Cheap 18650 flashlight with SLIDE zoom for modding

I have a Jax-Z1 flashlight which has a great aspheric lens but is heavy for my liking and for using on a bicycle. I am looking for an inexpensive flashlight that uses 18650 batteries that I am plan to mod so that I can use the Jax-Z1 apsheric on it. I have access to a 3D printer through my school so my idea would be to grow the outer case that holds the lens and slides. I also have limited access to a machine shop so I could do some machining if needed.

The flashlight should:

1. have a slider zoom system, not a twist system with threads.

2. have a slim body for a 18650 battery, but not for 26650 ones.

3. have pill with decent thermal design (plan to drive a XP-E2 at 1 or max 1.5A).

4. and preferably be made of aluminum so it is light.

I see many flashlights on ebay for around $10 but they don’t show the pill so I thought one of you guys might have more knowledge.

How does $12.66 sound to you? It has a LED shelf, not a pill. It takes a 26mm MCPCB and a 17mm driver. I own 3 of them and love them. They came with a XM-L2 but I tore mine apart to use as host. I’ll get around to finish modding them some day. :smiley:

http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Bright-TrustFire-Z6-LED-Flashlight-Torch-CREE-XML-XM-L-T6-1000Lm-5-Modes-Adjustable-Focus/1048961008.html

That could work. I am not sure what a shelf is? Is there a review on this light with a break down of the interiors maybe?

Something of a lottery, search “zeusray” here, but for $10: http://www.dealmetic.com/product.asp?ID=FL05518

Not that kind of shelf Hank. The TrustFire Z6 has no pill. The top of the host has a flat spot that is part of the body that the MCPCB sits on and can be glued or screwed down. I’ll have to take a picture later when I’m awake. Just got out of bed to check up on my 80 year old toddler (live in mother in law who has Alzheimers and Dementia).

The TrustFire Z6 is a good light to mod. Even Vinh thought it was a worthy light to mod and made a TrustFire Z6vn.

Here’s a picture from a Google search to hold you over until I can get a picture of the shelf.

I finally got some free time to take some pictures.



How is the body on the other end of the “pill” where the driver is attached?

The battery tube screws into it.

Does the body have a flat part with two holes where the driver attaches?

Zeusray, I mentioned as an alternative zoomie within the price wanted — not as an example of a light with a shelf like the one you’re describing.

Yours definitely looks workable — are the 2 smaller holes threaded? if not they could be tapped, for screwing the emitter down tight to the shelf. That would be a good thing.

Is it possible to get a picture of the back side of the shelf, the area where the driver would be installed? How deep is that space for the driver?

I have been looking at this one:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/CREE-XR-E-Q5-LED-600LM-Lumens-3-Modes-Zoomable-Zoom-18650-Mini-Flashlight-Torch-/161176885492?

I am not sure how the metal ring can be unscrewed so that the flashlight can be taken apart for mods as I don’t see any indentations where to grab and unscrew it?

The 17mm driver sits down in a brass ring and is solder in place. The two holes that can be used are filled with that adhesive. I got a 2.5mm x 45 tap that I can run through.

The shelf has to be about 3 mm thick. A 26mm Maxtoch will be used whenever I upgrade it. I got that Ahorton 27mm aspheric for it already. I just need to figure out what dedomed emitter I want to hook up to the 17mm BLF fet driver.

That Z6 looks like a shorter version of the Z5.

http://www.tmart.com/TrustFire-Z5-8W-1200LM-Aviation-Aluminum-Flashlight-Black_p208267.html?cc=USD&fixed_price=us_us&gclid=CjwKEAjwvPepBRCoqo37teOD1XsSJAC7v6WQbT66Qq2ZGLovHa7lf8dVodWgvAvrI4kicXOJX5NLMhoCNmfw_wcB

Might work for you, and 2x the battery capacity.

Friend of mine has the Z5. Decent little zoomie.
I put a 3A zenered Qlite and MT-G2 in it for him (even though I warned him it would look like :Sp zoomed).
It handles the heat surprisingly well.
Could flood better with some fine tuning if I remember right. Thought about getting one myself for a 3-4A xp-g2 build.

They don’t get cheaper than this, http://www.ebay.com/itm/UltraFire-2500LM-5-Mode-Zoomable-CREE-XML-XM-L-T6-LED-Flashlight-Torch-18650-/221622883869?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3399c0d61d

The 2500 lm thing is total bs XD

Anyways this flashlight has a 20mm star aluminium mcpcb and a 22mm driver (I think)
I can snap some pics of mine if you want.

I keep on breaking mine but if you don’t run too much current through the switch it should be fine.

I have a very similar one, are you sure that they only take 18650 and not 26650. The one I have takes both, I am looking for one that takes 18650 only with a slimmer body.

The TrustFire Z6 battery tube is thin since it takes a 18650.

I was referring to this comment, I have a flashlight that is similar to this one, and it takes both 18650 and 26650, so the body is not that slim.

Is it easy to remove the driver?

It was soldered in from it’s inner ground ring. I just stuck a small screwdriver through one of the two wire holes, slapped it down on my desk and out popped the driver. When I put a new 17mm driver in, it will be soldered from the outside ground ring.

The holes on the top are not threaded?