HDS Systems question

[jon_slider]

It is very interesting to know how much volt is left here when the test is over

here is another data point for you
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...stems-EDC-20&p=5194221&viewfull=1#post5194221

Well just finished run test with my 85tr twisty. Lowest setting 3400/18650.
355 hours. Just short of 15 days. Was expecting a bit more then that but that’s what she did. Battery was at 3.4 at end of test.

note the above test ended at 3.4v, and note the battery has 3400mAh LiIon.

Indeed, the new driver was introduced with ACME models, to accommodate the rotary control part, even on non rotary lights. The low was reduced something like 4 years later, but the overhead on the driver makes that 0,02lm consumes almost as much power as 0,08lm...what's used to drive the led being insignificant compared to what the driver component take.

Edit : new driver came with firmware 2.0 in 2010/2011, lower low introduced end of 2013 with firmware 2.10 (haven't checked on HDS website, this is from memory). Also 40s burst compared to 10s on the old "more efficient" driver

excellent info!
I confirm my 2011 Rotary w fw2.0 has a 0.07 low, and a 40s burst
my research indicates 6 days runtime on lowest mode w CR123

Minimum level will work for 76 hours

Thank you for confirming 3 days on lowest mode w 16340. That makes sense since primaries have double the capacity.

I personally never leave my 2011 Rotary on for 24 hours a day.
I do not use it as a night light, but if I did, it still would not be on for 24 hours a day..

The beauty of carrying spare batteries, is that when one runs out, I simply put in a new one.

thermal guy is the King of Low Mode Runtime. He recently got 20 days, but not on lowest mode, from his U60 w CR123, but the max on his light is 60 lumens.
https://www.candlepowerforums.com/v...s-EDC-21&p=5253863&highlight=days#post5253863

My U60XRGT just ran for 20 days at .33! And I have 4 more levels lower then that if need be.love old school hds lights.also let the battery go down to 2.3 volts. Gets every last drop of juice out of the battery.

60 lumen limit, and running the light near minimum for 20 days, and using Primaries, is not relevant to the ways I personally use my light.

My rotary is capable of 200 lumens, and I dont use CR123.

I see a pattern.. 200 lumens is 3.37 times 60 lumen
even when the U60 and the Rotary 200 lights run on minimum, the runtime is proportional to their max brightness.
20 days divided by 3.37 is about 6 days.. on CR123, or half that on 16340

It seems the lights with lower maximum, run proportionally longer than the lights with higher maximums, even on the lowest modes.

 

[Hondo]

jon,

I'm not sure there is any correlation between lower max lumens and low mode run time. The max lumens are only low because that is an old Luxeon III LED. If you put the LED from your 200 Rotary into the U60, it may well hit over 200 lumens, depending on it's calibration. It just has a much, much, lower overhead power draw from the "brain", so that when you lower the power to the LED in the sub-lumen levels, it still continues to extend the run time significantly. The LED power consumption remains the more significant of the two loads down to very low levels. Of course, if you upgrade the LED, your low levels will get brighter too - but it still won't change the run time.

But having a month of continuous run time is very important to me, because if I get lost in a cave while carrying 60 - 80 pounds of food and water, I could continue to search for a way out for weeks on end.....

















Just kidding! :crackup:

 

[thermal guy]

Yes the older models have a much more efficient system at least on the low levels.thats y I don’t feel under gunned with my old hds lights.now I really cant imagine a time that I would need .33 lumens for 20 straight days but at 8 hours a day I could use it for a 2 months without changing a battery. And the way these old hds lights throw.33 is very bright. More then enough to walk around with.

 

[Lithium466]

It's a trade off : more efficiency at higher levels against lower efficiency at lower levels. Then add the rotary control :)
Don't forget the first EDC 42 and 60 weren't very efficient at higher levels, the old emitters have their responsibility (more heat than lumens), but also the power supply. First models were given for 20-30min runtime at max level, yes HDS were once pocket rockets^^

 

[desert.snake]

here is another data point for you
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...stems-EDC-20&p=5194221&viewfull=1#post5194221


note the above test ended at 3.4v, and note the battery has 3400mAh LiIon.

Thank you very much! I would not find it, because I did not know where to look :) There is a thought to collect all the data on energy use in one topic, alike did INFRNL for its Malkoff

 

[jon_slider]

the way these old hds lights throw.33 is very bright. More then enough to walk around with.

I agree, the HDS focused hotspot is very bright, even at the lowest levels

because the illumination is concentrated into a small spot

on the left is a light that is twice as bright as the HDS, but the illuminated area is 4x larger, so the HDS hotspot is brighter, at half the lumens, on 1/4 the area

This is why HDS Lumens look brighter than lights that illuminate larger areas.
That is also why the HDS 250 w XP-G throws farther than the HDS 325 w XP-L, the hotspot is smaller on the 250.

 

[Romanko]

Are you going to improve efficiency at moonlight modes? That it could run for a month. Thanks.

 

[Mgizler]

I was on a heavy aaa light kick the last 6-8 months. I put my rotary 200 hicri in my pocket one day last week, and I forgot how much I missed it. Love these lights!