Dead Solarforce XM-L 2.8A mod w/ pics - WHOA!!!

[shao.fu.tzer]

My friend burnt out his Solarforce 3.7-6V dropin by putting 8.4V through it (no explanation needed there). I figured the LED was still good, so I ordered that $4 something driver from that "other site", you know, the ones with the stars that you need to bridge to the negative ring for selectable mode groups? Well... Let's just say the mod isn't pretty, I just aluminum taped the driver in for testing - I still need to solder it down and perhaps replace that + spring since it is ridiculously small. BUT... the difference in output is amazing.

Here are some pics (of my ugly arse modding, I was in a hurry and I'm not done yet, cut me some slack):

But check out the output difference! The first shot is a standard Solarforce XM-L running off a AW protected 18650 in a L2X host, copper taped and all:

Now my modified dropin running in an L2M with a single unprotected UF 18350 cell:

Whoa! No tricks involved here... All pics were taken from the exact same distance in a light-stabilized environment with all camera settings identical! It easily blows away even the Manafont Ultrafire 3-mode that I've heard pulls 3.6A on the LED. For the test I left the lights on for about 20 seconds in 70F room temperature before taking beam shots - and understand, the modded drop in wasn't even sinked properly so it must have suffered SOME lumen loss. It actually looks that much brighter in real life....

Pretty cool huh? Now I just need to assemble it properly and heatsink it.

Shao

 

[bjsears]

[Long quote deleted - Kestrel]

What are you pulling for amps now that the new board has been installed?

 

[sol-leks]

lol, why did you quote his entire long post?

 

[Kestrel]

Deleted unnecessarily long quote.

 

[lundeholm]

Amazing!

This is the exact mod I would like to do I got a Solarforce L2P + one mode XM-L dropin two weeks ago but wasn't impressed by the brightness and the absence of different modes, so I ordered the same driver as you from KD a couple of days ago. Do you think the heat generated would kill the driver/LED if left on for 30 minutes?

 

[hellokitty[hk]]

Do you mean the "820" lumen solarforce XM-L?

 

[lundeholm]

Do you mean the "820" lumen solarforce XM-L?

thats the one I got but it's probably not putting out even half of the 820 lumens Maybe this mod would be closer to that value?

 

[brted]

It shouldn't be brighter than a light drawing 3A. Do you have modes available? If not, maybe it is just direct drive. A well-driven XM-L is pretty impressive though! Glad the LED was still okay and only the original driver was burned out, but that's how it usually goes unless the LED turns brown.

 

[shao.fu.tzer]

[Long quote deleted - Kestrel]

What are you pulling for amps now that the new board has been installed?

Haven't had a chance to test it properly... I imagine 2.8A since it's a 8 AMC7135 driver, although in all honestly, while soldering the neg lead from the LED to the driver, I partially melted a 7135.

Amazing!

This is the exact mod I would like to do I got a Solarforce L2P + one mode XM-L dropin two weeks ago but wasn't impressed by the brightness and the absence of different modes, so I ordered the same driver as you from KD a couple of days ago. Do you think the heat generated would kill the driver/LED if left on for 30 minutes?

I wouldn't do it. I wrapped the drop in tightly in copper foil tape (which I have available in the marketplace for 4 yards for $10 until the end of March) and the light gets warm after only about 15-20 seconds of being on.

Do you mean the "820" lumen solarforce XM-L?

Yes, that would be the one. I would rate the stock Solarforce somewhere around 375-450 lumens.

thats the one I got but it's probably not putting out even half of the 820 lumens Maybe this mod would be closer to that value?

It's by far the brightest light I own... I don't own many turnkey lights these days, but like I said, it makes my other XM-Ls look like XR-E P4s! I would estimate at LEAST 800 lumens since it knocks all my other lights' d$%ks in the dirt.

It shouldn't be brighter than a light drawing 3A. Do you have modes available? If not, maybe it is just direct drive. A well-driven XM-L is pretty impressive though! Glad the LED was still okay and only the original driver was burned out, but that's how it usually goes unless the LED turns brown.

I agree... It has a low and high mode so I didn't accidentally bypass anything as far as I know, but it does indeed blow away my Manafont Ultrafire XM-L. I've had some experience with burnt out drivers so I was pretty sure it was the driver. I need to invest in a good DC power supply so I don't have to guess any more. In all my experience, the driver usually pops before destroying the LED.

I recommend this mod to anyone who isn't happy with the output of their XM-L drop ins. You may need to shave about .1-.2mm around the edge of the driver in order for it to fit into the pill properly. I used a Nicholson file and it only took me about 3 minutes to size it properly. This thing is a monster. I think my friend secretly hates me now for turning his trash into my treasure. Hehe...

 

[batvette]

Sounds like what I just did to my P7 powered L2 (just created a thread on it) I don't have beamshots, having killed the original drop in before tearing it apart to salvage what I could, but the results seem almost identical. Pulling 3 amps now VS 1.6 before.
Makes one wonder why we''re even ****ing around with these drive circuits outside having low modes and stability, buit what is stability if the drive circuits are burning up? (I think mine died from repeated drops though, the wafer was sitting askew on the pill when I finally pulled it, it hadn't been like that before, but wouldn't have done that if it had been soldered in 3-4 places instead of 2)
Monster indeed. I am trying to not leave mine on for more than one minute, though may try it on my bike as long as I'm moving at a good clip.

 

[Brian10962001]

Can we get a p/n for that driver? I can't seem to find it anymore.

 

[PCC]

There are at least two domestic sources for that driver that I'm aware of (1 and 2).

 

[lundeholm]

I just finished my first mod! It's not much brighter than the stock Solarforce XM-L dropin, but then I have only tried it using a battery at 3.6V. Here are some images:


before:


after:

 

[RedForest UK]

Yeah, you know the Manfont 3 mode is only 3.6a without tailcap resistance and with an AW 2900 or IMR cell at 4.2v.
It's 3.5a with tailcap on with an IMR a 4.2 and 3.0a with the AW 2900.
Even at 4.2v a basic trustfire cell will only give it about 2.7a through a tailcap, although if measured on the multimeter bypassing the tailcap it'll probably show about 3.4a.

These figures all drop about half an amp by 4.0v and a further half an amp as the cell drops to 3.8v or so, leaving you with only about 1.7a through the tail with a trustfire cell at 3.8v.

This one is better regulated with the AMC7135s so should be truer to the 2.8a whatever set-up it is, but due to the high draw will cause a lot of voltage sag and the low voltage protection may well cut in pretty soon.

Try the manafont 3 mode with a fully charged IMR or AW 2900 and the ouput should be roughly the same or slightly higher. The 2.8a driver mod is still very impressive though, you basically made yourself a Nailbender XM-L.