UCL For Ultrastinger Quick & Easy

Have just finished installing a UCL in my US. This became necessary in order to use an upgraded bulb. A WA1160 will melt the stock polycarbonate lens in just a few minutes. Trust me on this.

After thinking about different approaches and what type of adhesive might be suitable I stumbled (very scientifically of course) into a very simple solution.

Step 1: Go to flashlightlens.com Flashlight Lens
Buy this lens: 55mm Shock Isolated UCL

Step 2: Remove the plastic lens or what's left of it. Easiest way is to drill a 3/8" hole in the middle and use needle nose pliers or side cutters to remove small pieces until the remaining part of the lens can be pulled out.
Be very careful to keep tools and plastic fragments from touching the reflector.

Step 3: Remove the rubber gasket from the new lens. Clean thoroughly. Make sure the reflector is clean. Flush with distilled water if needed. Insure that the stock o-ring is installed properly on top of the reflector. Center and start by lightly pressing the new lens into the bezel.

Once it is started evenly around the perimeter, invert the bezel and firmly press down on a soft surface. I used a scrap of carpet.

Lens will seat in to stock depth and fit perfectly. The head looks absolutely original except that you now have a UCL instead of plastic lens.

With the UCL and stock metal reflector, it tolerates a current draw of about 3.75A and a little over 22W of the WA1160. The fun part is the 575 bulb lumens.

Mark

Thanks for the tip!:goodjob:

Sounds like a good/quick mod for my stinger..where did you get your WA1160 from? Do you know what the original bulbs lumens were? Mine is pretty bright already...but it could be brighter! Thanks for any info, Steve

Never mind Flash..I typed before I searched..I hate when people do that...lol

Mark, thank you for posting this, I have been looking for a solution for the plastic lens problem in the Stinger HP heads (I use Fivemega's 3 Pila adapter and WA1331 bulb). I assume the HP head is identical to the Ultrastinger head when it comes to the lens, or is this wrong?

Sigbjoern

AFAIK, the HP head is the same as the stock US head except for the threads on the back.

If you measure the lens it should be 54mm. If so this procedure should work.

Just keep in mind it is one way. Once you poke out the plastic lens, it can't be reinstalled. A new head, about $23 would be required. In fact, I bought a spare US head to experiment with. I have the stock head and lens as a spare.

Mark

Thanks, I'll go ahead and order some lenses.

Sigbjoern

Good tip... was hoping Chris would come up with a lens of that size, just never noticed that 55mm shock isolated lens from his site! Thanks.

cool.

I'm a bit skeptical.

The plastic replacement lens has a tapered edge, and needs to be manipulated via it's flexibility to be installed past the US's head lip. The inner portion of the US head is tapered slightly, and the groove is smaller than the top rim of the head making the plastic lens snap into the groove between the reflector and head.

Therefore, any replacement lens would have to be either flexible, or smaller than the outer rim of the US head, in which case it wuldn't fit properly.

If this glass lens fits, how well does it fit, and how did it press in w/out flexing or without being damaged?

-dan

dano-

It fits absolutely perfectly. If I handed you this head assembly you would have to look very carefully to even notice it is not stock. The only real tipoff is the UCL glass looks a little brighter and more transparent than the polycarbonate.

The glass lens sits directly on top of the o-ring just as the plastic did. My original thought was that the UCL was slightly smaller than the lower diameter of the bezel and I would have to use some type of strong adhesive to hold it down against the pressure of the spring.

When I first tried a test fit I realized that it was not smaller, but in fact might be a little too big. It was so close, I decided to try to force it in, following the rule that if it does not fit, force it. After cleaning, I just got it started evenly around the perimeter and then used one of those carpeted furniture cups turned upside down on the table. Moderate pressure seated it completely.

It just happens that the piece of UCL I had is the correct size to the hundredth of a mm. It will not pop out and in fact I doubt if there is any way to remove it in one piece.

Now, if I can just figure out how to get the WA1160 to stay in the little bi-pin socket and stay straight I'll be good. The light is very bright and 20 minutes on time caused no harm.

I wonder if there is some way to utilize the plastic base that is on a stock lamp as a stabilizer. I am not sure how to get the bulb out and I hate to ruin a good one for no reason. Any ideas?

Mark

Hmm...I wonder if my older US head is slightly larger (or was redesigned slightly; SL likes to do that sort of thing). I tried putting a UCL lens from my SL-20X (both 55MM) and there;'s no way the glass lens was going to fit the US. The edges started chipping, etc.

I've never tried a W/A bulb, I'm afraid that it'll ruin the bi-pin contacts in the switch.

-dan

55mm is too big. The lens I bought was the 55mm shock isolated. When you remove the rubber gasket from around the edge it mics out to just a hair under 54mm.

I tried this on a HP head and even though it looked like it would work at the beginning, the result was a lens in thousand pieces when I applied pressure

Sigbjoern

Lurveleven said:

I tried this on a HP head and even though it looked like it would work at the beginning, the result was a lens in thousand pieces when I applied pressure

Sigbjoern

Click to expand...

Bummer. Sorry to hear you had this bad result. Mine went right in when I applied moderate pressure on the upside down carpeted furniture cup.
It is tight, but really could not fit more perfectly.

How did you apply your pressure? I think applying equal pressure around the perimeter is very necessary. It is not impossible that there is a slight variation in the size of the glass, although both of mine measure the same.

I have not heard from anyone else with either positive or negative results.

Mark

The problem was probably that I wasn't able to apply equal pressure. It may have been a size issue as well, small glass fragmenst chipped off before applying pressure to it, i.e. when I centered it and applied slight pressure with my fingers.
I'm wondering if heating the head with a heat gun will expand it enough to put the lens in without pressure?

Sigbjoern

Lurveleven said:

The problem was probably that I wasn't able to apply equal pressure. It may have been a size issue as well, small glass fragmenst chipped off before applying pressure to it, i.e. when I centered it and applied slight pressure with my fingers.
I'm wondering if heating the head with a heat gun will expand it enough to put the lens in without pressure?

Sigbjoern

Click to expand...

Heat might help. However that bezel is a pretty large, fairly thick, chunk of metal. I think it would take quite a bit of heat applied around the entire circumference.

Before I just pressed mine in, I had considered putting a thin film of silicone lube on the edge of the glass. I was concerned that some of it might migrate to the underside of the lens with no good way to clean it. I still think a very thin film of silicone on the edge would help.

Mark

Never give up on the first try, I have now been able to get the glass lens in there
I put the head into the oven at 200°C a couple of minutes and then I put the lens into the head using a suction cup connected to a rod. Using the suction cup it was very easy to align the lens correctly and to apply pressure to get the lens to pop into place. Very little pressure was needed to get it into place, I believe the heating made a big difference.

Picture of using suction cup to put in lens:


Sigbjoern

Lurveleven said:

Never give up on the first try, I have now been able to get the glass lens in there.
I put the head into the oven at 200°C a couple of minutes and then I put the lens into the head using a suction cup connected to a rod. Using the suction cup it was very easy to align the lens correctly and to apply pressure to get the lens to pop into place. Very little pressure was needed to get it into place, I believe the heating made a big difference.

Click to expand...

Excellent! I never thought of this and luckily got by using my crude technique. If I make another, or have to replace the lens due to breakage, I'll use your method. I would have had some concern about discoloring the finish on the reflector, but apparently a few minutes exposure at about 400°F is not an issue.

Mark

Great mod, Thanks for the info :rock: Gonna order a lens pronto!



I have a 3600mah battery in both my current ultrastingers for around 2hr runtimes with stock bulbs. I wonder how much runtime I will get with the 1160 bulb?

Would it be wise to put a little piece of mica under the bulb on this mod like the magcharger.

The wa1160 in a magcharger is definatley brighter wider beam than the stock US. The US with 1160 should give a brighter tighter throw than the MC.

:thumbsup: