Hank, if this works out, please post about it in the BLF-348 GB thread for others to see. Maybe before & after pictures?
I received the BLF-348. Definitely looks like a manufacturing and design oversight, the lack of a centering ring. The easy approach would have been to design the reflector to accomplish the centering on its own, either by means of a built in extension coming out of the vertex that hugs the LED substrate, or by making the reflector hug the ID of the body more so than it does in the current design. As is, they would’ve had to invest in a mold for plastic injection of some special centering rings, and so they didn’t.
I’ll come up with a solution. I am thinking of a conical centering ring that hugs the taper of the reflector. I doubt I’ll be able to accomplish the solution in a single machining operation but we’ll see.
So much hugging going on in this post. 
All 4 of my new BLF-348 lights have the same issue, the black crescent on one side of the LED. If a fix is reasonable, I would be interested also. Thanks for looking into this.
I messed around with the BLF-348 for a second. Removed the black washer from under the reflector and trimmed the silicone sheathing on one of the wires so that the reflector’s vertex opening could sit against the led substrate. I visually checked for clearance between the reflector and the electrical wires and solder blobs to ensure there would be no shorts. Put it back together, omitting the black washer, and there is no issue with the beam that I can see. I rather quite like this light.
Can anyone else confirm that this fixes their beam issue?
THANKS!!!
it fits PERFECT!
Glad to hear nofearek9.
Big thanks to Hank for telling me to keep the BLF-348 he sent me for beam troubleshooting. What a nice surprise!
I still have not gotten to the next run of these gaskets. Seems I’ve got about 50 to make this time around.
Can custom sized centering rings ordered for your next batch, or has to be previous existing designs?
I want to mod my TM16 into a Quad XHP-35 HI, and that would require 4 individual mcpcbs with their own centering ring each and re-wire the LED to parallel, should be interesting if can be done.
Yep, 100% custom is the name of the game, but you have to provide the dimensions for me.
Ok the reflector openings were ranging frrm 8.89 to 8.93mm, Convoy L2 XP-to-9mm centering rings were ranging from 8.95 to the widest at 9.02 and it nicely “clicked” in place.
So it has to be:
ID: XP footprint (for XHP35 HI in this case)
OD: 9mm
Height: Not taller than a XHP-35 HI. (1mm)
Basically just like this but round with 9mm OD. No need for extended lip, the reflector must sit directly on top of the MCPCB.
I need 6. (4 + 2 extras in case I mess up.)
Hoop, have you looked at the recent comments starting around
and on up around and past this one (if these links work)
about the CPFItalia zoom light maybe needing a washer, maybe a “shoulder washer” to keep cells from shorting out to the brass pill instead of staying centered on the spring?
Might be your approach would be able to make the needed part, if we can figure out the size/spec
Hank, absolutely it would work. All I need is the exact ID of the brass retaining ring.
Will these help out with info on the Cometa issue.
Complete view.
Retaining ring ID
Pill ID
Pill OD
A look inside.
Just noticed Hoop is in Spokane. I will be in Spokane next Monday for a couple days if you want to check out a Cometa in person.
not sure about others but all I see is lots of green, no pictures High Caliber.
Pics show up ok here.
Yup that should be sufficient. I could cut the ring to 13.1mm and see how that works.
I hope you two get together with the Cometa and figure out what it needs.
Looks to me like it needs something around the LED as well (I posted a few examples from AliExpress and Intl in the Cometa thread, there are lots of insulating gaskets out there, but hard to tell what’s appropriate for this hardware.
As my first sysop, from the 1200 baud days, told me: I hate hardware. If it wasn’t that I need it to run software I’d never touch the stuff.
I just wish Toykeeper’s code controlling light could be invoked by handwaving and chanting, I guess
Hoop, are you still produce these rings?
I need 3030 with reflector opening of 6mm-ish for GT micro
EDIT: now i saw it’s closed :(
i know group buy is close and topic is OLD ,but need centering ring for KD 86mm reflector with OSRAM KW CSLNM1.TG led ,any place i can ….
still looking to buy a custom center ring……