Warmed up Maratac AAA

[carbine15]

Requires a very steady hand and some small tools. One minute on med-low heat and the head is opened. The star is tiny, and held in place by thermal grease (not adhesive).
Place the star on the stove for a minute on med-low heat and using tiny tweezers remove the old emitter, place over the solder the new emitter (paying close attention to position + -). Remove from heat. Install star into pill. Screw back into head. Done.

Here it is next to my cooler energizer 1Watt cree. Doesnt it make wood grain look fantabulous!

Much better! It's actually about 0.25mm off-center but Its hard to tell even looking down the reflector. Makes no difference in real life or even white wall hunting.

 

[3D black mag]

very nice :thumbsup:


3D black mag

 

[carbine15]

I find that I use it more as it's easier on the eyes. The PWM drives me bananas though. Maybe I'll get used to it; Or maybe I'll short the neg- leads and make it into a one mode high only light.

 

[gunga]

So, did you heat the head up to get the pill out? I tried the tighten/loosen thing, but the pills on 3 I have tried didn't move!

Heat gun, hair drier? Boiling water?
Did you use solder paste for the new emitter?

 

[carbine15]

Thanks Carbine, I posted in your thread for more info.

I was thinking of ordering some XP-E from cutter on 1 cm boards, is this too big for the Maratac?

Where did you get your XP-Es?

So, did you heat the head up to get the pill out? I tried the tighten/loosen thing, but the pills on 3 I have tried didn't move!

Heat gun, hair drier? Boiling water?
Did you use solder paste for the new emitter?

I didn't measure the board but it's tiny. 1cm seems a little big Just get the bare emitter if they sell it.

I got my XPE from Kaidomain.

I just unscrewed the head and with gloves stood by (for about a minute) over the stove until the threadlock let go and with needlenose pliars or stout tweesers unscrewed the pill from the head. Simple as can be.
I also used the stove to re-heat the remaining solder on the original board (paying very close attention to orientation +pos -neg.) I dropped the new emitter onto the warm solder lines, pressed down ever so gently with tweezers, removed it from the burner and continued to press on the emitter to ensure a good contact with the solder lines and to ensure that the emitter wasn't floating above the solder as it set. No new solder was used except to clean and tin the iron itself.

 

[gunga]

lovecpf


Nice... Gonna have to make an order with KD. Any idea what the tint bin is Carbine?


Is your stove gas or electic? Mine's gas...

 

[carbine15]

I'd keep open flame away from the finish.. just use a pan.

No idea what bin. It's not quite warm enough for me though, so I'd call it neutral white.

 

[dandism]

I didn't measure the board but it's tiny. 1cm seems a little big Just get the bare emitter if they sell it.

I got my XPE from Kaidomain.

I just unscrewed the head and with gloves stood by (for about a minute) over the stove until the threadlock let go and with needlenose pliars or stout tweesers unscrewed the pill from the head. Simple as can be.
I also used the stove to re-heat the remaining solder on the original board (paying very close attention to orientation +pos -neg.) I dropped the new emitter onto the warm solder lines, pressed down ever so gently with tweezers, removed it from the burner and continued to press on the emitter to ensure a good contact with the solder lines and to ensure that the emitter wasn't floating above the solder as it set. No new solder was used except to clean and tin the iron itself.

did you simply place it on a pan? I am having trouble with the threadlock or whatever they put on it.

 

[carbine15]

Heat will make the threadlock weaken. You have a gas stove? heat up a pan with the flashlight part in the pan. It's made of aluminum so it should heat pretty evenly through conduction from one side. If you see smoke you're too hot and you probably broke something. keep you gloves on and periodically pick it up and try to unscrew it with moderate force. If it doesn;t unscrew, place it back on the pan for another 20-40 seconds and try again. Eventually the threadlock will give up and you can unscrew the pill and clean the threads.

I just used this method to warm up a Tank007 AAA light so I could unscrew the top half of the body and access the emitter. Yes I installed a warm cree on that one. It's gorgeous.

 

[gunga]

Hey Carbine,. any chance I could get you to measure the board (and take pix?) in the Maratac?

I think I prefer to order the xp-es premounted on boards...

 

[carbine15]

Sure thing buddy!


It looks to be exactly 8mm across.

 

[gunga]

Hey thanks!

lovecpf

Dang... Guess I have to go bare emitter.
I'll just order a mix from cutter.

 

[Cuso]

Torch it with a blue flame lighter, the finish will hold, that's how I unlock Surefires...