Hi
I intend to mod a #3 single AA light for higher efficiency & output; this will be my first modding project.
The easy part is going to be a tube extension via http://www.buyincoins.com/item/1391.html (see Sipik SK68 battery tube extension mod for pic) which (=2xAA) should help with driver efficiency, followed by the replacement of said driver by one with higher output, maybe potting it if need be, the addition of a heat sink and possibly some means to improve function of the shitty stock friction fit reflector (the friction fit, not the reflecting that is), like some semi-permanent glue (this stuff for example).
‘Nr. 3’ stats
14.75 mm battery tube (=driver diameter)
~15 mm LED base
<13 (more like 12.8-9) mm inner tube btw. driver/LED (=heat sink diameter)
Considering these I’m wondering whether I should skip this mod for a SK68 one instead, the bigger diameter would certainly make it easier… then again I can always do that later if I fail.
I’ve got these questions:
- What’s the highest current an XPE can stomach (1A according to official data sheet) and which ~<15mm driver supplies it a 2xAA / 2.4 V (single mode or at least no blinky would be best) ?
- How much heat can I expect from this and what kind of heat sink do I need to use? We’ve got these 16.25x1.5mm 1 €-Cent coins here, I thought about soldering 2-3 of these together using a blowtorch (after drilling/filing ofc) but they’re merely copper-plated steel (=1/10 thermal conductivity of pure copper), so if that’s insufficient I’d use 10 cent coins (20x2 mm i.e. more filing work, made from nordic gold which is 89% copper) instead.
- Regarding heat again, should I consider potting the driver? I’ve got graphite powder (~120W/mk) and 5 min epoxy. This might be a ridiculous question, but it’s my first project so I don’t really know what to expect.
- Should I keep the stock XPE or would an XPG-2/XML-2/XPL pose a massive improvement to overall output?