Successful Inova T3 mods?

G'day,

I've seen threads discussing the freezer method of disassembling the Inova T3, but it didn't appear that there were any instructions regarding the successful reassembly

I have a dead Inova T3 which would be quite a nice Cree host with the TIROS collimator - but it would be idiotic of me to pull apart the T3 and be left with a non-usable flashlight.

Should I just send it back to Inova for warranty? I live in Australia so that would be kinda expensive and time consuming... so the mod may be the way to go if reassembly is possible and effective.

So, anyone had luck fiddling with their T3 innards?

Looking at your signature you seem to be rough on your lights as for the Inova, I never tried the freezer method, but it seems to sometimes crack the reflector as well. But reassembly should be easy if you have a press.

If you wait long enough, maybe Inova would send the new T3 to you. I'm not sure if that would be what you would want though.

The TIROS optic is optimised for the Luxeon and won't work very well with a Cree emitter.

Maby you could fit something like a McR27XT reflector in a T3 with your Cree.

I'm pretty sure this would be a CPF first if you could make it work....Could be a killer light.

But if you do freeze-n-pop your T3, Inova isn't gonna send you a new one unless you send them a cheque first :laughing:

Good luck,


Tim.

Some modders have said that some TIROS optics do work OK with Cree (Like the Surefure L1 which Milkyspit puts a cree in, just that they will have a wider beam, which most people want anyway. And that may be good in the T3.
So try the Cree in the TIROS outside the light first, see what you get before you try to replace it with something more difficult to fit. In the T3, you will probably have to get a very deep reflector (MiniMag LED?) or move the LED forward, since the TIROS seems to be very long.
Of course you can drop in a Seoul Semiconductor P4 more easily...

Re: Successful Inova T3 (OR X03) mods?

Has anyone successfully modded ANY Inova X0 or T-series? Especially with Cree?

Anyone have one freeze-popped (opened) they want to sell me?

Successful Inova T3 Freeze-Pop!

I successfully freeze popped my T3 after four cycles in the freezer. The first cycle didn't budge it. I put it in the refrigerator both before and after the freezer to try and give my optic a fighting chance of not cracking because of what I read on another thread. The last two cycles the rubber button cover filled with water and blew up alarmingly like a balloon, but seems to have recovered OK and my optic is not damaged.

I tried the optic (out of the light) on a Seoul P4 in a 3C Mag and it seems to do very well. It looks to throw about as well as the Mag reflector, which is an amazing thrower. The spot is a little bigger than the original T3 spot. Now if I can just get the LED and driver out (they are very deep in there) and/or replace the emitter. I'm going to try it with a Cree before deciding on SSC though, just to see what it does. This will make one hell of a compact tactical/police light.

I noticed that there are tiny ridges on the top spherical dome of the optic. They seem to be causing the outer rings in the beam because the bottom part is smooth.

i put an SSC in my T1. i found the optic not suited to the cree at all. the SSC is not perfect and the beam is floodier than before but i did get roughly 80% more overall output than before.

I modded my T4 with an SSC and the optic worked perfectly. With the cree I did not get a good focus at all.

The only issue was to get the SSC into the cone which meant raising the emitter by about.030 for the correct height.

Bill
Massachusetts

BTW
My T4 did not use any epoxy for the emitter. Just solder and compound. The swap went quickly, even though the emitter was recessed deep in the light body.

Good to hear guys!
How did the Cree look through the TIROS optic? Just wider, or were there artifacts?
I have seen how the SSC is more diffuse through optics. I had Milkyspit upgrade my TIR L1 with an SSC and it is totally diferent now, round versus square, and has a some spill. I think because the SSC silicone dome is somewhat diffusive, it makes the emitter seem a little bigger.

needforspeed said:

My T4 did not use any epoxy for the emitter. Just solder and compound. The swap went quickly, even though the emitter was recessed deep in the light body.

Click to expand...

So you de-soldered/soldered it in place? I have been trying to think of a way to press the whole LE out without damaging the board. I heard that some people damaged it taking it out, so I was going to drop a plastic bag down the battery end, fill the very bottom with some hardening epoxy to fully cover the back of the board (since it is larger than the battery tube diameter) without sticking to it and not press on the piston, to press on as much of it as possible.
Maybe just freezing some water on the back of the board would do it? Then just press my wooden dowel on the ice? hmmmm....

For those who have modified INOVA lights before, how hard is it to do? I have a reflecter version of the T3 and id love to know how to modify it.

Just finished putting a U bin SSC in to my Inova TIROS X03. The job was straighforward from start to finish:-

Freeze popping - took three freeze-thaw cycles to remove bezel

Removal of light engine - knocked out with a socket and extension.

Removal of Luxeon - straightforward...thermal grease only holding it in place, no epoxy. I wrote on the light engine to mark the cathode and anode positions. The anode side on the luxeon has a hole in the metal tab the protrudes.

Addition of SSC. It was evident from looking at the technical drawings of the leds that there is a slight difference in dimensions between the SSC and the Luxeon, in the hiegh of the unit from the bottom of the slug to the shoulder around the dome and also to the top of the dome. As best I can tell the SSC is approximately 0.7mm shorter at both the shoulder and top of the dome, which is by coincidence about the thichness of the copper in a 1/2 in pipe. I took a snip of copper from some old pipe, hammered it flat, and cut it with snips to the size of the slug in the underside of the SSC, filed and polished to a fine finish andthe exact thichness. I used a small amount of thermal paste on each side of the copper slug to bed the SSC, on top of the copper slug, in to the recess on the top of the light engine. The diameter of the SSC makes it a perfect fit in the recess so centering is spot on. The anodised finish on the light engine is an electrical insulator so there is no risk of grounding the slug on the SSC. The anode side on the SSC is marked by means of a nick out of the metal tab.

Two quick dabs of solder, just enough to get it to flow on to the leads, and it was ready to press together, first pressing the light engine in to place using a socket.

The end result: Beam shape is very much as the original, but considerably brighter. In the same region as a Fenix P1d CE, not as bright as my Jetbeam Mk11x on maximum.

Hey Julesb, I saw you mention in another thread you SSC'd this X03, glad to see you posted your post with method and result.
Did you modify the optic at all? I am thinking about shaving 0.2 to 0.3mm from the back of the optic to refocus it.

Blindasabat said:

Hey Julesb, I saw you mention in another thread you SSC'd this X03, glad to see you posted your post with method and result.
Did you modify the optic at all? I am thinking about shaving 0.2 to 0.3mm from the back of the optic to refocus it.

Click to expand...

No changes to the optic. With the copper slug the fit between optic and SSC seemed snug...plus I didn't think of it

Very informative julesb, thankyou.
Do you think this is something a first time modder could do?
Also how did you replace the bezel?

Did you take pictures? Id really love to do this mod. Would you be willing to help me do it?

See the link above for pictures - from another CPF member. It is my first mod, and was not too difficult. As for replacing the bezel, I just pressed it back in to place using a large vice with cloth on the jaws, having made sure that the light engine was already pressed fully home. I'll gladly give you a hand - but be warned I am no expert!

What link above?

Only problem would be that I have a new T3 with a reflector, not TIROS.

Thermal grease = thermal paste? Can buy from the hardware store?

Ive heard about silicon being used, you didnt need any? Im not sure of the purpose either of silicon.

Where is good to buy CREE or SSC LEDs and which type do i need? Star or bulb alone? From my understanding the star just acts as a heat sink right?

Thanks a lot.

eyeeatingfish said:

What link above?

Click to expand...

good question. I think there were some links somewhere - migh thave been another thread.

eyeeatingfish said:

Only problem would be that I have a new T3 with a reflector, not TIROS.

Click to expand...

Mod should be about the same, just with less chance of breaking your optics... wait a minute... no chance!

eyeeatingfish said:

Thermal grease = thermal paste? Can buy from the hardware store?
Ive heard about silicon being used, you didnt need any? Im not sure of the purpose either of silicon.

Click to expand...

good questions

eyeeatingfish said:

Where is good to buy CREE or SSC LEDs and which type do i need? Star or bulb alone? From my understanding the star just acts as a heat sink right?

Thanks a lot.

Click to expand...

CPF member Photonfanatic in the dealer forum or the Sandwich Shoppe. You need an emitter, Inova uses it's own heat sink that presses into the body for better thermal transfer than a star.

For above, read below, sorry! Here are "download"'s pictures of the freeze popping process.


https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/97753

Blindasabat said:

good question. I think there were some links somewhere - migh thave been another thread. Mod should be about the same, just with less chance of breaking your optics... wait a minute... no chance! good questions CPF member Photonfanatic in the dealer forum or the Sandwich Shoppe. You need an emitter, Inova uses it's own heat sink that presses into the body for better thermal transfer than a star.

Click to expand...

So you just get the stand alone LED and solder it to the existing board?

Also what bulb is best? SSC or CREE, then there are different kinds, for example, you used the Ubin... what is a ubin?

eyeeatingfish said:

So you just get the stand alone LED and solder it to the existing board?

Also what bulb is best? SSC or CREE, then there are different kinds, for example, you used the Ubin... what is a ubin?

Click to expand...

That's right, a bare led, not one on a star. The Seoul SSC P4 is the right shape to fit with only a small shim to raise it tot the right height. The Cree is not the right shape - I have tried it and so have others.

"U" bin refers to the brightness - I think it means it's very bright!