Adjustable Angle Light - disassembly, mod, beam profile

dthrckt · January 15, 2012, 2:03am

added a pic of tailcap

stock, from top of spring to threads I measured 1.4 ohms

pulled the spring, stripped the inside of the tailcap (I think it is paint) with oven cleaner, wrapped copper braid on top of spring then around bottom coil and replaced it.

now it measures 0.4 ohms.

Insignificant increase in lux readings, but I bet AA batteries last longer.

You might not want to do this if you'll use 14500s because it might be direct drive on high (1.5 to 2A, depending on cell I tried).

Haggai · January 15, 2012, 4:29pm

Mine don't need thin metal to whine when I put them on low. :) And it's loud enough to be heard from 1 meter away.

veer · January 16, 2012, 5:58pm

I love the design of this thing, was eyeing Fenix original at first, but for the money and battery life and lumens that it can push out the front it was waaay too expensive, I found the same clone on ebay little below 9$, search for "angle led flashlight". I think Im gonna buy one myself soonish and then come back for more info about modding its lens for better throw :D

Note that first result, if you use "worldwide" filter will be from ebay uk 2xAA tripple led flashlight, looks tempting but its probably with lots of flood and cold blue light with probably no modes, at least nothing mentioned in description.

JohnnyMac · January 16, 2012, 6:05pm

Mine is super loud on low, too. Glad it’s not just mine.

dthrckt · January 16, 2012, 7:19pm

you might be surprised by how much it throws stock, but it could be improved w/ lens. I'll try my aspheric lenses again at some point and post lux readings.

Oxy_Moron · January 26, 2012, 6:09pm

Really interesting thread. :)

I am pretty sure it is. I was doing some maintenance work on a bike today and this was the light I grabbed for no particular reason at all. As always, if a light will take li-ions, that's what I'm going to use. So I attach the light to a steel beam and get to work. I haven't even taken the gas tank off when I notice the beam is turning into a familiar angry blue. Then it starts flickering, goes off and before I can get to it, comes back on. The whole thing was over in less than 30 seconds but I'm sure the phosphorus layer didn't like it too much. When I switched it off, the head was too hot to touch.

The battery (a protected TF 14500 "flame" battery) looks fine and measured exactly 4.0v when I pulled it out. Total runtime before today must have been 15 minutes or less (ie. both the light and the battery were practically new). When I briefly put it back in, the light pulled 2.1A. Well, yeah, not good if you care about durability. Like I said, the battery looks okay but the light has now been relegated to NiMH-only duty.

dthrckt · January 26, 2012, 6:16pm

good idea in stock form. it is too hard on alkys for them to give much run time.

when I was taking beamshots the thing got so hot I couldn't believe it.

I considered adding some mass to the head but i don't think it is worth the time. If you need more light, use something bigger, or use two :)

It is the handiest automotive work light I've used...

Lensman · February 5, 2012, 10:50am

Just in case anyone's interested, here's a blue version: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/190555132551?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

Teutate · February 28, 2013, 7:22am

Hello everyone,
I know this is an old thread, but is there any chance to have the images up again?
Thank you

Heather · March 1, 2013, 10:02am

I am interested in this flashlight.
Thank you for sharing.

Dimbo_The_Blinky · March 1, 2013, 11:23am

OOOOOOOO!!!

That’s a nice, high-performance tip, dthrckt!!

THANK YOU!!

(Until I try it, that is! )

veer · March 5, 2013, 11:42pm

Its a nice light, Ive bought 5 of them. One of them was DOA - defective on arrival - turn it on in high mode, it will start to flicker, after some while it will stop.
The same occured later on with one more light.

Any ideas how to fix this?

Chloe · March 5, 2013, 11:44pm

Where did you get them from?

veer · March 6, 2013, 12:03am

Me?
I bought mine from Ebay, there was this seller who was listing them both for fixed price and also available for bidding.
I bid and won 5 pieces within couple of weeks, I bought them for 4.25$, 2x4.5$, 1x5$, 2x8$ respectively.

Chloe · March 6, 2013, 1:00am

Oh, I wondered because you mentioned one was DOA, and maybe you could claim with Paypal? I saw them on DX and similar stores.

veer · March 6, 2013, 5:06am

Yes, I had to use Ebay resolution center to get partial refund from seller.
I checkced that seller - has blocked me since then, so I cant buy anything from them anymore :D!

dthrckt · March 6, 2013, 5:36am

I have 4, and haven’t had that problem with them, but when I have with other lights it is because the path to ground isn’t good and as the light heats up and expands, something fits tighter and the connection works better.

If I were to guess, i’d say where the body tube screws into the head. Unfortunately, I think that joint is glued.

Chloe · March 6, 2013, 10:31am

dthrckt, which colours do you have? Do they glow in the dark? I’m not sure what colour to get.

dthrckt · March 6, 2013, 12:03pm

mine are all green, and they glow, but how well varies widely, even though they’re all from DX

btw, facebook must have changed the way their photo links work, and all my pic links from last year stopped working, so here are links to the pics from the first post…maybe more pics, and not in the same order…but better than nothing i guess

veer · March 6, 2013, 1:22pm

Chloe - I have yellow, green and blue, the green one glows in the dark very well, just like GITD material should.
Yellow one doesnt glow at all.
Blue one glows slightly and not homogeneous, it looks like a starry sky under clear conditions, except that the glow is very faint :D!

Body glows and switch button glows, no other parts glow on mine.