Yupard golden 14500 light with momentary switch reference#7

I ordered this golden 14500 light for 6.5$ from aliexpress. It’s number 7 on the flashlight reference
It arrived today with free tracked chinapost shipping in a small box full of foam.
I took some quick pictures and measurements:


It’s bigger than I thought, 103mm length, head is 22mm wide and tail 20mm. 3mm thick tubewall.


Pill is hollow, it’s just a aluminium ring which sits inside the head. Reflector is a very cheap plastic reflector and the lens is also cheap plastic. No dust or scratches. Lockout not possible.
Modes 100,50 and strobe. Current is about 1.2A(depending on voltage)

I will disassemble and try to mod it in the next days.

Edit:
Just disassembled it.

Picture of the driver. A switch, a DX jack, some sensing resistors, one capacitor and a small driver chip. The driver is huge over 19mm wide. A lot of room so I thought of using a 15mm driver board on top but I was too lazy.


Stock current was 1A@4V. I had problems shorting the sensing resistors(or moving the led+ direct to bat+), the light started to blink in high mode. Maybe this is some thermal protection or so, I also get this now if I use my Efest IMR…
Anyway I soldered two r100 on top of the existing resistors which is also out of regulation but works reliable with normal batteries. Afterwards current was around 2.5A@4V.I also removed the DC jack and glued the piece of rubber inside the hole, I will cut and plastidip it tomorrow. I accidentally removed the cap, that made the light one mode(click on, click off), not bad but I added a cap again.



I put in a xpg2 on a noctigon. I used a bit of arctic silver on the outer edge and pressed the noctigon in the aluminium “pill” with a vise. The hollow underside looked so sad, but I found a scrap piece of aluminium round which fitted inside. I used plenty of the cheap thermal paste and a drop of CA to fix it.

The tailcap spring had high resistance, I cleaned the tube and soldered a piece of wire over the spring. The positive spring had to go, instead I used a piece of solid copper wire. The spring in the tail is huge so that’s no problem.
I also exchanged the lens, 20mm with AR coating.

I like the light now way better, the beam profile is smooth and bright. I doubled the brightness, which is a bit sad if I consider that I now have a xpg2 and more than twice the current, but anyway I like the light a lot more now.

He has done some nice mods with this light;

I got one from him with a Nichia that is great and one with the De domed XP-E that will really throw for a pocket light.
Cool little lights.

Thanks for posting I searched the forum some times but couldn’t find information, maybe the reference numbers could make this better.

I really like the idea of reference numbers. Thanks for the review.
Can I ask you what type of memory this light have?

I like the reference too, it would make the searching a lot easier.
No memory, you have to click through the modes. It always starts with high.

What does it take for this light to use AA batteries?

i have the black SmallSun ZY-R802 version of it that has a aluminum reflector and came with a fancy box, charger, lanyard, and protected 14500. Is a great little pocket thrower. ( though i won’t use the charger that came with it.)
I have not modded it yet, but may do a dedomed XP-G2 for it.

No memory :slight_smile: That’s great news. Its on my list to buy.

Thanks Werner! :beer:

Nice job on your mod!

I dig this little light. I have a couple more on the way. It does need a noctigon or sinkpad though. The driver isn’t too hard to mod and with spring mods it’s pretty darn good really. It has to be one of the best new budget mini’s around.

I did another one the other day for a buddy of mine who is a produce inspector. I put a nichia in it for him. The High CRI works perfect for him.

Very cool light for sure.

Thinking that the circuitry supporting AA battery is built in and thus it only needs something like a jumper ???

You would have to build a custom boost driver…

If you look at the pics of the driver…it’s a straight linear regulator, there isn’t a coil to do the boosting of 1.5vdc like those other drivers (like in the SK68)

Interesting but quite neutered in stock mode ain’t it?

I gotta get me some of that silicon carbide stuff (that others have mentioned in potting driver mixes) and mix it in with some 30min epoxy and stuff the pill behind the star (give it a bit more meat to soak up the heat)
And/or some ultra-grey sensor safe RTV from autozone (or the silicon caulk from the post…duh :wink: )

Either way…that thin “pill” if you want to call it that definitely doesn’t look like it would wick heat away hardly at all

here is 18sixfifty’s review and take on it
http://budgetlightforum.com/node/31146

Just having a wishful thinking because ZHISHUNJIA Mini Cree XP-E R2 from DX says it uses 14500 or AA, but AA is reported not supported.