Olight X7 Mod (Sky Lumen)

3mins seems really long to me. I bet the vihn light would go into meltdown if it stays in Turbo for more than 90seconds. It just doesn’t have enough mass.

I sent an email to ask about the driver (if it has LDO) but the answer i got was “It is direct driven” :person_facepalming: .

He also said “My drivers has negligible parasitic drain.” …

Hes driver boards look common i have seen them before i think.

Looking at some of his lights they are just common modded lights here. That most modders can do?

Vinh, as it says on his website, does modding as a full-time job. It's a good model for high end name brand lights, specially as a reseller w/discounted purchases which he was doing with some brands. He's also gotten good deals on volume buys from retailers, like Illumn.com, and also help from Richard on the driver side, plus he probably has contacts with machine shops, or at least someone that can help in making some custom parts, like copper assemblies, etc.

For modding these mostly higher end lights, he's been blazing the trail because he can afford to buy a $300 light just to see if it's moddable, whether the time put in will be worth the benefit of a mod. So in a way, it's good for all modders to follow him. But it's always been hard to get details from him, unfortunately, and I guess that's still true based on the answer giorgoskok just gotten. That's very common - to get an answer like that, almost as if he didn't understand the question.

Yes, basically, it's mostly common mods but again, he definitely has some specialized skills - for example his tuning of focus for reflector based throwers is outstanding, and because of his profit margins, he can offer "PDT" options, which are hand picked higher performing LED's. Dunno how it works out, but I envision out of 5-10 LED's tested, you can find one that performs a bit better, so he can offer it as a higher cost option, and his customers have no problem paying for it. Also he can crack open almost any light, so he must have a great setup for pressure opening bezels, etc. Think of the # of lights he mods on a yearly basis, makes a very good living at it - that experience alone puts him in a modding category no one else is, or will be, even close to.

So, he caters to the high end buyer, which is a great business model with higher margins. He will also not sell and turn down mods where time/materials is too costly for what he can sell it for. Again, god business practice.

I would just love to be able to see his work setup, the tools, his bench, for example. He can spend some significant money I would think to get what he wants and needs.

That's why he's successful on CPF, and not popular here. When he's posted here, he got a lot of grief, big time, lot of controversial remarks made to him, borderline nasty. With the Rude feature we have now, might not be as bad for him.

Pretty much it's expected to get that kind of reception here - he's about as opposite for BLF as you can get - no helpful insights, high end stuff, high prices.

As you said Tom , i don’t know if he didn’t understand the question about the LDO , or he just didn’t know about his driver .

Personally , he helped me some time ago , when i was searching how i can remove the bezel on my MH20 .

I sound like a prick for what i wrote lol But i would buy from here (BLF) before any where else for a modded light! I am looking for a host so i can build my own triple XHP70 my budget is about 120 USD all combined for parts :money_mouth_face: big difference! I am trying to stick to the Budget part of BLF :stuck_out_tongue:

some of his videos show part of his workshop, tools, setup and the rest.

But modding lights full-time really is profitable…:

3rd Stingray Audio System ;-) - YouTube

Please let me in on your secret with the MH20. Just a heat gun, strap wrench and some muscle? I’d love to change that horrible stock led.

That’s the trick . Also , you can use some grippy silicone material if you don’t have strap wrench .

So thats why I only see him at CPF and never see him here. What is his BLF account anyway?

Firstly, with Vinh there is definitely a language barrier. I have asked him questions that I didn’t get an answer to, but it was not to hide anything, he just didn’t understand. When he controls the narrative like in his videos, he’s much more fluent than when it’s going the other way. At best he is very busy and tends to give short answers anyway.

Secondly, I’m always fascinated when I hear criticisms of Vinh because he is too expensive. He is running a business and has hundreds of customers who are prepared to pay what he is asking because they are either not interested in spending hours turning a $10 light into a $50 light because they lack the skill or the time. For those who can, and enjoy it, then go ahead, but more are excited by driving a great car than building one.

Finally, Vinh gives a small fortune to charity. He believes in passing it on to those less fortunate, and is a very decent man. I trust that those who criticise are doing the same.

Need I remind of others (OSTS and Milkyspit) who have tried to serve the flashlight community with original products and gone into large debt in the process? I’m not criticising BLF, I marvel at what some here achieve ( and share between forums), but CPF is just a different community with different expectations. There is a lot of cross-over, much more than either would admit. But if they weren’t different, they probably wouldn’t both survive.

You would be surprised that Vinh uses lots of primitive tools like the rest of us—reminds me of me—my work area is always a mess—that’s how I like it—-I have helped Vinh with things I have knowledge about and in turn he has helped me with anything I have asked him—even modded a few lights for nothing even with free return shipping—-most of the time if you look at the price of the stock light verses his modded version the prices are not that far apart
I build—repair houses for a living—-I don’t take on the responsibility of someones project without the intention of making money —Good Money—-in the mix of all that you make great on some and others you loose your behind—anyone who is self employed knows exactly what I’m talking about

Really? That's good! What was the trick? I'm stuck with a MH20 too - no luck getting the bezel off.

Still haven’t opened my MH20 but opened other nitecore lights with this methods some days ago .

At one point I have had about 30 different Vinh lights. I presently have 17.

I need to say this. Vinh is VERY fair and reasonable. I can not tell you the good deals he has given me,especially over the last year as my finances are not good!

He gave me a FREE SDminiVN for my Birthday last June.It sells for $130. He is very thoughtful and generous and not money hungry like some have portrayed him.

The TN42 stock sells for $200. Vinh is selling it for $250. With a discount and our typical negotiations[!],I got the light for $222!! How can you beat that?That is more than fair.

One more example,For FREE, he replaced and upgraded the driver about 6 months after the warranty expired on my SR52vn.

His lights are not as expensive as people think when you take everything into consideration[warranty/customer service/free work done/negotiated discounts[!] and performance.

Lastly, I have had differences with him, sometimes where I was completely wrong, we talked about it, let it go and moved on. Some of these were ego driven heated debates! lol! The FREE B’day light came after that.

30 Vinh lights? For some of us that’s unimaginable. I should hope he gave you some freebies with that kind of order history, but yes it does show he isn’t totally money hungry, just making a living.

I have mixed feelings about Vinh.

1. I feel like a lot of times he’s selling old technology to people, and they don’t even question it they just blindly eat it up. It’s got his name on it so it must be the best, right? This one may be due to his secrecy about his drivers, I can only assume he’s using the pcb he posted on his website which is a little old now. This is also more a criticism of his buyers than vinh himself. Many (not all) just throw hundreds of dollars at him without asking questions. I will never understand that mentality. I have to know what I am paying for.

2. I believe in the free market. If he can mod an existing light and sell huge numbers of them for a profit, then good for him. I think his prices are crazy, but that’s because he’s starting with lights that I think are already overpriced.

3. I’m probably a little jealous. What he is doing isn’t hard, and I’m sure I could do just as well at it, but he had the guts and the capital to pull it off, and he’s living the high life because of it. Meanwhile I’m sitting here in my average job, barely able to support this hobby. So yeah, jealous.

Hhmm - I struggled with my strap wrench's - actually can't get them working on small lights, exc. on large lights. Heat? Haven't had luck with that either. Dunno what grippy silicone material is... I've tried a few different heat tricks, rarely got it to help. I know I must be doing something wrong, but dunno.

Dang so if I fall out with him then tell him it’s my birthday—I get a free light—I have to try that—JK——- I think you posted it wrong—you’re getting a modded TN42 for $250 discounted to$222

I have had good luck with a piece of a regular black flat bungy cord—I cut a piece wrap the light and vise it up carefully—then use another piece wrap the other part I’m wanting to remove and use channel locs over the strap—be careful not to dog down too much—I’ve flatten parts before
sometimes a little kroil penetrating oil in the joint with heat gun does the trick