Damaged XML2 LED - What happened?

Hi BLF!
Last week I noticed that the XML2 T6-4C of my Convoy S2+ was damaged. I noticed that looking at it seemed to have something missing on the “yellow” part.
Also, the beam colour was not homogeneous as it used to be: it now had a “blueish” part on one side.
By the time I was using a pebbled TIR lens, so I changed and put a OP reflector, but the beam still had that different colour.

This light wasn’t changed since I got it from Simon. I only had to add a bit of thermal paste a long time ago and last week I just re-soldered a part in the driver’s retaining ring. No other changes have been made.

Does anyone have a clue why this may have happened?

Here are some photos:

With OP Reflector > With TIR lens (NOTE: the “blueish” part of the beam is on its left side, corresponding to the damaged side)

Thanks in advance for the help :+1:

The TIR lens might have put some force against the dome and lifted it a bit a the damaged side.

I do not know but it looks similar to what happened to my XHP70.2. in my SECOND set of photos.

This first set The bottom 1/3 is not lit up.It was only noticeable when light was on.

The modder[V54] took responsibility and said he probably damaged it during production. I noticed it a week after I got the light.

Here is L6vn.Also XHP70.2.

Damaged after using 20 TOTAL minutes!.This looks to be an electrical issue while the XHP70.2 I posted first was from Physical damage.

Looks like the dome lifted from the phosphor

LED might be ok after dedome or the phosphor lifted as well

Hum, the dome seems to be ok on that side! However, other part (sorry, don’t know the name) seems to have some a crack in the corner? Could have been that?
Maybe the TIR did this, when tightening it… :frowning:

Uhh, the second one is really burnt!!! The first one is really damaged as well, the beam gets all weird…

Mine has only that small shift on the colour, nothing like yours :open_mouth:

Sorry, but the phosphor is the yellow part? I don’t know the names of the LED composition :person_facepalming:

The dome is all over the LED size, not only in the middle, just flat on the corners
If the TIR pushes on the edge it can push the dome inwards separating it from the yellow phosphor

Thanks for the explanation Lexel! Putting things that way it should have been that little crack in the corner that damaged it!

I’ll replace this LED by a XPL-HI warm white (U6-4C)!

Thanks again :wink:

I just worked on my first Olight Smini. Also used the XM-L2 T6 4C swapped in on a 14mm sinkpad. Kinda anticipated, I wanted to avoid what happened to you. I used a 60 degree chamfering tool to open up the optic to get around the emitter and seat to the MCPCB, Well, it worked and allowed the thicker sinkpad to fit into the head with pressed fit bezel. But it changed the optic focus. Grrrr… Now its Square spot.

Ceiling shot about 4 ft. That is turbo, not really as noticeable on lower settings.

Seeing your post on the other thread reminded me that I hadn’t answer you on this one! :person_facepalming:

Oh man, that is a real square spot!! Normally I don’t try to open optics os reflectors as it may damaged the beam pattern, and now you confirmed it has.

Did you opened it because of the LED or the sinkpad shape? Won’t an appropriate gasket prevent from that? (on mine, the regular XML2 white gasket didn’t help that much…)

The S mini is a press fit bezel so the spacing has to be right. Original emitter MCPCB is copper but the thinnest I had ever seen. I used a thick sink pad so I opened the optic hole to get a deeper seat to fit everything back in.

Its not the opening of the hole, its the depth into the hole of the optic that changed the focus.
Many have opened optic holes to fit XM into XP optic without issues. For focus you want the optic base as close to the emitter base as possible without touching for best performance. More on it in the S41/S41S threads when we were fixing the Bad Batch. Kinda the voodoo Vin does on his higher output D4’s

The heat got to it somehow. Maybe electrical resistance that manifested too much heat on one side. My dad’s XRE Q5 started browning from the outward edges. Had to be thrown out.

Yep, that’s why even in my S2+es, I make sure the TIR fits nicely onto and over the LED first, before trying to squeeze it down. Then, if at all possible, I’d hold the pill+TIR upright, balanced precariously, then carefully lower the head on top of it, and thread it as much as I can ’til the TIR is resting against the O-ring. Then the last-last-last step is snugging it up with the ring-pullers.

Some TIRs have a rather very sharp cookie-cutter opening where the LED goes, so you definitely have to be careful.

Great… now not even a dome to “funnel” the TIR’s opening over and onto the LED. :smiley:

Hum, gotcha! I understand what you say! And if I had intentions to change the emitter on my S1R Baton, I guess with that experience and my “non abilities” to more complicated mods (that could imply damaging wires or whatever, I may have given up and I’ll keep my original one :innocent:
I was using a pebbled TIR lens, the hole seemed to fit well, but I didn’t have complete control when screwing in the pill/emitter against the lens…

Hum, I’m not sure if the heat could have done that, as these are “stock” lights and no mods where done. But, there could always be there an anomally, of course!

That’s the process I normally follow, but I am using this TIR without a plastic holder (‘shoe’), so centering is difficult sometimes and the lens may have slipped a bit, forcing the side of the emitter.

Hehe, I’m going to use the XPL-HI with SMO or OP reflector, no lens :wink: I like the output and beam of a XPL-HI LED, so I don’t think I’ll “TIR” it :stuck_out_tongue:

BUT, there is one thing! I don’t know what happened, but the LED seems to be in good conditions again! Take a look!
I replaced the TIR by the stock OP reflector, and today I saw that the “stain” it had seems to have disappeared! Could it be due to the pressure on the right place that made the dome unite to the phosphor again :question:

Anyway, the beam still has a difference in colour, being one part more “blueish” and the other part more “4C” tint! Now I ain’t sure if I’ll replace it for the XPL-HI :smiley: