SL Scorpion LED with SSC P4! Beamshots and Pics!

SWEEEET!!! I just got my USWOI SSC P4 from AW last night. I hadn't planned to do anything last night, but needed something to counter the frustration from work, so I plugged in my soldering iron and went at it.

In stock form, the SL Scorpion LED is only about 35-40 lumens (mine was about 40, my friend's is a bit lower output than mine). I replaced the emitter with a TWOH LuxIII which upped the output to about 60 lumens (estimated based on bounce comparisons with my Huntlight FT-01, which the Scorpion LED often looked a tad brighter). I removed the TWOH LuxIII, put in an aluminum ring spacer cut off from a crimp terminal (not ideal I know, but all I had around) that's about .035" thick with some thermal compound and on went the SSC P4. When I first fired it up, it looked dim and got dimmer as I held it on...I thought I fried the LED or something, but later found out it was my batteries were dead (oops). Threw in fresher batteries and BAM!!! Brightness!!! The Scorpion LED's head is made very well for throw. It generates a really nice tight hotspot, but also good spill light. With the TWOH LuxIII, it easily out-threw my Huntlight Ft-01. Now with a SSC P4, it's just amazing! Really bright hotspot and very bright spill. It makes my FT-01 look dim. And no rings or anything, perfectly focused with a super tight hotspot like with the Lux's. Tint is slightly green, which I like (I prefer green and yellow tints). I'm just amazed at the output. The emitter's being driven at about 680mA, so not too bad.

I think the Scorpion LED is really an under-rated light, both stock and in its modding potential. The reflector is really nicely made, especially for throw. The head comes apart in 2 pieces to easily access the LED module, and if someone could make a new module/canister to allow the use of your own driver, it'd be even nicer. And don't forget, a TRUE MOMENTARY CLICKY!
Anyways, I hadn't planned on posting this up today, but I'm just so excited about my Scorpion LED.

PICS!! The tint isn't really blue, just what I had my camera adjusted to. It's actually a slight green tint which I like.

Full Exposure: Left = Huntlight FT-01 / Right = Scorpion LED SSC


-1 Exposure: Left = Huntlight FT-01 / Right = Scorpion LED SSC


-2 Exposure: Left = Huntlight FT-01 / Right = Scorpion LED SSC


Other pics






Ok, that's it for now...imageshack is taking a pooper right now.

Re: SL Scorpion LED with SSC P4!

I have 2 Scorpion Leds that I picked up for $55. I thought they had great beams
in stock form. An underrated light for sure. Now I can upgrade, hooray! Do you know
if the runtime is about the same?

Re: SL Scorpion LED with SSC P4!

Runtime should be pretty similar. The driver is a voltage regulator. The lower the VF of the LED, the more current and lower runtime, but with the stock LuxI, I remember measuring about the same current, maybe a bit less, so the new setup should give very similar runtime.

I agree about the beam...the Scorpion LEDs have one of the nicest beams, which is why I focused on modding it. The LuxI wasn't allowing the light to reach it's true potential. The great reflector design really should have some nice emitter to make use of the beautiful beam and amazing throw.

Re: SL Scorpion LED with SSC P4!

Can you run the Scorpion with one 3,7V battery?

Alex

Yeah, a 17670 will run the Scorpion just fine. I ran my Scorpion head on 1x R123A for a long time using a VG FB1 body (see my sig Vital Stream Scorpion-FB1).

Pics added!

I'd like to upgrade my Scorpion LED with one of the SSC-P4 stars found here...

https://www.candlepowerforums.com/posts/1869785&postcount=1

Did you have to open this (photos below) to do your upgrade? If so, please tell me how you got it apart. Thanks.

Gannz,

Unfortunately, the LED module is a sealed unit. You need to cut away the black cross (+) piece that covers the leads to access the emitter so you can swap emitters. You need to lift the emitter at least 30 mil to focus, but once all is done, it's a beautiful beam...very tight, bright hotspot for great throw but bright spill also.


BTW, I did an output comparison between my Scorpion LED SSC and my Jet1 MKI 14500 and Huntlight FT-01. The Jet1 on a 14500 is about 75 lumens, and the FT-01 is about 60 lumens (LuxIII version). My Scorpion LED SSC seemed equally bright (ceiling bounce test) to both my Jet1 and FT-01 combined! Really like this setup, and I love the momentary.

JSR,

I don't see how the star can come out by just cutting the black cross so I guess you just swapped the actual LED? You didn't swap the complete star? Did you just cut the cross enough to get to the solder joint? Looks like you could almost get the LED off without cutting the cross. Where did you find to be the safest place to cut out? Any photos of the completed LED module and/or process would be appreciated.

Also, what do you think between the H or I SSC P4 for this setup? I like the higher output of the H but I don't want it to be too blue. Do you think the I is too blue? Did you use the I b/c the H was not yet available?

Thanks for your help. I've been searching the forums and trying to learn but all the mods I've seen have removed the star from the module (not that we have that option).

Gannz,

Here's a pic of the module. I completely cut out the black piece. You cannot access the leads with a soldering iron without removing it. I didn't replace the star, I replaced the emitter only.

Oh, and I got an "I" bin only because "H" wasn't available. I'd go with an "H" ideally.

Hi JSR, One more question before I start... What can I use to do the cutting? Can you just use a Dremel w/ cutting disc or will that throw dust on everything? Thanks for all your help and patience.

I used wire cutters to snip it. Try to cut it as close to the edge (metal) as you can to give yourself as much room as possible to solder the leads. I'm sure there's a better method, but I have limited and crappy tools.

jsr,
is the star epoxied/sealed in the head.It looks kind of in the pictures.Could you easily swap out the whole star too?

Alex

jsr said:

I used wire cutters to snip it. Try to cut it as close to the edge (metal) as you can to give yourself as much room as possible to solder the leads. I'm sure there's a better method, but I have limited and crappy tools.

Click to expand...

Good call. The wire cutters worked perfectly. I made six cuts at the narrowest points to remove the bulk of it and then trimmed the remaining plastic surrounding the leads with a utility knife. Here's what I have after cutting out a round shim (~.035" thick) from the crimp terminal (still needs thermal compound).


I hope this doesn't void my warranty. :lolsign:

You used a ring terminal? Which would be better? Is heat dissipation the only concern?

I didn't have any use for the old emitter so I cut it off at the feet and left them on the star. I'm thinking it gets me closer to level with the shim and everything will match up better when I go to solder the new emitter. Is this okay or should the old feet be taken off and the new ones soldered directly to the star?

Nice mod! SL's sure are easy to mod. Did my Stinger LED with the Seoul P4 and waiting for the KLC8 LED to put in my other Stinger LED. Did not use a heatsink in my mod tho. The SSC seems to run cooler. When I complete my KLC8 mod I will post for all!

light_emitting_dude said:

Did not use a heatsink in my mod tho. The SSC seems to run cooler.

Click to expand...

I think the main purpose for the cutout crimp terminal is to shim the emitter up a little higher. This allows the new emitter to focus properly with the existing reflector.

But... since it's in there we're also considering what it's going to do to the thermal dynamics of the new setup. I don't know enough about thermal properties to know if it would be better to use a ring terminal that's hollow in the middle or to use the solid shim I cutout. If I had to guess I'd say it probably doesn't make that much of a difference and I should just move along. This is what happens when you're still waiting on the new emitter to show up.

Yeah your right Gannz. I thought I might have to do that with my mod but I was satisfied with the results. The SSC was slightly different in dimensions than the lux 3 but the KLC8 looks even closer in dimentions to the lux 3.

I'm suprised I don't see that many mods with the KLC8. Mods with the SSC seem to be dominating lately.

boef800 - the Star base is sealed in the module, so no removing it. I removed the emitter...much easier.

Gannz - your shim is better as it will make contact (with some thermal grease) with the entire slug. However, I honestly don't think it makes enough of a difference to notice. Many people are worried about thermal concerns, but as long as the LED isn't being driven super hard, I doubt anyone will notice a reduction in output or lifetime. It shouldn't hurt leaving the leads from the Lux in there as long as there's adequate solder around the SSC leads.

light_emitting_dude - the Edison KLC8 is actually an easier mod as it's die height is higher than the SSC P4 and Cree XR-E and thus focuses perfectly in existing Lux-based reflectors. The reason, I believe, most have not flocked to the Edison LED (and the same reason I didn't) is because CPFers have reported the Edison LED has a bit lower assembly quality and shows a yellow/green ring of light around the outter perimeter of the spill beam (corona). Most people don't like this. I also chose the SSC P4 because I could get a lower VF than what's currently being offered in the Edison Edixeon here on CPF. I have not done any Cree XR-E mods as I prefer my mods to be reversible and Cree XR-E requires modification to existing Lux-based reflectors, as well as the additional steps of clipping the edges of the rectangular base, not shorting out the silver ring, etc. I find the SSC P4 much easier for me to mod with.

AHHHH. Now I think I've got it. Since the star IS the heatsink this would be the best shim/conductor...



Cut from a piece of 3/4" tubing .035" wall. Yummy.

I know this thread has been dormant a couple months, but it's the most recent one I could find on this topic.

I just did this mod earlier tonight using a Seoul from DX, and it's so cool! The beautiful beam pattern that I drooled over in my review is the same, just a lot brighter. It throws about as well as a ProPoly, but it has a lot more corona and spill, making it much better as a general use light than the ProPolys, which are best for long-range spotting.

I snipped the black plastic piece, and I didn't remove the excess material at the outer edge; I just had a slightly more interesting time getting the Seoul properly seated. I also used a small part of a quick-release connector as a shim (like Gannz did), sandwiched between layers of AA epoxy. I Dremeled a bit out of the bottom of the reflector, and then blew the specks out. Blowing up into the reflector didn't move the specks and fogged the window, however, so I switched to a rubber squeeze duster bulb I got for a buck at Harbor Freight. That immediately cleared up the fog and eliminated the plastic specks.

It's really fun doing ceiling-bounce comparisons with this light.

Does anyone want pics?

Of course! Share your work!

I just redid this mod as I used the USWOI I had in there for a friend's mod and picked up a USWOH to replace it. Damn, it's nice. Throw is amazing and output is equally nice. There's no need to remove material from the reflector as it doesn't touch the contacts and isn't conductive.