Nautilus XML

[eala]

I took about 3 years off my life with this upgrade. It does not look too hard now, but the process was tricky and not straight forward with only hand tools. This was probably about 10 hours work.

The first few photos show my first attempt with an XPG2 LED. I made the error of not making the LED board thinner. I was not happy with the XPG2, so I ordered a 5000K XML from Craig and tried again with that. I thinned up the board which set the LED lower in the housing and creates a great beam profile. It is much, much brighter with the XML than the original LED. Low is still low. Loving the new tint.

The biggest problem I had was with the two stage spring during reassembly. I couldn't get the thing to reliably step up from low to high. I know it has to do with the way the contacts are hit as the battery compresses the spring. If anybody has guidance on how to set the spring properly, please let me know. (have since figured it out - works perfectly now)

If you are looking for detailed instructions, I would be happy to describe. Just too lazy to type it up now. It took me quite a while and 5 or 6 attempts to reverse engineer the re-assembly of this light.

I really love the simplicity of this design. Along with McGizmo lights, I consider Muyshondt's to be a master stroke of design.

eala

XPG2 Attempt:
















XML Attempt (I have since centred the LED so it does not look this far off):

 

[eala]

That last beamshot was the light on low.

This is a Haiku High CRI 3V on high:


This is the Nautilis XML on high: :grin2:

 

[run4jc]

Awesome!!

 

[ShineOnYouCrazyDiamond]

Was you Nautilus pill filled with epoxy? I'd like to know how you clean it out that well without ruining the pill. I had a shot and when I pulled off the pull the electronics were potted with epoxy and it was, well, disastrous!

 

[eala]

A fantastic question SOYCD. I would love to respond that I had some magic solvent that I used to clear out the epoxy, but I did not. It was simply not filled. I could not have done the mod otherwise.

That is why I think this may be one of a kind. Has anybody else been able to mod a Nautilus?

This one came from the batch that Enrique made last autumn, so the light is not very old. Perhaps he was just out of epoxy. I don't see why it is necessary for this light to have the epoxy in there. The heat management path is good without it. The light is solidly designed. I have a lot of respect for Enrique's lights after battling with this for so long - and that was with no epoxy.

eala

 

[eala]

Opened it up and spun the board by 90 degrees. Now using the indentations on the emitter board to run the cables. this allowed me to centre the LED with an oring wrapped around the board. Works well in that regards. Beam profile is excellent.

Can anybody help with how to set the spring such that it reliably switches? Any chance somebody could take a macro photo of the back of their Nautilus head showing the spring positioning? Mine works part of the time at the moment.

This is mine plus my new foam:



Thanks,
eala

 

[eala]

Think I got the switching. It jumps to high occasionally first but most of the time works as designed. Very clever switch design. Kudos to Enrique.

eala

 

[eala]

Nailed it. Working perfectly for the last day. Tricky mod. If anybody wants to try this or talk about the details let me know. First step is to push a pin into the hole on the bottom circuit board. If there is no epoxy in there, then it can be modded. If there is, it cannot (at least I think this is the case).

Have really been enjoying this so much that I pulled my sales thread for it. Sometimes I find that when I invest so much time into something, I just want to get rid of it - be done with it. It is only later that I wish I had not been so brash. Brashness be gone.

eala

 

[eala]

This switch is much smarter (more complex) than the Ti. Interesting idea to stretch the spring a bit.

The light does not switch on when the battery touches it. The circuit board under the spring is printed with three contacts (concentric circles). The outside circle is the one that the spring is soldered to. As the spring is compressed, it contacts the second contact and comes on low. As it is compressed more, it contacts the third contact and comes on high.

It has been pretty good, but not perfect all of the time. Still really enjoying the extra output from the light and the new milky tint.

eala

 

[bshanahan14rulz]

^That is very interesting! Perhaps someone will come out with a multi-mode based on this principle. Biggest downside is that it all depends on the quality of the spring, and its ability to retain its coil.

 

[eala]

I think that is the biggest benefit. The spring should be pretty repeatable. I may have just wiggled mine around the wrong way or something.

Check out the work by Tain (see custom BST titanium forum). The Piccolo is a fine example of it too.

eala

 

[blackbalsam]

Nice Job Eala. I have one modded by Datiled i think it was him with a xm-l.....Robert

 

[eala]

Awesome. I didn't know anybody else had modded one. How did he do it?

eala

 

[blackbalsam]

Awesome. I didn't know anybody else had modded one. How did he do it?

eala

Eala, I'm sorry it was an Ion instead....Robert