LED Lenser P5.2

LED Flashlights – General Info 1 x AA / 1 x 14500 Flashlights
1

I got this non-budget flashlight on Ebay for only $26.91 including shipping, and it performs even better than I expected. So well on AA that I waited to get a second example before taking one apart to convert it for 14500.

Lenser always on the left, UltraOK SK-68 on the right.

Zoomed in:

I am not sure why it does not match the throw. This is a large lensed SK-68. The apertures are similar, but the Lenser seems to have both zones a bit out of focus. The Lenser has what appears to me to be an XP-G2. The SK-68 of course has an XP-E or XR-E. The larger size LED contributes to the shorter throw, and probably also to the greater overall light output.

SK-68 zoomed out to match the Lenser:

Between the driver and the optics, it gets a lot more light from an Eneloop in the same state of charge.

Zoomed out:

The Lenser has more flood. This may only be because large lensed SK-68s don’t zoom the lens all the way back to the pill.

And the Lenser zoomed in to match the SK-68:

Again, the Lenser puts out more light. Perhaps the difference is less than zoomed in.

What I expected is that, because of the two zoned Fresnel-like optics, it would put more light into the spot, but have the same throw. More light seems to come as the cost of less throw. But, otherwise, it does seem more efficient.

Tail current is 1.13 A for my first example and 1.30 for the second, with an Eneloop charged at 1.45 V. At 1.28 V, the currents are 0.80 A and 0.97 A. It is not always the case with boost drivers that the input current increases with voltage.

Of course the finish is also better. The styling is a matter of opinion. I think I like the Lenser shape better, for these currents, but neither compares with the Smiling Shark SS-5039 or the Yezl t9.

Later, I found that the stock drivers do not take lithium ion cells. They put out light but are damaged by them.

Deducting one star for the price, I give it four stars. Light output is good. It can put nearly all of the LED’s output into the sport. The build is excellent. The star is copper and probably direct thermal. It has a good LED and a good boost driver. The beam shape is good at both flood and throw, and also in between. I like the forward clicky switch. As others have commented, the switch has a nice solid feel.

2

There is a white plastic cover that holds the star and LED in place and is secured itself with two screws. This is all very neat, except that the screws have six pointed star sockets in their heads. A “t7” screw driver fits this, the P7.2 and a Pop Lite T62.

The pill is 13 mm. ID, with a slot (instead of a shelf) and the driver mounted longitudinally. A spring on the driver contacts a 15.5 mm. connection plate that contacts the battery plus button.

[The plate has two surface mount capacitors on it, not connected to anything but a two mm. trace at each end of each capacitor. Though not connected ohmically to the positive pad, these sit over an extension of it on the other side of the board, so they are capacitivelly coupled to it. These can only be electromagnetic interference suppression devices. Millimeter band radiation can only be expected from static electricity, or from mechanically breaking a current carrying circuit as in an automotive ignition system or the original Hertz radio. Static is unlikely inside a closed can, and this piece is not near the driver during manufacture or maintenance. Breaker point radiation will be produced by the switch and if the battery is removed while the light is on. So their purpose may be similar to that of the condenser in the distributor of an old fashioned ignition system. Or maybe they are connected between the plus and the battery tube in some other version of the design and are vestigial here.]

Click for full size.


There does seem to be thermal compound under the star here, probably the same stuff as plugging the driver space.

With the rubbery stuff out, I still can’t see much of the driver.

I unsoldered the wires from the contact strips. The driver didn’t come out easily with pliers, so I am soaking it in acetone.

The driver came out with needle nose pliers after soaking overnight in acetone.

The board has a lump of solder, on each side, near the spring, to make secure ground contact. That is probably what was holding it in. If the acetone really helped it must has been by softening the board. It was a good boost driver, but it was damaged in removal.

Here is the pill with the slots cut wider, and the driver with sides trimmed and tapered.

I lost one 7135. This BLF SK68 had a sixth 7135 piggybacked on top, but Richard doesn’t solder the back tab, only the three pins, so while filing and fiddling the extra one came off.

Here it fits.

It is assembled with a wire for the positive driver input. I scraped away the insulating layer to solder the wire off center to the connection board. No need to change the LED. The XP-G2 is about right for this light. Assuming that the copper star is direct thermal, it can easily take 1.75 A.

And beam shots, the 14500 version on the left and original on right.

It draws 1.8 amps. with a fully charged WindyFire, but less on half charge.

Shortly after this was taken, I put a 14500 in the unmodified light by mistake. I have to report that it doesn’t work on lithium ions. It was bright but drew about 6 amps. and no longer works on 1.5 V now. So I will need to repeat this mod., some time, with the other one.

Like the Pop Lite, it now has a regular driver with modes but a forward clicky switch. That means that one selects the mode before clicking it on, rather than after.

I fixed the broken P5.2 by taking C1 from the burned driver of 1408104938 and putting it on the driver of 1408105372 to replace the C1 capacitor I knocked off while taking the driver out of the pill. This time, I used penetrating oil, rather than acetone, to soak the driver before pulling it out with needle nose pliers. 1408104938 is returned to stock form, and is my brightest 1.5 V. light. 1408105372 is brighter on a 14500 cell.

3

I have the POPlite T22 which looks to be a Lenser P5. I really like mine and despite being XR-E it performs brilliantly considering it’s only 1.2v.

FastTech had the p5.2 at a great price but it’s now out of stock. Shame as I hadn’t seen it anywhere else. Wish I’d bought one.

4

I got my first one from Fasttech before they went out of stock. This was not the only one on Ebay, but they cost a bit more there. Of course they are also available for twice those prices, with a warranty and possibly better quality control.

5

Don’t suppose you could post a link. I can’t see them anywhere near the same price. But might just not be looking well enough. Ta.

6

I did see an other one when I was looking, for slightly less including shipping, but there may be none right now.
Added: See below. The same store is selling another.

Zwei Bruder Optoelectronics is now a part of Leatherman.
My guess about price and availability is that, the engineering costs already being covered by sales in Europe and by licensing, they designate some production to the more price sensitive Asian market, at lower prices. I suspect that they select or schedule their lower quality output for that market, as I have found defects. I have read that, with literature and entertainment, owning a copy gives one the right to sell it anywhere, and perhaps the laws are similar for gadgets. So anyone in possession of a flashlight in Asia can sell it in Europe or North America, he just might have trouble getting Leatherman to sell him more.

7

By the looks of it, the star seems to be copper dtp, maybe drive to 3 amps with imr? 8)

8

Yes. Someone checked a P7.2 and said it was direct copper. Twice the rated current seems about right for direct copper. I haven’t figured out how to fit and mount the driver yet. Direct drive should work, but I would rather have modes. I have a 15 mm. driver that might fit in place of the connection plate, but I don’t know yet. It might fall through. The slot in the head is close to 15 mm. long, so a driver might fit there.

9

The Ebay store I got mine from has more: http://www.ebay.com/itm/LED-LENSER-P5-2-140-LUMEN-TORCH-FLASHLIGHT-GIFT-BOX/181780872539?\_trksid=p2047675.c100011.m1850&\_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D31965%26meid%3D1573e799a5d5415d8123bda7854f298b%26pid%3D100011%26rk%3D3%26rkt%3D10%26sd%3D181771997847

10

A BLF SK68 driver fits between the pill and the battery tube. I may have to shorten the springs, even to fit a flat top cell. I think only the - in pins of the 7135s touch the pill. The one I have now is from Mountain Electronics and has 6 x 350 ma. 7135s = 2.1 A. The groove in the pill is too narrow to fit the board, but it might be possible to file or sand two edges of the board thinner and taper the slots with a chisel to fit. That way, it would fit button top and protected cells.

11

Good luck on that, post beamshots for before and after mod

12

POP lite t22 optic, very similar to Lenser P5.2:

13

I have always had a soft spot for lensers. But the switch on my p3 has just broke for the second time and whilst it is guaranteed for life, I have to post it back. Not good.

14

Maybe two broken switches would make it worth buying it from a First World source with a warranty.
The three way switch broke on my $26.99 Tmart P14, so that it had no turbo mode. Probably something non-conducting got between the contacts, but I have not been able to fix it. I took the switch apart and put it back together. That fixed turbo, but the little soft contacts got bent and I can’t get it to turn off and on reliably. I may be able to put in a regular one way switch and find space for an electronic driver to get back modes.

15

Bought it in the UK. Like I said it has a lifetime warranty but cost about a fiver every time I send it back.

Marc