This is my first thread about one of my mods, so please go easy on me
We all know that the S42 has quite a few problems. It has one of the worst UI’s that I’ve ever used and the efficiency is also very bad. So I decided that a driver change is needed, or else it would just collect dust in a drawer.
I decided to use a 17mm FET driver with a simple UI. 4 modes, shortcut to moon and turbo and a 30 seconds turbo timer.
Sadly I got off to a bad start. One of the legs to the optic was broken when I got the light and the other broke off when I unscrewed the bezel.
Used 20 AWG wires to the LEDs (Later changed to 22 AWG)
I went with a brass button instead of a spring on this one.
Everything put together outside the light for testing (special thanks to CRX for this invaluable tip)
Next up was the most time consuming part. As I only had a 17mm driver I had to use a copper washer to enlarge the driver. I went to a local mechanic and picked up a few 16/22 mm washers. When all the tedious sanding was finally done, I soldered the driver and washer together. Next time I really need to buy a Dremel!
All done!
And most importantly, it lights up!
I read that djozz sanded down the optics to get it to fully seat. So I did the same and also added a paperclip on top of it to get the clamp force needed.
This tiny light now draws over 18 amps on a 18650 and heats up extremely fast. In the near future I’ll probably add a 1 cm thick copper block under the shelf to help with the heat dissipation.
This was the most challenging mod I’ve done so far, but it was very rewarding and I’ve learned a lot!
Want the S42S for the copper head and especially Now that I hear Richard will be carrying the D4 style drivers.
Will prolly end up with a S42S copper head and the S42 aluminum body stripped & polished out. Weight…
What is the diameter of the driver in the S42?
The copper washer you used to increase the width of the driver… is it attached to the driver just with solder to the top ring of the driver? If so there might be an issue with long-term use. Pressure from the battery tailcap spring might cause that ring to separate from the driver pcb.
If it were me I would also leave it alone and “IF” it happens get the 20mm (Correct) driver for it.
Those pre-made spacers are good to have. Used one once as a budget build and have some of the Banggood A6 drivers I got for $3.60ea. Works when you need it for that or something like a new firmware convoy driver that are only available in 17mm.
Stuff like Switches, o-rings and emitter to reflector spacers are always good to have before you need them. Waiting a month for a $1 part really S%^&*.
Nice mod! The S42 really is a nice light and deserves better than what Astrolux did with it.
I punished my D42 with 96CRI 2nd gen. 4000K Oslon Squares, these leds sound great but are so green that they are as unattractive as the S42’s user interface
Thanks! But don’t expect too much! I’m just a guy who gets input from our mod gurus here. 18sixfifty and CRX helped with my many questions. I’ve built a few C8s before this one, so it’s not my first one. It was however the most challenging one.
