Supfire L5-S, dual switch, 1 x 26650

I have been eye-ing this, which looks like a re-brand of some sort.

https://www.amazon.com/Comunite-rechargeable-flashlight-Torch-Included-Battery/dp/B01KLTXUMY/ref=sr_1_28?ie=UTF8&qid=1486838598&sr=8-28&keywords=26650+flashlight

Interesting LightRider. I had seen that thread. If that is a charge board to be used as a piggyback the problem then becomes how to replace the stock board with a new one with the modes / features I want. It is a 30mm if the same as the previous L5. That could be done with oshpark I guess.

kramer5150, that does appear to be a clone… Since it is fulfilled by Amazon it should be returnable if the charger didn’t work as it should. It would be interesting to know if this charger is an anomaly.

FYI, One cell I tested came to test to 3425 mAh, about 8% less than the 3700 label.

Well, here we are 2-1/2 months later. I have finished step one with this light.

I have installed a Noctigon 32mm MCPCB with XP-L HI emitters along with the ledil Cute optic. For the driver I’m using one from mtnelectronics. This one. It is one of the FET + 7135 drivers. This has moonlight and is set up with the e-switch option. The driver has 6 custom levels plus the moonlight using STAR momentary firmware, which allows you to start on either the lowest or highest mode from off with either a short tap or long press of the switch. The tailcap switch allows an easy lockout. The e-switch firmware also permits an OFF as well as the various levels. It is very nice being able to back down the levels as well as click your way up the levels.

I also did a bypass on the tailcap spring. I have photos (below) with most of the steps. I neglected to photo the tailcap spring bypass. I also forgot totake any pictures of the disassembled light showing the driver. Stock it has a dual board design driver. I had planned on stripping it and piggybacking the FET driver, leaving out the charger that did not shut off properly. However, I had a misfortune with the board and broke it.

It uses an odd size / shape board. It’s about 29 mm in diameter and has two “ears” that slip into grooves in the head. This makes the board auto key for the USB socket, keeps it in place.

So first thing I needed a board for the driver. I made one from 0.030” brass stock.

I trimmed to a rough size with snips, then filed. The center hole was drilled with the brass between two blocks of hardwood.

I fluxed the brass, applied a little solder paste and positioned the driver on the brass adapter. No picture, but I placed the brass on a piece of 1/8” aluminum stock that had a hole drilled through where the center hole was. Then I applied a little heat to the aluminum plate and in a jiffy that was done.

View of the adapter and other side of the driver.

For reference, this is the view in the front of the head. The aluminum disc is removable. It threads in and out.

This is the battery tube end of the head. The wires are for the e-switch. Four wires, two for the e-switch operation (black & white). The other 2 are to illuminate the charging indicator LED’s in the side switch location. I capped those leads off for now.

OK. We need aspacer between the Noctigon MCPCB and that threaded shelf insert. If I had a lathe the ideal would be to make a thread in shelf that was appropriately thicker. I don’t so I could not. However I had an aluminum spacer that was for the X6 triple mod. It slips into the head okay as far as diameter. However the stepped part does not reach far enough into the recess in the center of the thread in shelf. It is 1 mm short.

I dug through my scrap box and found a piece of 1mm thick aluminum. I cut and filed a piece to fit. Optic, MCPCB, shelf and head then test fitted pretty good. Here’s a stack image

The X6 spacer was about 0.4mm too long. The bezel would not thread in all the way with the glass lens in place. I did some impromptu machining with my drill press and an end mill.

The next issue is the size difference in the optic and the glass. The glass lens is about 2mm larger. Placing the o-ring between the optic and lens as can be done in the X6 achieves nothing. The o-ring is pushed into the head. A flat gasket might work. So for now the front end is not waterproof. I’m ok with that for now.

Here’s a shot of the size difference

I assembled the front end of the head; bezel, glass, optic, MCPCB, spacers.

The driver was soldered to the wires from the MCPCB and e-switch

Driver retaining ring threaded into place.

It works!

I have an idea of how to mount a charger board (TP4056) inside the head. I believe there is plenty of space. We’ll see.

When it gets dark I’ll have to go for a walk!

Its good to see the light finished and working Don. :+1:

Nice mod! I really like these lights, shame Richard stopped carrying them. If you know me, I don't need the tail switch. I got 2 of the 1st models, and one with the metal side switch which I like much better.

$32 is a bit steep for this light but not that bad really. Was wondering if Ali stored like this: https://www.aliexpress.com/L5 are actually selling the new model, just didn't update the listing.

MtnDon, take a look at these two chargers. I have done a lot of looking researching these small charge circuits and these are the smalles and best I have found. And up to 2amp charge. Heat management needed at 2amps though. I have used them both in different lights. They charge perfectly. Atleast mine did.

Link 1

Link 2

Thanks for those LightRider. The second link led to a page with 24 items. Which item or was that a slip?

I went for a walk with the modded L5-S. Oooh, I like it! I have a couple of other triples and both have the Ledil Cute-3-SS with a FWHM angle of 19 degrees. This L5-S has the Cute-3-M with an angle of 24 degrees. On paper not much of a difference, however, I think prefer the 24 degree versionfor how I will likely use the light.

I need to charge up one of my Keeppower 5200 cells and see what the light sphere indicates . Tomorrow I hope.

Give it a try now. It’s 17x18mm and a nice charger

Thank you, that works now!!

Nice work MtnDon :slight_smile: If you get the charge module installed as well then it will have the spec’s of a much pricier light :+1:

Does this light have a threaded in aluminum pill that the led sits on?

It looks like it does, so why didn’t you screw it out a little to get a tighter fit as opposed to adding a thin spacer to raise the mcpcb?

Yep, here's pics from an old L5 (rubber button) I modded:

It looks like the old L5 does not have a self contained switch. I guess the switch was built onto the driver.

This new L5 looks pretty ideal for a 6 volt, zener modded driver to power a xhp70 using 26350’s. It’s a high drain driver, but you have the rear switch to act as a lockout.

I could switch the rear switch on when I get to work, have the side switch illuminated to tell me it’s powered up, then control it with the side switch. Power it off at the end of work. I recharge the batteries once a week so the drain while in standby mode should not be a big deal.

I think this new L5 design is just right for my needs.

I’ll try to explain w/o disassembly and better photos.

The screw in pill has a recess milled in the center. The recess is 3 mmdeep.

The X6 spacer is about 31 mm O.D and 8.6 mm thick. One side or end of the spacer has the diameter reduced to 21 mm. That 21 mm diameter protrudes 2 mm.

So,the X6 spacer fits into the recess and the pill and X6 spacer only touch on the outer rim area. The 1 mm spacer disc I made fills the space between the 21 mm diameter portion of the X6 spacer and the pill center.

The MCPCB fits flat against the front end of the X6 spacer as normal. Except I removed a fraction of a mm off the front end of the X6 spacer to enable the bezel to screw in more.

I hope that clarifies things.

Battery: Keepower 5200 mAh 26650.

Fresh charge, cell rested for a couple of hours.

Metering with the integrating sphere and meter that JoshK put together.

After 30 seconds on Turbo I have 2920 lumens.

Pretty happy with that.

Now the sad news… After packing away the sphere and meter I picked up the light and turned it on (rear switch), then tapped the side switch 2x. The light did not come on like it should have. Tapped again and nothing. Did a long press to go backwards. Nothing. Long press again. Nothing. Another long press and it roared into Turbo. ???

After messing about for a while I find I have something like a moonlight or low mode and the three highest levels. (Driver is setup for ML and 6 increasing levels, [1] 1.5% [2] 4% [3] 10% [4] 25% [5] 50% [6] 100%I removed the head from the battery tube and could smell that something had released magic smoke. :cry: The chips all look okay… no bubbles, etc.

Any idea what might have gone wrong? Thanks

I have another driver with same specs that I know works and it has worked in another light for some time.

So you lost 2 of the 7 levels? Sounds odd. I have no idea what could have happened.

Could you do a beam shot on the wall? I wanted to compare it to the DQG Tiny 26650 7x xpg2. It’s got a clear lens which makes for weak spill lighting. I’m thinking your textured lens might provide brighter spill lighting which I prefer.

I clarified what I stated above. It seems that ML is there some of the time, the next 3 low levels are gone and the highest three are there. ML is iffy, sometimes it comes on and sometimes not, mostly not now. I have better luck if I power on, then use a long press to reverse to Turbo, then level 5 and level 4, then nothing several times. Seems like the MCU is working, the FET us working, hence the highest levels work, but maybe not the 7135???

I pulled the driver and replaced it with another I had. Of course it was not quite so simple as the first driver was 20 mm and the other I have is a 17 mm. So, I first soldered a 17-20 brass adapter ring to the brass plate, then mounted the 17 mm driver and reconnected the wires. Perfect light again.

I have a some 7135’s someplace…. what box, what compartment did I put them in???