What's the hardest I can drive a MC-E on a first-generation L-Mini?

[Fallingwater]

I got a freebie L-Mini with a busted board; the LED still works, but I'm thinking of reworking the whole thing into something with POWER, and I just so happen to have a MC-E LED out of a DX module (which I took apart due to its inadequate heatsinking).
The driver isn't really a problem, but the heatsinking is; the L-Mini has decent heatsinking for a single-die LED, but it isn't meant to run a quad-die one at full power. What I need to know is how hard I can run the MC-E before I run the risk of frying it or drastically shortening its lifespan if I forget it on.

 

[TorchBoy]

 

[Fallingwater]

Is that smilie meant as "nice topic, I'm interested" or "I can't wait for the flame"?

 

[Yucca Patrol]

I'd say nice topic. I'd love a micro multi-die light. . . .

 

[TorchBoy]

I've often wondered how much I could toast an MC-E (say, in a caving headlamp) and get away with it, but I've never used one. But if you do get flames, take a photo, OK?

 

[Hack On Wheels]

I got a freebie L-Mini with a busted board; the LED still works, but I'm thinking of reworking the whole thing into something with POWER, and I just so happen to have a MC-E LED out of a DX module (which I took apart due to its inadequate heatsinking).
The driver isn't really a problem, but the heatsinking is; the L-Mini has decent heatsinking for a single-die LED, but it isn't meant to run a quad-die one at full power. What I need to know is how hard I can run the MC-E before I run the risk of frying it or drastically shortening its lifespan if I forget it on.

How long would you like to be able to run it for continuously?

 

[Fallingwater]

Continuously. I don't want to come back to a fried flashlight in case I forget it on.
A temp-controlled driver that ramps down from full power after a while would be good, but I'm trying to keep the mod on the cheap side and wouldn't know how to build such a driver myself.

 

[kramer5150]

Continuously. I don't want to come back to a fried flashlight in case I forget it on.
A temp-controlled driver that ramps down from full power after a while would be good, but I'm trying to keep the mod on the cheap side and wouldn't know how to build such a driver myself.

I would say around .8A would be the limit for unlimited ON cycles... no first hand experience with an MCE in a light that small though.