TK45 XML Upgrade?

Even though love for the tK45 seems to have died out I'm still using mine daily at work and loving it. I can't help think how much better it would be with an XML upgrade though. Just wondering if anybody has tried this? I haven't done anything like this, so I'm not sure if it's just matter of soldering in new LEDs or if it's more complicated than that.

Thanks!

g.p. said:

Even though love for the tK45 seems to have died out I'm still using mine daily at work and loving it. I can't help think how much better it would be with an XML upgrade though. Just wondering if anybody has tried this? I haven't done anything like this, so I'm not sure if it's just matter of soldering in new LEDs or if it's more complicated than that.

Thanks!

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You can just put them in, but it would only be a small brightness increase, and the beam would get floodier and lose some throw.
The thing with the XML is that it doesn't give very much more than an XPG unless you drive it harder. The higher drive currents is what give the XML its "ooomph", and if you just use the same driver that was driving the XPG, you will only see some small increase from the XML, and you'll lose throw. The beam will be somewhat floodier closer in, because the larger XML emitter won't be focused the same way as the smaller XPG in that same reflector. And so, the extra lumens that you will get with the XML will mostly be spread out wider in flood, and you might not see much brightness increase by eye at all.

You could try it, but I wouldn't expect a lot from it unless you change the drive current up to 2-3 amps.

I was worried that it would have to be driven harder, which would probably be a big project to make that work. I expected that it would be floodier, but that would actually be good for my work. I did notice while I was searching around that there is a knock off of the TK45 that uses XML LEDs.

Maybe I'll see if I can transplant the LEDs and drivers from one of those into my TK45.

Thanks for the help!

g.p. said:

Even though love for the tK45 seems to have died out I'm still using mine daily at work and loving it. I can't help think how much better it would be with an XML upgrade though. Just wondering if anybody has tried this? I haven't done anything like this, so I'm not sure if it's just matter of soldering in new LEDs or if it's more complicated than that.

Thanks!

Click to expand...

I still love my TK45. Best possible interface: on/off button, level button. Two different buttons for two different concepts! No double-click, half-click, press-and-hold, or any of the other "brilliant" and "clever" and "innovative" UIs we so often hear about. A good flashlight UI is one that can be figured out in a couple of seconds, by a novice, in the dark.

XP-g2 in that light would be a much better upgrade. It would not only be higher output but also a fair bump in lux as well.

I still have and really like the floody TK45. It is too difficult to get the heads off and replace the LEDs wioth XPG2 LEDs unfortunately. It would be great if Fenix just released an update to the light with the XPG2 but don't hold your breath.

flashflood said:

I still love my TK45. Best possible interface: on/off button, level button. Two different buttons for two different concepts! No double-click, half-click, press-and-hold, or any of the other "brilliant" and "clever" and "innovative" UIs we so often hear about. A good flashlight UI is one that can be figured out in a couple of seconds, by a novice, in the dark.

Click to expand...

Funny, that's the one thing I'm not impressed with. At work I need to cycle between turbo and high a lot. I hate having to cycle through levels that I don't need. I don't need to do it with some of my other lights that only have one switch, so surely Fenix could figure out an easy way to do it with two switches. I'm not worried about novices using it 'cause I don't lend my good lights (especially to novices)!

you may break the bezel when you disassemble the head of the TK45