best regards
Des

 

[thegeek]

You inspired me to crack open my KL4 head. That turned out to be MUCH easier than opening a KL1. Now that it's all put together the beam looks almost exactly like it did with the LuxV, no artifacts or donut at all. I used part of a penny for the spacer to get the height right. Ghetto, and probably not as good as a copper spacer, but it works pretty well.

 

[Bullzeyebill]

You inspired me to crack open my KL4 head. That turned out to be MUCH easier than opening a KL1. Now that it's all put together the beam looks almost exactly like it did with the LuxV, no artifacts or donut at all. I used part of a penny for the spacer to get the height right. Ghetto, and probably not as good as a copper spacer, but it works pretty well.

Use a dime next time, it is about 90% copper.

Bill

Actually 91.67% copper.

Bill

 

[lumafist]

Subscribing.....:cool:

 

[thegeek]

Use a dime next time, it is about 90% copper.

Bill

Actually 91.67% copper.

Bill

The dime was a touch thinner than I wanted. Good to know though.

 

[alphazeta]

Use a dime next time, it is about 90% copper.

Bill

Actually 91.67% copper.

Bill

But a pre-1982 penny is 95% copper :rolleyes:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cent_(United_States_coin)
-AZ

 

[Bullzeyebill]

But a pre-1982 penny is 95% copper :rolleyes:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cent_(United_States_coin)
-AZ

Yes, and my dime will fit in an 18650 tube and make my shorter unprotected LG's work. Look for pre-82 cents, and easily find current dimes. Of course, some dimes are worth more than a dime, but not current ones, unless collectors find some reason to make them more valuable.

Bill

 

[alphazeta]

Yes, and my dime will fit in an 18650 tube and make my shorter unprotected LG's work. Look for pre-82 cents, and easily find current dimes. Of course, some dimes are worth more than a dime, but not current ones, unless collectors find some reason to make them more valuable.

Bill

Fair enough, the dimes work for what you need them for :grin2:

Depends on your usage for the "spacers" I guess. A lot of times I use the pennies to heatsink & mount hot driver components. I give them a quick pound with a hammer on my "anvil" (that would be a 25lb barbell plate:naughty:) to flatten them out. I can easily bend them with two pliers to provide me a curved mount for a flashlight body...
-az

 

[thegeek]

If anyone was curious, I see a 1.8A draw from one IMR16340 cell at 4V with the modded head. I don't have another KL4 at the moment to compare the heat to, but it seems to get pretty warm, borderline hot if it's just sitting there. Similar to what I remember with the LuxV.

 

[Bullzeyebill]

If anyone was curious, I see a 1.8A draw from one IMR16340 cell at 4V with the modded head. I don't have another KL4 at the moment to compare the heat to, but it seems to get pretty warm, borderline hot if it's just sitting there. Similar to what I remember with the LuxV.

I should be about as hot as a stock KL4. Your mA draw would be lower at 4.2 volts, but still seems too high at 1.8 amps. I just measured my KL4 with Powerizer unprotected RCR123 reading 4.12 and get 1.20A draw, and bounce with lightmeter shows full power to LED.

Bill

 

[thegeek]

It seemed pretty high to me too, but it might have something to do with a different Vf of the led. I'm not sure how exactly the driver reacts to changes like that.

Just checked again, two different IMR16340 cells:

4.05V gives 1.7A
3.85V gives 1.9A

 

[Bullzeyebill]

It seemed pretty high to me too, but it might have something to do with a different Vf of the led. I'm not sure how exactly the driver reacts to changes like that.

Just checked again, two different IMR16340 cells:

4.05V gives 1.7A
3.85V gives 1.9A

Do you have some other cells/bodies to try out, such as 2 CR123's, or one 17670, or 17650? Also, is your DMM working ok?

Bill

 

[thegeek]

The first post the values were taken from a Fluke 73, the second set of values are from a cheap no name meter. I have a 17500 body I can try out later, don't have it with me at the moment.

 

[thegeek]

One 17500 at 3.95V gives 1.8A to the head.

 

[PeterB]

One 17500 at 3.95V gives 1.8A to the head.

Could it be, that you have wired the 4 MCE dies in series? That would double the power vs. 2s2p.

 

[thegeek]

Could it be, that you have wired the 4 MCE dies in series? That would double the power vs. 2s2p.

Not really, I have a jumper wire, so if there were some sort of unwanted connection, I don't think all of the dice would be lighting up evenly. The current I am seeing is about .4A more than what it was with the luxV, so we aren't dealing with any HUGE difference. My intent was not to troubleshoot, I am fairly confident that the LED is wired correctly and installed correctly. I just thought I would relay the what others could expect as far as current draw, i.e. runtime.

 

[FredM]

Could you try with two fresh primaries?

I would really like to see the results as I am not really interested in Li-Ions for a EDC. (but would do it if needed)

 

[thegeek]

Could you try with two fresh primaries?

I would really like to see the results as I am not really interested in Li-Ions for a EDC. (but would do it if needed)

Unfortunately I don't have any 2 cell e-series bodies. I think the OP posted his readings with 2 primaries on the first page though.

 

[c0t0d0s0]

I attempted this mod with my KL4 head, and so far I can't obtain a decent focus with an MC-E. This propably has something to do with the fact that my the insides of my head look somewhat different from what AaronM had posted, it is clearly machined differently (there are no separate posts where the screws go in, the back of the reflector part where the heatsink contacts it is a flat one piece part, with greater area contacting the pill). Apparently there were different versions of this head. The heatsink itself has a depression for the emitter.

Anyway, I broke out the Dremel and made some room for the MC-E and the connecting wires, but with the new emitter pushed all the way to the back of the reflector (.075" spacer was required), the focus basically sucks, with rings and dark cross in the hotspot.

I definitely need to carve the back of the reflector to push the emitter further forward, but there is no way I can do it with the Dremel cleanly... Man, I need a drill press :(