The 30 minute $$$ 10 $$$ CR2-Ion XRE Upgrade

modamag · Dec 16, 2006

A friend asked me to mod his CR2-Ion to something more usable.

So ... here goes.

With a small flat head screwdriver remove the retaining clip. Now the entire light engine should slide out nicely. [5 minutes]

Apply a small amount of solder to the center trace, with a needle nose plier you should be able to remove the exist Cree X-Lamp 7090. Fire up your oven & preheat to 300F. Apply a small amount of solder paste and drop them in the oven for 10 minutes, then remove it from the oven and let it cool. [15 minutes]

Reinstall the light engine with the retaining clip you won't see the concentration of green phosphor reflection on the reflector like that of many other XRE mod. It's the nature of the reflector to generate a flood beam. It's OK! [5 minutes]

Voila! Let there be Light!

*opps did I say 30 minutes ... well maybe only 25 for those who got everything prepared.

Although flood light is not my taste, but with the XRE inside is a little less of a flood and more usable.
Endeavor, great job there buddy!

kiely23+ · Dec 16, 2006

great job... :grin2:

fnmag · Dec 16, 2006

Great info and good job. Thanks.

glockboy · Dec 16, 2006

I remove the retaining clip, it stuck like it glue in. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
How you remove the glue?

Raybo · Dec 16, 2006

modamag said:
A friend asked me to mod his CR2-Ion to something more usable.

So ... here goes.

With a small flat head screwdriver remove the retaining clip. Now the entire light engine should slide out nicely. [5 minutes]

Apply a small amount of solder to the center trace, with a needle nose plier you should be able to remove the exist Cree X-Lamp 7090. Fire up your oven & preheat to 300F. Apply a small amount of solder paste and drop them in the oven for 10 minutes, then remove it from the oven and let it cool. [15 minutes]

Reinstall the light engine with the retaining clip you won't see the concentration of green phosphor reflection on the reflector like that of many other XRE mod. It's the nature of the reflector to generate a flood beam. It's OK! [5 minutes]

Voila! Let there be Light!

*opps did I say 30 minutes ... well maybe only 25 for those who got everything prepared.

Although flood light is not my taste, but with the XRE inside is a little less of a flood and more usable.
Endeavor, great job there buddy!

Would it be possible to throw a cake in the oven to multitask? :thinking:

Ray

phoneguy · Dec 16, 2006

I just tried this, the lense broke off of the ceramic, the ceramic wouldnt come off, then the ic board broke off of the pill. The pill is full of glue so I cant get to the wires that broke. #@!$%^.I guess I am not cut out for modding.

phoneguy · Dec 16, 2006

It now gets worse, I baked it to get the glue out of the pill and one of the smd chips came off. I now have a $175.00 paper weight.

modamag · Dec 16, 2006

You overcooked your LE. How high did you set your oven and for how long?

I used 250-300F of a small oven in bake mode.
At first if you don't succede try try again. When all else fail seek the Modder's Yellow Page.

kenster · Dec 16, 2006

Modamag, 250 to 300? You used that low of a temperature in the oven? I thought it was supposed to be more like 350.

The CR2-ION I have ready for the oven sure was a stubborn little MOFO to get apart.:huh: It`s ready for the easy bake oven now.

If you could comfirm that temperature for me first please. :grin2:

Thank you,
Ken

modamag · Dec 16, 2006

Ken, the solder paste that I use is Kester low temp stuff. They come in a syringe for about $40/each. The reflow temp is something like 180-220 C (360-420F). But my oven is not all that accurate so 300 setting seems to work best for me. It really depends on your oven. I know others that use an even lower setting on theirs.

One of the main thing is to keep the unit upright (led up) so that the reflow does not cause the IC component to shift.

"mod with care!"

kenster · Dec 16, 2006

I was wodering what you were using with only 250 but yes, most ovens aren`t very accurate at temperature control. I have reflowed Cree`s onto MCPCB`s from the Shoppe using my Panini Grill. :grin2:

This will be first oven attempt. Thanks for the help!

Ken

Manzerick · Dec 17, 2006

ahhh the learning cureve at work

I'm horrible also but can appriciae an awesome job!!!

AndyTiedye · Dec 17, 2006

I read on 4sevens's site that some CR2 Ions are potted and unmoddable.

kenster · Dec 17, 2006

AndyTiedye said:
I read on 4sevens's site that some CR2 Ions are potted and unmoddable.

If you want to mod a light you can ... and I did ... so I did! :grin2:

Mine was glued but I heated it up and got the LE out of there after a few. I`m sure it took me a little longer than Modamag.

Nothing is unmoddable.

Ken

phoneguy · Dec 17, 2006

Mine is now unmoddable

phoneguy · Dec 17, 2006

Can you spell direct drive.Somehow I WILL get this running with a Cree XRE P4/WH

kenster · Dec 17, 2006

Put another driver and the XR-e in it. If you don`t feel you can, do what modamag suggested and check out the Modders Yellow Page.

Ken

phoneguy · Dec 17, 2006

I went for 10 minutes at 300. The glue got very brittle and as I was scraping it out one of the smd chips came out with it.

modamag said:
You overcooked your LE. How high did you set your oven and for how long?

I used 250-300F of a small oven in bake mode.
At first if you don't succede try try again. When all else fail seek the Modder's Yellow Page.

phoneguy · Dec 17, 2006

What driver would you suggest? I dont have a problem continueing with this, what have I got to loose? Now I am at a point where I am aggrivated and I will succede!!!

kenster said:
Put another driver and the XR-e in it. If you don`t feel you can, do what modamag suggested and check out the Modders Yellow Page.

Ken

65535 · Dec 17, 2006

What about using a soldering iron?

The 30 minute $$$ 10 $$$ CR2-Ion XRE Upgrade

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