Mod a Nebo Redline. Can it be Done?

Flashlight Modding and DIY Parts
1

So I have this Nebo Redline SE. I've had it 5 years and it's a neat light, zooms, magnetic lighted switch, but at 250 lumens I want more output. I don't know much about it fas far as internals other than it has an electronic switch, uses 3AAA in series and has what I think is a XR-E led in there. Seems a lot right and looks like one. Cree says max drive current is 1A at 3.7V so around 4W flat out. I like it get it up to maybe 500lm? Maybe 700lm? Can I stick an xp-l in there?

Has anyone ever modded one?

Thanks

2

A lot of lights that use 3*AAA can fit a 18650 in an adapter-tube.
If you have one, could you check that?

If yes, you can get 1000Lm out of that thing with a propper driver and an XP-L or XP-L Hi.

As it is, without 18650 and an other driver - just a plain LED swap will boost the light output by some extend, to like 400lm

3

Awesome. I don’t have an 18650 adapter tube. I’ll get one though. Which led would be good for 400lm? Maybe 500?

4

Do you use it more in flood or spot mode?

5

I is it in both equally. Thanks.

6

Check your tube diameter. I have a craptastic ‘as seen on tv’ type zoomy light that has a 3xAAA cartridge. I’m glad I didn’t throw out the weird plastic tube that was in the box, as it lets an 18650 fit. As an added bonus, the 21700 from a C8F fits nicely too!

Yours may not be wide enough, or the extra length may be a problem, but if you can get access to a cell, it is worth checking out.

7

I would probably put a sst-20 in there.

Let’s open it up and see the internals.

8

Yeah, need to see the guts to have any meaningful opinion. Most 3×AAA lights have zero driver, just rely on internal resistance of the cells to limit current. Tossing in a Li cell may or may not fry the LED, as it’d effectively be DD. Hardware connection vs contact board, etc., all would affect how you’d be able to mod it, if at all.

9

I have one, the driver is in the tail like on the folomov 18650s / 26650s so there’s no option to change it.

I swapped the LED and replaced the lens with a TIR.

10

Hey guys. Thanks for the info. I’ll see if I can crack it open and get the guts out. I think truerms is right since when I replaced the switch in the tail I saw something that looked like a driver. I thought is was part of the switch.

Stand by

11

I think the tube is too wide and short for an 18650. I’ll see if I could fit something like an 18500? Those are about the same size (length) as a AAA.

12

Here’s what’s inside… A someone said, the driver is indeed in the tail cap. Held in with a plastic retainer. It is electrically isolated (or appears to be) from the body…

Battery holder. 3AAA

The driver is 22mm. It has the switch built in (I had to replace it once, hence the white extension)

Close up of the components. It looks like some unknown fets on there with resistors. I can't identify the 8 pin device though.

If you look closely near the VCC and LO2 you can see a jumper wire across the ground ring? Is that how it makes the electrical connection to the body?

I took off the zoom head and there's a pcb embedded in there that I couldn't get to. I was afraid I'd damage something, but I assume it holds the led. I can confirm it's an XR-E.

I'm not sure where to go from here. I'm thinking leave it as-is? It might be easier to get a zoomie host and go at it?

Thanks

13

The tube is 22mm wide and a hair too short. I can almost screw the cap on. To big for 18650 without an adapter.

14

What emitter did you put in? How did you get the original out? I poked around in the head and couldn’t see a way without damaging it. Did you notice a difference with the new emitter?

Thanks