DaFABRICATA
Flashlight Enthusiast
This thread covers the Point 1,2, & 3 modifications to the McGizmo Lunasol 20 or LS20.
I decided to start a new thread since it was kind of thrown in with the other basic update thread. Seeing as how they're separate subjects, this will help avoid thread confusion. Older info can be found here:
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...Gizmo-LS20-XP-G-Update/page2&highlight=ls20.1
LS20.1: Utilizes the smaller McR10 reflector which allows room for a larger die emitter (such as the XM-L2 or XP-L) for flood.
LS20.2: Utilizes the slighter larger and deeper McR12 reflector designed for smaller die emitters (XP-G2/219)
LS20.3: Utilizes a 13.5mm reflector and can work with small and large die emitters.
Essentially the "number after the decimal point indicates the approximate size reflector used.
There is room in the LS20.2 and .3 for the larger die LED's but there will be less of a gap around the edges and between the reflector and flood emitter Which might not look as appealing to some.
One nice addition to the service is to finally have the ability to to have 4 levels of light for BOTH the flood and reflector.
Frystormers awesome "Centauri Mod" added the flexibilty of multi-levels to the reflector, giving the light more flexibility. This adds that nice feature to the flood emitter, allowing nice low diffused flood or big, bright area coverage on high.
The problem has always been finding a driver compact enough to fit inside the neck of the head with clearance for the set-screw and post that holds the original driver/contact assembly in place.
Using a host light in the form of the L3 Illumination L10, the drivers are removed, and the PCB is reshaped to allow clearance for the above stated set-screws. Due to the stacked design of the drivers, there is no room for slop. Routing the the wires correctly allows the final assembly to just fit.
The L10 is an AA light using 1.5v AA's. Myself and others have been running 3.7v rechargeables without issue so far. Being sure to throttle back when the light starts getting real warm/hot is nessasarry as with others.
The heatsink is usually made from brass though aluminum is optional and adds a lot of mass and contact surface to aid in shedding the heat into the heads wall. Placement of the set-screw post is critical in keeping it as far from the drivers as possible. The LED mounting boards are shaped to fit the confined space and provide clearance for wires and reflectors.
The cover bezel hides all wires, privides additional secure mounting for the reflector and gives the light a finished look. I've tried several finishes including polished, scuffed, hand tumbled, painted, and more. Everyone has their own personal taste and so can choose. Eventually titanium will be an option and tritium slots can even be added to the bezel once my Bridgeport is running.
The Lunasol's are useful lights in their stock form and IMO one of the most asthetically pleasing and intuitive to use. With multi-level drivers being more available now and the selection of current emitters and the preferences of tint, beam pattern, CRI...that a lot of people are now demanding, these modifications provide a nice option for updating an already amazing light.
The UI is about the same, except turning either the flood or reflector on/off/on again cycles the levels. Flood still comes on first, twist more and the reflector comes on. As with the original LS20, the flood will always be on when the reflector is on. This is due to the kilroy contact and the simplicity of the design.
However, the drivers used have 4 levels with low actually being a decently low "moonlight mode", so keeping the flood on low while only switching the reflector works well and the flood is barely noticed since it blends well with the spill from the reflectors beam.
Thanks for looking!
I decided to start a new thread since it was kind of thrown in with the other basic update thread. Seeing as how they're separate subjects, this will help avoid thread confusion. Older info can be found here:
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...Gizmo-LS20-XP-G-Update/page2&highlight=ls20.1
LS20.1: Utilizes the smaller McR10 reflector which allows room for a larger die emitter (such as the XM-L2 or XP-L) for flood.
LS20.2: Utilizes the slighter larger and deeper McR12 reflector designed for smaller die emitters (XP-G2/219)
LS20.3: Utilizes a 13.5mm reflector and can work with small and large die emitters.
Essentially the "number after the decimal point indicates the approximate size reflector used.
There is room in the LS20.2 and .3 for the larger die LED's but there will be less of a gap around the edges and between the reflector and flood emitter Which might not look as appealing to some.
One nice addition to the service is to finally have the ability to to have 4 levels of light for BOTH the flood and reflector.
Frystormers awesome "Centauri Mod" added the flexibilty of multi-levels to the reflector, giving the light more flexibility. This adds that nice feature to the flood emitter, allowing nice low diffused flood or big, bright area coverage on high.
The problem has always been finding a driver compact enough to fit inside the neck of the head with clearance for the set-screw and post that holds the original driver/contact assembly in place.
Using a host light in the form of the L3 Illumination L10, the drivers are removed, and the PCB is reshaped to allow clearance for the above stated set-screws. Due to the stacked design of the drivers, there is no room for slop. Routing the the wires correctly allows the final assembly to just fit.
The L10 is an AA light using 1.5v AA's. Myself and others have been running 3.7v rechargeables without issue so far. Being sure to throttle back when the light starts getting real warm/hot is nessasarry as with others.
The heatsink is usually made from brass though aluminum is optional and adds a lot of mass and contact surface to aid in shedding the heat into the heads wall. Placement of the set-screw post is critical in keeping it as far from the drivers as possible. The LED mounting boards are shaped to fit the confined space and provide clearance for wires and reflectors.
The cover bezel hides all wires, privides additional secure mounting for the reflector and gives the light a finished look. I've tried several finishes including polished, scuffed, hand tumbled, painted, and more. Everyone has their own personal taste and so can choose. Eventually titanium will be an option and tritium slots can even be added to the bezel once my Bridgeport is running.
The Lunasol's are useful lights in their stock form and IMO one of the most asthetically pleasing and intuitive to use. With multi-level drivers being more available now and the selection of current emitters and the preferences of tint, beam pattern, CRI...that a lot of people are now demanding, these modifications provide a nice option for updating an already amazing light.
The UI is about the same, except turning either the flood or reflector on/off/on again cycles the levels. Flood still comes on first, twist more and the reflector comes on. As with the original LS20, the flood will always be on when the reflector is on. This is due to the kilroy contact and the simplicity of the design.
However, the drivers used have 4 levels with low actually being a decently low "moonlight mode", so keeping the flood on low while only switching the reflector works well and the flood is barely noticed since it blends well with the spill from the reflectors beam.
Thanks for looking!
Last edited: