Basic simple upgrade for old Q2 Lumapower MRV

[eyeeatingfish]

So I am thinking about how to make my Lumapower MRV Q2 version a little more up to date. Current MRVs use square threads which dont fit my old MRV so I am not going to buy an upgrade.
Here is what I was thinking, just take off the old Q2 and solder in a new R2 or R5 LED. I know that the existing board may not be optomized for newer LED power requirements but it should still light it up just fine right?
Or is it a bit more complicated than that? The MRV is optimized for 2 cell operation for the higher voltage and I just run it off of 1 18650 at work.

Option #2 is to jsut send the light to someone from here who knows more and pay them to throw in some current LED with the board to match.


So what do you guys think? Can I just replace the LED even though the old board might not push the LED to its potential or ask someone here to upgrade it? (that would result in better solder jobs of course since I dont know how to solder very well)

And no I do not want to just go buy the latest chinese thrower light.

Thanks for hte input

 

[^Gurthang]

Best [sort of educated] guess says that a simple emitter swap will work just fine. I'll guess that the original Q2 emitter had a Vf of close to 3.5V, so any decent Cree Q5, R2, R5 should work. As you correctly point out the driver likely is not optimized for the new emitter. But so what.... the MRV is a GOOD light, so an update makes perfect sense to me... FWIW.

 

[eyeeatingfish]

From what I read on a review the Q5 upgrade engine only saw marginal increases so I did not bother to buy it at the time. They have only came out with a mc-e version which is nice but it is also with a different reflector so it kind of makes that not work either.

 

[gunga]

The old MRV uses a 17mm circuit board (the newer one does not, it's like 19 or 21 mm or something, bah) so it's easy to upgrade. I put an L-mini 2 circuit in mine before with a neutral XR-E (Q3 5A). When I say old, I mean the old, 2 mode version, if you have the 4 mode+ version, then it uses a larger circuit board.

I then replaced it with a 2.5 Amp AMC7135 circuit (also from Shining beam) with a warm MC-E. It works well with the stock OP reflector. Not a throw monster, but a monster! It does get hot though so use the max with caution.

 

[^Gurthang]

Gunga,

REAL flashaholics are known by the blinding light and smoke coming from their hand! "Thats not a callus, thats burn tissue!"

 

[gunga]

Gunga,

REAL flashaholics are known by the blinding light and smoke coming from their hand! "Thats not a callus, thats burn tissue!"

Yes, I have a few of these "calluses".

:naughty:

 

[ti-force]

Shiningbeam also has a 3-mode 1.4A driver for the XP-G emitter now. I used one in my Quark 123-2 R5 with excellent results.:thumbsup:

 

[eyeeatingfish]

when it comes to drivers and modes I start to get lost. I am affraid to even try and solder multiple connections. Last time I tried to solder nothing worked...
I think that was because the head was dirty but still...
Plus with multiple modes I dont know how they will work, I dont want to click the light on and off and on and off 4 times. It is my current duty light so cant be confusing.


I am most likely going to buy a peak FR400 light for duty but if I can figure out another use for the MRV then I would want to replace the emitter. If its not needed for life or death then I guess I dont need it to be ultra reliable and I can try my hand at more complicated things.

Do I need to upgrade the driver? It was designed to run brightest with 2 batteries so maybe the single battery would be too weak for a new LED?

 

[^Gurthang]

I'd stick w/ a simple emitter swap. However, if you're reluctant to solder you may want to buy the bits and have a fellow CPF'er do the "smokin' iron" for you.....

What batteries is the MRV set up for? And yes, a single cell won't drive the emitter if the light has a 2 cell configured driver installed.

 

[eyeeatingfish]

The MRV is designed to work off of either 1 or 2 cells, i just use 18650.



Is there anyone who would like to do this service for me? Ill pay the going rate!

 

[gunga]

How many modes is your MRV? Is iit the new digital 4 mode or the old 2 mode?

What emitter do you want in there. I can certainly do it but it would be faster (shipping) and cheaper (shipping) for you to get a US based modder.

 

[eyeeatingfish]

its the 2 mode, if you really call twisting the body a turn for a little bit dimmer a second more.

I guess I am not sure what emitter would work best on the old reflector.
I thought I read that the xp-g was narrower and that changed how it threw or something?

I guess the R5 would be the latest and greatest? Maybe it could even handle an sst-50 since its got good thermal capacity?
Can an 18650 run that just fine? THey might still have the extenders to run it off of 2x18500...

But like I said I have no idea about drivers and such.

Where do you live Gunga? I could check on how much the flat rate things cost.

 

[eyeeatingfish]

Still want to find someone to mod my MRV to something current.

Anyone good at soldering want to put in a new LED, and a new driver/computer board thingy (if one of those is needed)

 

[gunga]

I live in Vancouver, Canada, shipping from me is $7-9ish.

THen parts cost etc...

Just let me know. I don't have all the parts needed. DEpends on what circuit you want.

 

[eyeeatingfish]

I live in Vancouver, Canada, shipping from me is $7-9ish.

THen parts cost etc...

Just let me know. I don't have all the parts needed. DEpends on what circuit you want.

I wouldn't even know what circuit to put in. Mainly I want a brighter LED. I guess a circuit that doesnt require two batteries to reach full power would be nice but I don't know what the downsides of that are.

So $8 to canada, then $8 back plus parts/labor...
What do you think the parts would cost?

 

[gunga]

Depends on the LED. I have Q5 Cree, but if you want more, I'd have to buy them. I may have an R2 Cree. R5 etc would be XP-G which would change the beam characteristics of your beam. Do you like the throw or do you prefer flood? Do you want neutral tint?

LED would be around $10 give or take a few.

Circuit is up to you, a reasonable one is around $6 - 7 (not a DX one, tho those work too). I'd like to get a newer "perfect" regulated one from Shining beam, but their current one is good too. It has memory that locks once the light is on for 2-3 seconds how does that sound? That is around $7 plus shipping ($3).

It would change how your light works, no twisting of the light engine.

I like the change on mine, how about you? Gives you 3 good modes instead of 2 sorta modes.

BTW, shouldn't cost you $8 to Canada. Probably cheaper. COst out of Canada is around $7-8.

EDIT:

Also, many of these circuits are based on AMC7135 chips. Works well with 18650s, but can get a bit hot when running 2x CR123s. They will fry when used with 2x RCR123s. Is this okay with you? Another option is to spend around $25-30 for an MC-E or SST LED and use a more powerful circuit to get massive output. MC-E only works well if you have a textured reflecrtor, I have not tried SST50. My MRV has an MC-E in it and a 2.5 Amp 3 mode circuit from Shiningbeam. Give massive output on high (runtime should be around 45 mins to 1 hour) but gets hot fast. 2 lower modes are useful too. It's a medium throw, not all flood, not all throw.

Just PM me with what you want and we can discuss.

 

[eyeeatingfish]

Ok, I think I have decided what I want to do. I want to buy either an R2 or an R5 LED. I know they are different beam patterns but I am confident that the R5 will still throw sufficiently in the MRV.

I don't know what the driver in the Q2 MRV is putting out but I am sure it will still be brighter either way than the Q2. Someone who knows how to solder said he would help me so I think maybe I will upgrade the driver too. Nothing complicated just make it high on one or two batteries.

I don't know where to find a good supplier of LEDs or drivers. I know dealextreme has them but the options seem limited. Where does everyone get their LEDs and drivers when they do mods?

 

[eyeeatingfish]

Anyone?

 

[gunga]

Shining beam is a great place for drivers. OI recomened the perfect regulated one ($11), runs well with 1 battery (18650) but may get hot on 2 (CR13). Don't run on 2 RCR123s or you will fry the circuit.

You could also get the cheaper $6 that uses AMC7135 chips. NOt bad, but memory mode is not as nice.

Cree R2 or R5? Probably cutter. I also have an R2 XR-E hanging around if you lke, tho no spare R5 XP-Gs. Just do a WTB, should be easy to get.