If you want to do the same, here are the instructions (I hope I didn't forget anything):
Desolder the two metal bars from the driver (which connect back and front) and take all three boards out.
Desolder all components from the two round driver boards (SMD).
Cut the marked connection on the small switches board on the shown side and on the rear side.
Bore up the holes on the side with the 3 wires (on the switch board, too); see images.
Note that the "V-" wire will be connected to 4 spots: two on the small switches board (see image); to the hole through which it gets into the driver compartment (not shown) and to the outer ring of the new driver, directly above that.
Solder wires (V-, V+, B+, M) to the switches board as shown. Remember which is which. Insert both boards.
Solder V- to it's hole on the lower round board; let 5mm protrude.
Solder the B+ wire to "VCC" on the original board, as shown.
Desolder the spring from the NANJG, solder the V+ wire to that spot.
Solder M (from the mode button) to the NANJG's 4th star, which is connected to ATtiny's B3 pin as active low. By 4th star I mean the one near the brown capacitor (labelled C1).
I've got one of these lights with a driver that never did work, so it would be good to give a try, I am not sure I will be able to do it, but I haven't got much to loose.
A driver with ramping would be great, but I am afraid I do not know how to program it nor have the tools, so It will be a KD 8*7135 V2 I've got around here with high and med modes.
Note that a standard driver (with unmodified firmware) will not make any use of the mode button.
I could send a readily flashed driver though, if you want to do that mod.
Dr Jones has been gracious enough to sell me some flashed drivers and I've ordered the light.
Although he offered customization, I went w/ the same UI he chose. I debated adding a moon low, but the reality is, this is a high power light and I almost always have some other (low power) light handy when I need that function.
When I do this mod I'll post a step by step - for the benefit of others, but more so that (hopefully ;) ) Dr Jones can verify my (mis)understanding/work before first power on
I can't believe there isn't more interest in this. Not that it isn't a bit more risky/challenging than your average driver swap...but I imagine the result is going to be well worth the effort.
This might end up my main camping light, in place of my xtar d06. It is tough to beat the instant access to 20+ levels and the ruggedness of that light - but it runs at 2.5A. I'll add 2 or 3 chips to Dr. Jones' driver, and still have more runtime than the D06...plus the beacon mode is going to help me find my campsite (from my boat, since the DRY and flex360s are for landing).
a dozen other projects will get pushed aside (literally...on my bench lol) when this light arrives. but, this spending has to stop, if I want to keep eating human food anyway.
This is awesome. I still have yet to build a light utilizing a secondary switch. All I need to do is wire up the secondary switch to the 4th star and ground, so that it will pull low when pressed, correct?
I don't plan on doing the TK35 clone, probably just a Maglite. Would you be willing to post up your code? (I just didn't want to bother figuring out the code to access the pin for low. I know it's not hard, I was just lazy).
I am unsure I will wire it correctly, if you want I can send you the full battery host, let me know if you can do it, and give a price for it if possible.
I am not very good soldering little things, doing it on thick wires, led stars I can do it, but smaller than that me and my terrible solder are pretty bad.
This is a two-button light, so there's no other "inactive" mode other than being switched completely off. My TheKlone35 firmware does not support lights without power button.
I don't have any light with only a momentary button yet, except the SR KING, but it performs so well I don't want to mess with it, even though I'd like a better UI.
Are there any other inexpensive modable two-button lights out there? I really want to build one, but I'm not too excited about the TK35 battery format.
Than, I should continue to search some more or wait for Tido to see if he is willing to share a code so I can mod the H3. Do you feel like sharing Dr Jones? :)