my first soup can mod: 9xLG385nm

Good work on the mod djozz.

Are you certain that the new driver is not a buck driver? (and maybe the old driver too?) The new driver appears to include a large coil, a large capacitor, sense resistors, and two DPAK items. Since diodes are available in DPAK layout the driver could easily have an FET and a diode on it. Together a buck controller IC, this completes the list of normal parts included with a buck driver.

See ImA4Wheelr - Driver Info: HX-1175b & HX-1175B1 (Pic Heavy) for another example where we initially thought there were two FETs but it turned out (post #8) that it was a diode and an FET.

I only know some driver basics so I could nevertell anything for sure , at least the batteries are parallel and the two ‘FETS’ are wired in parallel, with the two R100’s between ground and what I assume is FET-source, the FET-drain is the led-minus, the thorroid is connected to led-plus. So I assumed that it is direct drive, and I vaguely remember comfychair adding a thorroid to a direct driver as well for some reason (suppress nasty spikes?). I closed the light up for now, but I’m prepared to open it again to make better pictures of the driver if there’s interest and it helps understanding what is going on.

Btw, it is a simple high, low, off driver with low frequency PWM, electronic switch and a small green on-led in the switch. I like the simplicity of it but it is not anything advanced.

Don’t bother opening it up for that reason. We already understand how the inexpensive Chinese buck circuits are laid out, so if it’s one of those we wouldn’t learn anything.

If the FETs are truly wired in parallel and there is no schottky diode then it is certainly just an FET/DD/PWM driver.

The inductor/coil does help with spikes. We’ve seen single cell drivers constructed both ways. (The initial 3-toroid SRK drivers were in fact buck setups for example.)

Awesome mod Djozz, what a crazy flashlight. Your hands shake almost like mine :smiley: .

Thanks! I hope you will never find my first BLF reflow video, let’s say that I am extremely steady now. :-/

That thing looks like it would produce an instant headache :cowboy_hat_face: :cowboy_hat_face:

Nice build :slight_smile:

Thanks djozz. Nice mod as well as a very good video on reflowing multiple leds. Is there a thread on your little home made hot plate?

Thanks! Hmmmm, how I made the heatblock is in the same ancient thread as my above mentioned terribly shaky first reflow, so I’m a bit hesitant to reveal the link……, oh well, here it is, don’t laugh :-/ link

Would I be out of line to ask how you were able to reduce your shaking?

I gained just a bit more confidence in it, and that was actually a particularly ‘shaky’ day with too little sleep :slight_smile:

Nice mod! Makes my UV-triple seem insignificant… :-/

+∞

Haha, modding for fun; mod first, think about why later…

i have modded one of my 2 trustfire tr-3t6 flashlight into a warm white donut spitting 3x dual nichia 219A. I like the cheap way of modding something into a dual nichia 219A, but modding a SK98 or putting matte tape over the front glass is more suited for a dual led board…

I love it djozz. Now I want to make one too. Like you, I don’t know what I’d use it for, but it’s neat.
Any recommendations for UV emitters for me to try?

There’s a few considerations. I was thinking 365nm emitters first, but I did not dare that because it is more dangerous and more invisable. and then I would like a UV-pass filter to complete the build and a 60mm (or what is it?) ZWB2 filter is very expensive. And I would like good quality 365nm emitters and 9 of them are pretty expensive. So 365nm was out for me.

And then I found these LG 385nm emitter for cheap ($2 per led, so $18 worth of leds) on aliexpress, LG is a decent brand, the leds are a fairly recent model (but not the latest from LG) and 385nm was something I had not tried before.

But this would make an impressive light too with 400nm leds. You need 9 of them, and of 3535-size to make it possible to use the stock ledboard. See if you can find LG-leds or a somewhat decent chinese one.

If I would have a buyer, I could build one with 9 of led4powers 365nm leds and one big ZWB2 filter, it would be a $200 build. I guess it would be a forensic scientist’s wet dream. :smiley:

Very interesting project :GRADE: :GRADE: :smiley: :stuck_out_tongue:
I am new to this world of modifying flashlights. I have a question:
The paste you use to lubricate the LEDboard - the 9 locations where you took LED emitters of …. is it a form of conductive glue instead of soldering, which also can detach again when you heat it up? ??(I can see that you put your LEDboard up on the heating element again and adjust the LED emitters subsequently) Please link to the product. It must be found here in Scandinavia also :wink: :wink:
Regards.
Michael L., Denmark

Hi Michael, it is no glue, it is solder paste: a mixture of fluid rosin and tiny 63/37 Pb/Sn solder particles, it works just like normal solder wire. This paste is standard when reflowing SMD-components on circuit boards. I got mine from Fasttech, it is really cheap stuff: https://www.fasttech.com/products/0/10003546/1261003-chips-repair-tool-soldering-paste-grease

Thanks a lot :slight_smile:
Regards
Michael L.

I need one of those for scorpion hunting here in Arizona. How much did that cost you to build?

Host: $29
Leds: $20
18 AWG Wires:$0.10?

Wow that’s not bad for the ultimate scorpion hunter!! Thanks for the idea and the info.