Defiant XML Spotlight – MT-G2 Mod (Part 2)

Flashlight Modding and DIY Parts
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NOTE: This light is still in progress. A few changes have been made that are not documented below yet. I will try to finish the light and update this thread as soon as possible.

This is the second part of my journey to convert a Defiant XML Spotlight to an MT-G2 emitter with a multi-mode driver. At this point, the light is getting 250kcd. The first part is at:

Worked through the night to fabricate a “Pill” that would accomplish 3 things:

- Raise the top of the emitter to the bottom of the reflector’s interior.

- Transmit the heat from the led and driver out of the interior of the plastic housing.

  • Hold the driver.

Problem with working through the night is that I get sloppier and make mistakes. Last night was no exception, but the night was a success despite some setbacks. So here we go:

I built the “Pill” out of the following:

- 3/8” copper round bar, (C110).

- ½” rigid copper tubing (typically used in plumbing).

- Pre-1982 US Penny pounded out to fit within the 3 big posts on the back of the reflector.

- Siver solder (type typically used for HVAC copper refrigerant lines).

  • Electrical solder for reflowing the emitter and wiring the emitter and driver.

Using hand tools and pulling an all nighter is not advisable for a project like this. I ended up changing the design a couple times mid-stream and ended up paying for it dearly. I resoldered the emitter so many times that is started to no longer take solder. By the time I did the final solder to the emitter I was so punchy that I didn’t care much about the height interfering with the beam. I was just glad to get a connection.

I also busted the dome (it doesn’t take much as it is very big and not very sturdy. I tried to dedome with heat. I got most of the dome off. I left some silicone on the emitter directly over the led grid because I was afraid to loose phosphorous.

Ran on high for about 5 minutes. The “Pill” pulls the heat from the emitter very well. The emitter was within a degree or 2 of the surrounding copper out to about an inch each way. Then the temperature dropped along the length of the tube about 20 degrees. Max temp reached was 162 degrees Fahrenheit. I don’t want to test further until I attach aluminum heat sinks. I had the sense that the temperature had stabilized, but the pill was out of the housing in the open air.

Took the light out and was very impressed with the improvement. Tighter and more intense hotspot and fainter spill. Throws further now. Warmer tint. All welcomed changes.

Unfortunately, I lost a bunch of pictures. Hopefully, these will give a general idea:

Next step will be building a better designed “Pill” and the exterior aluminum heat sinks.

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Your certainly putting in the hard yards here. Good luck with the finish.

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Nawh, not hard. The hard part is finding time to do this stuff. I enjoy the process and am still learning alot. The above is not pretty, but showing the good and the bad can hopefully help someone else down the road.

Here is what I learned last night:

  • Developed a good idea how to make a good pedestal for the above type of situation. I will try it out on the next one.
  • I have learned that 3/8” copper round bar perpendicularly through a 1/2” copper plumbing pipe seems to have the capacity to cool a MT-G2 driven at 4+ amps (and probably a lot more) and its driver. Need to verify though.
  • Learned alot about working with rigid copper and about soldering directly to MT-G2’s.
  • Learned a bit about focusing an led. Need to make a rig to make it easy to optimize any reflector easily.
  • And a lot more little things that I can’t think to enumerate right now.

So some may look at the pictures above and see ugly. I see a lot of good knowledge gained.

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I think your heatsinking solution is brilliant and inventive. Great job! Can't wait to see the final results. ;)

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Copper pipe is the neatest stuff ever, especially for stuff it wasn't meant for. I've had 3/4"(.875" od) and 1/2"(.625") on hand since forever, but only yesterday did I finally get around to picking up some 3/8"(.500") & 1/4"(.375"). The 1/4" especially gives me a lot of ideas, as it's just the right size for a 10mm MCPCB, which means LED retrofits will need less reflector hacking to maintain focusing (I'm looking at you, Maglites...) :party:

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Decided to change “pill” instead of build new one. Also moved the driver closer to the emitter, but just taped it in place with copper and aluminum tape. Thanks to comfychair’s p60 thread, I learned I was taking the emitter too high into the reflector. Since I finally received some kapson? tape, I built pads under the emitter’s contact plates out of copper tape. It is a challenge to solder with such a big pill.

Damaged reflect trying to reshape hole with a soldering iron. The bigger disfigurement was cause when I lost concentration playing with focus. I barely touched the emitter to the back of the reflector at that point and it immediately started melting. Notice black burnt plastic residue on emitter.

Damage reflector in other areas with all the handling and carelessness.

Tried to take beamshots with phone. The pictures are crazy dimmer than reality. The area I was standing in was fairly lit up from the back reflection of the beams. The whole area around the well was lit up brightly and the hot spots were much bigger in reality. But at least they give a comparison. Not sure how far away well is.
HD2010:

Defiant Super Thrower:

Defiant Spotlight with MGT2. Notice color rendition. Spill is much fainter now, but very usable.

Learned alot. Want to build a new one from scratch.

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Love your build and love the last comment even more. Keep it up as it drives us all. Thanks for sharing.

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If you don't have some already, pick up a set of diamond needle files. Works great for stuff like plated plastic reflectors, as they're not directional like conventional files and you can pull them which saves the plating from flaking off. Plus you'll find about a million other things they're great for. Especially things like soft plastic or teflon, stuff a normal file will just spear or not cut into at all, diamond will cut more like sandpaper.

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this is the result of about 90% of my projects. the other 10% weren’t success - I just learned the mod wasn’t worth it lol

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Thank you MRsDNF and comfychair. I’ll get some of those files. If you have a recommended place that has decent quality and prices, please let me know.

I forgot to say above. I built up the pad around the emitter too much and got the emitter a tad low in the reflector this time. That distortion around the emitter was me trying to melt the reflector thinner to get the emitter back up. Placement with this emitter is tricky. Next copper pedestal will have electrical contact plates that don’t interfere with the reflector.

I hear you dthrckt. This one was worth it for the learning and it now is my best light if I want to light up a big area far away. I won’t use a plastic bodied host again though. Given my allergy to spending money, I will probably try to build the host myself as I want an even bigger reflector next time. Someday when I have real skills like you 3 above, I will then spend some good money to make something special.

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Not trying to bump my own thread, but this is important if anyone else is going to MGT2 this host. If anyone does, try it first without increasing the reflector’s emitter opening. The emitter fits the opening perfectly and may work perfectly that way. I wish I had tried it that way first. Watch for melting though. The top of this emitter gets supper hot, but the temperature of the outer edges that the reflector would rest on is much lower.

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Check this out: https://budgetlightforum.com/t/-/18278#comment-383124

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Cool comfy. That is great. Glad you asked them. I’m totally going to be watching out for that. Hope it brings down the cost because I want More MG-T2’s!

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Kudos for sharing the entire effort, warts and all.

Many build threads only show the beautiful finished product, avoiding the pile of broken/damaged stuff it took to get there; I know mine do.

I hope this encourages more folks to just wade in and try their hand at modding.

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that’s great news.

also, cutter is offering the mkr on copper, so I asked if they would do the mtg and they basically said yes.