Thorfire VG10S....opinion

Thanks T.

I bought one and it will be here in a few days.

If the beam is decent spread, I’ll buy a few more and use one to finally join the alcoholics flashoholics club by breaking modifying it. I read so much, might as well put it to destroy built something more crazy useful.

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EDIT……searching for any mods, seems nobody has done one. Maybe I will be the first to fit a CXB-3590. I’m about to be slapped silly in 3…2…1…

How about a 4000k SST-20 mod?

OK….why that? What will I gain? AND……are you prepared to walk me through the valley of the shadow of led death brilliance?

Ummmm….

1. Better tint.
2. Much much better color rendition.
3. Better throw.

Thorfire TK15/TK15S/VG15S/VG10S lights are very easy to modify.

To make it even easier, just buy the SST-20 reflowed already from there:
https://www.aliexpress.com/store/product/luminus-SST20-4000K-5000K-6500K-on-16mm-20mm-DTP-copper-board/330416_32975568763.html

Hmmmm……95 CRI? Wow.

Noticed the thick copper plate.

What does re-flowed head mean? Sorry for the really somewhat mostly dumb question.

It’s already been soldered down to the copper LED MCPCB (Metal Core PCB).

That means you only need to:

1. Open the head.

2. Remove the XM-L2 MCPCB by desoldering the wires and unscrewing the screw.

3. Put it the new SST-20 4000k with the MCPCB.

4. Solder the wires back, with some thermal paste under the PCB.

5. Close the head back.

Done :slight_smile:

Almost sounds like my sex life

I’m rummaging through the aliexpress. Are the XHP50.2 above the ability of the VG10 ability to handle it?

Or……it doesn’t really matter because the current available is constant and limited to any LED. Another way of putting this, does the LED drive the demand or does the circuit make x amount available regardless of LED.

Again, sorry if it sounds like a dumb question.

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EDIT….will pick it up later. I’m taking the Q8 and clubbing baby seals spying on the neighbors wife checking up on some properties in anticipation of tomorrows howling winds.

The XPH 50.2 is a 6 volt emitter. Yours is a 3 volt.

Here is what 3 different VG10 with FET driver , look like with 3 different emitters if it helps any.

10 feet from White Garage door with each light
XM-L2 U4 1A (dedomed)

XP-L V6 1A (dedomed)

XP-L HI V3 3C

All 3 emitters side by side (on medium setting with FET driver)in order of ….Left - HI V3 3C / Middle - XM-L2 U4 / Right - XP-L V6

Here is the Stock VG10 vs the modded light with the Dedomed XP-L V6 1A to show the difference that it makes. (95yards to Gate) taken at different times , but good enough to see the better throw and slightly less spill area of the modded light and also the tint difference from the really cool white of the stock emitter.

Stock LIght

Modded Light

Thanks robo. Interesting how different the throws are with just a change of led.

We’re going a bit on the wrong direction in what I like for an all around light. I prefer a large hot spot, soft spread with more light in the spill. The range of use will be about 200 feet.

On your bottom two pictures, I prefer the stock to the mod.

I have a cheap coast light with adjustable lens. I like the full spread light when doing chores or taking outside. A 500 lumen version of that would be interesting.

If I can’t get what I want, who cares, 10 buck light. I’ll still fool around and maybe do what you did.

Thanks for posting the pics.

NO problems…….Just a change to a better LED would probably be the thing for what you are saying. Something like the XP-L V6 3D with the dome left on it would give a pretty good neutral tint (around 5000K) and the kind of coverage you see in the “Stock Light” picture.
If you went with a more powerful driver like the FET , then you would also gain a lot in the lumens along with the better tint.

“more powerful driver like the FET”

Whoosh….over my head….I’m playing tennis with a ping pong paddle.

I’m getting the light in a few days. Then I’m going to take it apart and you guys can torture me while I ask stupid questions. Actually, buy a few more so i could do comparisons.

BTW…when you say the XP-L V6 3D is a better led. How? Three criteria matter…ay least in what o consider criteria….lumens, CRI and efficiency. Does that the XP-L best the OEM led?

Thanks robo.

Send me one too lol.

I’ll replace the LED for an SST-20 3500k and some much better springs.

The only problem is that I don’t have a 16mm MCPCB.

Where in “Canada” are you. I’m in the GTA, aka, Center of the Universe. (Only a canuck would get that.)

Oh boy that’s too far, unless you want to pay 15$CA for shipping :person_facepalming:

The XP-L2 emitters tend to make the olive color in the corona area , as do many of the emitters that have the phosphor all the way to the edges of the substrate. The XP-L V6 in the VG10 should give you a much better (smoother) overall tint in my opinion , the lumens probably wont differ that much between the 2 emitters , especially if you stay with a stock driver. I am not sure how the efficiency stacks up between the 2 though as I don’t usually leave the XP-L2 emitters in anything because I hate that olive color around the edges.

EDIT: The stock driver is probably making around 3 amps? With a FET and XP-L V6 you should get on up around 5.5 to 6 amps , but then there goes the efficiency in the high and or turbo mode. You would have the power there if you wanted it , but if you used the “Standard” firmware with either 5 or 6 modes , then you could run in a lower mode (3rd or 4th level) and get close to the 3 amps of the original driver. The FET would be one like THIS or THIS
Also your preference of tint would come into play……in the XP-L V6 the 1A for cool (6500K to 7000K) and for the more neutral tint the 3D (4750K to 5000K).

I’m going to see if I can do a mechanical adjustment. I’m guessing that a small change in the reflector to led position will make a big difference.

Sheesh….all this chatter for a cheap light. Must be some kind of addiction… :confounded:

Many Many cheap and also expensive lights have become monster lights from the people in this forum though….lol

I wonder if using DC-Fix could bring the stock light closer to your ideal characteristics. Would lessen the coloured corona, and trade some of the beam’s throw for flood.

sigh, now I want to grab a couple more of these myself…

Where to get this for 10$?