Mag 2D cut down build (videos and photos) Nichia on copper center. Project cancelled

Flashlight Modding and DIY Parts
1

Project Cancelled

Do you think a Nichia 219 can take 2800ma?

Nichia on a copper center.

m1

XP-G star "Hacked" (and I do mean hacked) out ugly. Copper rod in the center, copper round under the star. Arctic Alumina Adhesive between the aluminum star and copper round. When I put the AA on, I made sure it squeezed up around the copper center, to isolate it from the outer terminal strips, since the job was so bad looking and since it looked like it could short. I just wiped off the excess and let it harden. Seemed to work out well. No shorts.

m2

I don't believe it! It works! I ran solder on the two outside strips, with my iron, but in order to get the copper center hot, I had to resort to my torch, heating down low, under the star and copper plate, on the bottom of the rod. I put solder on it and sat the Nichia on. Hit it for a second on the rod again, with the torch and the emitter sucked right down. Then I started blowing on it really quick, since I knew it would be hotter than it should be, but it looks (and works) fine!

Watch the video to see it working!

I got the reflector into the head, so I could mark "center" on the heatsink. Got the heatsink drilled and put the copper rod/star assembly on it and screwed it all down.

Here's a couple photos and a video of it.

ref1

heat1

heta2

heat3

I left the excess, just to show how well it squeezed out, when I screwed it down.

Here's the video.

Project Cencelled

2

muaha >)

Nice to see I’m not over-protective of bare reflectors. Is this the 40mm deep one you use instead of the Mag deep reflector?

Can’t wait to see more of this one.

3

Hope so. :D

But are you sure it was Match? If so, do you remember the thread?

Only thing I found is this: https://budgetlightforum.com/t/-/8515#comment-186787

4

Great video Justin! That's a good idea, and one I've thought about doing myself when I was trying to figure out how to get 3 xmls copper mounted on one heatsink. I think your plan should work great, and can't wait to see the results.

I take it you plan on soldering all three connections at once?

I really need to get a nichia or two to play with...

Thanks again for sharing, and I love the videos!

5

This was an idea I was sharing with Justin via PM. Funny thing is, I stumbled upon that thread after we had our talk! Great minds think alike as that's exactly how I've managed to copper mount my last few. Jamio did a very nice job on that, and thanks goes out to him for posting pics of it (which I've failed to do yet...)

6

Can you post pics and an explanation? I tried with XPG stars and I'm not sure if that went well.. they are just so small compared to the XML.

7

This is the deep reflector from CNQG. It’s about the only one I have found that can be used in a Mag and is designed for an XM-L.

8

Yep, it was in PM’s. Match sent me a copper round with the center made for an XM-L star, with the star cut out in the center to fit over the copper. I have been wanting to do something along those lines, but I have gotten stuck on those Nichias and want to see if one that is pushed, will be a good thrower (or a reasonable thrower).

9

I will be posting photos as I do this mod, along with the video. I just wanted to plant the seed and see what happened. I plan on using a tiny drill bit, to drill several small holes in the center pad. Then I will use a jewelers file to file it out to a rectangle. I will file the end of the copper rod to a rectangle as well. It will take some patience and time. I, most likely, will also use a copper round under the star. I have a few 1" diameter by 18ga copper rounds and I can use one and screw it to the aluminum heatsink and solder it to the copper rod in the center. (sandwich with XP-G star, copper round under it and then the heatsink, with the copper rod thru it all).

10

Yep, I plan to make the copper fit the center and at the right height, so I can reflow the led to the star.

11

I remember Jamio’s thread too. He did great with that. That was about the time I made my first all copper XM-L star, which I haven’t done anything else with. The one Match tested for me. It sits in the emitter pile, waiting for me to do something with it.

Too many irons in the fire! Too many thoughts in my head, can't shut them off. I got two lights in today, that I am going to resell and I'm already thinking if I can use the big one with a Mag body, instead of selling it. LOL, just not enough time... I got a file on the PC with all kinds of drawings.....

12

Cant wait to see that. :) I think the easiest would be to saw the star in two and grind away the middle part.. well, thats from my experience. :D

13

Can't tell you how excited I am that the Nichia on the copper rod works!

14

Not with words, but with that video. Impressive work.. "its a flop" hehe. :D

15

Your excited and I'm blown away. 1/16th drill bits putting slots in. Copper rod for a heat sink etc etc. Like it or not I'm moving in. Good stuff.

16

Pretty innovative design using a copper rod THROUGH a LED star.

17

Yep, That’s how I felt at that moment. That was the third and last of my XP-G stars and it was either going to be “three strikes & your out”, or “third time’s a charm”. I really never thought it would light up.

18

Come on…

You have to sleep with the cat, but she likes to cuddle on cool nights.

19

Man there’s quite a few brilliant ideas here. Thanks guys!

O-L, if you’re still planning to go with the copper rod through the big aluminum heatsink, perhaps you could try heating up the aluminum or freezing the copper rod before joining the two together? That way you might be able to get a press fit instead of having to fill the gap with thermal compound? Just a humble suggestion :bigsmile:

20

Good suggestion, only I already have it done. Wink

More photos and a video in the first post.