In life you are molded into the person you are by surroundings, circumstances and the people you mix with.
I am dedicating this build to a very special person in my life, that my family and l have been fortunate enough to have had in our lives, who has helped mold me into the person I am now.
Peter. Your a champion in more ways than one and may this illness you have be a minor set back in your life. Get well soon.
Note to oneself. If you ever, ever screw together two polished pieces of threaded aluminium again you will be shot. AAAAAHHHHHH.
Ok, I have that out of my system now on with the build. Can a humble Defiant 3C out shine the mighty TN31? The simple answer is no. What about a modded 3C? I dont know. Unless I can talk Suncoaster into another trip down south or I get up north we wont know. Using Suncoasters TN31 in the backyard blew me away. This modded 3C blows me away. Hmm. I wont call it until a direct comparison can be made.
Whats it take to turn this amazing stock light into a force to be reckoned with? Firstly it takes a light in the first place. To the members who responded to my call of desperation I thank you. Needless to say the postage cost more than the $20.00 purchase price.
On with the build. I will let the pictures do most of the talking. The only parts left stock on this light are the reflector, bezel and reflector housing.
Lets start with the pill and move down. Copper pill with a lot more mass than the standard ally pill.
An XM-L2 U2 1C tint led on a copper heatsink lapped to the pill with AS5 between the two. Driver is a IOS 3 mode 5 amp with an operating voltage range from 3 to 18 volts.
The heatsink for the pill is massive against the stock part. The diameter of the fins are 60mm with a width of 2.5mm. On a half hour run in still air maximum temperature reached was 43.3 degrees C with the light on high. Ambient temperature was 22 degrees C.
The fuel tank of this beast is filled with one, two, three, or four 26650's. In a pinch 4 C cells will run the light on low and medium with three battery tubes installed.
The tailcap is huge like the rest of the light.
This is the nut that holds the switch in.
The spring on the switch is hopeless. I have yet to find suitable springs that dont compress with the weight of four 26650. When they are found the light will have a spring on the driver end as well. The cap screws are 3mm stainless steel.
When you put all these parts together you have a mess.
And when you add some more parts in you have a bigger mess. The lens is one of Phils who was selling these on the forum.
The light in its different forms. The large tailcap does not make a good cigar grip. A lot off droop happens when trying. The other lights are there for a size comparison. To the left is a stock HD2010 and to the right is a Trustfire TR-3T6. One battery form.
Two battery form
Three battery form.
And finally four battery form
Thanks to my eldest son for being my Flashlight model today. He comes cheap.
I hope your not sick off pictures yet as the all important night shots are next.
Mouse out is a strong standard HD2010. Mouse over is the modded 3C. To my eyes the 3C is about twice as bright as the stock HD2010 in use.
Stock HD2010 left. 3C right. The spill on the 3C wipes out what spill the HD2010 has. The hot spot is also considerably larger.
Mouse out stock HD2010. Mouse over 3C. The difference is night and day.
The tree in the back ground is about 120 meters away. Its not quite what you see but it gives a good representation of the difference in the light outputs.
Stock HD2010.
5 amp HD2010. Its the two x 26650 HD2010 I built awhile ago. Soon to be modded yet again.
And finally the beast. Modded 3C at 1.39 amps at the tailcap with four 26650 batteries.
Mouse out, 5 amp HD2010. Mouse over modded 3C.
Tailcap readings running four x 26650's are low .09 amps, med .33 amps and high 1.39 amps.
It has been used for awhile now and has not missed a beat. It throws like crazy out in the bush. Going of Google earth measurements, nah, you would not believe me if I told you so l'll leave it there
. To say I'm rapped with this light would be an understatement. How about it Suncoaster. You game?
The balance point is 50mm from the fins with four batteries. That is about half my hand width which will be why it's so easy to carry.
Thanks to some members here I've used white king to strip parts of the reflector housing and bezel. While l was at it I've reprofiled the cooling fins with a 5mm taper from one end to the other. I reckon it looks a lot better by getting rid of the square heavy look.
I got another 3C in the mail tonight from a very generous member here so thought I'd add a picture off the standard light with the modded light.
I’d sooner have that than some boring factory light any day
