Help me fix/ upgrade deffective Cree XML T-6

Hello !
Im new to the forum so sorry if post this on the wrong thread

I just bought a cree xml t6 http://www.ebay.com/itm/140657729607?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649

When I turned it on the first time it lit up for about 5 seconds and died off. now it doesn't power on at all.

the seller agreed to refund me instead of exchanging it.

So I was hoping I could get this to work if I can figure out it's just the Led maybe get one from ebay or is there a better place? and soder it back in ? or could it be something wrong with the board?

I tested the two soder spots next to the led and they read 3.xx volts so Im thinking it's the led


Also if there is a more powerful Led might as well just go with that?

Thanks for shedding light on this subject.

budget is 25 bucks
also this will be used for my delivery pizza drivers at my pizza restaurant.

You can try a new led... about 10 bucks for an xml on a star (check the original size for ease of fit). (xml is pretty much the darling led of the moment, power-handling wise.) If you're going to tear it apart, check the voltage once more with the led actually removed, just to doublecheck that it's the led.

Ebay, dealextreme, kaidomain, manafont, shiningbeam... lots of choices out there. Use thermal paste under your new star.

My only caution would be that there might be something wrong with the driver that cooked the led, so you could be throwing good money away...

Like borrower said could be the driver. If it is the driver then you may be able to replace it with a shiningbeam 8-amc7135 2800ma board. 3 modes low, med and high. They are several places that sell this driver. Google search amc7135 2800ma. The boards are 17mm. They work very well with a single 4.2v li-ion battery.
Look for XM-L U2 bin led. Highest bin so far.

One last idea: if that's a C8 body with a threaded pill (as opposed to a push-in) and you don't feel like soldering, you can get a built xml pill from intl-outdoor dot com. Search "c8 module" -- there's only the one result. (Just be sure to check the specs on the webpage against what you've got.)

Thanks guys
I think I will just go with a C8 module then.

Is there any way I can get a c8 module with a U2 led?
Also I purchased one of these c8 extension tubes http://www.ebay.com/itm/170740657985?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649 will that work with it?

rkstar9 said:

Thanks guys
I think I will just go with a C8 module then.

Is there any way I can get a c8 module with a U2 led?
Also I purchased one of these c8 extension tubes http://www.ebay.com/itm/170740657985?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649 will that work with it?

Click to expand...

No, The amc7135 based drivers need less than 6v input. So two li-ions is out. Runs very well on one li-ion. If you want to run two 18650's you'll need a different driver.

Oh snap

I really wanted to use that extension tube since I allready bought it. I don't mind soddering stuff together or spending extra $$

What would I need to get it to work with 6 v?

Maybe this driver from kaidomain sku S005296. They also have xm-l u2 leds.

Couldn't you just drop the voltage to the VDD pin of the AMC7135 by adding a resistor, a zener diode and an N channel transistor?

Mike S said:

Couldn't you just drop the voltage to the VDD pin of the AMC7135 by adding a resistor, a zener diode and an N channel transistor?

Click to expand...

Using a linear regulator to knock off the extra voltage of the 2nd battery you added would be pointless, unless you want your light to double as a hand warmer while its running too. An XM-L and an AMC7135 driver would be able to run full power to 3.45V or so under load and down to 3.2V under load at a reduced current no problem, Your run time without overdischarging the Li-Ion cells would be the same if you added a 2nd one.

Thanks for the Reply's Guys

moderator007 said:

Maybe this driver from kaidomain sku S005296. They also have xm-l u2 leds.

Click to expand...

I like this solution.

I'm just afraid it wont fit or it wont work cause you said maybe!

Or am I being dumb and should just just buy another Flashlight in the same price range?

Mike S said:

I see. I thought the OP was just looking for a way to drop the voltage so that the AMC would function properly. That's how other linear LED drivers drop the voltage, but the AMC doesn't show it in the datasheet.

Click to expand...

]
It would work, if you drop the voltage to < 6v on the VCC, and it would already be < 6V on the 'out" pin on the AMC, youre in the voltage specs, but assuming a 2800mA board, the XM-L would be ~3.3 V, leaving 5V for the AMC chip to eat up with fresh lithium batteries, and 14W of thermal dissipation in the driver, and only ~9.3W to the LED. Vs .9v, and 2.5W with only one Li-Ion cell.

If youre fittin to burn up 25W in a flashlight, I'd suggest an SST 50 instead

The KD S005296 driver suggested looks like itll work electically, cant verify if it would fit in the threadstarters host or not.

rkstar9 said:

Thanks for the Reply's Guys


I like this solution.

I'm just afraid it wont fit or it wont work cause you said maybe!

Or am I being dumb and should just just buy another Flashlight in the same price range?

Click to expand...

The driver is 17mm in diameter. Which should work in the C8. The depth for the driver would be my main concern. You can usually trim the driver diameter a little to make it fit if its to tight. The reason I say maybe is because I am not sure. It would be best to measure the space in the pill, diameter and depth to see if it would fit. My best guess is it will fit. Electrically it will work with 2 li-ion's.
Maybe some one else here has modded the C8.

Ok I ordered those two items...we will find out for sure 2 eons later when it gets here form hong kong!

rkstar9 said:

Ok I ordered those two items...we will find out for sure 2 eons later when it gets here form hong kong!

Click to expand...

There having there new years celebration. So it could be a month or two even though I hope not. I have never ordered from KD during new years celebration so maybe there faster than DX (hence the month or two).

It says it's back orered..so I don't know wat to do

rkstar9 said:

It says it's back orered..so I don't know wat to do

Click to expand...

Try here, still in china but maybe not back ordered. Lck-led does offer a discount to cpf members. I have ordered several times from them and been happy so far.

I finally received the driver and LED and I can't seem to get one of the wires from the driver to soder along with the LED star.

I bought soldering paste but I still cannot get it to stick to the star. the solder seems to adhere to the wire just fine tho. I am using a 15W soddering Iron.

are there any tips out there to get these two together?

If you put a little dab of soldering flux on the solder blob. Then heat just that blob will it flow or does it just stay solid? Shouldn't take more than a few seconds. The soldering iron I use is a cheap harbor frieght 30 watt. If your in the states they can be had for about 5 bucks at HF. Your soldering iron may not have enough heat for it to work properly. And make sure the iron's tip is clean before you try to solder. If you got one to work then the other should work to though.