So after getting the new JM07 and sucessfully modding a P60 drop-in to 3 modes, I’m feeling a little bolder and have decided I’m going to mod my old JM07 to the 3.5A it deserves. I’ll be using and modding a nanj driver with 10 chips.
My plan was to delicately remove and preserve the led and driver……
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Fail! :bigsmile:
Good thing I don’t have a swear jar lying around. I’ve tried freezing it, soaking it in anti-adhesive, prying it out by screw driver, mini solder hooking tools (now broken), and hammering nails into it! This thing was sitting on so much sticky heatsink it might as well be merged with the host itself.
Anyone have any advice for removing tricky starboards like this? I’m thinking I’ll have to open my wallet tomorrow and purchase a hand drill and mini grinder and just grind it out.
I managed to mod a couple of them by freezing them and using a screw driver to pry the emitter out. A little advice never use heat when trying to remove an emitter it works on the driver but stick to freezing it solid and prying were the wires come through with a screwdriver to get the emitter to break free. Steady even pressure will crack the frozen adhesive, you have to be very patient and just hold the pressure on there until it starts to break free.
I use an x-acto knife on the driver and cut away the visible solder than make a small hole with a nail and pry up while using a soldering iron on the internal solder you couldn’t cut with the x-acto knife.
I think at this point you need to get a Dremel tool with a coarse stone bit and grind away until you have a new fresh metal surface to work with. It is going to suck bad and take a long time but you can do it. Just be patient, take your time, work small areas at a time and take lots of breaks.
For all the people that wonder why I don’t like modding lights anymore this is why because this is what can happen if you are not very careful.
At this point, get a Bigger Hammer! LOL. I have very little patience myself sometimes and my trash can is my best friend. I just don't take the photos till it's all cleaned up, but it happens to all of us at one time or another. Something like that, I just figure it's easier to rip it all out and start over. Saves on me nerves...
Indeed! I tend to have plenty of these experiences, great way to learn quick :bigsmile: Reminds me of the time after replacing a motor for a car with no mechanical or electrical experience and hooked up the wiring wrong, so instead of wipers you get lights, horn instead of lights :bigsmile:
Good news is after taking E’s advice I got the emitter out after dremmelling about 1/4 of it away, the rest came off. Now I need to find something thin and long enough so I can hammer away and knock out the driver through the emitter hole as I think it’s just press fixed. Thanks E!
All of us have BAD modding days so don’t stress too much. It’s how we learn. (Yesterday was one of my many. :/) Don’t own that light but from what I see in the pic, clear off a little epoxy between the star and the flashlight body, stick a screw driver in there and TWIST, PRY and TWIST! I’ve removed stars epoxied with artic alumina like that.
Thanks eebowler, it’s o.k I managed to remove the star and driver. In fact I’ve already got the new driver soldered to the contact pcb board and it’s working, just waiting on a new emitter I’ve ordered, should get here in a couple of days.
I guys, hoping you might be able to answer another question while I’m waiting for the new emitter. Is it important to cover the driver in sticky thermal grease? If not is using silicon rubber or other liquid setting plastic material advisable to protect the electrical points? I know thermal compound is necessary for the emitter, reason I ask is here is what the driver looked like after knocking it out:
This was after scraping off most of the stuff off. I’m assuming it’s thermal compound…
If I'm not mistaken, the potting on the driver is more for shock protection than thermal management or electrical isolation. I don't think it makes a big difference unless you plan to abuse your light or use it mounted on a gun.
I usually put a 2-3mm layer of Fujik on the driver board to help even the heat output from the hot components on the board. It also helps hold the driver board in and lets the driver board have more contact with the flashlight body to help share the heat with it.
Thanks E, Rojos. Both your answers make sense, in particular as I’ll be using it on high mostly while nightriding. Unfortunately I can’t get any of the sticky thermal compound where I’m at, only the non sticky stuff. I’m going to mix it with some silicon rubber compound and see if that will do the trick, and order some proper stuff when I get round to ordering some new lights.
After destroying an xml emitter and 2 drivers I’ve finished the mod :bigsmile: . Although I gave up on stacking the 7135 chips, just seemed a step to far with my current soldering skills and I ended up just damaging the driver, partly down to the cheap nasty $2 soldering irons that are all I have access to here at the moment. So I’ve now got 2.8A with only 3 modes, thinking now of getting the 4A driver from IO. All fun and games, although I’ll be getting a decent soldering iron from somewhere before attempting another mod.
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