True and I do see your point. My concern is if I want to dedome the LED and for some reason the LED messed up and I need to replace it with a new one, I have to use something like a butane torch to do it by then. I wonder what method do they use to solder the Noctigon on the pill considering they need to do it fast (production) and good finishing.
I'm not sure what method they ended up using, although I did talk with them a few times along the way as they were preparing for this changeover. The obvious difficulty is in getting the LED centered.
The bare host (XinTD MTN) will still be available for those who want to build their own or modify without having to break out the blowtorch!
When I get my first copies I am planning on building two identical lights up at around 5.0A, one with the soldered MCPCB another with my typical Arctic Silver job held down tight by the reflector. I will then measure what kind of gains the directly bonded MCPCB offers by comparing the amount of lumens lost due to heat sag.
Looking forward to your results. That way I know which one to buy from you! Lol. You can never have too many hot rod C8’s.
Well current is deceiving check this thread check this C8 comparison. https://budgetlightforum.com/t/-/19982
The XP-G2 driven with 100% more than is should so that is hard driven (3A).
Well I overlook that one, I was keep thinking that it must be an XM-L2 inside lol. I can imagine that with the XP-G2 version by simply dedoming the LED it may gives around 100kcd if not more.
As for the XM-L2 version 3A is just “within spec”. 
CRAP there goes $30.
Yeah, it’s a beaut!
I like how the reflector screws in the pill, making the whole thing a heatsink.
I have a 2 mode V3 XM-L U3 I'm extremely happy with. As much as I'm tempted to get a V5 XM-L2 U2, I think I'll hold off for a while until someone reviews it.
Yeah :)
Link wasn't good before. https://budgetlightforum.com/t/-/19982
I had to reflow 3 LEDs in my Shadow SL3. I ordered the warm emitter version, but Fasttech sent me the cool version. I had to remove the electronics and the rubber switch cover then heat the entire head using the pre-heater in this hot air station. Worked great.
At $170 this might be slightly out of budget, though. :bigsmile:
But it will certainly get the job done.
I’ll borrow some kitchen gas burner, read somewhere they get up to 800°C, but can be adjusted. XP-G2 flambé…
I used my toaster oven, set to 360 deg F to remove the old LEDs. Worked fine. I could have used it to reflow the new emitters, but I wanted to be able to see them as the solder melted.
I do a lot of electronic repair, so I decided to go ahead and upgrade my soldering station to the hot air rework unit I show above.
oh poo the xpg2 is sold out
i see it says 8x 380ma 7135 chips - does that mean they are pushing 3.04a to that xpg2 ? 
Fast!
Wrote some emails with Hank, he said that it’s driven at 3A.
I thought that was a little… weird, then I looked at Match’s test results Emitter Test Results pt4: XML2, XP-E2, XP-G2, and Nichia219! (along with sinkpad tests) and the Vf of an xpg2 at 3A is surprisingly low (at least to me). It’ll have better regulated runtime than an xml.
As far as I remember Match himself didn’t trust his Vf measurements (whereas his lumen recording seemed pretty accurate and I regularly rely to his charts).
When djozz did his “crash testing” he stated Vf as well and had 3.55V at 3A for an XP-G2. That sounded very reasonable - and is higher than XM-L2 with 3.4V at 3A and much higher than an XM-L, which seems to have a Vf of 3.15-3.20 at 3A. Here is the post of djozz with the graphs for XM-L2 and XP-G2.
Whoah! XP-G2 pumping 3A…that thing has GOT to be making some heat! Nice!
It looks like the best just got better.
My XinTD C8 V4 (XM-L2 T6 3C) gets about 33 kcd of lux (~360m); I wouldn’t be surprised if this XP-G2 version can get 60 kcd (~490m). It’s too bad they don’t sell a de-domed version; then we could probably have a stock C8 with 90+ kcd (~600m) of throw.
Does a XP-G (G2) really have that much more throw over a XM-L (L2)? Or since you are pushing the XP-G at 3A which is 2x times the 1500mA max current the reason? I know my XP-G at 1400mA gets CRAZY hot…at 3A…boy howdy!