Nuwai Q3 Disassembling

I want to upgrade my Nuwai Q-III with a Cree Q5. I've read that the head unscrews with proper heating to melt the cement. How to properly heat the head without melting the polycarbonate lens? How much heat (hot water, heat gun, gas torch)?

My Q3 is about 1-2 years old. Will a new driver be required? Any good ones with only a high and low mode? I've seen lots of 4 and 5 modes from DealExtreme but they are too complicated to use.

:welcome:

Welcome to CPF Dave!

I double bagged mine in ziplocs and threw them in boiling water for a few minutes. IIRC, it took a couple times as I didn't want to trash them. I also used a strap wrench and a small vise. You'll need a snap-ring wrench or aneedle nose pliers with small tips to unscrew the reflector.

I have no real usable input on the driver at this time. I put an SSC in one of mine with the stock diver and it works just fine. A mineral glass lens is worthwhile also, not sure where to get one.

I recently saw that a Rebel version of the Q-III is due. Claimed to be HA no less.

Go over to the Homemade and Modified Lights Forum and type in Q3 in the forum search at the bottom of the page. There are a number of posts on modding this light.

I'm not a big poster here, but this is the same thing that got me started on CPF... so i thought i'd add my 2 cents

I did as Niteowl says, put it in a couple of plastic food bags, soaked in hot water from the kettle for a few mins, then using rubber gloves to protect from the heat, simply twisted the head off. I never managed to get the reflector out, but i was able to grip the head in a 3 jaw chuck and turn the base of the reflector down to open the hole, to fit the cree in.

Mine's now running on RCR123's with the stock driver and a cree P4 from DX

The only concern i have with mine is it's not heatsinked that well. I carry a Fenix P2D RB100 now but the Q3 still remains one of my favorite lights

Good Luck and welcome to CPF!

Heat the head using a hairdrier for a few minutes, then use a pair of leather gardening gloves and plenty of muscle. You may also need a jumbo sized tin of ' Popeye Power Plus - It's not for Wimps' spinach!

John L

I put mine on top of a 2KW oil-filled electric radiator, with a towel over it for about 20 minutes. When I remembered it was there, I wrapped some rubber sheet strips around the head and body. Took a good hard twist but it all came apart.

Thanks for the advise. Now I have to learn all the terms: RCR123, IIRC SSC but will have fun learning and modifying the lights. I have a Romisen RC-C3 that only draws 0.5A but is much brigher than the Nuwai Q3 at 0.9A draw. Still like the Nuwai's shape, housing quality and clicker. Will need to modify it to make it more efficient.
Thanks again.:twothumbs

Re: Nuwai Q3 low efficiency of driver circuit

The battery drain is 1A at 3V, while at the LED (SALW 0046544 4704LXHLLW3C Luxeon ) is 0.12A at 1.52V. The driver is an OEM C300-AL5W. Is the driver defective? If the driver is that inefficient, then will it be able to drive a Cree Q5? Any recommended driver (20mm in diameter)?

DaveLED

Re: Nuwai Q3 low efficiency of driver circuit

I used a heat gun for a couple of minutes, then I gave the head a good twist and it came open. You'll also have a similar issue with the black retaining ring that holds the LED star in place. Again, a little bit of heat and and an E-ring wrench did the trick.

Re: Nuwai Q3 low efficiency of driver circuit

daveLED said:

The battery drain is 1A at 3V, while at the LED (SALW 0046544 4704LXHLLW3C Luxeon ) is 0.12A at 1.52V. The driver is an OEM C300-AL5W. Is the driver defective? If the driver is that inefficient, then will it be able to drive a Cree Q5? Any recommended driver (20mm in diameter)?

DaveLED

Click to expand...

Hi Dave,
If you measured the current by inserting the meter in series with the LED (disconnected the LED from the circuit and used meter to connect the two) and are only getting 0.12A, then something is wrong. If you had power connected to the circuit without a load (LED) connected, then the circuit could be damaged from that. You should see 0.75A or a little less (depending upon which version of the Q3 circuit that is) with around 3.5V (give or take).

Many people have used a 0.75" Flupic driver for their Q3 to add multiple levels. For that driver you need to use the higher voltage rechargeable cells (not primaries). If you just want a stock board someone in custom/modified B/S/T might have one to offer.

Niteowl said:

I recently saw that a Rebel version of the Q-III is due. Claimed to be HA no less.

Click to expand...

Nice. That really brings back memories. It was one of my first lights.

Better heatsink info

https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/117681

Re: Nuwai Q3 low efficiency of driver circuit Any cheap but very good driver

mudman cj said:

Hi Dave,
If you measured the current by inserting the meter in series with the LED (disconnected the LED from the circuit and used meter to connect the two) and are only getting 0.12A, then something is wrong. If you had power connected to the circuit without a load (LED) connected, then the circuit could be damaged from that. You should see 0.75A or a little less (depending upon which version of the Q3 circuit that is) with around 3.5V (give or take).

Many people have used a 0.75" Flupic driver for their Q3 to add multiple levels. For that driver you need to use the higher voltage rechargeable cells (not primaries). If you just want a stock board someone in custom/modified B/S/T might have one to offer.

Click to expand...

I took the LED lead off and had the Amp read between the Leads. The Q3 has never been that bright compared to a Coast LED flashlights. The Voltage across the LED was only 1.5V. I was suprised that the LED even lit at 1.5V.

My cree p4 with 2 123 has 3.5V across the diode. It works so I don't want to desolder any wire connect to measue the amps.

Any DX drive to replace the Q3 driver.

To be more clean on the amp draw. It was done correctly


+ source break connection to LED then:
+ souce <amp meter> LED -negative source

for voltage
positive source --LED-- negative source
voltmeter to positive and negative source.

My Q3 drive looks bad but why does the LED still lights with only 1.5V and 0.15A?

I don't believe DX has a drive with that big of a board. You could take the components off of the QIII board and use it for just pos and neg contact. Get a thin DX board like the 7135 and wire it up in the middle. There should be enough room.

The converter may have high frequency components in its output, causing your meter to read incorrectly. It's possible the meter itself is even limiting the current to the LED. Long leads (such as are introduced when attaching the meter) are often a no-no when connecting these boards to the LED. :thinking: