Need some Romisen RC-G2 advice

[Alero]

I got the Q5 LED to mod my light but it seems that maybe I don't know what I'm doing.

I de-soldered the LED and unscrewed the pill. So now I have an aluminum cylinder with an LED stuck in it.
It's help in there really tight by thermal paste, but is it held by anything else? Is there a good way to remove it? Do I need to remove the solder from the other side? I tried prying it out, but there's no chance withough breaking the old LED into a million pieces.
I can't imagine that there's a way to remove it without destroying it. Did you guys just get a screwdriver and a hammer and start beating on it?

 

[meuge]

I got the Q5 LED to mod my light but it seems that maybe I don't know what I'm doing.

I de-soldered the LED and unscrewed the pill. So now I have an aluminum cylinder with an LED stuck in it.
It's help in there really tight by thermal paste, but is it held by anything else? Is there a good way to remove it? Do I need to remove the solder from the other side? I tried prying it out, but there's no chance withough breaking the old LED into a million pieces.
I can't imagine that there's a way to remove it without destroying it. Did you guys just get a screwdriver and a hammer and start beating on it?

Take needle nose pliers. Insert into the wire notches on the LED PCB (the composite disk that the emitter sits on)... make sure not to go deep, to avoid grabbing the heatsink itself (don't insert into the heatsink wire holes). Then just squeeze and twist. This will lift out the LED on the star board, without damaging it.

Subsequently, I recommend polishing the surface with sandpaper to remove the glue, and then finish it off by thoroughly washing it with alcohol.

 

[Alero]

I'll try it, thanks!

Just remembered I need to gi and buy some thermal paste too!

 

[Brownstone]

Take needle nose pliers. Insert into the wire notches on the LED PCB (the composite disk that the emitter sits on)... make sure not to go deep, to avoid grabbing the heatsink itself (don't insert into the heatsink wire holes). Then just squeeze and twist.

Some find it useful to put the pill in the freezer for an hour or so first. It makes the glue more brittle, and therefore easier to make the star come free.

 

[meuge]

Some find it useful to put the pill in the freezer for an hour or so first. It makes the glue more brittle, and therefore easier to make the star come free.

I've modded a dozen romisen lights, and the glue was pretty flimsy in all of them, requiring relatively little effort.

P.S. For the original poster - make sure to fix the new LED in place well - either with a thermal epoxy or a strong regular clear epoxy mixed 2:1 with good thermal paste (Arctic Silver).

 

[bub181]

I was thinking of modding my RC-G2 too, but I have no idea how to do it. Can I just by a Q5 LED board like this one and replace the existing one?

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.11022

Do I have to change the driver board?

 

[michelkenny]

If you don't already have a RC-G2, just save yourself some time and get this: http://www.cpfmarketplace.com/mp/showthread.php?t=177920

 

[meuge]

If you don't already have a RC-G2, just save yourself some time and get this: http://www.cpfmarketplace.com/mp/showthread.php?t=177920

What circuit does that light use? I haven't seen any indication that it is anything other than the same board that powers the P2-based RC-G2, in which case the Vf difference will likely make short work of the better LED.

The 7880 board will put >700mA into the LED, giving the light up to 150 or so lumens at the emitter.

 

[michelkenny]

What circuit does that light use? I haven't seen any indication that it is anything other than the same board that powers the P2-based RC-G2, in which case the Vf difference will likely make short work of the better LED.

The 7880 board will put >700mA into the LED, giving the light up to 150 or so lumens at the emitter.

I think someone mentioned (somewhere) that it is the same driver, just the emitter has been changed.

 

[Jarl]

Yeah, that's what I heard. The RC-G2 I received a couple of days ago wasn't glued, though I haven't replaced the emitter yet- I want to do the circuit board and emitter at the same time. (don't have sku.7880 yet)