Lumapower LM-301 is a good Cree Host (Pictures missing, new ones on page 2)

EngrPaul

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EDIT:

My picture account was HOSED :ohgeez: I started another one. See page 2 (POST #34) for some new pictures I didn't post before. I'll try to get these other ones back at a later time.

---

Is there any specific beamshot comparisons anyone wants to see? I have the flashlights listed in my signature.

Next week or so I'll be getting another stock LM-301 and will share a direct beamshot comparison.
 
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martonic

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Re: Lumapower LM-301 is a good Cree Host

EngrPaul said:
IMG_0706.jpg


I'm just getting started with the picture sharing thing.

Is there any specific beamshot comparisons anyone wants to see? I have the flashlights listed in my signature.

Next week or so I'll be getting another stock LM-301 and will share a direct beamshot comparison.

A CREE shootout would be a blast!
 

EngrPaul

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Re: Lumapower LM-301 is a good Cree Host

Since the LM-301 lens is stippled/peeled, I consider this the best host so far. Also because it's easy to open and modify the reflector.

Here is a comparison to the Nuwai STOCK 5W. This is a very floody light. You will notice the Cree mod is warm. This is because the emitter is a WH tint.

Full exposure LM301/Cree Left, Nuwai TM-301-X5 LuxV Right:

IMG_0710.jpg


Underexposed 2 stops:

IMG_0709.jpg
 
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EngrPaul

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Re: Lumapower LM-301 is a good Cree Host

martonic said:
A CREE shootout would be a blast!

Very well, then.

Here is another Cree mod I did, same emitter (but less warm evidently). This is the FifthUnit VIPPA, Ultrafire WF-602A1.

IMG_0717.jpg


IMG_0716.jpg


Since this mod is less bright than the LM-301, I decided to show how the LM-301's two modes perform.

LM-301 creed LOW on left, WF-602A1 on right:

IMG_0711.jpg


LM-301 creed HIGH on left, WF-602A1 on right:

IMG_0712.jpg


LM-301 creed HIGH on left, WF-602A1 on right Underexposed 2 stops:

IMG_0713.jpg


While comparing these pictures, consider the runtimes for 1 AA each:

LM-301 Low: 8 hours
LM-301 High: 2 hours
WF-602A1: 4.6 hours
 

FlashKat

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Re: Lumapower LM-301 is a good Cree Host

Doesn't this limit the potential of the Cree's output by driving it with only 1.5v AA battery? I personally would use a host capable of using 3.0v & 3.7v batteries even if the beam is ringy.
EngrPaul said:
Since the LM-301 lens is stippled/peeled, I consider this the best host so far. Also because it's easy to open and modify the reflector.

Here is a comparison to the Nuwai 5W. This is a very floody light. You will notice the Cree mod is warm. This is because the emitter is a WH tint.

Full exposure LM301/Cree Left, Nuwai TM-301-X5 Right:

IMG_0710.jpg


Underexposed 2 stops:

IMG_0709.jpg
 

EngrPaul

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Re: Lumapower LM-301 is a good Cree Host

FlashKat said:
Doesn't this limit the potential of the Cree's output by driving it with only 1.5v AA battery? I personally would use a host capable of using 3.0v & 3.7v batteries even if the beam is ringy.

I'll get to those soon :)
 

EngrPaul

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Re: Lumapower LM-301 is a good Cree Host

BTW, all of my Cree emitters are WH tint P4 bin.

Next Creemed contender, MiniMag LED 2AA.

IMG_0722.jpg


IMG_0724.jpg


LM-301 Cree Left, MiniMag 2AA Cree Right:

IMG_0725.jpg


LM-301 Cree Left, MiniMag 2AA Cree Right Underexposed 2 stops:

IMG_0726.jpg
 

Martini

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Re: Lumapower LM-301 is a good Cree Host

The MMLED is known for good throw, and it appears that yours maintains a very hot hotspot with the Cree. The LM hotspot, while more diffuse, is very bright at the center, and the spill is smooth as butter. I think Lumapower could use that exact reflector for an XR-E light. You should've used the word great in the title!
 

EngrPaul

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Re: Lumapower LM-301 is a good Cree Host

This is another Fifth Unit Light "LILL"

It runs off of one RCR-123A. In low, it uses a resistor in the tailcap. In high, it is in direct drive.

IMG_0728.jpg


LM-301 HIGH Cree vs. Lill LOW Cree:

IMG_0729.jpg


LM-301 HIGH Cree vs. Lill LOW Cree, Underexposed 2 stops:

IMG_0730.jpg


LM-301 HIGH Cree vs. Lill HIGH Cree:

IMG_0731.jpg


LM-301 HIGH Cree vs. Lill HIGH Cree, underexposed 2 stops:

IMG_0732.jpg
 

EngrPaul

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Re: Lumapower LM-301 is a good Cree Host

Tonight's final player is another 1-AA light, "ELLY" from FifthUnit.

IMG_0733.jpg


IMG_0735.jpg


LM-301 Cree left vs. Elly Cree right:

IMG_0737.jpg


LM-301 Cree left vs. Elly Cree right, underexposed 2 stops:

IMG_0738.jpg
 

lukus

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Re: Lumapower LM-301 is a good Cree Host

Wow! I'm impressed. Very smooth transition makes that one of the nicest X-RE mods I've seen. Good work.
 

EngrPaul

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Re: Lumapower LM-301 is a good Cree Host

adirondackdestroyer said:
Very nice stuff! PM sent!

For some reason tonight, I can't do advanced posting or private messaging. My computer locks up on send. I just rebooted which didn't help.

To answer your question, I don't have any more emitters, and I'm not doing mods for other members at this time.

Thanks for the expression of appreciation!
 

MarNav1

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Re: Lumapower LM-301 is a good Cree Host

That LM301 w CREe look's like it has a great beam! Like i've said before i'm a LM301
fan!
 

Pumaman

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Re: Lumapower LM-301 is a good Cree Host

nice job! did the same mods to the 301 and elly and gave them as christmas gifts. ordered a couple more 301s to cree for people at work. well worth the time.
any pics of the lm301 emitter unscrewed from the light? curious how you mounted and soldered yours.
thanks
 

EngrPaul

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Re: Lumapower LM-301 is a good Cree Host

Pumaman said:
curious how you mounted and soldered yours.
thanks

Here's how I described the Ultrafire mod. The LM-301 went almost exactly the same.

This involved unscrewing the head, backing out the pill, backing out the reflector. Before you do this, turn the device "on" with the tail switch. This will give you a way to test operation whenever necessary through the mod.

Unsolder the Luxeon. It's directly above an aluminum pocket, but not epoxied, desolder-wick the two connections, lift solder tails gently with small screwdriver under heat, and it falls out.

There is a centering lip on the aluminum for a luxeon emitter. This will get in the way of the cree, so dremel it off to the same height as the rest of the surface.

The CREE solder pads barely reaches the donut-shaped PCB, so I decided to use the sandwich shoppe's rev 2 cree board as an interim board. This gives the Cree emitter some extra height it wouldn't have otherwise. In order to solder it in place later (mechanically), I scraped off all the soldermask off the donut PCB, and tinned the exposed copper.

Tin the three bottom surfaces of the cree emitter, take the iron off ASAP. Do not tin the top pads of the cree! This gives you all the clearance you need for the reflector. Put this on the SS PCB, center it, tape it down with Kapton tape, and then apply the soldering iron to the back side of the emitter. The whole emitter will reflow to the PCB.

Apply thermal compound to the aluminum shelf.

Now bring the wires up through the SS PCB, shorten them a little, and solder to the nearby pads. Test how well the emitter is centered. When you get it right, solder down one of the big plated through holes to the tinned copper on the donut PCB below, while pressing slightly with a screwdriver nearby. Test the centering again. If good, tack down the other plated through hole while pressing down slightly. These are the pads that go to the center pad of the emitter (not a connection).

As for the reflector, it needed modified. Progressively drill the hole in the reflector until it is bigger than the ring on the Cree emitter. You will find the cree will not go into the emitter because there is a lip on the bottom of the reflector that stops travel of the pill. This mating interface defines the emitter height inside the reflector. Get a big wide file and start removing material from the reflector lip. From time to time, put the reflector on the emitter and check how well the focus is working. Do not remove too much material. The lip helps to act as a standoff so that the wires on the board do not touch the reflector.
 

EngrPaul

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Re: Lumapower LM-301 is a good Cree Host

Erasmus said:
Wow nice creations! Congrats!

They wouldn't be here without your group buy.

Thank you!
 

EngrPaul

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Re: Lumapower LM-301 is a good Cree Host

IMG_0753.jpg


Recap: All the beamshots were Cree mods, except for the Nuwai (front) which was the Luxeon V reference.

The output of the LM-301 with Cree is about the same output this flashlight, but runs cooler and for the same amount of time on 1 Alkaline AA, as the Nuwai does on 2 Lithium primary CR-123A.

This should save you some money running primaries. As if spending about half the cost for a $60 Cree flashlight isn't savings enough...
 

Erasmus

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Re: Lumapower LM-301 is a good Cree Host

A Chinese friend of mine (who lives in the same residence) asked me to buy a cheap 1AA LED light for him. I think the LM301 is a good bet. 2-stage, 1AA, good regulation and excellent price. I still have some Cree XR-E's so I want to modify it for him. EngrPaul, can you describe how to do this modification? Are there some tricky parts or do I need some special tools? A short tutorial would be cool :)
 
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