Strange 3xAAA flashlight

I'm walking in a local chinese store when i see this light: Bailong BL-8424

At first sight it seems a classical flood-to-throw but when i look at the price i was really surprised. It costs 3,5 euro (about 5 dollars) including the batteries. This is enough to give it a try!
Once at home i search on the web and i can find the site of this producer. When i read "Cree Q3 led" i can't believe it so i put the battery and that's what i see:

Good light but obviously is not a Q3.. So i decided to unmount it and thats the result:

What kind of led do you think it is? It is mounted on an alluminium 20mm star.
The circuit is 20 mm large and suppose is max 500 mA but maybe is less. When i have more time i managed to measure the output. It has the classical 3 mode: High-Low-Strobe.

Now the conclusion are 2:

1. For that price is a good deal but not really useful (i will reuse some part like body and lens)
2. Never trust Bailong's technical specifications

Do you think it will be good for a real Q3 upgrade with a 1000 ma board? Or is better to use lower current because of poor heatsink?

The body is very similar to this http://www.dealextreme.com/p/jft-803-flood-to-throw-zooming-focusable-cree-q3-wc-3-mode-120-lumen-led-flashlight-1-18650-29385 so maybe i can also use 18650 on it. Or not?

Thanks for any advice.


Looks like a generic Chinese half-watt LED to me.

Some 3xAAA lights will take an 18650, some will not. Best way to find out is to try it.

1A might be excessive or might not - I'd go for the highest bin XP-E you can find - probably an R2-R5 (I believe XP-E R5s are available) - should cost very little more than a Q3 and will give less heat for the same light output.

Thanks Don,
probably i'll have to remove the spring to use 18650 and also put a sort of handmade adapter to avoid rattle inside the body.

I'll already have a pair of Q3 and i begin trying with this then i can try upgrade. So 1A might be excessive.. For the led or for the heat sink?

I thought XP-E only go up to R2, XP-G continue from then onwards, currently commonly available at R5.

X2000 innards.

Tailcap off

Bezel and lens removed

Pill unscrewed

Once the pill is removed, the head just pulls off

This one's toast so if anyone wants I'll continue the dissection.

Thanks everybody for advice and suggestion, and also for the image of x2000 disassembled. I try with 18650 and it works. I just have to find something better to perfectly adapt the battery. For the led i suppose the only way to know is trying.

I wait for lower current circuit than i begin my project.

Thanks again

[ [/quote] Okwchin

I thought XP-E only go up to R2, XP-G continue from then onwards, currently commonly available at R5.

[/quote]

http://www.cree.com/products/pdf/XLampXP_B&L.pdf

I thought that too until I got the eastward jy-09 with the xpe-r3

appears there is an xpe - r4 as well ..

.R5 i don't know about .??.According to lots of chinese dealers the answer is yes ..But i doubt they know their heads from their tails . if you google it they all pop up.. cree isn't showing it in anything i see on the net