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.
I recommend doing this with the Small Sun A629. Just dedome the xp-g2, stick it and you get over 20kcd for under $15 with nice modes and UI.
what sorta thrower should i be expecting? small sun zy t08 throwy? or a c8 range throw?
Hi,
Is the “kicker” here using an XP-G2 with an XM-L reflector? If so, would something like this work in with a C8 body and C8 reflector?
I mentioned in another thread that I was checking around with a couple of C8s I got this week, switching reflectors among them, and I ended up with one light with a really ugly dark spot in the center of the beam. That, I think, turned out to be because the pill had moved further back into the body, and adjusting the pill position got rid of the dark spot. I was amazed. So, with this thread, I’m wondering what would happen if I combined something like an XP-G2 with an XM-L reflector. Is it possible that I’d get the same kind of result that you found with a P60?
Thanks,
Jim
c8
It out throws a good C8 T6 that I have but not a ZY T08. If I go out onto my front porch I have bunch of trees a couple football fields away maybe three. my C8 will just barely reach them. The C12 I just got from light malls lights them up pretty good but that is an L2-U2 and it’s over driven. This one is about as bright when it hits them but with a small beam. It’s hard to say how much difference there is between this 501b and the ZY T08 because mine now has a L2-U2 demoded in it and it now throws a lot farther than it did stock.
On the road I have another set of trees in the back that is about 5-600 yards? and the small sun would reach it ok but not enough to really see the trees. This 501B with a fresh battery touches them but doesn’t light them up quite like the ZY-t08 did. Now the T08 lights them up so you can see them.
Ok I just walked out and tested the C12 and the 501B at first they are about even on the long shot but within a minuet the C12 is brighter but even after that the 501 is still pretty close. Plus you have to remember that this C12 is really white compared tot he 501.
Oh yah one more thing. I had an old fan that died so I took a bunch of copper wire from it and wrapped it around the reflector a whole bunch of times and got it so that it’s really packed in tight. I just barely got the top to screw down tight. The whole head of the flashlight gets hot fairly fast let’s say ten minuets or so.
I also have another drop in with a XP-G2 that is not de-domed it has the regular reflector that just fits the led I think it was from Kiadomain. It has a more defined hot spot than this one with the XML reflector but it’s about twice as big and half as bright. I believe that drop in is running at something like 2.8 it’s in a solarforce L2M that I got from MRsDNF in a give away. Very cool mod by the way.
Here it is the solarforce with some beam shots.
The 501b throws further and has a more neutral tint. Still love the solarforce though because I can use it in shorty mode and it has a super low low.
Doing this:
...moves the heat just as well as any of that wrapping garbage, and you get to keep the easy swapping ability with no screwdrivers or hammers needed which is the whole point of the p60 format.
Nice tip.
Ordered all my stuff from fasttech. Gotta say, they have a sharp looking website! Went with an xml because I wasn’t looking for a thrower and have a silver solarforce l2 I won in a giveaway several months ago. Stuff should be here within a week(did the usps shipping).
I have figured out our disagreement about which reflector works best here... If the XPG2 still has the dome on it, it works best with the XPG-specific small hole reflector. BUT, once it's de-domed, it doesn't focus worth a crap until you stick it in a XML reflector. Weird.
Yep it’s interesting how that works.
Whoa, something else interesting. If you have one, try a small hole XPG reflector with a XML. :O
I do but not one I want to take apart because it’s got a handmade pill that is really jammed in there.
So what’s it do?
It's the cleanest, prettiest pattern I've ever seen from a p60!
I don't know what will happen with a de-domed XML in a XPG reflector, have to try that too...
Cool I will have to order a XPG reflector and give it a try.
Any lux readings been done on the $10 XPG2 de-domed build?
Nope I don’t have a lux meter yet. I keep thinking of getting one but each time I do I see another light or another project instead. I just have a few set points that I go outside and shine my lights on. Each one is a little further away. So I know when I can reach out and touch the last one I have a really good thrower. This build is not reaching the last one but I can tell it’s a good deal farther because it’s coming closer. I’m also sure that some of the smaller pinpoint beams would show a lot more on a lux meter than my eyes can register on the trees way out there. But still I guess I’m more interested in how much I can see than what the meter says. Still I’ll probably break down and buy one if for no other reason that to post the results. I’m sure that’s better than simply saying “it throws really far” LOL
I’m still trying to get an idea of how far I should expect this thing to throw. It would have to exceed a standard C8 and be smaller. I weary of having every thrower I use by too large for jean pockets. Know what I’m sayin?