Yes, the comp is mainly for fun, & pretty much everyone who completes thier entry wins something.
I entered in the first 3, but was unable to last year. Can’t wait until this year’s!
Check out the first few comp builds here.
A lot of times when you buy a pre-built drop-in, you have no idea what went into it, or how. Did they use thick-enough wires? Did they use a good thermal goop like AS5? Or is the emitter just press-fit to the pill by the reflector?
Æons ago, when I saw an 5000K XP-L drop-in just came out, and at a non-obscene price, I sprung for it immediately. Nice emitter, but the driver is just a bunch of parallelled chip-resistors, no actual regulation. Wellp, there goes that idea…
Never bothered to replace the driver, and I still have it somewhere, maybe in a ’501 host, forgot.
Point is, had I rolled my own, it would’ve been with my choice of driver, AS5ed nicely to the pill, and I would’ve been happy with it for what it is. I wouldn’t consider it half-good.
Throwing together a drop-in is easy. And quick. And you get to pick’n’choose everything you want on it, down to the last detail, just like ordering a sandwich from a deli. 
@ FmC
Hum, nice!! I guess I’ll have a lot to see from the past years
Maybe I can enter too, if it is that way! I guess we “just can’t get enough” of new things to mod and learn from!
I have 3 projects in mind to mod! One I guess its almost done, I just have to fit the pieces when they arrive; a second one will be mostly a LED and driver swap, and a TIR lens replacement; and the third one, somewhere in the middle, will imply a side switch construction to recycle a flashlight’s host! This one may become a bit tricky as I don’t know much about electronics and that stuff, but I’ll try it and maybe I can take it to the contest 
:+1:
@ Lightbringer
I guess you’re right! Besides the measures, that aspect is pretty important, the components used and what have they done to them.
That’s why I preferred to use things from Convoy and Kaidomain stores instead of buying a stock drop-in! And more than that, I think the “hands-on” approach to the builds are the most exciting things, once you get new skills. You get to know the materials and processes better!
After the first one (or two, in this case) I just want more. And even if I don’t exclude the idea of buying those pre-built ones, it won’t be as funny as these were
Only now, after seeing FmC link, I understood that the is the name of the member that promotes the contest :person_facepalming:
I’m so noob
I’ll be looking forward to see the news about the contest! Thanks again! :+1:
:laughing: :+1:
I saw 3 different kinds from FT, just slight variations of 1mm or less, so got 1 of each. So thinner/thicker stars, O-rings, etc., I’d probably be covered.
Most cases, though, I’m not pushing the critter very hard (colored LEDs, UV, etc.), so I leave the original crapflector in there.
Nice work! You certainly are hooked up modding!
I did some basic modding, not even your level, so keep up the goood work
Absolutely it does. It’s hindered by any washer/spacer/etc. that keeps the reflector from shorting out the wires to the LED (at the solder-bumps), but it makes some thermal contact and wicks away some heat quite nicely.
“Some” being the operative word. And every little bit helps. Kinda like DTP vs non-DTP…
Hi Yokiamy! Thanks for your words!
In my view this was a bit basic too, comparing to what other people do here! But I guess this is a beginning and now I want more
Practice makes perfect and I guess the more we do, the more we want to do, the more we do better
@ Ollie and Lightbringer
On the Brennenstuhl I started to use the aluminum reflector I bought, instead of the original plastic reflector! I put some insulation tape to avoid the short circuit (I don’t have kapton tape as CRX suggested)!
The first thing I noted was that there is more heat on the front of the flashlight. The beam pattern is a bit different, but the temperature is certainly higher. I just don’t know if it creates or draws heat from the plate and LED! So far, it is working
The Ante, although using the aluminum reflector, it barely makes contact with the plate, so there’s no short circuit possibility and few heat transfer, I guess!
Good job with your first mods MascartumB! I like how your dad to helped you out. I have found that even though thermal compound can get quite messy, it cleans up very well with isopropyl alcohol and cotton swabs. Thanks for taking the time to post your experience.
Thanks for your words and tips NeutralFan!!
Yeah, I needed my dad’s help as he has the tools and mostly the expertise on using them, and so I invited him to participate in the process! 
Hum, I have to search for that “isopropyl alcohol”! Never heard of it :person_facepalming:
But…one (or 2) question(s): does the excessive thermal paste interfere on the connections or the light functionality, or does it endanger the wiring? Or is it more a matter of looking?
I’m sorry but I really don’t know, and as the light has been working fine, I also don’t know if it will provoke any “dangerous” situation for the plate or the LED.
Thanks again :+1:
I don’t think you should have an issue with the thermal compound causing electrical shorts, if that’s what you are asking. As long as it’s mostly behind the LED and not on the driver, you should be fine. It also depends on the compound you used, some are conductive and others are not.
Yup, that would be my major concern!
There’s a part of the thermal paste close and on the solder and the plate
The paste specs says “thermally conductive compounds are grease-like silicone materials, heavily filled with heat conductive metal oxides. This combination promotes high thermal conductivity, low bleed and high-temperature stability”.
Maybe I got the wrong compound too, besides the mess I did
To clean it perfectly I would have to unsolder the plate and take it out. The pill is very tall, so the wires are almost all stretched, there’s no space to lift up the plate and clean it below and on its sides…
To be safe, I would clean-up the compound around exposed wires and LED contact points. Since the compound says it has metal oxides, I would be concerned of possible current between the wires and the pill. But that’s just my opinion and perhaps others will say that it shouldn’t be an issue.
I hope you’re not a painter :laughing:
It’s not too bad, cottonbuds could clean it up a bit, taking care not to slip and get it on the emitter. Get some artic silver5 when you can, much better stuff.
Did you press the MCPCB down, I usually press it down with long nose pliars while twisting back n forth just a bit to seat it down, again taking care with the emitter and not guillotine the wires.
Eheh, no sir, I’m not a painter
Thank you both! I guess I’ll try to clean that then! Although this was an “experience” I rather not to go through some risks, namely damaging the light’s components!
Yeah, having some conductive properties it’s better not to risk…
I had some struggle soldering this one (due to the shape of the pill) and I guess I did the process in the wrong way.
I soldered before applying the paste. So after that it was a bit difficult to seat it down, even pushing the plate against the pill!
Next time I’ll do better :+1:
And I’ll get the arctic silver5! I searched a bit and I think I got a store nearby that sells it I guess I’m discovering a new world of stores
I have some more things (drivers, leds, lights) arriving, so I’ll try a new approach with those! Trying not to be so messy is my new goal
Yeah every build you learn something, try something new.
I’ve had some failures too, I just don’t post about them… :innocent:
Yup, that’s true! And following that thought, I have a loooot to learn to get to do some “decent” mods! No, not like your mods and creations, those are superb!! 
Maybe someday we can create a thread about “modding failures”, documenting what went wrong so that BLFrs can - at least - laugh before doing the same :smiling_imp:
Mine would be about “excessively thermal pasting”
There is a thread about that.
Bear in mind I’ve had 25 years experience hand fabricating stuff being a spark and it took about 3 years collecting lights before I started making some from scratch.
There are also some interesting threads debating thermal paste that you might find useful
Well, I didn’t know about that thread, but even if excessive pasting may not be “breaking” issue, it is still an issue
Wow, I didn’t know that 
Still, I guess that experience is a part , but your creativity and good taste for this are what complete the ability to make the lights you do!!! Your work is inspiring, that’s a fact!
So thanks for your inputs on these issues and your help too!
Maybe in some days I can ask you how to build a “simple” side switch ! I wanna try something different in a next time
Thanks again!! :+1: