What to do with old emitters.....

Flashlight Modding and DIY Parts
1

So I have mountains of old XM-L, XP-G, and lower binned XM-L2 emitters sitting in bins. Even some Nichia 219B’s sitting around.

I like having tons of output, so I tend not to use “last weeks emitters” when something better is out.

I assume I am not the only one. What does everyone else do with these older but still capable emitters?

2

i put them in older lights I am not using very frequently. If (rare occurrence) a friend asks for a slight upgrade of a light I might use them for it.

otherwise … they are just there. might do one-off projects with them or build random lights like garage illumination, flood lights, etc

3

Most of mine become guinea pigs for testing de-doming and dome slicing methods. Some of the nicer tints go in lights I give to family. I have a few I use on my desk to test drivers, and the rest get thrown away (usually after a failed de-dome).

4

I am still new enough to this habit that I have not built up a stock of older emitters, except for really old stuff like XP-E’s and such. I would still consider 219b’s and XM-L2’s to be very usable. Now, maybe in a couple of years that will change.

5

I use them for testing drivers. Don’t care if they blow up. Always good to test you drivers before you install it in your light, then if it doesn’t work, that’s one less thing to worry about in your trouble shooting.

6

Any 219B’s available for shipping? PM me if you want to sell any? In th US, and have PayPal! Thanks…

7

I am planning to upgrade the lights on next years christmas tree.

8

i have practiced de-doming on some of my old xp-e/xp-g/xm-l, but i still have nasty tinted xm-l leds i need to do something with…

9

hmmm, add the next-mode-memory driver collection and these might make a significantly upgraded LED Throwy

10

I still keep my even older XR-E emitters for odd projects… I’d like to accumulate enough to power with an AC-driver on an aluminum strip for a workshop light bar. Even the older emitters are still viable in the proper application…

The only emitters I have discarded are the worst of the Latticebright XP-E clones.

11

I smell a giveaway

12

I use them to upgrade older lights, sometimes friends and family lights. Sometimes the later ones are sold, the earlier ones are given away. I thought about lighting projects but have had no time or desire.

13

Old emitters in my parts bin get used in one of three ways. Using an old emitter along with a 2 dollar boost driver and a dollar p60 pill in a 15 minute mini mag mod is an easy way to become a genius and a hero at the same time.

Or sometimes if I'm waiting on parts and have done all the prep work I can on the current build of the week and I've just got to do some flashlight modding I'll look around in the junk bins and see what I can come up with. I used up nine grossly yellow XP-Gs and three grossly blue laticebrights to make a 12 up with surprisingly nice tint in a junk defiant 51 led host.

Or if I'm building something that may result in damaged emitters I'll use the junkers to mock up the build before making things permanent with my emitter of choice. I've killed a couple emitters before learning what not to do in a new build (don't sneeze with the sharpie near the emitter, ect...).

14

If any Aussies have excess emitters I would be happy to take a few off your hands for cost of postage.
I would like to practice de-doming and then replace the LB emitter in a P60.

It might be fun to set up a little “program” where more experienced members could donate a few excess emitters etc. to inexperienced members, and then the inexperienced members could post up a mini build of what they do with the parts. It could be a fun way to encourage people to start modifying.

15

i use them in silly mods of disposable junk.like dollar store desk lamps with 3aa in the base,ect.

16

There was a thread like this here a while back, I gave away a bunch of my old LEDs and a few TerraLux Mag-Lite drop ins. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to run it again to help a few new members get underway with some simple LED swaps.

These days I tend to change LEDs more to achieve a more desirable tint than to gain a few more lumens. That leaves me with a bunch of LEDs I don’t like so in the bin they go.

17

I have found myself doing that very thing recently… Mainly XP-G and XP-G2 swaps for a warmer LED. Now I am finding myself in need of a cooler white XM-L2 and find that I really don’t know much about cool white LEDs since I don’t like them.

What tint bin starts getting rid of the ice blue hues? I am thinking 2C?

18

I think you’d be safe from about 2C, I tend to like the A & D tints more than B & C.