Utilitech/Defiant 4AAA, 26650 style

I really like the husky style of the Utilitech/Defiant 4AAA. Like most here, not too fond of AAA cells in bigger lights. Also, the light does not have an attractive beam pattern with the XPG2. I hoped a bigger emitter would smooth out the ugly transitions in the beam. There is also a lot of empty useless space in the light.

The light appears to be able to take a 26650 without the wrapper. At least, it can take a Moli 26700 without the wrapper. Sorry, I'm having camera problems.

The anno in the light should protect against closing the circuit, but I added kapton tape to the top and bottom. With the tape, the cell slowly descends into the light as air barely escapes. Even if the tape and anno fail, no short could occur. Only closing the circuit and turning on the light.

I really should have just replace the pill with 1.25" round bar, but I didn't have any on hand. So I filed and pressed in an old damaged copper base into the top of the pill. I did lap it some after this pic, but I didn't try to totally get rid of those big gouges.

The bottom portion of the pill needs to be removed to accommodate the length of the cell. Before cutting it off, I put a 1/2" copper coupling and 1/2" pipe piece in the hollow pill. The coupling is much longer than the pill. I then pressed the coupling/pipe until expanded enough to be tight in the pill. I then cut off the tail of the pill.

I had to file the copper to fit the driver. I let the shavings accumulate in the pill. Then soldered them in place. pressed in a copper disk to hold in place for later reflowing.

There is still enough copper to surround the driver. I did a pretty sloppy job filing out for the driver. It was a lot of work and I got impatient. Just 8 7135 chips for now.

Reflowed a Notigon and xml2 to the top of the pill. There is big air gap around the top part of the pill and the head. You can't really see it in the pic below due to the black anno.

I filled the gap with aluminum flashing. It took a little over 50" of flashing (.015" thick). The 2 pictures below are before I tightened and inserted the final pieces to make it very snug. Now, nearly all the space in the light is gone and now serving some purpose.

I cut the flashing 7/8" wide to extend beyond the lower portion of the head as there is plenty of clearance.

Finished (XM-L2 T6 6A3). I have glass lens on the way from DX (not A/R coated though). The light is so much heavier now. I like it that way.

I made the pill too tall. That's because I tried to fabricate my own copper base. It was a big failure. So I just slapped a Notigon on top of the pill. That's the tail of the light with the 26700 in it. The pill butts up against the cell tube. I sanded the anno off the top of the tube to enhance electrical and thermal path to the tube.

The tail cap screws all the way down with an unprotected cell. Those cheap clear 18650 to 26650 adapters fit nice in the light (They rattle in normal 26650 lights).

Beam pattern is no longer ugly, but light is on the floody side now. Throw is so so. Measured at only 13kcd. I should have went dedomed xml. It's a great general purpose light though. Picture below is a little darker than reality.

Those 2 are sister and brother. Nearest on is a little over a hundred pounds. They are a scary team. I don't need to worry about my wife when I'm away. They have they have demonstrated some interesting hunting skills. They organize with each other to herd and corner prey. They even try to direct me by pointing and motioning where they want me to go. I have never trained them to do any of this. I found them in a litter under my shed. I know the mother is golden retriever. It appears that the father may have been pit bull, possibly boxer.

The light handles heat quite well now. May have to slap a whole bunch of 7135's on it next time I open her up.

very nice!

Thank you jmpaul320.

I know I could have much nicer lights if I took advantage of the very skilled members here, but I have a very deep drive to do things my self with as much normal off-the-shelf stuff as possible. I generally would rather have a crude rough gizmo made by me than a super refined gizmo made by someone else. I have no idea why I'm that way. It's nice to marvel at the amazing works that those skilled members create though.

My 18650, with sleeve, powered stock light takes a deep bow!

That is nice of you to say illuminaria. I have to hand it to you though. Your approach takes a metric ton less of work and gets most of the benefit. Just adding the aluminum flashing and a driver would get you most of the other benefits of this mod.

I finally received these glass lenses from DX and they fit fine. My wife gifted six of these lights to co-workers for Christmas. So they didn't get the glass lenses included. She'll just have to tell them that she can upgrade them now.

They are not AR coated, but they are nicer than plastic. Throw only improved marginally in the modded light in the OP.

Nice find, thanks.