What did you mod today?

[DB_Custom (Dale)]

Bingo! Thanks Jos!

The ones we used back then were Vishay branded, hard to find even then.

Relevant for a driver that uses this package size and needs a better MOSFET… like the one forsh is working on.

[JaredM]

I remember they were getting scarce at one point, and MTN only had a few left in stock so I ordered a couple. Never used them because right at the same time I kind of got out of modding for a good while. Bought a ZL SC63w at the time and that kept me satisfied for quite a while…

[Nachtfeuerzeug]

I modified a D25LC2 Mini clip for use on my S21A and C8+:

The D25 was my EDC for a long time but the screw holes failed. An M2 x 6mm screw and nut fits perfectly for these clips and lights. I think the clip just made the S21A my new EDC!

In fact, I would like to know where I can buy more of this or similar clip model (?). Only if the Convoy clip was as good as this one.

[MascaratumB]

I guess that the AliExpress store of EAGTAC has them, but you need to confirm!

[sandro]

Look there:

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000469017875.html?spm=a2g0o.detail.1000013.7.1e882a45DOapda&gps-id=pcDetailBottomMoreThisSeller&scm=1007.14977.129071.0&scm_id=1007.14977.129071.0&scm-url=1007.14977.129071.0&pvid=b277a43e-4270-4fae-ae81-ad34105d8522&\_t=gps-id:pcDetailBottomMoreThisSeller,scm-url:1007.14977.129071.0,pvid:b277a43e-4270-4fae-ae81-ad34105d8522,tpp_buckets:668%230%23131923%2318_668%23808%234094%23449_668%23888%233325%2313

[Nachtfeuerzeug]

@MascaratumB

I guess that the AliExpress store of EAGTAC has them, but you need to confirm!

Wow, I never knew they had an AE store!

[Nachtfeuerzeug]

@sandro

Look there:

Thank you Sandro!

[MascaratumB]

@Nachtfeuerzeug

@MascaratumB

I guess that the AliExpress store of EAGTAC has them, but you need to confirm!

Wow, I never knew they had an AE store!

I guess it is relatively recent there, maybe from last year, but it has lights, clips, batteries and accessories ! And your search gave me some ideas as well concerning the clips

BTW, some time ago I did something alike to get a less pretty result, compared to yours

[Rayoui]

I recently picked up an Olight S1R Baton II to use at work because I like the tiny form factor and the magnetic charger is great for quick top-offs when I swing by the desk. I work in a semiconductor fab and the overhead lights have UV filters on them to protect the wafers during the photolithography process. This makes the ambient light look very yellow. The S1RII’s cool white low CRI emitter looks positively horrid in these lighting conditions, so I decided to swap it.

I swapped in a 3000K 90+ CRI XM-L2 (XMLBWT-00-0000-000UT20E7) and was very pleased and surprised to see that this is one of the most beautifully tinted emitters I’ve seen. I measured it with a color meter and the tint measures almost exactly the same as a sw45k. I wasn’t expecting that but it looks absolutely lovely. I want to order a few more but I’m afraid they’ll end up being from a different tint bin.

White balance @ 4000K

[SKV89]

That XM-L2 looks excellent and it is the brightest 90CRI bin for the XM-L2 Thanks for the heads up!

[JaredM]

Rayoui, where did you get that emitter and when? Mouser? Interested as I have a few lights with picky reflectors that only seen to like doomed XML2s… never found a non-80/85cri tint I liked in this emitter… found the answer in another thread.

And I did some stuff as well. Modded my FW3A with an S21A reflector that I machined down to clearance the head. I’ve been trying to source one of these reflectors for so long and finally broke down and bought a host from MTN. Turns out I really like the s21a as well, but it’s going to turn into a long runtime LH351d triple/quad soon enough.

Convoy s21a reflector in fw3a Convoy s21a reflector in fw3a - Album on Imgur

[djozz]

Convoy makes reflectors that make excellent beams, good idea!

[SKV89]

@Rayoui

I recently picked up an Olight S1R Baton II to use at work because I like the tiny form factor and the magnetic charger is great for quick top-offs when I swing by the desk. I work in a semiconductor fab and the overhead lights have UV filters on them to protect the wafers during the photolithography process. This makes the ambient light look very yellow. The S1RII’s cool white low CRI emitter looks positively horrid in these lighting conditions, so I decided to swap it.

I swapped in a 3000K 90+ CRI XM-L2 (XMLBWT-00-0000-000UT20E7) and was very pleased and surprised to see that this is one of the most beautifully tinted emitters I’ve seen. I measured it with a color meter and the tint measures almost exactly the same as a sw45k. I wasn’t expecting that but it looks absolutely lovely. I want to order a few more but I’m afraid they’ll end up being from a different tint bin.

White balance @ 4000K

I just realized the FW3A doesn’t have a SST-20 3000K option. Did you do an emitter swap on that one? If so, was that from Kaidomain?

[Scallywag]

@Mike C

Hurray! I’ve finally built a firmware testing light where I can flash firmware for my drivers with a USB cable. I needed a small light to carry, USB port, usable on a bike, dual switch and lighted E-switch. The S42 fits all that except dual switch but fortunately the S41 tailswitch works fine. I’ve had a previous attempt at making a driver for this light but screwed up the USB port part of the driver. Now I got it (almost) right. Had to file down some internals in the host to fit the wires without squishing them.

Custom driver with holes for the original driver “poles”:

Driver assembled with a custom slave board with micro USB connector and charger chip (MCP73831). Really finicky to put together because the wires I used where too fat:

The flashing kit. The photo was taken while I flashed a light by USB cable for the first time ever

So here it is, my dual switch EDC firmware tester. The first light I’ve built in ages. I burned up the red LED on the switch but that doesn’t matter because I made a mistake in the driver design and only have one channel for a switch LED. At least the green one is working

The only thing I don’t like about this light is the beam profile. I’m in no way a beam snob but this thing is horrendous! :confounded: I know carclo quad optics don’t fit, is there any other option that does?

Mike, you just made a new requirement for the next BLF light
USB-flashing!

@djozz

Made a D80V2-SBT-90.2 today.

I had a 5700K Luminus SBT-90.2 from Neal that I did an output test on and it needed a host. Of course a big head thrower is the obvious way to go but I have a FT03 with this same led coming in the mail (some day it arrives) so that is already taken care of. So I went with the best 18650 host on the market (thanks to TheOnlyDocc :+1: who worked together with LuckySun, Lexel and BLF to make this finetuned version), the Wildtrail D80-V2. DBCustom beat me putting this led in a small host (he used a X6), but I think it is more than worth the trouble.

The challenge was to fit the led in the reflector that was never made for this fat led, and get it focused. I hoped that when the reflector hole was reamed so that it fitted flush around the black frame on the led that holds the glass window, so sitting on the led base, that the focus was ok too. And luckily that was quite right. With that hole size a thin edge of the reflector base remained and that was all that was needed to make it work. I slightly sanded that edge and then put a layer of Kapton tape on the edge, and also a layer of Kapton tape around the black frame on the led. This was needed because there are a couple of conducting dots in the corners on the led.

After this, this mod only needed two spring bypasses (18AWG at the tail, 20AWG at the driver) and the light was good to go. The stock 20mm Lexel driver is a fine FET+5+1 type, and the stock switch is a nice fat Omten one.


It took me 2 hours to do this mod (but the led was already reflowed). I’m not good with dust as you can see in the pics, dust does not affect performance but I should do a better job cleaning the reflector from the metal shavings that were formed when reaming the hole.


The performance is just great. With a fresh VTC6 and a clamp meter on the tail I measured 19 A. The output at startup is 4300 lumen (corrected to maukka calibration), at 30 seconds the output is 3950 lumen (just 8% drop) and the throw 118 kcd. After 2 minutes the head becomes really hot and a stepdown is desired.
It is refreshing to have a compact light with so much output that is not a flooder but a potent thrower . Only the SBT-90.2 could make this possible

Mmm, that is tempting. My Z1 already satisfies the “compact thrower” thing, but it has less than 25% of the output of this monster…

[Rayoui]

@SKV89

@Rayoui

I recently picked up an Olight S1R Baton II to use at work because I like the tiny form factor and the magnetic charger is great for quick top-offs when I swing by the desk. I work in a semiconductor fab and the overhead lights have UV filters on them to protect the wafers during the photolithography process. This makes the ambient light look very yellow. The S1RII’s cool white low CRI emitter looks positively horrid in these lighting conditions, so I decided to swap it.

I swapped in a 3000K 90+ CRI XM-L2 (XMLBWT-00-0000-000UT20E7) and was very pleased and surprised to see that this is one of the most beautifully tinted emitters I’ve seen. I measured it with a color meter and the tint measures almost exactly the same as a sw45k. I wasn’t expecting that but it looks absolutely lovely. I want to order a few more but I’m afraid they’ll end up being from a different tint bin.

I just realized the FW3A doesn’t have a SST-20 3000K option. Did you do an emitter swap on that one? If so, was that from Kaidomain?

It’s a pre-soldered Noctigon star from Intl-outdoor. HB4 I believe.

[SKV89]

HB4 is above the BBL. No wonder why it’s so green. KD used to sell a HD2 bin that was somewhat rosy. I was assuming it was the HD2 bin because it’s more popular so I was surprised how the XM-L2 appeared that much rosier.

[Rayoui]

Even without comparing it next to another light, this particular XM is one of the pinkest LEDs I’ve seen. It measures about the same tint as my sw45k lights. I can take a comparison photo with some slightly rosy XP-L HI in 3000K when I get home from work.

[djozz]

What failed to mod today.

I had a nice project in mind today, hotrodding a ToolAA 2.0 with a 15mm BLF-A6 driver and LH351D. But instead I spent an hour getting the pill screwed out, with brute force, and heatinh the head up with a blowtorch. While applying more and more force and heat, I first broke out the stock driver, then damaged the led shelf, then after a particularly intense heating session, the reflector coating started peeling. The pill never moved.

So that was one ToolAA down, a very rare occasion that I was not able to get a glued part loose. (this used to be a smooth reflector)

[Henk4U2]

Maybe a silly question, but did you try anti-clockwise?

[gchart]

I hope so… Tool AAs are counter-clockwise and I don’t think I’ve run into any glue on them.

I did the same thing a few months back, learned my lesson (on a Tool AA) the hard way