I see there are black and grey color Convoy S2+ with rubber switch…
I know there used to be blue and maybe some other colors, but I guess convoy isn’t making those anymore?
Anyone know where to get a blue (or other colors) S2+ with rubber switch?
I want a few to swap in a lighted rubber switch.
Kaidomain has some generic S2 hosts with rubber switch, pink, purple & red, but no blue.
Gnope. The flashlights-of-color have the metal switches. Also have the nicer presentation boxes vs cheap-white-cardboard.
At least that was my general experience. Dunno if anything changed since.
Hey Beam0,
All you desire can be found in the “Convoy Store” on Aliexpress. Colored hosts…with colored osram emitters, backlite switches which are super easy to install. colored short tubes (18350), clips, you name it.
Have fun!
Yea, but not right now since the store is closed for Chinese New Year.
Thanks LB, that’s what I was afraid of.
Thanks for the tip on the backlit switches! I’ll look for a photo of one illuminated…
but what I’m looking for at the moment is the different colored S2+ with a rubber switch, and I don’t believe it exists any longer. Only black or grey now.
Asking here because Simon’s store is closed for vacation and he takes all his listings down, so I was hoping someone here might know specifically.
When his shop opens up I’ll message him about it anyhow in case he has something.
Also for anyone looking for Simon’s store on aliexpress be advised there are many “convoy” stores: convoy online store, convoy lighting store, convoy direct store, convoy factory store… Simon could also be behind some of those, I have no idea, but his Original Shop that I buy from is the “Convoy flashlight Store” (on aliexpress since 2013, the others are newer) here’s a link:
https://convoy.aliexpress.com/store/330416?spm=a2g0o.detail.1000007.1.6bb95ec7uxshGE
I so wanted a lit taillight switch with RWB led’s to compliment my red/white/blue S2+
One thing, though…
The metal switch has a smaller hole diameter than the rubber boot, so if you get the boot+switch (I got a few with the blue LEDs), you can drill out the threaded hole of the metal switch to match the diameter of the rubber boot, but make sure the retaining ring also holds that switch, too.
If it works, it’s a one-way conversion, don’t forget.
All colour version of S2+ will only have Metal Switch except for Silver which has the option for Metal or Rubber Switch…
Good point. Sometimes I over analyze and don’t see the obvious. I will try this.
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Thanks for confirming that. I was wondering why in some of the photos the silver one had a rubber switch.
Instead of enlarging the tailcap hole to fit the bubber cap instead of the metal button, you can also buy less larger rubber caps. Kaidomain sells them in different sizes, and so does their AliExpress store (LHT).
That way you don’t need to damage/mod the host. Oh, and the caps are available in different colours and sizes.
The thickness of the end of the cap is also appreciably thicker on the metal-switch-caps…not just the hole size. Would not recommend drilling unless you can do so safely with a press and solid fixturing…great way to eff up the cap badly in an instant. Maybe get a grey or silver model with the rubber switch and just put that cap on the blue body? I wonder what color the grey might turn into with a little heat/baking. Might also consider getting it powder coated - lots of clear and crystal options these days that can be laid on thin without the need for multiple layers and if you can get a place to tack it on after someone else’s batch they’ll sometimes do it cheaper since the color is already loaded. A de-anodize with lye should prevent the need for sandblasting prep.
Nekkid Al vs silver/clear ano?
Thanks, good info! I do have several drill presses (large and small) and vices for them, but for this I think I’d trust my abilities to just clamp it in a vice and use a stepped bit on a cordless drill, won’t take much effort as it’s only aluminum.
We think alike! I’ve already considered just using a grey tailcap, but I’d rather not. Also already considering baking…
Baking a grey S2 only yields a lighter grey, but baking a black one may turn it tan or orange, and a generic S2+ host from KD may bake to a different shade than a convoy.
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Thanks! This is great news!! If there’s one that fits it without drilling!
I have a red S2+ with metal switch I can disassemble tonight and measure the hole to check fitment for the ones from KD.
Plus I was just getting ready to place an order there.
I’ll need it to work with the firmware in Simon’s SST40 version S2+, which I believe has been confirmed to work with the backlit metal switch.
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For the record here’s what I’m after…
a blue S2+ with brass 18350 tube and blue lighted switch,
Just like the one in this photo from Neals:
If it works out I may do an orange one with orange lighted switch.
Also may use a COPPER 18350 tube, if these are still available when Simon’s shop comes back alive…
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000247416520.html
Here’s a previous post of mine about the caps w/measurements: Convoy S2+ - #65 by Correllux
If you try the step bit you’ll need one with 1/4” steps or better. There’s a ridge on the top and bottom side but those should disappear on the first hole. Only have about 19mm (safe) on the inside of the cap (ears) and those are around 5mm high. So…correct centering is vital. An SAE bit with a 1/2” step would be better than metric (5/8” is a hair smaller than 16mm but easy to sand or file a few thou to make the rubber cap fit). Still will need to account for around 3mm of that extra thickness (maybe a rubber cap with a longer nipple-thingy inside?). If you you try a tall cap without drilling…I’ve got some of the taller (8mm I think or a tad less) 12mm boots from KD/LHT but I don’t think those come in clear, or maybe someone else on ali has them. Not sure if they’d work heightwise - might have to omit the metal washer or replace with a thinner nylon or mylar one, maybe add a nubbin. It would be a pretty loose fit in the hole and the threads might chew it up with use.
The Convoy black that I tried (older S2) ended up tan….seems like the cheaper and/or glossier ano tends to go orange. Now I’m wondering if any chem applications to the grey ano or raw aluminum (stripped) could end up with something bluish…that stuff is kinda pricey for a small one-off project, though. Those brass shorties look sharp!
So thanks to MascaratumB’s advise to use a smaller cap in the existing hole I successfully converted a metal switch S2+ to rubber without drilling…
sort of…
After removing the metal switch and housing the hole measured about 12mm, the tail end plate is SUPER thick as Correllux pointed out, and the biggest problem, if I have to drill it, as Correllux also pointed out, using the press would be the safest option, too thick for a stepped bit as I had envisioned.
I happened to have a 14mm cap that I was able to squeeze into the opening, it operates but it’s very stiff being squeezed in and not sticking up enough due to the thick aluminum. The 14mm cap is 8mm high and I couldn’t find any caps that were taller than 8mm. There are 12mm caps that wouldn’t have to squeeze in but those were even shorter at 7.5mm and it can’t be any shorter.
Looks like the best bet to convert the metal switch to rubber is to drill it out for a 14 or 16mm cap, then if possible use a larger bit to relieve some of the shelf thickness to help it stick up more. I’ll use my red S2+ as a prototype since it’s pretty much a beater anyhow. I do have a green 16mm cap I could use, but I’ll start with the 14mm one because it’s a hair taller and has a much longer “push pin” on the inside which should also help.
I’ll have to order some different caps to try though, since it won’t be as tall maybe a 16mm with more surface area would be less stiff and easier to use.
Thanks for the link to that thread and your post, lots of good info in there, all of your info is spot on to what I’ve found playing around with it tonight.
The cheaper ano is why I mentioned the KD generic black S2+ host might bake to a different shade than the convoy. I may have to try one and see.
These are the fun mods. Simple enough and yet more complex than they first appear. 
On thinning the shelf, might have to examine that carefully. I suppose removing a little from the inside surface would be fine as long as the spring can still hold a cell firmly. Best for an end mill…which, although not the smartest thing in the world, can be used judiciously in a drill press. Easy to mess things up, break stuff, hopefully not remove skin, but if the press is decent it can be done. Only very small cuts…and only if you can hold the work solidly in soft vise jaws with a round or vee relief and also not crush it into an oval. Then lubing up the table and bottom of the vise you can slloowly slide it around, adjust depth and repeat. Very small cuts - very small cuts. Chuck needs to have very little runout, table needs to be pretty well squared well in both axes, and best to lock the quill in place…if yours doesn’t lock then sometimes you can add a jam nut to the bottom of the depth rod (mild disassembly needed). The cheaper carbide mills from China are fine for this and not too expensive (I got a six or seven piece set for like $37 and they’re actually surprisingly good quality…but skip the hss versions…they’re all junk unless you spend more). The challenge here is to get the cap plumb with the quill/mill, but at least it removes the centering aspect. Need to practice first and accept the risks. Just an idea, though.
It’d be easier if Simon just had a full range of colors available in either style.
To try this mod some larger drill bits will be needed, since regular sets only go up to 1/2” (12.7mm)
I have a 19/32 (15mm) but I’d like to try the 14mm boot first,14mm is what’s on my BLF A6 and Astrolux S41 tailcaps.
The top of the 14mm boots I have are more convex shaped than the 16mm ones that are nearly flat, and 14mm ones have a much longer inner nub, at least the ones I have do, I’m not sure where they came from, they may have been extras for my A6, X6 SS/CU or S41’s, and I only have a green one left, I had one clear but it split when I was handling it. So I’d need to find some of the same in clear, if the ones from Ali or the KD ones don’t have the long inner nub.
Since I don’t have a proper large bit for the 14mm hole, I could use one of my step bits that has a 13.94mm step, the opening in the Astrolux S41 tailcap measures 13.95mm so perfect size. The flat in the step bit is 5mm long, and the shelf is 5.6mm thick, so I’ll drill it from the rear first, then drill the final .6 mm from the inside.
I think it will help too after that little raised ridge around the outside of the hole is drilled away. I also will need to find or make a thinner white (or clear) plastic washer.
The lighted switch from my BLF X6 SS/CU fits right in the S2+ so I’ll use it to test after I drill, it only has a led on one side so it’s not too bright. I tried it in the S2+ with no boot and it seemed even dimmer. Looks like the ones from neals have 2 leds.
I looked at those milling bits before to use in the press for another project, those could come in quite handy. For this I’m hoping to be able to get it to work good enough with just enlarging the opening, I’d rather not go that deep into it or buy any more tools.
For the washer to sit deeper I would need to mill the shelf out to the inner diameter of the tube, and that would be pretty challenging and time consuming just to get it all set up and properly clamped and centered, plus as you said it would require the use of a end mill bit to do it properly. So I’m going to see if this can work with the thick shelf as is, by drilling it only to enlarge the hole .
I may still try drilling it freehand, everyone doesn’t have a drill press so if this works out other BLF’ers may want to try it too, and you can get the stepped bits at harbor freight.
I agree, I’d be nice if Simon offered a few of the colors with rubber switch, since they used to make them the tooling is already done.