Stipple my LOD-CE??

I have received my new LOD-CE and I really do like the light however it does have a halo and a few rings in the beam. Yes I know it is picky however I would have got the Rebel version with the textured reflector however I like the Crees for more consistent tint but again they do not offer the Cree with a textured reflector......so my problem is the smooth reflector in the LOD-CE.

I have read that the reflector is so small it would not matter if it were smooth or textured the halo and rings are just luck of the draw. I really do not see how that could be and am considering removing the reflector and spraying a light stippling of clear coat to the reflector and try to smooth it out a little. My question is does anyone think this would make any difference with the very small LOD-CE reflector because if not I will just leave it as is and not risk messing it up. The light is very nice and the rings are a minor issue so again I do not wish to ruin a decent reflector however if it may help I will try....any ideas?

Robocop said:

I have received my new LOD-CE and I really do like the light however it does have a halo and a few rings in the beam. Yes I know it is picky however I would have got the Rebel version with the textured reflector however I like the Crees for more consistent tint but again they do not offer the Cree with a textured reflector......so my problem is the smooth reflector in the LOD-CE.

I have read that the reflector is so small it would not matter if it were smooth or textured the halo and rings are just luck of the draw. I really do not see how that could be and am considering removing the reflector and spraying a light stippling of clear coat to the reflector and try to smooth it out a little. My question is does anyone think this would make any difference with the very small LOD-CE reflector because if not I will just leave it as is and not risk messing it up. The light is very nice and the rings are a minor issue so again I do not wish to ruin a decent reflector however if it may help I will try....any ideas?

Click to expand...

Stippling will smooth out just about anything, but on the L0D it'll probably kill the throw a lot more than you would like. A more reversible change than stippling is to put a diffuser film on the inside of the lens. If you don't like what the film does to the throw you can always remove it.

If you can't get the head off the L0D, or don't want to risk damaging the light by trying to get it off, you can use a tough screen protector film from a PDA, and just put it on the outside of the lens. A film with a slightly textured appearance will knock the edges off the rings and smooth out the hot spot without cutting down the output too much.

Another option is to make a removable diffuser. Then you can have the best of both worlds, a really floody beam when you want it, and you can take it off to restore the original throw. Just find a cylindrical cap that will fit over the end of the light like a lens cap on a camera lens, then cut out all but the rim and insert a perfectly circular disk of diffuser plastic in the center. I got this idea from my mini-mag, which came with a protective rubber boot for the head of the light and some colored plastic lenses. Seeing these colored lenses gave me the idea to cut a diffuser disk the same size and add it to the set for when I wanted a really smooth floody beam. At first I found it hard to locate a suitable plastic diffuser material, but it turns out that the crinkly textured plastic on the bottom of clear CD/DVD cases is absolutely ideal.

I've found rings in the 4 LOD CE's I've had.

I wouldn't mind the idea of putting on a diffusion film, just not sure how easy it is to open one up...

I do have both a L0D CE and a L0D Rb80. The beam in the latter is definitely much cleaner and free of rings and artifacts but surely with less throw.

I agree with Luminescent when he says that stippling the L0D's small reflector could ruin your light so I also suggest that you try some film applied over the lens. What about that film that is used in the fridge to wrap up food? Because here it is now full daylight I can't try it immediately but I plan to do it later tonight.

I have found a very nice solution that is not permanent......I just purchased some tape for wrapping gifts and it is made by Scotch and is labeled as satin finish. It is almost clear however has just a slight touch of haze to it and works perfect for cleaning up my beams.

In the past I have used the matte finish and it made for a very smooth beam however killed almost all throw. This satin tape seems to be perfect in that it seems to reduce the throw maybe 10 percent.

I simply placed it on the front of the light with no trimming to test and it works perfectly. If I can do it I am going to try and place it on the outside of the reflector and trim it slose enough to screw the reflector back into the light so that the tape is on the inside of the lens. If I decide to remove it later it will be as easy as removing the reflector and peeling it off. I did not wish to place it sticky side to the glass inside the bezel as it would be very hard to reach inside and remove it later....hey wait a minute I just realized the small glass lens comes out also....ok now it is perfect.

I really cant believe it was this easy and try the satin tape if you have some.

On a side note I really did want the rebel however I am more picky towards tint than actual output. I have long believed a lower output crystal white beam "looks" brighter than a more warm yellow tint beam with greater output.

I have seen a few Rebels that had the type tint I like however every Cree thus far has been more of a "white" tint for me. Regardless this LOD-CE is now exactly what I was hoping for with a simple modification....thanks for the help.

Was it easy tyo open up?

Actually it was easy to open up however I caution you to do so at your own risk. I have some rubbery type tape and I am not even sure where I bought it or what I used it for but it works perfect as it grips well and leaves no residue after and also keeps any scratches from showing when gripped with pliers.

I wrapped several layers around the bezel and also the body. I placed a socket inside the bezel that just barely fit and I did that to ensure the tube did not crush when using the pliers. I used no heat and the pliers were actually 2 pair of the smaller vice grip type. I got a good grip then checked to make sure the grips were not actually eating through the tape then gave a quick twist and the bezel came right off.....no dents nor scratches.

I have this weird thing where I like to be able to access any light I own so the first thing I usually do anyway is open them up. I know full well it often voids any warranty however it is a risk I will gladly take to be able to mod or improve my own lights. In this case it paid off well as I just placed the satin tape on the inside of the glass lens and my LOD-CE is now perfect for my usage and picky nature. Now I am very happy I chose the Cree over the Rebel as the tint is nice and white with no rings now.

Fenix really did a great job with this small reflector as it came from the factory and I kind of believe the rings are more a property of the emitter rather than the reflector...especially with this small size reflector. I wish I would have taken before and after pics however I may try to do so later. I kind of hate to do it all over again now that I have it just right.

Coolio, thanks. I never thought to do this and will likely give it a shot.

Satin finish tape eh? I have the matte finish so will have to look for some satin.

I have some rubber tape here n there. Now I have to go get some strap wrenches.

I am getting an L0D (luxeon) to mod, so this should help.

:thumbsup:

I did not have to use strap wrenches as the rubery tape was plenty thick when wrapped several times. It is hard to explain the type tape I used as it is really not sticky but seems to hold in place simply by friction somehow....it leaves no residue at all and cushions well with no teeth marks from the vice grips. I have no idea as to why I bought it or when I bought the tape however it seems as if I used it once when repairing a pipe connection on my water heater??....goog luck

gunga said:

Coolio, thanks. I never thought to do this and will likely give it a shot.

Satin finish tape eh? I have the matte finish so will have to look for some satin.

I have some rubber tape here n there. Now I have to go get some strap wrenches.

I am getting an L0D (luxeon) to mod, so this should help.

:thumbsup:

Click to expand...

Use the rubber strap wrench from CT, they should work well too.

Luminescent said:

I got this idea from my mini-mag, which came with a protective rubber boot for the head of the light and some colored plastic lenses. Seeing these colored lenses gave me the idea to cut a diffuser disk the same size and add it to the set for when I wanted a really smooth floody beam. At first I found it hard to locate a suitable plastic diffuser material, but it turns out that the crinkly textured plastic on the bottom of clear CD/DVD cases is absolutely ideal.

Click to expand...

20oz. pop bottle caps work *perfect* for this. They even come in different colors! No cutting required, that slip right on.

Do not that some are tighter than others.