First post - Questions about NoName Gearbest light

So would 5A have a more reddish tint?

4C is a bit warm, but nice, not too yellowish. 5A is a little warmer, closer to halogen/incandescent.

I’m probably gonna buy this:
~~lck-led.com - Informationen zum Thema lck led.
https://www.fasttech.com/products/1609/10003889/1425002-cree-xm-l2-t6-3b-10w-1100lm-5000-5200k-neutral

Is 20mm the standard PCB size for most flashlights?

It’s a shame that the emitters on all these generic lights are garbage. I’d pay a few $ more to get one of them with a good neutral-white OEM so I don’t have to swap myself. I happen to like the design of a lot of the generic hosts, although I tend to dislike the UIs with the forced strobe modes.

No there is not reaaly a standard size.
I would measure the star that is in the light or wait for someone to reply who has measured theirs. It can certainly be smaller than 20 in which case you would find yourself filing it down and having less area to solder the wires to

Yeah, I suppose I’ll just wait till I get the light, then measure it.

If you look at the thread Angler gave you will see this link

to a FB page with pictures where he diasassembles it.
It seems Thai, but google translate will help, as far as i can make up from his story, the pcb is 21 mm, so 20mm will do fine probably

QUOTE:

LA & A L2-8029 Flashlight
.
I decided to buy it. Because price and shape.
Price not over 400 baht.
(If not, start KFC around midway. Left hand note)
The shape is not small.
.
Equipment parts
The overall job is available at this price level.
There are boxes for aluminum body with clips.
Smooth aluminum mirror lens
16mm tube mount
Circuit size 21mm
.
UI
Shut off switch
Pressing the light will gradually decrease to the lowest level, the light will flash twice.
Double click on strobe mode.
The new Hi mode is always open.
.
Light indicator
When the red light on the flashing button
Full chart turns green.
Turn on the green flashlight.
The battery is all red.
.
Eating
@ 4.2V … Hi … 2300mA … Low … 280mA
@ 4.0V … Hi … 1950mA … Low … 240mA …
@ 3.8V … Hi … 1650mA … Low … 200mA
.
Brightness is about 500 lumen.
Shines about 5600 cd or 150 meters.
.
Circuit Charts fully charged: 4.19V is considered a flashlight, many brands are still swinging.
Available battery capacity: 1000 mA
.
Summary of advantages
Price with something Acceptable
Built-in battery box.
Cooling system is available.
Brass tube base with spiral tube Then screw the head with a flashlight.
.

Conclusion
XM-L2 light forge out the sky.

Ah, thanks.

Very good of you to find and translate this, however

I think something is lost in translation or perhaps just wrong.

If you look at this picture and consider that the LED is 5mm,
there is no way the star can be 21mm. It appears to be 16mm.
Looks like the LED will fit on the star 3 times across with 1mm left over (16mm),
definitely not 4 times with 1 mm left over (21mm).

I do believe after seeing this picture that the star is 16mm.
What do you think?

“16mm tube mount” must be referring to the star
It is more likely that the actual tube of the light is 21mm, but the star can’t be.
I think this picture pretty much confirms it is 16mm based on 5mm LED.

Has anyone seen this light in another store (BG, FT, etc.) ?

Oh, & welcome to BLF, NFRealBathrooms. :beer:

Thanks. Yes, I’ve seen it on AliExpress

Yep, definitely 16mm. Thanks guys.

Sorry, my bad

Definitely NOT 20 mm, must be 16mm

Now, how easy is it to “transplant” this:
https://www.fasttech.com/products/1609/10003889/1425004
Genuine Cree emitter into this particular light?
Is it literally just a solder off, solder on type deal?

No, you have to add some thermal paste as well.
Yes, it is that easy

That’s why I generally don’t buy “complete” lights anymore except to use as hosts. I kinda count on replacing the driver and emitter…

Wellp, unless it comes with a nice emitter right out of the tin. Then there’s still the driver/UI… :stuck_out_tongue:

There be 2 main sizes for most flashlights. The 16mm round “star”, and the 20mm roughly hexagonal star.

You can (generally) use the 16 in a light that takes a 20, but not verse-vica. It may look funny, but it’ll work (’though with a little less of a path for heatsinking unless it’s got a nice beefy shelf).

There’s a little bit of slop even in a 20-on-20, because the LED itself may not be perfectly centered, and you don’t want the reflector/spacer pushing it aside (lead doesn’t “flow” over time”).

All bets are off, though, it you get a cheap-crap light that has a “hollow pill”, where the star only rests on a ledge around the edges. Those lights kinda suck anyway, so avoid them if at all possible.

So…

16 on 16, yes
20 on 20, yes
16 on 20, yes
20 on 16, no

Only on smaller lights (eg, “keychain” lights) will the “star” be smaller, eg, 12mm or so.

Do you have your heart set on that particular light?

If it has built-in recharging, chances are the driver won’t be standard. Ditto with a side-clicky. Can be done, but not recommended for n00bz.

Great starter lights for modding are the C8 (older type 1 with pill), and any WF-501 or WF-502. Those take
“pills” (pillars), which have the LED on one side and driver on the other. No grubbling around inside a head where you gotta fish wires through a small tunnel, etc.

My EDC is a ’501, and it’s a great little light. Got a bevy of replacement parts, so if you get sick of a SMO reflector, you can drop in an OP and compare, or switch back’n’forth as your moods dictate. Or buy extra pills, and make up a bunch, also easily replaceable. 1-mode or 3-mode, NW or WW, battery-killing luman-beast or long-runtime everyday light, white/red/UV/etc., you name it.

I won’t even mention my C8 army… :smiley:

Point thy browser at Fasttech, and goeth ye crazy.

If you don’t think you want to buy a tube of thermal grease (artic silver 5 or equivalent)
you can try to scrape it off of the old star and apply it to the new one. Your mileage may vary.

There may not actually be any on the light in stock form, many cheap lights have none.

Then just a matter of unsoldering the 2 wires, tinning the pads on the new star, and soldering the wires to the new star.