OK, so here's how to crack into a MVP and replace the emitters.
It's no secret I prefer neutral emitters, expecially outdoors.
This mode goes from Cree Q5 WD (cool white) to Cree Q3 5A (neutral white)
Standard disclaimers apply, professionals at work... don't try this at home.
Excuse the fuzzy pictures, I avoided using flash.
Head unscrews. Disconnect connector by pulling outward
Unscrew 3 hex nuts
Unscrew three philips-head screws (mine only had two). Now you can see the driver.
You can pull the driver away from the emitter heat sink.
There are little insulating washers here. I put them back with a little bit of foam padding because I decided to use thermal grease instead of epoxy (later).
Unsolder emitters. The heat sink is free.
See where the wires went through? The holes aren't aligned. This is a good thing, because otherwise you'd have to dig out the emitter boards. Just find a tool just smaller than the holes and push the emitter boards out.
Old emitters bottom, new emitters top. Notice the attachment method: Silicone adhesive (like caulk, not hard epoxy). :shakehead
Forgot to mark my polarity before pulling the wires out, I might as well do it now. Silicone adhesive is gone, I scraped it away and then used alcohol.
Like I said, I decided to use foam pads to push the emitters against the heat sink once the reflectors were installed. That way, I could use thermal compound instead of epoxy. This allows easier future upgrades, re-alignment of the emitters if necessary while fitting the reflectors, and the thinnest possible thermal path. I forgot to take pictures of the foam, sorry.
New emitters in place:
Wires fed back through:
Here's where I stopped taking pictures. Once I started soldering my workbench got messy, and the camera got forgotten. You can figure out the rest, just the reverse of what I did above.
Hope this helps somebody... Happy modding!
It's no secret I prefer neutral emitters, expecially outdoors.
This mode goes from Cree Q5 WD (cool white) to Cree Q3 5A (neutral white)
Standard disclaimers apply, professionals at work... don't try this at home.
Excuse the fuzzy pictures, I avoided using flash.
Head unscrews. Disconnect connector by pulling outward
Unscrew 3 hex nuts
Unscrew three philips-head screws (mine only had two). Now you can see the driver.
You can pull the driver away from the emitter heat sink.
There are little insulating washers here. I put them back with a little bit of foam padding because I decided to use thermal grease instead of epoxy (later).
Unsolder emitters. The heat sink is free.
See where the wires went through? The holes aren't aligned. This is a good thing, because otherwise you'd have to dig out the emitter boards. Just find a tool just smaller than the holes and push the emitter boards out.
Old emitters bottom, new emitters top. Notice the attachment method: Silicone adhesive (like caulk, not hard epoxy). :shakehead
Forgot to mark my polarity before pulling the wires out, I might as well do it now. Silicone adhesive is gone, I scraped it away and then used alcohol.
Like I said, I decided to use foam pads to push the emitters against the heat sink once the reflectors were installed. That way, I could use thermal compound instead of epoxy. This allows easier future upgrades, re-alignment of the emitters if necessary while fitting the reflectors, and the thinnest possible thermal path. I forgot to take pictures of the foam, sorry.
New emitters in place:
Wires fed back through:
Here's where I stopped taking pictures. Once I started soldering my workbench got messy, and the camera got forgotten. You can figure out the rest, just the reverse of what I did above.
Hope this helps somebody... Happy modding!
