finished a mod...

Flashlight Modding and DIY Parts
1

i have one of THESE…

http://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/brinkmann-lithium-tactical-flashlight

its been collecting dust for a couple years or so, because i blew the driver trying to see if it would be brighter sticking 2x123 batteries into a single 18650 light. Welllllll, it did get brighter? But… only temporarily. It directly and in short order? smelled hot, smoked a little, and went into “low mode only” and wouldnt do anythign else.

i forgot about it…

had a 17mm driver left over from a group buy light that i replaced with a beefier driver… had one laying around… it went pretty smoothly. original xpg emitter, and, the REFLECTOR is what really “makes” this small handheld light… its a deep reflector, so, it throws really well for a small light.

its no POWERHOUSE with this driver in it… but, for what it is, its now a serviceable “go to” light. (like i needed one of those, but, LMAO)

i’m more into zoomies? but… for a reflectored light? this ones okay. Small light form factor. Since i’m not driving the SNOT out of it? HIGH with the deep reflector works well enough, med is, well…. “medium”… but, the LOW mode is 120 ma or so? so… long run times on LOW if i need it.

I once asked on here “what is this light?” and someone finally said… “it looks like a hs-801/802” style light…

maybe one day if i get even MORE bored? i will treat this light to a xpg2 on a noctigon, and, a driver upgrade, something with no disco modes. I’m not even “into” reflectored lights? and i still appreciate this thing, the little but deep reflector makes it punch above its weight, with even a fairly ho-hum driver.

I get 150+ meters useful illumination, and its only showing 1amp on HI… even my cheap batteries i normally dont use are uaseable in this thing… i guess if i go fishing? it will run all night on LOW mode since it only shows 120 milliamps on low…

this light now that its working? keeps me from “needing” a c8… I mean, when 120 milliamps LO mode, gets you 25 to 50 yards because of the deep reflector?? its pretty useful with a long runtime, if you dont need a flashlight to eat an apple and sh!t a fruit salad… i grab my 1504 with 3 amp driver for that sort of thing…

2

Nice!
Those cooling fins look up to the job, good looking light cool it is saved.

3

well, its not the deepest fins, but, its not like i am driving it to hell and back either. And i dont even really LIKE reflectors a whole lot… but, this light makes me not hate reflectors, i guess.

its mainly the reflector i think, its so deep for how small the light is… plus, theres the factor that if you let a light SIT long enough? before you fix it? its almost like getting a new light, lol…

this light makes me wonder though… why “cool reflectors” are so rare? I mean, THIS one is pretty cool for a thin beam thrower, while still being useful around you if youre not one of those “flood lovers”… lights like the defiant super thrower are highly coveted, once again? mainly because of the cool reflector…

why dont more budget lights have cool reflectors like this, nice deep good throwing ones? when you are manufacturing a budget light? a cheap reflector is a cheap reflector… why dont the manufacturers make it a POINT to buy a cheap reflector with a shape that throws, so their light is more “coveted” and gets a reputation?

its not like it COSTS them anything really to do it…

4

I have a UniqueFire UF-2200 that is a 26650 based light that has a head only slightly bigger than the body tube and uses a very deep reflector. It throws like a beast, with a little spill to walk by. It is an old design and not perfect, but it has become my goto light when I am out and about at night. And, it is all due to that reflector… And the XM-L2 4C. I must admit that mine is driven very hard, but the design removes heat well. And, I almost never use high when walking….

5

Nice! I recently purchased a UniqueFire HS-802, which this DOES appear to be a copy of, and I really do like this light.

Mine is modded with a 2.2A driver (Qlite, with 7135s removed) and a dedomed cool-white XP-E2 emitter. The output varies greatly with the focus of the reflector on this light, so I spent a lot of time with a light meter fine-tuning this to get the tightest beam possible. It’s currently my best thrower. I have purchased a couple of the XP-E2 Torch LEDs from RMM; this are a couple of bins higher than the XP-E2 I’m already using, so I’m hoping to make this light even better.

This will likely lose it’s top-thower rating though once I have my 74mm UniqueFire 1508 assembled: Ultimate aspherical flashlight set / Uniquefire 1508

Unfortunately, these projects are all on hold until I can get some workspace back, as everything is still boxed up in my new home…