Yesterday I ordered an H15 CW. I don’t like cool white but it was the only version the had for that low price. Can some one point me into the direction of a WW or NW LED to replace the original? If posible already on the right board so I don’t have to reflow it as this would be my first mod and have never reflowed a led before.
Is it possible to replace it with a nichia without having to mod the driver? If so wich one should I get and on what kind of board? I hear/see a lot of talk bout nichia so maybe I would like to give it try…
PS I’m living in Belgium so I’d rather not order from US.
i looked at the specs they say xml2 so the typical xp size nichia will not fit.
the good news is that you have a ton of options when selecting an xml2 emitter.
fyi i did a similar swap on the xtar h2 head lamp. i deliberately choce to keep the stock board and swap just the emitter because of low power spec (cooling is a non issue ) and bezel reassembly ease.
if the thickness changes that can negatively affect reassembly.
I have swapped my H15 emitter a few times. A 16mm Noctigon will fit, but to get the board retention screws in, you have to file the notches in the Noctigon deeper. I have a 5A XM-L2 in mine now. A small round file will take the notches deeper, you only need a 1/16 or so deeper notch on both notches to let the board screws work…
The only issue I had with a swap was too high of a vF on a 7A XM-L2. The top two modes were identical on a AA, at level 3 output. Stick with XM-L2 and no issues. I have had a XP-L and 219B in it as well, the beam is good, but not XM-L2 like, so you can replace it with whatever you want. Only the output will be really different.
Thanks for the answers. Just to be clear vF is forward voltage right? That’s the voltage that goes into the LED coming from the driver?
So I think I’d go and look for a warm XM-L2. But they seem hard to find. I would like a 3000 or 4000K but I only find 5000 and higher.
So i ordered a Cree XM-L2 T5-5A2 1100LM 4000-4300K. I believe it’s on sinkpad and not a noctigon. Would it make alot of difference if I flowed it onto a noctigon or the original board?
Sinkpad is good too, in this light, the LED is not driven too hard (TomE’s hot rod is an exception) so even a stock aluminum board does well. As TomE’s mod pic above shows, you do not need the screws holding the board down as the optic will do that to some extent too. I did learn that the O-ring goes under the optic when putting it back together.
Well allright thank you so much ReManG, those are some good pointers.
And of course now I’m gonna want to do a full mod :person_facepalming: Thanks Tom E
Why did you go for the T5 5D? TBH I just ordered one that was in the 4000k range to get a warmer colour. The only difference I can make out is the lumens but they are both 10W and 4000-4300k. I must be missing something…
I ordered one too, couldn’t resist…
didn’t even realize the have XM-L2. :person_facepalming:
High CRI would be nice, but haven’t found high CRI XM-L2 yet, so i’ll probably swap the MCPCB for one with a Nichia 219 baked on it.
I've always like the '5' class of tint - has been my favorite, and I got a few variants. From known good source of LED's, never saw a 5D, so it's probably a 5D1, 2, or 3. With FastTech, you take your chances on the tint and bin. In the H15, it's hard to compare to my other 5 tint lights which are all reflector lights.
6 and 7's are typically too warm for my taste, and side by side, the 5D's were always better than the 4C's, which I also liked. for the price at FT, figured it's worth taking a chance. There's probably a better than 50% chance they are not a T5 bin, probably T4, but I can't tell, specially in the H15 where the optic has a big impact on measuring lumens comparatively.
A 5D4 is probably the best 5 class tint, but appears to be rare right now.
They must have changed some things.
The hole is too small to get a 16mm MCPCB in, i’ll have to file down top and bottom so i can get it in sideways.
Also, mine doesn’t have retention screws, nor threaded holes for them.
I did order a 5A2, but i hope i like it, because there aren’t many Crees with a decent tint i.m.o.
So i’m considering putting in a Nichia 219B 92CRI 5000K, but the TIR is made for 5050 LEDs, and because there are no retention screws it’s quite a challenge to centre it.
I should get some of that thermal paste that acts like glue i guess…
I received the light and I opened it up. The board is glued inside the light. I haven’t touched it yet since the led I ordered hasn’t arrived yet. I do have a nichia on 16mm board from kd. but the led size is much smaller than the xml2.
So: 1) Is it possible to get the original board out with something or will I have to heat it up with a hairblower or something?
2) How am I going to center the new led? I’m guessing I will need some thermal paste and use the TIR optics some how to get it centered if the led has the same size.
3) If I wanne put in the nichia, am I going to need another optic/lens for it? And what is the best/easiest way to get it centered?
That's why I stuck with an XM-L2 - optic is made for it.
By board, I assume you mean driver? Or MCPCB? Both are boards. My H15 had a driver retaining ring. Does yours? It came apart easy I think. Might need to poke/push it from behind when you remove the optics. For the MCPCB, not sure - thought it was just grease - are you sure there's thermal epoxy there?
Probably posted bout it though, somewhere... I know I posted a bunch of pics from the breakdown, and mod I think...
I think it does. So I take out the driver and just poke it from there with something. I’ll wait until the xml2 arrives before I start messing with it. In the mean time I’ll search the forum for your posts. Thanks.
Oops, edited post above. I just looked for my posted on the H15 mod and could not find anything, just what I posted earlier in this thread.
So are you talk'n bout the MCPCB? If so, it might be epoxied. First de-solder the wires. Then try prying it - I use a very flat screwdriver type solder tool - works great for things like this. But sometimes the thermal grease causes suction and can be difficult to get the MCPCB off.
Boy, wish I could recall what I did . Might have used the tool goin in from the driver hole to get leverage, not sure...
Strange though, assuming dekozn and i got a H15 from the same deal and shop (Gearbest) and his MCPCB is glued and mine is not.
But i have come up with a way to centre the LED in the TIR though (or rather centring the TIR around the LED).
If i don’t like the XM-L2 5A2 i will glue a ring on the Noctigon with a Nichia 219B or 219C, in which the TIR feet / studs will fit.
That way i don’t have to mess with fitting a centring adapter ring around the Nichia.
But, we’ll see how that 5A2 will do, i’ll reflow it on the stock MCPCB.
First i’m off to rural France for a week without internet, leaving tomorrow.
. Might have used the tool goin in from the driver hole to get leverage, not sure...