How to remove the INOVA X1/X5t bezel.

[Patrick]

i covered my vice and used that to press it back in...

Another way is to leave the bezel in your freezer compartment for a couple of hours. Theory is HEAT EXPAND whilst COLD CONTRACT.

Haven't tried it myself though............pretty sure it will work.

 

[justin]

Newbie to modding.

I am sure I can get the light apart.

But, how do I actually accomplish a mod in this case? I am interested in getting a little brighter, whiter light out of my X1. I actually need the nice, focused beam.

So, do you buy an entire new bulb and board? If so, how do you decide on size, etc.

If it is just the LED bulb itself, it is straightforward to remoce the existing one and replace it with another?

If I want whiter or even warm white light, and a bit brighter, what LED would be recommended? A snow29?

Now, assuming I know what I want, where do I find a place to buy something like that?
Pretty sweet idea on how to get the thing apart.

 

[Brlux]

I did the freez pop disasembily on my x1 today and I cracked my lense in half during the second freeze. I believe that the desired pushing force actually comes from the frozen water in the battery tube. I worked very hard to get the head compleatly full of water and I think this was my down fall. These little guies don't take long to freeze maby an hour at most. I checked it once and saw that it had expanded a bit but I but it back in and 30 minuts later when I checked it again, it had expanede more but also cracked the lense. I replaced the stock led with a CS and soldered the spring to the PCB and reasembled with the cracked lense. Actually it did not split in to 2 pieces but it did have a huge crack down the center. Even with the crack it seems to work well and is now a much more usable light.

Brlux

 

[schrenz]

i managed to remove everything including the PCB in the X03.
However I now realize i jumped the gun and am unsure how to replace everything. Any opinions on putting everything back once mods are complete?

How??
My PCB sill stuck in the X0, Tiros and lens come out with the freezer method.

 

[Changchung]

How long I have to keep the flashlight in the freezer??? Right now I have it for almost 6 hours with not visible results... :candle:

 

[darkzero]

How long I have to keep the flashlight in the freezer??? Right now I have it for almost 6 hours with not visible results... :candle:

Long enough for ice to freeze. If the water has frozen already, either the light was not completely filled with water or your tailcap is leaking.

Did you fully submerge the light under water & make sure there were no more air bubles coming out before putting the tailcap back on tightly? Tapping it helps to get all the air out.

 

[Illum]

there usually isn't going to be any visual change in the first freeze...which doesn't add up considering the expansion of water. I popped my XO3 on the 3rd freeze and while everything came out the PCB is still stuck firmly in place.I can't use the freezer method again because water leaks right through the PCB area from the battery tube

I think its possible to pound it out from the tail end through the head, I haven't done it yet

Its a YA tint, bought for $30 about 2 years ago so theres no tears on this one

 

[Changchung]

Hi, thanks for the replays, well, I take out and put it a little in hot water to open and fully submerge again, now just two hours later I saw like 1mm the head out, I do the same again, I hope in the next two or three times the head come out... I hope the PCB come out too... I will keep informed about my project...

 

[cyberspyder]

Here's my contribution:

Took mine apart to epoxy the interior, as the lens fell off. Note to people using the freeze and pop method...compress the contact spring on the head a couple of times under water in order to fill it up completely...also, most of the time the LED will break off, so be prepared to replace the LED (with a GS ).

Uh oh...LED got snapped off at the base...

The parts (Reflector, LED, Driver board, Contact spring, Contact, Plastic insulator cap, Tailcap, Body, Battery)

Sanded the contact flat and semi-polished it with some wet/dry sandpaper

Since the prongs of the dead LED was blocking the holes, an easier way to get rid of it was to ignore it entirely. Some 24 gauge stranded wire soldered onto the dead legs on the back of the board that will be connected to the new GS.

Depression filed by an Arc AAA (bad picture I know...)! Hard Anodizing does live up to it's reputation...took some time, but the knurling manage to wear down enough material for the wires to slip through.

Completed head assembly (missing epoxy though).

My Inova mod: https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/203925

Brendan

 

[Changchung]

Ok, open the T2 take me two days... in the process I saw some rare things, first the long time to take to start to come out, then the switch tail cap come out too, I think because some water inside. Well, the lens and tiros come out, not the Led and the driver, it is in the freezer yet, with a little of luck this come out in some days...

Check the pics...

One day of process

Second day

The tail cap coming out...

Out already...

The Led and driver is inside yet...

Tiros and Lens...

 

[Sgt. LED]

:thumbsup:

 

[Illum]

:thumbsup:

I take it that it worked out for you sarge:nana:

 

[Sgt. LED]

Well................
Sort of! The lens and optic came out just fine but the LED, heatsink, and the driver didn't budge.

I hammered them out and replaced the Luxeon with a U2 Seoul. Since the driver was toast I ripped apart a P60L and used that driver. I stuck the negative path straight to the heatsink and so far it's doing great. I also reversed the polarity back to traditional. I think it turned out pretty well focus wise. I just have to make a tiny raised negative for the tailcap now and I'm done, it's bridged with a small bit of metal at the moment.

Thank you very much for the host. :thumbsup: I am not up to modding anything and everything yet but I am getting more competent. The brightness went up and the runtime has increased, can't ask for much more!

 

[choombak]

Another way is to leave the bezel in your freezer compartment for a couple of hours. Theory is HEAT EXPAND whilst COLD CONTRACT.

Haven't tried it myself though............pretty sure it will work.

There is a slight problem with this method - once it is taken out, the air will condense, and start forming water droplets on the surface of the bezel. As long as the bezel is cold, it will probably get in, but may have moisture inside the compartment.

I recently had a task to press-fit the bezel of X1 (gen 1, TIROS). Manual pushing did not help as it is very tight. I have no special tools at home, so vice, etc. was out of question. I did this:
(1) Remove the tailcap
(2) Have the tube standing on the tailcap end, on a slightly soft surface (a mat on tiles is good). This is to cushion the impact, and avoid damaging the tube or the lens.
(3) Fit the bezel on the top, and gently with a flat surfaced hammer start hammering it down.
(4) Give very measured and firm blows with the flat surface touching the entire bezel ring - this will avoid the lens from cracking due to an uneven blow.
(5) About 6 blows and the bezel was all the way in!
(6) Screw the tailcap back, and check functionality - it should work mostly, unless any of the above steps has gone wrong.

Job done. :thumbsup:

-Amarendra