SS ZY-T08 5-up Mod - Finished

5 LEDs on ZY-T08? awesome!! :beer: :beer: someone at SmallSun should pay attention to this build :smiley:

I don’t plan to and I may go with XP-G, but I like the Nichias. I will use a Qlite driver with extra chips and shoot for 1.5 amps per led.

It took a lot of work to get the reflector to fit. I used my drill press and an end mill bit and it took all morning. I had to step it down and I had to remove quite a bit from the head. It’s one of those almost never going to fit type of deals.

I know the stars are different, but that's what I have. I will measure thickness, but they appeared to be the same at first look and on a table, the reflector seemed to touch them all.

More photos in the OP.

When you enlarged the head what method did you use? Just holding it and rotating it by hand or do you have some sort of jig to help hold it correctly? That’s really good work for being done on a drill press!

I never make jigs. Just can’t wrap my mind around how to figure them out, so I use a pair of leather gloves and hold/rotate the part against the end mill bit. It smooth it, I change to a dremel #115 bit and then a dremel sanding wheel if I want.

Your skills again are outstanding OL. Maybe this light will be the one that passes all the strict parameters at your work. Nah. It will no good as it will put all others to shame. Cant have that can we. On a side note, with your experience how does the beam pattern compare with the likes of these small reflector multi emitter lights with the same light single reflector lights with MTG-2 led?

These 5 up reflectors will give more flood and have little hot spot, especially with something like Nichias. It will be ok out to about 30 yards, but it will light up all round, where the MT-G2 will reach out a couple hundred yards, just because of the increased output. The larger single reflector will have less spill, even with the MT-G2, than the multi cup reflectors.

cool work!

i like what you do O L !

OK, it takes real ball balls to bore out a head like that. Not for the faint at heart. This not a mod I would attempt. It's great to watch a master do it though.

Added photos in the OP, of the momentary switch mod.

Nice switch mod. I'm glad you still have all your fingers. I imagined it jumped around more than a cat on a hot tin roof. Is the switch waterproof and does it come complete as a unit? I need something for the comp light. Thanks.

Not as a complete unit. The momentary switch came from Sparkfun (momentary smd switch)and the base it is soldered to is a 12mm star. The button I took off a Rook or King, can’t remember which.

This the one I used

But this one is an exact replacement for the Chinese ones.

Thanks. I do have the second ones on order. I dont know how good they are as I got 100 of Ebay for a few dollars. I will have to dream up some sort of cap for it.

Nice mod, man i love modding and DIY, my first SmallSun ZY-T08 from Wallbuys is on its way, now i have to think twice modding it,
But why would you use Nichias i havent tried it before what so special about it ? and why not XP-G2

Nichias because of the high CRI. They make the colors look more natural and I just like them.

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More photos in the OP. Potted the heat sink.

Got it today, and………WOW!
Love it, you are going to make me a tint snob:)
Great workmanship, The side button looks like it came that way from the factory.
I will not take it apart for fear of screwing something up and as long as it keeps working properly.
I figure “why mess with a good thing?”
She has got some heft with all that extra heat sinking, but still feels good and balanced.
Brand new Panasonic 3400 unprotected cells are being used in it currently.

The reflector is really impressive, can’t see a mark on it and the transitions between cavities is flawless.

This thing will throw further than advertised also, was just lighting up the neighbors Chicken Barn at near 300 meters.
I can really see why you like the Nichias, they just look better than a Cree. Looking down into the small creek that goes next to my deck the resolution is incredible, it’s like very little glare. The low setting is the favorite for most practical usage up close.
The Moonlight is as low as my Zebralight, which is the lowest I have had the pleasure of owning.

Anyway, this one stays in the stable till my wife sells everything after I pass away.
Thanks again,
Keith

Fantastic execution of this mod OL!

Ehm, Qlite? + momentary?

A BLF member programmed a few Qlite drivers for me, for momentary switches.

May I ask what size drill you used for the momentary switch hole? Looking for this very same solution for my project: Mod/Driver: ZY-T08 series conversion, MT-G2.