Novatac 120P modded with USW0H - 3000 lux more! - Now with Images

[whc]

Just got some USW0H from Fred today, and went for my 120P to see if would perform better with a new LED. The result is amazing about 3000 lux more overall outpot, yes three thousand more! That is amazing IMO. What is the stock LED a T-bin maybe?

It ian btw really easy to mod, only thermal compound .

Update Now with Images:

Just a few images of the 120P after the mod, this is as far I will take it apart, I have added some heat resistance tape below the "arms" of the LED, was not to confident about the heat sink to be proper isolated (thin layer of anodize), else not done anything else than changed the LED.

Perfect in center

Now to some beamshots:

Left: 120P RCR123A on Maximum, Right: Waion 4th. gen with USV0H and 1x18650 on Maximum

Left: 120P RCR123A on Maximum, Right: Waion 4th. gen with USV0H and 1x18650 on Maximum, 2-stops underexposed

Left: 120P RCR123A on Maximum, Right: Ultrafure WF-500 with USX0H and 2x18650

Left: 120P RCR123A on Maximum, Right: Ultrafure WF-500 with USX0H and 2x18650, 2-stops underexposed

Here is the opject without light

120P with RCR123A on Maximum

Waion VB-16 4th. gen 18650 on Maximum

Lux reading of Overall Output:

Novatac 120P OLD!:
1xRCR123A Li-ion on Max: 6270 Lux
Novatac 120P NEW!:
1xRCR123A Li-ion on Max: 9210 Lux

Lux reading of 1m Throw:

Novatac 120P OLD!:
1xRCR123A Li-ion on Max: 2190 Lux
Novatac 120P NEW!:
1xRCR123A Li-ion on Max: 2870 Lux

The runtime is about the same, actually got 2min longer runtime with the new LED, compared to the last runtime I did with the old LED.

 

[jcompton]

Re: Novatac 120P modded with USW0H - 3000 lux more!

 

[whc]

Re: Novatac 120P modded with USW0H - 3000 lux more!

No pics sorry, just strange that I am getting 3000 lux more with a new also U-bin LED, makes me wonder which bin Novatac uses in there flashlights.

 

[jcompton]

Re: Novatac 120P modded with USW0H - 3000 lux more!

No pics sorry, just strange that I am getting 3000 lux more with a new also U-bin LED, makes me wonder which bin Novatac uses in there flashlights.

If this is true, I may want to do the same to my 120P.
When you get a chance, beamshots would be a great help.

:thumbsup:

 

[whc]

Re: Novatac 120P modded with USW0H - 3000 lux more!

Just added images to the first post .

 

[Supernam]

Wait... so what's the emitter in a stock Novatac? I always thought it was already a USWOH, the tint is very similar.

 

[whc]

Wait... so what's the emitter in a stock Novatac? I always thought it was already a USWOH, the tint is very similar.

That is the big question .

 

[THE_dAY]

great job whc! so i guess your the first to have 150p.

 

[jcompton]

Very Nice...:twothumbs

 

[ViReN]

Great Mod... but in just couple of weeks V Binned Seouls are expected... are we talking upwards of 200 Lumens from Novatac 120P

 

[c0t0d0s0]

Great info, thank you. And I was hoping to leave my light stock. Riiiiiight....

 

[whc]

great job whc! so i guess your the first to have 150p.

Yes if the 120P should be produce 120 lumens, then it is more like an 180P now .

 

[whc]

Great Mod... but in just couple of weeks V Binned Seouls are expected... are we talking upwards of 200 Lumens from Novatac 120P

Sounds really tempting, will though be satisfied for now with the U-bin, for now that is… .


But will have to try the V-bin if it comes in V0 and W0 tint...

 

[adirondackdestroyer]

Nice results. Kind of suprising though. I would expect a U bin Seoul considering the light costs $150 and a U bin is less than $10.

Now you mention that it could be 180 lumens, but don't you have other lights that have had higher total output than 9200 in your light meter? I thought I remember seeing a thread of yours where you compared a bunch of lights, and the Fenix L1D with a 14500 was over 9,000 and you have a couple lights over 10,000.

 

[whc]

The brightest I have right now other than the 120P is the Waion VB-16 4th gen. from 2nd batch modded with USV0H (driver feeds 850mah to the LED), with the 2xRCR123A and I "only" gets 7640 Lux overall, gets about the same with my other WB-16 4th gen. with same LED from same batch.

It is seriously bright the 120P, every body I have showed it two, going from 15 lumens to 42 lumens, and then to maximum have been amazed about the output, even at 42 lumens it is really bright.

Tried two different LEDs of same bin/order since I could not believe it at first, and got same result, maybe I got lucky with the LEDs from PhotonFanatic, am not going to change it back that's for sure .

Have now tested it with 5 batteries (RCR123A from AW), on maximum until it starts to dim, and still just as bright as it was to begin with (was afraid it would loose some output, gets really hot).

 

[whc]

Hmm just thought of another thing, Quickbeam @ FleashlightReview on his website writes about how you can multiply the Overall Output by 1.39 for LED flashlight, to get Lumens numbers out of the Lux numbers (not completely accurate, but should be pretty close, see more here).

Lets multiply those Lux numbers:

Stock LED 6270 Lux x 1.39 = 8718.3 Lumens
USW0H LED 9210 Lux x 1.39 = 12801.9 Lumens

I guess it is the lest tree numbers XX.X is not to be included, only the first 2-3 numbers (correct me if I am wrong).

That means the stock 120P ONLY is 87 Lumens, that is very far from the promised 120 Lumens, can that really be the truth?

My friends 120P reads 7410 with the stock LED, so that should be 102 Lumens (it is from the newer batch, mine it from the first batch), still pretty far from the 120 Lumens.

I know these Lumens numbers is not 100% trust worthy, but it should be close, some one please tell me I am wrong .

 

[Bullzeyebill]

You need to calibrate your lightbox (it is a lightbox, right?) with a light that has a known lumen output. Then you can work out your own formula to get approximate lumens. Maybe you have done this? The HDS lights were calibrated in an IS. Do you have one of them?

Bill

 

[whc]

You need to calibrate your lightbox (it is a lightbox, right?) with a light that has a known lumen output. Then you can work out your own formula to get approximate lumens. Maybe you have done this? The HDS lights were calibrated in an IS. Do you have one of them?

Bill

An IS, what is that?

Yes it is a homemade lightbox, don't have a light that I know 100% sure about how many lumens it is, so cannot "calibrate" it.

 

[taschenlampe]

An IS, what is that? ...

integrating sphere

tl

 

[luminata]

it's also possible your stock 120p was an underperformer maybe?? Still is good to see someone finally attempt and succeed at modding the emitter on a Novatac with success

WHC, could you elaborate on the procedure you used for doing this? any helpful hints to avoid failure would be great. I see you mentioned you did not take the light engine out of the head. Was it difficult to get a soldering iron in there without ruining the led in the process and get the soldering done ? Looks like you did an equal job of resoldering the new emitter in as compared to the original factory soldering.

thanx!!