xiozhi with a protected cell?

Flashlight Modding and DIY Parts
1

So, you’ve bought yourself a xiozhi/d4 tube/convoy s2, then you find it’ll only run unprotected cells due to the length.

Despite the driver having low voltage protection, you want the option of protected cells?

Tough luck! well, actually, no, I’m pretty sure comfychair already mentioned this somewhere, but its not tough luck, what you need it one of these

https://www.fasttech.com/products/1187501

then you have the difficult task of getting it to work, its an arduous task but its doable……

1. Remove head from light.

2. Remove pill from head.

3. Carefully drop reflector out and put in a safe place.

4. Clip tir onto emitter.

5. Carefully screw pill back into head.

6. Refit head onto body tube

7. Drop in your narrow protected cell, I used a Panasonic NCR18650.

https://www.fasttech.com/products/1141000

Bask in the glorious smooth tir beam.

I’ll take pictures if anyone needs them, it looks like a few of the convoy hosts may do this, as long as the pill threads go deeper into the head than the pill/reflector assembly allows, it should work, it may also present a possibility for the 3up xp noctigon and optics with a touch of ingenuity, I’ll certainly be trying it.

Here’s the cnqg link for the d4 tube as I couldn’t match up to a convoy in my admittedly limited search.

http://www.cnqualitygoods.com/goods.php?id=1497

I also believe there are many different beam pattern 20mm tir optics, so there are options, but I like the 15º optic I used and can definitely see a few more builds happening based around these.

I also left the stock lense in place, I’m sure someone will point out the loss in lumens, but it saves the optic getting scratched up in your pocket.

Good luck and enjoy.

Smallest Diameter/Shortest Length PROTECTED 18650
2

I have the impression that most people have issues with protected cells in several of these lights. But I can use protected cell (NCR18650B) in my D4 (/XIAOZHI) . No issues.. Springs on both sides.

3

the ones I linked didn’t work in my xiozhi, they do now :bigsmile: I’m going to try some of my other protected cells as well, I just figured I’d do an FYI post. I’ve not touched the springs or anything else, just pointing out the reduced length of pill/tir vs pill/reflector is enough to get a protected cell in there.

The other way I found of achieving the same thing is using an ld25 driver in an edc 18650 host with no spring, that fits a keeppower 3400 protected cell, but then that’s a full build, not a drop in solution to an already assembled light, all it needs is a set of tweezers and ten five minutes and its done. 8)

4

The Xiaozhi is = Convoy S6. My Convoy S2 happily works on protected or unprotected cells (at least the cells I own).

-Garry

5

Is there a lumen loss going from reflector to optic?

6

Nice tip. Thank you for sharing.

7

cheers Gary, I was struggling to find the right host……didn’t look to hard though tbh.

it’d be nice to come up with a list of standard tube lights that will/wont work with protected cells and solutions for the ones that wont, because its a common question that comes up and can put some off, it didn’t bother me, but its nice not to have lights tied to one type of cell in your supplies for occasions when you cannot recharge at will.

plus I wanted to have a play with a tir, just to add something different, now I intend to build a tir equipped 80cri xm-l2 qlite tube, should be a real nice edc.

I was looking at this host

http://www.cnqualitygoods.com/goods.php?id=1505

love stainless, really I do

8

I'd love to see a beam comparison between the reflector and the TIR.

-Garry

9

Certainly a tip that many can take advantage off. :beer:

Another option is to buy the short version of the protected NCR18650A.

Not sure why I have lights that can fit the long NCR18650B when other cant. My D4 (with LD25 and springs on both sides) and my "Roche F8" host can both fit protected NCR18650B.

10

honestly? I dont know, some are supposed to be extremely efficient, but you get a different beam, you can end up with no hotspot at all or a very diffused one - that can fool you into thinking you lost some lumens when you may have actually gained some, just they are applied differently.

I do suggest giving them a go, the mountain bike guys love em and having had a quick play, I can see why.

11

I'm really liking the TIR's - to me, it's the same beam pattern of a flood mode zoomie - very consistent, no hot spot at all, just have to pick the best spread anlge for your preference. Zoomie's have a pretty big loss of lumens in flood mode and I'm thinking the TIR's do too - I should measure it.

12

I’ve seen 95% efficiency banded about with good tir’s……

edit :-

I’m not saying these are 95% efficient, I don’t think fasttech even offers an efficiency rating but carlco and the like are highly rated and they do do 20mm optics.

that said, I’m pleased with the xiozhi as it is now, certainly pleased enough to think it would be worth trying some carlco or ledil optics in the future.

13

It seems like a well fitted TIR should be more efficient than most of the aspherics found in budget lights.

14

Nice mod gords and thanks for sharing. I’m sure there will be a few people doing your mod.

15

cheers MrsDNF, I hope someone else tries it, I’ve just been for a play test in the backyard now its dark and I’m pleased as punch with it.

16

Good to know gords. I got cheapy TIR's too, so might not perform well.

17

I’ll be amazed if they do Tom, but I’m using an xm - l t6 3c at 2.8a, it’s hardly a photon cannon to start with lol, a really good optic, xm-l2 u2 and some chips with a 20r might beat your previous record due to reduced losses, food for thought.

18

Dunno, not sure you saw this (think I posted it), but mod'ed up a Convoy S3 host:

Stock lens: 1,163 lumens at start, 1,108 lumens at 30 secs

AR lens: 1,207 lumens at start, 1,142 lumens at 30 secs

This is my best performing EDC, without a doubt, and I love the quality of the S3 host. XM-L2 U2 1A/Noctigon, 3.5A Nanjg custom programmed to 4 modes w/moonlight. Unfortunately I built it for another BLF'er but he's using it on the job, on the tarmac, so I'm feel'n good about hearing it in use.

19

I did see you mention that one Tom, might be worth asking matthemuppet, he’s got the most experience with tir’s I know about, he certainly knows which ones give a good beam, but I don’t see a reflector and a/r lense beating 95% efficiency and I think some claim more. With a host like the d4, you could do away with the lense if you really wanted, just you’d risk the optic getting scratched up, thats why I kept the stock lense. I’m sure I’ve seen some claim 98% efficiency, that would be what? 12 lumen loss from 1200 emitter lumens?

20

Are there any differences between the XIOZHI and the Convy S6 that would keep the S6 from fitting the Panasonic NCR18650A?

The TERRALUX-TLB-18650 has the following the dimensions and may fit the S6 as well, but is much more expensive:

Diameter (single battery): 0.7” (17.8mm)
Length (single battery): 2.6” (66.04mm)
Length (packaging): 4” / 10.16 cm
Width (packaging): 3.75” / 9.52 cm
Depth (packaging): 1” / 2.54 cm