Modding a Generic Zoomie

Lumaine_Moore · 2022-09-11T07:56:21.000Z

Hello,

I unfortunately purchased a Generic Zoomie from AliExpress. I was really happy with the little thing, until I joined BLF and purchased some Convoy and Sofirn lights. Now I cant stand it.

The product description says it uses a XML-L2 emitter, if I am to believe them. So I want to replace the it with a better emitter.

So my question is, which emitters will be compatible with the included driver in the zoomie. My preferences would be: XHP50.2, SST40 or the 219C. Or any other compatible emitter that can be driven by this driver. The driver inside is the YN-20-5 driver

I tried to measure the voltage and current provided by the driver but the pcb started smoking as soon as I touched the probes with the + and -ve terminals on the mcpcb.

Unheard · 2022-09-11T08:19:36.000Z

The SFT40 is a direct swap as is the XHP50 3V, but the latter will probably give a terrible beam and little throw.

Measuring current directly is indeed not a good idea. The emitter is 3V, amperage likely low enough to allow any LED.

flashburn · 2022-09-11T09:23:43.000Z

This driver, if I see it correctly, can deliver 500mA peak and 350mA continous.
You may need to change this driver to make use of a good LED.
Look for 17mm without electronic switch.
If the LED is really a XML-L2, you can just change the driver for a little stronger one, maximum 1.3A, to start and see how it turns out, but beware of the heat.

The host is not really capable of dissipating heat, because the outer head is separated from the main part by o-rings, which are needed to make it at least a bit dustproof and waterproof, so stay below 3A current to make the best use out of it, but need to chane the LED, too.

I did a similar mod years ago with a too strong driver and with a recent LED it is good enough to light hay on fire from 1 meter distance within seconds but it is totally useless otherwise, because the heat buidup is lightning fast.

So stay below 3A and you get a nice little light.

Do you have the glass lens version or the plastic?
I’d definitely recomend not changing to glass if the lens is plastic, because you get rainbow corona with the glass replacement available on FT or AE. If it’s glass already, use the original, it is far better than the replacement.

Lumaine_Moore · 2022-09-11T09:45:08.000Z

Unheard:

The SFT40 is a direct swap as is the XHP50 3V, but the latter will probably give a terrible beam and little throw.

True, the XHP50.2 beam will look horrible in a zoomie. Since the SFT40 will be a direct swap, I’m guessing the SST40 will be a direct swap too. Looks like the best fit for the zoomie.

Lumaine_Moore · 2022-09-11T09:54:20.000Z

flashburn:

This driver, if I see it correctly, can deliver 500mA peak and 350mA continous.

Can you tell me from which indication you figured out these values?

flashburn:

Do you have the glass lens version or the plastic?

I think its the plastic one. Going to stick with it, thanks for the info

flashburn · 2022-09-11T10:00:37.000Z

The driver looks exactly the same as the one I took out of my light.

I did measure before.

For Info: To measure current, take off the end cap and measure current by closing the supply circuit there.
For higher currents, use a thick wire and a clamp ampmeter, but for this little thing, a simple in-circuit will do fine.
If you try this at the LED wires, you will likely get false numbers or fry the driver, because this driver is a PWM one.

Lumaine_Moore · 2022-09-11T11:17:06.000Z

flashburn:

The driver looks exactly the same as the one I took out of my light.

I did measure before.

For Info: To measure current, take off the end cap and measure current by closing the supply circuit there.
For higher currents, use a thick wire and a clamp ampmeter, but for this little thing, a simple in-circuit will do fine.
If you try this at the LED wires, you will likely get false numbers or fry the driver, because this driver is a PWM one.

Oh ok I was wondering if there was any visual indications for the current/voltage.

And yes, I was trying to measure at the LED end. Thanks for letting me know. Hopefully the driver will survive

PiercingTheDarkness · 2022-09-11T11:32:10.000Z

Lets all not mention that the pill is hollow, so any attempt to drive this at a higher output with another driver/LED is a complete waste of time. Some of those have a solid pill and can be modded, but this one would cook the LED fairly quickly. If you were to just swap the LED and use the driver, it’s fine, but don’t even bother changing the driver. Throw it in the bin or gift it as is.

Remove the tailcap, get your DMM and set it to measure amps, place the negative lead (-) onto the battery and the positive (+) onto the threads or edge of the battery tube. This is the way most measure the driver current.

Lumaine_Moore · 2022-09-11T11:55:24.000Z

Funtastic:

Lets all not mention that the pill is hollow, so any attempt to drive this at a higher output with another driver/LED is a complete waste of time. Some of those have a solid pill and can be modded, but this one would cook the LED fairly quickly. If you were to just swap the LED and use the driver, it’s fine, but don’t even bother changing the driver. Throw it in the bin or gift it as is.

Remove the tailcap, get your DMM and set it to measure amps, place the negative lead (-) onto the battery and the positive (+) onto the threads or edge of the battery tube. This is the way most measure the driver current.

Yes, searching this forum, it seems that the thermal capacity of this host is weak. So I wont be upgrading the driver. I will order a SST40 mcpcb from Simon and check it out.

Thanks for the guide to measure amps. I will try to implement the direct drive mod and see if it improves anything

flashburn · 2022-09-11T14:37:49.000Z

Ah, I see!
The design of this light now has a hollow pill. The old one I have has a separate non-hollow LED pill to screw into what now looks like not having an inner threads no more. So it has not been removed for the photo, like I first thought.

The driver seems to be still the same.

So the LED star in your light will be sitting on the little ridge and have only thermal contact at the circumference, which is not good, even with a copper star. You may try to press-fit a copper disc or better cut a tread and screw in a copper disc to underfill the LED star, but I really don’t think it’s worth the struggle.

Sorry for my ignorance.

I shall better look at details in photos.

Sirstinky · 2022-09-11T15:46:02.000Z

flashburn:

Ah, I see!
The design of this light now has a hollow pill. The old one I have has a separate non-hollow LED pill to screw into what now looks like not having an inner threads no more. So it has not been removed for the photo, like I first thought.

The driver seems to be still the same.

So the LED star in your light will be sitting on the little ridge and have only thermal contact at the circumference, which is not good, even with a copper star. You may try to press-fit a copper disc or better cut a tread and screw in a copper disc to underfill the LED star, but I really don’t think it’s worth the struggle.

Sorry for my ignorance.

I shall better look at details in photos.

I just modded one of these with a 6A driver and round die led. If you’re going to swap the led and driver, you must improve the heat sinking. Look for my thread on here Swapped

Lumaine_Moore · 2022-09-12T07:50:20.000Z

flashburn:

Ah, I see!
The design of this light now has a hollow pill. The old one I have has a separate non-hollow LED pill to screw into what now looks like not having an inner threads no more. So it has not been removed for the photo, like I first thought.

The driver seems to be still the same.

So the LED star in your light will be sitting on the little ridge and have only thermal contact at the circumference, which is not good, even with a copper star. You may try to press-fit a copper disc or better cut a tread and screw in a copper disc to underfill the LED star, but I really don’t think it’s worth the struggle.

Sorry for my ignorance.

I shall better look at details in photos.

No worries, I should have provided more pictures for clarification. I didn’t even consider the heat issue before I searched through the forum. I dont have access to milling tools so improving the heat sink will be difficult for me.

Lumaine_Moore · 2022-09-12T07:54:19.000Z

Sirstinky:

flashburn:

Ah, I see!
The design of this light now has a hollow pill. The old one I have has a separate non-hollow LED pill to screw into what now looks like not having an inner threads no more. So it has not been removed for the photo, like I first thought.

The driver seems to be still the same.

So the LED star in your light will be sitting on the little ridge and have only thermal contact at the circumference, which is not good, even with a copper star. You may try to press-fit a copper disc or better cut a tread and screw in a copper disc to underfill the LED star, but I really don’t think it’s worth the struggle.

Sorry for my ignorance.

I shall better look at details in photos.

I just modded one of these with a 6A driver and round die led. If you’re going to swap the led and driver, you must improve the heat sinking. Look for my thread on here Swapped

Wow!! your mod looks great. I was targeting something similar. But now I think giving time and effort to this light will not be worth it. I just did the direct drive mod and I think I will try to use this as a mule light by removing the lens and head completely. The hollow pill screws on directly to the battery segment. I’ll try to give some pics later