Help with first mod please.

Hello,

I'm new here, but want to modify a light that I have. The light is the exact size for the pouch I use.



It has a five mode driver and this is the feature I cannot stand. What I want is a one or two mode driver. I've found one on DealExtreme that I can live with, but it is a 17mm driver and the flashlight uses a 20mm driver.

DealExtreme Driver: http://www.dx.com/p/17mm-2800ma-5-m...utm_campaign=club_skureview_page#.VE9okb6T-w9

Here is the driver that is in the light:



So, unless I can find a 20mm Driver that fits the bill, I was thinking about desoldering all the components off of the existing driver, simply using it for the + and - connections of the light and wiring the new 17mm driver between it and the emitter.

Any thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated. Especially, if someone knows how to mode the current driver to one mode (high) without going to direct drive.

Thanks

Colin

Welcome to the Forum.

Have you checked with Mtn Electronics? They have several drivers that would likely fit your build. I can't remember if that light is a 20 mm or 20.5 mm driver. Either way, I would probably use the 20.5 and grind it down if necessary.

Is it worth it to you to modify a $6 light?

Norm

Norm said:

Is it worth it to you to modify a $6 light?

Norm

Click to expand...

+1 but as said first mod better to make mistakes on a $6 light than a $600 light

It's a nice light to mod. A alu tube is a alu tube. Dont matter if its 5$ or 500$ tube, thats the part we need

Used a dedomed xp-g in mine. Throws like a champ.
And potted the driver into place.
I filled mine up with water to test it. It was water on the exposed led. Still ran like a champ

try shorting leg 3 and 4 of the ic. (leg 1 is right under the dot) but if it does not work, it may kill the driver. but most likely you'll have to replace it anyway to get rid of the mods. you can remove all components and intall smaller driver over it, the only problem i may think of is room in your pill. other than that, it should work.

Norm said:

Is it worth it to you to modify a $6 light?

Norm

Click to expand...

Why not? If the shell is good it is worth to mod. And... modding flashlights is a hobby. Most of us just do it because they like to do it. You don't need to start with an expensive light to enjoy the fun of modding and if things go wrong there is no cry.

tejedor9mm said:

I've found one on DealExtreme that I can live with, but it is a 17mm driver and the flashlight uses a 20mm driver.

So, unless I can find a 20mm Driver that fits the bill, I was thinking about desoldering all the components off of the existing driver, simply using it for the + and - connections of the light and wiring the new 17mm driver between it and the emitter.

Any thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated. Especially, if someone knows how to mode the current driver to one mode (high) without going to direct drive.

Thanks

Colin

Click to expand...

It can't be difficult to add a ring to a 17mm driver to make it 20mm. :duck:

Folks,

Thanks for your suggestions. Yes, I realize it is an inexpensive light, but if I can make it do what I need then it is better than an expensive light.

Str8stroke, I took a look at Mountain Electronics and they do have some drivers that might work out; thanks for the reference.

Alpg88, If pin 1 is the lower left pin in the picture, I assume that 4 is in the lower right? I plan to try shorting the pins first, that is the easiest fix.

Colin

I answered my own question concerning the pin numbering. I dug into Google and discovered that Pin 1 is at the dot and the pins are numbered in a Counter-Clockwise direction. I'll probably short pins 3 and 4 tonight and post the results as an edit to this post.

Not Success, but not failure either...
Shorting Pins 3 and 4 did not provide me with a 1-mode driver, the light didn't work at all. However, I removed the short and the light still functions as built. If I'm going to do much of this, I need a soldering iron with a much finer tip!

Colin

Success,

I changed the driver to one that offers only low and high last night. I ended up ordering a brass adapter ring from 20mm to 17mm as opposed to monkeying with making something out of old circuit boards, etc.

Total cost for a flashlight that does exactly what I want in exactly the size I need was ~USD 6 for the flashlight, USD1.75 for the adapter ring, and ~USD 4 for the new driver. So, less than USD 10 and I've got exactly what I need/want.

Thanks for all of you help and ideas.

Colin

Congrats!

I love modding cheap flashlights. I have one that cost $10 that I spent over $100 on parts for.

The nice thing about modding a cheap light is if the mod fails, discarding the host is no big loss. Not so if you're modding a $100 host.

Also, just because a light is cheap doesn't mean the body is poorly built. There are many cheap hosts with excellently crafted bodies. Discard all the interior electronics and they can be turned into first-class lights easily comparable to or even exceeding many premium lights in build quality and durability.

Thanks, I feel the same as you. I don't need an expensive torch that I'll probably lose. I much prefer a cheap one that does what I need it to do. Perhaps next I'll work on putting in a better LED circuit. I've got another that needs the same modification, but I can't access it until next summer. I think I just might replace the LED in that one as well as the driver.

Colin