Weekend project - Really cheap and easy 3up/triple 16340 mod - "Richuang" host

Flashlight Modding and DIY Parts
1

I’m still kind of going crazy with 3ups/triples mods :), and I ran across this cheap 16340 light from FT awhile ago, and ordered one:

https://www.fasttech.com/products/0/10004630/1356907-richuang-p36-1-mode-80-lumen-white-light-led-flash

“Richuang P36 1-Mode 80-Lumen White Light LED Flashlight”

Stock, it’s basically like a single-mode, non-zoomie SK68 clone, with a TIR lens.

Fasttech took forever to ship it, mainly because my order got stuck with some other items, so I ended up removing everything from that order except for this light and some 7135 drivers, and then they finally shipped.

Anyway, I got the light this week, and it’s not bad for a $5.27 16340 light, but my intention was to try to turn it into a 3up, which I’ve done.

I’ll post some pics later, but it’s a really easy mod. Parts:

- Triple/3up from ledsupply.com (http://www.ledsupply.com/07007-pw740-l.php) - $6.99 (shipping is $5.99, but order a bunch!)

- Carclo 10507 (from ledsupply or IS: http://www.ledsupply.com/10507.php) - $1.50

  • 1 inch rubber O-ring (Home Depot)

The head and bezel in the Richuang unscrew, and you can unscrew the pill by sticking a pair of tweezers into the larger hole in the driver. The pill can actually unscrew out the back of the head or the front of the head… nothing stops it.

Once you get the pill out, you’ll notice that this is direct drive… there’s actually only a red wire from the spring to the emitter + contact pad, and then there’s a small solid, uninsulated WIRE that’s soldered to the negative contact ring on the spring side that is routed back into the pill and to the emitter - contact pad. Amazingly simple (and cheap) DD!

I removed the emitter by putting the pill in a vise, and then use needle nose in the notches of the emitter PCB and twisting, and it popped out. I then unsoldered the red lead from the emitter, and the wire from the emitter.

I pulled an old 17mm driver from my junk box (don’t know for sure which light it came from) and it press-fit exactly into the pill!

I re-wired the Luxeon 3up for parallel, and then soldered the + and - leads from the junk driver.

I then just:

- Put the Carlo on the 3up emitter (which was on top of the pill)

- Dropped the pill into the head from the front side

- Slid a 1” O-ring into the bezel ring (needed to fill in space between the ridge on the bezel ring and the Carlo, and hold the Carclo and pill in place)

- Screwed the bezel ring onto the head

  • Threw a 16340 into the body and screwed that on to the head.

And, voila! There was light!

Whatever it is (I think it’s from a UF S5) the driver has modes, but doesn’t push much current, so the light doesn’t get very hot now, even on high.

One of these days, whenever the Noctigon 3up PCB I ordered from IOS gets here, I may put a 3 amp 105C driver into it, and then I’ll need to figure out how to heatsink all of it, but for now, it’s just a fun 3up/triple mod, for less than $15 worth of parts, including the host :)!

EDIT: Correct Carclo 10507 link… sorry…

2

The light doesn’t tailstand, because the rubber boot kind of sticks out, but here’s what it looks like from the front:

and, lit (low mode):

Some build pics:

Disassembled/parts:

The head, pill w/re-wired parallel star, Carclo, and bezel ring w/O-ring:

Pill plus Carclo dropped into the front of the head:

1” O-ring (http://www.homedepot.com/p/t/100309239?storeId=10051&langId=–1&catalogId=10053&productId=100309239&R=100309239#.UlnkXlA_scA) in the head:

Assembled head:

Side shot:

Really bad beam shot comparison with Luxeon 3up on top. I hope that this is good enough to show how warm it is compared to cool white beam on bottom (triple XP-E2 or triple XP-G2, don’t remember):

3

Some of the most fun mods are cheap ones. It ought to be a freak if you put the 105c in it. It will be a race to see it if overheats before the battery dies.

4

Nice build Ohaya. It looks pretty cool.

You got to stop doing these triples. I've been resisting them so far, but each time you make of these guys I start wanting to try to make one.

5

You have to build a triple Nichia. Nothing comes close in light quality, except for the MTG2 in NW.

6

Cool!

I think your carclo link is wrong…is this it?

7

These Luxeons are VERY warm, and I think that according to the datasheet, they’re 85-90 CRI (not that I know what “CRI” is :laughing:.

It’s really too bad that I don’t much like the warm tint though, because I’ve stocked up on a bunch of the 3ups from ledsupply, because they’re dirt cheap (whereas the Nichias, even just the bare emitters, are kind of expensive). I have one 502 light that I got awhile ago, with a Xenon bulb in it, and I think the Luxeons are comparable tint-wise (close, at least) to the Xenon.

8

Yes, you’re right. Thanks! I corrected the link in the OP.

Jim

9

I know, it’s kind of habit-forming :). I find that I’m constantly on the lookout for hosts that’ll work nowadays, and when I do find one like this “Richuang” that works, it makes building the mod really easy.

I think that for awhile, earlier, I was starting down the path of “large” and “throwy” lights, but then I found that I really enjoy using and working with smaller lights, and making one into a triple makes a small light even more useful IMO…

So, you should try it! Maybe it’ll be too easy for you though :)!

10

I’m waiting for some of the Noctigon 3up boards from IOS.

I have some XP-E2s that have been waiting for them, and once I get those on there, am planning to re-build this with one of the 3 amp 105Cs and the 3up XP-E2s (mainly because the XP-E2s are cheaper than XP-G2s)… unless some other host comes along and claims the XP-E2s :).

Then, as you said, it’ll be a “hot” race :)!!

11

Actually, it looks a bit challenging to me. I have trouble picturing how it all fits together. Someday, I will study one of your builds and take a crack at it.

I find I tend to go through cycles with what type of light I work on. Right now I'm wanting to wrap up some big throwy lights I've had in the back of my mind for ever. Then I want to do some small AA sized lights and some tube lights. I think towards the end of the tube lights, I may try to do a triple.

12

Nice mod. Very creative.

13

You know you could always swap in some nichia 119 with some dremel work. Chepa and a great tint

14

Yes, I remember Racer’s thread (Making Nichia 119 mcpcb - THE EASY WAY!) about that, but as I said above, for myself, not much incentive to do that (except to get you all to stop bugging me about it (JUST KIDDING :slight_smile: !!)

EDIT: Build pics added to 2nd post (1st after OP)…

15

ohaya, didn't mean to criticize you, my post was directed at ImA4Wheelr, but since you don't like warm tints, you should build one, too. ;)

In the beginning I thought like you, but now I own 3 lights with 3 or more Nichias. :)

16

Hey 4Wheelr, Intl Outdoor’s triple XP-G Noctigon board got here today. Along with 3 XP-G2 R5 2B emitters. Already had the Carlco 10507 sitting here waiting. Ready for this? Maybe I shouldnt say, I don’t think you’re ready.

Oh what the heck, Direct Drive on a Panasonic NCR18650PD netted 9.42A for some 2400 lumens. :slight_smile: Makes ya want to get busy, don’t it? :wink:

Probably going to put it in an L2m shorty, with AW IMR18350 cell and drive it around 4A with a QLite. That should be about 1500 lumens and the optics yield a nice large hot spot. Pocket rocket with room illumination extraordinaire! :slight_smile:

Edit: Just ran it direct on the AW IMR18350 and got 8.46A. Gonna have to step it down with the Qlite, too much heat for a small host. But wow!

17

Nice mod ohoya! Thanks for sharing.

Thanks for info DBCstm. J) Looking forward to the mod thread.

18

Woah! That is insane DBCstm. Please do a build thread on that.

19

NightCrawl wrote:

You have to build a triple Nichia. Nothing comes close in light quality, except for the MTG2 in NW.

Sounds real good. Thanks for the recommendation. That neutral white 219 H1 B10 is my very favorite emitter.

20

I don’t think an L2m shorty can handle 2400 lumens, even with a lot of aluminum or even copper thrown in. So it’s gonna have to step down. But can you imagine a light with the mass to pull some heat, carrying 4 of these pulling 2400 lumens apiece? Dang! It’d sure be a crowd illuminator, wonder how far it would reach?