Lumintop D2 Pocket Thrower!

LED Flashlights – General Info
41

I've been using a Lumintop B01 for about 5 weeks now. I bought it as a cheap bike headlamp but was fully blown away by it's build quality, size and the brightness of the light it emits. Besides using it purely as a bike flashlight I started using the B01 on other occasions, too.

Because I was so impressed by the B01 and curious about the new Lumintop D2, I ordered it as well. It just arrived a couple of days ago. I purchased the version featuring the Nichia 4000K LED instead of the cooler toned Osram LED. Both, the B01 and D2 share the same metal body and size. The only differences between the two flashlight are different types of LEDs and different reflectors. Furthermore the size of the D2's battery tube can be changed for smaller batteries than 21700/18650.

The Lumintop web page states the following specs for the B01/D2:

Low: 10 Lumens (B01) / 15 Lumens (D2)

Medium: 250 Lumens / 270 Lumens

High: 450 Lumens / 550 Lumens

Turbo: 850 Lumens / 1000 Lumens

The user manuals I received with my B01 and D2 state different specs:

Low: 15 Lumens (B01) / 15 Lumens (D2)

Medium: 260 Lumens / 270 Lumens

High: 550 Lumens / 550 Lumens

Turbo: 900 Lumens / 1000 Lumens

As far as I know there are different versions of the B01: warmer/cooler tone, colors/blinking while charging, etc. Because the B01 is constructed as a bike headlamp it features a reflector that cuts off the light in the upper part to avoid blinding other road users. This has pros and cons when using it for other occasions like walking the dog.

Sadly, I am not as happy about the D2 as I hoped to be. Of course, I know that I bought a thrower flashlight, but to my mind it would be nice if it was just a little bit more floody. In other words, I would like it to be a little bit more like a B01.

Is there any way to change the reflector of the D2 to make it more floody? I've read about so-called "TIR lenses" that can easily be installed in flashlights like the Convoy S3. Is there anything like this which will fit for a Lumintop D2?

42

I’m thinking about using this host for a Gagionne LLC25 swap. Seems like it’ll be a close fit. Anybody have OD and Height numbers on this reflector?

43

I really wanted to like this D2. Well built pocket-ish 18650/21700 thrower with battery included for $30!? But ultimately I think I'll return it. My reasons:

  • It's wider, longer, less throwy and less lumens than my KR1 W2. To be fair, it's much cheaper.
  • The green and brown tint around the hotspot is.... repulsive. I personally don't want the warm high-CRI Nichia in a thrower either. Maybe a better pure throw emitter will come later.
  • Don't like the UI. Hold for off. Hold for 5 seconds, including 3 seconds of strobe (an annoyingly long time of strobe) to lockout? Also turbo returns to high, not the last used mode.

Mostly just me being picky, but some other light I already have will do everything this does, only better. However, a normal person might really like this budget thrower.

44

I had mine out last night after fiddling with the centering, and honestly had a blast with it. The tint artifacts are unnoticeable to my eye outdoors…but yeah, white wall shots are horrid. Not a fan of the UI either, but it is what it is. I got mine during the promo release for $21 bucks….no regrets whatsoever. I have a P42A in it, and it will light up trees at 200m pretty decently. I dig it.

45

How did you manage to remove the driver? Is there any special tool required?

46

Can't recall exactly, but I see trace evidence of glue on the right side in the pic of the switch wires in the driver cavity. Most likely I used a solder pic tool, inserted from the top through a LED wire hole, and pushed the driver loose. Sometimes I need to do light taps with a hammer, but I always try to "feel" around so I'm not sitting on a SMD part with the tip of the tool.

Tool and hammer, only use hammer if absolutely needed.

I get asked this many times, and I've done it many times... Really need to take a vid of the process... :FACEPALM:

47

Alright. Thanks for the guidance. Will give it a try when I feel adventurous :smiley:

48

I’ve used a toothpick in a similar way before. That was on a D4 driver, which I was successful in not damaging.

49

I rarely damage the stock driver but it happened recent on a ROT66 II that used a complete covering of glue around the entire ground ring of the driver. I had no angle, so had to go down the middle hole, and had to tap with the hammer pretty good and knocked off the diode, but it was easy to repair. Most of the time I'm trashing or stripping the driver anyway so damage is not a concern, unless the PCB itself gets broken somehow which never happened to me.

It's better than drilling holes in the driver, which I've seen done before by a famous modder over on CPF, but many years back.

50

I need to remember that stripping and piggybacking is a legitimate option. I see you in particular do it occasionally, and others here and there. As for holes in the driver, if you’re completely replacing it, well, I can’t really fault it haha
It actually seems like you’re the most successful person I see around here at getting a good UI on whatever random flashlight, whether you’re swapping a driver or piggybacking something or what.

51

Seems to be a dying art as of late. Used to be a lot more involved in it, now I feel somewhat outdated. Actually there is more sourcing available now for driver replacements, and a lot more BLF firmware based lights available out of the box, so less a need.

For the drilled hole mod, actually the driver was cut and a driver added, but simply wired in and protected with black electrical tape. I don't have full pics but this is what its was like:

I was disappointed to see this kind of work from a "professional" modder, but time is money in this sort of biz.

Light is a Crelant 7G9, not a cheap one at the time.