Necessary? No. But you may be limited on your focus range, depending on your beam tastes.
Thanks Match!
It works perfectly, I made it flat because I didn’t use a reflector, here is a pic, and the thread about it: 50mm aspheric DirectDive XM-L U2 in copper
Glad to be of service. That light looks like a beast...I need to go check out your build thread now!
well I know this is not a new thread but I am sure some of you arround can answer my question. How do you solder a wire to those mini contacts on top of the led? y scraped that silicone like coating on top and then tinned them I only need one but I tinned both, then I tried to stick a 20 awg in the negative one and then chickened out after a while as it was not sticking in there.
also how did you (match) file the contacts? I am planning on using some thermal paste I have arroound to avoid shorting but I would like to do both things file it down and then use thermal paste.
anyway I am ordering sinkpads next, dont want to damage my xm l2 s once they arrive.
Soldering to the top little connection pads is a big pain in the rear, but doable. Make sure it 's a very thick "tin" to the pads and it'll be easier.
I used a dremel tool and a small set of jewelers files to remove the bottom contacts and ensure no short when reflowed into place.
Honestly, nowadays I think I'd just use one of the little copper sinkpads being sold here and forgo this hassle.
I dont know about you Match but are we all getting old? Copper sinkpads maybe the new yuppy but sounds good to me.
I thought about buying a copper “slug” at cpf but it would take ages to arrive here, plus I would have to solder a tiny wire on the underside avoiding solder bridges that would still be a tad hard (if it is going to be hard anyway then why not do it the fastest way). Anyway I tried to solder wires before mounting it on copper because I couldn’t file the thing down maybe that is what makes it harder, you know having that 5mm thing trying to get away. I managed to make it stick and used some thermal paste in it, but everything went wrong in the stove. The led didn’t suffer any damage I think so I will try to grind that pad completely if I can. Did you actually used a dremel in there? Did you had a micro vice or something? I can’t make that led stay in one place so I will try to do it by hand.
Thanks for your last response, even when I messed it up I guess I learned what not to do.
well in the end I coulndt “solder” into the led and I got this idea about getting it to reflow temperatures, as my iron is not a good enough maye it was a better idea to just put the whole thing into the stove again, so I placed some flux in the spot, shaved some tin with a razor, and the small shavings where then poured into the flux (cheap solderpaste perhaps), I also clipped the wire with some aligator I found arround and it got soldered, lucky me that was not too much solder or else the wire could have bridged with the copper.
epic… lol