Help me with my M4 Project!!!!!!
- Thread starter 45guy
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DM51
Flashaholic
Welcome to CPF, 45guy.
I think your thread might get a better response in the Homemade & Modified Lights section, so I'll move it there for you.
I think your thread might get a better response in the Homemade & Modified Lights section, so I'll move it there for you.
You can get your M4 bored here
https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/156080
As for your other questions
1. What kind of LED ?
2. What current is being supplied to the LED ?
https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/156080
As for your other questions
1. What kind of LED ?
2. What current is being supplied to the LED ?
Justin Case
Flashlight Enthusiast
- Joined
- Mar 19, 2008
- Messages
- 3,797
Some options that I've built that fit your requirements (all will run in regulation with 2x18650):
- Seoul P4 U2-bin LED tower at 1000mA drive current. Probably about 200 lumens out the front.
- Cree XP-G R5 LED tower at 1000mA drive current. Probably about 270 lumens out the front.
- 2S2P Cree MC-E M-bin LED tower at 500-600mA per core. Probably about 450-500 lumens out the front.
For the XP-G, I've also overdriven the LED slightly at both 1050mA and 1200mA with no obvious negative effects (i.e., no issues with excessive heat generation, or tint shift).
You need a buck driver and I've used the SOB for the above towers.
Run time will probably be best with the XP-G at 1000mA. Could be over 5 hours for 2600mAh AW18650s. A close second is the Seoul P4 at 1000mA. Third is the MC-E. Run time in full regulation could be a bit short since the input voltage from the 2x18650s isn't much greater than the min voltage needed to run in full regulation. For 2600mAh AW18650s, I estimate about 15-20 min before falling out of full regulation. After that, you should get maybe about 2-3 more hours at reduced output but still at least 300 lumens or more.
- Seoul P4 U2-bin LED tower at 1000mA drive current. Probably about 200 lumens out the front.
- Cree XP-G R5 LED tower at 1000mA drive current. Probably about 270 lumens out the front.
- 2S2P Cree MC-E M-bin LED tower at 500-600mA per core. Probably about 450-500 lumens out the front.
For the XP-G, I've also overdriven the LED slightly at both 1050mA and 1200mA with no obvious negative effects (i.e., no issues with excessive heat generation, or tint shift).
You need a buck driver and I've used the SOB for the above towers.
Run time will probably be best with the XP-G at 1000mA. Could be over 5 hours for 2600mAh AW18650s. A close second is the Seoul P4 at 1000mA. Third is the MC-E. Run time in full regulation could be a bit short since the input voltage from the 2x18650s isn't much greater than the min voltage needed to run in full regulation. For 2600mAh AW18650s, I estimate about 15-20 min before falling out of full regulation. After that, you should get maybe about 2-3 more hours at reduced output but still at least 300 lumens or more.
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Another option would be to buy a new head that is compatible with
your M4 body.
As far as I know there are two available, the Lumens Factory P7 M Head
and the TLS TX3 Cree Q5.
The LF will be brighter, up to 950 lumens (according to the manufacturers specs) and the TLS will give you less, +256 lumens (manuf. specs)
Building your own LED Tower Module is the cheaper option. I would recommend
the XPG one mentioned by Justin Case :thumbsup:
your M4 body.
As far as I know there are two available, the Lumens Factory P7 M Head
and the TLS TX3 Cree Q5.
The LF will be brighter, up to 950 lumens (according to the manufacturers specs) and the TLS will give you less, +256 lumens (manuf. specs)
Building your own LED Tower Module is the cheaper option. I would recommend
the XPG one mentioned by Justin Case :thumbsup:
Justin Case
Flashlight Enthusiast
- Joined
- Mar 19, 2008
- Messages
- 3,797
goinggear.com advertises an MC-E TurboHead.
The TLS TX3 head supposedly uses a standard P60-type pill, so in theory LED upgrading/swapping could be relatively easy.
If you use a netkidz tower kit, then building a tower yourself is definitely the least expensive route for an LED upgrade. Besides being less expensive than an AW tower, the netkidz tower also takes regular 17mm diam drivers, which can be gotten very cheaply from DX, KD, and others. The AW tower kit uses 14mm drivers, which are mainly available only from The Sandwich Shoppe (KD has a 14mm boost driver called the FD-A, but I have no direct experience with it). The Shoppe's drivers are first-rate, but you pay for the quality.
If you are price sensitive, a netkidz tower will cost you about $25. An XP-G R4 is about $10. A DX or KD buck driver is less than $5. Assuming you already have miscellaneous supplies like teflon wire and thermal epoxy, total materials cost is about $40. Otherwise, you'll have to make a min order from mudman cj for wire ($5 min) and buy some Arctic Alumina thermal epoxy or similar for about $8 or so. Or get the cheap Fujik thermal glue from DX for a couple of dollars.
The TLS TX3 head supposedly uses a standard P60-type pill, so in theory LED upgrading/swapping could be relatively easy.
If you use a netkidz tower kit, then building a tower yourself is definitely the least expensive route for an LED upgrade. Besides being less expensive than an AW tower, the netkidz tower also takes regular 17mm diam drivers, which can be gotten very cheaply from DX, KD, and others. The AW tower kit uses 14mm drivers, which are mainly available only from The Sandwich Shoppe (KD has a 14mm boost driver called the FD-A, but I have no direct experience with it). The Shoppe's drivers are first-rate, but you pay for the quality.
If you are price sensitive, a netkidz tower will cost you about $25. An XP-G R4 is about $10. A DX or KD buck driver is less than $5. Assuming you already have miscellaneous supplies like teflon wire and thermal epoxy, total materials cost is about $40. Otherwise, you'll have to make a min order from mudman cj for wire ($5 min) and buy some Arctic Alumina thermal epoxy or similar for about $8 or so. Or get the cheap Fujik thermal glue from DX for a couple of dollars.
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Echo63
Flashlight Enthusiast
Lots
specs say around 900ish.
it has been tested to be similar in overall output, but not quite as throwy as the Surefire M6 HOLA
I am currently running mine on a M3 body with 3x rcr123, when my M4 arrives it will be going on that body, with 2x17670.
runtime will be around an hour on 2x17670 from memory
review/overview thread is here (inc beamshots)
https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/241792
I love mine, and use it a fair bit at work, the HA matches my m3 body pretty nicely too
