Hey all, looking to get into the P60 field and I think the L2T looks the bee’s knees (the flea’s eyebrows, etc) so that will be my host. Looked at a lot of drop-in reviews but thought I’d post the question here to see what you guys think. Here’s my short list of wants:
3 or 5 mode, undecided if I want a strobe/SOS
Good practical low mode to be able to read stuff/see close up and give good runtime
Medium mode that won’t overheat to light up a campsite
Nice bright high mode, ridiculous amount of lumens to light up a field (show off, probably won’t run at high for too long)
Balance of flood/throw, would like to see some stuff at distance but not looking for a throw monster
Neutral(ish) tint, not exactly sure what I want here
I am thinking an XML will be the ticket, but will a heavily driven XPG2 give comparable output? I also saw that a member here (E1320 - Eric?) makes some so I might PM him to see if he has some recommendations. I haven’t done much soldering but I could be convinced to try my hand at it and build my own drop-in
Thanks
Post Script: I know the L2T isn’t HAIII, but does it feel durable/tough enough/scratch resistant? Are there rumors of a HAIII version coming like the L2 got?
Select either 2.5A or 3.0A maximum voltage. 3C tint is the neutral one, which I and many others seem to like.
It has high PWM frequancy, so moving objects (like a fan, flowing or dropping water) look more pleasant to watch.
Funny to read this thread. My light with that drop in is turned on right now. Just doing a battery/runtime test in my L2T with the intl outdoor drop in.
I got the 3A T3 7B. Most prefer neutral, but I like a bit warmer despite lower output.
Its a good drop in, but dont thrust it the “Thermal management, overheating protection 55-60C” mine dims down for a sec and then goes back to high for many seconds…
L2T + drop in @ 3A will become 54C at the head after 10 min if its tailstanding. At 12 min the “safety” feature says it too warm so id recommed to turn it down (I measured head temperature to 58C. Usually heat is no issue if you are hand holding it and can deal with a warm light.
The way I use mine heat is no issue.
I dont use the thermal pad thingy that came with it. It was to thick and it easily got in the threads, so I don’t use it.
I got my L2T back in August from IlluminationGear. I’ve dropped it many times and it has just one ‘soft,’ barely noticeable mark on the tailcap to show for it. Honestly, the anodizing is probably as good as most Type 3 finishes and its dry tactile feel is unique.
I have several L2Ts w/ a variety of drop-ins. My current favorite is a 3 mode Nichia 219 HiCRI emitter. The intl-outdoor drop-in seems nice for the $$. I have several 3 mode XML drop-ins; the famous Manafont 3 mode XML running ~ 3A on high [its an early warm/neutral edition], a DIY 3C bin T6 set up as a “mule”, and a cheap CW T6 that came w/ another SF host.
As to thermal management, I recommend you do a search on BLF and you’ll find plenty of threads explaining how to improve P60 heat sinking.
Im using my l2n with a l2t head and solarforce low vol (.8-4.2) xpg 1 mode.Draws 2.5 amps and doesnt get that hot. Its not going to do what some of the 3amp xml can do but its great for carrying around and has a decent throw.
I have an L2T that I used to EDC for about 6 months, and the finish is still very good. There’s a couple of nicks and scratches from me dropping it a few times, but I haven’t had any problems with the anno flaking or rubbing off.
It’s worth mentioning that the new L2M is a couple of bucks cheaper and can accept a wider range of batteries, not to mention that it now comes with a gorgous flat low-profile bezel instead of a strike bezel.
Thanks for the replies, definitely getting the L2T but might buy some more hosts in the future (L2M and then L2N). I’ve thought of a couple more Q’s:
Is the PWM for low modes high enough frequency to not be noticeable on these drop-ins? I’ve found I’m kind of sensitive to LED PWM, the new Christmas lights and Cadillac taillights annoy the bejebus out of me
Are the drivers regulated well? I’ll pay more $ (but not $$:money_mouth_face: for a well regulated driver
The one drop-in has a 3% low = 0.09A, how low is that in practice? Would I expect to get (2600mAh/90mA) = 29h runtime? I like the idea of a super low giving me >50h but it might be that’s just too low to use for much?
So I decided to build my own drop in. Supplies from Fasttech, I’m going with:
Smooth reflector with copper pill
2.8A, 2-5 mode Nanjg 105c, 4 group program
XML-U3 (why not?)
Also had to get some isolation discs, thermal paste, and gold plated contact springs, but all for less then $15!
I’m thinking about getting the necessary hardware to program my own modes as well, from what I read this driver is programmable too if I want to, is that right?
Awesome Matt! First, welcome to the forum. I'm glad to see you went the DIY route. Did you place your order already? I just picked up a USBASP programmer from FT and it works great. The only other item you need is an SOIC clip (search Ebay for "SOIC 8 pin clip") that comes with a ribbon cable that can attach to the clip (is broken out into individual connections). I had an extra SOIC clip sitting around so I bought the USBASP, jumper wires from FT, and after looking at the pinout diagram and connecting the wires correctly, it was up and programming.
I was going to offer my programming services, but I think being able to do it yourself is much better. That way you can test out the mode levels to see if they will work and reprogram as needed.
On other item you will want to consider if you don't have one already is a soldering station. I went with the cheapest CircuitSpecialists station and it has been working great. It sure beats using a fixed-temp soldering iron.
If you need any help along the process, post it up here and we can help.
Yeah, that’s one thing my shop is missing is a good soldering station, right now I just have a cheapie with no temp control. I’ll have to spring for one of those soon…
All parts came in on Wednesday and last night I had some quality time with my soldering iron, (censored), these parts are small. Somehow I didn’t get a good idea of the size from pictures, but soldering the contacts on the LED was pretty tough for me. I’m sure with more practice I’ll get it, and I already have a list of things I’ll do differently next time (with my XP-G2 drop in!).
Things to buy:
Kapton tape
Helping hands
Solder wick
Do differently:
Don’t trim the driver wires (I don’t like the extra wire in there but the ends frayed badly and was much harder to handle, with more wire I think I can make a better joint)
Apply solder to LED contact pads first, then push the wire onto the pad (did this when I practiced and it worked very well for me)
Use Kapton tape to insulate the reflector (was having problems with the + making contact with the reflector)
I was also having trouble with soldering the driver to the pill, anybody have some ideas?
Also, how hot does it get by the emitter? I found some type of thick electrical tape that is rated to 130C but I’m wondering if that’s high enough until I find some Kapton tape?
I’ll see if I can get some pictures, but I’m not going to show the soldering jobs because I’m not proud of them
mrmatt - definitely can’t answer your soldering questions, as I haven’t done much of it myself. But I was going to tell ya what I did - I also dug the L2T model above all the others, but wanted HAIII finish. So I ended up buying the L2T battery tube, and then HAIII head and tail pieces. Basically built my own. The lego options with the Solarforce stuff rules!
Yes, put a tiny spot of rosin flux on driver & LED pads. You can also “tin” the wires; flux then heat and add solder. Then you just press the wire to the pad and heat! Once you get the hang of it you get nice clean joints. Just remember to use a q-tip w/ some alcohol to remove the excess flux after soldering.
mrmatt, I’ve heard that pre-tinning the brass thing that the driver seats in will help make the connection at the ground ring. Failing that, just curse a little and do a few jumps in the hope that one will work. (At least, that’s my technique.) Old-Lumens talks about having a bit of wire in there to make the bridge.
But the main reason I’m piping up is to mention that the fasttech driver you mentioned is sometimes being mis-shipped. On low, does your light blink once or twice after about 5 seconds? If so, you’ve got this: http://www.fasttech.com/products/1186301 and no amount of solder on the stars is going to change the modes.
