I want to start modding!

Hi everyone


Firstly like to say that this is truely a GEM of a forum, and thanks to everyone whos helped me out.

I want to start modding lights. Firstly, could someone somehow explain to me how to determine the output of different LED. seoul semiconductors, crees etc, how the "bin" thingy affect the leds, how the wattage etc affects stuff...im clueless!

and, my first mod, i think i want to make the infamous surefire E1E mod to a high power led. The way i see it, if a P1D-ce can pull 100++ lumens out of a CR123A battery, shouldnt a modified E1E be able to? if not, can someone explain to me why not?

And yes i have searched for the mods, but i dont understand what thier talking about, and buying a P1 just to put it in an e2e will be my last resort.

Basically, i want a torch with the build of a surefire, and the output of the SUN (or as close as possible)

any help at all will be very much appreciated



Crenshaw

Some SF lights are not very easy to get into, might have some casualties. Good Luck in your new career...:twothumbs

:welcome:Crenshaw

The easiest way to mod an E1e (famous host btw) is this drop-in-module:

https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/172990

I'm very happy with my E1e-mod:

https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/157529

But I can tell you, without a lathe it's a challenge

Best regards

____
Tom

My first (major) mod was a Maglite modification, was to make a 6D 'Roar of the Pelican' (ROP). This is a really beautiful incandescent modification that will probably be the most powerful flashlight you own. It involves dropping a few parts into a Maglite, that is all.

I have since made a 2D ROP using the Pelican Big-D SLA bulbs, Fivemega aluminium reflector and 6AA to 2D adapter, and Nosram VTEC 2700mAh AA NiMH cells. I love this flashlight because it is small, yet pumps out around 700 lumens out of the front end. Being rechargeable, it is guilt-free lumens.

.

first of all: You are starting with the wrong light!

When You are not into modding till now, better get something bigger with more space inside. Learn Your things and THEN start going into confined space

Then, what lacks most lights, is SURE heatsinking (and LOW low mode). Thats why I started modding.
Place emitter and reflector together and measure size. Open the mod light and look how much space is there. Then get an aluminium sheet as think as possible to act as heatsink - press fit into metal body of the light.
Thats all possible with just some hand tools but a lathe would help very much (I dont have access to one )

The easier the host, the easier the mod
(f.e. if the head can be disassembled front and back and so on)

That paritcular SF is not meant to be short running / high output, thats why it does not follow the possible specs of the led.

Now to the bins...
as has been asked several times in the last 2 weeks the general bin stands for the ouptut (at the same current) and the tint for the color of the light (more on the yellow <-> blue side). (There is a tread in "led" (iirc), about 2 weeks ago, where the different tint-sheets were postet).
Seoul names their emitters "P4" and the output of them is "S", "T", "U" ("U" = brightest)
Cree names their emitters "XR-E" and the output "P3", "P4", "Q1-5" ("Q5" being brightest)
output is more or less identical of these two, because Seoul uses the emitter plates of Cree, "just" the beam angle and construction is different. Seoul work good with the ceap IMS reflectors, while for Cree ONLY Sandwich Shoppe's McR-XR reflectors are really good (among them the 19 mm is best imho)
Luxeon answered with their Rebel (100 Lumen brightest by now)

Current: more or less all of them can stand up to 1 A (if they are heatsinked good) and any light running on less is definitly less bright than advertised

Power: depending on Your power source there are quite some circuits available (sandwich shoppe again, or taskeld, or ...)
I do recommend purchasing one of them because building Your own one is not cheaper but much larger and no guarantee of good working.

PS, my advice:
get a 6P if You want the machining quality if SF, have the body milled to accomodate an 18650 Li-Ion and
a) get a led insert for it, or
b) put Your own homemade one (with much better heatsinking!) into.
This light offers way much space for playing around with some parts available but still is very small
(if You think You are good, try the same on an Inova T1) :evilgrin07:

What he said ^^^^^^^^
Start with a few easy mods first, then work your way up to the more complex mods.