My first Mod! Streamlight 3AA Luxeon Task Light

I ventured into unknown territory today (well unknown fo me). My first attempt at a mod. Relatively speaking it would have been simple if I didn't have 5 thumbs and two left hands. It probably didn't help that I just bought my first soldering iron today either.

The plan was to replace the unknown bin low dome in my Streamlight 3AA Luxeon Task light with a high dome Q3J I picked up from Hotbeam (thanks Hotbeam!).

I figured out how to take it apart and unsolder the led but soldering in the new one took quite a while because my hands had to act as clamp/heatsink/iron holder/solder holder. I have very little equipment yet.

It took 3 attempts at positioning the positive lead so it wouldn't ground against the retaing ring but I did it. And I only managed to burn my fingers 3 times (once while I was writing this to see if it cooled down yet). I never even burned the dome on the led, but if you were watching me it looked like I was trying.

It's all back together now and working. Big difference in colour and throw! Much whiter now and with the bezel unscrewed a couple of turns it has a very intense hotspot that can clearly impose itself on the hotspot of my TL-3 Led and is about half the size.

Gotta go and get a coffee, I have newfound respect for all you modders who make much more complicated mods and make it look so perfect.

Dave

Re: My first Mod!

Cool Dave! Now that the door is open, you never know what might come in!! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

- Don

Re: My first Mod!

Thanks Don, all those mods that you make that were a little pricey for me now look like a real bargin. I wish I had the skill to build one of those McLux PR heads that you came up with.

I just looked at the low done that came out of the light. It is a N3L. No wonder there was a big difference. I wonder if the new emitter will last, I never looked at the resistor that is in the light. Hopefully the voltage isn't too high.

Re: My first Mod!

Neat idea I was wondering how that reflector would work with a high dome. Thanks for risking your light and sacrificing your fingers /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif can you show us some beam shots?

Re: My first Mod!

I have no way to host them. I just took the light outside and it does throw considerably better than it did with the old led.