Help with LitFuse Mod....

[Robocop]

I am preparing to have my ARC LSL-ST modded by our own LitFuse.I have studied this and found his mods to be some of the best quality I have seen.
I searched and found a lot of beam shots but all had the Fraen optic.I like the Fraen but also need a little side spill as this light will be a back up light and I may need it for searching small rooms from time to time.
My mod plan is same as most done by Peter with a HD lux-3 and mah boosted to about 667 or so.I was wondering if anyone has this similiar mod with the standard NX-05 optic?
I am thinking that this will be a good combo for me of more throw with some side spill also.The beam shots I have seen with the Fraen are super tight and I think the increased brightness will be just fine for me with the NX-05.
Beamshots would be nice if anyone has them however just need an opinion of how this optic would do for me.
If I am thinking correct the HD combined with the NX-O5 would allow for better throw and a little side spill.Is there any usable side spill with the Fraen?

 

[Chop]

Robocop,

I haven't done many Arcs, but I, and others, have done KL1 mods with the single die luxes and the NX05. Just do a search in the modders forum for modded KL1's. The beam will be the same.

BTW, some might disagree with me, but going with something less than 700mA and a 3W, might get you less than the same mod with a 1W, like a Q3J. What you are proposing would be underdriving the 3W and from what I've heard, the 3W doesn't like to be underdriven like the 1W likes to be overdriven.

BTW, Owen should have his KL1 modded with a Q3J and overdrive back soon. His will have the NX05 in it. Maybe you should take a look at that before you decide.

 

[gadget_lover]

I have a lux III (SWOK bin) in a mini-mag with NX05 optics. It's running around 700 ma. I find it to be quite usable, both from brightness perspecive and the spill. I think it's a good match for a "utility" light.

I used it last night to spot addresses while driving home(just for fun) and it worked much better than my stock LSH-P.

Daniel

 

[Robocop]

Thanks for the help on this.I was thinking that the setup I mentioned was very popular as I found very many on a search who had this combo.
I also saw some who were running a Lux3 at 700 mah and they said the results were good.
I forgot about the KL1 being the same.I also forgot about my friend modding his KL1.I will definately try his out for a night and decide then.Just out of curiosity what is the perfect range of the lux3.Is 700 mah still underdriving it?
I also read on a search that the 3 watt Lux is just a one watter that can handle more current.I also found that old thread about just how much a single 123 battery can produce.It was very interesting to read and it seems that 700 mah is a good area for the 123 to be effective.
Whatever I go with LitFuse assured me that I would be amazed in the transformation of my light.
I just never liked a really tight beam on an LED.I have a long range incandescent for that.I do like my pelican M6 LED as it has good throw and a big round corona with decent sidespill.They did a perfect job with this reflector and it shows.This light is for a back up duty light and will only be needed to perform medium range to short range illuminations.I hope to see Owens modded KL1 soon as this is almost the same thing I am asking.

 

[Chop]

Robo,

I have limited experience with the Arc, but I have had a good bit of experience with the BadBoy converters and even at 700mA the single 123 will have a time trying to keep up. For a light the size of an Arc, something between 500mA and 700mA should be ideal. I only made the comment about the 1W rather than the 3W because I think it is pretty much agreed that in your situation you'll get more out of an overdriven 1W than an underdriven 3W. I'm not saying that the 3W won't be nice. I'm sure it will be, but in your situation, I think I'd go with a 1W. In any case, I'd try to get a lux with a low Vf. Like an H or J.

 

[dtsoll]

Robo, I had Peter make me an Arc Modded with a 1 watt Q3J and I love it. I have also owned a mod with a Lux III. You will be happy with either, I'm sure. I think the mod I have now runs a little cooler to the touch than the lux III did! Just me though!! Doug /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[RussH]

Robocop, after experimenting with both 1w lux & lux3, I've concluded that the best approach is to use the 1w below about 650ma and the 3w as close to 1000ma as possible. The difference betwwen a 3w at 700ma and 1000ma is noticable to my eye but it doesn't seem like that much. The slight increase in brightness of a lux3 at 600ma is not noticable compared to a 1w (also at 600ma) so why pay for it? IMHO, the color of the lux3 might justify using one at less than 700ma, but my approach is still to get in the 800ma-1100ma range if possible.

I have a Mag 3D running at 1050ma, a Mag 3C running at 1200ma, an FT-3C running at 840ma, and had (a friend has it now) an FT-3C running at 1400ma. The only difference between these is due to the mag reflector - I don't think there is enough difference to measure by eye with the mags focused to match (as closely as possible) the FT-3C hotspot. YMMV, -RussH

 

[LitFuse]

Robocop, (and anyone else considering an Arc mod)- there is alot of good info in this thread. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif


Peter

You can view the picture that won't load by clicking here.

 

[Robocop]

Thanks for the info and links...very interesting reading this.I think the one advantage would be maybe less heat from the 3 watt.Anyway I am not so worried about the actual Luxeon I wish to use but more on the the optic.I was trying to find someone who owns an Arc LS with mah around 700 on a HD and NX-05 optic.This optic appears to be an all around good use optic with some usable side spill.
My needs will be to sometimes use this mod for illuminating a car and passengers in an emergency or even searching a small room in case of failure of my main light.
I dont like the effect of looking down a very focused laser like beam.Just how tight is the spot on the Fraen?
I am basing this on my current LSL with the LD and NX-05.
I am trying to imagine this light with the same optic and modded with a good Luxeon and higher current as the only changes.Seems like this would be perfect however I have not seen the Fraens in person to know if it would better suit my needs.I just noticed that almost everyone who mods their ARC,regardless of 1 or 3 watt Luxeon,uses the Fraen optic.
Thanks again and I will be sure to keep you posted on my mod.Planning to get with LitFuse on the details this weekend.

 

[G Pilot]

I just found this thread after completing (like 5 minutes ago) a MadMax+ Wide Open TWAK Arc LS. It's weird but the Arc has everything you need to put a Dat2Zip converter board right in. The board fits perfect inside the metal retaining ring. So I bonded them together with AA for heat sinking, screwed it in then put in 2AA lithiums and fired it up. I measured 997ma, but I am not sure how much of that is going to the Lux III?

 

[LitFuse]

Robocop, the Fraen has some real "wow" factor because it's got excellent throw. All that throw coming from the little Arc LS is quite impressive. I think that's why most people opt for the Fraen. If you like the LSL/NX-O5 combo, I'd probably stick with the stock optic. The Fraen does actually have some spill light, but nothing compared to the NX-05.

Arc has a picture of the NX-05 vs. Fraen at their site here.


Peter

 

[kitelights]

LitFuse just said what I was going to say. My ARCs are standard, but I've got a half dozen sandwiches from BB400 to MM+ and have played with the different optics.

The NX05 beam that you see now is pretty much what you'll get - just brighter and more intense. The main difference is that with a HD instead of the LD, the hotspot will be bigger and the beam will be more pronounced. It's almost like the HD puts the beam into a more "focused" state.

The Fraen has some usable spill, but mainly at longer distances. Since you already have a light for throw, I think the NX05 will be just right.

Another option would be a McFlood, but I wouldn't want to count on it past 10-15 feet.

Why don't you get Peter to make sure that he doesn't "seal" the light and then you can open it yourself and change out optics and experiment with it yourself.

 

[Robocop]

That is a great idea Kitelights but what effect would not sealing it have on the long term effect?Would this take away from the performance any or the water resistance of the light.I was under the impression that you could not just drop an optic in the ARC as it takes a lot to center it correctly.Maybe that is the emitter that is so hard to center but I have read so much that I have gotten all confused now..hehe.
My friend Owen is soon to receive his KL1 from Chop and I think he left the light un-sealed for kust this reason also.
LitFuse I just checked that link and I think the new HD coupled with the boosted circuit and new Luxeon will do pretty good.I actually like that pretty perfect circle of the corona with the nice hot spot in that pic.
I think my needs require just an all around beam pattern with a little throw and a little spill but not too much of each.
I think I will wait and see my friends modded KL1 with the NX-05 and then decide from there.
The only other light I have to play with is my Pelican M6 LED.If anyone has one of these to look at the beam is almost perfect for what I am looking for.
I realize it is a reflector and the throw is very good so a comparision may not actually be fair here between the modded ARC and M6.The Pelican has a great hot spot but an almost perfect circle of dimmer corona.I have used it on duty but it is a little big for my belt along with my already large Commander primary light.
I was confident with the M6 for approaching a vehicle as the hot spot did well in the tight spaces of a vehicle interior.It also performed well on a building search as the perfect corona lit up an entire room and gave good field of view for my peripherial vision.
If the NX-05 performs similiar to a scaled down version of the Pelican then this is perfect.It would however be pretty cool to have such good throw from the Fraen in such a small package.If I could find a beamshot of the Fraen in a medium size room and it showed to have enough sidespill to be confident in a search then I would definately prefer that.
I finally got my tax returns and I am just itching to have this modded creation in my hands.
I plan to make a decision before the weekend is over and make arrangements Monday or so.Thanks for all the input and sorry for all the questions but I want to get the best configuration for my needs.
As I said I am only using the only good Luxeon I own as a basis for this.The LD ARC LSL with NX-05 is my only source here for me to test.I know the HD has better color but will a HD have more throw than the LD if using the same NX-05?
I am thinking that just the improvement of using a HD will be a big difference by itself and I also have the benefit of more actual light to work with as well due to the additional current and better Luxeon.

 

[Robocop]

Thanks for all the help on this.I have made up my mind as to the optic I want and now thinking on the actual Luxeon.
Reading some great old posts I have found that there is not much difference between a good Q3J 1w and say a TWAK Lux3 when both are ran at above 650 mah.
I did notice there was what appeared to be an advantage to the TWAKs.It seemed that there was more consistency in color with all the TWAKs and that all were nice and white.
I like the idea of the 1 watt Lux as many are happy with this and this is probably how I will decide to go.
My question now is which one of these two emitters is more likely to have the actual better color tint?
Seems like I read that the Luxeon lottery does not apply as much to the 3 watter mods.If I could rest assured that the 1 watt Q3J would have the same tint as the 3 watter then my decision would be made.
I have decided on the current to be around 667 mah with the NX-05 optic.I saw some great beamshots by Thwang99 in a real world type setting.Great thread and I did like the corona of the NX-05 better than the hot spot only of the Fraen.
Now the question is ARC LS at 667-700 mah with NX-05 and either a Q3J 1 watt or TWAK Lux-3watt.
Which emitter will give me a better color?Not so much worried about actual brightness as both would be a big improvement.Also heat or runtime is not a big issue as this light will see limited use.So just going by tint which one would you prefer?

 

[LitFuse]

I think you may be over-analyzing this Robocop. "Analysis paralysis" some people like to call it. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif The more choices you have, the harder to actually make a decision.

The tint difference between the Q3J and the TWAK is negligible (they are both quite white, TWAK with a *hint* of blue). The difference in brightness is also negligible. That leaves the Vf ... Because of the Q's lower forward voltage, it will run cooler than the Lux III and will give better runtime also. I hope this helps you in your decision. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Peter

 

[Robocop]

Excellent I think I now have the entire picture of what I want and thanks for the help.I will be in touch with you shortly on the details.
I have a few people here at work who are also interested in your work.They have all became facinated with lights after experiencing the few that I own.
I will send you a message when I get off work later...duty calls...hehe
Thanks again LitFuse and I look forward to your excellent mod.

 

[treek13]

Robocop,
I am sure you'll be very happy with your new modded Arc. You really can't go wrong no matter which options you choose because Peter (Litfuse) does excellent work. I am still amazed by the one he did for me. It is bright, has excellent tint, & the beam is beautifully centered (much, much better than the original).
Pat

 

[Robocop]

I sent my LSL out today priority mail to LitFuse.
I decided to go with the Q3J HD and 667 to 700 mA of current.I also decided to keep the NX-05 optic as I like the side spill a little more than the FraenLP beamshots.
My friend Owen is very happy with the same mod to his KL1 and says it is one of the best investments he has made.
I will keep you all posted on my results when I get this light returned to me.
I tried to search some beamshots for a Q3J with NX-05 and 700mA but the new search function does not work very well.
Does anyone know where I can find a few beamshots of this combination?
Also when modded like this will my ARC still be regulated and can I still use the 2-AA tail pack with lithium batteries?
I am very excited to get this little scorcher back in my hands as all reviews I have read show all to be very impressed with this mod as well as LitFuse.

 

[LitFuse]

I don't know that a picture is going to do much for you Christian, it's just gonna look like an NX-05 beamshot only brighter. If Owen's mod is a Q3J, then there's your answer right there. It may not be *exactly* the same, but it's gonna be very close to his.

Your light will still be regulated, and you can still use the AA tail. I have heard that lithiums are OK in the Arc, but I don't know for sure. I don't really see the point of using them regardless. They're quite expensive and it won't make the light any brighter. I think rechargeable NiMH are the way to go with the AA tail.


Peter

 

[Chop]

Robo,

Q3J, 700mA with NX05 is what Owen's light is. Have you seen it. If not, you can do a search using keywords like "KL1" "mod" and "CM" or "Chop"

You should turn up something.