Icarus 3.4A LED Driver
People are different: Chunky/smooth. Window/Aisle. Dark Roast/Light Roast. The fully programmable Icarus driver lets you do you. Arrow Certified Technology: We have partnered with Arrow to ensure the maximum quality in our Icarus drivers. The badge is awarded to designs that have passed Arrow's internal engineering review, and we also use Arrow as our vendor for the PCB components to ensure they are genuine top-of-the-line parts, not grey market or factory seconds. This is one of the many reasons our driver costs more to manufacture than some people are selling drivers for...but we don't compromise on quality, ever. Launched in 2015, Icarus was in development for over 2 years. It's simple, powerful, full of features even the most demanding flashlight enthusiasts will appreciate. A maximum current of 3.4 Amps delivers class-leading power and an advanced software platform lets you make Icarus a reflection of your unique preferences. In the beginning, I used an off the shelf driver for years; it was one of the most common drivers used by custom flashlight makers around the world. Until we could afford to invest the time and money in our own driver, I was limited by "what was available." Icarus is the realization of a long standing goal. No expense is spared, no shortcuts taken, no compromise accepted. I'm proud to put the Prometheus stamp on this driver and it's the crowning jewel of all Alpha flashlights. Enough talk, let's get to the details. $45 for a driver, I must be insane right? I can pretty much promise that I'm insane, but not in the way you think. I can also see why you might think that when you can buy a $5.00-$10.00 off the shelf driver that is mass produced by the tens-of-thousands...here are 10 reasons that make Icarus worth your hard earned money: Lifetime Warranty: This is a little bit brazen, but I'm going to warranty the Icarus driver for life....for life ya year that? Modern solid state electronics are exceedingly reliable (especially if you don't cut corners) but if something goes wrong I've got you covered. Icarus is made in the USA: The production PCBs are manufactured and assembled by one of Silicon Valleys top board houses. My volumes are tiny, and that costs money, but I think the end result is worth it. The solid copper battery terminal is machined in our own shop. If you want it done right, sometimes you have to do it yourself. The hardware AND software are 100% proprietary: You can't get Icarus anywhere else on earth and it's not a copy or clone. I worked closely with an engineer for months. I paid him for his time and I also pay him a royalty on each driver...because I believe you should be rewarded for bringing something this awesome into the world. Premium Solid-State Components: As with everything I do, I use only the highest quality (brand name) components when much cheaper options exist. Even the underlying copper circuit layer is twice as thick as normal to provide the ultimate in reliability, consistency, and performance. Icarus is FULLY user programmable: I can't even begin to explain how exciting that is! It comes loaded with two default programs (mode groups) that you can switch between (and modify) at any time. Each group can hold 1-7 different modes of your choosing. Icarus delivers face-melting power: Delivering 3.4 Amps of current to the LED means the light can become incredibly hot if used carelessly. The old Alpha driver was 2.8 Amps. Remember Spider Man? "With great power comes great responsibility." Icarus employs digital thermal control to limit the maximum temperature of the light to a reasonable level for the average user. Power users can set the thermal threshold to 5 different levels. Don't like having a baby sitter? Icarus allows you to completely disable the thermal protection, but this is NOT recommended. It's possible the light could get hot enough to melt the battery wrapper, leading to a short circuit, and catastrophic failure...like catch on fire. Icarus delivers ultra-low (sub 1 lumen) output: Flashlight geeks call ultra-low modes "moonlight" or "firefly." I use this mode much more often than full power. It's perfect for navigating around the house in the dark without bothering anyone else, or for preserving your night-adapted vision when outdoors. The default "moonlight" mode is actually the second lowest brightness level. How low do you want to go? Off-Time Memory: We are getting pretty technical here, but most LED drivers employ "on-time" memory that locks in the current mode when the light has been "on" for a set amount of time. On-time memory is used because it's cheap and easy to implement; however, it's a very unnatural way to use a flashlight. Icarus does both; it locks in the current mode when the light has been "off" for more than 1 second...or "on" for 1 second. Digital Drop Protection: Normally a drop or sharp impact can cause a split-second disconnect between the battery and the battery terminal. In most flashlights, this power interruption signals a mode change. However, there are many circumstances where an "accidental" mode change would be detrimental. Icarus can tell the difference and will maintain the current mode if it senses and accidental interrupt. This feature is now found on other drivers, but Icarus was first! Direct Access Mode: The brainchild of my engineer (credit where it's due), DA Mode is another feature unique to the Icarus driver. A rapid double-press of the power button allows access to a stand-alone (independent) mode. The default setting is 100% output; however, DA Mode can be programmed with any function or output level. This mode has no memory. Please note, 100% power should be used sparingly in order to conserve battery life and prevent over heating the light. Download Alpha Flashlight Instructions or the Icarus Diver Programming manual by clicking the images below. Icarus is backward compatible will all versions of the Alpha flashlight. My original intent when designing the Alpha was to deliver longevity. When I began making flashlights, I knew that eventually I wanted to make my own driver...but I had no idea how long that would take. The driver mounting sleeve can be removed and replaced with a new part that is designed to hold the Icarus driver. In the past, I was forced to hand-file the outside of every driver so that it made a perfect press-fit into the mounting sleeve. I spent the last year engineering a better driver mounting solution, and one that has never been seen before in the flashlight industry...and that's hard to do :) The new mount improves the ease of assembly/disassembly should the light ever need repair or if you want to mod it yourself. It also features a clear polycarbonate window (like a see-through case back on a watch) that keeps out dust and shows off the electronics.