And another newbie with dozens of questions join the forum.

Flashlight Modding and DIY Parts
1

Hi all.

The above mentioned newbie is ME.

I just love cheap chinese flashlight. All of the first week when they actually work.
After that first week (or day… or minute) they start to work less that perfect.

By now i have about a dozen or two flashlights in different states of decay. Not to mention batteries.

I dislike the idea of buying cheap and then discard. I stopped buying chinese batteries for that reason and now only buy $30+ batteries from local vendors.

After repairing my favourite flashlight yesterday i thought -“Hey, im a handy man, why dont i just refurbish my other lights too?”.

After 2 hours of research i realized, i not only have to be handy… A degree in electrical engineering and knowledge just short of wikipedia is useful too. :slight_smile:

So, here comes the questions (and i have a feeling i know the answer too “use the search button”) :smiley:

Dismantling the torch;
There are generally 2 dimples in some of the parts for unscrewing. I managed to open a flashlight with 2 small screwdrivers, patience and a lot of cusswords. There must be a better way.
Are there any tools for it and where do i find it?

The LED emitter;
Which led emitter is the best bang for the buck? From what i could gather, the Cree XM-L2 seems to be a good candidate. But i bet there are plenty of options.
Where do i buy it? Its no problem finding LEDs but there seems to be lots of counterfeit or inferior lights out there and i have a natural talent of accidently buying them.

The LED driver (is that the correct name for it?);
Apparently the chinese manufacturers feel that more is better and with a 252 mode flashlight i end up clicking the button for a few miutes before deciding that the moonlight if plenty of light for walking a dangerous hillside.
I have seen that there are drivers that you can program yourself but thats probably not for a total noob like myself, but what is a good driver to chose if i in the future want to try? Preferably 2 or 3 mode from the start. And by 3 mode i hope the modes are low-mid-hi and not sos-strobe-self destruct.

If someone want to help me out by answering my questions i will be thankful, but i also look forward to a “use the search button” or 2. :slight_smile:

Regards

Fulis

2

Small needle nose pliers or circlip pliers are what you want for the retaining rings with the two small holes in them. Any hardware store will have them, or go crazy searching ebay.

LED's - there are so many to choose from, depending on what the intended usage is. Here's a good reference chart.

The XM-L2, XP-L, & Nichia 219c variants are common for use in basic single-cell lights, such as a Convoy S2, or C8.

Non-counterfeit LED's can be sourced from places like this, or this for discount prices. There are many other options.

The Driver must be matched correctly to the LED & Cell/s. Here is a selection of common drivers.

The AtTiny 13/25/85 series of MCU's on the popular drivers that are in use enjoy a wide variety of custom firmware made by some very talented people here. Here's a good guide if you ever want to 'flash' your own driver.

Welcome to BLF! :beer:

3

Thanks for the welcome and response.

The pliers i actually used a few years ago when repairing another torch, but the one i was fiddling with yesterday had the ring about 3 inches down a tube and i couldnt reach it with the pliers. Thats why i was thinking there might be a special tool just for flashlights.

Now i will read up and hopefully order some spares. :slight_smile:

Thanks again

/Fulis

4

Hi and welcome to the crazy world of modding fulis. Make sure you have plenty of spares. :slight_smile:

5

Welcome to BLF.
From what I have read you will enjoy this place.