Thanks for clarifying the timed drop on the TK05 and comparison with the Mi7.
Modded my TK05 last weekend.
- Replaced the driver with a 17mm e-switch driver with D4 UI from Mountain Electronics
- Replaced stock aluminum star with 16mm Copper Noctigon (filed down to 15mm so it would fit)
- Replaced cool white XPG3 with 4000K XPL HI 5A2
- Replaced stock momentary pushbutton with Radioshack 2.5 mm momentary tact switch.
- Added aluminum ring around outside of metal button to greatly reduce chances of accidental activation during pocket EDC.
Overall a fairly straightforward mod with no serious issues.
The internals of the light look virtually identical to the Sofirn SP10A and 10B. The driver looks the same right down what appears to be identical layout of components. The inside of the switch button looks the same. I think the star and reflector are probably the same too. Only differences appear to be the external body design.
I wouldn’t be surprised if both Sofirn and Thorfire use the same factory.
Sounds like some good mods! LED replacement is a must, I feel like. I hesitate on the driver because I really like the option of throwing a AA in there if I need to. I’m not familiar with the momentary tact switch - what’s with that?
Like many of these small side-switch lights, the switch is built-in to the driver.
Replacement drivers from Mountain Electronics do not come with a switch… so if you want to do this mod you’ll need to add one.
I haven’t had any luck in my attempts to remove the switch from the stock driver, so instead I use a replacement switch. Any small momentary pushbutton switch will do. All you need to do is wire it up to the driver, then hold it in approximately the right position so the top of the new switch is at about the same point as on the stock driver.
Before gluing I recommend you test your driver outside the light to make sure the driver and switch works. I use a AA battery carrier with 14500 in it connected to the driver with alligator clips. I temporarily solder a star with an old LED to the driver wires. If the light works then it’s time to start gluing.
Once you have confirmed that it works and that the wires do not get in the way so that the switch can placed in approximately the right position it’s time to glue the switch on. For this glue job I started with some fiberfix glue . This is basically just superglue, but it cures instantly when you shine the little light on the other end of the dispenser on it. My goal with the fiberfix was just to provide a little temporary support so I didn’t use too much.
Then I used a much larger quantity of arctic alumina thermal epoxy around the sides of the switch and surrounding wires to anchor everything in place. I figured the epoxy would hold much better than the super glue once the driver got hot. So I used enough arctic alumina to hold even if all the super glue gave way.
After that, just wait 10-15 minutes for the epoxy to cure enough then insert the new driver into the light.
I ordered several different types of tactile switches from banggood for modifying these smaller lights.
I personal like the switches with a metal shell, the outer shell can be soldered on to help hold them in place if your careful.
I just modified a DQG tiny with a triple nichia using a BLF X6 FET + 1 7135 driver running NarsilM using this switch.
About the easiest switch mounting I have done with this setup.