NOTE: This thread is the first mod attempt made to the light. The second mod attempt is here.
This light off the shelf out threw all my flashlights, but had a very narrow hot spot that I couldn’t use. It has wide faint useful flood. So I figure the MT-G2 might make this very easy to handle spotlight actually usable for me. It is a difficult host to work with because almost all of the light is plastic with no ventilation. There are two big challenges to this mod:
- Getting the heat out of the interior of the light.
- Getting emitter height right give the thick walled plastic reflector. I pedestal of some sort will be needed.
Here are a couple threads on this light:
I got the emitter from dthrckt. I hobbled the light together just so I could see the beam and decide if I really want to do this. The hobbled set up is:
- 2s NCR18650A’s - Protected
- Manafont “3T6” driver. This driver is only supposed to be used with parallel XML’s, but I figured it would be fine since the battery voltage would be higher that the MT-G2 (as opposed to 3 XML’s in series). The light was pulling 3.8 amps at the emitter. This was with very small, cheap switch and a lot of extra wire lengths from battery to driver and driver to led. My DMM has stock leads. I’ve since replaced the switch with a Judco 10amp. The current has gone up to 4amps on my DMM. I suspected the actual current is higher.
- Reflector hole expanded to accommodate the whole emitter pcb (almost 1/2 inch). This is to get the emitter as high into the reflector as possible. EDIT: I think the emitter should be even a little higher into the reflector. I think all reflectors are going to have an issue with this due to the proximity of the solder pads. Seriously thinking about mounting the emitter directly on to a copper pedestal.
- Copper slug to get the emitter base against the back of the reflector and to help spread the heat to the rather large “pill” in this spotlight. I just received the Sinkpad. It is like 3 times thicker than the Cutter base. You don’t need the spacing of the copper slug, but I stuck with it for heat dispersion purposes. EDIT: In hindsight, I think that was over kill. Here is a picture of the pill the in progress slug (pounded out penny) and the reflector with the MT-G2.
Here it is with copper slug reflowed to copper tape in base. The pill really sucks away the heat. After several minutes of trying to used a strong soldering iron, I had to pull out the torch. the slug still needs so more lapping.
Copper tape on back. I did the copper tape thing on my SRK and it really helped with dispersing the heat.
Pill with more copper tape added around the copper slug to further speed up heat dispersion. I used scraps I had laying around. I know it looks funny, but it really works. I didn’t finish lapping it because I intended to reflow the sinkpad to the slug. Unfortunately, I didn’t realize the Sinkpad was going to be aluminum.
Result. Fantastic. The best I can describe the beam is a combination (but better) of my best thrower and my best flooder. The hot spot is very large, defined, and goes way out there. I have not clear area on my property long enough to see the limit (too many trees). My driveway is almost a 1/4 mile long, but it curves and rises and falls. I estimate the furthest point I had a clear line of sight to was about 600 800- 500+ feet. This light lit that area up clearly. My modded Defiant Super Thrower (4.2 amp XML U2 NW) is no match. The flood is not quite a SRK on high, but it not far from it. So you get a bunch of flood, but a ton of throw with this set up. The flood is very wide and very usable. When you switch from the SRK to this light, it feels like a veil has been pulled because all of a sudden you see so much more territory.
Here is the hobbled version. You need to open up the whole light to change the batteries. I don’t have the driver heat sinked yet (less concerned with it due to low cost).
The challenges will be to get the heat out of the plastic body and battery (or charging) accessibility. I want to change the body as little as possible. That being said, I probably will run an aluminum plate across the back of the “pill” that will extend out the sides of the light. Then I will attach small heat sinks on the outside. Should give tons of heat sinking and still allow tail standing and kick standing. EDIT: Actually, I don’t think the pill will be necessary with that set up.
I would love to see this emitter put in a larger spot light, but I don’t have the budget to be the person to do it.
Here are a couple pics of the completed hobbled version:
I will try to take some beam shots tonight.
