Ok, so i picked up a couple of zoomies from a member here and decided they were worth modding.
The E-smart is an 18650 with a solid but very lite pill and the Ultrafire 26650 has a very long but hollow pill. I started with a brass rod that I had and made an insert for the E-Smart and the Ultrafire.
E-smart insert…
Being JB welded…
Ultrafire insert with Noctigon soldered on… XP-G2 4C
Stock driver in both…
What is left?
18650 will get a 105E with a couple of extra 7135’s, it is on order.
18650 has an XM-L2 U3 1A, not sure that will stay.
26650 will get a FET+7135 with Bistro from Mountain Electronics in 20mm.
If I can get the 26650 tailcap apart it will get spring bypasses.
I know, these are old school. But they are fairly well build and heafty. I really need a lens for the 18650, it is scratched up.
As completed:
Heavy pill
Noctigon
XP-L V6 1A - I was not happy with the XP-G2, poor output, tint boogered by the lens. Was not to bad to change with a hotplate.
Mountain Electronics 22mm FET +1 sanded down to fit and pressed in with a socket and vice.
New BLF switch board with potential for LED’s at some point. Omten switch and braided spring. KD brass retainer ring for a perfect fit!
I would still like to find a glass lens for this, coated would be awesome.
The XP-L really brought out the potential in this light. It now draws 5.9 amps on a rested Lii battery. It has excellent heat distribution down the entire length of the light as well.
Shot at 60 yards…
Shot at 130 yards…
Flood:
Got the new KD driver in for the E-smart light today. Flashed it with Nlite for a good moonlight mode and no visible PWM. Driver works great! I have a little work to do on the tail switch yet and am not convinced that the XM-L2 will stay in the light. Will also need to play with bleeders for a lighted tail cap on this one. It transfers heat well enough for a linear regulated driver, but I may add a couple more 7135’s to it.
Will decide on the emitter this weekend and try for some beamshots.
I’ve found with modding my zoomie that the tail click is a very big weak point in the amount of resistance overall for the power delivery. You might want to add either solder or copper wire to the tailcap spring and metal that makes contact with the shell…
My zoomie actually turned out quite well! Not bad for a freebie flashlight and a new ebay driver and emitter… I drive about 2.5A outta mine! Works great!
If I could get them apart I would braid the springs and add solder to the metal tab that makes contact with the tube. I am most concerned with the 26650, but the switch has a threaded retainer and then a clear plastic dome that seems to hold it all together and I can’t get it out.
keltex78, I may switch to the XP-G2 as I really do not like the huge die of the XM-L2. I have the 26650 back together running on the stock driver with better wires while waiting on parts. The wires were fairly easy, used a very fat tip and about 715 temp setting. I am also thinking maybe an XP-L HI 5A1 in the 18650 since I like the NW to WW led’s.
Kaidomain is a good place to look for replacement optics, they certainly have the SK68 optics. You can search Ahorton for better quality. Somewhere I bought a true glass one but the focal length is several mm longer than the ’68 lens and the dome is wider at the base so it doesn’t fit all the way into the bezel. Maybe I’ll home brew one for next years contest. I think either the xpe-2 torch or xpe-2 R3 (either dedomed)are the way to go if the goal is tightest beam possible.
I looked there for the optic, only one really seems close and I am not sure how accurate their dimensions are. The 18650 does not have to be real tight, but I do want tighter than the XM-L2. I do not require nor really want a pencil beam, I am hoping that either the XP-L HI or XP-L will suit me the best. I assume that the XP-L HI will be tighter since there is no real dome to disperse the light. Will that have much if any affect on the wide focus? I am new to zoomies and looked at this as a learning exercise as well as a fun mod.
Ok, as per suggestion and my desire to just make things better… I would like to get the switch out of the tail of the E-smart SK98. But, I cannot figure out how to remove the inside plastic retainer above the switch. It appears to be held in by the retaining ring in the picture, but pushing on the switch from the end does not pop it out???
