Ebay MXDL 1Watt..fixes

I picked up one of these for short money. First..horrible beam with bad rings...the emitter is too far below the refector. Second..flickers after a minute or two.
First issue involves disassembly..these have some epoxy on the threads for the head. Get 2 hose clamps..the type with worm screws. Wrap a piece of rubber around the head and apply a hose clamp. Do the same for the body. Place the light..body down..lightly in a vise. You do not need to clamp down on the light...just prevent it from turning. Then..using some large channel lock type pliers..GENTLY twist the head. It will break free and unscrew without damaging the finish. Remove the reflector and place an oring between the lens and reflector..trial and error here. The object is to lower the reflector around the emitter. I now have a VERY nice, white beam..soft edges and nice spill...no more ugly rings. Second..remove the battery holder..remove batteries. Gently, using a small screwdriver...stretch the springs straigt up. By lenghtening the springs, you're making better contact with the positive terminals. This little light now works very well and is my current edc.
Unfortunately, I'm at work and no camera available.

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unclearty said:
I picked up one of these for short money. First..horrible beam with bad rings...the emitter is too far below the refector. Second..flickers after a minute or two.
This little light now works very well and is my current edc.


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Great job -
I love reading posts like this where a little thought and minor adustments or modification can make a light that was "horrible" to something that's at least acceptable.

Was the MXDL 1-watt one of these?

PLEASE!! post some pics... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif I'm not too familar with all the english technical voculabuary

Yes, indeed..the black one, in fact.
I'll try and borrow a camera and mock up my technique.

UnknownVT: do you own one of them? if yes, hwo does it compare to the S1801 you own?

Ok..here is a bad pix showing what I did to disassemble this little bad boy:

You should apply some thermal compound around the base of the emitter since it wasn't epoxied to the board with thermal epoxy. Should extend the life of the LED.

Dave

Thanks for the pics..

Do you have a photo showing "some large channel lock type pliers" Thanks!

Oh yeah, one more request...can you take pics once diassemble.. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

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VPOwer said:
UnknownVT: do you own one of them? if yes, hwo does it compare to the S1801 you own?

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Sorry no I don't -

The reason I checked this thread was because I'm interested in the 3-Watt MXDL Luxeons on eBay -

there are quite a few listed - that cost less than $20 shipped (from Hong Kong) -




Someone apparently got a really bad one as in the top photo....

I have both model you showed..
Be carefull..there's some with the on/off switch..the others have the twist tail-cap style

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VPOwer said:
I have both model you showed..
Be carefull..there's some with the on/off switch..the others have the twist tail-cap style

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Thanks for that info -
which only have the twisty on/off cap?

Because both the ones shown in the photos seem to be the clickie on/off type.......

If you have both 3-watt Luxeons in the photos (and others?)
what is your opinion of them. please?

Thanks,

let me take some pics tonight.

as the quality, i'm not a pro...But I can compare them to differents Maglite.

I got two of these from Ebay, the first was great - white light with a slightly pink tint... but the second one was a really dull green colour.

Nice looking light, but a bit shoddy on the inside... it is cheap! Useful spread of light, but nothing like my T3!

I just received two of the 3 watt model, black, with the fluted head. The flashlights I got do not contain Luxeon emitters.

The unit is direct drive and the low dome emitter is mounted to a white PCB marked Kerui in script.

I cleaned up the emitter (soldering flux goo) and added a little RS heatsink compound to the threads of the emitter holder and the head threads. No glue on the threads of either light. The item was advertised as hosting a three watt Luxeon star. The added heatsink compound seems to help as now the head warms up. I am fairly sure it is not a 3 watt emitter.

I bought one of DaGunn's 1 Watt non-MXDL lights but it's kinda comparable due to the price (he offered them for $13 or $15 shipped). Mine was kinda pink and my reflector wasn't aluminum, but it is a very nice and very bright light for the price. I've had several non-flashlight junkies comment on how bright the light seesm for the price. The beam comparisons he posted shows his light to have a much less ringy beam than the MXDL and a nice hotspot which is exactly what the light I got from DaGunn is like.

Just because I'm a cheapskate, I am kind of interested in the 3W MXDL. Nylyte, you say the 3 watt doesn't even have a Luxeon at all? Or not a 3 watt? Interesting.

3Watt emitter photo was Re: Ebay MXDL 1Watt..fixes

It seems not to be a Luxeon at all.

It looks like a white low dome "UFO" with two holes drilled in a circular aluminum disk. The emitter leads are soldered to a conductive gold plated bowtie shaped overmask that is overlaid with white with solderable contacts left exposed. Their is a "+" symbol etched into the contact for the anode. The circular white aluminum pcb is press fitted into a roughly machined aluminum collar which threads into the head. A portion of the collar will interface with the broad aluminum base of the reflector.

The emitter itself looks to me like a low dome Luxeon, but it is not a pre-fabbed "Luxeon Star" as advertised and pictured.