[HELP] Thinking about MODS: Amutorch VG10 & Blitzwolf BW-ET1

MascaratumB · 2019-06-26T22:26:45.000Z

So, BLFers, I have some ideas to mode these flashlights. The Blitzwolf is now a host only that I don’t want to be laying around incomplete, while the Amutorch is a fully functional flashlight that I want to improve in some way.

What I need from you folks are some hints and clues about things I can/should or can’t/shouldn’t do in these 2 lights.

Mod 1 – Blitwolf BW-ET1
Plan: turn it into a triple or quad (I need to check the space for MCPCB and lens)
Leds: probably Luxeon V 4000K
Batteries: 1 or 2 x 14500s
Major doubt/issue: driver modification/ implementation

Here is the stock driver. It was fitting into the head with lots of white silicone or potting whatever. I took it out and it got damaged in some components, so I wont be using it again.

My idea was to leave only the roundish part, taking out the 2 layers that are there, and then do something like a “piggyback” (never did one and I’m not sure if I can do one :person_facepalming: ) using a 15mm driver with Narsil from Lexel. The new “piggybacked driver” would be inside the head in some way, with 2 wires for the switch and 2 wires for the MCPCB.

QUESTIONS:
Is this idea doable/viable?
How hard would it be to implement my idealized driver configuration? (specially knowing that I never did such thing?)
Which would be the biggest challenges?

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Mod 2 – Amutorch VG1
Plan 1: turn it into a quad
Plan 2: turn it into a thrower (making profit of the nice reflector it has)
Leds: probably Luxeon V2 5000K or some XPL-HI or Osram White flat (not sure which)

Major doubts/issues:
Plan 1 or 2: driver modification/ implementation
Plan 1: getting a proper pill/spacer

So, my biggest concern in any of the Plans is how to implement the driver. This light has no retaining ring (unlike the Thorfire VG10) and uses a 23mm driver (not 22mm, not 24mm: 23mm with a brass ring glued on it) .

Right now I think I see 2 possibilities: a) stripping the original driver and attach (“piggyback”) a L4P driver (for the Osram) or a Bistro from Lexel (for the Luxeon V2 /XPL-HI); or b) using the brass rings on the photo, trying to “fix” the driver (solder, glue, other, whatever…) into a ring, in some way and make it work… (as shown above as example)

In any case, I don’t know how viable/doable it is, so I may need some hints both for a) and b) .

For the pill/spacer, this is what I will probably need, and will ask kiriba-ru if he has something alike in stock:

Also, an honest opinion from you people:

- Is this a better light for a quad or for a thrower?

- Does it handle the heat well?

Is it worth to try making it a thrower due to the SMO reflector it has?!

Thanks in advance and sorry for so many questions and long post !

kikkoman · 2019-06-27T07:18:40.000Z

Mod 1 – Blitwolf BW-ET1
Plan: turn it into a triple or quad (I need to check the space for MCPCB and lens)
Leds: probably Luxeon V 4000K
Batteries: 1 or 2 x 14500s
Major doubt/issue: driver modification/ implementation

Here is the stock driver. It was fitting into the head with lots of white silicone or potting whatever. I took it out and it got damaged in some components, so I wont be using it again.

My idea was to leave only the roundish part, taking out the 2 layers that are there, and then do something like a “piggyback” (never did one and I’m not sure if I can do one Facepalm ) using a 15mm driver with Narsil from Lexel. The new “piggybacked driver” would be inside the head in some way, with 2 wires for the switch and 2 wires for the MCPCB.

QUESTIONS:
Is this idea doable/viable?
How hard would it be to implement my idealized driver configuration? (specially knowing that I never did such thing?)
Which would be the biggest challenges?

Driver-wise? Should be no problem. The thing is huge inside.
16mm ID, with one side flat - but you can grind or file that away, so you could even fit a 15mm driver flat on the original spring PCB.
16.5mm deep, so you could fit it in vertically.

The thing is so large you can chop a good chunk off the head and still have enough room for everything:

You’ll need a matching pill of course to fill that space up, and I’m not sure if the 20 mm optics + triple MCPCB fit without a bit of file work. I think they just might.

For 2x14500 though you’d need a buck driver… or 6V LEDs. Triple XHP35? haha

Lexel · 2019-06-27T07:34:56.000Z

I see no problem soldering a 22mm or C8F driver of me on that original brass ring

kiriba-ru · 2019-06-27T07:38:50.000Z

I dont think you can find enough place for extra driver in ET1. Probably you can mod existing one by changing resistors.
VG10 quad is great. I dont make batch of parts for them because there are many manufactures and internal dimensions are different. Extra ring (or spacer with high rim around optics) is needed to hold o-ring under glass.
I dont think driver is 23mm itself. Driver is near 18.5-19.0mm and ring is 23mm. Making another ring for 17 or 20mm driver looks more easy than piggybacking another driver.

MascaratumB · 2019-06-27T10:32:37.000Z

Hi folks! Thanks for the answer so far! Replies will follow your quotes

kikkoman:

Driver-wise? Should be no problem. The thing is huge inside.
16mm ID, with one side flat - but you can grind or file that away, so you could even fit a 15mm driver flat on the original spring PCB.
16.5mm deep, so you could fit it in vertically.

The thing is so large you can chop a good chunk off the head and still have enough room for everything:

You’ll need a matching pill of course to fill that space up, and I’m not sure if the 20 mm optics + triple MCPCB fit without a bit of file work. I think they just might.

For 2x14500 though you’d need a buck driver… or 6V LEDs. Triple XHP35? haha

About the driver mod, I guess I didn’t explain very well. My question is: will it be possible to strip the stock driver, leaving the only the roung part and taking the shelves out, and then “attach” a driver (probably in horizontal, meaning , in the parallel to the side switch) to that round part that makes contact with the battery + ?

There is room to put a 15mm driver inside the head, so that won’t be a issue. But my question is mainly about attaching that driver to the round board :zipper_mouth_face:

About the 2x14500, I had the idea that 2 batteries in Series would be suitable to 3V levs, but maybe not then. :person_facepalming:

What would you advise then? XHP50 or XHP70? I am not sure if the reflector can fit on of those. An XHP35 would fit for sure, but would it feasible? If so, with which driver?

Lexel:

I see no problem soldering a 22mm or C8F driver of me on that original brass ring

Hum, so that I can understand correctly, that means taking the brass ring out of the original driver and then solder it in a “ready to use 22m driver with Bistro”? Is that correct?
The original driver is 22,8mm, but maybe I can add something on the edges in case it is needed to make it fit correctly.

kiriba-ru:

I dont think you can find enough place for extra driver in ET1. Probably you can mod existing one by changing resistors.
VG10 quad is great. I dont make batch of parts for them because there are many manufactures and internal dimensions are different. Extra ring (or spacer with high rim around optics) is needed to hold o-ring under glass.
I dont think driver is 23mm itself. Driver is near 18.5-19.0mm and ring is 23mm. Making another ring for 17 or 20mm driver looks more easy than piggybacking another driver.

There is enough space to fit another driver inside
Left: a 17mm driver (doesn’t enter) >>> Right: a 15mm driver (completely inside de head)

Unfortunately I don’t have knowledge to change resistors nor to change the chips That would be the impossible option for me…
So my question lays on what I asked before: taking the shelves out and attach a driver to the round board only!

About the VG10, here are the measurements of the driver, not the ring:

It is indeed 22,8mm, and the ring is 23mm. So it is not possible to use a 17 to 20 mm adaptor, unless it gets attached later to the original ring. But I guess that would be a not so good solution, right?

But you remembered me that I was not counting with a ring to o-ring below the lens. I need to try it with my Emisar D4 lens and check how it works with the o-ring! I need to think about that… Thanks for the tip.

I found an image here: Thorfire VG-10 triple, quadruple mod? - #10 by johnkey68

You don’t have any of these pills and spacers, do you? If the measurements were close, I would file/sand one down and check if it fit.
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Thanks again for the replies so far!

kikkoman · 2019-06-27T11:09:46.000Z

About the driver mod, I guess I didn’t explain very well. My question is: will it be possible to strip the stock driver, leaving the only the roung part and taking the shelves out, and then “attach” a driver (probably in horizontal, meaning , in the parallel to the side switch) to that round part that makes contact with the battery + ?

Should be possible, there’s nothing on the battery contact board. 2 wires and you’re good.
Though if you look inside the driver cavity you’ll see that flat part on the switch side, it constrains the “diameter” to ~14.5mm. Some 15mm driver may require some file work to fit.

About the 2×14500, I had the idea that 2 batteries in Series would be suitable to 3V levs, but maybe not then. Facepalm

Well not without a buck driver, and I’m not sure how well the existing ones (in 15mm??) regulate with 1 cell + a 3V LED. And then there’s the space constraints, with finding such a driver that physically fits.
1 OR 2 cell buck-boost to 6V (in a small & neat package) doesn’t exist at all, I think.
The original driver will work with 1 or 2 AA / 1x14500, but I’m pretty sure 2*14500 will kill it. And it had some serious downside but I can’t remember what that was. Low frequency PWM?

What would you advise then? XHP50 or XHP70? I am not sure if the reflector can fit on of those. An XHP35 would fit for sure, but would it feasible? If so, with which driver?

The stock reflector opening is ~1mm too small for 5050 LEDs, but that can be reamed to size.

No idea about the XHP stuff though. The beefiest thing I own is a Luxeon V.
Make up your mind if you want to keep it somewhat throwy or not, and I’m also not up-to-date on 14500s - if 3A or even 5A is a reasonable limit for those cells, does an XHP triple even make sense?

MascaratumB · 2019-06-27T12:17:12.000Z

kikkoman:

Should be possible, there’s nothing on the battery contact board. 2 wires and you’re good.
Though if you look inside the driver cavity you’ll see that flat part on the switch side, it constrains the “diameter” to ~14.5mm. Some 15mm driver may require some file work to fit.

Thanks for confirming that on the board. I will probably need some help later on to make the piggyback work correctly (wire connections and so on… :person_facepalming: )

Hum, I guess that even a double-sided populated 15mm driver will fit with few issues. Still, if it doesn’t, I may file a bit the driver or the inners of the head! That will probably be the easiest thing to do

kikkoman:

Well not without a buck driver, and I’m not sure how well the existing ones (in 15mm??) regulate with 1 cell + a 3V LED. And then there’s the space constraints, with finding such a driver that physically fits.
1 OR 2 cell buck-boost to 6V (in a small & neat package) doesn’t exist at all, I think.
The original driver will work with 1 or 2 AA / 1x14500, but I’m pretty sure 2*14500 will kill it. And it had some serious downside but I can’t remember what that was. Low frequency PWM?

Oh man…there goes my initial idea for a super light :person_facepalming:
I will have to analyze then what will be the best configuration taking into account the available drivers, above all, and Leds. I don’t mind using it with only 1 cell, but with 2 would be awesome… But all the drivers for it are huge :zipper_mouth_face:

BTW, that may also compromise a future mod I intended to do on the Tool25 I have on its way… Oh well :person_facepalming:

The original driver didn’t have visible or non visible PWM. I took some photos when I did the review and nothing as noticeable.
I just didn’t like the ramping it has :weary:

kikkoman:

The stock reflector opening is ~1mm too small for 5050 LEDs, but that can be reamed to size.

No idea about the XHP stuff though. The beefiest thing I own is a Luxeon V.
Make up your mind if you want to keep it somewhat throwy or not, and I’m also not up-to-date on 14500s - if 3A or even 5A is a reasonable limit for those cells, does an XHP triple even make sense?

The cells wouldn’t be a big problem, as the Efest purple, Windyfire and the new Vapcell 14500s are good cells on relatively high A. Not much capacity, anyways, but high drain enough for short bursts.
My biggest issue now (besides piggybacking) seems to be the match of driver/emitter/2 cells.

Thanks for the help so far. :+1:

kiriba-ru · 2019-06-28T06:18:36.000Z

I like the idea with 2x14500. I dont see putting regular triple or quad optics inside ET1 reasonable. Maybe you would like to use stock reflector with 4 small nichia leds? New VirEnce MCPCB for E17/E21/119/144/233U
I always add extra ring to hold o-ring if in stock configuration o-ring was placed between reflector and glass lens. And this is preferable way for optics, it removes pressure force from optics and legs stay straight neverless you screw down bezel with big force.
Dont have ready solution in stock, can make one if needed.

MascaratumB · 2019-06-28T12:15:00.000Z

kiriba-ru:

I like the idea with 2x14500. I dont see putting regular triple or quad optics inside ET1 reasonable. Maybe you would like to use stock reflector with 4 small nichia leds? New VirEnce MCPCB for E17/E21/119/144/233U
I always add extra ring to hold o-ring if in stock configuration o-ring was placed between reflector and glass lens. And this is preferable way for optics, it removes pressure force from optics and legs stay straight neverless you screw down bezel with big force.
Dont have ready solution in stock, can make one if needed.

I also like the idea of 2 cells, but I guess the driver’s and Led choice may be tricky to make that possible

Why do you think it wouldn’t be reasonable to use a triple in the ET1? Due to heat dissipation or internal space? Or any other reason?
I am not familiar with those Nichia Leds, thanks for pointing them to me! I wanted something like a “hot rod” with 2 cells, but I don’t see it coming…

About the VG10, I’m still on the fence to see if I will use a quad or not. I will try to check how a White Flat behaves on that reflector and decide it I will turn it into a quad or not.
Still, about the ring to hold the o-ring, what would you need (measures) if I wanted one? I may get the materials and the try one or other solution depending on how good I can put them together!!