updating inovas micro and x1

[shortytemper]

Hi everyone,
I have a one inova x1 and three inova microlights. All of them are old. Can anyone recommend the best leds to update these flashlights and where to get them from?. I live in San Jose, Ca. and would like a local source to avoid shipping costs. I also want to use the stock power supply. Thanks for your help.

 

[Gunner12]

The X1 would be really hard to mod and you would be better off buying a new light with a current gen LED(Cree XR-E, Seoul P4 U-bin, Rebel 100, K2 TFFC, much brighter too).

The microlights you should be able to easily swap in a new 5mm LED(Nichia DS or GS).

I'm not sure where to get the LEDs. I know you can get GS LEDs off of these lights. DX will take at least two weeks to get the product to you though.

:welcome:

 

[shortytemper]

Thanks, but I have already taken apart the x1 and just need a led recommendation and as for the squeeze lights I need the old microlights bodies.

 

[Cydonia]

By far the brightest 5mm white LED is the Nichia GS. The next brightest is the Nichia DS. The next brightest is the Nichia CS...
And the absolute best way to get 2 of those amazing Nichia GS LED's is to buy a set of those keychain lights from the place linked above. They ship worldwide with FREE shipping. Then you just use the 2 LED's in those keychain lights. Take them apart and harvest the LED's.
It sounds crazy but that is really the cheapest way to get these new most bright 5mm LED's. :shrug:

By the way, did you open the X1 by the "freeze pop" method? Filling with water and freezing?

 

[chitoz28]

Yeah, I am also interested on how you opened up that X1, maybe you can tell me how to open my XO3. Thanks. Richard H.

 

[cmendoza]

I just freeze popped an X1 over the weekend and swapped the LED with a Sony DVD burner diode. I'd guesstimate ~50mW power (comparing to a 5mw and Pulsar 75mW). If you have it open, I would put glow powder on the inside of the brass tube for an excellent afterglow!

 

[datiLED]

I put a Nichia GS in my X1 spot version. It is easily twice as bright as the original LED, and much whiter. Comparing it to the bluish tint of stock X1 makes it look even whiter.

The beam has a bit of a halo that wasn't present on the original. I think that it is because of the elliptical beam of the GS. Overall, I think that it was worth doing the mod, even though I have only used it once in the past month. If I had another chance, I would have installed a UV LED instead of the GS.

 

[cmendoza]

Which UV LED would you use?

 

[datiLED]

Which UV LED would you use?

I have a 375nm Nichia UV LED like the kind used in the Arc AAA UV.

 

[shortytemper]

I want to thank Gunner12, Cydonia, cmendoza, datLED for your help and suggestions and yes I freezer popped the x1.:thumbsup: