I found three new Ozark Trail lights in Wal-Mart. They were all zoomie lights. A 3xAAA, a 3xAA and a 4xAA. They are all under $15, so I got the 4xAA light. I figured I might just use it and I like the fact that, when zoomed out, the spot is round instead of the dreaded square die. It's advertised at 350 lumens (XP-G2 I believe) and that seems to be correct. I don't like the UI. H/M/Strobe, with no mode memory and you have to cycle thru to get back to off. So, I thought I might mod it.
The light
50mm lens
4xAA in series
Cheap pressed in Tail cap insert that contacts the two sets of AA batteries
Nice round spot and the flood is also smooth
The lens is concave on top and there is a textured area, which probably smooths out the flood.
In the center is a slightly aspheric section, which must produce the center spot when zoomed out
The back side
The white plastic cup under the lens, which sits around the center post. The cup also probably aids in making a smoother flood.
The center post cover is screwed on and it also acts as the forward travel stop for the head.
LED on heat sink. There is a shelf under the led.
The whole pill assembly screws out and the switch/driver comes out the front with it.
The driver/switch - it's a momentary switch
I really would like to see someone make some of these lenses for sale, for us to use in modding. They are much better than the aspheric lenses, because of the round spot. I would like to see a glass one too.
Anyhow, there's the tear down in case anyone is interested before buying. I think this light would be a good light to mod, be it a more powerful driver or a led and driver change. With 4xAA Eneloops, it could easily push an XP-L to 4+ amps and might be a really nice thrower. For the price, these lights are a good cheap alternative for a zoomie that you don't have to wait for a month to get from China.