SWM V10A HCRI mod

So after getting my nerves behind me with my BC10 and RRT0 mods I thought I would try to slow down and take better pics as I did my V10A HCRI mod.

I've heard that the SWM heads are glued very well with red locktite. I thought I would show the method I used and it was pretty easy really.


Take a rubber strap wrench, cleaned with alcohol and wrap around the bottom half of the head (the variable ring)while it's still on the body and clamp vise grips on it. Don't go crazy here, start off snug and if it slips adjust as necessary.


Wrap a second strap wrench around the top of the head just above the variable ring and use channel locks to twist it open.


Now maybe I got lucky but mine came off pretty easily and you can see it has the red locktite.



Remove isolating ring. This was a bit tricky because of the snug fit.



This is where it varies from the other mods, you really need to take the driver loose to have room for the wires to move. Easy enough by loosening the screw and removing the driver retainer.



Gently push the wires up from the inside of the head and the led board should lift out, then desolder the wires from the board. I never removed the driver or wires, just needed the slack to maneuver the led board.



Heat on stove eye using needle nose pliers to hold board while using tweezers to lift emitter when it's time.



emitters desoldered from boards.



And, swapped. Reflowing can be tricky, I hold the board with my needle nose pliers and use the tweezers to align the emitter in the right spot. It takes a steady hand here, then hold it on the stove eye until you see the solder change and the led will "settle" in place.



After testing to make sure the reflow went well (I have a pair of wires soldered to magnets that I attach to a cr123 and touch to the terminals of the board) use a very small amount of thermal compound under the led board and push it back in place.



Then screw the retaining ring back in, then test(again). This is important because the head has 2 screw holes and of course I put it in 180 degrees out the first time which makes it a single mode light. :shakehead Remove, rotate and repeat and now it's all good. :thumbsup:



After everything checks out, re-install the isolation ring over the emitter board, add a small amount of blue locktite and replace top of head. As you tighten the head back together you need to check the variable ring because you can over-tighten the head and the ring will be too stiff.
There you have it, my HCRI SWM V10A



I hope this will be helpful to someone,

Jamie

You make it look so easy. I had a V10A that was only hand tight so no problems with swapping the emitter.
My Ti V10R is a different story, it refuses to budge and I dare not apply too much pressure in case the Ti is deformed
or the wrenches slip and gash the Ti. Eventually I swapped the emitter out by going through the front of the head.
Using a pair of tweezers and a pair of needle nosed pliers, I had to force the isolating disc out as well as the MCPCB
The extracted MCPCB is now unusable but the isolating disc is a bit mangled but still usable.
I did not have to remove the driver board. I just desolder the emitter wires and pushed them to one side.
The MCPCB was replaced with a Sandwich Shoppe XPE board and installed with very neat and flat soldering.

The SWM differs from the Jetbeams and Quarks, the SWM MCPCB is a tight fit in the head where the other two use a self centering ring and room around the edges to maneuver. That's why I just loosened the driver board to give the wires a little play to work with.
Hopefully before too long I will finally get the V10R Ti, mod that to HCRI and call it done. IMO that would be the perfect light for me.


BTW: Thanks tx101

You make it look so easy

Click to expand...

One again, nice work

think2x said:

Hopefully before too long I will finally get the V10R Ti, mod that to HCRI and call it done. IMO that would be the perfect light for me.

Click to expand...

I've been thinking something along those lines myself. I can't think of anything (within a reasonable price range, or course) to top that combo at the moment.

My normal solution for opening up stubborn Surefire heads is to use a butane torch.
That should not be a problem with an Al V10 but with Ti, Im afraid that I might
inadvertently heat anodize the Ti.

tx101 said:

My normal solution for opening up stubborn Surefire heads is to use a butane torch.
That should not be a problem with an Al V10 but with Ti, Im afraid that I might
inadvertently heat anodize the Ti.

Click to expand...

I've been heat anodizing my EX11 Ti pocket clips, trust me you won't. They don't start to color until the Ti start to turn red from the heat of the torch. Using small 10-15 second passes of heat should do it.

UPDATE: Just a bit of info in case anyone is interested. I did a V10A XM-L T6 to T5 5000k swap this morning and SWM uses a copper​ board with the XM-L.

:thumbsup: BEAMSHOTS, i want one