My modded XHP lights and a few good stock XHP lights,  mostly C8s and HD2010. W/ beamshots

Engine_Guy · 2018-06-13T04:35:50.000Z

Hope this is the section to post this in, pics of some lights I modded and a few good budget light that impresed me for the $, with a few crappy beam shots.
Most of my collection:
1st pic: From upper left to lower right…
WF501A - P60 xml2 , this will be used as a comparison for beamshot, figured everyone can relate to an average 1000 lumen pocket light.
C2, xpl hi, cheapie nowhere near as good as the Convoy C8 xpl hi I just sold. (needs a better driver)
L2M - P60 xpl pill.
Stock C8 T6, old but still impressive for a mild thrower.
Original Skyray King tripple T6, my 1st “bright light”.
Haikelite MT03 triple xhp70, total flooder, broken switch, I just unscrew the bat. tube.
Now we get to some of the ones with beamshots.
HD2010 - xhp70.2, Matts 17DD driver, 2 imr 26650s
Kaidomain K6 - xhp35 hi, awsome thrower for $50.
HD2010 - xhp50.2 with a H1A driver (“rigged” 20mm kaidomain boost driver, since the HD2010 holds a 17mm driver) single imr 26650.
Thorfire C8 - good quality C8 that takes a 20mm driver, xhp70.2 with a fried 20mm DD that is bypassed with negative going to outside edge of driver (i’m sure theres a name for this - like “dont do it idiot”)
Trustfire T1 - xhp70, bypassed driver, 2 imr18500, with extension tube removed.
Trustfire C2 - xhp70.2, 17mm DD, 2 imr 18350s, more floody then the C8, but its even smaller, fits in any pocket. (working on an even smaller C2)
Manta Ray C2 - xhp50.2, only a 17mm 2.2mah driver, so only around 1500 lumens I’d guess.
Kaidomain C8.2 - xhp35 HD, single imr 18650, awsome pocket thrower (i’m sure the HI version would throw even better)
Kaidomain C8.2 - xhp50.2, single imr 18650, awsome all around light, great hotspot.
Kaidomain KF8 - xhp50.2, OP, single imr 18650, good all around, mostly floody with a mild hotspot, would make good weapons light.
L2T - with Matts XHP70 copper pill he used to sell, total flooder, but not cheap, would make good indoor weapons light.
Manta Ray - xhp50.2, almost as good as the Kaidomain C8.2 - xhp50.2, very similar hot spot. Keep it in the truck, good runtime with a 26650.

I also want to say I’m a newb, I dont really understand much of the electronic part of lights, I just figure out what driver I can use with what led and cells and mod it. Started modding 2017.
So I will not be able to answer any tech questions, I’m doing this for people like me that want to try modding, and to show that you can build a light with 4000-5000+ lumens at home
for a fraction of the price of a high dollar light, granted it will get hot fast and not have much run time, but will still perform.
So just like in the car world you can build your own engine and hot rod and blow the doors off of a high dollar exotic, in the 1/4 mile that is, for a fraction of the price.
And isnt that what buidling stuff is all about.
These are pretty easy mods that anyone can do and have an impracticle but awsome light.
I’d like to add 2 things:
I have swapped plenty or the reflectors around between the C8s, and even tho they seam very similar they can still get a better hotspot with some compared to others.
And most of my lights were upgraded to from the xp70 to the xhp70.2, the + in the middle of the hotspot is almost gone in most of the modded C8s and C2s,
and Gone on lights with bigger reflectors like the HD2010s. Also SMO reflectors put out way more light with a better hotspot, so when modding a C8 get one with a SMO,
because there will be plenty of flood as you can see.
Also pay attension to the length of the 18350s because it will be a tight fit squeezing 2 in a C8 or C2 thats made for 1 18650.

My crappy beamshots are at 50 yards to the big oak tree, to compare the lights.
And 50ft to the fence behind the garage, for something closer where the hotspot is more visible.
And sorry, I dont know how to do beam shots, thats why I did 2 sets, hope that helps.

Lights labeled in this pic have beamshots:

Engine_Guy · 2018-06-13T04:52:05.000Z

WF501A at 50yards:

Thorfire C8 xhp70.2:

HD2010 xhp70.2:

HD2010 xhp50.2:

Kaidomain K6 xhp35hi:

Kaidomain C8.2 xhp50.2:

Kaidomain C8.2 xhp35HD:

Kaidomain KF8 xhp50.2:

Engine_Guy · 2018-06-13T05:06:49.000Z

WF501A at 50ft:

Thorfire C8 xhp70.2:

HD2010 xhp70.2:

HD2010 xhp50.2:

Kaidomain K6 xhp35hi:

Kaidomain C8.2 xhp50.2:

Kaidomain C8.2 xhp35HD:

Kaidomain KF8 xhp50.2:

Engine_Guy · 2018-06-13T05:36:59.000Z

The brightest all around is the HD2010 xhp 70.2, but its big. Good runtime and doesn’t get hot too fast. No centering ring, but still a nice hotspot.
My fav is the Thorfire xhp70.2, about as much light as the HD but lacking the hotspot, runtime is short, that’s if you can hold on to it, gets hot fast.
Best all around factory stock light is the Kaidomian C8.2 xhp50.2, great hotspot good flood, takes a while to heat up and good runtime.
Also the DH2010 xhp50.2 is great, single 26650 short tube / not too big, awesome hotspot, no heat and good run time. But there are some artifacts - assuming because I don’t have a good centering ring, just drilled one that was small.
And Ive had a Klarus G35 and wasn’t impressed, maybe I got a dud, but I returned it. I have to say for just over 1/2 the price the Kaidomain K6 blows it away in every way, lumens hotspot throw. It was as if the G35 has a xml not a xhp35. My old Convoy xpl hi had better throw.

Batteries used were: Keepower 26650s, Basen 26650s, Vapcell 18350s, and 30Q 18650s.

SKV89 · 2018-06-13T05:40:57.000Z

Thanks for sharing. Beamshot comparisons area always a treat to look at.

Nooner · 2018-06-13T12:15:57.000Z

Pics look great Engine Guy.

You mind sharing what components you used for the thorfire C8 XHP70.2?
Any issues fitting/focusing the LED in the reflector?

Engine_Guy · 2018-06-13T13:13:18.000Z

Thanks
I thought they look pretty bad since I’ve never taken any beamshots before.
Ok, as stated above it has a fried 20mm Mountain Electronics DD driver, (must have been a casualty) so it has no modes, I will put one in next time I order some parts. XHP70.2 is on a 16mm mpcb, the thorfire has 2 screws holding it down, but just barely. Don’t remember what size mpcb or led it had originally, I assume a 20mm? I also used a small clear insulating gasket, I assume that’s what its called, between the reflector and wires. The cool thing with the C8s is the reflectors fit the xhp70s perfect so no centering ring is needed for the xhp70s and any C8 and most C2s I’ve done. All the extra reflectors I’ve ordered for the C8s have fit the xhp70s perfect, but you may get a “slight hint” of a tiny donut spot in the center at closer distances than 20ft with the xhp70.2, the older xhp70 will have a cross.
Powered by 2 Vapcell 1100mah 18350.
Also its a great host for a xhp50 mod, since it accepts 20mm drivers, with the H1A. But you may as well just buy the Kaidomain C8.2 xhp50 at that point.

Nooner · 2018-06-14T01:28:17.000Z

Thanks for sharing the info.
I have a spare C8S I plan to build into something impractical. Thinking xhp70 might be the way to go.

CRX · 2018-06-14T17:48:15.000Z

Cool :+1:

goshdogit · 2018-06-16T14:53:48.000Z

Nice pics! :+1:

Your C8 and Skyray King look like they’ve gotten some serious use!

I started a thread about well worn flashlights a while ago. Could you post some details and pics of them there?

Eneen · 2019-09-11T08:15:47.000Z

Hi all!
@Engine Guy, could you take a shot of KF8 beam on open space and pointed similarly to your last photo? I’m thinking about using it as bike light, but not sure if post is spill is large enough. Thank you in advance

Engine_Guy · 2019-09-25T22:24:30.000Z

The KF8 is the last photo, (I know that doesn’t help at the moment)… but I think I’m done with photobucket.
Also I used the KF8 driver (H1A boost) in another project, so it is not working at the moment.
But I will say it would make a great bike light with a good amount of spill from its OP reflector.
Decent hot spot with lots of flood.
If you want more flood do a similar light with the xhp70 and similar size reflector, that would give you a ton of flood.

Eneen · 2019-09-26T11:26:27.000Z

Thank you! Could you measure reflector depth, diameter and opening diameter? Looks like KD doesn’t offer replacement one, so it will be bit risky to put XHP70.2 inside due to some drilling. I also haven’t found replacement one on ali. Still I’m eager to try 70.2. Haven’t found 25mm TIR for this led though…

Anyway manta-ray driver with reverse polarity protection and better modes will suite bike better:
https://aliexpress.com/item/32897809607.html
Looks like same as this one but cheaper:
https://aliexpress.com/item/32853667712.html
In contrary to convoy S21a, KF8 can take 22mm so they will fit, that’s nice.

Does tail of light use same thread as body? What’s depth of driver compartment? What is internal diameter of reflector tightening ring?

Engine_Guy · 2019-09-27T03:26:09.000Z

Reflector depth is about 22mm, as is the OD dia.
Opening is about 7mm, but I was able to squeeze in a xhp70 all the way in there, if that’s what you wanna know.
The tail cap is smaller than the body, as the body screws on just above the fins… much bigger threads.
Driver compartment is 4 mm deep, meaning the driver and ring are about 4mm to the top of the head (just passed the fins).
internal dia of ring is 15mm.

The H1A driver it comes with is a 20mm dia, so I’m not sure if you can fit a 22mm in there, maybe with some work.

Have you considered doing a different light with an xhp70? C8 with an OP reflector would have lots of spill.
But I believe it would be LESS floody than the KF8.
Or a Convoy M1 with a OP reflector and xhp50.
I just did a Convoy S2 with a 3V xhp50, pretty floody.

The KF8 is a real good middle ground for floody with a decent hot spot (with xhp50), should be real good for what you want.
Sticking a xhp70 would make it very floody.

Eneen · 2019-09-27T06:32:40.000Z

Thank you so much!
I wanted to do S21A into xhp50. It has shallow reflector, about 12mm so will be very floody, but there I can fit TIR from carclo so result is predictable (efficiency is so-so). Only drawback is lack of heat spreaders. KF8 looks quite good in this regard. I will also most likely try new S12 (21700 and 22mm driver) and put xhp50 there, but need to get some dimension info though.

Engine_Guy · 2019-09-27T15:01:21.000Z

I have a S21A with the SST40, very good hot spot, tighter than I thought. (awesome budget light)
So an xhp50 in it may not turn out very floody.
Looks like the S12 has a larger reflector, so it would have a tighter hot spot with an xhp50, not very floody. With an xhp70 it may do well for you.

Eneen · 2019-09-27T15:27:02.000Z

Yes, currently looking into S12 due to larger heat-sinks and shallow ref. It can be nice choice for this mod:

Taschenlampen Forum

[Moddingbericht] Convoy S2+ Boosttreiber XHP70.2

Hallo, hier findet ihr einen Convoy S2+ Moddingbericht. Die Lampe hat einen Boosttreiber und eine XHP70.2 bekommen. Auf der höchsten Stufe ist das natürlich nur noch ein Dragster. Um mir das Feder brücken zu sparen habe ich den Schalter gegen...

Even reflector height is almost same, 11.1 for S12 and 11.3 for S2+ (spec says it’s 20x12). I will only need to 3D print reflector holder if necessary. I will most likely buy new 22mm boost 3A driver from Simon, it has temp stepdown.