the first mod I ever did, back in 2009, on a Mini M@glite. I still have about two dozen 5mm LEDs left over from that time.
Never got around to mod my (rather unloved) Solitaire, though. Anyone ’ere in need of a M@g Solitaire? I never really liked it, and in turns, it never really liked me.
So, whoever drops me the first pm will receive it, for free. Worldwide, even. I feel like spending, today.
((cranks up Led Zep on the stereo, pours the next pint and leans back))
Hi,
Ahh. Is there already a hole at the front of the reflector? And the LED goes in from the front of the reflector, backwards?
That wasn’t clear from the original posts (to me, at least), and I haven’t tried pulling the reflector out yet, but will try now. I don’t have hemostats though, so will try with some needle nose pliers…
e1320: i see, it’s a good way to non permanantly convert your mag, and the output may even be higher. thanks
sixfink: haha, i would love an extra solitaire. i do intend to do this mod someday, even better i am currently running xenon AA bulbs with a lifepo in mine and will write a post eventually 
maybe you would want to try that, otherwise ship it here!
There are also 5mm Nichia LEDs that can take up to 80 mA, maybe they would "shine" with that mod :)
Yes, sorry for my misleading comment about TIR. It sure looked like one, but it’s a TINY reflector :)!
Ok, having said that, I’m having a HECK of time, trying to get it out, using a pair of needle nose pliers. That thing JUST WON’T BUDGE!!
So, e1320, you weren’t kidding about that being the most difficult part. I’ve pulled and pulled on it with the pliers, but it’s still where it started, inside the “head” :(…
I also tried maybe breaking some of the little tabs that are securing the reflector inside the head, but no luck there. Pretty much stuck on this now, so maybe islisis’ idea of drilling to enlarge the reflector hole from the back might work best? It’d make the hole bigger, which might mess up the light for use with the incan bulb, but I don’t see going back to the incan if the LED is put in?
Comments?
Also, re. the LED life, I now have NINE of them :), so I’ll try to test it on one of the 10440s I mentioned, outside of the light.
I wonder if the LED, or the battery, will last longer (the 10440 is only like 350 mAh, I think) :)?
Do you happen to know if there’s anyone in the U.S. that has these (NSPW500GS-K1, I think?)?
The ones I know are NSDW570GS-K1 (cool white, 34 lumen @ 80 mA) and NSDL570GS-K1 (warm white, 23 lumen @ 80 mA). I'm sorry, i only know them from the german shop leds.de :(
Edit: according to google they can be found at ledrise.com, but I can't verify that, they refuse to show their website over here..
Yes, seems that way (EU only).
The CREEs mentioned are green and blue, but I did find some that are white, C503T-WAN, but their only 14Kcd, and the same or similar to ones that are available at FastTech.
I think that this is suppose to be a kind of minimalist mod, so finding a more powerful (and expensive LED might be later, but I’m still stuck on getting that darn reflector out of the head :)….
yes, i linked to the wrong datasheet, but i deleted the post because i couldn’t find any data on overdriving these leds. up to 40mA they perform similarly to the GS. available at digikey etc if you are up for some testing
if you are comparing mcd rating (shown in millicandela, not cd…), you should check the degree narrowness
Well, I still haven’t been able to get the reflector out, but I suspect that I’ve killed the 1st of 9 LEDs…
Since I’m still stuck on the reflector thing, and just as a test, I shoved the leads from one of the LEDs that I pulled out of the 9-LED light into the Solitaire, replacing the incan bulb.
Put a 10440 battery in (~4.08 V open-circuit)…
The LED lit up… for a while… then it started blinking(?), and then turned that dark blue color that I think that some of us might be use to seeing, and then, it looks like it died :(…
I am still using the original KD LED I used a year ago when I made this post. I can send you one for free if you want to PM your address they were very cheap and rated for 100mA (10 for $1.92).
Hi,
Don’t worry about it. This is suppose to be a fun thing, so I can get them if need be.
I think that FT carries them also, but I would like to figure out how to get that reflector out if you have any hints?
Or, is it I didn’t pull hard enough?
I even tried lodging the head against the edge of a desk, so that it had a hard surface to pull against, but couldn’t get it to budge :)…
Pull harder or find a small socket the same size as the lens and place the head on the socket and tap the lens and reflector out with a small hammer. Mine was a real PIA to get out, but I got it with some hemostats.
You must have some real “guns” :)!
I’ll try the hammer and socket thing.
And, actually, I think I’ll take you up on your offer for the LED :), as I’d prefer to buy them from FT, but the specs on their website are a little unclear, both for voltage range and also current. I’ll PM you…
that 100mA peak rating is likely for ~0.1ms, which is how cree rates theirs
the KD bulb you have been using must have dimmed significantly, without a resistor
That is the theory, which I guess that I’ve now proved, to myself, at least :)!
Any ideas about why it started blinking? To be clear, it wasn’t “flickering”, but, rather, it looked like it was blinking at some frequency.
That blinking lasted for maybe 30 seconds or so, if I recall, before it went dark blue, just before it died.
Very strange…
I used the LED from a DX Fauxton drilled the reflector and sanded the front of the LED. It’s better than it was but still ended up in the bottom of my parts box.
i’ve seen the flickering but i’m not sure what causes it, heat/cooling cycle affecting the Vf?
blue tint is due to reduced efficiency of the phosphor at high temp