Just got into flashlights with a couple of cheap q5 zoomies. One of the leds is trashed and wondered what would be a good recommendation for a replacement.
Closest I've been to modding is butchering the pil to see the star !! So any advice gratefully received !!
You will need some thermal glue, solderign iron, solder, flat screwdriver, maybe tweezers and a new probably 16mm star with a Q5 probably XR-E emitter as bare minimum.
Either repair it for the fun factor or spend way less to buy a replacement one.
Welcome to BLF!
Should I upgrade the LED or is it not worth it? Gonna repair it just for fun anyway.
Great forum by the way. I think I'm hooked !!
Welcome to BLF.
Definitely repair it that is what got me started in modding lights.
Pick up a cheap 5 dollar soldering iron to start out.
A tube of Fujik to glue the emitter back on and a new emitter.
You need to measure the size of the emitter board to make sure you get one that fits.
http://www.dealextreme.com/p/fujik-silicone-thermal-glue-50ml-grease-like-4579
http://www.dealextreme.com/p/cree-q5-wc-led-emitter-with-16mm-base-11022
given the cost of the light (sk68 clone?) I would say it isn't economical to repair - ie an emitter costs about 50% of the cost of the light - plus the time you'll spend on it.
that said - I would repair it (for fun and because it would bother me if I didn't) and I'd use XRE-R2 
Deathrockets right it doesn't make financial sense to fix a cheap light but the practice working on them is worth it. One of my first LEDs an X2000 burned the emitter and I took it apart and replaced the emitter with the 5 dollar one I linked above from DX. I could have bought a whole new light for 5 bucks but I learned a lot and now to this day I still use it in the garage a year later and it has held up to ridicules amounts of abuse.
Just doing it for a bit of fun. Sometimes you just need to know how something is put together to understand the process.
As for the thermal paste, This is the type of zoom I have http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CREE-Q5-LED-3W-Focus-Zoom-Adjustable-200-lumen-LED-Flashlight-Torch-/200691028147?pt=US_Flashlights&hash=item2eba1e10b3#ht_2005wt_1396 The 20mm star wasn't stuck down at all, just forced behind an ali washer in the head with some a couple of washers. Would I need thermal paste and if so where? on the PIL threads? Told you i was a newbie!
From what I've read there is no point going for a XM-L star as there would be a lot of light wasted the design and possible heat problems?
Got my soldering iron etc ready. Break it, fix it, don't just buy another. It's the only way to learn.
Thanks
I would stick with the Q5 for a zoomie,here is a Q5 on a 20mm star. You could just press fit it again like the old one but if you glue it it will last a lot longer.
http://www.dealextreme.com/p/cree-xpe-wc-q5-led-emitter-on-20mm-base-25367