flood/throw depends on the lens construction and emitter. the one I used was from DX angle light - quite throwy with XP-E, but great mix of flood/throw with XM-L
I do agree on the head size. I haven’t seen a AAA light w/ such a big head, so it has potential.
I suggest going for a reflector - there are quite a few small reflectors available - gluing in the TIR screwed up the ‘internal reflective’ properties a bit.
measure your lens and check Kaidomain, I’m pretty sure they have an inexpensive coated glass lens that will fit (though it will be thicker and stick out just a bit).
This is assuming that I will break mine getting it out right? Lol. I am sure you are right and that I will. Steve did his. He said that the stock reflector set nicely on an XRE which has me stoked! A 17mm driver also will fit in the head. I work in a plumbing supply so I have easy access to copper caps and such so maybe fabbing a good pill won’t be that hard? Good to know that KD has small lenses though. Thanks.
Will take pictures as soon as I have a bit of natural light in my room.
Theoretically, you should be able to push everything out from the back. Try to put the head lens down on a table and push a metal rod onto the driver board and hope that you don't need so much pressure that the reflector breaks. If that fails, don't try to wedge the lens out from the edge, you'll only scratch the anodization. Just poke a hole in the middle and pull it out with the corkscrew from a swiss army knife.
To repair it, you could cut out some plastic from a CD case or something else and sand it round until it press-fits.
I just tried putting the reflector on top of an XR-E in another flashlight and saw that the beam is crap... The led doesn't reach far enough inside the reflector. If you want to use the stock reflector, you'd have to remove the bottom of it.
i didn’t break mine. I put a dollop of hot glue on it and after it hardened I grabbed that with pliers and yanked it out. Might as well use a decent lens though…they’re only a couple bucks.
1/2” copper cap is almost perfect. I have a piece of rod I put inside and then I tap the cap with a hammer to flatten it (they’re a little domed). The cap might be a little long but if you have a grinder that’s an easy fix.
1/2” caps will also take a 17mm driver, but you have to open them up just a bit (I usually trim the driver a little too, since that’s easier).
Awesome pics Steve! Are you going to put a different driver/emitter back in yours? I am assuming that the little plastic cylinder/pill just presses into the head?
Yeah, that plastic piece is just pushed inside the head.
I'm not enirely sure what to do with it. I have a spare 17mm boost driver flying around, and the idea with the copper cap and TIR optic sounds tempting
Is the TIR necessary? I would rather get a standard lens from kd and just use regular optics unless it would be easier with a TIR and I could still get throw and not flood out of it. Sorry but I know nothing about TIR optics.
Do you guys think that this driver would be ok? And would a 10440 push it safely? Or should I stay with something closer to what it has and just run AAA?
So technically the stock driver at 510ma would push an XRE ok and I could use a copper cap for slightly increased heat sinking. All I really need to buy is a better aluminum reflector and a lense to make this a pretty cool little light that will run on a AAA battery. Right? I have an XRE 16mm star already. I really do thank you guys for your time and knowledge on this light.
Rick