Astrolux Ti3A Nichia 219C 5000K Teardown & Mods

CRX · 2019-01-21T11:08:52.000Z

Here we have a nice little titanium light that I received from Lexels 4444 giveaway :-) :BEER:

Modded with tail clicky switch.Titanium construction
Nichia 219C 5000K emitter
10mm Copper DTP MCPCB
13mm ARC glass
OP reflector
Copper & brass hand made pill
Copper lined battery tube
MTN FET 10mm driver (G1)
Lockout-able
Forward clicky tail switch

Max - 680lm OTF

Length – 70mm
Width – 15mm/ 13mm
Weight – 34g (With 10440 cell)

Astrolux Ti3A runtime graph.

The original pill is a plastic tube, yes plastic, haven't seen anything like that for a while, shame really as it is such a nice wee titanium host and well made otherwise.
The driver is press fitted into this plastic tube with wires up to the LED on a fibre board that kinda floats loosely in the reflector recess.

The orange peel reflector is nice solid aluminium and has outside threads which attach the bezel to the head.
No o-ring was present at the front glass or head twist mechanism but there was one at the tailcap, I have siliconed the glass into the bezel, o-ring at battery tube and thick silicone grease at the switch for some water ingress resistance.

Originally this is a head twisty operated light, to disassemble first unscrew the bezel, reflector, take out the pill and a brass screwed retainer is revealed. It has two indents for unscrewing from the battery tube.
Red thread locker all round on the threaded head parts.

Here's all the original bits & pieces.

I lined the battery tube with some thin copper, soldered to the brass retainer after filing the edge down a little so it will not retain the head piece any more and added an o-ring & thermal paste between the copper & battery tube.

Drilled a 4mm hole through the tail cap & made a small switch plunger out of 4mm magnets, filled slot with JB weld.

Wrapped a small forward clicky switch with copper tape and press fitted into the end of the battery tube, with some on the threads for a tighter fit of the tail cap. Dremeled out the tail cap a little for a snug fit of the switch.

I made a new metal pill from a plumbers 10mm id brass ferrule, some K&S brass tube, 1mm thick copper sheet, all soldered together then installed the 10mm FET driver & Nichia 219C 5000K LED on a 10mm DTP MCPCB. Press fitted into the head.

I sanded down the underside of the reflector as much as possible to fit the LED. Added some contrasting aesthetics.

A nice wee titanium tail clicky pocket rocket it is now ;) :THUMBS-UP:

Agro · 2019-01-21T11:17:09.000Z

CRX, you make threaded parts.
What was the ID of the battery tube before the mod and what is it after?

I love the thermal improvement.

hodor · 2019-01-21T11:23:28.000Z

Amazing! But now there’s no space for a trit

CRX · 2019-01-21T11:28:04.000Z

Agro:

CRX, you make threaded parts.
What was the ID of the battery tube before the mod and what is it after?

I love the thermal improvement.

I didn’t measure it before but must have been around 11mm and 10.4mm diameter after. Had to take the labels off the Efest 10440
It does actually help move some heat down the battery tube, I have it set so the end of the copper & brass tube butts up against the pill.

CRX · 2019-01-21T11:33:20.000Z

hodor:

Amazing! :+1: But now there’s no space for a trit

It was a sacrifice I was willing to make for a tail switch, I’ll figure something out

MascaratumB · 2019-01-21T12:04:33.000Z

CRX:

hodor:

Amazing! :+1: But now there’s no space for a trit

It was a sacrifice I was willing to make for a tail switch, I’ll figure something out

Mate, you kill me with these mods

BTW, you still have the lanyard hole for the tritium vial :smiling_imp:

CRX · 2019-01-21T12:10:08.000Z

True, though I wanted to keep that free.
I have a couple 2.5mm long trits that nearly fit each side of the switch button but I would need to do a little dremeling of the slot, may do that at some point

Slayer1 · 2019-01-21T12:13:35.000Z

Awesome build again. I will take it

CRX · 2019-01-21T12:15:41.000Z

MRsDNF · 2019-01-21T19:16:18.000Z

Nice work CRX.

CRX · 2019-01-21T19:29:04.000Z

Thanks mate

Firelight2 · 2019-01-21T20:39:09.000Z

Awesome job!!!

Serp · 2019-01-22T08:50:48.000Z

nice work

Umpi2000 · 2019-01-22T10:37:21.000Z

Proper pocket rocket, awesome work

ImA4Wheelr · 2019-01-22T19:30:05.000Z

Just gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous. I'm always floored by how beautiful you make a light inside and out.

Agro · 2019-01-23T12:30:16.000Z

CRX:

True, though I wanted to keep that free.
I have a couple 2.5mm long trits that nearly fit each side of the switch button but I would need to do a little dremeling of the slot, may do that at some point :+1:

Maybe you could build the switch post (or just the exposed part) entirely from trits?

CRX · 2019-01-23T13:06:53.000Z

Crossed my mind, a 6mm x 1.5mm would fit nicely but wouldn’t last too long I think.

Agro · 2019-01-23T13:16:01.000Z

3 trits would be much stronger than 1.

CRX · 2019-01-23T15:37:38.000Z

Agro:

3 trits would be much stronger than 1.

This is true

Hobo · 2019-01-24T14:03:59.000Z

Was your bezel glued? I can’t get mine off