DIY Upgrade your existing Luxeon based led flashlight

[3rd_shift]

This is a picture heavy link.

http://flashlightnews.net/forum/index.php?PHPSESSID=0d70b07498312c6959966855f8263954&topic=672.0

Broadband recommended.

The main purpose is to keep an older and perfectly good working led flashlight in service with a newer, brighter and more efficient Led star swap.
Some flashlights are easier to do this with than the one featured in the link.
Some (like the Inovas) are harder.

Good luck.

edit:
Here is the same read and reaction from the edcforums members.

http://edcforums.com/index.php?PHPSESSID=0cddc99f5526984f3c6862a22e39a7a9&topic=14896.0

Again, but at flashlight forums.
And yes, I did a few other pictorials that got stickied there.

http://flashlight-forums.com/index.php/topic,6259.0.html

[Maelstrom]

Thanks for the link, it makes good sense to keep faithful (sometimes expensive) torches in service longer!

[3rd_shift]

Many of the older led torches can barely manage just 20 lumens per watt of battery power used. (same as good incandescants often manage)
Some with the premium "bin" grade Luxeon1 and Luxeon3 leds are closer to 35-50 lumens per watt.
Older K2 leds are about the same. Some Innovas have these.
Look for the hex shaped metal reflector around the led die under it's gelatin dome.

http://www.lumileds.com/products/

Below, these are surpassing compact flourescent and nearing H.I.D. efficiency;

Newer Lumileds "tffc" K2 leds are much closer to 60-80+ lumens per watt.
Lumileds Rebel leds are also in that ball park with a few nearing 90+.

Cree XRE leds.

http://www.cree.com/Products/pdf/XLamp7090XR-E.pdf

Seoul Semiconductor P4 and the
much bigger 10 watt 700-900 lumen upcoming P7 leds at 70-90 lumens per watt.

http://www.seoulsemicon.com/en/

[Maelstrom]

700~900 lumen LED... oh me likey!

[3rd_shift]

Keep an eye on Surefire.
Rumor has it that they are supposed to be the 1st to have these SSC P7 leds in thier lights.
Yes, cordless car headlight performance in your pocket or on your duty belt is quite close to reality now.

[Maelstrom]

FWIW SSC has released their P7 line of multi-element LED light engines to the general public some being available through Deals Extreme (and dealers on CPF), sadly there has been no driver circuits designed/marketed yet so they need to be direct driven by 3 NiMH D cells or similar rated Lithium cell

At around 900 Lumens, I'm thinking this will be a better project than a contemporary 'hotwire' Mag mod

[craig333]

I got to play with all my flashlights last night at my construction site. Large site with two buildings under construction so I was able to test indoors and out.

Indoors and out nothing beat my mag 85. But its a big heavy flashlight. I like carrying it just so I have a club, but many sites we're forbidden from carrying a weapon. The fenix P3D works great indoors and acceptably outdoors though you give up a lot of range. The smaller lights (the proton, the p1d) work nicely in a smaller room, lack the light to light a really large room. The 3c maglite with a terralux drop in does very well for range, lacks the side spill needed indoors.

It was a rainy night which really amplified the smaller lights lack of throw and the mags (not the 85) lack of spill.

Working at night I'd carry the mag85 if I could (except at a site like the casino, no real need for a light there even in the parking lots unless there were a power failure).

If I weren't allowed to carry a belt light I'd have something like the P3D in a pocket.

What I carry on duty is a Dorcy K2. Big enough to be useful and inexpensive enough to risk at work, and small enough the company won't say anything wearing it on belt like they would the mag.

[Maelstrom]

ROTFLMAO... another flash-a-holic!

Those K2's are rated @ around 130 Lumens (depending on driver)... if you modded it with Cree Q5 (and a multi-mode driver circuit) you would have a torch capable of all your requirements PLUS the ability to fry someones' retinas out with 220 Lumens of output!

I've been cruising DX looking for bits and pieces to upgrade my Dorcy 1W Luxeon to a Cree Q5 multi-mode unit... but instead I've found even more torches to lust over LMAO!