Where are you guys getting mounted XP-E2’s? I can only find a few sources of bare emitters from places I’ve never heard of and I can not find any mounted, I need one on a 14mm board but a 10mm would work.
I’m decent at soldering and have a nice station but I’m not comfy trying to reflow onto the stock board incase it went bad. I guess I wouldnt be against getting a bare emitter and a new sink-pad and giving it a shot, anyone got a trusted source for both?
Any opinions of reflowing with a heat gun (hair dryer looking tool)? I have watched all the YouTube videos of people doing all sorts of IC’s and stuff, even one guy doing a processor using regular solder he applied with a soldering iron but I haven’t seen any LED’s done that way.
Solder paste is ALWAYS better. It has high amounts of flux for good adherence and a low melting point compared to most conventional solder.
Just give it a shot, worst comes to worst you lose a few LED’s along the way. Its really no big deal 
FYI I use a thick copper sheet cut in a 4 x 2 in rectangle and heat one end with a small butane torch for a little preheat. Then bring the heat to directly under the star on the copper for the reflow. Super easy.
A simple tip if you arent comfortable with watching for the emitter floating is to apply some the the LED +/- traces when you reflow so you can see that melt instead of watching for the emitter to center and lift.
I just ordered up some bare XP-E2 for that z8 and I will try it with some sinkpads I have coming, Also will go with an XP-G2 and pick the favorite. I am thinking The xpg though :bigsmile:
For reflowing I just use my MAC Heat gun and kester solder paste. So far I’ve reflowed about 10 times with this method and haven’t had a problem. I use to use my stove or soldering iron and always had a difficult time.
Just came across a seller at Taobao.com, which has them for $1.40, but without shipping cost, middle person cost, etc etc..
might be a good deal if you buy a few dozen..
http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?spm=a230r.1.14.1.UIH9PR&id=27081020731&initiative_new=1
IS has bare XPE2.
Cutter video of reflow with a heat gun.
I found impossibly expensive XP-E2s on 10mm square boards at LEDRise just now.
Still hunting for something affordable
With a little determination, you can cut down 20mm stars to 10mm. With aluminum, it is as simple as using tin snips to cut the center out, then clean up with a file or sandpaper, etc. You could also use a Dremel tool. You would then have to scrape some of the paint off the traces to make new + and - pads. I’ve done this already, and it works okay, but it’s ugly, of course.