TW0H in QIII with Flupic?

Well here's my first post on this forum with an actual question. CPF is just so chock full of stuff that usually search gets me what I want and i can just lurk around and spend money.

Anyway, I finally started my first LED flashlight mod by buying a flupic and the R123s, which installed in the QIII fine, but I also figured when I was ordering the IMS20 i'd get a new star too.

Question is, will the TW0H star i got blow up with the flupic and the 3.6v R123? I've got a SYAK in there now which came stock and that's working fine, but i'd like to put the T-bin in there if i can.

Any advice is appreciated.

Oh, and the IMS doesn't just fit when i drop it in. Any advice on how to install it? Do i need to trim something?

Thanks!

Welcome Jason!

The TW0H star will be fine using 3.6V R123's and the FLuPIC, no worries there

Still using my original reflector, so don't know about the IMS20 fit. But another popular mod to do while you've got things apart is to add a mineral glass lens.

HTH,
Derek

I have a TW0H and a Flupic in my QIII - it's a killer setup

The torch will heat up if you run it on max - a good thing 'cos it shows the heatsinking is working fine but it wont damage the luxeon - i've run it like this 'till it drops into direct drive with no adverse affects.

I bought the IMS17 reflector - it fits like a glove and really focusses the hotspot nicely - I think you will have to get one of those to fit your QIII - it's worth it though.

mosport said:

...But another popular mod to do while you've got things apart is to add a mineral glass lens....

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The glass lens is actually on the way.

And i'm slowly in the process of filing down a couple of pennies for a new heatsink. Any tips on cutting the copper pipe?

mosport said:

...I bought the IMS17 reflector - it fits like a glove and really focusses the hotspot nicely - I think you will have to get one of those to fit your QIII - it's worth it though.

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I guess i was under the impression the IMS20 was what a lot of people were using. It fits fine in the head, but the fins on the back seem to be too wide or something.

Any other advice? Thanks!

You need to trim back the 3 tabs on the back of the reflector so that they don't interfere with the black plastic retaining ring that keeps the star in place.
When installing the reflector you will need to place a small o-ring on the outside front edge of the reflector. Slowly work the reflector down into the bezel and push the o-ring in at the same time with the tip of a small screwdriver or the blunt end of a wooden toothpick. The o-ring will end up between the outer rim of the reflector and the inner wall of the bezel and will keep the reflector perfectly centered.

Sorry, I'm going mental I've just checked what I ordered from Fred Pilon and it WAS an IMS20 reflector, not the IMS17 as I stated.

If you've ordered the IMS17 on the strength of my previous post, and can't cancel it I'll send you the balance via paypal by way of apology.

I removed the black retaining ring when I received it and found the reflector fits fine and keeps the star firmly in place.

With an H Vf and a RCR123, I would strongly sugest a heatsinking mod to the QIII. It will get quite hot, very quickly on high and the stock heatsink is rather limited.

It does get hot, but if held in the hand (NOT left standing), I believe the heatsinking is adequate.

Will the $1.02 copper heatsink make a significant difference with the H Vf? That's what i'm making, slowly but surely.

Thanks for the heads up, dirobesh, but i still have my IMS20 and didn't rush out and buy the 17. I'll trim back the tabs and try installing it tonight.

dirobesh said:

It does get hot, but if held in the hand (NOT left standing), I believe the heatsinking is adequate.

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The FLuPIC, on Burst (or max) setting will push more than 1 amp through that TWOH star. I wouldn't trust the stock heatsink to work adequately with that kind of current flowing through a Lux3 star.

That $1.02 heatsink will be perfect for your Q3. Don't forget to apply a thin layer of heatsink compound on the bottom of the star and along the battery tube side wall area where the copper heatsink will come into contact with it.

LumenHound said:

The FLuPIC, on Burst (or max) setting will push more than 1 amp through that TWOH star. I wouldn't trust the stock heatsink to work adequately with that kind of current flowing through a Lux3 star.

That $1.02 heatsink will be perfect for your Q3. Don't forget to apply a thin layer of heatsink compound on the bottom of the star and along the battery tube side wall area where the copper heatsink will come into contact with it.

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Exactly. If you inspect the stock heatsink, you will find it is only a ring and the center of the star is not sinked. The 2 cent heatsink works nicely with QIII.

If you have calipers, measure the stock Q3 heatsink/spacer ring height and transfer that onto the copper to establish the cut line. Using copper pipe cutters, mark out a cut line around the piece of copper (or use a piece of masking tape, etc...).

Clamp down the copper bushing in a good vise, don't worry about scratching things either because it'll be filed down anyways. Since copper is a relatively soft metal you'll slice through in no time.

Happy modding!

Derek

thingsforjason said:

Any tips on cutting the copper pipe?

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Does anyone have pictures of the homemade copper heatsink with flupic? Does anything need to be different because of the flupic? I am waiting for mine to arrive, it has the factory swok binned led,will this be as hot as a t bin?

Forgot to take pics of the finished $1.02 mod and FLuPIC, but it's a straight swap for the stock driver. There's enough clearance underneath the heatsink for the older style Q3 board, newer board and FLuPIC, but I still coated the copper's underside with ToePro (hockey skate repair paste) in case the board +ve contact touches. Clear nailpolish, model paint, etc... works well too.

mosport said:

Forgot to take pics of the finished $1.02 mod and FLuPIC, but it's a straight swap for the stock driver. There's enough clearance underneath the heatsink for the older style Q3 board, newer board and FLuPIC, but I still coated the copper's underside with ToePro (hockey skate repair paste) in case the board +ve contact touches. Clear nailpolish, model paint, etc... works well too.

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so basicly your putting something on the bottom of the sink to keep electricity from jumping between the copper sink and the board?

Exactly jar3ds, the stock Q3 driver measures 21mm dia and the FLuPIC is 19.5mm so movement is possible while installing the retaining ring. Since the heatsink mod is handmade, one wall might be thicker than the other side so it's best to take precautions against any possibility of shorting out. Coating the underside with an insulator takes a few minutes but is well worth the safety factor.

The Q3 and TWOH leds are inexpensive now, just run it and don't worry. If you dont run it on burst for too long, I can see this light lasting for years!

Goldserve.

What would be the best led star to use with the QIII and flupic?

Whats the 2nd best?

Best = brightest and whitest (to me)

The fact that the QIII gets hot, very quickly, from top to bottom, indicates to me that the stock heatsink is adequate for running the Flupic on max for bursts of a few minutes or so, at least.

Goldserve.

What would be the best led star to use with the QIII and flupic?

Whats the 2nd best?

Best = brightest and whitest (to me)

Click to expand...

I've tried a TX0H and a TW0H. For me, the TW0H had the better tint. The "H" Vf rating will give you longer runtime until it drops into direct drive, over a brighter U**J luxeon, at the expense of a decrease in brightness which could possibly be not even noticeable to the naked eye.