Easily modifiable 2 CR123 style LED Flashlight

[MrGman]

I need to convert flashlights from white LED to blue for optics inspection related work, at work. We are buying the 3 watt blue LED star type components and need to find something cheap and relatively easy to put them into. Have to do several units.

Something that has the 2 CR123 battery form factor would be preferred. I know the Dorcy 3 watt 3AAA form factor flashlights would work but battery power is on the light side.

We successfully converted a Streamlight 3AA 1 Watt Luxeon light I already had at work. Turns out they only have a 1.5 ohm resistor in series from the switch and battery to the LED chip as the entire circuitry. We added a 1.0 ohm resistor in parallel to change it to a total of 0.6 ohms and put in the 3 watt blue LED star. (No great victory here but it is very useful). But these things are still priced around $37 at the local Fry's and its far more than they are worth. Considering what little is inside. Trying to find something with a half way decent regulator/driver circuit to help maintain power would be a nice plus. Need to make several.

If there is a nice blue LED flashlight out there that I missed other than the Inova X5 in blue (need more power) that is around a 3 watt, something better than 30 lumens real output, please let me know where to find it. Doesn't have to be a 100 plus lumen thrower. Thanks, G

 

[kosPap]

well buy any chinese flashlight that hosts a P60 module (I suggest the Ultrafire 501B P4 LED - cheap, strong, good quality, 2xCR123) (Kaidomain Dealextreme) and a blue cree on a star from Kaidomain and may be Cutter.

From that point on it is a simple substitution of the led if you have a solder iron and access to a computer shop that has thremel epoxy adhesive .(do not need more than a drop of)

all the best, Kostas

 

[MrGman]

Thanks, I forwarded that to the Optical Engineer that wants to build them. I looked at it and it looks like what we are looking for. He has been trying various flashlights from the stores that "look" like they would work only to find out he can't get the head off without destroying something. G

 

[Bigsy]

Personally I'd go for the Romisen RC-F4, internally the same as the G2 (there is a massive mod thread hanging round somewhere) so its easy to mod, its under $15, it's very well made, certainly better than 99% of ultrafires offerings.

 

[kosPap]

Personally I'd go for the Romisen RC-F4, internally the same as the G2 (there is a massive mod thread hanging round somewhere) so its easy to mod, its under $15, it's very well made, certainly better than 99% of ultrafires offerings.

Well I will disagree a bit on the WF-501 quality. It is an old-time machining sample. Aluminum is really machined from stock and not from Metal Injection Molded parts (powder aluminum0 like most flashlights today.

If you like Romisin wquality go for the RC-M4 flashlight which is the WF-501 itself.

The good thing of the WF-501 / RC-M4 is that it is P60 LED module compatible. Very easy to tinker with and easy for our friend to convert the flashlight to red and white on the spot by changing modules.

MrGman, whatever you need to ask, shout a yell...Kostas

 

[Gunner12]

Romisen seems to have good quality and easy to open. Does it have to be 2 CR123?

The RC-M4, RC-F4, RC-G4, Ultrafire C2, TR-C2, and many other DX lights would also work, just look at the reviews so you don't get a light with constantly crappy quality.

 

[kosPap]

MrGMan, the discussion is going on but after seeing your profile I see you are new member (that knows light well). But I have replied in a way that have taken some prior flashlight knowledge for granded...

As a reference, do you know the parts of a P60-type LED module??? If not I can spend some time pointing to the right directions....

enjoy, Kostas

 

[MrGman]

I am not all that familiar with it but the optical engineer at work who has been experimenting and building various LED lights, buying individual components is more familiar with it. He is the one who wants to build the series of blue LED lights, I am just helping him in his quest since I need at least 1 more myself.

You can give me the short version of what one is.

Thanks, G

 

[kosPap]

Ok I am enjoying my coffee with buzzing youth around me in the internet cafe so here goes....

A P60 LED module (also called D26) takes its name from the Surefire P60 incandescent bulb (the most often used). Do not know who it was but someone made an assembly of PCB, contact springs, case, LED, and reflector at the general size of the P60 incan bulbs. Here is the surefire speciment that came late

Here are the parts dissambled of a very popular compatible LED module:
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.6090 (see the small pics)

You see how easy it is to change the LED (mounted on a star for proper focus) You peel it off ,place the new one with epoxy thermal adhesive, re-solder the wiring.

The existence of a PCB opens a new world to customizing…You can select input voltage to match battery types, and output voltage/current to get the desirable Lumens out of the LED. (I guess you know this but I add all this for future reference by other new members too) ALSO there are multimode PCBs/modules that offer variable brightness hence you may choose a lower ouput for your inspections so you do not wash off detail or blind yourself.

The real gain of using a flashlight that is P60 compatible is that you can change modules with different LED colors (as well as incandescent bulbs) according to your needs and whims.

Here is a list of flashlights that are P60 compatible
Here is a list of ALL P60 modules that are known to exist
Here is a thread on incadescnend/battery combos
(many thanks to mdocod and orbital and fizz753 that started these threads)

Also you are better served by using Li-Ion rechargeable batteries (economy and more P60 LED module options, especially on the multimode ones)

Here is a sales thread to a member that sells the best Li-ion batteries as considered http://www.cpfmarketplace.com/mp/showthread.php?t=140362

I got to add something. The shape of the reflector influences the beam pattern. The intense hot central spot, and the corona spill around it. The deeper and the wider the reflector is the tighter the hotspot and darker the spill. Also the orange pill texture hides the reflector ringy etc artifacts making a smooth transition from hotspot to corona/spill. That just in case beam shape/quality is of matter to you

Before you buy ask again. I Hope I was of help, Kostas

 

[MrGman]

Yes this was very helpful thanks. The P60 module was the one I was thinking of. I had not seen all of the breakdown of its circuity and star chip module that makes it so easy to work with and modify, specifically. I will pass this all along to the Optical Engineer at work and see if he wants to try and buy several flashlights, he told me had a new batch of blue LED star modules on order because he had used up the last 2 he had. My new blue light streamlight has come in very handy at work. It even fits into the Light port tube of a good old fashioned B&L Stereo Zoom Microscope to use as a light source.

Blue light is very handy for inspecting defects in optics because of the short wavelength. You can shine the light around the surfaces and see little things that you would other wise miss really well. The "bluer" tint white LEDs seem to work better in general than the warm white light of high intensity bulb light sources whether direct or behind a fiber optic flex head. So its even better when I get the company to pay for my ever growing collection.

 

[Gunner12]

I think blue has a very similar Vf with White LEDs, so many drivers should handle the Blue LED just as well as they handle the white ones(which are Blue LED chips with a yellow phosphor)

 

[warlord]

If you like Romisin wquality go for the RC-M4 flashlight which is the WF-501 itself.

x2 :twothumbs