# Bought a trustfire tr-1200, need help!



## mizjif (Jun 20, 2010)

So after reading rave reviews about how this thing is mega bright, and can outshine fenix tk30 and 40's, i figured i may as well try one out. 

well after 3 months of waiting i finally saw that it was being shipped. unfortunately in that long span of waiting i also read that they had changed the driver and they were no longer putting out what the 'original' model was. they also changed the tail clicky style but thats no biggie. 

anyways, i now have it and it is barely barely brighter than my skyray sr5. So for the size of the tr-1200, and the price (double the skyray) its just silly that this tr-1200 isn't what it was supposed to be and i am disappointed. 

I heard that someone changed the driver, but i am a total newb to flashlights. 

Can anyone help me out with 'fixing' this light or is it hopeless? be gentle as i really am new to the flash light addiction 

any help is so greatly appreciated!

thanks!
Mike


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## Jash (Jun 21, 2010)

Outshining a TK30/40 isn't much of a selling point really. 

In the TK30/40, Fenix has produced what is considered by many to be the perfect beam profile for a reflector based light. It is all and more that people say it is, I know, I've got the 40 and it simply rocks.

DX lights are a bit of a gamble and you will soon learn not to waste your money there.

Save yourself a lot of heartache and financial pain and read some more, do some research, ask questions and then decide on two or three lights that will cover your requirements.

A few more dollars spent now will save you lots more in the long run, and you won't be disappointed by a quality light that has a good reputation by fellow CPFers.

It's an enjoyable journey if you take the right path.


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## old4570 (Jun 21, 2010)

Pictures / Dimensions ..

What size is the driver [ 17mm DIA ? ] 

Voltage range ? 

Modes ?


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## joe1512 (Jun 22, 2010)

There is a thread somewhere about how to 'deal with' your DX lights to make them work.

A trustfire TR1200 should produce quite a bit of light. If it doesnt, you can clean the threads, contacts, do some voltage and current checks, etc to ensure that it is getting driven appropriately which it is probably not.

It ought to send about 0.7 Amps to each of its 5 emitters which would be quite efficient and produce at least 600 real lumens.


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## cheapbastard (Jun 22, 2010)

joe1512 said:


> There is a thread somewhere about how to 'deal with' your DX lights to make them work.



https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/227518

though it sounds like you will be replacing the driver


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## higbvuyb (Jun 22, 2010)

mizjif said:


> So after reading rave reviews about how this thing is mega bright, and can outshine fenix tk30 and 40's, i figured i may as well try one out.
> 
> well after 3 months of waiting i finally saw that it was being shipped. unfortunately in that long span of waiting i also read that they had changed the driver and they were no longer putting out what the 'original' model was. they also changed the tail clicky style but thats no biggie.
> 
> ...


Do you have a soldering iron/know how to use it?
Can you disassemble the light and find the bit with the circular circuit board on it (usually the but the + end of the battery touches), and measure the diameter of it?


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## mizjif (Jun 22, 2010)

higbvuyb said:


> Do you have a soldering iron/know how to use it?
> Can you disassemble the light and find the bit with the circular circuit board on it (usually the but the + end of the battery touches), and measure the diameter of it?



I disassembled it, and if i am understanding you correctly, the part on the head of the flashlight that the + end of the battery touches has a spring, and the spring is soldered to the part i believe you are talking about. correct me if i am wrong. if so, this diameter is about .780" within a brass sleeve (it appears to me) and the brass sleeve is approx. .870". 

this is probably confusing so i'll try and post a pic up. why do you ask the diameter?


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## higbvuyb (Jun 22, 2010)

mizjif said:


> I disassembled it, and if i am understanding you correctly, the part on the head of the flashlight that the + end of the battery touches has a spring, and the spring is soldered to the part i believe you are talking about. correct me if i am wrong. if so, this diameter is about .780" within a brass sleeve (it appears to me) and the brass sleeve is approx. .870".
> 
> this is probably confusing so i'll try and post a pic up. why do you ask the diameter?


Pictures would be good. 

The diameter of the board is important because if the output is bad, the driver circuit might not be working properly, and so we need to replace it with a new one. 
It would also be useful if you could get a multimeter and measure current draw from the battery.


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## JP Labs (Jun 24, 2010)

Hi - New guy here. I can chime in with a bit more info on this light, as I just got a TR-1200 a week ago. Took 3 weeks to get. Physical build is good, 5 modes as advertised, and a real SOS, not SO SO SO.

mizjif, I sympathize with you. Mine seems to be a week one, too. It's not even as bright (hotspot) as my X2000 in throw mode, but it does have about 1000x more usable area (flood).

I read someplace that a couple of folks had recent duds with low current draw, so I tested mine. It drew only 770 mA on high, with 2 fresh charged Trustfire 18650s in it, at the tailcap. After cleaning the contacts and threads, and running the cells down to 8.17V (open circuit) the draw was up to 1.13A. That is way below expected values, as compared to the test by space-time: https://www.candlepowerforums.com/posts/3322160&postcount=28

You can do this test easily, just DVM across the rear threads and the back of the 2nd battery, with the meter in a DC A mode (not mA mode). Tap the probe on and off the battery to change light modes.

I've contacted DX today to ask if this is a design change, or a defect. I also asked if they will give or sell me a 'proper-spec' replacement driver or head, so I don't have to send my light back. Weak or not, I like it a lot. Great for woods/trail walking, and I really don't want to give it up right in the middle of camping season! 

You might want contact them, too. I just contacted customer service using my invoice # under 'defective' with an email and photo of the current draw test.

It seems lights are like cars. Performance, low cost, reliable. Pick two. 

If I'm allowed, I'll try to post a driver picture per the above suggestion, but since I'm new the site might not let me.


Thanks to all for the great site, too!


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## JP Labs (Jun 24, 2010)

mizjif said:


> I disassembled it, and if i am understanding you correctly, the part on the head of the flashlight that the + end of the battery touches has a spring, and the spring is soldered to the part i believe you are talking about. correct me if i am wrong. if so, this diameter is about .780" within a brass sleeve (it appears to me) and the brass sleeve is approx. .870".
> 
> this is probably confusing so i'll try and post a pic up. why do you ask the diameter?




Here's a pic. Yes, your measurements seem correct. I get 19.8mm (0.78") across the inside of the brass, which looks to be the OD of the driver board. It is solder-bridged to both the brass ring and the aluminum housing, so I can't easily get it out to see if it extends wider than the part we can see here. Sorry for the poor quality, cel phone pic. Any appropriate drivers available to fit these?


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## mizjif (Jun 25, 2010)

thankyou so much for the info and pic! i have been so busy i couldn't get a pic hosted but i really appreciate it!

let me know what DX says, it would be awesome to know if they help you out!!


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## JP Labs (Jun 25, 2010)

NO problem. Please do a current test on your light, and let us know the result.

On the DX page it lists the output as:

_- 1000mA current output measured at LED (manufacturer rated)_

I assume that means for each LED. I don't know the drive voltage, and I didn't check it, but if it's around 4 volts for the LEDs, then the current output on my light (1.13A at tailcap) from the driver to the LED array should be about 2x what 8V of batteries put out, or something over 2A (2000 mA), right. And on a 'good' sample, it should put out about 5A from the driver, right? If the LED's are in parallel, that is.

So, does that mean we would need to find a 5A driver? 

EDIT: Or, wire the LEDs in series and use a <1A (700mA?) boost driver. ( A boost driver increases voltage above the battery voltage) I've been searching threads and web for something like that, and thought I found one that was wonderfully flexible, but it's too big at 0.9" dia. It's called a 'Maxflex 5' from Task LED. They don't seem to have one in the 0.780 OD range, though. I'll keep looking. I'd really be happier improving the light I have, rather than sending it back. Maybe we can figure something out together, and both do that. 

The 'Blue Shark' from the Sandwdich Shoppe looks like it would work, but seems to be single-mode I want to retain multiple brightness levels, too. I suppose we could add an external potentiometer, but I can't think of a robust way to do that in these lights.


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## mizjif (Jun 27, 2010)

thanks for the help again! i was gone for the weekend there. 

i am a total newb so this is all new to me. however i like the idea of making this light work rather than sending it back. sounds like if it isn't a major task for a master of fine electronics then i'd love to try and make this work


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## JP Labs (Jun 29, 2010)

Sure, I'd like to fix mine, too. DX just sent me the standard return form letter, no answer about if this is a product change, or just a rare defect. Rats. I don't see any point returning the light with no assurance the next one I get will be any better. I suspect the are all weak now - your tailcap current will help prove or disprove that! I know that's a risk with a cheap light, and I'm ok with it. By contrast, I have several Romisons from Shingbeam, and a few LED Lensers, and all are PERFECT. 

I've searched posts here for hours, but still can't yet find a good solution. It would be awfully cool to have a brightness knob and use the Blue Shark regulator. I'm currently trying to find a way to add a potentiometer to the tailcap. A small radio volume control might work, I think. Problem is, we'd need to wire it to the regulator at the other end of the battery compartment somehow, and still be able to take the light apart to remove batteries.The brightness control input on the chip appears to be a separate circuit from the power connections. Also, we might still need to have a separate switch to turn the main power on and off. If so, I don't know how to accomplish both functions with one control. A rotating volume control with pushbutton on/off that controls a separate circuit would be perfect, if such a thing exists. But it needs to have about 5A capacity on the on/off contacts, and we'd still need to solve the wire issue somehow.

A simpler idea is to put a small potentiometer on the side of the head, and just keep the stock tailswitch. Just epoxy it on, with holes drilled for tiny wires. Not very waterproof or dirt resistant, though. A ring-shaped potentiometer that would fit around the head would be great!

Hopefully, somebody who already understands this stuff will eventually chime in and share some advice!! 272 views on your thread so far, though, so I guess it might not be so easy or I think somebody would have said so.... 

If we don't get any more help here, I'll start a new thread with a more specific problem description in the 'mods' section. But, I want to search a bit more, first. I gather it's not cool to have 2 threads on one topic, or not to try to do our own research, first. 

Hang in there. Let me know if you find or think of anything interesting. I'm pretty interested to know your current draw on high, and it would add some value to the thread. Are you going to be able to measure that?

Edit: I put up a poll in the Budget Lights forum asking other TR-1200 owners to kindly measure and share their current draw data. Hopefully, we can cooperate to figure out if this is a rare issue, or a permanent downgrade/design change.


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## darrenerrad2 (Jun 30, 2010)

Hi, my TR-1200 will be arriving either tomorrow or friday, so will report back then. I thought each Q5 led is driven at 1A anyway? So shouldn't the tail-cap reading of 1A be accurate? I might have a multi-meter in the shed somewhere.


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## mizjif (Jun 30, 2010)

i went to measure at the tailcap yesterday and discovered that my multimeter wasn't functioning for some reason, so i guess i have to find another one somewhere. i'll be away again all weekend so it wont be too soon. sorry for being completely useless in my own thread lol.


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## darrenerrad2 (Jul 1, 2010)

Received it today. Sorta disappointed, it's not as bright as shown on that video, and produces the same/slightly less light as my aurora-p7 with ceiling bounce test. Only difference is that it throws further. I also have flickering problems in medium and low. Will have to bring it outside tonight to properly compare. I don't have a multimeter either.


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## joe1512 (Jul 1, 2010)

Man, that is too bad. I guess they found a way to save another few cents by running it at one quarter the power. /sigh


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## riccardo (Jul 1, 2010)

I received mine at beginning of june and, if it can help, it was really bright!
On ceiling bounce test it over performed by far my 300 lumen EagleTac T20C2.

Tailcap measurement with two fresh 18650 shown a steady 2,3A (19W to the driver), if the driver has an efficiency of 90% than:

17.1 W are delivered to LED chain
3.42 W each LED

So, considering XP-E Vf of 3.6 V, my unit should really deliver around 0.95A to LEDs. XP-E datasheet at hand, it mean that each LED should produce 220 lumen at 25°C, 176 at 100°C and 154 at 140°C.. total LED emission of 1100 lumen at very beginning deceasing till 800 if kept at maximum for extended time.

Anyway, on my torch the drop in luminous intensity over time due to heating of LED's junction was not really noticeable by eyes..

Your TR1200, to be within declared spec (1A LED current), should absorb around 2.4A at tailcap @2x18650 and 1.5A @3x18650.

Anyway I like this torch but color temperature on mine it's a bit too cold, I'd really love to see it using 5 neutral white Q4, loosing just as little as 11% from Q5..


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## JP Labs (Jul 1, 2010)

riccardo said:


> I received mine at beginning of june and, if it can help, it was really bright!
> On ceiling bounce test it over performed by far my 300 lumen EagleTac T20C2.
> 
> Tailcap measurement with two fresh 18650 shown a steady 2,3A (19W to the driver), if the driver has an efficiency of 90% than:
> ...





Excellent info, thanks again. Considering I have not figured out a robust mod plan, I'm reconsidering returning my light now that I know there are some good ones shipping recently, and what the performance potential really is. Geat post!


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## darrenerrad2 (Jul 2, 2010)

Can anyone with a weak/strong version of this light please post an outdoor beam-shot from about 50m? I'm ordering a multimeter, but it will be awhile before it arrives. Thanks.


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## riccardo (Jul 2, 2010)

Anyway.. I'm always thinking about a 5*XP-G R3 or R4 in under 5000K color temp version.. how long we should wait?

With the same 1A to LEDs (and half Watt less because of lower Vf) it will deliver a stunning 1600 (R4) or 1500 (R3) lumen!! Driving the LEDs at 0,7A would result in a close to actual [email protected] performance.. with much extended runtime (estimated 1,5 A at tail cap)!

It would be perfect in a 3*18650 parallel (just side by side, not electrical) case like RRT-3.


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## JP Labs (Jul 3, 2010)

riccardo said:


> Anyway.. I'm always thinking about a 5*XP-G R3 or R4 in under 5000K color temp version.. how long we should wait?
> 
> With the same 1A to LEDs (and half Watt less because of lower Vf) it will deliver a stunning 1600 (R4) or 1500 (R3) lumen!! Driving the LEDs at 0,7A would result in a close to actual [email protected] performance.. with much extended runtime (estimated 1,5 A at tail cap)!
> 
> It would be perfect in a 3*18650 parallel (just side by side, not electrical) case like RRT-3.



Interesting suggestion. Why the 3 in parallel host preference - not direct drive, Vf is too low, right? 3.3V for 1A I believe. How would you regulate? I'd like to keep this host, but warmer, more efficient LED grafted in is appealing. 

More details on your idea, please.


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## riccardo (Jul 5, 2010)

I mean 3 battery arranged side-by-side like the RRT-3 and wired in series for a total 12.6 Volts.

I don't like the TR-1200 when used with the extension tube with 3 18650, for my taste it's too long and thin. I think that this lamp is better in 2*18650 configuration, it's not too long and well balanced but autonomy is nothing special.

Personally I prefer something thicker and shorter, I think it would be even more robust, it will tailstand much better (now the TR-1200 head is too heavy to be tailstanded on a such small diameter body) and will fell better in hand.

Ultrafire has released an SST-50 lamp with this 3*18650 configuration, but I'm really disgusted by it's general outlook, it would had been much better if they kept it more clean and simple.


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## JP Labs (Jul 5, 2010)

OK, I see. I agree about the form factor being too long and thin for total comfort. I'd also like the 3 parallel arrangement because it would have extra room for controls on the end, and to run wires back and forth to the head, between the cells. That would be a very flexible arrangement for modding.


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## JP Labs (Jul 5, 2010)

Well, I think I have found the closest to perfect driver combination for this application - the abovementioned Blue Shark, with a user interface add-on board called the Remora. Will give 3 levels, all tailcap controlled. However, I don't know if it would fit, and I'm not going to de-solder my light yet, as I think I will return it in hopes of getting a better one. But, this is a firm 'Plan B' for me. Even if their is not enough depth in the light for the extra board, I think I could extend it. 

Here is that Remora, FYI: http://theledguy.chainreactionweb.com/product_info.php?cPath=48_49_61&products_id=988

Mizjif, I think this thread has helped answer your (our) questions about a new driver pretty well, now. There does seem to be a workable solution, electronically at least. 

If I do get a new light, I'll update as to it's performance.

Thanks to all for the helpful input here.


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## mizjif (Jul 7, 2010)

i have been out of town for the past week, but wow, thanks so much everyone for the replies! 

Where did you hear about good tr-1200's being shipped out now? perhaps i will try one time to return it for another and see what happens. if its the same outcome, i'll try the modding path  i'll probably follow your lead as i am pretty new at this stuff.


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## mizjif (Jul 7, 2010)

also, i went to measure with a multimeter only to discover that mine was somehow broken when moving homes this past fall


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## Trancersteve (Jul 7, 2010)

Hmm there are a couple of sellers on ebay.. I wonder if it is worth taking a chance with the thought that you may pick up older stock.


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## mizjif (Jul 7, 2010)

I was actually thinking the same thing. But for now, i'll see if DX will refund me or send me a new one in hopes that it will be a bit better. Then I will go from there.


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## JP Labs (Jul 27, 2010)

mizjif said:


> i have been out of town for the past week, but wow, thanks so much everyone for the replies!
> 
> *Where did you hear about good tr-1200's being shipped out now? *perhaps i will try one time to return it for another and see what happens. if its the same outcome, i'll try the modding path  i'll probably follow your lead as i am pretty new at this stuff.


 
From the Tailcap Current thread I made, here:

https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/280940

BTW, I've procrastinated sending mine back. I've been distracted by a couple of $19 HID offroad lights from HF and a Professional's Favorite 20 MCP spotlight...the lighting bug is strong here!lovecpf


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## JP Labs (Aug 25, 2010)

Well, I got my replacement light, and it's a little higher current draw than the original, but not much. Details in Tailcap Currrent thread.

I'll look into possible mods some more, but probably won't do anything real soon.


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