LED Zeppelin
Flashlight Enthusiast
I debated whether or not to post this mod since it's almost trivial, but I'm so impressed with the result that it's well worth the effort for anyone with a Blast (made by PrincetonTec). If you're not familiar with the Blast, it's a plastic 2 X AAA cell light, with the cells loaded side by side. The head is the twist switch, and it's waterproof to 1000 ft.
It's a pretty straigthforward and self explanatory mod. The LED/reflector module can be disassembled from the back by cutting off the heads of the 4 heat-flattened posts. The reflector needs to be drilled out, and a tight fit is helpful so the focus can be tested (squeeze a coin cell between the legs of the LED), the module reassembled, and the legs soldered while holding focus.
The switch is a very tiny piece of stamped metal that straddles two of the posts, so be careful not to lose it.
I broke one of the PCB foil strips going to the emitter when I drilled out the holes for the larger LED legs, so I just bridged to the battery contact post with solder.
To fix the module back together, take a warm soldering iron tip, and press into the center of the 4 posts. The plastic will flow out and mushroom around the PCB and the tiny switch contact.
Here's a beamshot with a CR2 Mag hosting a TerraLux TLE-5 module on the left, the SMJLED Blast at center, and an Arc AAA-P on the right. Perhaps it's the 21 mm reflector of the Blast, but it is more impressive than a similar SMJLED equipped AA or AAA Mag.
It's a pretty straigthforward and self explanatory mod. The LED/reflector module can be disassembled from the back by cutting off the heads of the 4 heat-flattened posts. The reflector needs to be drilled out, and a tight fit is helpful so the focus can be tested (squeeze a coin cell between the legs of the LED), the module reassembled, and the legs soldered while holding focus.
The switch is a very tiny piece of stamped metal that straddles two of the posts, so be careful not to lose it.
I broke one of the PCB foil strips going to the emitter when I drilled out the holes for the larger LED legs, so I just bridged to the battery contact post with solder.
To fix the module back together, take a warm soldering iron tip, and press into the center of the 4 posts. The plastic will flow out and mushroom around the PCB and the tiny switch contact.
Here's a beamshot with a CR2 Mag hosting a TerraLux TLE-5 module on the left, the SMJLED Blast at center, and an Arc AAA-P on the right. Perhaps it's the 21 mm reflector of the Blast, but it is more impressive than a similar SMJLED equipped AA or AAA Mag.
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