My first real mod! Sipik SK58: OSRAM --> XP-G

Flashlight Modding and DIY Parts
1

Remember the Sipik SK58 I got from FocalPrice that had the bad Golden Dragon LED? https://budgetlightforum.com/t/-/1464

I decided to replace the LED with the defective XPG I got from DealExtreme... https://budgetlightforum.com/t/-/1799

:)

It was a pain to do it, the leads from the driver too short, too thin, but I managed to solder them! yippi yay for me!

It does 1000mA at the tail, 700mA at the LED. But it's way too dim: 110lux@1m flood, 1000lux@1m throw with an alkaline, double that with a NiMH. Compared to my C30 which takes ~300mA at the tail and makes 140lux@1m flood, 4500lux@1m throw, it performs pretty badly.

So maybe I didn't measure the current at the LED properly? I attached the multimeter probes in parallel to the LED which instantly turned off and I got 700mA... so at least the driver is capable of delivering 700mA, I don't know if the LED takes them all.

Anyway, here are some pictures:

Flashlight, Emitter through lens, Emitter without lens

Full zoom (shows the damages to the emitter's dome), zoom a little less to see the emitter

Comparison with C30 at full throw (SK58 to the left), at full flood, and with MF XML driven by 3xAAA [not same exposure at all pics]

Oh well, at least I had fun soldering and assembling this light :)

2

You need to connect the multimeter in series with the emitter to get a current reading... You just shorted the driver through the shunt in your MM...

3

Yeah, I know, probably got the most current the driver could pump, as I wrote before.

I just don't have the heart to desolder the LED after all the trouble it cost me to solder it. :)

4

Haggai,

Couple of notes:

-Like keltex78 said, you'll need to measure emitter current in series.

- I believe the problem is your driver. The only reason it showed 700ma was because there was no vf to overcome. (dead short).

- I'd venture to guess you're really seeing less than 300ma at the emitter.

I bet if you put a good 1xAA boost driver in there you'll see a world of difference.

5

You made me do it...

I desoldered the emitter and measured current as it should be measured.

Alkaline: ~800mA at the tail, ~300mA through the LED.

NiMH: ~1500mA at the tail, ~450mA through the LED.

This must be one of the worst drivers ever manufactured.

Well, at least my soldering skills have improved a little. (I'm still ashamed at the result, but it's better than before)