I like Supfire flashlights for their low price and high build quality, but even their newest models have terrible and outdated drivers. I got a Supfire A2 for under 13 dollars at Hobbyking, a very handsome and well-build e-switch zoomie, but with low PWM and bad mode-spaced driver (100,50,20%,strobe,SOS) . Btw, Hobbyking sells a few models of Supfire for cheap, i.e. the Supfire M2 sells for about 8 dollar shipped, sounds a great modding host to me.
In the Supfire A2 I did a simple emitter swap (XM-L2 on alu board was removed, dedomed XP-G2 S3 3D on 16mm Noctigon was soldered in, everything around the led die was made black), to see if I would like it enough to mod it further with a new better driver. It will not be trivial to upgrade the driver while keeping the charging possibility for a straightforward modder like me.
The light is improved a great deal, better tint, better looking beam, better throw (a respectable 34kcd now). The current at high is 1.8A, with a new driver the throw can be doubled to around 70kcd. It can become a really nice light, so now I need ideas, courage and modding time to do the driver!
I recently came across my old UltraFire A20. The A20 takes a 14mm mcpcb, but I didn’t have any lying around. So, in true modding fashion, I had to grind down the lip of the pill to eliminate the LED “pocket,” make the top flat and polish it back up again. Now, it fits a 16mm led, no problem!
I soldered in a blf a6 driver and an accidentally dedomed xpl v6 2c. I had to shave off some of the reflector to ensure it wasn’t going to short out with the new led. I’m really happy to have given some new life to an old light.
First was to swap the LED in an Olight S1A, put in a nice warm XM-L2 5C1! Love it now.
Second I put an XM-L2 5C1 in a customers light, he saw my 4C and wanted a little warmer tint. The 5C1 made him very happy!
Third, I put an XP-G3 5 bin hi cri into an Olight S10R. Do not do that, the XP-G3 left a strangely colored doughnut hole in the XP-L reflector, had to switch it back.
I do not understand why Olight has such minor UI differences between similar lights. The S1R has electronic lockout and a brighter moon mode, the S1A has no electronic lockout and a good moon mode. The S10R has an electronic lockout but the beam profile stinks.
I would carry the S1A often, except I do not have the option for an electronic lockout and it requires 2 hands for a tailcap lockout. I often do not have 2 hands free on ladders and such.
Made a new alu head on a cheapo plastic 1 x AA headlamp.
Looks way better than the body now, a bit like it doesn’t belong together…
But it’s still light weight, which is nice.
Flood optics (of course)
HMM had to file all mine so far. Just checked the remaining 2 Cute triple and the legs are too long.
Holes are already cleared of solder… Drilled out to the copper.
There are two variations on the CUTE-3, one is for Cree and the other isn’t. The other one has long legs, the Cree one works out right. I like to use the long legs and drill slight holes in the heat sink, let the legs lock into the sink this way so the optic doesn’t turn or twist and mess up the emitters.
Edit: Intermatix or something like that. It’s the one with the longer leg section where it goes through the mcpcb.
Baked my first ’light! An Eagle Eye X6 from Fasttech. We had a pizza for dinner last night and I did the light parts after: 450 F for 30 minutes. A little bit of a burnt paint smell, but that dissipated soon enough out the open window. I didn’t even get any crap over it… showed the pretty brown off to my dark chocolate loving wife.
The photo shows it alongside a bone stock BLF Limited Edition X6
Next will be reassembly using a triple Noctigon with the Ledil Cute 3. That might be a few days as there is other stuff that needs attention before I play.
OOh, nice! Turned out well Don.
I got an empty EE X6 sitting here. Good to know they turn out uniform color. Already have a stripped and polished X6 and If I screwed up a bake I would have 2 stripped X6’s.
