Re: Eagletac M3C4 XP-G to XM-L, getting more out of it
Got it! I'm too lazy for pics, but you take out the 3 screws on the contact plate on the back of the head... hold the spring loaded contacts with one finger, else everything will go flying when the last screw is taken out! Have a parts box handy to put it all in. When the plate comes off, make an index mark by one of the screw holes on the contact circuit board so you get it back in the same way, AND remember which holes the screws go in. You'll easily see what I mean.
The magnetic ring just pops off. Remember the orientation on the magnet to make sure you get the ring on the same way when you reassemble.
Driver is on the other side of the board. It is wired to another small circuit board which is a junction for the parallel wired LED's. This small board is glued in place with thermal paste. Just carefully pry it up-there will be a big screw underneath which holds in the reflector(s), just like the KD/DX generic multi-emitter dropins. You can gain access to the emitters then. You will have taken off the front bezel BTW! WARNING! Hold the reflector while taking out the screw, else it will twist and shear off the domes!
Reason I did this: I wanted to mod it with the XML's from my smoked Skyray. Wasn't gonna drop money I didn't have for another factory light. The OP XP-G reflectors focus them nicely, but of course the XM-L's are woefully underdriven, no brighter than the XP-G's they replaced-just a better tint and bigger hotspot.
Notes: On the driver board there is a trimpot which you can fiddle with which adjusts the minimum low setting-nice! Also, there are several empty pads where resistors can be configured/added/deleted. I would love it if anyone here has experience with modding this driver for more current or has done anything to get more out of it. Please, the more comments the merrier!
While I was at it, I got rid of the crap wire and rewired the stars (12-14MM BTW, they are recessed) with Teflon wire.
I welcome any assistance or comments-reassembly went fine-but I'd really like to hear your thoughts.
Rich
