DQG Tiny III user review.

[tigris99]

Ok sorry if this version was already covered (didnt see it but Ill bet its here somewhere), but wanted to share my "review" of it. Just getting into the flashlight side of things (flashlight collection growing FAST) and this thing I thought was insanely cool. So put together a "video review" as my first real attempt at a video review since I expect to be doing many more (mostly bike lights but be the other things in the mix too).
What i like:
-Tiny
-really bright for being so dang small
-can use protected or unprotected but with the little brass buttons or pills (look like brass colored pills to me) instead of springs (i know how annoying springs can become later on in the lights life)
- like the wider beam pattern, not one for liking lights i can light up someones house a half a mile away like its daytime.
Dislike
-cant change the emitter (cant even get past the silicone to get the driver out if I wanted to) and drver/emitter are all one unit. means I cant tinker, put a u4 1C in it

-finicky metal button (like silicone buttons better)
But overall love the thing. Not sure if itll make a home in my kit for night riding or in the car for "everyday" uses. Cant decide.

Heres where i got mine: http://goo.gl/gLw43N

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[Fireclaw18]

I like this light. I modded one last weekend and its my current EDC.

Things I like about it:
1. Smallest 18650 light on the market.
2. Feels very good in the hand. Good knurling. Very grippy... much more so than the slightly larger Zebralight SC62.
3. Clever, self-adjusting battery compartment. No springs at all... the battery compartment changes length to accommodate different batteries.
4. E-switch UI is much more reliable than earlier DQG18650 twisty models.
5. Beautiful anodizing.
6. Current controlled output for extended runtime at lower modes.

What I didn't like about it.
1. Turbo of 2.2 amps is lower than I'm used to. I like carrying pocket rockets with WOW output... even if for just a brief period of time.
2. Protruding metal pushbutton can accidentally turn on in the pocket. Not too big an issue in the stock light though as if it does turn on likely it will only be to minimum mode.
3. UI lacks a shortcut from off to turbo.
4. Lousy heatsinking to the LED. Single board containing the driver and star with no platform under or over it.
5. Body tube glued to head with absolutely ridiculous amount of threadlocker. Can't be removed without baking light to 350 degrees.
6. Neutral white 3C tint works fine, but isn't quite as pretty as 3D, 4D or 5A2 tint.
7. Low mode isn't a true moonlight.

The mod I completed last weekend:
1. Replaced driver with E-switch FET driver from Mountain Electronics
2. Replaced emitter with triple XPG2 on direct copper Noctigon Star
3. Built copper heatsink with thermal path to outside of light.
4. Replaced TIR with Carclo 10507 triple TIR, with 21mm glass lens on top.
5. Added a raised button around the switch turning the protruding button into a deeply recessed one. Accidental activation is much less likely.

In its modded configuration, this light is now a real pocket rocket with instant shortcuts to moonlight and turbo. At 88mm long (with a Samsun 25r installed) and 25mm wide it's my smallest 18650 triple. At a guess, it now pulls 7 amps on turbo with a maximum output of 1700-2000 lumens.... approximately 4x the output of the stock light. Gets hot insanely fast at that setting so can only be used in short bursts. Use medium modes for runtime. It also now has a real moonlight mode. The new cover around the switch solves the problem of accidental activation while also serving as an antiroll device.

Here's a picture of my modded triple Tiny III (before I added the button cover), next to an unmodded one:


I scuffed up the anodizing pretty badly trying to remove the head from the body. I might convert my other one into a triple too so I can have one with unscuffed anodizing.

 

[Nvincible]

Very nice review. I'd never heard of this guy until I looked him up from your review. Definitely fits in the budget section but very interesting indeed. Sure makes trying modding easier when you aren't risking a high value torch!

 

[Fireclaw18]

Very nice review. I'd never heard of this guy until I looked him up from your review. Definitely fits in the budget section but very interesting indeed. Sure makes trying modding easier when you aren't risking a high value torch!

Actually the DQG 18650 costs $40.... pretty close to a Fenix or Nitecore in price. More than I paid for my Nitecore EC11, which is similar in size. I don't think I'd really consider the DQG a "budget" light.

 

[gunga]

$40? They are on sale for about $25 I thought?

 

[Fireclaw18]

$40? They are on sale for about $25 I thought?

Ah I got mine at full price at CNQG. There's a sale? Where?

 

[gunga]

I got mine at Banggood (no longer there now?) but they are at a similar price at gearbest.

 

[Fireclaw18]

I got mine at Banggood (no longer there now?) but they are at a similar price at gearbest.

Thanks for the tip. Looks like Gearbest is backordered till June 25 though.

Oh well. I have one modded one and another unmodded. Was thinking of getting a third spare if the price was low enough.

 

[tigris99]

I like this light. I modded one last weekend and its my current EDC.

Things I like about it:
1. Smallest 18650 light on the market.
2. Feels very good in the hand. Good knurling. Very grippy... much more so than the slightly larger Zebralight SC62.
3. Clever, self-adjusting battery compartment. No springs at all... the battery compartment changes length to accommodate different batteries.
4. E-switch UI is much more reliable than earlier DQG18650 twisty models.
5. Beautiful anodizing.
6. Current controlled output for extended runtime at lower modes.

What I didn't like about it.
1. Turbo of 2.2 amps is lower than I'm used to. I like carrying pocket rockets with WOW output... even if for just a brief period of time.
2. Protruding metal pushbutton can accidentally turn on in the pocket. Not too big an issue in the stock light though as if it does turn on likely it will only be to minimum mode.
3. UI lacks a shortcut from off to turbo.
4. Lousy heatsinking to the LED. Single board containing the driver and star with no platform under or over it.
5. Body tube glued to head with absolutely ridiculous amount of threadlocker. Can't be removed without baking light to 350 degrees.
6. Neutral white 3C tint works fine, but isn't quite as pretty as 3D, 4D or 5A2 tint.
7. Low mode isn't a true moonlight.

The mod I completed last weekend:
1. Replaced driver with E-switch FET driver from Mountain Electronics
2. Replaced emitter with triple XPG2 on direct copper Noctigon Star
3. Built copper heatsink with thermal path to outside of light.
4. Replaced TIR with Carclo 10507 triple TIR, with 21mm glass lens on top.
5. Added a raised button around the switch turning the protruding button into a deeply recessed one. Accidental activation is much less likely.

In its modded configuration, this light is now a real pocket rocket with instant shortcuts to moonlight and turbo. At 88mm long (with a Samsun 25r installed) and 25mm wide it's my smallest 18650 triple. At a guess, it now pulls 7 amps on turbo with a maximum output of 1700-2000 lumens.... approximately 4x the output of the stock light. Gets hot insanely fast at that setting so can only be used in short bursts. Use medium modes for runtime. It also now has a real moonlight mode. The new cover around the switch solves the problem of accidental activation while also serving as an antiroll device.

Here's a picture of my modded triple Tiny III (before I added the button cover), next to an unmodded one:


I scuffed up the anodizing pretty badly trying to remove the head from the body. I might convert my other one into a triple too so I can have one with unscuffed anodizing.

PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD SHARE HOW YOU GOT IT APART,lol. A couple of us have been fighting like hell to get the thing apart to try and mod it, but we havent figured out how. Even pipe wrenches are getting nowhere,lol.

 

[Fireclaw18]

PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD SHARE HOW YOU GOT IT APART,lol. A couple of us have been fighting like hell to get the thing apart to try and mod it, but we havent figured out how. Even pipe wrenches are getting nowhere,lol.

Hahah yeah. Mine is all dinged up from my efforts to separate the head from the body. And I know what you mean. It's pretty much impossible to remove.

But ... I figured out how to do the mod without actually needing to separate the head from the body. And once I had the right strategy it actually was a pretty straightforward mod. See my build thread http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...-Modding-the-DQG-18650-Tiny-III-into-a-Triple

 

[tigris99]

OK went through the thread ou made, thnx. Kind of a PAIN to do but looks like itll be fun

 

[Fireclaw18]

OK went through the thread ou made, thnx. Kind of a PAIN to do but looks like itll be fun

Thanks. I really like how this mod came out.

I made a few other changes to it since I posted my build thread:

1. I replaced the 3 mismatched LEDS with 3 XPG2 4000K 5A2 tint. Gives a beautiful slightly warm tint with no green. I really like this tint.

2. replaced the Mountain Electronics Driver with a Nanjg 105C with DrJones Mokkadrv firmware. Added 4 extra 7135 chips for 4.5 amps. The old driver was producing something like 7 or 9 amps on a fresh cell on turbo. The head got too hot to touch within 15 seconds or so. It felt somewhat dangerous. And after I left it on too long on high, the driver actually suffered some damage and lost access to the 2 lowest modes including moonlight. Perhaps the 7135 chip burned out and only the FET was still working on it. The new driver limits current to 4.5 amps. It gets hot, but never too hot to hold as long as it is held in the hand. Much safer. Output is lower, but still quite respectable. I figure maybe 1100-1300 lumens compared to 1700-2000 with the FET. I also really like the simple Mokkadrv interface. Single click from off to turn on at max. Single click from on to turn off. Long click from off turns on at minimum. Long click from on cycles modes between low, medium, and max. Double-click activates strobe.

3. I replaced the aluminum button shroud with #6 finishing washer. I expanded the opening in the washer with needle nose pliers and then filed the bottom and inside of the hole to fit. The new nickel-plated shroud matches the steel bezel and switch button much better and looks like it was manufactured with it.

 

[tigris99]

I haven't even attempted to remove the button, doesn't look like its going to come out easily lol.

The one I have is cool white and all I wanted to do is change the emitter lol.

 

[Fireclaw18]

I haven't even attempted to remove the button, doesn't look like its going to come out easily lol.

The one I have is cool white and all I wanted to do is change the emitter lol.

It's not necessary to remove the button. The underside of the button is flush with the inside of the light. It doesn't penetrate into the light so doesn't get in the way of mods. There are two tiny contact points on the bottom of the switch for soldering the switch wires to.

When I installed a taller shroud around the button to prevent accidental pocket activation, I glued it on the outside of the light around the button with thermal epoxy. It's very secure, looks like it was made for the light and gets the job done.

Unfortunately, "just changing the emitter" is going to be really hard to do in this light. To change the emitter, you need to get access to the driver board. The board is sandwiched between the head and body of the light, which unfortunately cannot be separated without extreme measures. Basically, you'll need a blowtorch to have any chance of removing the driver intact.... and even then heat might damage or destroy other components like the switch, or foam around the underside of the driver.

Also this light uses a single board that contains both the driver and LED. It doesn't have a separate star. The normal techniques most modders use for reflowing emitters won't work here. You're going to need a good hot air gun to be able to reflow the emitter off that plastic board.

Frankly, drilling out the driver like I did and converting this light to a triple is a whole lot easier than doing an emitter swap on the stock board.

 

[tigris99]

well after seeing what you did I fully agree with that, originally I just wanted to change it, and gave up lol. So when I feel froggy Ill destroy the internals and get a qlite for it (already ahve on in my EE x2 and another sitting here for my CNovy s2+ when it finally shows up) and who knows, maybe go nuts and go 3 emitter like you did (be the next thing to try lol)

 

[Fireclaw18]

well after seeing what you did I fully agree with that, originally I just wanted to change it, and gave up lol. So when I feel froggy Ill destroy the internals and get a qlite for it (already ahve on in my EE x2 and another sitting here for my CNovy s2+ when it finally shows up) and who knows, maybe go nuts and go 3 emitter like you did (be the next thing to try lol)

Go for it! The mod is much more time consuming than a simple driver swap, but it's actually not that hard to do.

Here's the key: When you drill out the internals make sure you do NOT destroy the vias on the board right below the switch. The vias are the two small holes side-by-side that penetrate the board. They're coated with metal on the inside and are called "vias" because they allow conduction from one side of the plastic board to the other.

Drill close to those vias then use a small handfile. Cut into the edge of one of the vias with the file making it into a u-shape. That's your solder point for negative ground on the body of the light. Test it with a DMM to be sure (one lead touching the via, the other touching the sides of the threads near the tailcap.

Insert the new driver into the bottom of the battery tube. Glue it with a couple dots of arctic alumina to the remains of the old driver. On mine I put the arctic alumina on the sides rather than sandwiched between the 2 boards. That way if I want to change the board later I can simply cut the arctic alumina with an x-acto knife. Don't put a lot of arctic alumina: Just a couple touches to keep the board from sliding around.

When you insert the new driver, rotate it so something that's supposed to connect to ground is adjacent to that exposed via. When I used a BLF driver I used the outer pin on the MCU. When I switched to a Nanjg 105c (which I think is the same as a qlite), I used the outer ground tab on one of the 7135 chips. Then bridge that with solder.

One thing that makes this mod a lot easier than some is it's actually quite easy to make the ground connection to the driver. Just be careful not to destroy that via and you should be set.

 

[tigris99]

aight thnx man, Ill move that to the next custom project. Going to try and install a MTN-Max 17mm into one of my BT21 light heads. Have Richard building the driver for me now. Just gotta find a on-off momentary switch I like.