Has anyone run a Q5 at 1200 or 1400ma ? U-2 style Cree claims 1200ma, drop in mod?

I saw somewhere a chart, I don't remember who's post it was, so I can't give them credit.

It showed a Q5 producing 300 lumens at 1400 ma.
Can't post an attachment? :thumbsdow um... why?

Here is my main point, and I'm just putting it out there so I can hear what more experienced people have to say.
GW <- Newb :twothumbs


IF I were to make a larger heat sink
IF I were to use a Q5
If I were to use a 1400ma driver, this one

IF I were to put it in a platform with a larger head (to fit the board)
If I were to run it off 1 18650.

What really is the worst case?

These guys (next post) claim 1200ma, why not 1400??

Short run time? Short emitter life?


The hotwire incan guys are taking a 100 hour bulb and turning it into a 10-15 hour bulb by overdriving it.

So how short can the life really be? From 100,000 hours to ????
Even if it was 20 hours who cares?

Is there some major factor I'm missing here?

yes, this is a serious question, I work at night, all the time

Re: Has anyone run a Q5 at 1400ma ? Worst case it craps out right? expected life?

or should I just buy this light and slap a Q5 in it?
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.1285

has anyone actually measured the output??
I know there are lots of exaggerations
and don't want something that says 1200 but means 750ma.

how bout this at the bottom?

Although the performance of the regulation board is marginal the 1200mAh upgrade does make the light very much brighter. I will update the lux figures and beam shots.

what do they mean marginal?

Re: Has anyone run a Q5 at 1400ma ? Worst case it craps out right? expected life?

The U2 style Cree should have an output of at least 120 lumen and I've tested the battery draw, it should be around 1200 mA at the LED on high. Should be around 160 lumen with the Q5 emitter. Or if you use the 1400 mA driver, should be around 180 lumen.

If you use thermal paste and a good heatsink, the Cree Q5 LED should be fine with 1400 mA current.

Welcome to CPF!

What are you basing those output numbers on Gunner?

I saw the ratings at DX state 228lm@1000ma for a Q5

What am I missing here?

gratewhitehuntr said:

What are you basing those output numbers on Gunner?

I saw the ratings at DX state 228lm@1000ma for a Q5

What am I missing here?

Click to expand...

You have to take into a/c loss of lumens by reflector, glass window
and heat.

The higher you drive an led, the more the third factor comes into play.

I would be sceptical about any manufacturer claims anyway.

However you should be able to get close to 200 lumens providing
reflector-design and heat-sinking are good.

so that would mean that 200 lumens would be kick *** for a LED light?

200 at 1200ma or at 1400?

gratewhitehuntr said:

so that would mean that 200 lumens would be kick *** for a LED light?

200 at 1200ma or at 1400?

Click to expand...

200 lumens is normally a lot for most flashlights, whether they're led or otherwise.

Only very specialised tasks would require more than this.

But its not only the total output that matters.
The beam pattern and shape are important in determining how usefully
those lumens are directed.

I have a McGizmo Aleph-1 with Seoul-SSC-P4-U-bin driven with DB917
(ie. 917ma). I would guess that this puts out 150+ lumens on high.
(Its very bright).

The McR27 reflector in this light is great at concentrating the light into
a strong spot for throw but with the Seoul led it also provides a lot
of flood so I have the best of both worlds.

If you go to the McGizmo forum and have a look at the sticky threads there,
you'll learn an awful lot about reflector design, drivers and leds.

McGizmo (Don) is the best custom designer/builder out there IMO and his knowledge
and ingenuity are astounding.

An enormous number of lights and their components have originated or been
influenced from his ideas/designs

ok, your answer goes in a different direction so I will too.

reflector-- already designed for a cree xr-e right?
changing bins shouldn't require a reflector change should it?

I picked one with a deep reflector to get good spot (screw spill)

that is part of why I was looking at this light

next question

does anyone have 1 of these 1400ma drivers they would sell me?
Whack me for like $6 or something, I just don't need 10 !!

gratewhitehuntr said:

ok, your answer goes in a different direction so I will too.

reflector-- already designed for a cree xr-e right?
changing bins shouldn't require a reflector change should it?

I picked one with a deep reflector to get good spot (screw spill)

that is part of why I was looking at this light

Click to expand...

Sorry if I deviated from the course you were taking

If you're happy with the current reflector, that's great and of course
it will still apply to whatever bin you use.

gratewhitehuntr said:

What are you basing those output numbers on Gunner?

I saw the ratings at DX state 228lm@1000ma for a Q5

What am I missing here?

Click to expand...

I'm basing the numbers on the Cree Q4 evaluation thread. At 1200 mA, the Q4 is around 260-270 lumen and at 1400 mA, the Cree Q4 is close to 290-300 lumen so the Q5 should be around 270 lumen at 1200 mA and 300 lumen at 1400 mA. The 120 lumen stock figure I got buy seeing overall output numbers(around 96) using the light box and estimation the lumens(times 1.39) that way and lowering the number to be safe(96*1.39=133, lowered to 120 lumen to be safe)

Then there is approximately 35% loss of light with a normal reflector and a glass window/lens so I multiple the numbers.

270*0.65 = 175.5 lumen at 1200 mA, lowered to 160 to be safe.
300*0.65 = 195 lumen at 1400 mA, lowered to 180 to be safe.

I know they are hardly correct/precise numbers but probably a good estimate.

OK so lets try another question.

How hard can I really push a Q5??

Biggest driver I can get? (biggest means most ma)

Does anyone make a 1800ma 2 mode driver or anything even close?

I have a friend who is a machinist so making a "how much heat sink can I get in there" heat sink isn't really a problem.
Besides, I don't run the light for long periods of time. Usually 30 seconds or less, 5 mins tops.

I started thinking about run time on 1 x 18650..... not so good.

I have a WF-500 coming, maybe get this and change led/driver?
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.7039

I came across this light.
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.3356

does anyone have a better suggestion for a "thrower" aka "blind someone"
platform?

This one looks like it has a better design to lose heat with those... um.. fins? collars?? those things behind the head

Last question, has anyone managed to fry a Q5 yet or will I be the first?

gratewhitehuntr said:

does anyone have a better suggestion for a "thrower" aka "blind someone"
platform?

Click to expand...

The Tiablo A8-Q5 is the best thrower in its class.

Nitro said:

The Tiablo A8-Q5 is the best thrower in its class.

Click to expand...

Yep, it sees to have the best throw-reflector for Cree emitters. I have a Q5'd Lumapower MRV (with the stock driver and head sink driven at 1190mA according to an MRV review I read) and it is AMAZING. The A8-Q5 from Tiablo has the best reflector for throw, but the MRV is driven harder. Personally, for "useful" sized spot, I'd say the MRV is preferable to the Tiablo because by the time the beam of my MRV runs out of steam, everything is too far away to see anyway. The Tiablo has a better-optimized stock driver IMHO because it gets a flat output curve from an 18650 whereas an MRV doesn't...

Daekar said:

Yep, it sees to have the best throw-reflector for Cree emitters. I have a Q5'd Lumapower MRV (with the stock driver and head sink driven at 1190mA according to an MRV review I read) and it is AMAZING. The A8-Q5 from Tiablo has the best reflector for throw, but the MRV is driven harder. Personally, for "useful" sized spot, I'd say the MRV is preferable to the Tiablo because by the time the beam of my MRV runs out of steam, everything is too far away to see anyway. The Tiablo has a better-optimized stock driver IMHO because it gets a flat output curve from an 18650 whereas an MRV doesn't...

Click to expand...

For more useful spot there's always the OP reflector, but Gratewhite mentioned "thrower" aka "blind someone". That would be the Tiablo. He could always throw in the FluPic to drive it harder though.

Gunner12 said:

The 120 lumen stock figure I got buy seeing overall output numbers(around 96) using the light box and estimation the lumens(times 1.39) that way and lowering the number to be safe(96*1.39=133, lowered to 120 lumen to be safe)

Click to expand...

Sorry to divert the thread again, but I assume that the 96 is from a home made lightbox, in which case the conversion of 1.39 is unlikely to apply (this is only relevant to Quickbeam's setup).
Any lightbox needs an amount of 'calibration' with lights of known output.

Saying all that - I have a U2 style Cree, and the output is about 120 lumens (according to my 'calibrated' lightbox)
So maybe you got lucky :lolsign:

gratewhitehuntr said:

OK so lets try another question.

How hard can I really push a Q5??

Biggest driver I can get? (biggest means most ma)

Does anyone make a 1800ma 2 mode driver or anything even close?

I have a friend who is a machinist so making a "how much heat sink can I get in there" heat sink isn't really a problem.
Besides, I don't run the light for long periods of time. Usually 30 seconds or less, 5 mins tops.

I started thinking about run time on 1 x 18650..... not so good.

I have a WF-500 coming, maybe get this and change led/driver?
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.7039

I came across this light.
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.3356

does anyone have a better suggestion for a "thrower" aka "blind someone"
platform?

This one looks like it has a better design to lose heat with those... um.. fins? collars?? those things behind the head

Last question, has anyone managed to fry a Q5 yet or will I be the first?

Click to expand...

hey guys, i'm interested to know this, spoecially since i just ordered a super thrower to do a q5 mod.. any help pls?

FluPic??

it took me 3 days to find out what ROP meant !!

come on guys !! :shakehead

I'm in security and work in the ghetto at night so
"if they can't see you (or anything else) they can't shoot you" :nana:

even the very edge of the spill is painful but I want a the center to be really intense AND be able to spot things from 100 yards (stairwells, groups, ect)

I also want really bright so I can shine through even "Limo tint"

plus I'm thinkin a little bigger light would be nice