L1T w/SSC-P4 U-Bin Emitter vs. a Stock Civictor V1 (V1 modded at post #11)

After removing and cleaning back up, and installing the Seoul P4 U-Bin, this is how the L1T pill looked.


Installed


Civictor Left, L1T/SSC on low to the right:


Civictor Left, L1T/SSC on low to the right (underexposed 2 stops):


Civictor Left, L1T/SSC on high to the right:


Civictor Left, L1T/SSC on high to the right (underexposed 2 stops):


If I want a tighter focus, I'm going to have to take some material off of the back of the reflector... but certainly not as much as a Cree would require. It's almost good enough as it is.

For those of you who don't know about these flashlights, the Civictor runs with the same top end setup as the stock L1T, and it only has one brightness level. It may have a lower bin emitter, but close enough.

Re: L1T w/SSC-P4 U-Bin Emitter vs. a Stock Civictor V1

was that just an emitter swap? how easy does the pill come out? I have a LxT on the way...


I'm sure that your answers will raise more questions, so thanks in advance!

Re: L1T w/SSC-P4 U-Bin Emitter vs. a Stock Civictor V1

Actually the beam is very acceptable. It's a very floody smooth beam. At over 100 lumens it should make up the lack of concentrated throw and give you similar lux readings if not higher. Also the runtime increase has to be great.

Re: L1T w/SSC-P4 U-Bin Emitter vs. a Stock Civictor V1

The L1T pill was a BEAR to take out because of all the thread-lock. If you're lucky, you will have less.

I had to rewire it and re-epoxy the terminal board. If you saw the pill when I was done removing it, you would have thought it was hopeless. I basically jabbed at the pill for an hour with needle nose pliers.

The stock emitter gives 37 lumens / 10 lumens. I guess expect 72 / 20 from just an emitter swap on 1 AA battery.

I've been letting both flashlights run in a 70F room. The Civictor is 90F, the L1T/SSC is 83F.

Re: L1T w/SSC-P4 U-Bin Emitter vs. a Stock Civictor V1

can the pill be damaged from boiling to break the threadlocker?

Re: L1T w/SSC-P4 U-Bin Emitter vs. a Stock Civictor V1

I like it!
I better start working on getting my L1T pill out. It has sort of a yellow-green Lux III and I've been looking to change that LED out since I got it.

I love the beam on your mod...wouldn't change a thing! I don't know why everyone's always after such a tight, long throw beam... buy a laser if you want that. I need useful light.

Re: L1T w/SSC-P4 U-Bin Emitter vs. a Stock Civictor V1

great work!!!
cant wait for mine to get here!!!

Re: L1T w/SSC-P4 U-Bin Emitter vs. a Stock Civictor V1

When you do this mod, be sure to pay special attention to the emitter centering in the reflector opening. Watch closely as you turn the pill down, the entire optic should fit inside the reflector without stubbing on the side. You may have to take the pill out several times until you get it perfectly centered.

Then when you turn down the pill and you feel it begin to bottom out, don't tighten it further. This will push the reflector against the emitter body, and potentially short the anode to the base.

In fact, I suggest using a mild thread-lock ("removable with hand tools") and backing off a quarter turn from from where the pill stopped. This is what Fenix does, they just use too much and too aggressive a thread-lock.

P.S. I used two coats of thermal epoxy for electrical isolation of the anode. A first think coat on the device, cured it, and then the second coat was to fix the emitter. This should be fine for the relatively low power of this flashlight.

Re: L1T w/SSC-P4 U-Bin Emitter vs. a Stock Civictor V1

Hot damn! I thought you weren't supposed to be able to drive these off 1.5v There's hope for my L0P yet

Re: L1T w/SSC-P4 U-Bin Emitter vs. a Stock Civictor V1

lrw2 said:

Hot damn! I thought you weren't supposed to be able to drive these off 1.5v There's hope for my L0P yet

Click to expand...

There is a boost circuit that raises the voltage from 1.5 to what the emitter requires.

I will show the results of a L0P mod this weekend.

How to upgrade to a SSC-P4

Now I have modded the Civictor V1 to SSC-P4.



The following pictures should be applicable to just about any mod you need to do, except maybe an adjustable focus flashlight like a mag, which will not require a copper disc.

A couple necessary items you need to gather along with your emitter: A .030" thick copper disc and some two-part thermally conductive (but electrically nonconductive) epoxy.



Make sure that copper disc is flat. I received mine with a cupped shape, put it in a smooth vice to flatten. Otherwise, your emitter will be installed teeter-tottered.



Using a soldering iron and solder braid, remove as much solder from the emitter terminals as possible. Then slide an exacto knife under a tail. While applying a small twisiting motion to the knife, apply heat. The tail will lift away from the pad. Repeat for the other side. Solder will not stick to the exacto knife because it's steel.



Next, with needle-nose pliers, slightly twist the emitter and lift it straight away. If you are lucky, the epoxy or compound will let go. If not, you may have to destroy the emitter to remove it. You will know this when the black plastic turns when you twist and the optic doesn't turn with it.

Scrape off the excess epoxy without gouging up the surface too much, and then clean really well with isopropyl alchohol and a swab.

Next, apply an equal sized drop of part-a and part-b on a shiny, disposable surface. I used label release paper, the drops are probably too far apart.



Next, using a toothpick or dental pick, swirl the two parts together, mixing well. Now you have about 5 minutes until it cures. Apply some to the pill as shown.



continued...

Re: L1T w/SSC-P4 U-Bin Emitter vs. a Stock Civictor V1

Nice work! It looks like you're having alot of fun modding every light that you own.

PM sent.

Re: continuation

Carefully drop in the copper disc. Press lightly to seat and center. DO NOT CONTINUE TO PUSH ON THE DISC WHILE IT CURES!



Allow it to cure.

Mix up some more epoxy, and put some on top of the copper disc.



Place the emitter on top, with the tails oriented properly for soldering later. The cathode has the notch in the extra copper flange and should go to the (-) connection. Make sure the emitter is centered as well as possible, and that the emitter sits flatly. DO NOT CONTINUE TO PUSH ON THE EMITTER WHILE IT CURES!



After this cures, push the tails to the board, then let them pop back up a little. Solder them in this no-stress position.



With an ohmmeter, check to make sure the (+) anode does not have continuity with the pill body.

After this check, fire up the pill. Make sure it functions. If it doesn't, the epoxy will probably be uncured enough that you can disassemble and start over again. The epoxy will clean up with isopropyl alcohol.

Turn the pill back into the head slowly and lightly. When it reaches the reflector, stop! Check the focus. If it isn't converged well enough, you will have to remove some material from the base of the reflector. If you're lucky, the reflector is already good to go

Whatever you do, avoid turning the pill far enough that the reflector starts pressing against the emitter! Because the base of the emitter should never short against the pill, there should be no continual force to push the emitter down against the pill.

I was pleased with the Civictor beam without reflector mod. So I removed the pill, applied some blue locktite on the threads down where the pill rests, and turned the pill back down. When it reached the bottom lightly, I backed off an eighth turn. I installed a rechargeable AA and left it in the ON position until the loctite cured. This holds the pill in place, and makes sure that the flashlight continues to operate while it's curing.

Don't forget one more cleaning of the emitter before final installation. I accomlished this with alcohol on a swab.

Pictures of Civictor with Seoul emitter:

:rock: :bow:
Very Nice & Comprehensive mod description.

One question, How did you get to open the Civictor, I have been trying hard... and the Pill is epoxied....

/me woes never to buy any epoxied / potted lights ever again.

Very sharp needle nose pliers, patience... maybe some heat, patience... wiggle back and forth...

Great job, very impressive!

Yes. Thanks for the details. I'm anxiously awaiting 3 SSC-P4 U-bin.
Nice work.

So I would presume that the output from the modded Civictor and modded L1T now look about the same?

Man, I guess I'm lucky. I just got my L1T pill out with a pair of needlenose pliers. It only took about 5 minutes!

EngrPaul fantastico,
:rock:

nightrider said:

So I would presume that the output from the modded Civictor and modded L1T now look about the same?

Click to expand...

Yes, pretty much. The emitter in the V1 has a little bit less tint variation off-center, by luck of the draw or by slightly different position in the reflector.