Wiggle
Flashlight Enthusiast
I'm considering updating my bike light setup. Currently I have two modified DX MTE P7 based lights, they are direct drive modified to run off an external 4 x 18650 battery pack (parallel cells obviously). I've been feeling lately like I could optimize my lumens/runtime by updating to XML. Since the XM-L has a lower forward voltage I cannot do a direct emitter swap, not to mention I'd like to add some mode changing capability.
I am quite comfortable DIYing. I don't have much metal working experience but can do basic things like drilling holes in panels. Wiring is no problem, I have alot of experience with DIY electronics of smaller and medium sizes.
I'd like to keep the budget around $100 (battery pack already supplied). And would like to have output in the 1000 to 2000 OTF lumen range, so a multiple XM-L light should do this. What are my best options here?
One option I've looked at is taking 2 of the Shiningbeam Blaze lights and extracting only the head/light engine and integrating it into some kind of enclosure. For $30 each I can't do much cheaper and it has modes that are fine with me. I was thinking take these two heads, mount them into a medium sized aluminum enclosure (heads mounted in free air for cooling) and wire them up inside the enclosure. Including a dedicated switch to close the connection needed for head-based switching on these lights. Only question then is how to mount it?
Any ideas?
I am quite comfortable DIYing. I don't have much metal working experience but can do basic things like drilling holes in panels. Wiring is no problem, I have alot of experience with DIY electronics of smaller and medium sizes.
I'd like to keep the budget around $100 (battery pack already supplied). And would like to have output in the 1000 to 2000 OTF lumen range, so a multiple XM-L light should do this. What are my best options here?
One option I've looked at is taking 2 of the Shiningbeam Blaze lights and extracting only the head/light engine and integrating it into some kind of enclosure. For $30 each I can't do much cheaper and it has modes that are fine with me. I was thinking take these two heads, mount them into a medium sized aluminum enclosure (heads mounted in free air for cooling) and wire them up inside the enclosure. Including a dedicated switch to close the connection needed for head-based switching on these lights. Only question then is how to mount it?
Any ideas?
