MAG85 : noo don't instaflash me ! and GLOW in high-output incans

[nitnapz]

it is a pretty simple question for all yaul m@gmods who deal with instaflashing issues

i want to spare the delay of letting batteries "chill" or wait for 1-2 hours before i click da switch.

i've been reading alot about a hotdriver etc, but i cannot find it.

would this be essentially a resistor that i plant into the circuit so that the voltage won't "spike" anywho . the 69$ for the soft driver sounds pricey. never the less i don't want to instaflash these bulbs !

the bulbs i plan to use would be the 1185 or 1331 or 1166

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and on another note i want to know how you could use glow powder around the 3d or in the 3d host to look esthetically pleasing. i'm thinking circle on the back of the tailcap, or lining the reflector ? what would you do ?

 

[DonShock]

I light up my Mag85 with nine Energizer 2500 AAs fresh off the charger all the time. I use a Kiu socket, but no other "resistance fixes" to maximize brightness. No instaflashes yet.

I've done glow powder/epoxy on several of my LED mods. Where ther is a raised LED pedestal on the heatsink, I wrap some tape around it that extends up a little around the base of the LED. This makes a small well I can pour the epoxy into after I stir the glow powder in. Once it sets, I just remove the tape and I have a nice smooth glow circle that charges well from the LED. You might be able to do something similar on the top of a Kiu socket or other bulb holder, but I don't know how the extra heat from a hotwire would effect the set epoxy.

 

[LuxLuthor]

Like Don says, it is possible to have a setup that will not flash a bulb hot off the charger, but doing much of anything that reduces the stock resistance of a Maglite like shown here increases the risk.

The AWR Hotdriver is much more than a resistance addition. It has selectable rotational POT (with small screwdriver) that allows you to deliver a specific and constant voltage to the bipin sockets. So it eliminates the startup instaflash high current spike, and keeps the selected voltage stable until batteries deplete below set voltage, at which time it shuts down the light....avoids the waning light from battery sag.

Here is the problem.

 

[yellow]

You could also do the ceap and rugged but less sophisticated method of adding a 1 ohms NTC.
This adds some resistance at the beginning to fight high current when the bulb wire is cold, then it heats up and looses resistance
(my meter measures 0.0 Ohms when warm/hot, so might be some .1 ohm)

but that would mean to wilfully add resistance to the light, even when its just minor and greatly improves bulb life.

 

[mansell2]

69$ for the soft driver sounds pricey.

I don't know how you intent to use your Mag85. Is is for novelty or for a serious application? I use mine for a serious application and the $69 dollars is worth every penny. Its even worth shipping back to hong kong and back a second time. Some of the mods here at CPF are to hot or too unstable for mission critical applictions (bulb life to short / runtime too short / etc). But I believe AW's Incan Driver can bring a lot of the previously CPF only mods to the rest of the world. [Yes I'm trying to become a authorized rep for AW ] With AW's Incan Driver the Mag85 also becomes a Mag11 or a ROP LOLA by choosing different output levels. It should also increase life span of bulb and I use C Cell's right of the charger without any . If you will only use your Mag85 to impress your friends then you might skip the driver, but if you are going to use your Mag85 in variety of situations - I strongly recomend AW's Incan Driver. Version 2 is in the works.

 

[nitnapz]

It should also increase life span of bulb

is the incan driver very efficient is leaving power for longer runtime if left on lets say the medium ? because it could sway two ways i'm thinking of right now. educate me please

1) driver acts like a water-tank, and the tap is turned on a little and you have a trickle of "light". alot of water for long runtime

or is it like

2) driver regulates current for different levels of light, but is being disposed of IN the circuit maybe through a resistor or something to resist the current and is not that efficient ?

--
i agree it would be worth it, i'm just a virgin builder and a 28$ socket is affordable, so maybe i could splurge on the batteries or throw head instead.
all my parts for my m*g85 totalled about 280usd so far,

 

[mansell2]

You can read about or post questions on the Incan Driver here.

$280 US umm.. considered the following recipes

3C Mag85 Li-Ion($198)
shorten (file / hack saw / dremel) stock tailcap $0
shorten spring $0
3 x AW C Li-Ion $75
3C Maglite $18.00
AW Incan Driver $69
WA01185 $5
fivemega or litho123 reflector $25
Borafloat lens $5.50

4C Mag85 Li-Ion ($162)
stock tailcap
stretch spring $0
3 x AW 18650 $39
3C Maglite $18
AW Incan Driver $69.
WA01185 $5
fivemega or litho123 reflector $25
Borafloat lens $5.50

2.5 Throwmaster Option
-subtract $25 reflector
-subtract $5.5 for lens
+add $105 fivemega Throwmaster
net add to above about $70 each

 

[litho123]

Please note: AW's incan driver and AWR's HotDriver are two different items. I see folks commenting on one or the other.

AWR's hotdriver:
Take the Magswitch, add Kiu's modified Hi-Temp Bi-Pin socket and incorporate awr's miniature LDO Hotdriver circuitry. Viola! You now have a light that has soft start, voltage regulation, auto shutoff when the voltage is too low, can be used Hot off the charger and, by adding an extra cell, the hotdriver will deliver constant light output for virtually the entire run before recharging. Plus the voltage can be adjusted for your particular bulb application.

I haven't had a chance to evaluate AW's incan driver yet.

 

[LuxLuthor]

Please note: AW's incan driver and AWR's HotDriver are two different items. I see folks commenting on one or the other.

AWR's hotdriver:
Take the Magswitch, add Kiu's modified Hi-Temp Bi-Pin socket and incorporate awr's miniature LDO Hotdriver circuitry. Viola! You now have a light that has soft start, voltage regulation, auto shutoff when the voltage is too low, can be used Hot off the charger and, by adding an extra cell, the hotdriver will deliver constant light output for virtually the entire run before recharging. Plus the voltage can be adjusted for your particular bulb application.

I haven't had a chance to evaluate AW's incan driver yet.

AW's is essentially a soft start + repeat push button gives pre-defined voltage output levels to give low/med/high/blinking type features that you see with many small LED's. No soft start on blinking mode however. It remembers your last used brightness level on startup.

 

[mansell2]

AWR's hotdriver:
Take the Magswitch, add Kiu's modified Hi-Temp Bi-Pin socket and incorporate awr's miniature LDO Hotdriver circuitry. Viola! You now have a light that has soft start, voltage regulation, auto shutoff when the voltage is too low, can be used Hot off the charger and, by adding an extra cell, the hotdriver will deliver constant light output for virtually the entire run before recharging. Plus the voltage can be adjusted for your particular bulb application.

That was my mistake. Are AWR drivers available? I read a long Jeers post and it appeared that AWR was way behind or the thread was closed. I personally do not know the status and I'm not looking to duplicate the discussion on AWR's project here. If AWR has drivers available, which thread sells them? The nice thing about AWR's driver is voltage regulation. AW's Incan Driver is Vin = Vout. I believe AW lo/med/hi function of AW works by pulses sent to the bulb at the available voltage without steping volts up or down. Using AWR's driver I would be interested in possibly building a 4 X AW C Li-IOn Mag85.

The ultimate IMHO would be AW Incan Driver with voltage regulation. Off course I don't understand the electronics side of what I just asked. Thanks.

 

[LuxLuthor]

That was my mistake. Are AWR drivers available? I read a long Jeers post and it appeared that AWR was way behind or the thread was closed. I personally do not know the status and I'm not looking to duplicate the discussion on AWR's project here. If AWR has drivers available, which thread sells them? The nice thing about AWR's driver is voltage regulation. AW's Incan Driver is Vin = Vout. I believe AW lo/med/hi function of AW works by pulses sent to the bulb at the available voltage without steping volts up or down. Using AWR's driver I would be interested in possibly building a 4 X AW C Li-IOn Mag85.

The ultimate IMHO would be AW Incan Driver with voltage regulation. Off course I don't understand the electronics side of what I just asked. Thanks.

You have identified the differences between AWR & AW that both have "Driver" in their product names. It leads to a lot of confusion about the two different people. You also identified the "AWR in the doghouse" reality which is a shame because there is not anyone else who has developed anything remotely close to his Hotdriver, nor his Hotrater spreadsheet, nor his immeasurable contributions in many threads on many topics. It is no small feat to go from soft starting to selectable voltage regulation out (from variable sources of Voltage In).

You will not find many who will publicly acknowledge and appreciate AWR's contributions because of his failed delivery on pre-paid items. I can compartmentalize the accomplishments as separate from his failures, and don't see one invalidating the other. There are ways to reach AWR if one is motivated, but I think enough said.

 

[Northern Lights]

Here is a thread about insta flashing 1185 bulbs. Post #8 Yellow offers a solution:
http://candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=152707&highlight=ntc
I pursued that suggestion and came up with this, the use of the NTC to stop insta flashing and handle soft starts.
http://candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=170972
I have both AW and AWR drivers. Both are ingeneous.
But there is room at CPF for more offerings in these items, I encourage inventive people to offer something more.