I will, and it will be in a small host, and it will be fine :-)
I think until someone actually compares the output at a given current for the same 3 LEDs on a noctigon triple vs. an aluminium triple (like the one from IS) then any opinion is really just armchair engineering. You can’t extrapolate the direct-to-copper vs. aluminium gains for a single LED on 16 or 20mm star to a 20mm triple, because the heat density is completely different. You can’t even compare an XM-L 3A to a parallel triple 3A, because, again, they’re not the same.
At the end of the day, the cost of the star is pretty minimal compared to the overall cost of the light and the prebuilt noctigons are competitive price wise with other 20mm triples on the market. So if you want to give it a go, like the idea, want the latest hotness or whatever, why not? Equally, if you don’t, you probably won’t be consigned to carrying round a guttering candle if you go aluminium either 
It wont be fine, it will run very hot. Trust me, I've built lights like that before. For a tiny host, even 3A is too much for more than 1-2 minutes. Doesnt mean its no fun though. :D
I'm not against Noctigons for triples, I'm just trying to make it clear that the profit is not that huge. In my opinion, you will barely notice it, even when comparing side by side. Also, an XPG2 R5 can range from 518 to 558 lumens at 1.5A. Thats 10%. Might be more than you win with Noctigons. The biggest advantage I see is how easy it is to configure the board to parallel.
P.S.: 475 -> 510 lumens is about 7.3%. I was on my phone and just did a rough calc in my head.
I don't think anybody is claiming a little disc of copper will make the light run cooler. The body of the light will be hotter. That means it's working. If you have sensitive girly-fingers that can't tolerate heat, buy a light that's intentionally designed to not transfer heat into the body like an overpriced Nitecore somethingorother.
I don't have any lights that are less than 2.8A, even two little 16340/XPG2 lights are using 8x 7135 drivers. I have Convoy S2 & S4 with 12x 7135s. I find them incredibly useful, and runtime on high is far longer than "1-2 minutes" before they get uncomfortably hot to hold. Even if left on beyond that point, even until they step down due to the low voltage protection in the driver, the lights survive that kind of abuse just fine. No solder melts, nothing breaks.
Yep, that is my experience as well, with copper boards those hard driven lights get too hot to hold, but just keep running fine until battery depletion. I do take extra care of good thermal contact between board and pill in these lights
I never said that the light or anything in it will melt. But they get too hot to hold, even with manly redneck fingers. (Srsly, questioning ones manhood.. where are we?). If they dont, your heatsinking is not good enough.
Interesting debate. I use copper in everything, and add copper as well. I have the Solarforce K3 head on an L2P host running an MT-G2 at 6A for something over 3000 lumens. It’s Noctigon is re-flowed to a 1” long 7/8” diameter copper heat sink. It will get quite warm in 4-5 minutes. It will get 150º inside of 10 minutes. Not so hot that it has to be put down to cool, a simple downshift to Med will suffice for a few minutes then back to Hi. I have little girly redneck fingers, which is to say my fingers are not calloused or rough, but still able to carry around 3000 lumens in a P-60 form factor. And enjoy it. Immensely.
I just took a Convoy S6 up to 4A with an XM-L2 T6 yesterday, carried it around quite a bit on high, checking out it’s beam profile and throw distance. It warmed up, but no threat to do bodily harm. The brass pill is now sporting a 16mm SinkPAD and the driver is carrying 4 more chips.
I will put XP-G2’s on the Triple Noctigon, and I will use a Q-Lite driver or equivalent and run them at or above 5A in an L2P host. Or L2m shorty. And they’ll be in a solid copper pill. And I’m fairly confident they’ll be fine.
Yea, these copper boards won’t net much of a gain for me because I won’t be pushing the LEDs too hard. I will probably still use them though because they are not that expensive and I like the idea of better heatsinking.
However, since these are going in smaller hosts, I think it is very important to add more thermal mass. This just keeps the light at a cooler temperature and allows for longer usage at the higher levels before the light gets too hot.
I’ve also been doing some rough estimations and unless you push the xpg-2s hard on these boards, you won’t notice much of a difference in comparison to an aluminum board. On top of that, a single XML-2 will be alot cheaper and have similar lumen output. The main benefit I see is the decrease in Vf to allow for better regulated runtime with a linear driver.
The main advantage triples at this size has for me is allowing me to run 3x nichias.
Hello blf, I’m new to blf and modding lights in general. Anyway, I just received my new Niteye Eye10 a few days ago and been running it with an AW IMR 18350 battery and it seems almost as bright as my TK45 (maybe 75-100 lumens less on ceiling test)… Then stumbled across this thread and a light-bulb (well, LED) went off in my head, and what do you know, my Eye10 has a 20-21mm head!!! Could I just replace the current board I have inside there with this noctagon one fitted with 3 XP-G2’s and keep my current driver? The Eye10 has Dynamic Controlled Infinitely Variable Dimming, so not sure how that works exactly.
I am also wondering if this is the right XP-G2 from mouser I want to be ordering for this mod? I really want a really good throw on my light, with alot of flood as well, but throw first and foremost!
Also, which optics (guessing plastic would melt) and reflector would be best to undergo this mod, and where should I purchase to get the best price? Any help would be appreciated, but yes I am on my quest to make the best edc flashlight possible, and this seems to possibly fit the bill.
I am really hoping to hit over 1000 lumens in my Niteye Eye10 if thats even possible from three XP-G2’s running off (1) 18350 battery.
Any suggestions are welcome!
Man, you don't want much, do ya? lol And I want a car that gets +100mpg, over 1000hp, smooth ride, cornering ability of at least 1G, and enough cargo space in case I need to move a piano or washing machine.
You can now get the boards with LEDs pre-mounted:
3C/5000k neutral white: http://intl-outdoor.com/noctigon-3xp-mcpcb-cree-xpg2-r5-3c-leds-p-765.html
2B/6000k cool white: http://intl-outdoor.com/noctigon-3xp-mcpcb-cree-xpg2-r5-2b-leds-p-764.html
You can reuse the original driver as long as you set up the board for LEDs in parallel, though don't expect stunning output. The driver output will be divided equally among the 3 LEDs.
20mm optics can be had here:
https://illuminationsupply.com/led-optics-c-52_33/carclo-10508-100mm-frosted-medium-array-p-146.html
Besides the diameter, if you’e going to try this, make sure you can disassemble the light, or at least the head, first. Some of these light are difficult to open up.
Also, once you have the head apart (for the EYE10, carefully, since there may be tiny parts in it), you should check if the distance from where the emitter/emitter PCB to the front of the light/back of lens can be changed, or how it can be changed.
The Carclo triple optics are kind of “short” with legs that sit on top of the triple PCB in holes in the PCB, so the distance from the emitters/emitter PCB to the back of the lens is much shorter than a typical reflector.
The Eye10 is a nice light, and I personally wouldn’t mess around with it. Even experienced modders don’t like dealing with the magnetic rings. You would also have to make all kinds of other fitting modifications inside the head. Why don’t you just buy a $10 host and play with that?
Triple’s aren’t for throw, the small optics do a very nice job but if throw is your primary objective a triple with optics is not your cup o tea.
Thanks, I will be going with the 6000K CW one, just wish I could get it faster as 2-4 weeks seems forever. Looking at the specs if I can supply at least 1A to each LED, that would put me around 3x382 = 1146 lumens, and accounting for energy efficiency loss, probably around 1000 lumens!!!
The Carclo 10507 seems to be the lens that looks best to me.
Also, I don’t want or ask for much… Just to have this badboy Eye10 over 1000 lumens and I will be content with my life, at least until another LED goes off in my head!
Headed to Home depot in a little bit as the Eye10 head has a torx screw t6 maybe and cant seem to find my cellphone tools when I need them! I figured the carclo optics would leave alot of room between them and the glass lens and just need to find a 3x mini reflector that could fit in that space but its looks like there would be about 7-9mm clearance once the pcb and carclo are put in.
Is there such a short 3x reflector that exist for this short depth of 7-9mm or would I have to make one myself?
Living here in Texas we go by the motto, Go Big or Go Home… I plan to Go Big with this little light, the bigger the better. This will be my first flashlight mod and I want it to be “SPECIAL” especially since I use the Eye10 as my edc, and plan on having it with me for the next 5 years. I want to light up the world with my little light, especially since I got it for $40 off amazon prime, in “like new” condition!
What I did in another light, to “extend” the front of the pill was use one of these (appropriately sized):
and then cut it to reduce the height/length. The cap I got was NOT flat, but more like domed, on the top, so I had to file/sand the top flat.
I then drilled holes in the top for the emitter wires, Arctic glued it to the original pill, and then put the 3up board on top of that with some thermal grease under it. If you get it to the right length/height, when it all goes together, the carclo pushes the against the lens and the front of the emitter PCB, which pushes that onto the flattened top of the copper cap.
EDIT: This post/thread has pics…
Well, I do prefer throw over flood with this mod, but as long as I have a good amount of throw of 100 yards with around the same amount of flood as the Eye10 does now, I will be a happy camper.
If I can extrapolate over 1000 lumens with this 3x LED mod, this will be the ‘HOLY GRAIL of FLASHLIGHTS’ in my book as it would fit on my keychain, have infinitely variable control ring for low lumen and long runtime or superhigh 3-5 minute burst lumen and short runtime, at over 1000 lumens, and run off a single 18350 battery.
The only way I can see a flashlight getting better than that would be getting the Niteye Eye10 TiC and doing this exact same mod, especially since the Niteye Eye10 TiC is the BEST LOOKING FLASHLIGHT I HAVE EVER SEEN. That is what I plan on asking my wife to get me for Christmas, and giving her my Eye10 as she really likes the Eye10 and it doesn’t really add bulk to mine or her keychain…
I still think that you’re underestimating the difficulty of modding a light that has a control ring (also I don’t have the wherewithal to mod a $150 light :laughing:, but, if you do get it working, PLEASE post pics/info!!
Thanks for the tip, makes a lot of sense… But if I was to do this wouldn’t 3x XP-G2 R5 on a single pcb melt the optics because of being confined to a super small space that close to the glass lens? And I don’t think I would be getting 100 yard throw with this style anyway, or anywhere near that…
This is what I am really wanting to do, 3x reflector, but in a single 20mm diameter…
Maybe someone know’s where I can buy this style reflector in 20mm diameter for triple LED??? This would give me the throw I would need as well as just enough flood to make it useful.
It doesn’t even need to be 3 separate domes in the reflector, I would take a single dome reflector that has the cutout for 3 leds, as long as its in 20mm… Any suggestions and links are welcome!