Got a lousy cree, want to make it better... how?

So I got a crappy, dim cree. I want to do my first "mod" and make it bright. How can I go about doing this.
Do I need to buy a new LED? New board? What? Where?
I'm completely clueless and any help to point me in the right direction would be well appreciated!

Thanks!

The simplest mod will be to remove the board and run the Cree direct-drive off of 1 14500 lithium ion 3.7v rechargeable battery. I'm guessing 150+ lumen at the emitter with this set up. Should have a relatively short runtime. I don't know how to do that though. A picture of the dissembled light would also help.

Good Luck!

Send it back.

Knot: There's no need to send it back. I bought it and it came as described. So I bought a crappy light, no one fault's but my own.

Gunner12: There's some pictures of it here https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/168746

blan said:

Knot: There's no need to send it back. I bought it and it came as described. So I bought a crappy light, no one fault's but my own.

Gunner12: There's some pictures of it here https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/168746

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Still no reason to accept a crappy light. It didn't come as described. I was expecting a CREE - something that was supposed to knock my socks off - not some 10 lumen POS. I'm sending mine back if it ever arrives. I didn't know it was that crappy until I saw these threads. I'm just going to refuse package return to sender. Besides, they told me if i'm not satisfied, to open a support ticket and contact them.

Try put in a 14500 lithium ion 3.7v rechargeable battery see if it brighter.

well, You got what You payed for, not?
So far ANY light I bought from DX was more or less what I expected. Very crappy lights there look like very crappy lights, even on the pics. Their "better" lights look better and cost a bit more (but still are crappy, threads and such, f.e.).
Then there also has to be a reason, other (respected) makers offer "more expensive" lights, not?

PS. dont let the light fool You.
Its the overall machining, the single AA (looks like one) that can not give enough power to the led and the circuit.
You cant blame the poor Cree for that. Give it power and it will fly...

MAN, I just looked at the link in that other tread!
Did You really think You will get a Porsche for the price of a Yugo?

That light is crap from the beginning, even considering DX' lower quality as "normal" this one is SHITTY AS HELL.
A light costing under 10,--, powered by just 1 AA ...
Even someone who has never ever used any electrical device in his life should not be surprised

Don't be unreasonable. Sometimes manufacturers offer great deals as a promotional deal. The ad amounted to false advertising. It lead one to believe - now anyone can have the legendary Cree LED output. Cree is known for great output but that's not what you are getting with this flashlight. They even have a gift box version of this POS. I would be embarrassed to give this flashlight as a gift.

You can get a POS with a Porsche engine and it will still go fast at least. The light does not perform like a Cree should. I would not want my LED marketed in such a fashion if I were Cree.

I'm perfectly satisfied with all my other lights from DX. However, discussing the light was not the point of this post. In any case, I've talked to someone more knowledgeable and he pointed me in the right direction.

I'm going to buy a driver and see how that goes.

blan said:

However, discussing the light was not the point of this post.

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You should know threads are like normal conversation, it ebbs and flows on the topic and off.

You could have just asked how to modify a light without bringing up how crappy it was in the first place.

If possible, can you take a close up picture of the Cree module(the picture on the thread wasn't focused correctly). Then it will be easier to tell how to remove the drive/regulator and run it on a 14500 battery.

You don't need new driver, just put in the 14500.

blan said:

I'm going to buy a driver and see how that goes.

Click to expand...

Gunner12: Here you go


glockboy:
I read that doing that would fry the current board in half a second so I'm hesitant to do it.

Try bypassing the board entirely, as Gunner12 suggested. One way to do this would be to carve a couple small notches in the edges of the board and just reroute the little wires past the board to the battery contact areas. You could figure out which goes to positive and which to negative by touching the wires to a Li-Ion, or a few series-connected alks. Then put it all back together and insert a 14500. If the heatsinking is poor or nonexistent, you should still be okay using it in short bursts.