LED replacement process

I was wondering what the process is like to replace an LED that came in your light with a "custom" one. For example if you want a high CRI or neutral light but the manufacture did not have that. I have seen some nice LED offerings from Nichia. I have soldering and basic electronics skills so if it is pretty easy to just desolder some connections and re-solder I might think about it.

0. Find out what the driver's maximum current is. Check that your LED is appropriate.
1. Measure the PCB the LED sits on. This is usually a wafer of metal that makes it easier to handle the LED, electrically and thermally.
1. Get your LED on an appropriate board as above. The height is quite important for good optical performance. This may require careful measuring and sanding of the PCB.
2. Take out the old LED, install the new LED and attach the wires.
3. Secure the LED.
4. Re-assemble the light.

You may notice changes in optical performance and low-level modes. This is common. Donut holes can be alleviated somewhat by careful adjustment of LED position. This is why it's great to get an exact PCB match.

Sounds easy enough on paper, I am sure that it is much more complex in reality. Any chance there is sort of a generic guide to how the lights are put together to do this sort of work? Also I assume this should be done in a clean room environment to avoid contamination of the lens area.

I'm looking to start doing some simple swapping of reflectors first , then get into tweaking PCB as I get more familiar with these new generation LED torches & Batteries. Thanks for the list of things to look out for as things get more complex 'AppleSnail.

The lights & other stuff I'm working on will be getting attached to these camera mounting platforms.






If you are going to be doing semi precision work on anything you value , make sure you have a dedicated work desk to work on. Good lighting , ventilation & organisation etc will help keep catastrophic destruction away when working with live ammunition. I have yet to see what a fully charged 18650 Battery can do under short circut conditions but I bet it is not pretty.


JB

Watch for O-rings, dust, and touching the inside of optics. Now is your chance to improve thermal contact and check solder joints. Be careful not to overheat nearby solder points!If you avoid all optical surfaces, now is a good time to add glow powder or glow-rings. Never put it on an optic's paraboloid or the LED dome unless you plan to have the beam altered.Dust doesn't hurt performance much until it's a carpet. Centering the LED and correctly seating the optic or reflector are more important. Just generally minimize contact with the optical bits.Research teardowns and rebuilds of your light or similar ones. Ab given manufacturer will have similar construction. Learn how to loosen and tighten body sections safely, and how to take loctite off if needed. Good luck!