Emisar D4 Mods

That looks great.

Today I reflashed my D4 with Pobel’s aux-LED enabled Anduril. Works great! :slight_smile:

I also added an extra random resistor between the negative led to the aux led board and the 7135 driver. This helped dim down the blue aux LEDs to a more managable level.

Modded my D4 some more. This time I added a lighted switch! :sunglasses:

Whewwww…. what a pain! Actually burnt out something in one D4 driver during mid-assembly testing when I didn’t realize the positive and negative driver wires for the main LEDs were touching when the star was not installed. Oops! I think the FET’s gone. Fortunately, I had another driver, so rebuilt it and kept on going.

The first problem I encountered was removing the finishing washer I had previously attached to this light.

  • It was attached with Arctic Silver thermal epoxy and I found I couldn’t lever up the switch retaining ring and remove the boot with the washer still in place.
  • Trying to cut the arctic alumina or lever up the washer didn’t work. That glue is strong!
  • I ended up having to use a hammer and chisel to get it off. Fortunately, with that method the washer came off instantly.

I had some ideas about building my own mini-circuit board for the switch LEDs out of scrap on hand. A big complication is the D4’s switch does not sit on a board. Instead it fits in a socket in the head. The switch leads come out the bottom of the switch. I needed a board small enough to fit in the light without raising above the head much.

  • First I tried some thin brass sheet with a layer of Kapton tape on top. I used tiny strips of copper tape applied by hand for traces and then soldered it all together. No luck. My switch LEDs poofed… didn’t have the right resistors. Also this felt very awkward. I was worried the kapton tape might break and cause a short.
  • Second attempt used a piece of 0.020” polystyrene sheet for the base with copper sheet on top. Unfortunately polystyrene has a low melting point and my board melted during soldering. No go.
  • Third attempt was back to the brass sheet, this time using a conductive carbon ink pen for traces. It worked during initial testing. I then coated the works with superglue to lock everything together only to discover it no longer worked for some reason. I think the LEDs poofed again since I saw a tiny bit of smoke.
  • Fourth attempt I decided to go for tried and true. I started with a basic lighted clicky switch module from I think Aliexpress. I desoldered and removed the switch and spring. Then I filed down the edges enough to verify that it could fit into the D4’s switch receptacle. Finally I drilled a whole in the center of the board, then filed it to size with a handfile. I also filed down the back of the board to make it thinner.

Here is what I started with:

And what it looked like after I worked it to shape:

The next step was to wire up the driver for the switch.

  • This was fairly tricky since the open space around the D4’s driver is tiny and there are now 8 separate wires inside: 2 for the main LED, 2 for the switch, 2 for Lexel’s bezel LEDs, and now 2 for the switch LEDs. It was in doing this wiring I accidentally burned out the FET on my driver. When I redid the wiring on my second driver I covered all exposed joints with arctic alumina epoxy for extra support and to protect against shorts.
  • I also needed a way to get the LED switch wires to the LEDs. There wasn’t any space around the switch, so I used a dremel to widen the sides around the switch socket, creating an opening. I coated the dremeled area with arctic alumina for extra ground protection.
  • With the sides of the switch socket dremeled off I found the switch no longer fit securely in its socket. I used a little fiberfix superglue to hold it in place.

Here is what it looks like with the new lighted switch LEDs installed:

I needed a new switch boot to cover the LED. I used 1mm thick translucent high temp silicone sheet from Amazon. Thanks CRX for the tip on using Silicone sheet for this! :+1:

  • First I cut a circle of silicone sheet the same size as the switch socket.
  • Then I cut a very small circle to glue onto the center of the big circle to serve as the piston. I used plastic super glue activator followed by firberfix super glue. I love fiberfix because it cures instantly when you apply the little blue LED light built into the dispenser.
  • With the board for the switch LEDs installed it was no longer possible to use the switch boot retaining ring. Instead, I used more plastic activator and fiberfix to superglue the big circle onto the light. I carefully went around all the edges to make I didn’t miss any cracks and the glue formed a water-tight seal.
    Here is what it looks like with the silicone sheet on. I apologize for the blurry phone camera picture:

I then stuck the washer back onto the light around the switch with Arctic Silver Thermal Epoxy. Here is what it looks like with the washer in place (light is wrapped in tape to prevent epoxy getting on it):

Finally, to cover up the still visible switch and give it a classy feel I glued a circle of aluminum onto the center of the switch with fiberfix. Prior to gluing I used plastic activator on the silicone. I also filed the edges of the circle at an angle and roughened the underside of the circle to reduce the chance the circle might come off.

Here’s the end result:

It took a lot of effort but I’m quite pleased with how it came out. The switch looks and feels great and still has a distinct click. Due to the washer the switch is recessed reducing the chance of accidental activation (though not as much as the rubber boot did). The firmware is Pobel’s modified version of D4 Anduril with aux LED controls activated.

Told you it was a pain :smiley:
Well done for persevering with it :+1:
Really cool now, one of only two lighted switch D4s in existence (probably) :sunglasses:

Good job! I took the driver out my D4 once to flash it. Never again!

Another day another Emisar D4 mod. :sunglasses:

This time, I added a simple metal switch button.

The goal was to do as simple a mod as possible, with the idea that other modders might give it a shot. I got the idea for this after doing my last mod with a lighted metal switch button on the D4. Unlike that last one this one is pretty straightforward.

Tools and parts needed:

  • 1mm thick high-temp silicone sheet. Available at Amazon for $13.
  • Scissors
  • a small hand file
  • tin snips (metal cutting scissors).
  • steel wool
  • super glue - I highly recommend Fiberfix optical super-glue for its ease of use and instant results (it cures instantly when you shine the blue led built into the applicator). Also available at Amazon, but not cheap.
  • Plastic activator pen for super glue - I got this from a package of super glue advertised for plastics. Not sure if it works with other super-glues but certainly doesn’t hurt.
  • a screwdriver, victorinox mini knife or other tool to help in removing the switch boot retaining ring.

How to do the mod:

  • Step 1: Remove the switch retaining ring and remove the stock button boot. On a number of D4s, I can lever the boot off with the screwdriver at the end of the nail file on a Victorinox mini. Bring the file in from the side and dig it into the boot under the retaining ring, then lever it up. However, this didn’t work on every light. On my most recent D4, the ring was stuck and I gave up before seeing if it would break my knife. It’s possible that a twisting action would get a better result but would be more likely to damage the stock boot.
  • Step 2: cut a circle of 1mm thick high temperature silicone sheet with the exact same diameter as the stock button boot.
  • Step 3: cut a circle of aluminum sheet for the button. I used 0.016” aluminum sheet cut with tin snips and then filed with a hand file into a nice circle. File down the circle until it is about 1mm smaller than the retaining ring on all sides. Chamfer the upper edge so there is no sharp edge and then run steel wool over the edge to smooth it out. Rough up the bottom with an etcher so the glue will grip better.
  • Step 4: make a piston on the bottom of the silicone sheet. The barest hint of a piston is all that’s needed. I penned on the plastic activator, waited one minute, then put a single drop of fiberfix super glue right in the middle. I used the light on the glue applicator to instantly cure the glue.
  • Step 5: place the silicone circle into the switch socket of the light, piston down and test for fit.
  • Step 6: place the retaining ring back into the light with the silicone circle as the new switch boot. I found the easiest way to get the ring back on was to place it in position with the head upside down over a small anvil, then press hard with my hands to push the ring back in.
  • Step 7: Glue the Aluminum circle onto the top of the silicone circle. Carefully center the aluminum circle within the switch retaining ring before gluing, then use the plastic activator and fiberfix. When I first did this I noticed the silicone was bowing up into a dome with the boot sitting on top. I removed the new boot and determined the silicone circle was slightly too big so trimmed a bit off at the edges. I then used a toothpick to apply more fiberfix glue all around the edges of the metal button so there was no longer any gap.

Result: A fairly good looking metal switch that looks like it came with the light and sits flush with the stock retaining ring.

This entire project took me just half an hour. It was really quick.

Yeah… I wrote the code and even I feel that way about many of my lights. I could update the firmware… but is it really worth the trouble of taking the light apart again? Not usually.

Another nice switch :+1:

I just love the Emisar D4!!! :heart_eyes: :heart_eyes: :heart_eyes:

Here’s a white one I modded with:

  • metal switch boot
  • Lexel aux bezel leds (pink and ice blue)
  • Firmware: TK’s Anduril as modified by Pobel, with aux LED support.
  • Emitter Swap: two XPL HI 5D combined with two XPL HI 3D. Very bright and high output, without looking greenish like SST-20.

Main thing different between this and my last D4 mod was that I used 0.5mm Silicone sheet as the backing for the metal button boot. In my 2 prior builds I used 1mm thick Silicone sheet.

0.5mm thick Silicone sheet is thick enough for this purpose and allows the entire button boot to be thinner. With the new backing, the metal button is recessed below the level of the stock switch retaining ring, which further reduces the risk of accidental activation and makes it easy to find the button in the pocket.

The switch is not lit in this mod. Would be nice to do, but doing so is complex and would almost certainly result in the switch button being higher.

So this seems like a good place to ask this question, I’ve searched this thread for button and switch, but I’m not finding what I need. Does anyone know where I can find an entire new switch for my D4? The little metal pop-cap part came off of mine and shifted around in there, stopping it from working. I centered it and taped it down into place, and it’s working for the moment. But it’s not perfect, it’s causing me to double click on accident occasionally. Has anyone replaced this switch before? Maybe have a link to mouser or something? Or do I need to start searching manually by the dimensions lol.

I also tore the boot a little, so I’m debating asking Hank if I can buy a new one. Maybe I should ask if he can sell me a switch too, or a few of them.

I haven’t seen the switch available anywhere, but it looks like it’s probably a standard part of some sort. I think Hank may have made a custom PCB for it though. You should probably ask him if you can get some extras.

I’ve broken a couple too, because it’s so small and has such delicate soldering. It’s easy to mess up the switch while doing modifications. The switch wires are pretty fragile too, which is why one of my D4 lights is currently broken. I’ll have to get the press-fit switch ring off before I can fix it, so I’ve been avoiding the project.

Hopefully any future products will have flashing pads so I don’t have to open things up so much.

Best way to get the press-fit retaining ring off that I’ve tried:

  • Using a standard Victorinox mini knife open the nail file. It has a small flat head screwdriver on the end. And all edges are slightly rounded so it shouldn’t damage the rubber button boot.
  • Hold the D4 in your left hand. Or place the head in a vise.
  • Take the nail file and slide it horizontally over the top of the D4 button from right to left. Press the tip of the file down to compress the rubber so the tip is below the level of the retaining ring. Then press forward to dig the head of the tool completely underneath the ring.
  • Next step is to lever off the ring. It should pop right off. Like opening a bottle-cap with no damage to the ring, light or switch boot.
  • This method works very well, but note that the steel retaining ring will slightly erode the aluminum head each time it is removed. If you do this operation too many times the ring may no longer hold at all since not enough of the metal is left to hold it in place. If that happens you will need to glue the ring in place. Fiberfix optical superglue works great for this and the ring is still removable using the above operation.

I found a way to protect my new Anduril flashed, D4v1, SST 20 4000K (18500 tube) that turned out to have many facets.

What started out as wanting to protect it from the tumble of sticking it in a pocket, the mod uses a 26650 battery cover.

Diffuser produces peachy tint hot spot. Shown here reflecting off a putty grey metal locker. Great for candle mode!

Fits like a glove:

And then there's the pendant light option:

This add-on:

  1. protects it from damage in a fall;
  2. makes it easier to hold on to;
  3. access to clip, switch and light output;
  4. believe it or not, doesn't melt. At least to ceiling of ramp;
  5. center of mass stays within light so better balance compared to a pop-on diffuser;
  6. and on, and on.

I thought the peach tint was related to the emitter but my XP-L Hi D4 exhibited it as well... just a bit fainter.

BTW, the clip is from a Sofirn SP32A v2.

Silicone rubber doesn’t melt until 572F degrees. So it traps heat and reduces the aluminum’s ability to transfer the heat from the light.

@Roguesoul, Yeah. This is loaded with an older, lower amperage Sanyo 18500 that was pulled from a Toshiba laptop pack, 2000mAh. This setup is for indoors, usually at 150 lumens (stock setting turn on level). Thanks for mentioning the heat issue.

Changed the lighted switch board on my modded Emisar D4v1 with lighted switch:


This is an Emisar D4v1 with Lexel lighted bezel board, a custom-lighted switch board, and firmware update for Aux-board control from the UI.

Previously, I had modded a Kaidomain lighted switch module and used that to illuminate the switch. However, I wasn’t happy with that arrangement since it only had 2 LEDs in it and they were slightly offset to the left side. I wanted the lit area around the switch button to be a solid ring of light. I redid the switch LED board as follows:

  • The new lighted switch board involved no solder or application of heat. It is entirely handmade with all components attached with glue.
  • I started with a piece of thin sheet plastic. I cut it into a ring with a hole in the center for the switch button.
  • I then ran my super glue plastic activator pen over the plastic so super glue would stick to it.
  • I made the traces for the LEDs out of conductive ink from a conductive ink pen. You can see the ink in the picture as it is black, while the substrate plastic board is white. The ink in the pen came out far too much and lacked precision, so I used the pen to put puddles of ink onto a piece of wax paper and then dabbed a sliced toothpick into it and used the toothpick to draw the traces… one outer ring and one inner ring, with appropriate cuts at each side for the positive and negative wires.
  • I then installed the LEDs. These are 0603 blue leds. Hand-placed with tweezers so that each contact pad of the LED touches a different ring. The LEDs were glued in place with Fiberfix optical super glue (cures instantly when blue light shined on it). For ease of use, I mounted the entire board on a piece of double-sided tape on my work area before installing the LEDs.
  • After each LED was glued, I used a cut toothpick to dab on conductive ink on each contact to give a good electrical connection.
  • The base of each bondwire where it touches the inside edge of the board is glued, leaving the tip of the wire bare. Then I liberally slathered the exposed tips of the wires with conductive ink going to the traces.
  • Initially, I started with 11 LEDs and 2 resistors on the left side of the board. The picture above without the cover on shows this version. However, I later decided that wasn’t bright enough and I wanted a more complete ring. I removed the 2 resistors and replaced them with LEDs. I already had a resistor between the MCU and one of the bondwires so the extra resistors on the switch board were not needed. I also added another LED on the bottom arc right side bringing the total to 14 LEDs.
  • The switch cover is the same style as what I’d previously used. Silicone sheet with a small post on the bottom and a metal disk on the top. All glued with Fiberfix with plastic super-glue activator. The retaining ring is a filed down nickel-plated brass finished washer and is glued the same way.
  • The light still needs a polish and wax and the silver-colored epoxy around the base of the retaining ring could use a bit of touch-up, but overall I’m pleased with how it came out. The body tube and stainless steel bezel are from a D4V2. The head, body tube and tailcap are aluminum with anodizing removed.

_
For reference, here are some pictures of my previous build on this lighted switch:

  • The previous version looked great in the fully-assembled picture, but the picture is showing the switch lights from their best angle. the right of the switch was significantly dimmer.
  • The new version produces a more uniform ring of light even if output from each individual LED is lower than that of the 2 LEDs in the original build.
  • The old build also used a higher profile retaining ring and titanium tube. For the new build, I filed off more of the switch retaining ring and swapped in an aluminum tube and tailcap and stainless steel bezel. The new switch retaining ring is looking a bit ragged from being glued and unglued many times. I might make a fresh one.

I made a new tailcap for my D4v2.
It’s only 60,6 mm now!
90 mm in 18650 format.

I also made brass inner threads for my D4V2Ti. It runs super smooth now!!

Family is complete now:

Nice work :+1:

Really cool. :+1:
The style may not be my favourite but I really thought that D4 tail was not as compact as I wish it would be - and you made this aspect perfect.

The brass threads are also super-cool. I wonder if some production lights could steal the trick, making their Ti lights even better. :slight_smile:

Thanks!

I love how compact it is right now.
Even with the 18650 it’s Nice and compact!

I allready suggested it to Hank but don’t know if the future lights will include this feature…

What mod could I do to get past this issue? Or, what are my options to find a replacement switch?