# Spike Light - V3



## ahorton

_EDIT: This thread was initially a teaser that went on for several months. I slowly revealed information about it, but now I have collected it all in one place for easy reference. This is why it seems a bit disjointed.
_







The background: 

The Spike V1
The Spike V2
The Worm Light

And after more than a year (+ over $2500) in development, there will also be the V3.
_EDIT: Ha! it turned out to take another year and much more money than that!_

It's not quite here yet, but I've sent the parts off to be machined / moulded. Many different parts from different suppliers. I'm hoping that it'll be ready in about 4-6 weeks. I'm pretty excited! I like headlamps and this new one is like nothing I've made before.

A few teasers for those who like headlamps as much as me:

*1*
7075 aluminium screws (+ many other weight savings)
Plastic moulded brackets
Most comfortable and stable of anything I've made or worn in the past.
Powered by 2x regular 18650s
Waterproof tested to 30m (in pressure tank)


*2* *The "Road Train" variation* (temporary name)
There are 2 variations
- The original* dual beam 1A XR-E Aspheric / 1.4A Dual XP-G
- A new 2400 (theoretical, emitter) lumen single (multi-emitter) beam.**

*Almost. It's very similar to the original but with a few minor upgrades.

**No the heatsinking is not adequate. Not by far. At full power it does get pretty hot, but it has over-heating control. So far it has never triggered while I've been using it (so it is stable) but the output drops a bit. I think 1000 lumens is the practical maximum and point of diminishing returns.

*3 Neutral Flood*
The flood beam comes from two XP-Gs in Neutral R4. For some people, this will seem silly knowing that there are R5s and S2s available, but it's a much happier and warmer glow. It really makes a difference at 3am when you are cold, tired and depressed.

The spot has stayed cool.

*4 Microcontroller Access*
[Geek Warning]
The V3 has a microcontroller which can be reprogrammed by the owner. This means you can connect it to your computer and download a new UI if you don't like the one you selected when you bought it. ...

*5 New Lens*
It has a whole new lens which I designed specifically for the V3. Similar material (BK7) and quality to my aspherics, but a new mould was made along with whole batch of funny shaped lenses. The manufacturer thought I was crazy. They said they couldn't imagine how it would be useful for anything. 

*6 Colours
*3 Colours available (Red, Blue, Black)

Some of the hardware will stay black as well as the plastic parts. So they'll either be all-black or red/black etc.

The switch button is being machined from 7075-T6 Al and is coming in each of the colours. So I'll be able to make a black V3 with just a red button (along with many other combinations). I don't know what I'll like yet so I just ordered a bunch of each to try out. When they arrive I'll start playing dress-ups.

*7:* Parallel Cells
The two 18650 cells are in parallel and individually accessible.
Implications: 
- You can run the headlight with only one 18650 cell if you want.
- You can replace one cell at a time and never be without light. 
The second assumes you don't mind mixing cells of different charge levels. For the 5 seconds it takes to swap a cell, I don't mind.



*Runtimes with 2x protected XTAR (Panasonic) 3100mAh cells:

*The current to the spot XR-E was 1050mA and the twin XP-Gs each received up to 700mA (1400mA total).

Logarithmic scale:






Without the lowest mode, it can now be viewed on a linear scale:






Bottom line:
I can get at least:
3 goods hours on the spot,
4 on the flood at 100%,
10 on the flood at 40%,
28 on the flood at 15%,
85 on the flood at 5%,
and probably more than 400 at 1%.



*User Interfaces:*
Here are some diagrams and a crude video to show how the 3 standard UIs work. Nothing pretty. I'd rather spend my time making the headlights, but I realised that people need this info first. 




















*Broing YOUTUBE video to teach you how to use the competition interface: *

http://youtu.be/RK63BGZ1hVA


NB: All UIs have a low-voltage protection. When the voltage approaches 3.0-3.1V, the highest modes are disabled. This allows the lower modes to continue for several more hours before the cell's protection circuits are triggered. So if you think your headlight is broken because the spot mode doesn't work, try recharging the cells. I have had several complaints that all turned out to be exhausted cells!


*Here are a few extra pictures:*






My new lens! Part aspheric for throw and frosted elsewhere for a smooth flood.
Remove the 4 x 7075 aluminium screws and the coverplate comes off.
Lift the lens out to service the 2.62mm o-ring or access the programming header.





Big switch. Very strong (7075 aluminium). Nice solid press. Non-mechanical (very hard to break).
No moving parts penetrate the sealed body so there's no gaskets or rubber boots to fail.
Also note the low profile and low weight which makes it very stable on the head.






Nice wide elastic for comfort and stability.
The battery pack at the back.






Focus on the 18650 holder. Uses one or two cells in parallel.
Big fat (3.53mm) o-ring makes an excellent waterproof seal every time.
All wires are embedded inside the plastic.





Focus on the battery case.
Very simple and reliable Velcro strap to keep the piston-like cell holder in place.
The velcro should be good for a few thousand actuations, but can easily be replaced.
No breakable clips or hinges. Nothing to fall off. No fiddly screws or latches.
Case mounts to bracket with 4 screws. Can mount to other things too.






Note the back of the bracket. Smoothly contoured to fit the head.





_Edit: All these pictures are out of date now. Small changes keep being made. It now has a spiral cable, a better hinge, one less buckle ... etc. The same basic shape remains unchanged._

Only the aluminium parts are coloured. The plastic parts are all black.
Total mass for this little guy is 187g without 18650 cells (282g with the cells).



*



*


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## borrower

That's just plain teasing! :duh2:

Look forward to seeing this mystery reveal itself.


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## psychbeat

oooooohhh

Ill bet its SICK!

subscribed..


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## ahorton

Indeed it is a tease. In order to increase the final joy. My joy that is.

Another tease:
There are 2 variations
- The original* dual beam 1A XR-E Aspheric / 1.4A Dual XP-G
- A new 2400 (theoretical, emitter) lumen single (multi-emitter) beam.**

*Almost. It's very similar to the original but with a few minor upgrades.

**No the heatsinking is not adequate. Not by far. At full power it does get pretty hot, but it has over-heating control. So far it has never triggered while I've been using it (so it is stable) but the output drops a bit. I think 1000 lumens is the practical maximum and point of diminishing returns.

_Edit: I plan to keep on dropping teasers until it's ready, but they'll mainly be about the dual beam. This is the real Spike V3. The other one doesn't have a name yet. Suggestions are welcome._


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## kevinm

Interesting! 1000 lumens is a lot, and I like that you decided to go waterproof!


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## ahorton

kevinm said:


> Interesting! 1000 lumens is a lot, and I like that you decided to go waterproof!



Initially I was only going for rainproof, but a bunch of my earlier customers kept on going kayaking with them, so they forced me to raise the bar.


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## psychbeat

Hehe I've yet to try night surfing with a headlamp....hmm


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## ahorton

I did it a few years ago. Madness. 

Not with any of the lights listed here, but with a simple 8x XP-G with narrow 10mm optics. Approx 40W for the whole thing. Every time I got dumped in the whitewater, the ocean would glow for the spectators. I never tried it a second time.


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## varuscelli

Amazing. This is the kind of stuff that puts the "actuals" of what we get from CPF participation way above what anyone could consider reasonable expectations. Very, very cool. 

I have watched your linked threads with interest but more or less peripherally...especially the last one, with it being most recent. Can't wait to see the latest as this Spike V3 takes shape.


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## kevinm

ahorton said:


> And after more than a year (+ over $2500) in development, there will also be the V3.



Was the $2500 for machining, or development only? Either way, I feel your pain there!

Kevin


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## psychbeat

ahorton said:


> I did it a few years ago. Madness.
> 
> Not with any of the lights listed here, but with a simple 8x XP-G with narrow 10mm optics. Approx 40W for the whole thing. Every time I got dumped in the whitewater, the ocean would glow for the spectators. I never tried it a second time.



Whoa! 
Maybe it would be better to have someone following me from shore with an ASHpheric 

Great day here BTW got some awesome waves then paddled in and watched Kelly clinch the worlds. 

Back on topic- 
I think the waterproof idea is rad. 

I'm still stuck in the p60 world but may need a spike v3 too...
What voltage in does it take?


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## ahorton

The $2500 was not even the machining costs of the final product. I've been through 4 fully functional prototypes but each time there was something not quite right. So I decided to chalk it up to experience and keep working. A couple of times I thought I had finished and so purchased a batch of minor parts (eg 100 switch covers) then a few months later I'd think of a better way to do it without using that particular part.

So it'll take a few sales before I'm back in the black!



psychbeat said:


> ...
> I'm still stuck in the p60 world but may need a spike v3 too...
> What voltage in does it take?



The P60 range definitely has something for every person in every situation. The Spike V3 is very purpose-driven.

Nominally 3.7V for the V3. The high power variant works well on 14.8V. I can set it up for lower voltages but the higher current is a pain to deal with.


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## borrower

ahorton said:


> ...A couple of times I thought I had finished and so purchased a batch of minor parts (eg 100 switch covers) then a few months later I'd think of a better way to do it without using that particular part.



If you want to put together a grab bag of parts (ie, a few of each thing you've got surplus) that ship reasonably inexpensively, I'm probably in.


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## nein166

Sweet I always regretted not getting one of the Spikes I'll be in on this one.
I loved the oval window on the V1 for the flood XP-Gs
Any chance of neutral tint for the flood, the spot could stay cool


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## ahorton

Well, since you asked for it, I'll give you teaser number 3 ahead of schedule:

The flood beam comes from two XP-Gs in Neutral R4. For some people, this will seem silly knowing that there are R5s and S2s available, but it's a much happier and warmer glow. It really makes a difference at 3am when you are cold, tired and depressed.

The spot has stayed cool.


borrower, I may try to sell off my excess parts at some point. I've thought about it, but I'd need to set it up at the CPFMP and haven't been bothered yet.


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## simples

ahorton said:


> but it has over-heating control.



sounds sweet. what temperature is the over-heating control set at?


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## nein166

ahorton said:


> Well, since you asked for it, I'll give you teaser number 3 ahead of schedule:
> 
> The flood beam comes from two XP-Gs in Neutral R4. For some people, this will seem silly knowing that there are R5s and S2s available, but it's a much happier, and warmer glow. It really makes a difference at 3am when you are cold, tired and depressed.
> 
> The spot has stayed cool.


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## maddog

1st in line! ..... don't forget about me .. hehe


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## ahorton

maddog - I haven't forgotten! Though I thought you might have lost interest since I've made you wait so long. Sorry about that, I just kept finding new ways to improve it.

simples - The overheating control is meant to trigger around 60C on the copper pad of the MCPCB. This means that the LED junction can be quite a lot hotter than 60C. Well within safe working limits, but this does mean that the body can get above 50C which is hot to the touch and the efficiency is dropping off.

nein166 - I'm glad you appreciate it. I am curious to see how it will go down with the max-flux crowd.


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## simples

ahorton said:


> The overheating control is meant to trigger around 60C on the copper pad of the MCPCB. This means that the LED junction can be quite a lot hotter than 60C. Well within safe working limits, but this does mean that the body can get above 50C which is hot to the touch and the efficiency is dropping off.


 
60 deg sounds good. I would expect that body will transmit fairly effectively to mcpcb, so I wouldn't expect body / LED junction to get much higher. All good.


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## maddog

ahorton said:


> maddog - I haven't forgotten! Though I thought you might have lost interest since I've made you wait so long. Sorry about that, I just kept finding new ways to improve it.



LOL .... never, your stuff is da bomb! can't wait to see all the new goodies on it.


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## Baddog

I'm in, let the fun begin

ahh yes, wouldnt mind a warm xml up front, three speed and perhaps a battery pack set up with 26650's that can be attached to an upper arm or hip belt...oh yes and a stable headband for hanging upside down


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## analogguy

Ash-

I'm in for a V3. My V2 has been absolutely bulletproof in everyday use in a marine environment.


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## ahorton

You keen guys make me smile. You haven't even seen it yet!

*Here comes teaser number 4:*
[Geek Warning]
The V3 has a microcontroller which can be reprogrammed by the owner. This means you can connect it to your computer and download a new UI if you don't like the one you selected when you bought it.

Maybe you thought you wanted 4 modes but then realise you hate the 2nd lowest one. --> Just plug it in and download a 3-mode UI!
Or you wish the lowest mode was much lower. --> Plug it in and download a UI with an ultra-low mode.
Want to use single-clicks to turn it on, but double-clicks to turn it off? --> ... you get the idea...
Want to add a strobe?
Want ramping instead of modes?
Want one of the modes to be a clock?
Want to make the battery indicator have 10 levels instead of 5?
Want a timer which lets you choose a number of minutes or hours and then flashes when the time is up?
Want one mode to be a momentary-on to use like a flashlight?
Want to record a message in Morse code then replay it over and over until the battery runs out?
.... . .-.. .--. / -- . / .. / .... .- ...- . / .-. ..- -. / --- ..- - / --- ..-. / -... . . .-. / .... . .-.. .--. / -- . / .. / .... .- ...- . / .-. ..- -. / --- ..- - / --- ..-. / -... . . .-.

... There's one switch and 3 LEDs. After that it's up to you to use your imagination.

There are 2 catches:

1. You do need an extra bit of hardware. I use a simple AVRISP MKII which cost me about $30. This goes between your USB port and the V3. Setting it up will be a bit tricky the first time but I'll give instructions. If you can set up a printer, an internet connection or a router, then you can set this thing up pretty easily.

2. Not everyone knows how to program a microcontroller. If you don't want to learn, then you'll need to rely on other people writing the software. I'll host anything that people want to write and upload. Hopefully between me and any other geeks out there we'll be able to build up a database of UIs.


... Sorry, but the GPS, touch screen, wireless and HD video camera will not be available until the V5.:nana:


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## Baddog

now ur cooking with gas!


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## ahorton

Baddog said:


> now ur cooking with gas!


nope.. even better ... cooking with 18650s!


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## Baddog

ahorton said:


> nope.. even better ... cooking with 18650s!


with IMR 26650's on the back burner?????


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## ahorton

Possible, but you wouldn't want them. They're twice as heavy on your head.


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## Baddog

ahorton said:


> Possible, but you wouldn't want them. They're twice as heavy on your head.


correct, thats why we need a battery pack on a hip belt or arm belt...


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## nein166

OOh arm belt with batteries and LCD read out and voice control! just geek dreaming


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## psychbeat

If yer using a pack 18650 makes more sense than 26650 
3100mah 18650s are more energy dense.


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## ahorton

Yeah the good quality 2900 and 3100 cells are hard to go past these days. Even the cheaper Xtar 2600mAh cells come pretty close to their rated capacity. I reckon two 3100 mAh cells would be worth the money. That gives at least 8 hours of (approx) 250 neutral lumens which is a very comfortable walking / running light.

The IMR cells aren't really justified in the V3. The most it can draw is 2.4A which is only 1.2A from each cell in a 2P pack.


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## Baddog

psychbeat said:


> If yer using a pack 18650 makes more sense than 26650
> 3100mah 18650s are more energy dense.


all this is true, just a bit concerned about safety...I mean what if u slip, fall, and the 18650's take a hit...


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## simples

Baddog said:


> all this is true, just a bit concerned about safety...I mean what if u slip, fall, and the 18650's take a hit...



Not a lot I would think. You might bust your arm, and why would 26650's be any better? 

3100 MAH 18650's ??????????????


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## Baddog

simples said:


> Not a lot I would think. You might bust your arm, and why would 26650's be any better?
> 
> 3100 MAH 18650's ??????????????


feel free to take a regular 18650 and smack it with a hammer, if u survive that try it with an IMR. :shakehead


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## ifor powell

Which Avr is it?


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## simples

Baddog said:


> feel free to take a regular 18650 and smack it with a hammer, if u survive that try it with an IMR. :shakehead



I pitched one at a wall from 30 foot away. Didnt do a lot other than cease to work. 

To be fair, I wouldn't lump one with a hammer for fun, any more than I'd lump the back of my hand with a hammer. I would however chance lumping the 18650 before I lumped my hand. 

The thing is that I know, and can admit, that I know naff all about the chemistry etc of li-ion cells.
But you just couldn't make it up :shakehead


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## ahorton

ifor powell - ATtiny85V.

simples - Have a look at the Panasonic (and re-branded) 3100mAh cells.

Baddog - Please don't smack anyone wearing my headlamps with a hammer.


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## simples

ahorton said:


> simples - Have a look at the Panasonic (and re-branded) 3100mAh cells.



Thanks Ahorton. Will have a look.
Was aware that Panasonic 'alledgedly' did some 2900 cells, but try getting them. Conveniently kept for there own use, if they did actually deliver on the 2900. Lots of fake stuff around too. Have you got any links for 3100 cells, ebay sellers excluded obviously. I remain to be convinced. Hasn't the smart money been on 2600 Sanyo or Panasonic if you can find genuine ones, and these are unprotected tagged cells for oem pack builders, not hong kong bucket shop flashshite protected cells ? Probably worth checking out what the top end pro lamp builders use. You are no doubt putting a lot of money into machining after all, would be a shame to spoil it. Out of interest, what sort of volume of machinings did you need to commit to ???


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## ahorton

I can't post links, but look up AW and Redilast for the 2900 and 3100 mAh Panasonics cells. These guys add protection circuits and can be found in our very own CPF marketplace.

Personally I use 2600 Sanyo cells, just because they are good value for money. The black/red/flame/hologram trustfires from DX are ok too considering how cheap they are. I wouldn't go any cheaper than them. I've also bought quite a few cells from FJD and they were fine. Similar price and quality to the Sanyo cells (mid-range).

My headlight runs are always small (20-40). So they'll never be mainstream or cheap. That's fine. The initial aim was just to make them for myself and friends, but this was too expensive. So I make enough extras to sell and bring the overall cost down. The profit from the previous batch lets me waste money being a perfectionist during the development. Eg, getting the aspheric lenses made from scratch isn't cheap, but you end up with what you actually want. I consider myself pretty lucky to be able to do this as a hobby and stay afloat.

It might be nice oneday to do a run of 100 units and really bring the cost down, but that kind of quantity would take all the fun out of assembling them.


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## simples

Thanks ahorton. I had heard about people rewrapping sanyo and panasonic cells with protection circuits, but had no idea of the branding. I'll look up AW and Redilast.

Appreciate that machining a handful of lights is not going to be cheap. Credit to you for having a go. Look forward to seeing your efforts.


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## Bolster

Ahorton - if it's not too OT can you tell us about your fabrication shop? I assume you have some sort of CNC capacity for small runs...a lathe, a mill, both?


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## ahorton

Actually I don't have any of the stuff myself. It's all done through commercial machine shops (hence the cost). 

I keep telling myself that I should buy a small CNC mill and save money, but I'm worried that it will become a hobby in itself. I already spend too much time with CAD instead of running around the bush. The guys I use also handle the sandblasting and annodising. 

In order to keep the costs down, I let them do my jobs whenever it's convenient for them (between the bigger jobs). Sometimes this means a 6 week turn around but that's ok.

One thing I do want to buy is a reasonable 3D printer. Then I can make prototypes quickly and cheaply. With a bit of laser cut aluminium, in the right place, I could even turn the LEDs on and have a functioning prototype in under a day.


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## Bolster

OT again (sorry) - yes, your CNC mill would become its own hobby. But nowadays you don't need your own CNC mill, you just write the code for someone else's CNC mill. But wait, there's more-- many 3D modeling programs write the code for you! So all you have to do (I say "all" as if it's easy--) is learn the 3D modeling software and hit "send" to the machine shop when you're done. Google Sketchup is what our machinist's club promotes. It's free. Maybe your CAD program writes machine code too, or a translator is available. Yes, the 3D printer is a boffo idea. You might be able to hire that out, too. I have a Sieg X3--too bad you're not my neighbor. No, wait, that's probably a good thing.


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## Baddog

ahorton said:


> ifor powell - ATtiny85V.
> 
> 
> 
> Baddog - Please don't smack anyone wearing my headlamps with a hammer.


 will try not to mate, mean time i have two redilasts waiting for ur rubber coating...


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## ahorton

Baddog - Sorry I don't do the rubber coating anymore. The stuff was horrible to work with. That's one of the reasons the V3 has a more conventional plastic battery case. I have played around with a few silicone coatings though. Much nicer feel to them and much more durable too. Too much work at this point, but it's on my to-do list to develop some techniques and equipment to speed up the process. 

Bolster - OT is fine. This whole thread is really me just wasting time while I have nothing to design and keep my mind busy. My CAD doesn't do machine code but I think my machinist translates it all pretty quickly. Sometimes he steps in and changes a few things manually but not often. I do plan to learn to code oneday and that might change things a bit. An X3 would be a great mill to have in the shed. I've looked at them a few times. It's not the up-front cost that puts me off, it's all the tooling that goes with it and the time. Oneday maybe..


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## kevinm

ahorton said:


> I keep telling myself that I should buy a small CNC mill and save money, but I'm worried that it will become a hobby in itself. I already spend too much time with CAD instead of running around the bush. The guys I use also handle the sandblasting and annodising.
> 
> One thing I do want to buy is a reasonable 3D printer. Then I can make prototypes quickly and cheaply. With a bit of laser cut aluminium, in the right place, I could even turn the LEDs on and have a functioning prototype in under a day.



I wish I could afford a CNC machine; instead I spend all my time in the Physics Department, re-machining stuff. They tell me the goal is to turn big blocks of metal into little blocks of metal.

Have you seen the MakerBot? It's a cheap 3D printer.

And I feel your prototyping pain. I sent went through 10 revisions at least before I decided I had the kinks worked out!:duh2:


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## ahorton

The funny thing is that I work in the mechanical engeering school of a university and my office is within 20m of the machine labs. It's still quicker and easier for me to use the commercial machine shops.

The Makerbot is fine but I would go a bit further up the market to something that can double as a (slow) CNC router. The prototyping isn't pain though. Designing is the fun bit!


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## borrower

<bump>... Ash, it's been _days_ since a trickle of information... how about you throw us a weight number?


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## maddog

Pictures??


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## ahorton

*Teaser number 5*: It has a whole new lens which I designed specifically for the V3. Similar material (BK7) and quality to my aspherics, but a new mould was made along with whole batch of funny shaped lenses. The manufacturer thought I was crazy. They said they couldn't imagine how it would be useful for anything.


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## kevinm

ahorton said:


> *Teaser number 5*: It has a whole new lens which I designed specifically for the V3. Similar material (BK7) and quality to my aspherics, but a new mould was made along with whole batch of funny shaped lenses. The manufacturer thought I was crazy. They said they couldn't imagine how it would be useful for anything.



It's a Bat Signal!


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## ahorton

Alas no.


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## Th232

Kinda like multi-focals for headlamps, an uneven distribution so that you can still see the ground next to your feet, but still get aspheric-like throw out *there* in the distance?


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## kevinm

ahorton said:


> Alas no.




Still excited to see it.


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## ahorton

Out of interest, what sort of image does 'Road Train' conjure in your mind? I'm trying to choose a name for the high power (2000+ lumen) variant mentioned earlier.

I suspect that it's more of an Australian term, but that probably won't stop me using it.


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## nein166

Thats the term for hauling 2 trailers behind a semi right, for shipping through the outback correct?

-Something you don't want to stand in the way of
or
-cane toad juice everywhere


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## Baddog

try 'great white pointer' mate


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## ahorton

nein166 said:


> -cane toad juice everywhere



... ah, you get to be an honorary Aussie now!



Baddog said:


> try 'great white pointer' mate



A good Aussie name to be sure, but it doesn't have enough throw to really be a pointer, is a bit of a mouthful and I can't help but think of golf (I don't want to think of golf). I'm from Mt Isa, so it's probably in my mind more than others.


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## psychbeat

"map o tazzy?"



Road Train sounds cool. 
Those bush trucks usually have crazy light set ups yah?


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## ahorton

psychbeat said:


> "map o tazzy?"



No! Bad psychbeat! :shakehead




psychbeat said:


> Road Train sounds cool.
> Those bush trucks usually have crazy light set ups yah?


Yah they often do. I also like the feeling being an unstoppable force running through the bush.


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## ahorton

Another trickle ... *Teaser number 6*:
The incoming batch will have 4 colours: Black, blue, red and purple. 5 of each have been ordered.

Some of the hardware will stay black as well as the plastic parts. So they'll either be all-black or red/black etc.

The switch button is being machined from 7075-T6 Al and is coming in each of the colours. So I'll be able to make a black V3 with just a red button (along with many other combinations). I don't know what I'll like yet so I just ordered a bunch of each to try out. When they arrive I'll start playing dress-ups.


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## Baddog

red black for me please


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## ahorton

Yeah I keep finding redbacks in my yard/house. I figure it's a sign that there should be a redback V3.


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## maddog

Nice .... i'll take Purple with a Red switch button


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## ahorton

maddog said:


> Nice .... i'll take Purple with a Red switch button



arghh! My eyes are hurting just thinking about that.:sick2:


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## maddog

ahorton said:


> arghh! My eyes are hurting just thinking about that.:sick2:



LOL ... ok, how about Blue with Red switch button ?


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## ahorton

Much better!

Of course if you do end up buying one then you can have any colours you want... but I'll assemble it with my eyes closed.


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## Baddog

ahorton said:


> Yeah I keep finding redbacks in my yard/house. I figure it's a sign that there should be a redback V3.


redback V3 it is then


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## maddog

ahorton said:


> Much better!
> 
> Of course if you do end up buying one then you can have any colours you want... but I'll assemble it with my eyes closed.



LOL


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## ahorton

I really am bored waiting for my new toys to arrive. I'm told they will be sent to the annodisers soon but they always take a few weeks.

*Teaser number 7:*
The two 18650 cells are in parallel and individually accessible.
Implications: 
- You can run the headlight with only one 18650 cell if you want.
- You can replace one cell at a time and never be without light. 
The second assumes you don't mind mixing cells of different charge levels. For the 5 seconds it takes to swap a cell, I don't mind.


----------



## psychbeat

Hey Ash- do u test yer switches & connectors etc for resistance? 
I know one of the problems with high amp lights that run on single cell voltages can have bottlenecks resistance-wise. 

I think my friend is selling his Betty and Wilma for something else as he's bummed on the cool tint in the fog. 
Im trying to steer him in yer direction.
I think a filter swatch would be an easy fix for him but he wants to sell one at least which should leave him with enough $ for something nice. 
Those Lupines hold their value well. 

I'm excited to see the new lens!
I'd grab the "road train" but I'm committed to one of KevinMs hosts and really like to dork around with my drop-ins.


----------



## ahorton

psychbeat said:


> Hey Ash- do u test yer switches & connectors etc for resistance?
> I know one of the problems with high amp lights that run on single cell voltages can have bottlenecks resistance-wise.


No I don't test switches and connectors for resistance... I'll explain why in the next teaser.
The Roadtrain does run at higher voltage (3S-5S -> approx 2.3A - 1.4A in the cable) so the currents aren't too high anyway. The most the V3 can pull is 2.5A which is only 1.25A from each cell. In normal use, I don't expect anyone to go above 1.4A in the V3.



psychbeat said:


> I'd grab the "road train" but I'm committed to one of KevinMs hosts and really like to dork around with my drop-ins.


I wouldn't worry about the Roadtrain. It's a very high-power unit in an ultra-light sporty body. Sounds good but we all know that without proper heat transfer it's going to struggle at the high-end. KevinM's hosts are much bigger and heavier and so I expect better heat transfer for high-power dropins (then again it's a drop-in which is an extra interface, so there might not be too much difference). The Roadtrain doesn't have the heat-transfer that the big Lupines do, but they may be competitive at 30-50% of the price.


----------



## psychbeat

Totally- I think the VAN quad drops with direct to copper make up for it somewhat. 
I just worry that it's hard to push 5.6a at only 4.2 (3.7)volts in any light. 

Not to get off topic


----------



## ahorton

Yeah they're pretty good dropins for thermal conductivity (assuming that it can transfer quick enough into the host). 5.6A is even harder than I'd like to push a McClicky, so you really need a FET of some sort. KevinM has gone up to a 10A mechanical switch, so it should be fine.


----------



## simples

ahorton said:


> The most the V3 can pull is 2.5A which is only 1.25A from each cell. In normal use, I don't expect anyone to go above 1.4A in the V3.



As you are using a microproccessor to do all sorts of clever things with the V3, I'm questioning why you would run the power through the switch at all, but I'm probably being a bit simple.


----------



## ahorton

simples said:


> As you are using a microproccessor to do all sorts of clever things with the V3, I'm questioning why you would run the power through the switch at all, but I'm probably being a bit simple.



Indeed, the switch can barely handle a few mA. That's why I said "No I don't test switches and connectors for resistance" (and there's an even simpler reason for not testing the connectors). The Roadtrain also has a microcontroller and uses the same switch as the V3.

Then I went on to talk about the currents that the light can pull, but that was really just to show that they're not in the same range as the high-powered lights (about which psychbeat was talking).


----------



## simples

OK that makes good sense. Now I understand.


----------



## maddog

any pre-xmas pics?


----------



## ahorton

I wish I could put pics of the whole thing up by now. I should have had it weeks ago, but I'm told early next week will be the delivery date.

*Teaser #7

*Flood beam with clear lens.






Flood beam with frosted lens.





Both of the above use a tight 10mm optic, so they can be made much floodier, but after lots of experimenting, I like the tight optic with frosted lens. When I'm outside, I can't sense a hotspot because everything looks evenly lit up. Of course the things in front of me are maybe 10m+ away while my feet are only 1.5m away. So the centre of the beam does need to be brighter. The overall effect is a very smooth transition. I can't see any edge to the beam in my peripheral vision and that makes me happy.


Some plastic parts. These are the back brackets to which the battery pack attaches. 40mm slots for nice wide elastic. You can just see the 100mm radius curve in the photo. It's not a big curve, just enough for comfort. They have a bit of flex in them too.

I expected to just make solid colours (like black, red, blue, white, purple etc) but here you can see my first attempt at a black/white marble. I'm thrilled with how it came out.






These parts aren't as perfectly uniform as you'd get from a commercial injection moulder, but I'm very happy with them. I can make 1 set per day with my setup and that's all I need.


----------



## kevinm

Nice!


----------



## Baddog

paypal addy before i spend it all on other crap :wave:


----------



## ahorton

Sorry I can't accept any money yet. I'll wait 'till I have the parts.

I think It's up to 7 or 8 weeks now. Very unhappy with my machinist and I imagine it's not going to get any closer over the Christmas / new-year period.


----------



## kevinm

ahorton said:


> Sorry I can't accept any money yet. I'll wait 'till I have the parts.
> 
> I think It's up to 7 or 8 weeks now. Very unhappy with my machinist and I imagine it's not going to get any closer over the Christmas / new-year period.



I feel you pain, Ash. When I say, "It'll be done tomorrow" I really do mean the next day. It doesn't seem to be that way in manufacturing...

Still, those beamshots are great! What about a couple at some distance?


----------



## Cataract

What kind of price range are we looking at ???


----------



## Yavox

Are you really sure of this 30m waterproof rating? I just started cave diving and it would be useful to have a headlamp I could use in dry cave areas which could be taken underwater without worrying. I don't plan to rely underwater on your lamp because I have much more specialized lights for that, just need to be sure that 30 meters does not kill your Spike.


----------



## ahorton

Price range is looking like $250-$300 (I'm thinking AUD but USD is close enough that I don't mind and I can use them anyway) without the 18650 cells or charger. One of the aims of this design was to let people work out their own 18650 preferences.

As for the 30m rating. I'll need to do a lot more testing to be sure. I've just tested a single prototype so far. All I did was put it in a bucket of water inside a pressure tank and hold the pressure at 300-350kPa (40-50psi) for a few hours. That's all my tank can handle but I'll be interested to try it at higher pressure oneday. My concern about 30m cave diving is not the pressure so much as all the other abuse it will take. Changing the 18650 cells with muddy hands and getting a small rock in the oring groove are the sort of things that kill a seal.


The lighthead has no moving parts penetrating the sealed body. The switch is magnetic (the button moves a tiny magnet on the outside of the body and a momentary reed switch inside closes and opens). This becomes a problem for compasses but only within about 100mm (and only seriously within about 75mm). -> I'll confirm these numbers again later on.

So the ways for water to get in the light head are: 
1. Broken cable and water seeps along the wires. Not impossible. It's only a 4.5mm cable but it's pretty strong and can always be beefed up. At both ends of the cable, the electronics are potted, so water in the cable probably won't be a problem anyway.
2. Broken lens. The lenses are 3mm crown glass at their thinnest point (14mm at the thickest). There is an aluminium ridge protecting them so it'd need to be a very strong and direct impact.
3. Failed Oring. The surfaces are annodised 7075 aluminium and crown glass. Both are pretty hard and scratch resistant. The orings are all 2.6mm diameter. Like any oring, they'll fail without proper maintenance, but they are static and should last a very long time. I suppose they could be replaced with cheap quality or wrong-sized orings and that would cause a problem.
4. Broken aluminium body. You'd have to pe pretty rough with it. 7075 aluminium is pretty strong. Scratches and dents will happen, but a pierce or break seem unlikely.


The battery case is probably more prone to leaks because it gets opened and closed and has plastic parts. 

1. The plastic surfaces might get scratched and ruin the oring seal. I've gone for 3.5mm diameter orings which are very forgiving of the surfaces (I tested by roughing up the surfaces and was surprised at how long it kept the seal). The surfaces can often be repaired anyway with a bit of fine grit sandpaper. If the lid is kept shut on the battery case, I don't see why it should ever get bad scratches. It does get opened and closed every time the cells are changed, so it will need maintenance.

2. The plastice parts may break. The thinnest part of the battery case is 2mm. I tried to keep the weight down but if you hit it with a hammer then it will eventually crack. For a really tough caving version, I may choose to increase it to 4mm at the thinnest but this will be too heavy to take jogging.

3. The mechanism that holds the battery case shut is virtually unbreakable. In the event that it gets lost (very unlikely, but I like redundancy) the battery case is also designed to be held closed with electrical/gaffa/strapping tape very easily. This may seem like a silly thing to design for, but since it is possible to remove the latch, I have to assume that someone will eventually lose it.

If/when the battery case floods, the cells will be ruined, but the lighthead should still be fine. 


The Spike V3 was not designed as a caving headlamp. It was meant more for adventure racing in which it'll never go deeper than 2m. A worst case might be capsizing a kayak in salt water. For that purpose I think it's over-designed and very reliable. For cave diving, it's probably good enough, but it's not over-designed.

Other options that spring to mind are Kevinm's new P60 host or the Rude Nora, Sten, Scurion etc. These are all designed with caving in mind and may offer a better gaurantee. It could depend on what sort of beam you want too.


----------



## kevinm

Wow, 30m is nice! Also, 7075 at $300 is great.


----------



## gte861s

Any updates? This light sounds like a night trail runners dream.


----------



## ahorton

Delivery of the aluminium parts was 2 months late, but I finally got the news that they were ready a few days ago. Hopefully I can collect them tonight or tomorrow.

Sadly, I'm very busy with both work and family right now, so they're going to sit on the shelf for a little while. 

As for trail running, I think they're great. I designed them for runners who want to see more than just their feet.


----------



## gte861s

Which type of headband/harness have you been recommending with your headlamps? Will that change with the Spike v3? Have you been mounting the battery pack on the back of the headband or attaching a lead and wearing the pack on a belt?


----------



## ahorton

I've always made my own headbands. In the past, they were just 25mm elastic, but now they are 38mm for the V3. The wider elastic makes it much more stable on the head. The V3 also has curved plastic brackets that hold the elastic and headlamp parts together. These make a torque-arm that stops the heavy things (mainly the battery) from twisting on the elastic. Add to all this the fact that the V3 is much lighter and now I don't feel any bounce when I go running. 

Battery pack has always been on the back of the head for me. Some people have requested longer cables for belt or pack mounted batteries and that was pretty easy to do too.


PS, I finally collected the parts today. All looking good. Just need some time to assembly one now.


----------



## gte861s

ahorton said:


> PS, I finally collected the parts today. All looking good. Just need some time to assembly one now.



excellent! I'm very interested in perhaps ordering one from you. Do you include your homemade headband in the kit or is that something needing to be specified at time of order? What is the total weight of your kit (with and without the two batteries)?


----------



## kevinm

ahorton said:


> I've always made my own headbands. In the past, they were just 25mm elastic, but now they are 38mm for the V3. The wider elastic makes it much more stable on the head. The V3 also has curved plastic brackets that hold the elastic and headlamp parts together. These make a torque-arm that stops the heavy things (mainly the battery) from twisting on the elastic. Add to all this the fact that the V3 is much lighter and now I don't feel any bounce when I go running.
> 
> Battery pack has always been on the back of the head for me. Some people have requested longer cables for belt or pack mounted batteries and that was pretty easy to do too.
> 
> 
> PS, I finally collected the parts today. All looking good. Just need some time to assembly one now.



Pictures, please.


----------



## Baddog

noice mate, looking forward to the best in the west


----------



## ahorton

The headband has always been part of it. 

The weight I'll need to get back to you on.

Sorry no pics yet. I still want to present the whole thing as a finished product this time around.


----------



## ahorton

Ok, I got the scales out and did a quick mass test now that I have every part:

Part; V3 mass ; V2 mass

Front:
lighthead = 59g ; 112g 
Front bracket = 12g ; 19g
(subtotal = 71g; 131g)

Back:
battery pack = 59g; 115g (V2 included the 18650s and half the cable, so the comparison should be more like 14g)
back bracket = 8g; 0g
2x18650 =94; 0g
(Xtar 2600)
(subtotal = 161g;115g )


Sides:
Elastic headband = 44g; 29g
(including plastic sliders for adjusting)
Wire = 12g; 6g (again, this is only half the wire, the rest is in the battery pack)
(subtotal = 66g; 41g)

Total = 298g; 287g
Without cells = 204g; 193g
More than I was hoping for but that's ok. The V2 on my desk massed in at 287 but the big difference is where the mass is.

The lighthead has gone on a serious diet (112g->59g) so with the bigger bracket you hardly notice it's there. It's now about the same as an Ay-Up for those who've played with them but I think my bracket is a tiny bit lighter. The thickness is now 29mm instead of 34mm and the centre of mass has moved about 5mm closer to the back.

The elastic has got a little heavier, and if you include the brackets then it's 48g for the V2 against 64g for the V3. I've found it doesn't matter much how heavy the headband is because there's no moment on it so it doesn't twist or bounce. It just hangs on your head.

The heaviest part in the V3 is the new battery pack and this was inevitable once I started moving towards replaceable 18650 cells + waterproof case. It's got a great big 60x65mm curved bracket (shown earlier) to stop it bouncing around and so it's actually ended up more comfortable than the much lighter V2 battery which didn't have a bracket. 


For the real weight weanie, it's possible to use the V2 style battery pack (fine for rain but not submersion and you can't swap the cells) with the V3 elastic, brackets and lighthead. Then the total is 256g which is getting a bit better but is just beaten by a V3 with only one 18650 cell at 251g.


----------



## maddog

alright feb is coming up .... any news? i really need a new light for 2012!


----------



## ahorton

Yeah I think it's going to happen in the first half of Feb. Just got to get through some other stuff first.


----------



## Baddog

keep us posted Ash, am hanging out for this one


----------



## Baddog

first half of day one is over


----------



## ahorton

Indeed... and it's very close now.

I'm just sorting out some legal stuff but that's almost done. I decided to register the design.


----------



## Led Grow Lights

Really That's just plain teasing guys.


----------



## ahorton

I'd like to introduce my little friend. The V3.








My new lens! Part aspheric for throw and frosted elsewhere for a smooth flood.
Remove the 4x7075 aluminium screwsand the coverplate comes off. 
Lift the lens out to service the 2.62mm o-ring or access the programming header. 





Big switch. Very strong (7075 aluminium). Nice solid press. Non-mechanical (very hard to break).
No moving parts penetrate the sealed body so there's no gaskets or rubber boots to fail.
Also note the low profile and low weight which makes it very stable on the head.






Nice wide elastic for comfort and stability.
The battery pack at the back.






Focus on the 18650 holder. Uses one or two cells in parallel. 
Big fat (3.53mm) o-ring makes an excellent waterproof seal every time.
All wires are embedded inside the plastic.





Focus on the battery case.
Very simple and reliable Velcro strap to keep the piston-like cell holder in place.
The velcro should be good for a few thousand actuations, but can easily be replaced.
No breakable clips or hinges. Nothing to fall off. No fiddly screws or latches.
Case mounts to bracket with 4 screws. Can mount to other things too!






Note the back of the bracket. Smoothly contoured to fit the head.






I really like the red. I've also got sky blue, deep purple and black. Only the aluminium parts are coloured. The plastic parts are all black.
Total mass for this little guy is 187g without 18650 cells (282g with the cells). Comfort is a whole new level compared to my previous offerings.


----------



## ahorton

I'd like to introduce my little friend. The V3.







My new lens! Part aspheric for throw and frosted elsewhere for a smooth flood.
Remove the 4x7075 aluminium screwsand the coverplate comes off. 
Lift the lens out to service the 2.62mm o-ring or access the programming header. 





Big switch. Very strong (7075 aluminium). Nice solid press. Non-mechanical (very hard to break).
No moving parts penetrate the sealed body so there's no gaskets or rubber boots to fail.
Also note the low profile and low weight which makes it very stable on the head.






Nice wide elastic for comfort and stability.
The battery pack at the back.






Focus on the 18650 holder. Uses one or two cells in parallel. 
Big fat (3.53mm) o-ring makes an excellent waterproof seal every time.
All wires are embedded inside the plastic.





Focus on the battery case.
Very simple and reliable Velcro strap to keep the piston-like cell holder in place.
The velcro should be good for a few thousand actuations, but can easily be replaced.
No breakable clips or hinges. Nothing to fall off. No fiddly screws or latches.
Case mounts to bracket with 4 screws. Can mount to other things too!






Note the back of the bracket. Smoothly contoured to fit the head.






I really like the red. I've also got sky blue, deep purple and black. Only the aluminium parts are coloured. The plastic parts are all black.
Total mass for this little guy is 187g without 18650 cells (282g with the cells).


----------



## whosywhat

How do I buy one?


----------



## trout

That looks a little beauty Ash 
and you said I would not want one well you are wrong 

I want one very much


----------



## Baddog

paypal addy for a red mate


----------



## analogguy

Ash-

In for a red as well.


----------



## wheel

whosywhat said:


> How do I buy one?



Me too, how to buy one


----------



## maddog

all i can say is WOW!!! the wait was well worth it. Great Job!


----------



## ahorton

I'm glad you all like it.



I'm slowly making a batch up at the moment (rather than one at a time). As I do I'll post some more useful info and get the sales thread organised.
The price will be $300 including shipping but without 18650 cells or chargers.


----------



## Jeff S.

Out of curiosity, can it run on four CR123a batteries? I know the performance may drop, but will it work?


Thanks!!


----------



## ahorton

Not very well.

You'd need a spacer to make up the extra 35mm of length.
If you used two in series, you'd want them to have a total voltage under 5,5V, so you couldn't really use fresh ones.


----------



## Jeff S.

Thank you. I always have primaries as backups during extended trips, so it's good to know that it is possible to make it work with primaries, even if slight modification and caution is needed. Better yet, maybe it would be worthy to invest in a solar charger if they could be made to charge 18650 cells.

But anyway, I just read all of your previous build-threads. I admire your work, and thank you for making the V3 available!! I am really excited about the V3. It is exactly, in my mind, how a headlamp should be built. I love the aesthetics, and the neutral flood with white spot. It seems like a perfect all-around headlamp, which is so lacking by mainstream markets. 

I eagerly await the sales thread. Count me in!


----------



## borrower

That setup is pure artistry on all fronts. I tip my hat to you. (And if it wasn't for countless projects-unfinished, I'd buy one in a heartbeat.)


----------



## kevinm

REALLY nice job there Ash! I like the battery case a lot too; simple and elegant. It looks like a great backpacking/running light. Is that a custom glass lens?

You mentioned that it is purpose driven. What task did you have in mind?


----------



## Th232

You've mentioned accessing the programming header. What kind of support will we get if we want to reprogram it ourselves? I'm happy with just a pin-out of which I/O pins control what, although I suppose others might want some code as well.


----------



## ahorton

Yeah it's a very custom lens. It gave my manufacturer all sorts of headaches. The first mould was a failure. The lens kept breaking when being removed so a whole new mould was needed. Of course it was all worth the effort. I have them in frosted and plain. The plain gives a slightly brighter and narrower beam, but it comes with the usual artifacts. I much prefer the broader, smoother beam without artifacts.


The plan is to give heaps of support for making your own user-interfaces, but it won't come for a while. Right now my priority is to assemble them.
To start with, they'll come with one of three UIs (Simple, Competition and Competition+extras) and I'm happy to give out the software for each if people waht to try them out.

These three are all closed source. I'm very busy at the moment with work and family, so I promised a royalty to a friend if he would put together the UIs. So I can't give away the source for those. Further down the track I want to offer up some open source versions either that I or someone else has written. Once I have a few open source codes, it should be very easy for people to adapt them to their own likings.

The thing to note, is that it's very easy to make something that 'works', but a lot more involved to make something that's really good. That's why I got my friend to make an excellent one to get me started. It cost him a few weekends so he deserves the royalty. He spent hours agonising over little things like the battery indicator, low power modes, reliable switching, alternate pulsing (in the two flood LEDs) etc.


----------



## Th232

No worries. Not sure what micro you're using, but if it's an AVR I've had some experience programming them, so I wouldn't mind a shot at writing my own code.


----------



## ahorton

If you do, that would be great. Any help getting the open-source UI ball rolling would be appreciated. I'll need to think up some appropriate 'thank you'. Its an ATTINY85V.

I'll still pay the royalty to my friend since he did the work, but I hope that eventually there will be enough options out there that everyone will be happy.


----------



## Jeff S.

ahorton said:


> To start with, they'll come with one of three UIs (Simple, Competition and Competition+extras) and I'm happy to give out the software for each if people waht to try them out.




Maybe I missed it, but would you mind giving a quick run-through of each UI? If it's something you were going to do in the sales thread, then I can wait for it!!


----------



## ahorton

I'll give flow diagrams later but here are the basics:

Simple - Five flood modes and one spot. Any sort of press (long or short) moves you to the next mode in the list and then back to off. No mode memory.

Competition - You use double clicks to choose your preferred flood level. Then it's just a single click to go from flood->spot->flood. Long press turns it on/off.

Competition + extras. Same as Competition + a double click from 'off' gets you into a group of modes including beacons/strobes, sos, lockout, batter indicator and all LEDs on full power.

All versions have a low-battery protection that disables the more powerful modes automatically. This is just a safety feature. The cost is barely 20 minutes of the high modes but the reward can be hours or even days of light on the ultra-low modes.


----------



## Jeff S.

Thank you, Ahorton.


----------



## AsianAnts

AHORTON!!!!! about time, i've been waiting .... i didn't read through your entire thread however, will there be an optional additional coloured LED? to retain night vision? red or green or blue..


----------



## ahorton

Hi Ants. 

Yes its been a while. The Red LED has been removed, but its possible to make a custom V3 with a red XPG. Probably it would be easier to just remove the lens and put a little red filter over one or both of the flood LEDs. Then set up a UI to address them individually.


----------



## AsianAnts

filter would probably be nice.. 

maybe you can enlighten me or make that an option?? removeable filters!!!!! YAY 



ahorton said:


> Hi Ants.
> 
> Yes its been a while. The Red LED has been removed, but its possible to make a custom V3 with a red XPG. Probably it would be easier to just remove the lens and put a little red filter over one or both of the flood LEDs. Then set up a UI to address them individually.


----------



## Jeff S.

I was looking over beam shots from the original version. 

How is the quality and shape of the beam of the V3 compare to your original versions? 


Thanks


----------



## ahorton

The flood is much smoother, but the spot has picked up a couple of artifacts. These only show up when looking at white walls up close.


----------



## AsianAnts

hey will this have the same battery pack like the v2 i have?


----------



## ahorton

Not as standard. It uses standard 18650 cells. It can be modified to accept the V2 battery, but then it can't use the 18650 cells anymore.


----------



## AsianAnts

just to confirm the V2 is the 'Spike' one right? i thought it uses 2 18650 batteries... 



ahorton said:


> Not as standard. It uses standard 18650 cells. It can be modified to accept the V2 battery, but then it can't use the 18650 cells anymore.


----------



## E5I50

I believe you have designed a headlamp which I did not think I would find. One which I could wear to run, bike, and cave. Any estimates on run-times and/or power consumption in the various modes?


----------



## uk_caver

For caving, a UI which allowed for a spot-augmented flood would be useful.

Having long used a light with independently-controllable beams, most of the time I use a blend biased strongly towards flood, with spot typically just adding extra reach without wrecking the flood nature.
Not only does that give what I think is the 'nicest' beamshape for most of my activity, well suited to both moving in narrow-ish passage and across floors, but for usefulness in route-spotting, etc it allows significantly lower power consumption than I'd need if I was using a flood-only beam (and that's the case even though my flood is somewhat more centre-biased than a 'naked' flood would be).


----------



## uk_caver

Congratulations on the light, ahorton, it looks fantastic, and brilliantly individual.


----------



## ahorton

AsianAnts, The V2 battery had 2 18650 cells pre-welded and sealed up into a custom battery pack. The V3 also uses 2 18650 cells, but they are not soldered into a pack. They can be removed and replaced like you would a regular cell. There is an 18650 holder with spring contacts.

Thanks again for the kind comments. Hopefully I can make a few up this weekend to start selling them.


----------



## ahorton

I whipped up a few diagrams and a crude video to show how the 3 standard UIs work. Nothing pretty. I'd rather spend my time making the headlights, but I realised that people need this info first





















http://youtu.be/RK63BGZ1hVA


----------



## Baddog

sheesh, now to incorporate an under chin strap


----------



## Moddoo

Finally some pics and video!

Looking great man.

If there is a list, put me on it.


----------



## Jeff S.

Thanks for the video! The beams look great, and I love the "competition mode" UI. I've been checking daily to see if it's for sale.


----------



## ahorton

I'm glad you like it. For those who tried the V2 UI, this is similar, except that the extra modes have been moved further away so you don't accidentally end up in them when you're trying to turn it off.

The silliest thing was holding me up from selling them. The elastic I had planned to use turned out to be poor quality, so I had to hunt for better stuff. Then when I found it I could only buy enough for 7. So now I'm ordering some in. Such a pathetic thing to get in the way, but you can't have a headlight without it!


----------



## AsianAnts

thanks for the reply, i cant wait to get my hands on one of these. 

So the battery is not safe around rain... unlike v2, it was fairly safe?


----------



## ahorton

In the case it'll be much safer than the V2. As a bare cell, not so good. I suggest a sealable plastic bag.


----------



## AsianAnts

wondering if i'll be able to put colour filter for night vision???


----------



## ahorton

There is a small gap between the flood optic and the lens. If you have a filter then it can work.


----------



## AsianAnts

nice.. do you by any chance provide the filters as well?



ahorton said:


> There is a small gap between the flood optic and the lens. If you have a filter then it can work.


----------



## ahorton

That's not in my current plan. I'm just trying to get them out now.

Further down the track it's possible.


----------



## nein166

While we wait for the elastic how about a sneak preview picture of the anodizing choices

Also I was wondering why you included the cap brim above the aspheric part of the lens. Is it a "bezel" for protection of the protruding portion of the lens?


----------



## kevinm

Nice video! And very clever UI.


----------



## Yavox

Will the battery pack survive 20m underwater? Did you test everything working under pressure and you can confirm it works or it is just the light itself that was not leaking? 

The video looks promising, I consider attaching the light to the front of my helmet and using it for some shallow cave dives - obviously not as my primary light, just a valuable addition to the main part of the equipment.


----------



## nein166

Yavox said:


> Will the battery pack survive 20m underwater? Did you test everything working under pressure and you can confirm it works or it is just the light itself that was not leaking?
> 
> The video looks promising, I consider attaching the light to the front of my helmet and using it for some shallow cave dives - obviously not as my primary light, just a valuable addition to the main part of the equipment.


This may sound off topic but it pertains to the lights capabilities
Yavox this may sound dumb but underground is 20m water depth the same pressure as sea level 20m underwater?
I guess your caves could be above sea level to begin with though.


----------



## ahorton

The pressure is a little different, but you'd need accurate equipment to detect it.


----------



## maddog

Bump ....

can't wait .... any more info available?


----------



## Cataract

Edit: Re-read my post and deleted my own stupid comment


----------



## maddog

any new info?


----------



## maddog

any new info? i need a new light ... lol


----------



## nein166

Wish I had this with me at PhotonFest
Hows the headstrap problem?


----------



## ahorton

Headstrap is all fixed.

Now it's just me not getting any time to play with my toys. The bad news is that I'm going to keep on being very busy for the next few weeks, but I'll still work on them any chance I get. Pretty annoying really because I had time to play with them 6 months ago but certain parts were late. Now I have parts but no time.


----------



## Th232

Is there going to be an option to install our own LEDs in these? Got some high CRI Nichias from the recent group buy that I want to install...


----------



## Baddog

ahorton said:


> Headstrap is all fixed.
> 
> Now it's just me not getting any time to play with my toys. The bad news is that I'm going to keep on being very busy for the next few weeks, but I'll still work on them any chance I get. Pretty annoying really because I had time to play with them 6 months ago but certain parts were late. Now I have parts but no time.


 this is like witnessing ur commander writing his last will and testament.


----------



## AsianAnts

cant wait to see this on sale


----------



## ahorton

I think I'll be posting the first one tomorrow.


----------



## AsianAnts

nice, cant wait to see it sir!! i still use your V2 and love it!


----------



## Daniel-O

Soooooo... any more teasers? Or perhaps a photo?


the world waits...

Dan


----------



## ahorton

The time for teasers has passed. I was hoping to do a big write-up on the final product, but I've been using my hobby-time to make them instead.

If you head over to my sales thread, you can put yourself on the waiting list.


To get on the waiting list, send me a PM or reply in the sales thread with your preferences:

1. Body Colour (Black / Red / Sky Blue / Dark Purple / any)
2. Button Colour (Black / Red / Sky Blue / Dark Purple / any / same as body)
3. User Interface (Competition / Competition + Extras / Simple).
4. 18650 cells (optional - XTAR protected 3100mAh cells - $20 each)
5. 18650 charger (optional - XTAR WP2 MK2 - $20 each)
6. Country

I'll respond to let you know where you are in the waiting list. When yours is ready, I'll let you know so that you can send the payment.

Apologies in advance for being slow to make them. They take me a really long time and I don't get too much hobby-time these days.


----------



## kevinm

Nice work ahorton! I'm glad to see these in production.

Kevin


----------



## ahorton

I bought some Xtar 3100mAh cells. They claim to contain the latest Panasonic cells and the results back this up. I was really pleased with how they performed in my headlamp.

The two higher flood levels and the spot were run until the low-voltage protection in the headlamp reduced the power.
The lower modes were run until the cells' protection circuits shut them down.
The lowest mode was calculated (conservatively) rather than measured.

The vertical axis shows luminous intensity as measured on my cheap DX meter. I've removed any numbers from the vertical axis because they're not accurate so it's only the ratio that we're interested in. I also scaled the spot down so that it fitted in a nice part of the plot (otherwise it just dwarfed everything else). 

The current to the spot XR-E was 1050mA and the twin XP-Gs each received up to 700mA (1400mA total). 

The thing I wanted to see was the shape of the curves with these cells. As expected, the twin XP-Gs stay in regulation much longer than the single XR-E, but I'm still pleased with the performance of the spot.

I prefer to show the data on a logarithmic scale:







but if I take out the lowest mode, then it can also be viewed on a linear scale:






Bottom line:
I can get at least:
3 goods hours on the spot,
4 on the flood at 100%,
10 on the flood at 40%,
28 on the flood at 15%,
85 on the flood at 5%,
and probably more than 400 at 1%.

I'm really pleased with these new cells. I can now confidently use the 15% level for a whole night (up to 14hrs) and still be pretty confident that I'm getting the full spot beam when I need it.


----------



## Icarus

still no pics of the spike V3?


----------



## Th232

Icarus said:


> still no pics of the spike V3?



I thought there were pics in post #104?


----------



## Johnny_5

ahorton, you have said:
begin quote--
*5 New Lens*
It has a whole new lens which I designed specifically for the V3. Similar material (BK7) and quality to my aspherics, but a new mould was made along with whole batch of funny shaped lenses. The manufacturer thought I was crazy. They said they couldn't imagine how it would be useful for anything.
--end quote

how are they 'funny', not a standard plano convex aspheric? I'm trying to learn and understand more about plano convex aspheric light collimination and similar approaches, if it's not standard in that particular way please explain as I (and others), will probably learn a bit more about light shifting and bending. Also, dose someone have a link where I could learn about how thickness and wavelength of a particular light are shifted up or down in frequency based on various materials so I can see what results would be under different materials with different thicknesses using different types of light?
If I have posted in some fashion inappropriately please let me know and I will correct it asap


----------



## ahorton

Nothing new to learn about bending light. They're not that fancy. 

The odd thing about them is that the asphere is off-center and has an oversized flange. This means that part of the flange is useful for letting little flood LEDs sit in the same cavity.


----------



## Edwood

Have any production Spike Light V3 been made yet? Teaser pics?


----------



## ahorton

There were a couple of pics back in post 104. Not much has changed. Just little things like a spiral cable instead of a straight one etc.


----------



## ahorton

Two Important updates for V3 owners and those on the waiting list:

*1. Free upgrade for all existing V3 owners.
*This is a very small upgrade, but I think it's worth having. The hinge that lets you adjust the angle of the headlight has a special black (7075 aluminium) screw. To get the friction right, it ends up being too tight to be adjusted by hand. So I made some new screws with a very wide slot in them. The slot allows you to use many different tools like a screwdriver, spoon, or even just a stick that you pick up off the ground. I'm quite happy with the stick method. They're easy to find and they seem to break if you try to over-tighten the screw.

I want to give these away for free, but I need to charge for postage. ($5 in Australia or $10 international).

All V3s sent from now on will use the new screw.







*2. Clearing the waiting list by Christmas
*I've been working hard over the last few weeks to make enough headlights to clear the waiting list by Christmas.






One of the major reasons that you haven’t all received your V3 headlights yet, is the fact that my equipment only allowed me to make 1 battery case every 2 weeks. With my new gear, I can now make up to 6 per day.

The downside is a cosmetic one. The new battery cases have one end which looks pretty ugly. Instead of being streamlined and smooth, they now have a chunky and irregular appearance. They've also got tiny blobs and scratches on the plastic parts. These come from imperfections in the new moulds, but I think they are worth the increase in production speed. The feedback from most users, is that they’d prefer to have an ugly battery case if it means that they're not stuck on a long waiting list.







The ugly cases are still perfectly functional, and a good deal stronger than the old ones too. You can see one of the original cases in the picture below for comparison. If you want, you can always smooth it with sandpaper, but it will never quite look like the original.










(A pile of buttons)


Clearing the waiting list is important, but I’m much more interested in making things better. So I’ve also got a whole new battery case design which will be both beautiful and stronger without gaining weight. I’m projecting that it will be ready around June/July 2013. So if you'd rather wait another 7 months for a better model, then feel free to stay on the waiting list.


When the new case becomes available, I want to offer it as a free upgrade to all existing V3 owners. All you’ll need to pay is the postage cost which should be under $20 worldwide. The upgrade will take a little time with a screwdriver, but it should be pretty easy.


That’s the plan anyway. If things change, then I’ll let you all know.




If you're on the waiting list and keen to have your V3 sent by Christmas, then look out for a PM or an email from me soon with further instructions. If you haven't heard from me by Friday, then send me a message.


----------



## Edwood

Ugly case now and free "pretty" case later is a no-brainer for me. I'm all in for the Ugly!


----------



## Lips

ahorton

Can the V3 have emitter upgrades to Xp-g2s and Xp-e2s (or better) by the owners down the road? Easy to do or PITA

Some are available now but maybe not in the right tint...


----------



## ahorton

Edwood said:


> Ugly case now and free "pretty" case later is a no-brainer for me. I'm all in for the Ugly!



Well that's the plan anyway. It may happen that I get hit by a bus before making the new cases. Or I may never raise the funds needed to get started (way beyond hobby-money and will probably need a pre-order). Or it might not happen 'till 2014 etc. Anything could happen, so only buy it if you're happy with Ugly. Think of Pretty as a possible bonus. 

One thing to be said for Ugly: He actually exists. Pretty is nice to dream about, but she may never be born.



As for upgrading to XP-G2s and XP-E2s, unfortunately they can't be changed once it's all assembled. Of course anything is possible, but I suspect you'd spend many hours trying and end up destroying it. 

I did consider having more easily upgradable LEDs, but you either pay for them in extra weight or in a worse thermal path. I had the same design struggle with the battery case. There is a slightly higher resistance and weight with the 18650 cells + hardcase approach, but I think it's worth it.

If someone really wanted it, I could upgrade LEDs individually before assembly, but it'd be a big job and wouldn't end up as neat, so I'd charge at least an extra $50. 

What I have done in the past, is offer a trade-in on an old headlight when buying a new one. Then I pass on the used headlights cheaply, or lend them out. I never made any clear rules about it, I just offered it from time to time as I talked to old customers or someone asked me for an upgrade. I think this is a much better way to upgrade the LEDs to whatever is best at the time, because you get a whole new headlight. I also like to check them out and see what is wearing out. It helped me a lot when designing the V3.

So if a V4 comes out in 2015 (my guess, not a promise). I'd probably buy back used V3s at about 50-70% of their current cost. Or think of it as getting the latest-and-greatest every 2 years for $150.


----------



## Ore

Nice that they are ready now 
I don't mind the 'ugly cases' what counts is_: "The ugly cases are still perfectly functional_"
Upgraded LEDs would have been cool, but I think it's better to leave the working ones now and keep the better thermal path.
Good Job I'm looking foreward to mine.


----------



## Lips

ahorton said:


> If someone really wanted it, I could upgrade LEDs individually before assembly, but it'd be a big job and wouldn't end up as neat, so I'd charge at least an extra $50.
> 
> What I have done in the past, is offer a trade-in on an old headlight when buying a new one. Then I pass on the used headlights cheaply, or lend them out. I never made any clear rules about it, I just offered it from time to time as I talked to old customers or someone asked me for an upgrade. I think this is a much better way to upgrade the LEDs to whatever is best at the time, because you get a whole new headlight. I also like to check them out and see what is wearing out. It helped me a lot when designing the V3.
> 
> So if a V4 comes out in 2015 (my guess, not a promise). I'd probably buy back used V3s at about 50-70% of their current cost. Or think of it as getting the latest-and-greatest every 2 years for $150.





Always nice to have the latest and greatest, especially on an expensive light like this. After looking in to it probably wouldn't make much difference at the drive levels and the thermal mounting issues. May be giving up a little efficiency but we do have 2 x 18650 with ability to change batts on the fly...


Question on the interface: (Competition + extras (what I ordered))

When you you long press to turn on, does the light have *memory* to know whether you were on Spot or Flood from the last turn off. Hope it has *memory*! Or does the light revert to a specific mode...


----------



## ahorton

Yes the light does remember a few things in the Competition and Competition+Extras UIs. The Simple UI has no memory.

1. It remembers if you were in spot or flood and returns to that.
2. It remembers which flood level you selected.
3. It remembers which extra mode you were last in (eg, strobe / sos / battery indicator). 

However:

If you turn it off from the programming mode, it will return instead to the competition mode.

After losing power, it will always come on in low (5%) flood mode. This means that if the switch ever breaks, you can still use the headlight to get home. 

Of course you never need to lose power if you change one cell at a time. I love to show off by bringing the cell holder in front of my face and swapping one cell at a time without ever taking it off my head or losing light.


----------



## borrower

Ash, I wonder if you're selling battery cases separately? If so, what are we looking at, price-wise, for one or two (just the case; no wiring) shipped to California?

Thanks!


----------



## ahorton

A few people have asked about buying the battery cases. Unfortunately, they take so much effort to make, that I'd need to sell them for $50+$10 shipping. They also wouldn't work as a kit since they needs special equipment to assemble.

However, the new case I'm going to make next year will be cheaper (I'm aiming for $20 or less) and DIY-friendly. Plus it'll be a much better case anyway. So I'm encouraging people to wait for that one.


----------



## borrower

Cool -- I'll look forward to "case, mark 2".

As a far aside, have you tried applying a little heat (with a blowtorch) to your current battery cases? I've done it to some plastics (delrin, I think) and it's smoothed out the finish beautifully.


----------



## ahorton

Ha! It's more like "case, mark 50"! Sometime I'll take a picture of all the designs that didn't work out. I have boxes of failed prototypes.

Some of them were in ABS and I could use heat + acetone vapour to smooth them out. The result was stunning so I invested a bit of time and money in them, but they ended up not being strong enough. Others were in aluminium and I could buff them on a polishing wheel, but the cost and weight was prohibitive.

Currently I'm using a polyurethane reinforced with carbon fiber in a couple of important spots. It doesn't smooth well with heat or any chemicals I know.


----------



## eh4

I've heard reference to the Spike lights over the last year, just now read this thread and really enjoyed it. You have developed a wonderful little light ahorton, little in the best sense, seems really well thought out.
I had a couple of half baked ideas for you.
-Independent battery packs with a hydrophobic material used for the power cord plug and the battery terminal housing... Might improve/simplify water proofing with battery changes, the user can get an extra pack if they want to.
-A "Kit" version sparing you the assembly time and trouble. The kit version gets "Kit" or something like that stamped on the case and relieves you of any bs that might come from QC issues in assembly. You'd just have to document the labor of assembly, maybe make a few videos to go with and mark it down a little bit lower cost and a much quicker availability... Also the buy back plan that you mentioned would need to be modified or eliminated with the kit version. I'd buy one any ways. ;-)

It looks beautiful, your light is going on my short list of must haves that I can't afford right now along with McGizmo's and saabluster's, but I will buy one when I'm able, by V4 if not V3.
Keep up the good work and have fun!


----------



## ahorton

Thanks for those comments eh4.

The V1 and V2 had independent, sealed battery packs, but I had a lot of trouble sending them outside Australia. Plus I like the idea of people being able to upgrade their 18650 cells without needing me. 

The V3s all come with a tube of high-viscosity silicone grease, which (as you suggest) helps the waterproofing a lot.

The kit is an interesting idea. I sent a few V1s out as kits, but haven't done any since. 
I never thought of stamping them with 'kit'. That would avoid some of my fears.

One of the reasons I'm concerned about sending out kits, is that I traded 'ease-of-assembly' for 'low-weight' in a few places. Some bits are very fiddly, and others only give you one chance to get it right.

The new battery case fixes a few of the assembly challenges, but not the ones in the lighthead. I'm hoping to offer the new battery case with a few different brackets so that people can upgrade their other headlights. I've been doing such upgrades for friends and they work out really well. People are amazed how much better their camping-store 3xAA headlights work with 2P 18650s. My only concern is that some headlights won't handle the current that the 18650s can deliver, but none have burnt out yet.


----------



## eh4

ahorton said:


> Thanks for those comments eh4.
> 
> The V1 and V2 had independent, sealed battery packs, but I had a lot of trouble sending them outside Australia. Plus I like the idea of people being able to upgrade their 18650 cells without needing me.


Thanks!
My suggestion adds an additional possible point of failure at the plug/battery case interface, but just to be clear I was imagining you supplying empty, interchangeable battery cases 
...which could be filled by the user with charged batteries in the civilized world and taken down under as sealed battery cases and used as modular packs instead of opening the protective cases to replace batteries underground. They could order just one and replace batteries conventionally underground, or buy as many packs as they wished and pre load them before crawling around in the grit and mud.


----------



## ahorton

I understand better know.

It would be pretty easy to implement in the current design if anyone wants it. Would the Magicshine connectors from DX be good enough? I like them better than the big screw-in O-ring designs that the first V1s had. Even though they were more waterproof, they were big and clunky.

It would also need a small change to the mechanism that holds the battery case. This is not hard to do, but it would become a little heavier. In any case, the next version will do it better.


----------



## eh4

I looked but couldn't quite find the magic shine connectors.
You've been refining your design and would know best, I was thinking something like these http://www.adafruit.com/products/743 
Or even
http://www.mtt-trading.fi/cat/images/superseal_2-nap_0711_aaa.jpg 
It sounds like you tried the threaded/o-ring type connector before and found them clunky...
Actually, if the Spike v3 is set up to allow the user to replace the cable easily enough if it were damaged, then anyone that wished could just order a couple extra of the strong/ugly packs and play with any sort of power connector options on their own.

I love that you're thinking ahead to future open source UI. In post 134 it was mentioned how desirable it would be to run spot and flood simultaneously and be able to independently adjust their levels. Sounds tricky to me but that might be the sort of thing to be refined by customers once the open source was happening.


----------



## Lips

Did you consider finning the lamp module for heat dissipation?

Having both flood and spot on with adjustable levels for each would be awesome down the road! (with latest greatest LEDs :candle


P.S. you get a minute maybe put the pics of the V3 in the 1st post so readers can see the fantastic headlamp without digging through thread!


----------



## uk_caver

Personally, having been a long-time user (>8 years) of lights with fully independent control of the LEDs, and having recently experimented with independent control of power and beam blend, I think there's quite a lot to be said for the latter.
For myself, I probably change power level rather more often than beam blend, but I guess caving does involve quite variable 'horizon' distances, as well as more than the odd spell of sitting around waiting for people.

Single-button control obviously makes things harder than a 2-way switch would, but a brief press for power level cycling and longer press (or double-click) for beam blend cycling might be feasible.


----------



## ahorton

eh4, Yes I've played around with similar cables and plugs to those when I had sealed battery packs for the V1 and V2. I found marine shops were a good source of quality plugs. If anyone does want a V3 with a particular plug, it would be easy for me to do when assembling. I just hadn't considered plugs after I went to the 18650-holder design. As a worst case, one could always just cut the standard cable and add whatever plug they like.

The beam mixing and open UIs have got a lot of promise, but I just haven't gotten to them yet. Hopefully someone else who is a better programmer than me will pick it up. Otherwise I'll have to sit down and work it all out oneday.

Lips, I did consider fins for heat dissipation, but found that the current design does a pretty good job anyway. It's not actually a high-powered device. With everything on full-power it only burns about 9W. I found that by using aluminium (7075 alloy) screws, heat transfers fairly well to the front cover which adds bonus surface area. It gets warm very quickly, but never overheats. The circuit will automatically lower the power level if it senses the MCPCB getting too warm, but I've never seen it happen when mounted in the body. 

Some of the other headlights I made were 40W monsters. They needed fins. Sadly they just didn't work well as headlamps. The V3 was meant to last a whole night, be comfortable, and not bounce when I run. I usually only run my flood at 15% (approx 0.5-0.7W) during all-night navigation events and that is all the light I need. 

uk_caver, Blending beams sure is a complex game. I'll be the first to admit that my flood + spot doesn't make a great combined beam. The spot is tiny, cool-white, intense, and full of artifacts. The flood is broad, neutral-white, diffused, and almost artifact-free. They serve two different functions well. To make a nice blended beam, you really need something in the middle. You can improve the blended beam by not using a frosted lens over the floods and changing the optics, but then the flood is not so nice to walk with.


----------



## borrower

ahorton said:


> ... Would the Magicshine connectors from DX be good enough? I like them better than the big screw-in O-ring designs that the first V1s had. Even though they were more waterproof, they were big and clunky.
> ...



For what it's worth, all my home-made headlamps have the MS connector. I like the fact I can get cheap cables, and that I can easily swap 1/2/4 battery configurations. (4p on an extension cable in my backpack, lest you think I'm going to run around with 4 batteries on the back of my head!) The downside, as noted, is the clunky factor. And trying to pull the connectors apart with cold, wet hands.


----------



## eh4

Well, all in all I am sold. If it weren't for the fact that it looks like you're catching up awfully quick with backlog for Christmas, I'd put in an order now but I need to get the money together first... Would hate to get in line and have the pay date arrive before I had it together. That would be embarrassing to me.


----------



## ahorton

That was something I liked about the MS connectors; that they just pull apart. No screws or locking clips to fiddle with. This was a big consideration when making the V3 battery case. I wanted something that could be opened/closed in the dark with sore, gloved hands. A big fat velcro strap is pretty easy compared to clips and screws.


----------



## uk_caver

Certainly, a hard spot is trickier to blend - my regular light has a hard-edged and unavoidably lumpy smooth-reflector-based spot, and if I want an essentially 'assisted flood' beam I tend to have relatively small amounts mixed with a flood (something like a 1:10-1:20 ratio).
With a softer-edged TIR optic spot it's possible to have a rather more equal mix (relative to spot central intensity) before the spot starts to spoil and then dominate the flood, and I guess an aspheric is effectively at the other extreme, beyond most reflectors.

At least for people not especially focussed on having their flood beam 'pure', there might be some level at which the spot helps more than it spoils, like walking where a path in the middle distance needs to be repeatedly checked on, where an aesthetically imperfect beam might be less annoying to some than having to keep switching beams.
Though it_ is_ definitely a matter of individual taste.


----------



## eh4

How hard is it to replace the cable at the light end?


----------



## Lips

.
.
.


Got to thinking about running both *Spot and Flood* with usable beam last night while sleeping!


Played around with a *Princeton Tec* & large *Deft* aspheric and some *Glad Press'n Seal*. For sure not an ideal solution to take the edge off the aspherical spot vs having something made to diffuse the aspheric but it works...


My guess is what would be most important to control individually would be the flood as when you cover the *Deft* with press'n seal it really diffuses the spot light but still gives more throw than open emitters. In other words it cuts allot of the power out so you need to run it hard to get the light past the diffusing material... Looking forward to playing around with this with both *LED's* set to on with the *V3*... Good flood with a little more floody spot may be a good thing when you want it!


----------



## ahorton

eh4 said:


> How hard is it to replace the cable at the light end?



Practically impossible. 

#1 The MCPCB is very hard to solder to when outside the body and much worse once it's glued in.
#2 The access is restricted once it's glued in.
#3 The connection is flooded with epoxy to hold and seal the cable.


I can make a version with a metal cable gland (solves #3) and a thermally-insulated solder connection (solves #1 and #2). I used this a lot when prototyping. The downside is that it's heavier, uglier, damages the cable (after years of use), and doesn't seal as reliably.


----------



## ahorton

Lips said:


> .
> 
> Played around with a *Princeton Tec* & large *Deft* aspheric and some *Glad Press'n Seal*. For sure not an ideal solution to take the edge off the aspherical spot vs having something made to diffuse the aspheric but it works...



The material I found best is a plastic sheet designed to stick to glass windows and diffuse light. DC-Fix make the one I used and I think a few other CPFers have had similar good experience with it. I have some spare if you'd like a piece with your V3.

Or there are more permanent options. If I sand-blast the lens, then you get a fairly efficient diffuser. I already do this for the flood, but not the spot. So the lens that comes with the V3 is sand-blasted on the flat bit, but not the asphere. Let me know if you'd like a non-standard lens (eg totally clear or totally sand-blasted).


----------



## Lips

.
.
Don't want to give up the aspherical. Thanks, please include a sheet of diffuser for my V3. (uninstalled)


----------



## ahorton

I'm going to post all the orders today.

Would any of you guys prefer to have plain lenses with extra diffuser film? This is an alternative to the standard sandblasted lens. They both function the same, but the sandblasted version is permanent and slightly prettier (so I made it the standard)

It just occurred to me that some of you guys would probably prefer to play around with partial diffusers etc. You also have the option to remove the film entirely and have a stronger beam with more artifacts. Of course the downside here is that you'll see the innards which are very ugly!

I know it's short notice and the timezones make it difficult, but if you have an opinion then reply here asap.


----------



## Edwood

Hi, Ash.

I'd like Standard Sandblasted lens.

Thanks.


----------



## ahorton

Thanks Edwood.

I had to make a quick decision for the others so I just stuck with the standard sandblasted lenses. If anyone does want to play with clear lenses, then I can fix you up when you get the upgraded battery cases.

I did included an extra bit of diffuser film for anyone who wants to put it under the asphere. You'll need a 1/16 hex to get the four screws out. Be careful with them. They're 7075 .aluminium and won't survive abuse for long.


----------



## Lips

Looking forward to getting her in and putting her to use! Congrats on getting them done as I'm sure it was allot of hard work from conception to reality...


Curious what production headlamp would be most like the V3 in features?


----------



## ahorton

Lips said:


> Curious what production headlamp would be most like the V3 in features?



There are products like the PT Apex, BD Icon, or Petzl Duo and Nao (etc) which have the split spot and flood. Spike just has more power and a more narrow spot.

The Nao has a programmable interface. (Better than Spike actually because it's more user friendly.)

There are a flood of generic headlamps with zoomable aspherics and/or rear-mounted 18650 holders (see DX, ebay etc). I tried to use some of these as a base, but they are just such rubbish that no part of them are worth saving. It's a pity because they are professionally made and their injection-moulded plastic parts look much better than mine. They're also only designed for very low power LEDs. I wanted a platform that could take up to 30W.

Other than the generic Chinese headlamps, most are designed for low-weight and comfort. This was a big thing for the V3. The V1 and V2 were powerful but not comfortable. Lupines tend to use wide elastic straps which must improve comfort with their heavier products. Spike uses the wide straps with a lighter body to try to eliminate bounce. 

Most of the Lupines also have good thermal paths with their aluminium bodies. 

Stenlight has a magnetic switch to keep a great waterproof seal.

And finally, the most important feature: 
The Lupines, Petzl Ultra, and Silva Alpha are all crazy-expensive!


----------



## ahorton

I've finally added all the pictures and information to the first post. It's very haphazard, but at least it's all in one place.


----------



## Papa Bear

Few questions:
1. The first post indicated that there is more than one emitter option. Would it be possible to clarify that?
2. Would you be willing to supply this with a longer cord w/a plug in the middle (i.e. a cord that is long enough to go to a waist level battery pack)?
3. I'm in the process of building a integrating light sphere. Would you be interested in working out a deal to get it tested in exchange for a Paypal rebate?


----------



## ahorton

Papa Bear said:


> Few questions:


Few Answers:


Papa Bear said:


> 1. The first post indicated that there is more than one emitter option. Would it be possible to clarify that?


The standard is the Spike V3, but I can also make a Spike 'Road Train'.
The V3 has two XP-Gs for flood and one XR-E for spot.
The Road Train has 7 XP-Gs and only one beam option. It needs a beefier battery which must be belt- or pack-mounted.


Papa Bear said:


> 2. Would you be willing to supply this with a longer cord w/a plug in the middle (i.e. a cord that is long enough to go to a waist level battery pack)?


Yes. I have a particular connector which is quite water resistant but I'm open to other suggestions.


Papa Bear said:


> 3. I'm in the process of building a integrating light sphere. Would you be interested in working out a deal to get it tested in exchange for a Paypal rebate?


Thanks for the offer. I'm not particularly interested in the exact lumen count. It will make the product appear terrible! The Spot puts out under 200 lumens which sounds much worse than all those that promise hundreds more even though they have lower intensity. Similarly, the neutral/warm flood emitters + frosted glass cost many more lumens but I care more about warmth and smooth beam quality. So lumen count is not a selling point of this product.


----------



## eh4

This is awsome, I'm a full month or two from being able to commit, but I want multiple " ugly" battery packs and the clunky, obsolete (end user modifiable) light body/cord junction. I greatly admire all the work that Ahorton has put into this project. Looks like one of the best available lights for it's purpose, to me.


----------



## ahorton

Well that's all possible.

Of course I hope to have the new battery cases before too long.


----------



## Lips

*Any idea ETA for the States. Been looking everyday and the wifey is getting suspicious of an impending package arrival!

Thanks


This thread has a comparison of diffusing material from Ace Hardware that looks thinner, self adhesive, more light transmitting than DC-Fix. FYI You like some for free I'll post some snail mail when I pick it up locally...

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?351554-Some-Diffuser-Film-DIY*


----------



## ahorton

I'd expect the USA orders to arrive any day now. I heard that one got caught up in US customs but is through now. I think the Christmas period has slowed it down bit I was hoping that express would still be express. I guess the regular post would probably be even slower.

Thanks for the offer of he film. I think I'll stick to the sandblasting method because it is more permanent.


----------



## Ore

I got mine a few days ago, it's a great light.
Flood mode illuminates the whole field/forest in front of me. 40% seems almost as bright as 100%, but even lower modes work great. Tried it at home and 1% is plenty to walk around in the house. It was also quite usefull when a was working on the sewing machine to illuminate my work.
The spot is just impressive it reaches really far.
It's comfortable to wear and doesn't bounce.

I couldn't get the light to work with my flat top AW batteries, but using two small magnets as spacers fixed this problem.
The two flood emitters seem to have a different tint, but this is only noticeable when looking at the lens, it doesn't affect the beam.

Yesterday I used it while biking at night, it illuminated my path without problems. Don't shine with the spot on a reflective roadsign about 40m away...
Now I just have to find a way to use it on my helmet.

I'm really happy with the light, thanks Ash!


----------



## ahorton

Sorry that it doesn't work with flat top 18650s. It was a sacrifice I made to make sure that a backwards cell wouldn't make contact. My fear was that oneday someone would put unprotected cells in and reverse one if them. Let's just hope that such an idiot never works out to use magnets!

I have a quick-release helmet mount in the works. It will need to change when the new battery case is released so I'll probably release and send them out together to anyone who wants one.


----------



## ahorton

I agree that 40% feels almost as bright as 100%. With an intensity meter I tested that it is much brighter, but in such a wide flood you hardly notice it. It does make what you can see slightly brighter, but you don't really see any further.

This is why I don't really like to talk about lumen count anymore. You'd assume that 500 is better than 250, but all you really notice in a wide flood, is that the battery dies much quicker.


----------



## Thatspec

Got it Ash, and it's awesome! You said a few ugly attributes but I'm not seeing them. Even the bottom of the battery case is not so bad and functionally it's a work of art. I was just walking around with full flood on for 1/2 an hour and it wasn't even putting out any heat (well, it is snowing and 27F). The aspheric is awesome too, totally lights up the side of my house from 300'. Great job, even better than I expected:thumbsup:


----------



## ahorton

I'm glad you like it.

You say it's not ugly, and I personally agree, but you can see that it's not the same as the plastic injection-moulded parts to which we are all accustomed. So I called it ugly to keep away anyone who might get upset.

The ugliest bits are inside the battery case which is often hidden, and inside the lighthead which is always hidden. 

I've never tried one in snow. I was making them in 40-48 degree C (something like 105-120 F), so they started out pretty warm!


----------



## Edwood

Mine has been sitting in US customs since Dec 29 and still has yet to clear. What is going on? I've never had an item take more than a week before, even with a holiday there.


----------



## ahorton

Are customs opening them in the US? Or just being slow to process them?

I fill in all the paperwork honestly, but after that it's in the hands of US customs.


----------



## Edwood

ahorton said:


> Are customs opening them in the US? Or just being slow to process them?
> 
> I fill in all the paperwork honestly, but after that it's in the hands of US customs.



I have no idea, tracking just says, "Inbound Into Customs"


----------



## UltraRunner

Same boat here. Status reads "Received and awaiting clearance for delivery" at LAX since Jan 2nd.


----------



## Lips

Ash

Do you have the weight of v3 headlamp, with and without batteries...

Couldn't find it in thread.


----------



## ahorton

Last time I weighed one it was 187 grams without cells and 282 grams with the cells. 

Yours may be slightly more or less. Each one is a little different.


----------



## Thatspec

Mine was in LAX customs for four business days and it was express mail. That was over the New Years holiday though. It was also unopened when I received it so it appears they are still just backlogged from the holidays. It'll be worth the wait:twothumbs


----------



## jonathanluu2

ahorton, you have definitely done some fantastic work here, and it sounds like you enjoy your "side" hobby. I may have to consider one of your headlamps as, like another user said, a "thing that I would like but dont have the funding for it". 

Do you use a 3-D modeling software to build your battery case, or your headlamp assembly for that matter? I used some software in school called Pro/ENGINEER that did a good job, plus it had a module within it that was specifically designed for plastic parts manufacturing (where to inject the plastic, expected grain patterns, weak spots, etc.) I would expect that this type of software would assist in shaving weight and size, while optimizing strength. Hopefully I am not preaching too hard to the choir!


----------



## ahorton

I spent so many hours in CAD that I don't like to think about it! It certainly was valuable to shave mass wherever possible.


----------



## UltraRunner

My Spike Light finally cleared customs and arrived yesterday. This morning at 4:30 a.m. I took it for a 10 miler in the woods. All I can say is "WOW." This is a great light for runners. For a trail runner it's darn near perfect. Broad wash of warm and soft, happy light, lets you see your footing and everything to the sides as well. No more tunnel vision. The spot, holy crap this thing throws. You will have no problem finding the trail or distant markers, or cutting through rain and fog with this bad boy. There is NO bounce with the head strap. The light stays where you aim it with no creep. I can't speak to run times yet but I'm sure this will go all night. I got the competition UI and it's a chinch to learn and use.

I'll be depending on the Spike Light at the Barkley Marathons at the end of March where it will get the true torture test: 100 miles, 60 hours, no trail, no support, 60,000 feet of climb and decent.

If you are a trail runner, buy this light.


----------



## ahorton

I'm glad you like it!

Unfortunately, two people today have just written to me about problems in their switches. The issue is that they were too tight and unusable. The solution is to slightly loosen the small set screw at the back. It's a shiny stainless steel one. The perfect tool is a 0.89mm or 0.9mm Allen key. However, just about any tool that fits will work. I have used a tiny slot-head screwdriver without problems. 

Why did it happen? I don't know. At first I thought it might be a thermal expansion thing. I assembled them in 40 degree C heat (something like 100F) and both of the problems happened in the USA (where I assume it's pretty cold now). However, I don't think this works as an explanation. Since I did some calculations and the hole that the screw sits in couldn't have contracted by more than 2um.

Bottom line:

I'm sorry if your switch is too tight when it arrives. Find something 0.9mm wide (ideally an Allen key) to stick in the SS screw and loosen it until the button works nicely.


Please keep letting me know any problems you find with these headlights. I want to support my customers and eliminate problems in future designs.
Someone else had a switch that worked intermittently. So I'm replacing his whole torch and I'll try to work out what went wrong.


----------



## Lips

Anyone in USA still waiting for arrival? Dang post office taking the long way around...


----------



## Edwood

Mine just cleared customs. Gee, so glad I opted for Express shipping just to have Customs sit on it for over 2 weeks.......


----------



## Edwood

OK, so USPS finally delivered.

Too bad the 18650 batteries I have are AW 3100mAH flat tops.

17670's fit, but don't seem to work. Bummer.

I have an expensive headlamp paperweight now.

Don't have any magnets thin enough. 

I don't know why, but it seems all the better Panasonic based 18650's are flat topped now. Would really like to use the best 18650's in this Spike light.


----------



## ahorton

From now on I'll be warning Americans about their own customs delays. It's not even the same delay for everyone. Looking at the tracking data, some of you had a two-day delay, while others are still waiting after two weeks. I sent some on Jan 4 which arrived by Jan 10, while others sent on Dec 20 are still waiting! I'm upset for all you guys, but it is out of my control. 

I'm surprised that the 17670s don't work. Is it because they also have flat tops and don't make contact? Or is there something else going on?

I'm also surprised that you can't get a magnet in the gap. How thick and wide are your magnets? I can send you some that will fit.

I've been using Xtar's Panasonic cells and they work well for me.

How are you planning to use the soldering iron? I'm nervous about putting solder blobs on your cells. I also advise against soldering to the brass contact in the battery case. The plastic will soften.

If you really want to use flat-tops without magnets, then my advice is to carefully drill two holes through the middle of both +ve contacts, and screw in two screws. You can drill the holes easily from the plastic underside on the holder. Then put the screws in from the inside so that their heads make a button to contact your flat-tops. If you choose the drill size well, then the screws will bite into the brass and plastic nicely. Ideally you'd tap the hole so that the screw goes in nicely. Washers can be added to raise the height. I can send you brass screws that should work, but you'll be much quicker getting them locally for under $1.

The circuit does have reverse polarity protection. My bigger concern stems from the fact that the two cells are wired in parallel. So if someone reverses one cell, then they will form a closed circuit. This is not good. If the cells are protected then it's probably not a problem. However, sooner or later some fool will buy unprotected cells and I don't want to be responsible for blowing a hole in the back of their head.

I'm sorry you've had a rotten experience with the shipping and the product. I'll happily give you a refund for the product if you send it back to me. Sadly you will have lost the shipping expense. Or perhaps you can sell it on to someone locally. I'll gladly set you up with the Americans on my order list.


----------



## Edwood

ahorton said:


> From now on I'll be warning Americans about their own customs delays. It's not even the same delay for everyone. Looking at the tracking data, some of you had a two-day delay, while others are still waiting after two weeks. I sent some on Jan 4 which arrived by Jan 10, while others sent on Dec 20 are still waiting! I'm upset for all you guys, but it is out of my control.



No worries, Ash. The blame is 100% on US Customs. You did all that you could do on your end. Thanks for sending it out quickly.




> I'm surprised that the 17670s don't work. Is it because they also have flat tops and don't make contact? Or is there something else going on?



The bottom two LED's light up briefly when one or two 17670's are inserted and then nothing happens when I press the button and hold.




> I'm also surprised that you can't get a magnet in the gap. How thick and wide are your magnets? I can send you some that will fit.



The magnets I have are too thick. I'd definitely like some magnets if you have some to spare. I appreciate it.




> I've been using Xtar's Panasonic cells and they work well for me.
> 
> How are you planning to use the soldering iron? I'm nervous about putting solder blobs on your cells. I also advise against soldering to the brass contact in the battery case. The plastic will soften.
> 
> If you really want to use flat-tops without magnets, then my advice is to carefully drill two holes through the middle of both +ve contacts, and screw in two screws. You can drill the holes easily from the plastic underside on the holder. Then put the screws in from the inside so that their heads make a button to contact your flat-tops. If you choose the drill size well, then the screws will bite into the brass and plastic nicely. Ideally you'd tap the hole so that the screw goes in nicely. Washers can be added to raise the height. I can send you brass screws that should work, but you'll be much quicker getting them locally for under $1.
> 
> The circuit does have reverse polarity protection. My bigger concern stems from the fact that the two cells are wired in parallel. So if someone reverses one cell, then they will form a closed circuit. This is not good. If the cells are protected then it's probably not a problem. However, sooner or later some fool will buy unprotected cells and I don't want to be responsible for blowing a hole in the back of their head.
> 
> I'm sorry you've had a rotten experience with the shipping and the product. I'll happily give you a refund for the product if you send it back to me. Sadly you will have lost the shipping expense. Or perhaps you can sell it on to someone locally. I'll gladly set you up with the Americans on my order list.




Woah. OK. Putting down the soldering iron and backing slowly away.
I'll go the magnet route. 

BTW, the button on mine is very smooth and awesome. Even with the colder temps lately.
I really want to get this Spike Light working. Apologies for my shorter temper, I blame US customs and the nasty flu I'm recovering from that's been reeking havok in the USA. Almost everyone I know has had it so far.

-Ed


----------



## Edwood

Here's pics of my Spike Light V3 mounted on a Black Diamond Tracer helmet.








Notice the extra bit of velcro I added, it makes the velcro closure very difficult to accidentally pull off. Like getting snagged on a branch or something. 






Can't wait to see some light shine from my Spike Light V3.


----------



## ahorton

I'm worried about the fact that the 17670s give a flash and then nothing. 

Can I assume that they are normal lithium-based cells with a maximum voltage of 4.2V?

The brief flash suggests to me that they are tripping their protection circuits. This should not be happening unless they have a very low trip current (unlikely).

If you have a multimeter, check the voltage of your cell, then put it in the headlamp and check the voltage again (you can use the empty slot to check the voltage). 


If it starts outside the 3.0 - 4.2V range, then we want to know why.
If it drops to 0V when in the headlamp, then we want to know why.


----------



## ahorton

On a different note:

Do the curved brackets fit the helmet well enough?


----------



## Edwood

ahorton said:


> I'm worried about the fact that the 17670s give a flash and then nothing.
> 
> Can I assume that they are normal lithium-based cells with a maximum voltage of 4.2V?
> 
> The brief flash suggests to me that they are tripping their protection circuits. This should not be happening unless they have a very low trip current (unlikely).
> 
> If you have a multimeter, check the voltage of your cell, then put it in the headlamp and check the voltage again (you can use the empty slot to check the voltage).
> 
> 
> If it starts outside the 3.0 - 4.2V range, then we want to know why.
> If it drops to 0V when in the headlamp, then we want to know why.



The 17670 is an AW 1600mAH one and measures 4.159V by itself, 4.158V when in the Headlamp.

Am I not turning it on correctly? I tried several combinations of long presses and shorter presses.


----------



## Edwood

ahorton said:


> On a different note:
> 
> Do the curved brackets fit the helmet well enough?



Pretty much, but they're being held securely by clips on the helmet. The clips are a bit small, though.


----------



## ahorton

Edwood said:


> The 17670 is an AW 1600mAH one and measures 4.159V by itself, 4.158V when in the Headlamp.






Well the voltages are both good so we need to look deeper for an explanation. This may take a little while, but I say we keep the discussion in the public thread so that others can learn from it.

There could be something going on with the cells that I don't understand. The two protection circuits may be confusing each other. Try to connect one of your other flat-top cells. I've sent magnets to you but they won't arrive for a while. So just push the -ve end against the spring and use a paperclip or a small scrap of wire (etc) to connect the +ve end to the brass contact in the headlight.

See what that does. Does it just flash briefly or does it stay on?




Edwood said:


> The bottom two LED's light up briefly when one or two 17670's are inserted and then nothing happens when I press the button and hold.



How long is 'briefly'? Is it an immeasurably short flash? Or is it longer (say one or two seconds)?




Edwood said:


> Am I not turning it on correctly? I tried several combinations of long presses and shorter presses.



To turn it on or off, you would normally just hold it down all the way until it turns on/off. You don't release the button until it's done what you want. I doubt this is the problem since it should not turn itself off in the first place. When you first connect the cells, the two flood LEDs should come on and stay on. I'm trying to work out why they are turning off.


----------



## lampeDépêche

ahorton said:


> This may take a little while, but I say we keep the discussion in the public thread so that others can learn from it.




May I just say, that's one of the noblest sentiments that I've ever heard a manufacturer express? 

If that was the only thing I had ever heard you say, I would still know, straight off, that you are committed not only to customer service, but to genuine transparency and above-board dealings. My hat is off to you.


----------



## eh4

No doubt.


----------



## Edwood

I used a spacer with an AW 18650-3100. I read 3.850V with it in place in the empty slot, and it still does not work. The 2 flood lights light up briefly, but nothing else happens.


Just put in two 17670's and now it's working. Not sure why, as I've tried two batteries before.

But then after removing the batteries and reinserting it won't work again. Something is definitely not right. 

-Ed


----------



## Edwood

ahorton said:


> How long is 'briefly'? Is it an immeasurably short flash? Or is it longer (say one or two seconds)?



Oh yeah, forgot to answer this one, it flashe longer, like about 1 second long.


----------



## ahorton

Agreed, something is not right. I'll start getting a replacement ready, but we might as well find the fault.

It sounds to me like the switch is being held closed. 

Take the button out. There's a tiny stainless steel screw in the back that you'll need to remove. A 0.9mm allen key is the proper tool, but a tiny screwdriver or similar will work fine. Be careful as you remove it, since the button is spring-loaded and will shoot across the room. 

With the magnet removed, try putting the lithium cell back in. The flood LEDs should come on and stay on. If they don't stay on, then the problem is internal.

If the problem is internal then there's no easy fix. If it's just the button, then I can send you a few replacements for just the button.


----------



## Edwood

ahorton said:


> Agreed, something is not right. I'll start getting a replacement ready, but we might as well find the fault.
> 
> It sounds to me like the switch is being held closed.
> 
> Take the button out. There's a tiny stainless steel screw in the back that you'll need to remove. A 0.9mm allen key is the proper tool, but a tiny screwdriver or similar will work fine. Be careful as you remove it, since the button is spring-loaded and will shoot across the room.
> 
> With the magnet removed, try putting the lithium cell back in. The flood LEDs should come on and stay on. If they don't stay on, then the problem is internal.
> 
> If the problem is internal then there's no easy fix. If it's just the button, then I can send you a few replacements for just the button.



OK, just removed the button. No change. Although the Aspheric X-RE lit up briefly with the Floods as well one time. Weird.

Also, when putting in a Cell for the first time, it has a split second flicker before the floods are on, then shutting off about a second later.

I tried putting a strong neodymium magnet near the switch bottom area with the button out, but no effect at all.

The little magnet in the button is strong enough for it to stick to ferrous metals just fine.


----------



## ahorton

That's upsetting. Looks like it's more than just a simple fix. So I'll send a new V3 asap.

My guess is that if you took the lens off (you'd need a 1/16 allen/hex key) and put a multimeter across the reed switch, then you'd find the switch to be permanently closed. Feel free to do that if you feel like it, but I'm going to replace the whole thing anyway.

I have no idea what could have broken the switch in transport. It's inside the body and nothing can touch it.


----------



## Edwood

ahorton said:


> That's upsetting. Looks like it's more than just a simple fix. So I'll send a new V3 asap.
> 
> My guess is that if you took the lens off (you'd need a 1/16 allen/hex key) and put a multimeter across the reed switch, then you'd find the switch to be permanently closed. Feel free to do that if you feel like it, but I'm going to replace the whole thing anyway.
> 
> I have no idea what could have broken the switch in transport. It's inside the body and nothing can touch it.



I don't know if I have an allen key that small, I'll certainly open it up and try measuring the reed switch if I can.

Maybe temp or pressure changes caused damage? Or just defective switch? Who knows. The package was in good condition when I got it, and customs didn't open the package.

Thanks in advance for sending a replacement. I got it to work for 5 minutes for some reason last night. Not sure how, couldn't duplicate it again. But it was a glorious 5 minutes, LOL. The Switch actuation is really nice and smooth. I like it a lot.


----------



## ahorton

I'd like to think that it's fairly immune to reasonable pressure and temperature. The whole point of using a reed switch is that nothing can get to it to damage it. It may be defective, but it was working fine when it left here. I don't like the idea that a switch can just fail by itself!

One last crazy thought: Are you standing on a powerful magnet? Were you away from that magnet when it worked for 5 minutes?


----------



## Edwood

LOL, no it happened in the same place where it wasn't working, at my desk. If there was a powerful magnet there, I think my HDD's in my computer next to me wouldn't be working well. 

I tried a small neodymium magnet after I removed the button just to see if it would do anything. 

Yeah, your guess is as good as mine as to why it doesn't work. I can't find a 1/16" allen key, if you have a spare, throw it in the outgoing parcel if you can.


----------



## uk_caver

I have had one case of a reed switch misbehaving and locking on semi-permanently after experimenting with some (not ridiculously strong) magnets to work out suitable orientations and distances, while switching very low currents, even after working fine with what seemed like similar kinds of magnetic fields.

Operation seemed intermittent, with no obvious pattern to when it worked and when it didn't - if someone had told me there was some hidden person playing with a big magnet I would have found it hard to disprove them even though there definitely wasn't.


----------



## Edwood

I'm going to shoot a video to show exactly what's going on. At the least it can help others troubleshoot if someone has the same problem (hopefully not).


----------



## Edwood

Youtube video.



Video is unlisted.


----------



## ahorton

That looks exactly like the switch is being held closed. So no amount of button pressing will help.


----------



## Lips

Ash

Wondering if anyway to track at least to customs with the standard shipping option? Is it signature required shipping? No joy yet!

thanks


----------



## ahorton

In theory there does exist a cheaper tracking option, but I think it's a waste of money because:
1. It cannot be insured.
2. A signature is not required on delivery.
3. Tracking is not guaranteed once it leaves Australia (I found this out the hard way).

I haven't offered it because people might get the wrong idea and think that 'tracking' means more than finding out the date it left Australia!


----------



## Gregozedobe

lampeDépêche said:


> ....I would still know, straight off, that you are committed not only to customer service



As a past customer of Ash's I can say with absolute certainty he stands stoutly behind his lights and will do whatever it takes to fix any problems. Definitely a top person to deal with :twothumbs


----------



## Edwood

Gregozedobe said:


> As a past customer of Ash's I can say with absolute certainty he stands stoutly behind his lights and will do whatever it takes to fix any problems. Definitely a top person to deal with :twothumbs



Yes, absolutely, as recently seen in how he's handling my DOA Spike Light V3. Thanks so much, Ash!


----------



## Lips

Touchdown today! Few minutes to figure out UI, nice.

*
On the extra modes in the Competition + UI.*

I don't seem to be able to get the *battery meter* or the *all on* 100% mode, or I don't understand how it works. 

On extra modes I step through these: *Fast Strobe* (2 x xpg), *Medium Strobe* (2 x xpg), *Slow Strobe* (2 x xpg), *Two flashes with 3 second interval* (1 x right xpg), *SOS* (xpe).


Need a little help on figuring this out. Was looking specifically for the all 100% on mode.

thanks


----------



## ahorton

Lips said:


> Touchdown today! Few minutes to figure out UI, nice.


Good to hear!


Lips said:


> On extra modes I step through these: *Fast Strobe* (2 x xpg), *Medium Strobe* (2 x xpg), *Slow Strobe* (2 x xpg),  *Two flashes with 3 second interval* (1 x right xpg), *SOS* (xpe).




That's the battery indicator. You have a charge level of 2/5. This is quite low, so the 'Everything 100%' mode has been disabled. Soon it will also start disable the brightest flood modes and the spot.

It's not perfectly accurate. Each flash does not represent exactly 20% cell-energy left. Lithium cells do not have a flat discharge curve and each brand of cell is different. It also measures the voltage under load, so it will depend how you've been using it before you go to the indicator.

Think of it like this: Four or five flashes is basically full. One or Two flashes is running out. 

By disabling the 'Everything 100%' mode, you can get hours or even days more runtime on the lower modes, whereas the 'Everything 100%' mode might have triggered the cells' protection circuits within minutes. Once the cells' protections are triggered, the whole thing will shut down without warning and you'll be in total darkness.

This would be bad. If you're using the brightest modes, you're probably not sitting safely in an armchair! It's more likely that you're cycling down a hill, running around trees, canoeing down a river, or surfing in the waves, etc. I've done all of these with my headlights and the thought of suddenly being in total darkness does not appeal to me!


----------



## Lips

Low cells was it, works fine... Using V3 everyday putting it through paces!



Ash, did you consider other clicks for operation of V3? 

Is it possible to change method of operation with software at some point? (Click, Long Press, Double Click)

I have been turning the light on and off allot on a job site as tasks demand or I'm facing someone and blinding them. (Not a runner so don't set it and leave it on during a run for long periods etc). The delay to turn on and off is one thing I don't like. Not a terribly big deal but it's kind of annoying when using the light around a group of workers. *On* fast and *off* fast...

Would this method be possible through programming? Just think I would prefer this...

- Single Click -*on* Single Click *off*
- Double Click - to change from Wide Beam to Narrow Beam
- Long Press - to go into setting Wide Beam Levels
- Double Click - from Off to go into extra modes on Comp +



Also, what is the method of regulation?

I was working on a light switch with white wall and noticed some substantial flickering as in PWM. Hadn't noticed that before during couple days use but was really close to wall light switch box...


thanks


----------



## ahorton

I did consider many other click styles for the UI. This was my favourite after working with a bunch of other night-navigators for a while. Of course different applications will favour different UIs.

The 'Simple' UI is slightly closer to what you want.

The software can be changed at any time. It just needs a programming device (eg an AVRISP which are normally about $30-40). I'm happy to release the software to anyone who has the tools to program it in.


The regulation is linear. It uses seven AMC7135 chips. I like these because they're easy to use and very efficient in the voltage ranges of these cells and LEDs. They give a very nice, natural dimming as the cells empty.



Sorry about the flickering. I thought it didn't have any obvious flickering, but then I never look at anything closer than an arm's length. This may be fixable by changing the PWM, or possibly going down to a single LED. Which setting are you using for up-close work? It will be possible to set one flood LED to come on at 350mA (25%) without any PWM. I can't produce that software right now, but it is possible.


----------



## Lips

ahorton said:


> I did consider many other click styles for the UI. This was my favourite after working with a bunch of other night-navigators for a while. Of course different applications will favour different UIs.
> 
> The 'Simple' UI is slightly closer to what you want.



Too much of a flashoholic to go to the Simple UI !




ahorton said:


> The software can be changed at any time. It just needs a programming device (eg an AVRISP which are normally about $30-40). I'm happy to release the software to anyone who has the tools to program it in.



I would like to program mine. Is the software easy to use, or do you have to be a programer to understand it. (Anyone in mind that could do it if it's better suited for a programmer. 


*I think I want to move to this regime*:

- Single Click -*on* Single Click *off*
- Double Click - to change from Wide Beam to Narrow Beam
- Long Press - to go into setting Wide Beam Levels
- Double Click - from Off to go into extra modes on Comp +

* I would also like to add a *BOOST* mode (2 XPG's only) under the *Competition Plus* area. Say 2.4 amps or so (1.2 amps per led). I assume thermal protection would work in this mode as it already does? Is this possible to do? Maybe add it as a 6th level also under the regular bright / dim levels?
I used your V3 to move a travel trailer in a pitch dark, large open field. The extra power would have been nice for short-med runs while surveying the area... 



Do you have any smaller/lighter headbands or recommend any? (Don't use it for running so smaller thinner headband may work better for non-running uses...




ahorton said:


> The regulation is linear. It uses seven AMC7135 chips. I like these because they're easy to use and very efficient in the voltage ranges of these cells and LEDs. They give a very nice, natural dimming as the cells empty.



Nice, I like the way the V3 will cut back power when batteries run low and not leave you in the dark. For my uses so far I just change batteries at that point...




ahorton said:


> Sorry about the flickering. I thought it didn't have any obvious flickering, but then I never look at anything closer than an arm's length. This may be fixable by changing the PWM, or possibly going down to a single LED. Which setting are you using for up-close work? It will be possible to set one flood LED to come on at 350mA (25%) without any PWM. I can't produce that software right now, but it is possible.



I've tried to see the flickering after I changed the batteries and can't see it anymore. Only noticed it once working on the light switch box in pic below. Close and white. I never noticed it any other time after many hours of use. I've tried it in the same spot and don't see any flicker now. May have been low batteries or I was tired and my eyes were playing tricks...



Been using the V3 as a work light on job site for hours everyday. Must say I love it and glad I have a headlight that is a joy to use. The old princeton tec apex has been relegated to a loaner/backup! The Zebralight I have it AA only and not enough a$$. Having a nice smooth flood with some power & battery to back it up is wonderful. I'll be upgrading to V4 (magnetic infinite rotating dimmer )for sure!


----------



## ahorton

I'm glad the flickering hasn't turned out to be a problem. Maybe something was interfering in a funny and hard-to-predict way but it went away when it lost power.

As for your other requests:

To change the software requires a tool like an AVRISPII. I bought mine for $35 and it's nice. You can get them cheaper. I think it only costs about $10 to make one from scratch. You also need an internet connection and the patience to follow instructions for about 15 minutes. After that it takes 30 seconds every time you want to update your Spikelight V3 software.


At the moment I can offer the 3 standard UIs, and eventually I want to offer heaps more as well as the tools to easily make your own. 

If you know how to program microcontrollers, then I'll give you all the info you need to write your own code. I started to learn how to program them myself, but I haven't got far enough to make good and stable UIs. So I actually paid someone to write the standard UIs but then he made the software closed so that I can't learn how he did it. 

Once I get a working piece of software then I'll publish it, open source, and everyone will be able to design their own UIs easily.

Unfortunately I'm too busy at the moment so I won't be able to do it for at least 6 months. If anyone else wants to write it then they would be very welcome!


As for changing the current level to the XP-Gs, I'm sorry that the max level is 700mA each. More can be achieved by adding more AMC7135 chips, but my guess is that it would be so hard and dangerous that nobody will ever want to.


----------



## Lips

ahorton said:


> I'm glad the flickering hasn't turned out to be a problem. Maybe something was interfering in a funny and hard-to-predict way but it went away when it lost power.
> 
> As for your other requests:
> 
> To change the software requires a tool like an AVRISPII. I bought mine for $35 and it's nice. You can get them cheaper. I think it only costs about $10 to make one from scratch. You also need an internet connection and the patience to follow instructions for about 15 minutes. After that it takes 30 seconds every time you want to update your Spikelight V3 software.
> 
> 
> At the moment I can offer the 3 standard UIs, and eventually I want to offer heaps more as well as the tools to easily make your own.
> 
> If you know how to program microcontrollers, then I'll give you all the info you need to write your own code. I started to learn how to program them myself, but I haven't got far enough to make good and stable UIs. So I actually paid someone to write the standard UIs but then he made the software closed so that I can't learn how he did it.
> 
> Once I get a working piece of software then I'll publish it, open source, and everyone will be able to design their own UIs easily.
> 
> Unfortunately I'm too busy at the moment so I won't be able to do it for at least 6 months. If anyone else wants to write it then they would be very welcome!
> 
> 
> As for changing the current level to the XP-Gs, I'm sorry that the max level is 700mA each. More can be achieved by adding more AMC7135 chips, but my guess is that it would be so hard and dangerous that nobody will ever want to.




Perhaps adding an additional LED for more power in next version? Don't forget the variable brightness knob!


You mind if I put out a feeler on CPF for a programmer for the V3. I'll donate a light or something for them... (open source required, etc)


----------



## ahorton

You are welcome to find a programmer.

I'll supply all the circuit files when needed.


----------



## whosywhat

Edwood said:


> Youtube video.
> 
> 
> 
> Video is unlisted.




I have the exact same behavior in mine except that for me, it was intermittent. The first time it happened was while running on a dark trail. Eventually, I gave it a few whacks with my knuckle to the side of the light head. That worked for the rest of that run, but the problem came back the next day. I can usually get it working with this percussive therapy technique, but Ash is sending me a replacement.


----------



## dive!dive!

*Spike Light - V3 - anyone in the UK have one ?*

Hi
Anyone in the UK have one of these beasts? I'm interested, but would love to look at one first. I work in Derby during the week, live mid Somerset at the weekends.
Cheers
Steve


----------



## Bullzeyebill

*Re: Spike Light - V3 - anyone in the UK have one ?*

dive!dive!, feel free to start your own WTB thread over at the Market Place, CPFMP. Welcome to CPF. 

Bill


----------



## martingary1803

hello ,
welcome to you on this forum site.
I am crazy about desert riding.its very interesting to ride in desert.Please suggest me for head light for my bike. how should be light in such case. I need perfect focus light.
thanks
----------------------------------
 2013 MERCEDES BENZ SL-CLASS


----------



## Lips

Ash

Been using this bad boy every day since I got it remodeling a house from top to bottom. Got to have a pound of sheet rock dust on it or in it! Been loving it. Rehabing cabinets and puttying holes is allot easier when you can see! Normally I probably would have went months without turning it on. I use level 4 most of the time. Please keep updating this headlamp for future versions! More Output when you need it, Faster Interface, Infinite Adjustable etc. It's a winner...


----------



## Edwood

My replacement Spike Light V3 head arrived today finally. Works great. The color tint is great. Even my wife was pleased with the color tint, and she usually doesn't say anything about light color tints, unless they are way off.

The flood is simply awesome. 

The main critique I would have is the main forehead light mount it somewhat uncomfortable on the forehead when worn for a long time for me. I'm thinking a small neoprene pad might help. I put the neoprene pad from my Surefire Saint Minimus under the forehead light mount, and it helped, but the neoprene pad is too small.


----------



## ahorton

I'm glad you're enjoying it Lips, and I'm glad that Ed's has arrived too.

I struggled to choose the colour tint, but I'm pretty happy with it in the end.

It's a pity that people often ask me "How many lumens?", but nobody ever asks about the beam smoothness, artifacts, or colour temp.

My earlier versions had a self-adhesive neoprene pad to make the (small, flat, rigid, aluminium) bracket more comfortable. I thought that the new (bigger, curved, flexible, plastic) bracket was so comfortable that it didn't need it. Sadly I don't think that my neoprene will stick well to the plastic but I can give it a shot.

One of the long-term (years of heavy use in water and mud) issues with the neoprene was that it fell apart and left a gunky, gluey mess and an uncomfortable aluminium bracket. I had hoped that the new plastic bracket wouldn't suffer from that issue.

Maybe that can be the next upgrade? I could make a silicone cover that clips over the four corners bracket. It will be quite soft but won't breathe very well. I rather like the breathing hole and the cloth elastic to keep my forehead dry. 

I'll do some experimenting sometime.


----------



## Edwood

Yeah, the flood is very smooth, and a nice gradual fall off, only a little bit of artifacts on the top edge, probably due to the aspheric lens. The aspheric is typical ringy edges, but is pretty nicely focused. Only my Lens light mini focuses tighter.

The plastic bracket is not curved enough. I can feel the pressure point in the center of the bracket on my forehead. Maybe it's different for others. This HeadLamp is very lightweight for a 2x 18650, so it's not as big a deal compared to other headlamps pressing on the forehead.

For extended use, I'd wear a baseball hat underneath, so it's more comfortable that way.

Overall, I wanted a headlamp with really wide and even flood and an option for long throw, along with long runtimes, in the smallest and lightest package. That's why I opted for your excellent Spike Light V3. I have plenty of wow lights, that burn through all the power in 20 minutes or less. Sure they are way brighter, but I wanted something that would be usable for long runtime usage out and about, and crawling underneath things when servicing or fixing things.


----------



## Edwood

I managed to get find my small sized allen wrench set and was able to open the old non-working one and check continuity on the switch. It's indeed closed without a magnet near it. Continuity gives the positive Beeeeeeeeeeep. 

Also, I swapped the buttons between the two since the new one did not have as smooth an action as the old one, but something weird happened.

The light was turning on and off randomly, and then would even not turn on at all, like the old light, where it would turn on for a Second, then shut off.

I swapped the buttons back and after a few button presses it was back to normal (turns out it was a bent spring, which I fixed). 

So something is wrong with the button in the old one too perhaps? 

-Ed


----------



## ahorton

The buttons are actually carefully matched to each headlight. So it's very rare that you can swap buttons between headlights. In fact, they are also oriented. So if you take it out and spin the button 180 degrees before putting it back in, then it may not work anymore. Or rather it will give very strange results as you've experienced.

The reason I do this, is that I try to use the smallest possible magnet so that it never interferes with a compass.

As for the smoothness of the button, you can usually adjust it by turning the set screw 1/8-1/4 turn. Sometimes they get a bit of grit in there too and that can take a few clicks to work its way out.


Be very careful checking the connectivity of the circuit. You don't want to put a small voltage somewhere it doesn't belong. In fact the two sides of the switch are always connected via the microcontroller. Connectivity testers put a small current through the circuit and can easily and instantly destroy the microcontroller. The circuit is well protected against reverse voltages from the input side, but it doesn't stand a chance against voltage sources that randomly appear within the circuit.

Now that you have a new one, just send the bad one back to me so that I can dismantle it fully.


----------



## beast1210

On the competiition ui + extras, what the does the battery indicator & everything 100% do, how does it operate? Do I have to do any exchange for US into AUS currency on your site ?


----------



## ahorton

The battery indicator is just a single LED that flashes 1-5 times to tell you how much charge ia left in the battery. 1 flash is almost flat. 4 or 5 is full.

The 'everything 100%' is all three LEDs at 100% power level. It is the brightest mode, but it's not very useful. I just include because some people want it. 

My paypal shop will handle the currency conversion.


----------



## Edwood

Ah, that explains the weirdness of the button swap. 

I'll drop it in the mail when I have the chance later this week. I've been hammered with work, ugh.


----------



## dragon191

How well would this light work in extreme cold temps?

I'm looking for a multi purpose light to use on a mountaineering trip later this year. Summit day can involve climbing for 6-8 hours in the dark with temps down to -30F. 

The specs for the current 3400mAH panasonic's say usable down to -20 and at these temps the headlamp would be under an expedition down jacket and hood so I can't see the batteries getting this cold.

How do you think the light would perform in these conditions? Would it be possible to make a remote battery case?

I also do a lot of mountain biking and with the days getting shorter in AUS I am starting to think about a headlamp for this as well. Is it possible to mount the headlamp on a mountain bike helmet or wear it under a helmet?


----------



## Edwood

ahorton said:


> My earlier versions had a self-adhesive neoprene pad to make the (small, flat, rigid, aluminium) bracket more comfortable. I thought that the new (bigger, curved, flexible, plastic) bracket was so comfortable that it didn't need it. Sadly I don't think that my neoprene will stick well to the plastic but I can give it a shot.
> 
> One of the long-term (years of heavy use in water and mud) issues with the neoprene was that it fell apart and left a gunky, gluey mess and an uncomfortable aluminium bracket. I had hoped that the new plastic bracket wouldn't suffer from that issue.
> 
> Maybe that can be the next upgrade? I could make a silicone cover that clips over the four corners bracket. It will be quite soft but won't breathe very well. I rather like the breathing hole and the cloth elastic to keep my forehead dry.
> 
> I'll do some experimenting sometime.



I like Surefire's solution, which is a removable neoprene pad with velcro hook and loop to attach and remove/replace when needed. Except, they put the hook part on the plastic bracket, so it's quite irritating to use without the neoprene pad. They should've put the loop side on the plastic bracket.


----------



## Lurveleven

I have a 7 year old Stenlight that I use every day, so I think I can justify getting a new headlamp now 
I really like that you can program this yourself, so it will be fun to get it just to program it. I have worked as a C++ programmer for the last 15 years, and also had schooling in electronics a long time ago. However, I haven't done any embedded programming to speak of before, hopefully it will not take to long time to get into it. 
A couple of questions:
- Do you have a blue one with blue button available that I can order?
- Can you include an allen key so I can open it?
- Will the original UIs be available so I can revert to them between messing it up with my own UI experiments?
- There is an ISP contact to connect the AVR to inside the light that is easily accessible?
- I should use AVR Studio to do the programming and to upload original UIs?
- Will the battery holder fit any 18650 button top batteries, even the fattest 3400 mAh cells?


----------



## Lips

Lurveleven said:


> I really like that you can program this yourself, so it will be fun to get it just to program it. I have worked as a C++ programmer for the last 15 years, and also had schooling in electronics a long time ago. However, I haven't done any embedded programming to speak of before, hopefully it will not take to long time to get into it.
> A couple of questions:
> - Do you have a blue one with blue button available that I can order?




Good news, experienced programmer with Spike!


Lurv, what do you use the Sten Light for daily?



_________________---------------------------

Neutral Flood
The flood beam comes from two XP-Gs in Neutral R4. For some people, this will seem silly knowing that there are R5s and S2s available, but it's a much happier and warmer glow. It really makes a difference at 3am when you are cold, tired and depressed.

The spot has stayed cool.


As compared to a zebralight neutral white the Spike is quite a bit cooler in color temp on the Xpg's. For close up work that I've been doing a little warmer tint may be better for contrast. Just sharing an observation!


----------



## ahorton

Edwood said:


> Ah, that explains the weirdness of the button swap.
> 
> I'll drop it in the mail when I have the chance later this week. I've been hammered with work, ugh.



Thanks for that. No particular hurry.



Lurveleven said:


> A couple of questions:
> - Do you have a blue one with blue button available that I can order?


Not right now. Two weeks ago I made a batch of ten and I've just sold the last one. So I'll start making a new batch soon. I can easily make up a Blue one in that batch for you. It'll take 2-4 weeks to make the batch.



Lurveleven said:


> - Can you include an allen key so I can open it?



Yes



Lurveleven said:


> - Will the original UIs be available so I can revert to them between messing it up with my own UI experiments?



Yes



Lurveleven said:


> - There is an ISP contact to connect the AVR to inside the light that is easily accessible?



Yes. I'll include a few connectors for you to hook up to your cable. I'll also give you a pin diagram and circuit schematic so that you don't need to work it out.



Lurveleven said:


> - I should use AVR Studio to do the programming and to upload original UIs?



I use AVR Studio and it works for me. There are heaps of other options but I'm not familiar with them.



Lurveleven said:


> - Will the battery holder fit any 18650 button top batteries, even the fattest 3400 mAh cells?



I haven't tried the fattest 3400mAh cells. There's slightly more than 19mm for each cell, so if they're 19.2mm or bigger then you might struggle. 
I'll get some to test myself. If it is a problem, then I'll make sure that the free upgraded battery case (coming later this year I hope) will fit them.


I can also point you to some notes and examples of a very similar application (attiny uC, flashlight use, AMC7135 with PWM dimming). I think that it'll contain all you need, I just haven't worked through it myself yet. As you know, reading someone else's code is a non-trivial exercise even with good documentation.





Lips said:


> As compared to a zebralight neutral white the Spike is quite a bit cooler in color temp on the Xpg's. For close up work that I've been doing a little warmer tint may be better for contrast. Just sharing an observation!



Yes I played around with the warm and neutral for a while. The warm is definitely better for up-close work. The surgeon light I made was a very warm tint because that's what he wanted. Running over rocks and around trees, I found it annoyingly red/yellow. I preferred the slightly cooler neutral for outdoor use.

It's a personal preference thing I think.


----------



## Edwood

I think you picked a great color tint for the flood XPG's, Ash.

It's much closer to High CRI than warm white. So it's much more of a pleasant "white" than a fake tungsten warm color, which can often get too yellow looking.


----------



## Lurveleven

Lips said:


> Lurv, what do you use the Sten Light for daily?



Walking the dog 

After I got married and we got a daughter with a disability, I don't get much out of the house as I used to. Hopefully some new lights will make me more motivated to do some hiking late at night.

Previously I also have used it for skiing, but even though I love the floody beam (I have the JSB reflectors), I wish there was a spot (you cannot use an additional flashlight when skiing as you can do when hiking).



Lips said:


> As compared to a zebralight neutral white the Spike is quite a bit cooler in color temp on the Xpg's. For close up work that I've been doing a little warmer tint may be better for contrast. Just sharing an observation!



I tested a Zebralight SC51Fw I was giving away as a gift, and found it too warm for my taste, on the other hand the Malkoff Hound Dog XM-L2 T6 5000K I just got is my new favorite tint. Unless it is crazy bright, warm LEDs feels just as unnatural to me as cold LEDs. What CCT does the flood on the Spike have?


----------



## Lurveleven

ahorton said:


> Thanks for that. No particular hurry.
> Not right now. Two weeks ago I made a batch of ten and I've just sold the last one. So I'll start making a new batch soon. I can easily make up a Blue one in that batch for you. It'll take 2-4 weeks to make the batch.



That is fine, I'm in no hurry.



ahorton said:


> Yes. I'll include a few connectors for you to hook up to your cable. I'll also give you a pin diagram and circuit schematic so that you don't need to work it out.



Excellent! I will leave my CPF ID when I order the light.



ahorton said:


> I haven't tried the fattest 3400mAh cells. There's slightly more than 19mm for each cell, so if they're 19.2mm or bigger then you might struggle.
> I'll get some to test myself. If it is a problem, then I'll make sure that the free upgraded battery case (coming later this year I hope) will fit them.



I'm quite sure you will not find cells fatter than 19 mm, and I doubt there ever will be, so I don't think you will have to test.




ahorton said:


> I can also point you to some notes and examples of a very similar application (attiny uC, flashlight use, AMC7135 with PWM dimming). I think that it'll contain all you need, I just haven't worked through it myself yet. As you know, reading someone else's code is a non-trivial exercise even with good documentation.



I would appreciate that, it is always good to have something to look at to get you started.


----------



## beast1210

ahorton said:


> The battery indicator is just a single LED that flashes 1-5 times to tell you how much charge ia left in the battery. 1 flash is almost flat. 4 or 5 is full.
> 
> The 'everything 100%' is all three LEDs at 100% power level. It is the brightest mode, but it's not very useful. I just include because some people want it.
> 
> My paypal shop will handle the currency conversion.



Last question, I promise  Does the aluminum housing block enough RF to not turn on with radio's being keyed up near it. Very annoying for SAR/wild fire use, thanks


----------



## ahorton

Ask as many questions as you want. Just don't ask where I keep the bodies.

I haven't done any deliberate testing with radios, but they've never given me any trouble when I've used them.

Do you have any hard numbers about the strength of the fields they produce? 

The aluminium housing won't shield much, but the switch picks up an extremely localised field. I need to bring the magnet within 2-4mm for the switch to pick it up.


----------



## uk_caver

I suppose much sensitivity can come down to switch input leads - are there paths meaningful voltages can be induced in, what impedances are there (what size pullup resistors, are there any capacitors across switch input pins, etc).


----------



## ahorton

uk_caver said:


> I suppose much sensitivity can come down to switch input leads - are there paths meaningful voltages can be induced in, what impedances are there (what size pullup resistors, are there any capacitors across switch input pins, etc).



I'm a bit out of my depth here. EE101 was a long time ago for me and I went on to do Mechanical Engineering instead.

I don't think that meaningful voltages can be induced in the switch lines. They are reasonably short and the switch pulls a pin to ground. In the software, it ignores any input that is too short to have been a real button press.

The input does have a capacitor across it.


----------



## dragon191

Hi ahorton,

It looks like my post might have been lost in all the chatter last week. When you get a chance would you be able to comment on my questions about cold weather performance in post #280.


----------



## Lips

Lurveleven said:


> Walking the dog
> 
> After I got married and we got a daughter with a disability, I don't get much out of the house as I used to. Hopefully some new lights will make me more motivated to do some hiking late at night.
> 
> Previously I also have used it for skiing, but even though I love the floody beam (I have the JSB reflectors), I wish there was a spot (you cannot use an additional flashlight when skiing as you can do when hiking).
> 
> 
> 
> I tested a Zebralight SC51Fw I was giving away as a gift, and found it too warm for my taste, on the other hand the Malkoff Hound Dog XM-L2 T6 5000K I just got is my new favorite tint. Unless it is crazy bright, warm LEDs feels just as unnatural to me as cold LEDs. What CCT does the flood on the Spike have?





My guess is the Spike is around 5000k. I'll try and shoot a pick of the Zebra neutral white vs the Spike. 


Ash you know the actual color temp of the 2 x xpg's?


----------



## Edwood

Is there some kind of lock out, because now my Spike Light won't stay on no matter what. Long press, double press, removing batteries. It just turns on two floods for one second and then off.


----------



## Edwood

I think I figured it out. The cause seems to be tightening the set screw for the button. I guess it effects the magnetics? I don't know it's so freaking picky. If I wiggle the set screw, the light turns on and off. I had to "reset" the light by using a stronger magnet to turn it on and off. I think the button needs a stronger magnet, it's really finicky on mine. The set screw is quite loose. I suppose I could locktite it at the sweet spot, but I think I'd rather have a button with a slightly stronger magnet than such a finicky one.


----------



## ahorton

dragon191 said:


> Hi ahorton,
> 
> It looks like my post might have been lost in all the chatter last week. When you get a chance would you be able to comment on my questions about cold weather performance in post #280.



Sorry Dragon,

I haven't done any real cold weather testing. I'm not even sure what to look for. 

The lighthead body has several components which are all 7075 aluminium so I expect them to expand and contract at a similar rate. I'm not sure if anything happens to a BK7 lens at cold temperatures, but I wouldn't want to heat it up quickly. The silicone grease I use will just get a little thicker but it'll still work fine.

I can certainly make a remote battery case with a longer cable or add a plug for different length options.

I have made bike mounts, but they're not great. The V3 works best on the head. There are much better bar-lights out there for 1/5 the price.




Lips said:


> My guess is the Spike is around 5000k. I'll try and shoot a pick of the Zebra neutral white vs the Spike.
> 
> 
> Ash you know the actual color temp of the 2 x xpg's?



They're supposed to be 4500K-4750K, but sometimes I wonder. There's a definite range between them but I can only identify it when they are next to each other. I would not be surprised if some are as high as 5000K. In any case, I like how they've turned out even if there is a range.





Edwood said:


> Is there some kind of lock out, because now my Spike Light won't stay on no matter what. Long press, double press, removing batteries. It just turns on two floods for one second and then off.



Yes there is a lockout. Double-click to get out of it. Or just take the cells out.




Edwood said:


> I think I figured it out. The cause seems to be tightening the set screw for the button. I guess it effects the magnetics? I don't know it's so freaking picky. If I wiggle the set screw, the light turns on and off. I had to "reset" the light by using a stronger magnet to turn it on and off. I think the button needs a stronger magnet, it's really finicky on mine. The set screw is quite loose. I suppose I could locktite it at the sweet spot, but I think I'd rather have a button with a slightly stronger magnet than such a finicky one.



Is it possible that it got turned around when you took it out? The button is designed to work one way and it will be irregular if it is spun 180 degrees.

The set screw had the tiniest (very, very tiny) drop of weak glue on it to start with. I advise putting a new drop on just to hold it in place against vibrations. The set screw should not affect the operation of the button. It just holds it in the lighthead.


----------



## Lips

Ash


Can you point out how to set the Lock Out so the headlamp won't accidentally turn on. For like carrying the V3 in a backpack etc. I've searched for it and can't find it (shows up in google search but...)

thanks


----------



## Lurveleven

You will have to have Competition UI + Extras setup to be able to lock out. From off, double click to enter extra mode, double click again from the extra mode to go into lock mode.
The user interface is described here: http://spikelights.wordpress.com/2012/03/01/user-interfaces/#more-96


----------



## ahorton

Thanks Lurveleven. I must get you that documentation soon, so you can start playing with the software.

Also, I have a newer page with info about the User Interfaces: http://spikelights.com.au/v/user-interfaces-2/
It's still a work in progress. Websites and documentation don't excite me much, but they are important.


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## Lurveleven

Does the switch need software debouncing?


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## ahorton

I'm not sure.

I made some crude test circuits that didn't seem to need any, but that doesn't really prove anything.

The switch is made by COTO TECHNOLOGY and its part number is: RI-80SMD0515-J1


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## Lurveleven

OK, thanks for the info. If there is not any hardware debouncing, then I think I will need to implement it in software even though the reed switch is very fast. I think I will risk erratic behavior otherwise.


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## Justcameron

*Spikelight - Review*

A short review of the Spikelight.

The first thing that got me is - this thing is BIG! Ok so maybe I knew this was coming since I had previously been using a compact headtorch in the Petzl Tikka XP, but it still surprised me when I unwrapped the package.

The cells are big





(AAA, AA, 18650 cell)

The battery pack is big





Yep, the whole thing is big




Spikelight V3 on left, Petzl Tikka XP on right.

In other news - it's fiercely bright. A great upgrade for me. I took it out into the bush over Easter and shone it around a bit - super fun! Its first test will be a caving trip to the Nullarbor next week. Unfortunately I won't be going to the SA Rogaining state champs but this thing is, as expected, perfect for rogaining. The flood is BROAD and the spot is TIGHT! 

Another unexpected thing is that the spot beam is kind of an odd square shape - not the usual round. This is only really apparent when looking at things up close (and burning your eyes at the same time.) I couldn't get my smartphone to photograph this very well though. 

Finally, the entire unit has a robust, home made feel about it. The battery pack is decidedly agricultural, with a rough finish but solid feel. The elastic straps are super wide. The switch on mine is a little sticky sometimes, and wobbles around a little but with a bit of a fiddle seems to come good eventually. 

Ash was very helpful and even gave me a couple of extra batteries after accidentally sending me a light with the wrong UI.


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## ahorton

*Re: Spikelight - Review*

Glad you like it.

Yes it is still a big light. I've worked hard to get it as small as I can.

The lighthead is big, but it puts out a bit more light than the Tikka

The battery pack is big, but it's worth comparing it to a 20xAAA cell battery case with similar waterproofing.

The elastic strap is big, but it's not heavy and quite comfortable.


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## Lips

Lurveleven said:


> You will have to have Competition UI + Extras setup to be able to lock out. From off, double click to enter extra mode, double click again from the extra mode to go into lock mode.
> The user interface is described here: http://spikelights.wordpress.com/2012/03/01/user-interfaces/#more-96




Well dang, only looked at that 20 times and didn't see it! 


I like how the led flashes (lower brightness level) in lockout mode every 10 seconds. Nice to have that as a low drain (1 year) locator if needed...



.


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## Lips

Ash


What size allen (or Hex) is the set screw for the button. I've gotten dust down in there and it is a pita to make it work now, needs a little cleaning. (keeping it oriented as it was installed!) Very tiny and smaller tool needed than anything I have around the house...Been using the V3 in dusty environment so she needs a bath!

Any updates you been thinking about doing to your headlights you can share?


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## Justcameron

0.9mm


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## brickcheck

Just wondering if you are still selling these?


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