Disassembled: Inova T3 for upgrade

Nitroz · Jul 24, 2009

I used the freeze and pop method to open the T3. This is is and interesting optic that is used in the T3 and I will be doing some testing with various LEDs to see what is going to work best for the upgrade.

By looking at the heatsink this could be a little challenge using the newer power LEDs. I might have to fashion a pedestal for the new LED to mount on.

I am at work now, but I will take some pictures of the guts when I am at home later. I will also update as this upgrade progresses.

Bimmerboy · Jul 24, 2009

Subscribed! :thumbsup:

Looking forward to this as I have a TIROS T3, and was wondering what to do with it. Hoping a SSC drops right in, and provides a Luxeon-like beam.

Nitroz · Jul 25, 2009

Here's the pictures of the light disassembled.

This is the order that the parts go in the light. The right being the first part in and the left being the last part.

The same parts lined up how they would look inside the light.

A closeup of the regulator.

Top view

Another side view of parts assembled.

One more of the cool plastic lens

More to come once I settle on an LED.

yellow · Jul 25, 2009

wonder that the driver looks like new, with all my freeze-pop they got cracked, the led slammed and stuck into the optic, ...

... I'm in the same stage as You are: deciding on led.
Have a T3 bored for 18650 for almost a year now. Not sure if MC-E, or - now - waiting for the new XP-G.

imho skip the original sink + skip the optic (but I dont like optics anyway).
ideal Heatsink = round aluminium plate as thick as possible and in a diameter to be press fit into the body.
+ without the large optic and with a shorter focusing device, 2*18500 could be used to power the mod up. That way even an MC-E is possible, because of enough input voltage for the drivers.

Nitroz · Jul 25, 2009

yellow said:
wonder that the driver looks like new, with all my freeze-pop they got cracked, the led slammed and stuck into the optic, ...

... I'm in the same stage as You are: deciding on led.
Have a T3 bored for 18650 for almost a year now. Not sure if MC-E, or - now - waiting for the new XP-G.

imho skip the original sink + skip the optic (but I dont like optics anyway).
ideal Heatsink = round aluminium plate as thick as possible and in a diameter to be press fit into the body.
+ without the large optic and with a shorter focusing device, 2*18500 could be used to power the mod up. That way even an MC-E is possible, because of enough input voltage for the drivers.

I did a bunch of quick freezes instead of really long ones. I remember hearing that someone had done the T3 and it had cracked.

I am going to play with the XP-E and the XP-G if I can get one. I don't really want to use the Seoul LED because I am tired of using those for mods, I want something new and brighter.

Good luck with your mods!

bogeymachine · Jul 26, 2009

Ny0ng1 · Jul 27, 2009

subscribed! Please update us on the trial and errors

and thanks for sharing it with us

Nitroz · Aug 10, 2009

I did some testing with a Q5 XP-E and the T3 optic, it looks very promising. The optic fits completely over the XP-E LED and focuses really well, I would take pictures but all I have is my camera phone and it's just not worth it with that.

The next part is operating on the heat sink and getting the height correct.

One tough decision is do I wait for the XP-G, or use either the cool white Q5 or the neutral white q3 in this one. :banghead:

kramer5150 · Aug 10, 2009

Is that an OEM optic or is it proprietary for Inova?
:thumbsup:

Nitroz · Aug 10, 2009

kramer5150 said:
Is that an OEM optic or is it proprietary for Inova?
:thumbsup:

Proprietary as far as I know. It the most interesting optic I have ever seen.

cyberspyder · Aug 21, 2009

Ahhh, you have a TIROS too

I was thinking of a newer LED and maybe a new driver board, who knows. Since it's a clicky, maybe a 3-5 mode board?

Nitroz · Aug 22, 2009

I have a T1 and T2 Tiros that will be getting the XP-E neutral tint. I have also polished the bezel on the T3. I think I will keep the stock board because of the nice flat runtime.

I was waiting on the XP-E boards to reflow the neutral XP-Es to, and when I received them from Kai they were XR-E boards.:hairpull:

Here's some bling of the polished bezel.

cyberspyder · Aug 22, 2009

So the XP-E should be more efficient and brighter then. What about MC-E?

Nitroz · Aug 22, 2009

cyberspyder said:
So the XP-E should be more efficient and brighter then. What about MC-E?

Most definitely! It's possible that the MC-E could work with the optic but I don't have one to test right now.

Illum · Aug 22, 2009

the inova optic is designed for the luxeon die...I know because CREE + TIROs sucked:shakehead

Ones I tried that works
Luxeon K2
Luxeon I
Luxeon III
SSC P4

Ones I'd consider passing
CREE XR-C

Ones I'd not consider
CREE XR-E
CREE MCE

Nitroz · Aug 22, 2009

Illum said:
the inova optic is designed for the luxeon die...I know because CREE + TIROs sucked:shakehead

Ones I tried that works
Luxeon K2
Luxeon I
Luxeon III
SSC P4

Ones I'd consider passing
CREE XR-C

Ones I'd not consider
CREE XR-E
CREE MCE

The K2 is nice but to get alot out of it you need to push it, the stock board at 700mA just isn't going to cut it, hence the reason why I am going to use the XP-E.

The stock board is a good match for the XP-E. I will work on some beam shots of the XP-E tonight if I can.

The stock optic would not fit over the XR-E ring I imagine, and I'm sure that would look awful. With the XP-E the optic sits over the LED and works quite well.

Illum · Aug 22, 2009

Nitroz said:
The stock board is a good match for the XP-E. I will work on some beam shots of the XP-E tonight if I can.

I don't have an XPE sample or I'll test it for you:candle:

TIROs on a CREE yields a bunch of concentric rings with a near aspheric projection of the XRE die in the middle...:green:
the XR-C works because the quare die works out as a "pinpoint" hotspot:shakehead

On second thought the Lux V works great...the MCE though has these werd artifacts

Nitroz · Aug 22, 2009

Illum said:
I don't have an XPE sample or I'll test it for you:candle:

TIROs on a CREE yields a bunch of concentric rings with a near aspheric projection of the XRE die in the middle...:green:
the XR-C works because the quare die works out as a "pinpoint" hotspot:shakehead

On second thought the Lux V works great...the MCE though has these werd artifacts

So what LED do you have in your Inova now?

Illum · Aug 22, 2009

Nitroz said:
So what LED do you have in your Inova now?

I freeze popped my XO3, somewhere along the line the driver died [probably during the boiling part when freezing didn't force the driver board out]

I've just tested different LEDs while holding the TIROS in my hand

cyberspyder · Aug 22, 2009

Hmmm, so what to get then guys? P7?

Disassembled: Inova T3 for upgrade

Flashlight Enthusiast

Flashlight Enthusiast

Flashlight Enthusiast

Flashlight Enthusiast

Flashlight Enthusiast

Newly Enlightened

Enlightened

Flashlight Enthusiast

Flashaholic

Flashlight Enthusiast

Enlightened

Flashlight Enthusiast

Enlightened

Flashlight Enthusiast

Flashaholic

Flashlight Enthusiast

Flashaholic

Flashlight Enthusiast

Flashaholic

Enlightened

Similar threads