SL 3AA LUXEON Kicks butt now--My first real mod!!!

I've messed with different bulbs/cell combinations in my Mag. But now I feel I've done my first "real" mod!! I have a SL 3AA Lux that I love. I use it as a head lamp with a head strap, for general navigation at night in the woods. Love the run time and power... But after reading CPF for a few months now, I couldn't leave well enough alone.

I purchased a R2L HD from the "Shoppe" replaced the stock Star which was a P1K. I removed the stock resistor 2.5 ohms and replaced it with a 1.5 ohm 1 watt resistor. Reassembled and WOW /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif This thing is 3 times the light it was!!! It's 2-3 times as bright, and the biggest difference is the focus/throw. The original star was a LD I think (kindof a flat top) The light focuses much, much better. I am getting less than a 12" bright spot at 10'+. and usable throw out over 100'. When I use it outside at night you can see the "beam" very pronounced! Before it threw pretty good, but more of a flood. There is less spill, but still enough to be usefull!

I am very excited about this mod., and now wondering whats next...?!?!? I'm thinking maybe doing a DD on my 3 cell Mag...? What would relly impress me now? Any suggestions??

Get a 3W TWAK emitter from Wayne J at elektrolumens. Cut down the reflector and use that DD. You'll have a super tight spot that will measure over 10,000 lux that will be very bright! Don't forget to heatsink well though!

Thanks for the suggestion IsaacHayes. Do I use a regular emitter instead of a Star if I want to use the Mag reflector. I want a real tight spot, and I want it to be direct drive. Where is the best place to get the heatsink I need. Do I need a Hotlips heatsink? Are others availible, if not where can I get the dimensions for one? I have access to a machine shop. I should be able to direct drive the 3W TWAK off of 3c or 3d right?

harebawl,how do you remove the resistor?

The resistor is on the rectangular shaped board the switch is on. You have to take out the retaining ring which is threaded and has a hex shaped i.d.. I used a 3/8 nut and socket to remove. then the luxeon star and holder pops out, the board with the switch and resistor has a battery contact tab on the backside of the holder. Bend tab straight, then it should slide right out. The first time I had to pull it out with some needle nosed pliers. After that it just slides out.

I am thinking of jumping the resistor and direct driving it....? I ran it for quite a while last night constant and it didn't appear to be getting hot at all.

Nice!

Has Mr. bulk seen this?

That sounds great. I'd like to replace the LED in my 3AA, too, but have never done anything like this.
How hard is it to replace just the LED-just take out the old one, and solder in the new one?
What does changing the resistor do-exchange more brightness for less runtime?
Thanks.

Owen, If you don't have a problem getting the retaining nut out, and you know how to solder, it is quite easy. Just take the old one out and solder a new one in. And you are correct about the resistor.

One note, looking at the light, the thin plate that the Star sits on is basicly a centering "holder". The heat transfer comes when the retaining nut pinches the o.d. of the star down against a shelf in the housing. So I would imagine you would want that retaining nut fairly snug when you re install it.

Thanks very much. I'm actually pretty happy with the light, except for mine is a bit yellow/green, and had thought about checking around here for someone to change out the LED, but I can solder(well, I have a soldering iron, and can do speaker connections, and stuff like that), so maybe I'll try it myself soon, and just follow your instructions for disassembly. It sounds pretty straightforward.
Thanks again /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Thanks harebawl for the info on how to remove the resistor.
Will try.
You ran it for sometime and it did not get warm.This is with the 1.5ohm right?How long did you ran it?

I swapped out the LS on mine for a Q3J HD ... in addition to two solder joints, I laid down a thin layer of Arctic Alumina between the star and the metal disk--very simple mod (right up my alley /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

the reflector did not really work very well with it compared to the stock low dome LS ... (black rings)

had a Fraen for 1W lying around (the big one, not the LP) from Elektrolumens--removed it from the white optic holder and it dropped right in like it was made for the light

this gives a nice bright surround to a larger hotspot than the reflector--this is how mine will stay /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

hideo

FBA- I ran for atleast 2 hrs. straight. Did not get hot at all.

Hideo- I found the HD focused to a much tighter better looking hot spot than the low dome. I haven't tried opening up the beam though. I was looking for a tighter spot.

Does anyone have an opinion on whether the R2L will take being direct driven by the 3 AA's?

Thanks harebawl.
You can try with 3AA direct drive but watch those heat build up.I have Mr Bulk Super LGI.It draws initial current of 1.4amp on new Alkalines and i don't know if it is direct riven.My guess is measure the current drawn and watch the heat.If the Tasklight heatsink can draws heat effectively then ot should be ok.If the heat gets too hot too hold better off it.If it is 'holdable' then i think it is ok.The risk is there.But it would be interesting to see how bright it is!!

couple of pics for those who are straddling the fence:

here's what you get from head disassembly:



only thing holding the LS in is too little metal tabs bent over the star

my stock light was very bright and a pale mint green and I was shocked to find a Q3J LD in mine--more binning LIES!!

the one on the left is the original--the HD one on the right is the current resident:



did the swap, added a thin film of Arctic alumina epoxy to improve heat transfer, crimped the LS back down (hope it's centered /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif), reassembled and was not happy with the beam (black hole).

reflector probably optimized for LD--looked at the optics collection and found that removing the white tripod base from a HD Fraen (mine from Elektrolumens) made it a perfect tight drop in



only 1W have that beats it is a Q3/BB500 in a 2D Mag that has that huge reflector cranking out that teeny, brilliant center spot ...

dominates my Aitec Collimator (also 4.5V DD but with a smaller, stubbier form factor) with a LP Fraen Q3J from the same batch

(where the heck is that beamshot anyway)

anyhow, this is a really nice and fairly easy switch for those adventurous enuf' not to return their pea-green SL 3AA

hideo

I've got a new LS (R2L HD) on the way, because of this thread, and some of that Arctic Alumina, so...what kind of beam do you get with the Fraen compared to the stock reflector?
Looks like you could easily switch back and forth if you wanted.
Thanks.

When I got mine all back together the R2L HD had a much, much better beam than the original P1K LD.... I wonder what the difference is??? I get a real nice tight spot, a little less than 12" hot spot at 10+ feet.

Hideo- What does your hot spot measure at 10' with the optics?

harebawl, about 12" just like yours with the reflector--corona extends another foot or so and basically no spill

beamshots:

Surefire E2E on left does not totally humiliate it ... the difference is less to my eye than to the camera



very bright R2H Madmax (2xAA) w/NX-05 on left



TL-2 LED on left--of course the photo does not show the spill of the E2e or the TL-2



hideo

Great beamshots Hideo!!!

I'm trying to find a good ranked 3w Star and gonna try Direct Drive! Should be quite a light in a smallish package if the 3AA's can do what the guys have been doing in the 3d's and 3c's DD! Might have to improve the heatsinking though....

Any beamshot comparison with Super LGI? I sold my Tasklight to get the Super LGI.

Wow almost same as TL 2.Interesting
Great beamshots.Thanks Hideo.