EagleEye X2R Mod and Discussion thread

LED Flashlights – General Info 18650 Flashlights
1

I was excited when I first heard about this light, and I was even more excited when I got it in hand.

As a stock stock, it’s an incredible value. Gearbest has had them for under $15 shipped, which gets you a very high quality finish that matches EagleEye’s reputation. It comes with a simple driver that tops out at 1.5amps, which seems brighter than you would expect. For that price you also get a built-in microusb charger that appears to be of great quality, like the one in the EE X6R was.

The nicest thing about this light is that the driver and the charger circuits are completely separate. That means you can perform a driver swap and still keep the built-in charger.

Here are some measurements and pictures of the insides:

The charger board is 17.25mm (not counting the little centering tabs).
The driver board is 14.5mm.
The pill cavity is wide enough that you can probably fit between 15.25mm-15.5mm for the replacement driver.
The stack height stock is 7.75mm
The height room for the stack is 9.25mm (adjusted for the pcb sitting on the shelf)

Really nice 3.5mm+ tall (yes, tall) retaining ring with 3 full rows of smooth-turning threads.

It takes a 16mm mcpcb.


……………………………………

My mod.

I put in a FET+5 TripleStack Driver that was made specifically for this light to use the existing pins on the driver and clear all of the components on the bottom. The driver runs Bistro TripleDown. I swapped the emitter to an 5A tint XP-L HI on a Sinkpad. It also got an Illuminated tailcap with blue and green LEDs, and a clip and AR lens from Simon. I also have an 18350 tube on the way to me now. So with a little time, I have the BLF A6 body style, the updated Bistro driver and XP-L HI from the X5/X6, an updated illuminated tailcap, and a quality built-in charger, all-in for ~$25 in parts :partying_face:

2

One of these months, I want to get the X2R and swap the LED for a color temp that I want. Presumably, that should be easy to do?

3

LED swap is fairly straightforward. The MCPCB sits down in the pill section more than an A6, but it is still pretty easy to swap. I am finding 3C to be a “good enough” tint that I leave it alone…

Sweet mod PD68, that is awesome!

4

I love those illuminated caps, it looks cool and its useful to find the light in the dark

5

I wish I could get a better picture of the tailcap, it looks much cooler than the pictures show.

If anyone is interested in the driver I did, let me know. I would probably change a couple things before anyone else ordered it.

6

Hey guys,

Sorry if it’s a silly question, but I wanted to ask if it is ok to directly swap the XM-L2 U2 on my X2R with this Nichia 219B( found it on AliExpress ) Is it safe? Can I expect it to work well with the original driver?

Also, I don’t know if I am missing something, but looking at pilotdog68’s spring bypass mod, I was wondering, is it really worth it to ruin the gold plate on the springs with solder, which will oxidize with time, therefore will defeat the purpose of the mod? Is the initial gain in performance that big, that it is worth it?

Cheers

7

Yeah, should be a direct swap with some patience, as the wires are short.

I would think the twisting of the spring against the battery would help keep oxidation at a minimum, but I still try to keep the solder relegated to one half of the spring and the rest untouched. It’s almost as much about not melting the springs as it is about performance.

8

Direct swap is possible, needs a 16mm XP footprint PCB.

I don’t think solder oxidation is something to be worried about, unless you’re preparing a doomsday flashlight that requires decades of shelf life.

9

I have an X2R coming soon. Would love to change it with your driver and tail cap

10

Are you a person that orders from Oshpark and assembles yourself? If so, I will update the oshpark files with a fixed version.

11

No, I was hoping I could pay you to build me one?

12

errrr no promises, but I’ll send you a PM

13

Very nice mod!
I’m extremely new to the whole flashlight story - I started in April after i discovered gearbest and ordered 3 crappy (ok, the ak thingy isn’t that crappy) ultrafire zoom flashlights with built in charging and 2 ultrafire 18650 (so i basically ordered two pipe bombs if the stories here and on r/flashlight are correct).
But I was pretty amazed what these new flashlights were able to do (even the cheapest one at 3 $ outshines everything i ever had before) and got very addicted at researching stuff about them, and yesterday i finally bought my first “real” flashlight, an Astrolux S1 and i probably will also buy the new shiny C8 for observing animals (rabbits and hedgehogs) in our backyard/garden (max 70 meter/76 yards distance) .

That whole wall of text was just to explain my ignorance if i write something incredible stupid now

Since i love the idea of internal charging, i also really like the X2R. What bothers me, is the mediocre high mode. I don’t use high very often, but if i do it, it should be pretty bright. So my idea would be to just swap the x2r drivers with the new convoy drivers from simons store with 7135x8 with the new bistro mini. Would that be possible?
I also ordered some protected NCR18650B (and an LiitoKala Lii - 202 charger) - will these fit?

And also an additional question - what would you guys prefer: X6R or new Convoy C8?

Forgive for my rookieness, Flashlights are awesome :wink:

14

No that driver won’t fit. The space in the X2R is really tight, especially if you are trying to keep the charging ability. There is only room for a thin 15mm driver; Simon’s driver is a thick 17mm. If you haven’t used a 1.5amp light before, it’s really brighter than you think, especially in close quarters. It doesn’t reach out to as long of range though, but the little tube lights will never be great at that. The batteries should fit I think, though I don’t have any to actually test.

I really like the X6R, but they are very different lights. The Convoy has a bigger head and will throw further, and has the updated firmware. The X6R is still pretty throwy but more compact, and the UI is totally different: all mode changes are done on the side-switch.

I own an X6R (currently working on it, it won’t be stock). I do not own a C8.

15

I like the C8 better, much better throw and thicker body parts, but the design can look outdated for some. I wish they could release a new version of the C8 with a redesigned bezel.

16

Fantastic work. I really want to build one of these.

A OSH Park link, and a link to a compatible 18350 tube would be much appreciated.

17

The driver I used works fine, but the OTC is in the way of getting the programming clip on the mcu. So I’ll edit that and post the new link maybe tonight or tomorrow.

The 18350 tube I ordered is this one, the “eagle eyes” option. It just came yesterday so I’ll try it tonight. Don’t forget to order the O-rings too though, they aren’t included. I forgot to do so but I think I have some that will work.

18

thx for your answer.
Yeah, it would probably be sufficient. But if not…. :smiley:
If i read your posts correctly, you built your driver yourself? Are there no compatible drivers floating around somewhere on the web like they are in simons store?

19

Has HJK opined on the charger used in the light?
Or anyone else done the equivalent look at it?

Wondering, as always, how muggle-friendly this might be.

20

HKJ can’t test everything, I don’t think this is on his radar at all.

I’ve tested it using a USB meter and mine terminates at 4.19v, current flow stops at that point or at least drops below 1ma. The light turns green a little early though, around 4.17v.