Okay so I finally got all the bits for my first "host" build. I got the UF-20 host from mtn electronics, single 18650 because I like zoomies, and I don't see many mods or builds. Let's get to it.
First off this is great host. It's super sturdy, heavy duty, and seems to be high quality. Everything is o-ring sealed. Brass pill, good threads, and everything fits nicely. The aspheric lens is glass.
Thick walls on the body!
The switch has a great feel.
Reverse clicky in there somewhere
Nice. It comes apart pretty easy. Unscrew the retaining ring on the lens, remove the lens, unscrew the pill, and the head comes off. Easy! Takes a 16mm MCPCB and 17mm driver.
The driver is a linear FET I got from Convoy on Aliexpress. Came with a bypass wire already installed! Supposed to be good for 6A.
I chose an SST-40 5000K for the LED. It's from the Convoy Store and is the 2nd highest bin supposedly good for 1600+ lumens at 6A.
It goes together pretty easy...The driver presses into the pill, and the LED is held in place by a plastic retaining ring.
That thing was a bear to get on there!
The pill threads into the body, then you put the head on and screw it down a little ways until you feel resistance
The o ring goes in on top of the head, set the lens on top, and screw down the retaining ring until you can twist the head from full flood to spot without it unscrewing
I popped in a Sony VTC6 and away I went! The modes for the driver are weird and wonky, but once you get over the learning curve it's passable. 3 mode groups with turbo, med, low, group 2 is ramping from moon to turbo in steps, and group 3 is turbo, med, low with a hidden strobe and SOS.
It's really bright! The brightest pocketable light I've ever had. Puts the Nebo to absolute shame.
There's lots of usable light, and I need to get used to the fact the hotspot isn't round, but square and you can see the bond wires (pictures don't show since it's so bright). If you don't zoom it all the way, you actually get sort of a normal hotspot pattern with some spill. Zoomed out it's a big uniform round circle of light. Not as bright as zoomed in, but still lots of light.
It throws pretty good, but nothing like a dedicated thrower!
Barely reaches the tree about 300M away.
As far as heat, yes, it does get uncomfortably hot after about 6 min. on turbo. I'm not used to that, but it does keep your hands warm. It will be nice camping when it's chilly. There's no thermal protection on the driver, so it will run until something breaks. The mode selection on the driver stinks and is taking some getting used to.
Overall pretty pleased with my first real host mod. However, I find it lacking, so I am already planning upgrades...Xhp50.2? Luxeon V? SST-50? So many choices!
Thanks for looking.