Led burnout

Dthoreson81 · Jan 8, 2017

I'm afraid I may have ruined a malkoff m61. I put 4 rcr123 batteries into a surefire p60 tube with a 2 x cr123 sized extension. I'm guessing I fried it. It worked well for a couple minutes then started to flicker and then just pooped out.

I'm pretty sure the drop in is toast, but if there's an off chance of saving or getting something out of it on top of the learning experience, I'd certainly appreciate the help.

Is there a p60 drop in that could handle the 4x rcr123 output? Will two 18650 cells burn out LEDs this way?

Need help! Thanks!

dc38 · Jan 8, 2017

Malkof dropins typically run a max of ~9 volts. That said, why did you run 12v in a 9v drop in?

Dthoreson81 · Jan 8, 2017

The facts that I am totally new to the hobby, and just wasn't thinking really don't add up to a smart decision I know. My loss.

Is the drop in toast? Do I have any means of salvaging anything in the drop in? Battery type drop in recommendations for a "12"P?

Thanks.

Dave D · Jan 8, 2017

The M61SHO is suitable for 5.5 - 12v.

400 lumens.

I can't see your burnt out M61 being repairable as all the electronics are potted.

staticx57 · Jan 8, 2017

4xRCR123 has a voltage of 16.8v at full charge. Use 2x18650 if you want run time. That has a full charge voltage of 8.4v

bulrush · Jan 9, 2017

If too much voltage gets to the LED itself the voltage will fry the LED. If the LED driver board accepts 3-9vdc and you gave it 12vdc, then too much voltage probably got to the LED and either fried the LED, or a driver component.

I've fried a few LEDs myself directly connected to a battery. Usually they get super bright, like the sun, then they die.

yellow · Jan 9, 2017

as all have typed:
the insert is made for 3.4-9 V, with the 4 cells in series - setup is "for 2 cells" - the driver is killed,
You could, just for fun, take a magnifier and search for the :poof:

part, but changing it will most likely not make sense anymore ...
(because it will be the ic ...)

to Your other questions:
is that light "bored" for 18650?
because ONE 18650 houses more power than even four of the CR123(a), so You would get a smaller light (no extension needed) but with comparable energy. And way less "loose" cells.
--> if not --> get an 18650 body for the 6P

recommendation: a "P60 led insert" from member nailbender (see his threads in sub-forum "custom & Modified", or visit his shop customlites.com)
--> my favorite: "P60/D26 Cree XM-L2 2.8-6 Volt", reflector: orange peel, 3 levels, emitter: U2 5000K neutral white

the.Mtn.Man · Jan 9, 2017

Dthoreson81 said:
The facts that I am totally new to the hobby...

Common sense should have told you that running something at higher power than it is designed for is not a good idea.

chillinn · Jan 9, 2017

yellow said:
because ONE 18650 houses more power than even four of the CR123(a), so You would get a smaller light (no extension needed) but with comparable energy.

Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. Last I checked, 18650's give about 10Wh, and CR123A primaries give about 5Wh. Perhaps you should try a different brand of CR123A...?

dc38 · Jan 10, 2017

chillinn said:
Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. Last I checked, 18650's give about 10Wh, and CR123A primaries give about 5Wh. Perhaps you should try a different brand of CR123A...?

3.7*3.6A= 13.3
12×1.5 = 18
12x1.2 = 14.4 bad or old cells.

14.8x0.75=11.1
So...yeah.

Maybe yellow means the current draw capability far exceeds cr123a...

chillinn · Jan 10, 2017

Could be. Or perhaps yellow meant RCR123A but typo-ed the first R?

Woods Walker · Jan 10, 2017

Stuff happens. No one is perfect.

Dthoreson81 · Jan 15, 2017

Thanks for the posts everybody. Yeah. I made a mistake. But. To answer a few questions, I was using brand spanking new off the charger for the first time NITECORE RCR123a batteries.

The body that I was using was a non bored surefire 6P with a solarforce 18650 extension. So, even if I had the two 18650 batteries I wouldn't have been able to get one into the 6P body.

On a brighter note (pun kind of intended) the led isn't COMPLETELY dead. Plopped it into my 6P just for kicks and it shines. Although it's nowhere near bright. I can look right at it when it's "on".

Is it still tanked, or is there something I can do to get something out of it?

Thanks again everyone.

lightfooted · Jan 15, 2017

Dthoreson81 said:
Thanks for the posts everybody. Yeah. I made a mistake. But. To answer a few questions, I was using brand spanking new off the charger for the first time NITECORE RCR123a batteries.

The body that I was using was a non bored surefire 6P with a solarforce 18650 extension. So, even if I had the two 18650 batteries I wouldn't have been able to get one into the 6P body.

On a brighter note (pun kind of intended) the led isn't COMPLETELY dead. Plopped it into my 6P just for kicks and it shines. Although it's nowhere near bright. I can look right at it when it's "on".

Is it still tanked, or is there something I can do to get something out of it?

Thanks again everyone.

Sure, why not? I mean it IS still emitting some light right? Not completely dead.

The reason you are likely still seeing some light is because whichever component on the driver board that melted due to the higher voltage is probably still semi-conductive...still passing enough current to make it light but also doing so at a much higher resistance than it was supposed to. Higher resistance means higher heat. It could also fail into a short circuit which would be very bad for your brand spanking new cells. Heck it may even be shorting the batteries right now and just enough current makes it's way to the LED to drive it a bit. That also could be why it's so dim.

Have you heard of 16650s? Keeppower makes cells in this size that have the same capacity as many 18650s from just a couple of years ago. They are a direct size replacement for a pair of 123As yet are obviously only the voltage of a single cell. Personally I would just go with a single 16650 in the Surefire. I still don't understand how you arrived at the conclusion that running it at double it's operating voltage was going to be fine.

djans1397 · Jan 15, 2017

Don't feel too bad bud. I fried an original awesome tint malkolf by accidentally installing a cell backwards. :poof:

:mecry:

Dthoreson81 · Jan 16, 2017

lightfooted said:
Sure, why not? I mean it IS still emitting some light right? Not completely dead.

The reason you are likely still seeing some light is because whichever component on the driver board that melted due to the higher voltage is probably still semi-conductive...still passing enough current to make it light but also doing so at a much higher resistance than it was supposed to. Higher resistance means higher heat. It could also fail into a short circuit which would be very bad for your brand spanking new cells. Heck it may even be shorting the batteries right now and just enough current makes it's way to the LED to drive it a bit. That also could be why it's so dim.

Have you heard of 16650s? Keeppower makes cells in this size that have the same capacity as many 18650s from just a couple of years ago. They are a direct size replacement for a pair of 123As yet are obviously only the voltage of a single cell. Personally I would just go with a single 16650 in the Surefire. I still don't understand how you arrived at the conclusion that running it at double it's operating voltage was going to be fine.

Batteries coming out as we speak. YIKES!

Led burnout

Dthoreson81

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