Modding a Dorcy 3D

I have a Dorcy 3D I would like to modify with a more modern emitter. The light can be seen in this post:

http://candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=141978

I'm looking for recommendations on the emitter, circuit board and place to order (I assume DX). This is my first mod so any help is greatly appreciated!

I modded one of these with a Seoul SSC P4 and a thin aluminium spacer. It had slightly better performance then a Mag with a Malkoff drop in. It is quite possibly my best throwing LED light, and the one I grab for any "bump in the night" situations.

Funny, I'm planning the same thing (Dorcy 3D mod). I just emailed Will from the thread you quoted I love the heft/feel of my Dorcy, but I'd like to modernize it.

My guess after all my research is that you can use the existing resistor (1.3?) in the Dorcy and drop a CREE Q5 board from dealextreme (~$9 shipped) into it..if I read that post right. Will mentions needing a .030 spacer to make it work well with the Docry reflector. Not quite sure where that spacer goes (I'm a newb), but I asked Will. I'll post here when he replies to my PM. This will be my first mod, so I'm hoping for something simple.

take care & good luck,
Tec

I did both of mine about six months ago. I used Seoul u-bins from DX. I did not need a spacer in them and did not change any of the electronics. By far, my longest throwing lights! Also, the spill becomes much brighter. I've been running mine on 4AA alkalines for extended periods without any problems at all. 4AAs make the Seoul modded Dorcy "Silly Bright" and much lighter! Very easy mod!

I did have to shorten the spring to run 4 Cs and AAs.

fishx65 said:

I did both of mine about six months ago. I used Seoul u-bins from DX.

Click to expand...

Fish, is this the one you went with?

take care,
Tec

TecNine:
I'm curious to hear what Will has to say about the spacer so thanks for posting back to this thread. The link you have to DX is the Seoul I intended to use but am open to any other suggestions including a Cree. I assumed from research the Seoul would provide a better beam?

Walt175:
Can you elaborate on what you used for a spacer and where you actually put it? Also, did you use the existing resistor?

fishx65:
Running on 4 c's sounds like fun - would extended runs damage the emitter?

By the way, I also have a LED Beam 3C collecting dust so if this first mod goes well, I may have to open that one up!

Tippy,
I used the stock resistor. I didn't need to change a thing. I cut a spacer the same diameter of the star out of a scrap piece of aluminium I had. I put it between the star and the heatsink.
The light was pretty good without the spacer, but it had a donut hole in the beam for the first few feet. This showed me the led was not quite as focused as it could be. By putting the spacer underneath I was able to raise the led up a little and focus it better. I didn't mind the hole all that much. A few months went by between the time I upgraded the led and when I put in the spacer. You may not even need one.
This was such a great yet easy mod, I just wish I had done it earlier!

As far as the Ledbeam, I modded that one before my Dorcy, and I HIGHLY recomend that mod as well!

Tech, Yes, that's the one. I picked up a bunch of those and a few bare emitters. Both of my Dorcys focused very well without the need for a spacer.

I ran these lights with 4aas for over 3 hours while tracking deer at night with no problems at all.

I could not get a cree to work with this smooth reflector.

The best part of these Seoul mods is the huge increase in spill brightness.

I'm not a big fan of huge lights but I use these Dorcys a lot!

Walt175,
Thanks for the info. Glad to hear I don't have to mess with the electronics on this first mod. I'll try it first without a spacer and see how the beam looks.

What emitter did you put in the Ledbeam? I was considering this one:
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.2026
I feel the light is pretty bright in stock form. Would this emitter be much of an improvement?

fishx65,
Your experience with the Cree reaffirms my opinion that the Seoul would work better in this light. Also glad to hear it provides more spill. I don't care for the stock Dorcy tight beam.

Tippy, it will still have a tight beam and the same spill but the spill brightness will be dramatically increased.

I was not that happy with this mod until I ran it on 4 Cs or 4 AAs. Just changing the emitter makes it brighter then stock but not by that much.

Tippy, I used a Seoul star I got from Photonfanatic off the BST for the Dorcy, and a bare Seoul emitter from him for the Ledbeam.

Here's a great old thread about a Dorcy 3D mod.
https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/141978&highlight=dorcy