Spark SL6-740NW Drawing 7.5 Amps!

I was comparing lights with a friend that just received a DX XML light. On high his light was drawing 2.5A which is about average in my experience with affordable XML lamps. My light, the Spark SL6, was drawing an insane SEVEN AND A HALF AMPS. It was triggering the protection circuit on his Trustfire blue 18650s. I never measured it before because I just assumed that it was doing a nice 3.0A like the manufacturer claims.

This can't be normal! Am I doing something wrong to get these current readings? I feel like this is bad juju for my AW 2900mAh 18650 too.

What is the max discharge current specification for your AWs?

5.8A max discharge.

Over the other modes I am reading:
Low: 150mA
Medium1: 250mA
Medium2: 650mA
High: 1.7A
Super: 7.5A <-OMG!!

if you simply use a cheap multimeter in series with the battery to measure the current draw, the resistance of the multimeter will cause a voltage drop, a regulated light will respond to that drawing more current to keep up the brightness. this might explain your readings.

Well something's wrong I wouldn't use them over the specification. But how comes the protection doesn't kick in?

Helmut.G said:

if you simply use a cheap multimeter in series with the battery to measure the current draw, the resistance of the multimeter will cause a voltage drop, a regulated light will respond to that drawing more current to keep up the brightness. this might explain your readings.

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The meter I am using was a decently expensive SnapOn meter. A coworker has a fluke meter that I will try next.

I haven't measured mine yet, but on Turbo, I only get 30 seconds or so before the protection kicks in. Might be something similar happening.

AardvarkSagus said:

I haven't measured mine yet, but on Turbo, I only get 30 seconds or so before the protection kicks in. Might be something similar happening.

Click to expand...

what battery do you use?

I just checked it with a Fluke meter and it was drawing 7.6 Amps again but I let it ride to see what would happen.

Current draw jumped to 8.0Amps and the tail of my AW cell got hot. Then the protection circuit of the battery kicked in and shut down the light. With the tail cap screwed on, the tail of the cell barely gets warm. I think it is from the meter causing the electronics in the light to go nuts.

Helmut.G said:

what battery do you use?

Click to expand...

It's an EagleTac 2400mAh 18650 from PTS-Flashlights. Its never had a problem before running anything.

hi

i observe the same reading on my sl6-800cw on super 7.2 amps , the other mode look like ok for me at 1.7 amps on high. I use AW 2200 (18650).

Any of you as asked SPARK for this problem?

The current draw on the SL6 will depend on battery voltage as I have graphed in my review. Using a DMM with thin probe wires will add some voltage drop and increase the current draw, i.e. the draw with the tailcap mounted will be considerable less than measured with the DMM.
Personally I like that the light uses a buck/boost converter and is stabilized, but it requires good batteries.

I just added a new chapter to my DMM guide, showing how to measure high current with a clamp meter and the difference between a normal DMM and a clamp meter.
This also shows how useless a normal DMM is at these currents, except if there is taken special precautions.

Both my SL6 740nw and 800cw were drawing 7,5A too.

Thank you for information HKJ as always very useful, nice update of clamp meter :thumbsup:

P.S your website not include the max current draw of AW 18650 2200 and i dont find this info ,do you have some aprox value of this.

Protected batteries would pop protection circuits at that current.

Wonder why the Spark lights do this while others don't? My Maelstrom X10 doesn't do this when checking the tailcap current (shows about 3amp.)

Hmm well I have a SL-6 800 coming I was planning on using a AW 2900mah but will that work?

Colonel Sanders said:

Wonder why the Spark lights do this while others don't? My Maelstrom X10 doesn't do this when checking the tailcap current (shows about 3amp.)

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Because the Spark is stabilized, the others are not.

HKJ, could you explain that a little further. My X10 does raise the amperage to compensate as the battery voltage drops. This I have already noted. Is this not what you mean by being stabilized?