knoedler
Newly Enlightened
This evening I modified my blue Fenix E05 by replacing the original LED (CREE XP-E?) with a Nichia 219. I had been looking for a good host for the 219 and after finding a German web page describing how to do it I gave it a try. The German web page:
http://www.taschenlampen-forum.de/modding/17495-fenix-e05-nichia-219-high-cri.html
The steps that I used to modify the light:
1. Clamp a curved vice grip around the serial number, protecting the finish with a paper towel (and leaving the head on the light and battery in place to reduce the risk of crushing the light)
2. Use the curved part of a pair of normal pliers to remove the front knurled section (again protecting the finish with a paper towel). I didn't need to heat or cool the head to break the thread lock.
3. Clean the thread lock residue off of the threads
4. De-solder the wires to the Cree star. I had originally wanted to save the star with the XP-E attached, but didn't succeed in that. The wires were quite short and near the XP-E. I ended up using the soldering iron to push the wires off of the pads after I had melted the solder. In the process I heated the star up enough to de-solder the LED as well.
5. Prepare the new Nichia 219 star. I don't have a reflow set-up so I ordered a 10mm Nichia 219 star from:
https://illuminationsupply.com/nichia-nvsl219ath1-4500k-92-cri-b10-bin-10mm-p-158.html
5a. I used a small round file to enlarge the 1/2 circles at the edge of the star so there was enough space for the existing wires.
5b. Sand/file the edges of the 219 star so there are no protrusions and so that it will fit in the E05.
5c. I used a drill and the small round file to enlarge/shift the holes so that the optic spacer/aligner would fit with the new star
5d. A larger file and fine sand-paper were used to attempt to thin the 219 star. The 219 star was significantly thicker than the XP-E star. I gave up on this as a file does not thin a star very fast!
6. Use a small file to adjust the optic spacer/aligner to sit flat on the 219 star. The solder bumps on the 219 star caused the optic spacer/aligner to not sit flat.
7. Apply thermal paste and put the new star in place making sure to align the + with the red wire.
8. Carefully solder the new star in place. Do not apply too much heat as that could damage or de-solder the Nichia 219 from the star.
9. Place the optic spacer/aligner on the star
10. Screw the knurled front portion of the light back on.
After doing this the light didn't screw back together all the way. The thicker star meant there wasn't enough space. So, I removed the optic spacer/aligner and screwed it back together. This meant that steps 5c, 5d, 6 and 9 were not really necessary. Without a spacer the bottom edge of the optic does show some scuffing.
I am generally happy with the modification.
The original E05 had a large smooth hot spot. The modified E05 has an even larger hot spot. Even with the optic spacer/aligner in place the hot spot was larger. I was not expecting that.
Light lumens lux
Modified 18? 80
Fenix E05 27 170
Fenix E01 10 80
Thrunite Ti 60 450
Lumens are from the manufacturer, lux are my measurements at 1 meter.
The 219 seems to have more of a warm yellow tint than I expected. It obviously looks better than the purple tint from the E01, but the original E05 and the Thrunite Ti had a nice white tint that I prefer. Compared to a high-CRI 4Sevens Mini AA the modified E05 looks white while the Mini AA has is even more warm/yellow. The real test will be how the modified light renders difficult subjects - cooked meat from the BBQ, sore throats, etc.
http://www.taschenlampen-forum.de/modding/17495-fenix-e05-nichia-219-high-cri.html
The steps that I used to modify the light:
1. Clamp a curved vice grip around the serial number, protecting the finish with a paper towel (and leaving the head on the light and battery in place to reduce the risk of crushing the light)
2. Use the curved part of a pair of normal pliers to remove the front knurled section (again protecting the finish with a paper towel). I didn't need to heat or cool the head to break the thread lock.
3. Clean the thread lock residue off of the threads
4. De-solder the wires to the Cree star. I had originally wanted to save the star with the XP-E attached, but didn't succeed in that. The wires were quite short and near the XP-E. I ended up using the soldering iron to push the wires off of the pads after I had melted the solder. In the process I heated the star up enough to de-solder the LED as well.
5. Prepare the new Nichia 219 star. I don't have a reflow set-up so I ordered a 10mm Nichia 219 star from:
https://illuminationsupply.com/nichia-nvsl219ath1-4500k-92-cri-b10-bin-10mm-p-158.html
5a. I used a small round file to enlarge the 1/2 circles at the edge of the star so there was enough space for the existing wires.
5b. Sand/file the edges of the 219 star so there are no protrusions and so that it will fit in the E05.
5c. I used a drill and the small round file to enlarge/shift the holes so that the optic spacer/aligner would fit with the new star
5d. A larger file and fine sand-paper were used to attempt to thin the 219 star. The 219 star was significantly thicker than the XP-E star. I gave up on this as a file does not thin a star very fast!
6. Use a small file to adjust the optic spacer/aligner to sit flat on the 219 star. The solder bumps on the 219 star caused the optic spacer/aligner to not sit flat.
7. Apply thermal paste and put the new star in place making sure to align the + with the red wire.
8. Carefully solder the new star in place. Do not apply too much heat as that could damage or de-solder the Nichia 219 from the star.
9. Place the optic spacer/aligner on the star
10. Screw the knurled front portion of the light back on.
After doing this the light didn't screw back together all the way. The thicker star meant there wasn't enough space. So, I removed the optic spacer/aligner and screwed it back together. This meant that steps 5c, 5d, 6 and 9 were not really necessary. Without a spacer the bottom edge of the optic does show some scuffing.
I am generally happy with the modification.
The original E05 had a large smooth hot spot. The modified E05 has an even larger hot spot. Even with the optic spacer/aligner in place the hot spot was larger. I was not expecting that.
Light lumens lux
Modified 18? 80
Fenix E05 27 170
Fenix E01 10 80
Thrunite Ti 60 450
Lumens are from the manufacturer, lux are my measurements at 1 meter.
The 219 seems to have more of a warm yellow tint than I expected. It obviously looks better than the purple tint from the E01, but the original E05 and the Thrunite Ti had a nice white tint that I prefer. Compared to a high-CRI 4Sevens Mini AA the modified E05 looks white while the Mini AA has is even more warm/yellow. The real test will be how the modified light renders difficult subjects - cooked meat from the BBQ, sore throats, etc.
