Sorry to disappoint you guys but this light is not going to be modded.
Because I do flashlight repair service (it’s a way to financially support my hobby) I am constantly getting (more than I would like) requests to turn these $5 C8 lights (adds are full of them, for $10-15 you get like all-inclusive set, flashlight, battere(s), mains charger + car charger, color filters, remote switch, rifle mount, nice padded box, you can imagine what’s the quality of all this) into Convoy C8/Osram “white flat”/@5A/500+m thrower.
Because, you know, those two flashlights look 99% identical when you look at the photos, you just stick another LED inside (trust me, people really do believe that changing only the LED will make all that difference from $5 to $30+ flashlight) and it will magically become 10 times better.
Then I start explaining about thermal conductivity of hollow pill and conducting heat through the threads and that LEDs also heat up significantly when you push some amps to them, but how could that be when LEDs are advertised as a “coold” source of light, we get to the list of all components that would have to be “upgraded” by changing them with better ones and you already know how much effort it takes to turn nothing into something and it will still not be satisfactory (by my standards) and why it would end up costing more then if they bought a quality light from the start.
If you put yourself in the customer’s shoes, I am explaining something they don’t understand using terms they are not familiar with and it all sounds like I am trying to sale them “identically” looking light for 8 times higher price.
Don’t forget, we are still to have the included “8800mAh” 18650 battery talk.
So the main purpose of this light is to be visual educational tool.
But it’s totally moddable. Plastic reflector is usable, glass lense I would replace just because I have nicer ones from Simon, driver - well this depends what would you like to do with the light but what I would do is to meka a low power lantern that could give a diffused light for entire night (or more) in case of power outage (or you can pretend its power outage, it works :D) you could basically get away with one 7135 AMC for this (and protected cell).
Some of you may remember these screw-in pills that Convoy used when they started, I just tested one and it fits, screws ok, so there’s a 1 minute solution plus, you are avoiding dealing with press fitting the driver. Coupled with copper dtp board and some thermal paste on the pill threads I believe it would be good for 2.5-3A.
Hardest part to deal with would be that press fited switch. There are no threads inside to screw the retaining ring that would hold “normal” switch. To solve this you would either have to have lathe, rely on the glue or just keep it as is (it’s in there tightly and not going out without the fight).