Good old Dave
:thumbsup:

I smell falling prices.

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I will wait till the Chinese knock off copies appear. 😢

Chinese copies of a Chinese torch?
:lol:

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Chinese copies of a Chinese torch?
:lol:

It happens. There are copies of Wisdom lamps around. To the extent they produce a PDF guide for distributors for identifying them.

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I've seen a few Fenix knock-off's. Cack optics though, instant give-away if you turn one on, and the build quality is... interesting...

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The Imolent comes across as quality.
Its still growing on me, will try out underground this weekend.

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I tested the torch at Cwmystwyth over the weekend both surface and underground.
Underground, I tried it in the big stope off the first ladder and across the plank. By way, direct access to the main ladderway is restored.

It did illuminate the stope completely, however so did my batroaster caplamp due to its controlled beams. The torch is as I said, a directional floodlight, a controlled beam of lesser power is in my opinion just as good visually. The Cree XHP series was looked at by me for lamp use and discounted. For underground use I would recommend something like the Fenix TK 75, you want XML or XPL emitters behind good reflectors.

The big torch would be a handful to lug around underground as well, but , maybe useful for photography especially quick shots with people in it who are moving around.

Surface it was impressive to say the least. Real testing was spoiled by it being a misty night however.

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The big torch would be a handful to lug around underground as well, but , maybe useful for photography especially quick shots with people in it who are moving around.

Remember when a car spotlight with a motorcycle battery in an ammo box was "state of the art!" 😉

I mentioned somewhere about burning a hole in the case by accidentally putting it away without ensuring that the safety lock was on. Here is picture.

I want to make a diffuser for it and am wondering about this.

🔗114880[linkphoto]114880[/linkphoto][/link]

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Chinese copies of a Chinese torch?
:lol:

The T6 bike lights you get on eBay are Magicshine knock-offs, and I understand Magicshines are already a knock-off of something else.

Magicshine are the people who were offering 2 models of Scurion clone head torches, but they have now dropped them.

I would say the typical use of generic circuit boards ill suited to such a specialised product would be the main reason.

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I have just made a diffuser for the torch, first attempt was a fail and had to reorder larger perspex.

🔗114944[linkphoto]114944[/linkphoto][/link]

I will be giving all the new kit a proper trial this weekend and will report back.

A bit more
and just made up this GoPro torch mount to go on the mini tripod. The minipod extends to about 4 feet and folded fits in a pocket.

🔗114945[linkphoto]114945[/linkphoto][/link]

The Imolent is a non starter here, far too heavy, topples over easily

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A Warning

I have had the DX80 come on in the back of my car and when I got to it, it was too hot to touch. I had a game turning it off as you can imagine. Its supposed to have a 70 degree thermal shutdown.

I think these things are potentially dangerous and need care when carrying. Dont even think of putting it in a rucksack. The safety lock is not fit for purpose. Some king of hindged switch cover is needed or a second button.

I think that the safety lock was in fact on when I had the burned case incident

Be warned.

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I dont think this applies just to the DX80, I have a nitecore TM26 and a TM36 and the only way to ensure that they dont get switched on in a bag is to unscrew the battery pack half a turn or so before putting it in a bag and just nip it up when you get it out of the bag, a bit of an inconvenience but saves inadvertently setting yourself on fire :)
the thermal sensor may just lower the beam output setting like it does on quite a lot of the monster torches.

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I could put an insulation disk in as they ship, as you say, an inconvenience.

They could do better.

I am designing another version of the Scorpion caplamp which has a permanent battery pack so as to eliminate water getting up inside the cable.
This uses a second button as a safety lock. It uses a CMOS controller which draws about 8 uA on standby, complete circuit will be about 16uA standby. Initial bench testing looks good.
The idea is to combine my EX design with a dive potential, or at least a seriously reliable and watertight lamp.

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I have just come to use my DX80 and found it dead.
Upon testing it appears that the battery has failed. I have located a replacement on the web - at a cost of about £90!

It appears that the battery unit is the complete aluminium housing, there is no replaceable pack that can be changed.

In view of the short time I have had it, about 9 months, I feel that this is poor performance.
As I have nothing to loose, I am going to attempt to dismantle the battery unit.
Be aware that this carries risks, as I am aware. The cells will be anything but dead. I intend to clear the work area of all inflamables and wear gloves and eye protection.
I will get back on this.

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Just got the battery apart having nothing to loose. This has virtually entailed destroying the fixing at the head end. It apparently screws in from the top but is somehow permanently fixed, which entailed brute force chisel type removal.

🔗116568[linkphoto]116568[/linkphoto][/link]

Failure was due to water ingress, which had happened but all appeared well after drying out.
What has failed is the management PCB not the cells which look genuine Samsung INR 18650-30Q 3.6V 3000mAh

The PCB has a 5V terminal so is obviously laptop computer.
The voltage from the cells is OK, but FastTech dont stock these PCBs else I could have engineered a fix.

Head fired up OK off the lab PSU set to 16 volts, but turbo mode trips the over current breaker, says a lot.

The cells are £8 a piece from FastTech so the replacement battery does not look a bad price.

https://gb.ledsupermall.com/imalent-dx80-battery-pack.html 

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Just ordered a new battery unit, not worth messing about with the old one.

These same people are offering the lowest anywhere price on the torch itself - £199 - with free UK shipping.

https://gb.ledsupermall.com/imalent-dx80-cree-xhp70-32000-lumens-806-meters-led-flashlight.html 

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A couple of weeks ago My mate managed to blag an Imalent MS12 in return for a review and some pictures and I have seen nothing like it ever underground, 53000 lumens, it is massive and has a fan running when on turbo, we were passing it around to warm our hands up :)

I think it is truly the worlds daftest torch but it does also have a lock out mode where you have to twice press and hold the on button for a second before it unlocks.

this was taken on a mobile phone handheld on incline B31 in maenofferen, which gives an idea of its power.

 IMG-20181209-WA0081  by

and another chamber
 2018-12-09 14.08.54  by

the beast itself
 IMG-20181115-WA0002  by [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/76272969@N06/]
[url=https://flic.kr/p/2dnVH5f] [url=https://flic.kr/p/2dnVH5f]IMG-20181115-WA0003  by [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/76272969@N06/]

sorry i dont know how to get rid of the flickr links that are displayed.

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Just been having a read.
Apparently it uses 20700 cells, same as I use 3S in the power packs for my Lynx X12. They certainly do support a higher discharge and greater capacity than the best of the 18650s.

Big question is where is all this going to end?

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