$10.34 pocket thrower.

1) 501B body Sunsky $3.91

2) SMO reflector/copper pill module Fast tech $2.31

3) XP-G2 emitter Fast Tech $3.29

4) Cheap driver used as contact plate Fast Tech $1.19

$10.60

  • .34 fast tech discount
    ———-
    $10.34

Ok so I used one of the dirt cheap 501B bodies, de-domed the emitter, and used the dirt cheap driver as a contact plate to direct drive from. The SMO reflector is for an XML but the bigger hole actually helps put more light in the reflector.

This is a pocket thrower that will surprise you.

Which XP-G2, the '6500k cool white' one? I don't think they listed the actual tint bin on the ones I got, but they are pretty amazing. I have a few 5000k 3D's too, and they're a little yellower than I like, the tint aficionados would probably think they're too green. S)

I think when I tested mine, the XP-G specific reflectors gave a tighter hotspot, but was still nice with the big hole XM-L parts too. The small hole reflectors don't need a centering plate as it's just the right size for the substrate.

Coming from anyone else, I’d probably just move on.

Still, I’d love to know how this came together. XP-G in an XM-L reflector? I guess it had to happen SOMEday…

(I see you’re looking for a thrower, and I get that the ratio of die size to reflector diameter affects Throw…)

DD? XP-G2 can handle that Oooooo!

I am happy to be the first “501B” fan to beg for:

BEAMSHOTS, PLEASE???

Yep the 6500 to 7000 super white until de-domed. Now it’s more neutral but still not yellow. I used gasoline to de-dome and it worked like a charm. fast too. I wish I had bought more of them I just looked at the invoice and I actually paid less. They were only $2.72. So my light was actually under $10.

I really didn’t think you could get such a small reflector to throw that far and it’s still a nice size spot too. I don’t like them to be too tiny because then they are just not very useful.

The first time I did a direct drive on the XP-G2 it was an accident. I walked outside and turned it on and was like wow this sucker can throw. Then I went to switch modes and realized what I had done. The first time I used a bigger hole on a thrower was on a Trustfire T8 with the Huge head. I put an XM-L2 in it and at the advice of a couple of members I drilled the hole out until I got the hotspot that really worked well. So I figured I would try the XP-G2 in a XML because of the bigger hole and it worked. I have drilled out a Small Sun ZY-T08 with a de-domed L2 and a Jacobs A60 and it helped on focus both of them. The Small Sun modded now throws almost as far as the T8-SST50 stock.

I have tried taking beam shots but I stink at it. I might try and talk my wife into taking some for me. She knows her way around a camera better than I do. I am pretty much a point and click guy.

I think I’m going to be buying a lux meter soon. I could always at least take pics of that.

Here's the ones I used: http://www.fasttech.com/product/1287509

They lost track of what the tint was, I think they took the whole reel and clipped them into singles. D'oh!

Comparing them to the other stuff I have of known tints, I'd say they are 1C's, the others they have listed are slightly cooler 1A's (and I think the ones you used here).

Yep these are the ones I bought.

http://www.fasttech.com/products/1311505

I think I’m going to order some more. I have another body yet and I I’m thinking about a couple other builds.

Very cool. Thank you for sharing 18sixfifty.

You’re welcome. It was fun putting it together and having it turn out so well.

Feel like taking a gamble (For $1.90)?

Buy this lens:

http://dx.com/p/glass-optics-for-flashlights-28mm-5297

...then use it to replace the lens on your 501b and paint your reflector flat black. Reviews seem kinda varied, but when I bought mine a couple of years ago, it worked perfectly in my 501b host and turned it into a great aspheric thrower. EZ900 XR-E R2 with Direct-Drive high; it's a lightsaber on foggy nights...

8)

Do you have to de-dome them? How much soldering does this require? Can you link to the exact parts?

Even not de-domed they are a lot tighter spot than an otherwise identical XML P60. Use a copper MCPCB soldered into the pill, and after you play with it for a while you only have to remove the driver to do the gasoline dunk thing (which works great btw).

Cool I think I’ll give it a try on the last body I have. thanks

This is the body, but to get the best deal you have to buy three/$11.74 total.

P60 module with copper pill- $2.31

http://www.fasttech.com/products/1605/10002800/1208507-empty-aluminum-smooth-drop-in-module-for-cree-xm-l

driver to use as a contact board $1.19

http://www.fasttech.com/products/1612/10001685/1122402-1-amc7135-led-flashlight-driver-circuit

XM-G2 Led $2.86

http://www.fasttech.com/products/1609/10001905/1311505-cree-xpgbwt-xp-g2-r5-1a-472-lumen-6500-7000k-led-e

The soldering isn’t really too bad at all. You need to connect the positive wire from the driver to the Led. Put a very small drop of solder on the negative connection on the led, this will ground out when the reflector hits it,(you could also take the ground wire off of the driver and connect it to the flashlight body and led) Make sure to cover the positive solder and wire with some tape or anything to stop it from making contact and shorting. A little solder to set the driver in place and you will need a spring to solder onto the driver board (do that first). I have tons of them laying around but you can probably salvage one off of something or just buy one for cheap. Oh and you will need some thermal compound like Fujik

The gasoline de-dome is necessary if you want it to really really throw. It’s as simple as soaking in gas until the dome falls off and gently rinsing off (say six hours or so). You might have to lightly tap the led to something to get the dome to fall off.

Warning it’s addictive to de-dome your led’s. If you are not careful you will end up de-doming all of them. (somebody should sell them this way)

Good luck and it’s really not very hard just take your time and it will go easy enough.

DD XP-G2 on aluminium is not recommended.
How much is it pulling? 3-4-5A?? There is no point it going beyond 2,4A, and that is pushing it. Especially if you have a 1-mode in a P60.
No modes, so probably overheats fast. Im guessing battery time is crap (for the output).

A Noctigion Copper MCPCB would have made the output much better (1,84$ a piece when you buy two).
Instead of using a 1,19$ driver you could have used. A 6x AMC for 2,71$ (8x7135 if copper). The flashlight would be much more useful.
Or you could have used a 4$ Qlite driver, which would have made put the light in another league, especially if paired with copper mcpcb.

Yes, I know, it raises the price (with a few bucks) . But It would still be dirt cheap, only much better, brighter, more efficient, better battery life, more modes, not torturing the LED… Less heat issues… etc…

Also for people to consider…
The P60 (which you have to buy 3 of for best price) and the P60 pill. Costs a total of 6,22$
You could have used the NEW 612 and paid 8.96. (only 2,74$ extra) Which gives you a spare XP-G (if you wanted to go super budget, use that instead of XP-G2), a spare driver, better heatsinking, a marginally larger reflector, and a nicer host than a 501B. Review of NEW 612 here.

I dont mean to “talk down” on your mod. For about 10 bucks its good! But for 13-15$ it can be so much more!

And for those who wants maximum throw and can use a larger light. XP-E C8 can easily be bought for 6.99 Only 0,77$ more than 501+empty P60… Just an alternative for a cheapo build if one can live with a larger host and want more throw and better heatsinking for basically the same price… (that also gives you a spare driver and XP-E to play around with)
Just my 2 cents.

I agree, the flashlight that started this thread is nice, but with these suggestions your flashlight will be a better one. The only problem is that if you have the will and skills to rebuild a flashlight it is just not going to be that one dirt cheap one, but many many more. That is why the budget flashlight hobby is so terribly expensive

I don’t have a way to test it but I seriously doubt it’s actually pulling much more than 3amps.

The point of the mod was to have fun and make a pocket rocket on as little as possible. It was fun to make and even more fun to walk outside and see it throw as far as it does. Trying to push the envelope for a cheap 501B was the point.

Well anyway I’m sure your suggestions will help someone who is interested in building a different mod.

Oh and the other problem with thinking I can just add another dollar or two here or there is that you end up at $20 and then you think dang for another $5 I could have done this or that. When does it end? Either you want the most you can do for $10 or the most you can do for $15 or for $20. But comparing a $15 to $20 light to a ten dollar one is really apples and oranges. I could build your light and add another $5 and hit another level up right?

Direct drive XP-G2 on copper Sinkpad soldered to a p60 pill (on the bench, bare, not in a light), with Panasonic 2900mAh NCR, pulls 3.40A. I tried the same with the LED still on the Al board (but on a big CPU heatsink) and it started making smoke, so I thought it best to abort that particular test. :p

OK. How and where do you connect the driver board and where can you get a spring right for the task?

They have several different versions of empty p60 kits, some come with the small center spring for the driver, or they also have them available separately.

http://www.fasttech.com/products/1164600 (big hole XML version)

http://www.fasttech.com/products/1208506 (small hole XP-E/XP-G version)

They have a few other kits, but in orange peel finish. Look around. They have lots of stuff.

Just the spring: http://www.fasttech.com/products/1124700

Use this driver instead if you'd prefer modes, and limiting the current is a good idea if you're going to keep the LED on its original aluminum board: http://www.fasttech.com/products/1122303