I’d ordered some 519a’s to see what the hype was about, they arrived a few days ago.
I somehow got the order wrong and ordered 16mm mpcb LEDs rather than 20mm; but this provided good opportunity to upgrade an older Convoy S9 I have, which is one of the lower current versions (Simon lists 1400ma as an option, so I assume this is the “original”). Simple swap of the 5000K XML with a 4000K 519a.
Thought I had a 3535 centering gasket in the parts box but only 5050 footprint ones, I left the stock one on for now, it’s not perfect.
I think I’ve gone from 4 modes to 3 modes somehow, maybe I fried something or changed a setting or mis-remember 4 mode…
Edit to add: this has turned into a typical gravelmonkey mod… I suspect the LED wires are shorting or at risk of shorting on the mpcb as I managed to melt the cheap insulation. So I pulled the driver out (quite straightforward, retaining ring, spring washer, lever the microusb casing down and the driver pops out. The wires are actually longer than I anticipated so I put it back together, the soldering irons been put away for now though…
Second edit: did some trouble shooting and the S9 is still 3-mode, so… Maybe I’m misremembering the 4 modes. On the upside, I de-domed the 4000K and the beam looks great.
Also got hold of my Emisar D1S, I think stock was XPL Hi, which I’d swapped in a ?SST20 a few years ago. Reflowed a 5700K 519a on a alu star then dedomed. Unfortunately the 519a was blue on the highest brightness, so I guess the 519a can’t take the current. Swapped the ?SST20 back in.
The dedomed 519a was put to use in my Xeno G42, Xeno’s answer to the C8, it’s a bit vintage by today’s standards but the stainless bezel and build quality make it one of my favourite lights. Drive current is only 2A. I’d previously had a slightly greenish 4000K SST20 in it. I don’t have a luxmeter so can’t say if there’s any real improvement on lumens or throw, but the tint is improved.