What got you started modding lights? Did it work as you had hoped?
I dove head first into modding with putting an MT-G2 into a 2D Maglite. Mine turned out good, running at the qlite’s 3 amps. In hindsight I should have added some 7135s, but I potted the driver so that’s not gonna happen.
Edit: After I thought about it, I remembered some of the truly first things I had done. As a kid, I built ‘flashlights’ out of paper towel tubes and d cells, and I was forever improving those 6v plastic lanterns. I had been a moder winch I was a kid and never really thought about it. I supposed the MT-G2 was my first ‘real’ mod, that didn’t involve cardboard or duct tape.
My very first mod was a Roche F8. I had to get lots of help from the forum as I had never done anything like this before. When it was finished, I thought it was one of the most amazing things I’d ever accomplished.
I still carry it in my housecoat pocket. It has an XM-L 4C emitter and an eight chip Qlite. It’s a great light with an integrated pill. Sometimes I think about updating the emitter and driver, but, I still like it just as it is.
Hard to say as i’ve modded almost everything i get in some way or another since i was a kid but my first flashlight mod would probably have been a simple clicky switch improvement to reduce the redundant travel in the switch press.
I just recently completed my first and only mod so far.
I replaced the stock driver in a brand new Eagle Eye x6 xpl-hi with the driver from the BLF A6. With the DD driver i notice that is a bit brighter, and it has a nice moonlight mode when in the 7 mode configuration.
…which was my first LED flashlight. I bought this from Wal-Mart as it was the first budget LED flashlight I had seen, at about $5. Mine was the first-gen model, without the focusing lens, and was astounding how much light you could get on a pocket-light. This was my first EDC flashlight. I purchased a pack of the brightest 5mm LEDs I could find on eBay at the time, and replaced the factory LED with one. Not sure if it improved the output much, or at all, but I thought it did…
My first major mod project was an upgrade module for a 3D MagLite using 36 5mm LEDs all soldered onto a round piece of project board from Radio Shack. I calculated resistance values carefully to get as close to the 20mA max current as possible, meaning it was nearly 3W from a set of fresh cells. The module was powered via a pigtail soldered into the base of a broken incan bulb, which was connected to factory post, so the entire mode was 100% reversible. The module was built to fill the lens opening completely, and was over a piece of dense foam to hold it forward against the lens. As the factory plastic MagLite lens would get scratched by tightening against this module, I replaced it with a glass lens at the same time. I still have this module in my parts kit, as I put a lot of work into it, but don’t have it handy to post a picture. This light was very bright, and impressed everyone who saw it, although it was extremely floody.
Replaced a bulb with 3 red led's and a resistor for use with a telescope around 15 years ago. Not very bright but the goal was to not ruin your night vision.
My first mod was changing the LED in my Convoy M1 with a XML2 U2 on Noctigon and adding some 7135 regulators to the driver, later decided that i want moonlight so i changed the stock driver for a Q.lite Rev.A and also added 3 7135 regulators and thicker wires to the LED + some arctic mx4 thermal paste. Year later and the flashlight is still working fine
My first mod/build occurred 2 weeks ago on a convoy M1 host. I just put a XM-L on the pill using thermal paste and connected it to a nanjg 105C that I had tried to stack a 7135 for a total of 9. It worked, but tail-cap measurements were something just over 2.5A so I may have fried one of the 7135’s. I just flashed my first firmware (modified STAR by JohnnyC) onto a chip so I think I’m progressing in terms of my modding capabilities!
Just got my Mouser order and waiting on the boards to build a DD driver from scratch (wight’s design) so we will see how that goes…
Around 25 years ago, I took a cheap incandescent flashlight and removed its lens and reflector. Then I built a new flashlight around it from Radio Shack parts. In final form, the light was powered by 4xAA, had a safety switch with a red LED indicator light on the top, a toggle switch for constant on, and a momentary switch for momentary on. The casing was made out of aluminum sheet and the entire thing was covered with and held together with Gaffer’s tape.
The batteries were held in a very compact plastic Radio Shack battery carrier that held the cells in a 2x2 format. This led to a very chunky, but very compact light. To change the batteries, you had to pull the carrier partially out of the bottom of the light.
I still have this light somewhere. No idea if it still works. I didn’t have a proper mount for the 6c incandescent lamp. I soldered it in.
Bought a white c8 off eBay. I planned on using it for predator hunting. I cut a clear piece of plastic, got some red film, and swapped the clear lens with the red. After being horribly disappointed with my now pink light, I some how found this forum. One of the members set me up with links to a qlite driver (6 chips removed), a red XP-E on a 20mm aluminum PCB, and a 20mm brass pill. Grabbed the 30 year old Weller gun, and some oversized solder, and went to work. After cleaning up the excessive amount of thermal paste I used, put the battery in, and lit right up. From that moment, I was hooked. Still have that light, but swapped the pill into another c8 which my buddy uses to this day. Oh, btw, I added another 7135 chip along the way.
Shortly before my join date. It was a 3D maglite plus one of those single XM-L wf-500 drop in modules DX sells. It ran off 6S eneloops in unmodified carriers. I gave it to my brother shortly after and would like it back so I can apply some of what this forum has taught me over the years but he won't let it go.
i had an old cheap incandescent headlamp running on a big 4.5v battery.
i took it appart and cruched the bulb and solderd 3 5mm white LED’s to it.
screwed the new led bulb inside and done. It was way less powerfull than the incandescent (less throw).
It is a bit more work than changing LED and Driver but is does ~2800 Lumens.
