[gozal]

Hi guys! i'm having a hard time to decide what driver to get :madman: too much options!!
I got these 3 sinle20 mm XPG's (from kaidomain) can run up to 1000mah each
and i have 4 18650 2400 real mah battery pack (can put out some 14.8V tops..)
what driver do u recommend to use with these little monsters?
I'm looking for 2/3 modes of power, no need for more.

my budget is limited to 15-25$ or so...

 

[Prophet Julio]

Run them in series with a 1000ma Buckpuck. They come with a potentiometer for less than $20. I get my stuff from LEDSupply.

 

[gozal]

ptenziometer

means i can control output level exactly how i want but - not with a push button.
does it comes with a button instead of potenziometer?

 

[Prophet Julio]

Just the potentiometer, or full blast only.

 

[BrianMc]

You could use switches and resistors instead of the pot to get two or three levels. Seems I saw some buiklds with buckpucks set up this way here somewhere.

 

[georges80]

I'm obviously biased, but for $30 and shipping you can get yourself a bFlex. Configure it via the menu and you can have your 2 or 3 levels and digitally choose the intensity for those levels and also get battery voltage monitoring and warning - all controlled via a single switch. Got to be easier than trying to wire a Pot (and mount/water-proof it), and/or resistors and switches etc - which still won't get you voltage monitoring/warning.

Anyhow, you need to get yourself a checklist of what you need, want and are will to not have. Then you can narrow down the field based on the money AND time you're willing to invest to build your light.

cheers,
george.

 

[brad72]

I run a triple xpg with a buckpuck and use a 3 position switch for beam control. Up is full power, middle is off and down is low power.

I used a 5k variable resistor for the low beam so I could easily adjust the resistance to give a light output I wanted then put the whole lot into a housing never to be touched again. Easy

 

[Jim Z in VT]

+1 for the Buckpuck & 3-way switch. Cheap and simple. Instead of resistors I use micropots to tune the med. and low levels by eye before closing up the housing.

 

[Whitedog1]

I would go with georges bflex version....so you get low voltage and temp sensing too!
Just to feel saver while riding :eekster:

 

[gozal]

and with a diffrent approach

i have an idea like a pot. stuff but diffrent -
i can buy a simple buck driver with no modes / battery monitoring that puts out 1000mah.
wire it up with a 3 way switch:
1st power off
2nd mode sends all power to leds via buck driver.
3rd mode: low power. --> how do i wire up a resistor that will dim the currnt's output? should it between the battery and the buck driver?

Dor.

 

[chelboed]

I'm obviously biased, but for $30 and shipping you can get yourself a bFlex. Configure it via the menu and you can have your 2 or 3 levels and digitally choose the intensity for those levels and also get battery voltage monitoring and warning - all controlled via a single switch. Got to be easier than trying to wire a Pot (and mount/water-proof it), and/or resistors and switches etc - which still won't get you voltage monitoring/warning.

Anyhow, you need to get yourself a checklist of what you need, want and are will to not have. Then you can narrow down the field based on the money AND time you're willing to invest to build your light.

cheers,
george.

The bflex should be offered in a wired, sealed unit like the buckpuck. I know it's easy to build one, but it's so much more convenient to just nab a puck and solder up.

 

[georges80]

Well, potting it would require fixing the size/shape and wire lengths. i.e. it would create as many problems as it solved (by potting). Also, compared to wiring switches or pots and resistors etc, I don't think soldering 6 wires minimum (2 to the LEDs, 2 to the battery and 2 to the momentary switch) is that challenging...

Potting would also preclude ever updating firmware.

Can't make everyone happy

cheers,
george.

 

[Cat-man-do]

George, I agree with you in this case as I feel a B-flex makes sense for a series 3-up. Nothing wrong with using a buck-puck and a pot but digital switching is so much better.

Now about the B-flex series. I can't begin to say how much I appreciate all the variety offered by Taskled. If you have have a desired output current and battery to accommodate the input/output requirement of the driver, Taskled probably has what you are looking for. However that doesn't mean they are entirely user friendly. I have two lights that are using a B-flex. One is a three mode the other is switchable: 5 or 2 mode depending on which menu you choose to use. So far I've never had a problem with either one...BUT.....I really don't like the up/down mode operation offered by the B-flex series. The up ( quick presses to go brighter ) is fine but to dim you have to press and hold the switch. Depending on how many modes you are set up for, this can take some time. ( Yes George, I am a nit-picker ). If you use a five mode and are in high mode, it can take at least a second for the B-flex to drop to the next lower mode. If you want to turn the light off ( from high/ with a five mode) It can take about 7 seconds to power down. That means you have to hold the switch in for 7 seconds before the light turns off. Sometimes that is a ROYAL PITA. Even on 2 mode it takes three seconds to turn off, not as bad but still a PITA. Mine uses a remote switch on the bars so while I'm powering down I can't use my thumb for shifting. Basically I couldn't deal with the five mode so I switched to the 2-mode which in my case is much easier to live with. FWIW I'm considering installing a separate on/off switch on the power line.

What I would much rather have as a driver User Interface would be a 3-mode ( quick press ) Circular pattern that the user could set to preference. The user could not only set the brightness of the 3 modes but chose which direction the light would switch to when pushed ( ie...start in high and switch lower OR start in low and switch to higher. Either way, to turn off a quick hold and press should not take more than 1.5sec regardless of what mode you are in. For those who have never used a driver like this trust me, it is sweet bliss. With a couple quick presses you can circle through three modes VERY quickly and not miss a beat ( or shift ). The reason I know this is because this is the U.I. used on the Dinotte drivers ( 200L and 600L ). ....George...errr...any plans in the near future to be offering a user interface like I described or are we going to have to continue to deal with that ( slow as Moses ) press and hold dimming. *sigh* My thumb has better things to do.

 

[BrianMc]

Point of clarification. I thought of going the buckpuck and switched resistors/pots road, but I run my two triple XPG's off a B-flex each. $65 for the pair delivered. The time saved, flexibility, and monitoring was worth it. On the road, the two level hi/lo works for me. So if you can push the budget somewhere, this might be the place. Thanks George. :thumbsup:

 

[brad72]

Point of clarification. I thought of going the buckpuck and switched resistors/pots road, but I run my two triple XPG's off a B-flex each. $65 for the pair delivered. The time saved, flexibility, and monitoring was worth it. On the road, the two level hi/lo works for me. So if you can push the budget somewhere, this might be the place. Thanks George. :thumbsup:

+1 for the above. I have 2 lights with the buckpucks and another with the bflex. Being able to easily scroll though the power settings, have a strobe function for daytime riding and the battery and temperature monitoring is great. Excellent product the bflex

 

[Vancbiker]

Well, potting it would require fixing the size/shape and wire lengths. i.e. it would create as many problems as it solved (by potting). Also, compared to wiring switches or pots and resistors etc, I don't think soldering 6 wires minimum (2 to the LEDs, 2 to the battery and 2 to the momentary switch) is that challenging...

Potting would also preclude ever updating firmware.

Can't make everyone happy

cheers,
george.

Potting would also make the temp sensing capability less responsive and less accurate. I mounted the bFlex in my light so that the micro processor (where the temp sensor is) is in contact with the housing through a piece of thermal pad directly behind the LED mounting surface. This gives very accurate and responsive sensing of increases in LED temps. I would not want to lose what I consider to be one of the best features of the flex series drivers.

 

[MtbMacgyver]

I'm obviously biased, but for $30 and shipping you can get yourself a bFlex. Configure it via the menu and you can have your 2 or 3 levels and digitally choose the intensity for those levels and also get battery voltage monitoring and warning - all controlled via a single switch. Got to be easier than trying to wire a Pot (and mount/water-proof it), and/or resistors and switches etc - which still won't get you voltage monitoring/warning.

Anyhow, you need to get yourself a checklist of what you need, want and are will to not have. Then you can narrow down the field based on the money AND time you're willing to invest to build your light.

cheers,
george.

I'm also constantly surprised by how readily people discount the importance of battery voltage monitoring and rely on the protection circuits in the li-ion cells or packs. Or worse, run unprotected lipo's and no voltage monitoring. I know you'll get away with it 99% of the time, but it's the 1% case you're guarding against. Given the consequence in the 1% case could be something pretty severe like having a house burn down.

That doesn't mean something like a buckpuck isn't useable from my perspective, It just means you have to invest in additional circuitry to perform the voltage monitoring and consider that in the cost and effort as well.

 

[yetibetty]

I'm all for the bFlex, main reason for me being the thermal protection and low battery warnings.

Buckpucks are good and I have one light with one inside but although they are cheaper you still have to buy the switches and risistors etc so in the end there's not too much in it cost wise.

I have just squeeeezed a bFlex into my latest build....... George, any chance you can make it a little smaller now that LEDs and optics have shrunk.

 

[gozal]

free ceap driver..

hi guys, any chance this driver will work for start until i get my bflex or other buck driver?
(in wiring of 3 led in series) a friend of mine have a brand new one and is willing to donate it for me..

http://www.kaidomain.com/ProductDetails.aspx?ProductID=1866

 

[yetibetty]

Well it's 3 Amps (according to them) and they don't recommend more than 12v input.

I think that's a no.