Absolutely LSX. I will get them in the queue and model up that gasket here soon.
Hi Hoop,
I was just wandering if you have played with the focus height of the XPL-HI at all yet? Since the emitter sits on a higher platform than XML2 or XPG2 I’ve noticed better results with a taller idolator.
I was thinking about having some made that are a round hole in the center for XPL, with a thickness of about 0.048”. Probly with a reflector centering ring for the S2+ size reflector opening.
Interested to hear your thoughts.
Hey Vestureofblood,
No I haven’t, but I do have it in mind to build an adjustable testing jig for this purpose. So far this service has put that task in the hands of the user, and barring any testing, the easiest thing to do is just use the thickness of the stock gasket. Of course there is likely a difference in optimal thickness between domed and de-domed leds, as we’ve seen from some of the threads that have measured exactly this.
Without a fancy testing jig, I would recommend stacking shims cut from paper until the optimal height were found, as indicated by a lux meter. Regular printing paper typically has a thickness of .003” per sheet. This should be an accurate enough increment.
I actually got a huge gain in lux and a significant gain in beam quality just by adding the difference in height of the XPL platform vs the XML I cant remember off the top of my head what it was but I think it was around 0.025” Thus my mention of 0.048 being a good number.
There are a couple gaskets I have found that will work if you flip them upside down or some similar trick, but none are perfect. Either they dont center the reflector or the height is not exact etc.
I am thinking about maybe having some like this made accept with the height change.
What I am wandering is will there be wide scale potential on this? 2 bucks each is an amazing price for a fully custom part at 1 or 2 pc. I realize that is just you doing us all a favor (thanks for that). What I am wandering is it conceivable to get down to the cents per piece range doing a larger batch? 1,000 pc etc?
I could test for the optimal height as well and we could compare #’s before a larger run. I have been offering everyone a discount, in private, who’s ordered more than a few of these rings, but for an even larger quantity the price would reduce farther. I could offer them at a price point comparable to what you’d pay for a molded one sold at retail. A fixture would be made that uses screws to retain the individual gaskets. It would become a two step machining process and I’d have to install and remove a screw for every individual gasket but it would be easier than my current process which involves epoxy…
How about the tiny little BLF-348?
We just found out they cut the reflector opening a bit large this year (vs. last year’s batch)
so the flat black washer shows visibly around the emitter. A ring with a collar to fit the hole would fix that problem.
Purely cosmetic, but ….
If you don’t have one I can send you one to take a look at.
EDIT: sample light from the new batch is in the mail
I don’t own that little beamer hank, but I can make you what you need. You can send it over and give me some verbal instructions as to the fix you’re looking to achieve, or provide dimensions of what you’re after. Either way.
Great! pm me a mailing address and I’ll send you one of this year’s half dozen.
Hank, if this works out, please post about it in the BLF-348 GB thread for others to see. Maybe before & after pictures?
I received the BLF-348. Definitely looks like a manufacturing and design oversight, the lack of a centering ring. The easy approach would have been to design the reflector to accomplish the centering on its own, either by means of a built in extension coming out of the vertex that hugs the LED substrate, or by making the reflector hug the ID of the body more so than it does in the current design. As is, they would’ve had to invest in a mold for plastic injection of some special centering rings, and so they didn’t.
I’ll come up with a solution. I am thinking of a conical centering ring that hugs the taper of the reflector. I doubt I’ll be able to accomplish the solution in a single machining operation but we’ll see.
So much hugging going on in this post. 
All 4 of my new BLF-348 lights have the same issue, the black crescent on one side of the LED. If a fix is reasonable, I would be interested also. Thanks for looking into this.
I messed around with the BLF-348 for a second. Removed the black washer from under the reflector and trimmed the silicone sheathing on one of the wires so that the reflector’s vertex opening could sit against the led substrate. I visually checked for clearance between the reflector and the electrical wires and solder blobs to ensure there would be no shorts. Put it back together, omitting the black washer, and there is no issue with the beam that I can see. I rather quite like this light.
Can anyone else confirm that this fixes their beam issue?
THANKS!!!
it fits PERFECT!
Glad to hear nofearek9.
Big thanks to Hank for telling me to keep the BLF-348 he sent me for beam troubleshooting. What a nice surprise!
I still have not gotten to the next run of these gaskets. Seems I’ve got about 50 to make this time around.
Can custom sized centering rings ordered for your next batch, or has to be previous existing designs?
I want to mod my TM16 into a Quad XHP-35 HI, and that would require 4 individual mcpcbs with their own centering ring each and re-wire the LED to parallel, should be interesting if can be done.
Yep, 100% custom is the name of the game, but you have to provide the dimensions for me.
Ok the reflector openings were ranging frrm 8.89 to 8.93mm, Convoy L2 XP-to-9mm centering rings were ranging from 8.95 to the widest at 9.02 and it nicely “clicked” in place.
So it has to be:
ID: XP footprint (for XHP35 HI in this case)
OD: 9mm
Height: Not taller than a XHP-35 HI. (1mm)
Basically just like this but round with 9mm OD. No need for extended lip, the reflector must sit directly on top of the MCPCB.
I need 6. (4 + 2 extras in case I mess up.)
Hoop, have you looked at the recent comments starting around
and on up around and past this one (if these links work)
about the CPFItalia zoom light maybe needing a washer, maybe a “shoulder washer” to keep cells from shorting out to the brass pill instead of staying centered on the spring?
Might be your approach would be able to make the needed part, if we can figure out the size/spec
Hank, absolutely it would work. All I need is the exact ID of the brass retaining ring.
Will these help out with info on the Cometa issue.
Complete view.
Retaining ring ID
Pill ID
Pill OD
A look inside.