Surefire M6 Rechargeable - Lion options ! ! !

petrev

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Jun 12, 2005
Messages
1,535
Location
SW England
Hi

I have been messing with more options for an M6-Lion system and have so far got these working with C-Lions and waiting for D-Lion cells. All need to use a non-standard HOLA eg. WA11nn +FM.MN-adapter or I am using the FM axial-7.2 at the moment

C-Lions require the AWR short tail insert and a small bit of spring from a Mag-Switch. AWR has lots of the tail inserts but whether he will supply them is another question ! I have a couple and could get more made if there was any real demand ? but as I say AWR has lots ! ! !
If the standard Tail Insert is to be used then the XTN36 or FM short extension will work too with the MagD-spring as below.

Ds will fit with either my XTN36 or the FM short extension and the M6 standard tail insert and a MagD spring (cut down to suit for appropriate pressure)

Pix . . . Short FM-Extension . XTN36 . D-Nicad for size .
Std. M6 Tail-Insert + MagD-Spring . AW C-Lions
M6TailCap . AWR Short Tail-Insert . M6 . 5mm Foam for C-Lions !



Big Picture and the AW C-Lions and FM-Axial 7.2V

. . .

D-Cells when available ? ? ? Use these . . .

.

Any Questions ?

Cheers Pete

.
 
I have one modded to run on six P17500s. Stock length and look. Soft start and 3 levels. Best of all - a clickie switch with LOTC function. Runtime is 1 to 3 hours with a Lumens Factory HO-M6R ( 700 bulb lumens ). 35 minutes to 100 minutes with a WA1185. Basically nothing is done to the stock M6 except to remove the tail cup and plastic retainer. The original rubber cap is sealed with a little glass sealant to retain water resistant. The controlling unit is integrated with the battery holder. The mod is 100% reversible.


PICT0049-2.jpg



PICT0050-1.jpg



PICT0051-2.jpg




***** Video Clip ******





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I have one modded to run on six P17500s. Stock length and look. Soft start and 3 levels. Best of all - a clickie switch with LOTC . Runtime is 1 to 3 hours with a LF EO-M3T. 35 minutes to 100 minutes with a WA1185. Pictures coming up later.

Hi AW

More info and pics now - can't wait . . .

Thanks Pete
 
I have one modded to run on six P17500s. Stock length and look. Soft start and 3 levels. Best of all - a clickie switch with LOTC . Runtime is 1 to 3 hours with a LF EO-M3T. 35 minutes to 100 minutes with a WA1185. Pictures coming up later.
Rechargeable, soft-start, clickie, 3 levels M6? Dude, you rock! :rock: Can't wait for pictures and more info.
 
I have one modded to run on six P17500s. Stock length and look. Soft start and 3 levels. Best of all - a clickie switch with LOTC . Runtime is 1 to 3 hours with a LF EO-M3T. 35 minutes to 100 minutes with a WA1185. Pictures coming up later.

Any plans on making these available? I'm sure there be a lot of interest here, me included.
 
I have one modded to run on six P17500s. Stock length and look. Soft start and 3 levels. Best of all - a clickie switch with LOTC . Runtime is 1 to 3 hours with a LF EO-M3T. 35 minutes to 100 minutes with a WA1185. Pictures coming up later.

Great stuff . . .

Screw in replacement for standard tail internals ?
Standard rubber cap ?
Other bits and bobs ?


Top Banana Dude.
 
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petrev,

Basically nothing is done to the stock M6 except to remove the tail cup and plastic retainer. The original rubber cap is sealed with a little glass sealant to retain water resistant. All the controlling unit is integrated with the battery holder. The mod is 100% reversible. Pic. and vic added to post #3.

AW
 
AW, that's a damn nice setup!! :D I might have kept a stock incan M6 if I saw something like this last time. But am still enjoying my Milky modded one a lot!

Anyway, I guess nowadays there's no longer much talk about underdriving incans and whether its bad for the bulb? There used to be talk about how high power incan bulbs don't do well being underdriven, which shortens their lifespan (something about the particles or filament not being heated enough).

But I've always wondered how those 50-100w MR16s used in house lighting can be 'dimmed' with dimmers and still last really long.

So which is really true?? If there is no harm, you got yourself a winning setup!! You should make a turnkey package and start selling it!! :D
 
LEDcandle,

The dimming levels of my driver is not really achieved by under driving. It is controlled by PWM % duty cycle. Voltage feeding the bulb is the same as full power. No bulb life will suffer there.

AW
 
Sorry AW, I'm an electronics idiot. Doesn't PWM mean some kind of flickering? Otherwise, how do you have the same voltage but different output?
 
Sorry AW, I'm an electronics idiot. Doesn't PWM mean some kind of flickering? Otherwise, how do you have the same voltage but different output?
That means flickering for a LED, but not for an incan. The A2 also uses PWM and you can't see any flickering - it takes time for the incand bulb to cool down (between the very fast on/off cycles by PWM) so the effect is that there is no flickering.
 
That means flickering for a LED, but not for an incan. The A2 also uses PWM and you can't see any flickering - it takes time for the incand bulb to cool down (between the very fast on/off cycles by PWM) so the effect is that there is no flickering.
Unfortunately PWM to reduce the overall power supplied to an incan bulb to below its optimum will result in a lower colour temperature, ie yellowing of the beam, not just dimming it.

This doesn't happen with the A2 because the voltage is regulated to the optimum figure and it doesn't have a "low" incan setting.

The effect with incans is different from LEDs, where the colour temperature does not change if you reduce the power supplied.
 
DM51, thanks for clarification. I think I'd prefer this rechargeable setup with just one level with soft start (SOS mode and M6? Doesn't sound good for me :)).

I read the lumens factory bulbs have a life of 20 hours? Pretty short I think. Any idea how much will the soft start help to prolong the bulb life?
 
Incan lamp filament has after glow effect so PWM won't have flickering problem like LEDs. Unfortunately the different intensity levels will affect the color temperature like the same effect between mid-day sunlight and dust/dawn. This is a characteristic of incan lamps and all dimming applications including home dimmer switch behave the same. The A2 has only one level ( 100% cycle rate ) so it 'll be driven to spec. My driver @ 100% cycle rate ( max. ) will drive the lamp at spec. as well.
 
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I read the lumens factory bulbs have a life of 20 hours? Pretty short I think. Any idea how much will the soft start help to prolong the bulb life?
Mark@LF would be the best person to ask about this. Certainly a soft start should help, as the number of stressful on-off cycles does have a significant bearing on bulb life, but the 20 hours spec is probably a worst-case figure in which total burn-time plays a large part too.
 
DM51, thanks for clarification. I think I'd prefer this rechargeable setup with just one level with soft start (SOS mode and M6? Doesn't sound good for me :)).

I read the lumens factory bulbs have a life of 20 hours? Pretty short I think. Any idea how much will the soft start help to prolong the bulb life?

What kind of bulb life were you expecting? SF lamp assemblies are rated about the same too. If you want longer bulb life the output will not be as bright or as white.

For ideas re: bulb life, go look at the A2 threads. As you would be aware, bulbs tend to die when they are turned on or are subjected to mechanical stress. The soft-start helps the first of these two.

AW, when are you expecting to release your battery pack?
 
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What kind of bulb life were you expecting? SF lamp assemblies are rated about the same too. If you want longer bulb life the output will not be as bright or as white.

For ideas re: bulb life, go look at the A2 threads. As you would be aware, bulbs tend to die when they are turned on or are subjected to mechanical stress. The soft-start helps the first of these two.

I read all the A2 threads on CPF :), here is the "bulb life" thread. Most people got at least 30 hours runtime, I would say average is 40+ hours. Leuko's MA02 lasted 60+ hours.

If I can get similar bulb life with soft-start feature on a Lumens Factory HO-M6R then that would be great (at least something in the 30-40 hours range). But that probably also depends on the output - the A2 bulb has less "stress" because it's just a 50 lumen bulb? I am just thinking about this, I am not seriously considering a M6 right now :).

Sorry for going a little off topic on this thread.
Thank you for your reply.
 
AW, nice job! nice solution..

looks like you've been extremely busy.
 
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