Astrolux S41 - presale ended

[somnambulism]

@akoposilester

The short tube of s41 can fit the blf a6.

Yeah, I know you can lego the parts together. In fact my S41 short tube is actually a slightly better fit in my A6 than my A6 short tube is!

But I just wish the distance between the holes was the same in both tailcaps, so that I could use the same kind of screw-on clip on both. Apparently my S41 is different from some others in this regard (Henk4U2 and djozz evidently have a slightly different hole configuration, for example).

And I am fully aware that this is an extremely minor complaint, and I am in general very happy with my S41.

[djozz]

I opened up my astrolux S41, I haven’t read it all but anyone else has one without screws? :weary: (they could at least have left all 4 legs on the optic if no screws was the plan). At least it saves me the decision should I solder the board to the pill or not.

[Theodore41]

@djozz

I opened up my astrolux S41, I haven’t read it all but anyone else has one without screws? :weary: (they could at least have left all 4 legs on the optic if no screws was the plan). At least it saves me the decision should I solder the board to the pill or not.

Mine,had only one screw.

[djozz]

@Theodore41

@djozz

I opened up my astrolux S41, I haven’t read it all but anyone else has one without screws? :weary: (they could at least have left all 4 legs on the optic if no screws was the plan). At least it saves me the decision should I solder the board to the pill or not.

Mine,had only one screw.

I guess you were lucky then

More fun: edges of the not-in-use scew holes bulging up, hardly any metal-metal contact between board and pill. Those Nichia’s do not live happy lives in here.

[brted]

Problem solved! Is the board loose? Did they use paste or adhesive?

[djozz]

@brted

Problem solved! Is the board loose?

may have been kept in place by optic, sort of because the legs have no rim that push the top of the ledboard down.

[djozz]

@Sharpie

It wouldn’t matter if they had left all four pegs on the optic, they have no shoulder to press the MCPCB down onto the pill.

four legs would make the light more resistant to impact forces on the glass lens, the optic has no support on the side, the lens presses on the legs

[giorgoskok]

Optics have from the factory only 2 legs .

[djozz]

@Sharpie

PS: what is that (corrosive) crap masquerading as thermal compound ?

I hope the grey comes from silver in the thin sludge, but it is way thinner than the Arctic Silver 5 that I use.

[Firelight2]

@Sharpie

Well I know what good stuff looks like, and this isn’t it.

By corrosive, I mean look at the copper head, where it has etched it back to red copper.

Then look at the brassy MCPCB, where it hasn’t touched it.

Suspicious ?

I don’t think it’s actually etched. I think that different colored part is just a film left on the surface from whatever thermal compound they used.

I removed the board on my E14 when I reflowed to quad XPL-HI. The area below the star looked just like that picture. The residue came off pretty cleanly when I wiped it off with a Q-Tip and there was no discoloration below the residue. It doesn’t appear to be corrosive to me.

[giorgoskok]

What do you mean Sharpie ?
The mcpcb is copper , but it is like gold plated , i don’t know exactly the material.

[djozz]

Yes, when wiped off it was shiny

[giorgoskok]

Sharpie , i dont think there was something on top of the copper in the inside of the head. As djozz said , it was just a thin layer of thermal paste , it hasn’t changed something (it isn’t etched).

[giorgoskok]

I didn’t say that the job was done right .
I just support that the thermal paste hasn’t done damage to the copper (corroded/etched as your words) .

[M4D_M4X]

how many are you?

[giorgoskok]

@Sharpie

@giorgoskok

I didn’t say that the job was done right .
I just support that the thermal paste hasn’t done damage to the copper (corroded/etched as your words) .

Let’s wait until we receive ours.

If the paste can do that much, before even delivered, it is not something I care to leave inside my torch, any longer than necessary.

When i opened my light i changed the thermal paste , as i had removed everything else it was just 1 extra minute

[djozz]

As said, the paste does not seem to be corrosive.

I did a bit more to the pill of my Astrolux, blow-torched it to steaming hot to remove any coating present. Something came off in smoke and everything turned grey but I had been polishing it with stuff as well, so I’m not sure what it was. Then polished the pill to shiny with silver polish and now it looks pretty again

[Firelight2]

@Sharpie

I see that only about half the MCPCB had any therrmal contact with the head.

And that the bits that did were corroded/etched whatever.

With some thin grey gunge.

Which won’t improve long term.

Yet another thing easily fixed, by taking apart, deburring screw holes (and fitting altogether missing ones), polishing, appling trusted materials etc.

But why oh why should this be necessary ?

Incorrect Sharpie.

Nothing is “etched” inside the head. After wiping off the stock thermal paste (which looks like a very small amount of AS5 to me), the inside of the pill and underside of the star are both shiny and pristine. There’s nothing corrosive about their thermal paste.

This is confirmed by multiple people in the last several posts who have opened up the heads on their lights.

[giorgoskok]

Djozz stop giving me reasons to order a second one!
That pure copper look is very nice , and the tailcaps too

@Firelight2

@Sharpie

I see that only about half the MCPCB had any therrmal contact with the head.

And that the bits that did were corroded/etched whatever.

With some thin grey gunge.

Which won’t improve long term.

Yet another thing easily fixed, by taking apart, deburring screw holes (and fitting altogether missing ones), polishing, appling trusted materials etc.

But why oh why should this be necessary ?

Incorrect Sharpie.

Nothing is “etched” inside the head. After wiping off the stock thermal paste (which looks like a very small amount of AS5 to me), the inside of the pill and underside of the star are both shiny and pristine. There’s nothing corrosive about their thermal paste.

This is confirmed by multiple people in the last several posts who have opened up the heads on their lights.

That’s what i said too , but English isn’t my native language …

[Firelight2]

@djozz

As said, the paste does not seem to be corrosive.

I did a bit more to the pill of my Astrolux, blow-torched it to steaming hot to remove any coating present. Something came off in smoke and everything turned grey but I had been polishing it with stuff as well, so I’m not sure what it was. Then polished the pill to shiny with silver polish and now it looks pretty again

Very nice Djozz!!!

My understanding is at least the outside of the copper pill around the heatsink fins has some kind of laquer on it to prevent tarnish. I suspect you blowtorched that off.

Your polished copper pill looks gorgeous! Manker should make a version of this light entirely in copper. And another version entirely in aluminum.