3D 3 Watt luxeon at Harbor freight!

[TOOCOOL]

So where are the reviews and beamshots what ya'll waiting for :lolsign:

 

[FlashCrazy]

I stole a SSC P4 Star out of my Vinet and slapped in the 3D...it's pulling 950 mA from the cheapie batteries that came with the light. It's....BRIGHT!

Some pics to follow....man, you guys are impatient! :lolsign:

 

[FlashCrazy]

Ok, here's some pics.

First is the 3D light

After the conversion...just a star swap, I dindn't change the height at all.

Next is stock vs. Seoul'ed....stock on left

Underexposed:

Very easy swap. I'll have to wait until dark to get a better comparison...but it seems plenty bright. The star is mounted to an aluminum heatsink that threads into the body....way better for heat transfer than the Maglite setup. I think I'll buy more of these lights and maybe put some up for sale after modding. Nice finish on them too...threads are nice...I like 'em!

 

[FlashCrazy]

Uh oh...I'm gonna get yelled at for my big pictures...I'll resize 'em.

The beamshots were on styrofoam sheet, that's why they look all sparkly.

 

[ace0001a]

I haven't opened mines yet as I got them during a work break. I assume like the Dorcy, that this one is direct drive too. If so, I think a driver is in order to get the best performance out. I know Sandwich Shoppe sells a Downboy 1000 (mA) buck converter which should work well in this light. At 1000mA, you should get 200+ lumens from the emitter on an SSCP4.

 

[FlashCrazy]

Yes, it's direct drive. I'll have to check out that converter, thanks for the info!

 

[martytoo]

Flash Crazy,

Do you have to do any soldering to make this switch?

I have not done any successful mods.

Thanks.

 

[ace0001a]

At The Sandwich Shoppe, they have a few Downboy models, but it looks like they're out of stock on the DB1000. They do show that they have a couple DB917s in stock. You probably can't see the difference between the two.

SS converters page:
http://theledguy.chainreactionweb.com/index.php?cPath=48_49_61

Again, here's a thread that shows how to mod this flashlight:
https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/141978&highlight=wquiles

That guy used a multi-level converter and a CreeXRE emitter, but the mod can be accomplished with a constant current converter (like the SS Downboys) and an SSCP4 star just the same.

 

[Handlobraesing]

Hi, Harbor freight has Gordon flashlight with 3 watt luxeon star in it that takes 3 d batteries and has a reflector that is very close to the Dorcy 3D 1 Watt flashlights. I picked one up and it is very bright with a tight hot spot. Item number is 95297. The quality on the one i got seems as good or better than the dorcy 1 watt ones. Looks like it would be easy to mod. As bright as this one is i may leave it alone.

So.. this is the commercially made version of what I made. I made a Dorcy Super 1W into 3W by bypassing the resistor and doing direct drive pushing around 1.4A w/ fresh batteries.

 

[FlashCrazy]

Flash Crazy,

Do you have to do any soldering to make this switch?

I have not done any successful mods.

Thanks.

The only soldering is to desolder one wire from the original led star (small plate of aluminum that has contact points plated on top of it). Then position the new star board that already has the LED mounted on it, and solder the wire onto it. You'll have to solder a blob from one of the mounting screws to a negative contact on the board...this provides the ground path. Then play around with the mounting of the board to center the LED once the reflector is installed. The one problem some people have is the solder blob for the ground. If you're using a low power soldering iron, it can be difficult to get the solder to stick to the screw. The small irons can't heat up the screw faster than the heat conducts through the screw to the heatsink. I use a pretty beefy bench unit with selectable temp, so it works great. I don't know how I ever lived without it!

 

[FlashCrazy]

So.. this is the commercially made version of what I made. I made a Dorcy Super 1W into 3W by bypassing the resistor and doing direct drive pushing around 1.4A w/ fresh batteries.

Yep! I guess the factory finally "saw the light"!

 

[FlashCrazy]

At The Sandwich Shoppe, they have a few Downboy models, but it looks like they're out of stock on the DB1000. They do show that they have a couple DB917s in stock. You probably can't see the difference between the two.

Thanks, Ace! I think I might do that. One question though....on the SS website they have a "calculator" that helps you to choose the right board. It's saying that if you're using a 1 or 3 watt Luxeon, and have a V in of 4.5-6.0 V, to go with a Wizard board. For 6.0V input and over, it says to use the Downboy...but on the Downboy specs is says it has a minium input of 3.0V. I guess as long as Vin is more than Vf it'll be fine....any thoughts?

 

[ace0001a]

Ok, finally had time to sit down and open my Gordon 3W 3D flashlight... Comparing it to the Dorcy Super 1 Watt version, it is about 1" longer. It looks really similar, but isn't exactly the same. Think of the Fenix L1P compared to it's MANY clones. Build quality I would give a tiny edge to the Dorcy. I do like the anodize job they did on it--gives it a good texture and feel. Unscrewing the head reveals a simpler heatsink assembly when compared to the Dorcy. If there was one thing I hate about the Dorcy is the horrible smell of the rubber components. The Gordon's rubber components smell nowhere near as bad as the Dorcy's. Most of the Gordon's I saw on the rack had a slightly off center reflector (maybe an issue for some people). All in all, not bad for $20 (on sale). Anyone who lives near a Harbor Freight should pick one up or buy it from the website for $5 more.

 

[ace0001a]

Thanks, Ace! I think I might do that. One question though....on the SS website they have a "calculator" that helps you to choose the right board. It's saying that if you're using a 1 or 3 watt Luxeon, and have a V in of 4.5-6.0 V, to go with a Wizard board. For 6.0V input and over, it says to use the Downboy...but on the Downboy specs is says it has a minium input of 3.0V. I guess as long as Vin is more than Vf it'll be fine....any thoughts?

Basically when it comes to converters, 1 or 2 (1.2V-3.0V) cell flashlights use "Boost" converters to efficiently power Luxeon type LEDs. When you've got 3 or more cells, that's where "Buck" converters come into play. I already have a DB750 running in my 3AAA flashlight and it works great. No worries on the 3.0V minimum because 3 x NiMHs puts out 3.6V and 4.5V with Alkies--what a "Buck" converter was designed for. I think I'm going to use my DB917 on this flashlight.

 

[lukevsdarth]

What a surprise !!! Gordon finally made a good flashlight. It has a Star

3W Lumileds Direct drive w/ heatsink attached to an aluminum body. The only downfall is its clickie (which can be modded). I already have plans to remove that clickie assembly and work in an extra D battery. Tight beam, nice reflector, like the grip which can be glued underneath to keep it from turning. I stepped outside and light the roof on a neighbors house two houses away. A bit on the blue side yet a good white no yellow. Heavy though when you add REAL batteries I put ENEREGIZERS

FRED

 

[lowatts]

Picked up the 3D light tonight. Definitely really bright with fresh cells, will have to try it out with my AA NiMH cells in D adapters to see how bright and how long it goes with them. I'm a newbie with LED lights so not too hard to impress right now LOL. Only seen pics of what good lights can do.

Had to pay $24.99 though as at my store these were "new" items, so no $19 deal for me.

 

[Toohotruk]

I just picked up a 3C for $17.99 today...it's a lot nicer light than I expected! It's a pretty good looking light, great fit and finish, very bright, good spill, great throw, feels good in the hand...great deal! :twothumbs

Would the same mod mentioned for the 3D work on a 3C? I would imagine you would lose some runtime with the Cs, but other than that, will it work on both lights?

 

[tomdooley62]

I picked up both the d cell and the c cell on Sunday. Very impressive lights for the price.
O ring seals could be a lil better, may replace them myself.

Has anyone noticed that the c cell has what seems to be focus ability? The d cell does not seem to have this.

 

[FlashCrazy]

Picked up the 3D light tonight. Definitely really bright with fresh cells, will have to try it out with my AA NiMH cells in D adapters to see how bright and how long it goes with them. I'm a newbie with LED lights so not too hard to impress right now LOL. Only seen pics of what good lights can do.

Had to pay $24.99 though as at my store these were "new" items, so no $19 deal for me.

Nooo...don't do it! Hope you haven't already. These lights are direct drive. Using your adapters, you'd have about about 11 volts...the LED will burn out so fast you probably won't even see it flash!

 

[lowatts]

Nooo...don't do it! Hope you haven't already. These lights are direct drive. Using your adapters, you'd have about about 11 volts...the LED will burn out so fast you probably won't even see it flash!

Thanks for the heads up, but I'm actually going to try the single cell adapters, to make the AA the same size as the D, not the multi AA cell holders.