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
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 $2.86
The soldering isn’t really too bad at all. You need to connect the positive wire from the driver to the Led. Put a very small drop of solder on the negative connection on the led, this will ground out when the reflector hits it,(you could also take the ground wire off of the driver and connect it to the flashlight body and led) Make sure to cover the positive solder and wire with some tape or anything to stop it from making contact and shorting. A little solder to set the driver in place and you will need a spring to solder onto the driver board (do that first). I have tons of them laying around but you can probably salvage one off of something or just buy one for cheap. Oh and you will need some thermal compound like Fujik
The gasoline de-dome is necessary if you want it to really really throw. It’s as simple as soaking in gas until the dome falls off and gently rinsing off (say six hours or so). You might have to lightly tap the led to something to get the dome to fall off.
Warning it’s addictive to de-dome your led’s. If you are not careful you will end up de-doming all of them. (somebody should sell them this way)
Good luck and it’s really not very hard just take your time and it will go easy enough.
DD XP-G2 on aluminium is not recommended.
How much is it pulling? 3-4-5A?? There is no point it going beyond 2,4A, and that is pushing it. Especially if you have a 1-mode in a P60.
No modes, so probably overheats fast. Im guessing battery time is crap (for the output).
A Noctigion Copper MCPCB would have made the output much better (1,84$ 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
On the driver board you just attach the red wire to the positive on the led. The black wire you can ignore. Then you just solder the board in place. The drop of solder on the negative part of the LED will touch the reflector and be your ground.
For the spring you can use this.
I think I will make time to attempt it soon, but some more questions…
Where do I get this Fujik compound?
How will I clean the gasoline and its smell from the de-domed reflector.
Also, can this same procedure be repeated by putting an XPG2 in a C8 body without de-doming it? What kind of result will that have? I happen to have a bunch of C8s sitting around.
They have fujik at fast tech as well. Not much you can do for the gas smell other than to rinse it off real good with water, just don’t spray it. Yes you can put an XP-G2 in a C8 and it should throw a lot further as well. Although I would probably just de-dome the C8 but keep in mind that if the C8 is already a cool tint that it will get even more yellow. It will throw farther have less flood and be more yellow. Where as the XP-G2 that I linked to is very cool and ends up a very nice tint.
I clean the gas off with denatured alcohol in a spray bottle, haven't damaged one yet.
Although... I hate to say this, because I hate it when I hear others say what I'm about to say, but... given some of the questions you're asking, you probably aren't ready to tackle de-doming yet. Get the basics down first, this stuff takes skill and practice and a steady hand. And even then, everybody occasionally screws up and destroys stuff. If you aren't prepared to kill the LED and just accept it, even welcome it, as part of the learning process, or start small fires, or other minor calamities that just happen when doing this stuff, don't try it. You'll just end up frustrated.
Take your different budget builds and send them to rdfronty for testing . . most throw per dollar wins. :bigsmile:
I dont really see how another 5$ to the parts I mentioned could hit another level. Unless we are talking baby levels… A 2$ AR coated lens would probably be the icing on the cake on top of what I mentioned. (but Im all ears if other have better options)
I see your point though. I did add 30-50% to the price.
But then again, its not often you gain 30-50% in light output. Add 30% in efficiency/run time. Add modes, which could improve efficiency a ton and add lots of usability. Probably improved LED lifetime by a mile… All that for 3-4 bucks…
Sorry, if I come of rude, or judging something… That was/is not my intent. It was just meant as a friendly advise and options for others. 
I always appreciate your budget tips 18sixfify! You have many good ones, so dont stop posting great deals and stuff! 
Thanks comfychair. That is very useful info!
Not a problem RaceR86 your advice will help somebody make this mod better I’m sure.
I’m really thinking about this, got a weller soldering iron with a somewhat small tip and recently aquired some 60/40 solder. Anyone know of a good TIR optic angle that would lead to the biggest hotspot? I’d like a mule, but really what I want is a slightly throwy light with no hotspot. Kind of like a sipik sk68 when it’s pulled in.
I picked up 3 of the 501b for $12. That’s all the P60 hosts I will ever need. I like the light weight and compact style of the 501b. (my taste is hardly mainstream) Add $2.50 for the empty pill, you have a host kit for $6.50.
While I’m not a big fan of P60 lights (for the thermal problems), I don’t look for the farthest thrower or a lumen blaster from them. Add a 17mm driver and LED of your choice. (…XM-L 3C, XP-G2 3D, Nichia 219) The low budget ready-made lights never have the emitter or driver I want anyway. I use the 1.4A Nanjg 3-mode for P60. At 1.4A the high is easy over 400lm OTF. That’s all I will put in a p60 without the bandaid thermal modding… Plenty for my general use, for the toolbox, quick spotter by the door, loaner, etc.
I already had a few empty drop-ins around to put to use. It has been a mixed bag finding decent P60 reflectors. My best luck are the XP-G OP for a clean, smooth well focused beam. …The XM-L reflectors (white spot, yellow corona, purple spill…) are behind DC-Fix diffuser to get a nice smooth even colored neutral flood for close in work. That one goes well in the toolbox.
Overall this low cost purchase worked out better for me than the Aurabuy XM-L C8, mine has performance issues from head to tail.