Modified LED lamping torches.

[Dave-G]

I've been enjoying major satisfaction regarding the current red LED flashlights sold for very little money in ying tong land on ebay. LED's have come on in leaps and bounds over the last year or so and are very useable for air rifle and usual HMR ranges to about 120 yards with a bit of very low cost modification.

 

For the time being I shall limit my experience to the one we are most likely to use for lamping.

I got this RED LED Ultrafire WF501b torch and extra long remote pressure switch little while ago:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/300584297308?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649

 

It's a great torch for air rifle lamping as standard but I wanted more from it and felt the spill around the beam let its usefullness down as far as our human night eyes adjustment is concerned as well as it's range. They have repalaceable or alternative "bulbs" and other components that can be easily swapped into them, made by the original manufacturers, clone manufactures and aftermarket component manufacturers.

 

I started Googling around for collimators and thrower flashlights etc and eventually found a place that makes aspheric lenses and other bits for these lamps and other close relatives/clones etc on a 'CandlePowerForum' I also discovered that magic can be done by swapping the lens - and blacking out the reflectors which sounded wierd but jeez, if it works that's great. :o

 

I requested more information from their UK agent about exactly which parts he would supply for my exact emitter spec - but got no reply so I continued my quest. I pored over the site and learned enough to to give this a tentative try myself because it would only cost me about £3 to try it out. I subsequently found these two little gems:

 

http://www.dealextreme.com/p/glass-optics-for-flashlights-28mm-5297?item=2 (It has to be sanded down very slightly to fit into the torch bezel)

 

http://www.dealextreme.com/p/26-5mm-aluminum-reflector-drop-in-module-set-without-emitter-5955?item=10 9sand off the reflective surface and spray it matte black)

 

And set about my own DIY 'Blue Peter' experiments and ended up with this:

 

 

Producing this extremely bright light beam which is the same shape as the LED emitter in the torch:

 

 

The square beam spreads to about the same field of view we see through our scopes at about 5x mag.

 

The whole deal including this barrel mount only costs £20 ish:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Flashlight-Laser-Torch-ACTION-Surefire-Barrel-Mount-B-/290610028371?pt=UK_SportsLeisure_Camping_LightsLanternsTorches&hash=item43a9b51f53

 

The unit is small and light enough to live permanently on the rifle - where it will still be used with an Infra Red drop-in bulb when I resume night vision shooting. The remote 'press to turn on' switch is easily long enough to reach the rifle butt and I have used black tape to retain it where my thumb will easily find it.

 

 

 

I understand that better results might be obtained from the parts made by the chap on CandlePowerForum, and since they are not items that gunshops would be likely to stock I have asked that chap to come and tell us about his custom made parts which are likely to produce even better results.

 

I shall do that after asking the forum mods if that would be agreeable.

Edited June 15, 2012 by Dave-G

[casts_by_fly]

excellent thread. I was just looking through some other torch/lamp threads with good info, but this one summs it up perfectly.

 

Thanks

Rick

[Dave-G]

excellent thread. I was just looking through some other torch/lamp threads with good info, but this one summs it up perfectly.

 

Thanks

Rick

 

To be honest there is a similar thread running here: http://forums.pigeonwatch.co.uk/forums/index.php?/topic/210650-lamping-set-up/page__p__1804860__fromsearch__1#entry1804860 but it's not my thread to invite a direct seller into. There is no hidden agenda here with some bloke sliding into a forum as a new member to manipulate some sales on the sly. What he has to offer is amazing - trust me please.

 

Make no mistake this torch - when modifed - is ground breaking stuff for small quarry lampers, and even a very useful addition to anyone using a massive 6" round LF or whatever for foxy on their rifle, roof or the hands of a willing shooting partner. The lamp lets you spontaneouly swing to take a shot if your lamping partner can't get the bigger one round in time for an opportune closer shot.

I stumbled across this as a result of dabbling but it works so well you will all be gobsmacked. For those not willing to spend the very little cash it costs - standby for all the huge, heavy, trailing wire types we have had to use until now to flood the used lamp market.

 

If you have about 20 quid to spare on a seriously decent gunlamp get the lamp and mount ordered now with perhaps the other two bits from Dx adding something like three quid. I use two - one for scanning and one on the rifle. Infact that's a lie, I have three because of the one on my other rifle too. Going my home brew route will get you a very very decent red lamp useful to 120 or so yards. I THINK the guy making his custom lathe turned and annodised reflector parts will be able to improve on that with his specially made and better shaped aspheric lens which has an apparently better focused beam.

 

I have PM'd teal to ask his approval for the chap to join the forum and post on here but have yet to get a reply. I'll see if another mod can give the approval. The guy offers group buy discounts and to show I'm making nothing here I would ask someone else to offer themselves up as a group buyer for discounts to those interested in taking one, but I'd honestly suggest at least two are taken because YOU WILL use this.

 

Part of my invitation to this guy is that I want to know the reason its so good rather than just that it works so good. I want the science behind it. I know it's not a laser because lasers are made with different specs - and are generally too tight a beam for lamping purposes. This in more like a slightly diverging star wars sabre torch like beam.

 

EDIT: I can't find a mod on line yet - perhaps they're all on nolidays lol

Edited June 16, 2012 by Dave-G

[Blunderbuss]

Dave - can you explain why you need the extra lens and reflector please?

[Dave-G]

Dave - can you explain why you need the extra lens and reflector please?

 

With difficulty perhaps...

 

Look at the ebay photo and note the spill that is not only wasted but is actually affecting our night adjusted eyesight because we have to look past the locally partly illuminated things to see what the inner beam is lighting up. The collimator - or aspherical lens, is a larger similar version to that used on lasers or NV Ir illuminators

and concentrates the light path into a narrower or tighter beam that reaches further.

 

The reflector still puts some spill out there that we have to look through. Blacking out the reflector is what totally transformes the light. All the spill is gone leaving the inner beam deeply penetrating to where we need it most "out there"

 

That's where mt brain falls down - I don't know why it works the magic - but it does it big time with absolutely no strain or squint on my old eyes. It would likely work even better for a younger mans eyes.

 

EDIT: The reflector also holds the LED emitter in its place and forms a heatpath to the torch body for cooling purposes. It has to remain in place but not reflect any light. These torches apparently have a problem with heat dissipation and will burn out quite quickly if left on for long periods. There is apparently a tinsel paper fix but I suspect that issue is the reason it's being sold with the remote pressure switch - so it only gets used for brief periods.

Edited June 15, 2012 by Dave-G

[Blunderbuss]

Thanks for that, I think I understand!

[Dave-G]

Thanks for that, I think I understand!

 

The barrel mount too is a contributor to it's success. How many times have we seen comments about scope mouted light reflecting off sound mods and all the fixes that improve things but don't solve the issue totally? The torch head can be located alongside the rear of the sound mod, and it's silly small and light to have no weight or maneuverability issues.

[Fisheruk]

To be honest there is a similar thread running HERE but it's not my thread to invite a direct seller into. There is no hidden agenda here with some bloke sliding into a forum as a new member to manipulate some sales on the sly. What he has to offer is amazing - trust me please.

 

Make no mistake this torch - when modifed - is ground breaking stuff for small quarry lampers, and even a very useful addition to anyone using a massive 6" round LF or whatever for foxy on their rifle, roof or the hands of a willing shooting partner. The lamp lets you spontaneouly swing to take a shot if your lamping partner can't get the bigger one round in time for an opportune closer shot.

I stumbled across this as a result of dabbling but it works so well you will all be gobsmacked. For those not willing to spend the very little cash it costs - standby for all the huge, heavy, trailing wire types we have had to use until now to flood the used lamp market.

 

If you have about 20 quid to spare on a seriously decent gunlamp get the lamp and mount ordered now with perhaps the other two bits from Dx adding something like three quid. I use two - one for scanning and one on the rifle. Infact that's a lie, I have three because of the one on my other rifle too. Going my home brew route will get you a very very decent red lamp useful to 120 or so yards. I THINK the guy making his custom lathe turned and annodised reflector parts will be able to improve on that with his specially made and better shaped aspheric lens which has an apparently better focused beam.

 

I have PM'd teal to ask his approval for the chap to join the forum and post on here but have yet to get a reply. I'll see if another mod can give the approval. The guy offers group buy discounts and to show I'm making nothing here I would ask someone else to offer themselves up as a group buyer for discounts to those interested in taking one, but I'd honestly suggest at least two are taken because YOU WILL use this.

 

Part of my invitation to this guy is that I want to know the reason its so good rather than just that it works so good. I want the science behind it. I know it's not a laser because lasers are made with different specs - and are generally too tight a beam for lamping purposes. This in more like a slightly diverging star wars sabre torch like beam.

 

EDIT: I can't find a mod on line yet - perhaps they're all on nolidays lol

Hi your link "here" seems to be broken

Edited June 15, 2012 by Fisheruk

[telf]

cant say i understand all the gubbins of it but please keep us informed of any further developments and pics,very interested in the whole idea of it all

atb dave

[SakoQuad]

Dave-G, as it happens I have had one of these torches delivered today after seeing it recommended on another thread, seemed worth a punt for the money. Waiting for darkness to see how effective it is "as is". Initial impressions are very positive.

 

Again, given how little it costs, I am interested in your modifications if they improve the torch's effectiveness. I am a bit confused though about the need for the new reflector (the lens makes complete sense) and would be glad if you could try explaining again (I know you have offered explanation already but I'm still struggling with it - sorry!).

 

Surely if you paint a reflector bowl matt black it stops reflecting any light. I suppose the new reflector bowl you suggest is a different shape to the one in the torch but if it isn't used to reflect light because it's painted black, what difference can it possibly make? Am I not understanding something important here? Why wouldn't painting the torch's original reflector black be just as effective?

 

I use a small powerful torch fitted to gun, with a remote switch, instead of one of the bigger lamps and reckon it's pretty effective though I want a red beam alternative. I'm hoping this will do the job for 1/4 of the cost of my current white light set up!

[bicykillgaz]

decided to order 2 of the glass and reflectors another pressure switch and another mount so I can try it out on my red and green Led lights.

 

I'll let you know how it goes

[Dave-G]

Dave-G, as it happens I have had one of these torches delivered today after seeing it recommended on another thread, seemed worth a punt for the money. Waiting for darkness to see how effective it is "as is". Initial impressions are very positive.

 

Again, given how little it costs, I am interested in your modifications if they improve the torch's effectiveness. I am a bit confused though about the need for the new reflector (the lens makes complete sense) and would be glad if you could try explaining again (I know you have offered explanation already but I'm still struggling with it - sorry!).

 

Surely if you paint a reflector bowl matt black it stops reflecting any light. I suppose the new reflector bowl you suggest is a different shape to the one in the torch but if it isn't used to reflect light because it's painted black, what difference can it possibly make? Am I not understanding something important here? Why wouldn't painting the torch's original reflector black be just as effective?

 

I use a small powerful torch fitted to gun, with a remote switch, instead of one of the bigger lamps and reckon it's pretty effective though I want a red beam alternative. I'm hoping this will do the job for 1/4 of the cost of my current white light set up!

 

Although the new reflector is supposed to be a very slightly different shape I advised to get another simply so anyone can revert back to basic if it's not to their liking or decide they simply want a 'regular' torch. It after all costs just a few pennies compared to what we usually spend on shooting lamps. There's nothing to stop anyone blacking the existing reflector.

 

Yes - the idea is that there is no reflected light - which would create the spill we want rid of. The Light Emitting Diode still lights up as usual but 'radiates' might be the word all of the light forwards directly into the aspheric lens where the entire amount of light is directed out in an extremely tight beam that is just the right size for our shooting needs.

 

I have to be honest - I am slightly dyslexic and struggling to put what I see into words, and wonder why no mods have advised if I can invite the chap who probably knows all there is to know on the subject. I'm thinking it might be better to just post up a link to his sales thread on the CandlePowerForum but that is a very busy thread and I'd like to see something dedicated to shooters questions comments and needs rather just some torch fanciers thoughts - most of who want at least some spill to see themselves down steps etc.

 

Our hunting needs are unique so I'd like it here really.

[SakoQuad]

Many thanks - that helps a lot in my understanding!!

As you say the lens and reflector are very inexpensive and I see the point of having a spare reflector!

 

I was impressed with the torch when I tried it last night but like the idea of making the beam even tighter so plan to give this a go - will let you know how it goes in due course.

Many thanks again

[sitsinhedges]

I got my torch yesterday and sprayed the reflector matt black and fitted the new lense. The beam is excellent for our purposes and will easily pick up a rabbit 50-60yards away at my first attempt on pretty rough ground, although they didn't seem to want to hang around.

 

It must be said, that in my youth when we used to do a lot of dog work on the lamp, we would have killed for such a torch. It would have saved several pairs of jeans from being rotted by acid when the batteries leaked too

Edited June 16, 2012 by sitsinhedges

[Dave-G]

Site admin has agreed the chap can come on here and tell us all about his product, though he's not invited to advertise heavily nor use his company name as his log-in.

 

If I understand things correctly then, he can tell us about his product, asnwer questions and invite a group buy. May I suggest someone other than he or I organise a group buy for discounts if enough of us want to take this up to remain within those guidelines. It seems prudent then to keep it all on this thread to minimise attention from anyone not interested in this topic.

 

I have invited him to join the forum and post on this thread.

[ahorton]

Hi,

 

Dave-G has invited me to join your forum and let you know about my lenses.

 

I'll start with a bit of background about me and why I have lenses for sale:

My hobby is to make headlamps for running around in the bush at night (orienteering etc). A few years ago I got a bit carried away and had some very special lenses made up for this purpose. In fact I had about 500 lenses made so I sold a lot of my surplus on my regular forum (Candlepowerforums – for people interested in flashlights etc). I kept selling out, so I kept making more. Then it turned out that a guy in New Zealand had a small business taking Ultrafire WF501B flashlights, sticking my lens in them, and selling them as hunting lights for $250 each. Similarly there's an American guy who has bought a few hundred and sells them in his DEFT-EDC.

It's still just a hobby for me, but these little lenses have become rather popular. A lot of people pestered me for a kit to make installing them in P60 lights a bit easier. So I had a batch of spacers machined. They all sold out and now I'm onto the third batch with about 40 left.

 

The Lenses:

They fit in most P60 hosts. Check your dimensions. You'll need at least 27.3mm diameter inside your head to be safe.

 

Search the internet for 'ahorton aspheric' and you'll see where they've been used. You may come across a 30mm lens which I used to sell. These are optically identical. The ones I sell now have a diameter of about 27.2mm.

All dimensions in mm.

 

The Spacers:

For use with a 27.2mm lens and a M20x1.0mm threaded pill (the pill can be bought on DX for a few dollars).

 

Spacer details

Sandblasted and black anodised aluminium.

Includes a 9mm ring to push the lens into the head for protection. I think this is the perfect size for the Ultrafire WF501B which is cheap and readily available. It should be good for many other hosts too.

Adjustable. So you'll need to put a drop of glue or thread locker in the threads before adjusting to the perfect focus and leaving it to cure. Very easy to do without any skill. It should also open up the possibility to use it with more LEDs than just the XR-E.

Kit Includes: One lens, one spacer, one ring. 

 

 

Current prices

All prices are $AUD, but I'm happy to accept $USD if you prefer. I'm assuming (for now) that AUD$1 = USD$1.

 

27.2mm Aspheric Lenses (Lens only)

1 - $35 each ($35 total)

2 - $22.5 each ($45 total)

3 - $16.67 each ($50 total)

4 or more - $15 each ($60 total for 4)

10 or more - $10 each ($100 total for 10)

20 or more - $8 each ($160 total for 20)

100 or more - $6 each ($600 total for 100)

 

 

P60 Spacers (includes both spacer parts but no lens)

1 - $30 each ($30 total)

2 - $25 each ($50 total)

3 - $22 each ($66 total)

4 or more - $20 each ($80 total for 4)

 

 

P60 Aspheric Lens + Spacers kit

1 - $55 each ($55 total)

2 - $40 each ($80 total)

3 - $ 35 each ($105 total)

4 or more - $33 each ($132 total for 4)

10 or more - $30 each ($300 total for 10) 

 

Extra lenses (if buying at least one P60 kit) - $8 each

 

Postage options: (Worldwide)

1. Regular airmail (7-14 days) - free

2. Registered airmail (Signature on delivery but no tracking outside of Australia, 7-14 days) + $20

3. Express (Signature on delivery but no tracking outside of Australia and only takes 3-7 days) + $50

4. Express Courier (Tracking, signature and only takes 2-4 days) + $70

 

I will not write anything dishonest on the customs forms so please don't ask me to.

 

 

 

 

Let me know if you have any questions.

[Dave-G]

Thanks for nipping in Ash. I'll put up a couple of questions that might help some others out - and me too.

 

Your lenses are 'deeper' with a more pronounced curve at the front than those available on Dx, whats the actual difference in performance please?

 

A few people have asked why the reflectors are blacked out but I'm not clever enough to know, could you tell us about that please?

 

Focus: Moving the lens closer to the LED, Does that adjust the beam divergence, or provide more light within the beam? Or both?

[ahorton]

Thanks for nipping in Ash. I'll put up a couple of questions that might help some others out - and me too.

 

Your lenses are 'deeper' with a more pronounced curve at the front than those available on Dx, whats the actual difference in performance please?

 

A few people have asked why the reflectors are blacked out but I'm not clever enough to know, could you tell us about that please?

 

Focus: Moving the lens closer to the LED, Does that adjust the beam divergence, or provide more light within the beam? Or both?

 

Good questions.

 

My lenses certainly are thicker. This gives them a shorter focal length so more light is collected. You'll find that the DX one is about 50% efficient while mine is 73% in terms of the amount of light that gets through the lens (flux). More importantly, it's also got a better surface equation, so the light doesn't just get through the lens, but more of it goes into the beam instead of being wasted sideways. These effects multiply together, so the DX one ends up about 25% efficient, while mine is about 56%. The bottom line is that for the same emitter, at the same power level: My lense will be about twice as bright in the beam. Of course twice as bright only lets you shine 41% further (inverse square). So if you have a light with the DX lens that shines 100m, then you can only expect about 140m with my lens. This is based on the best DX 28mm lens I've used. I've also seen 28mm DX lenses that are many times worse.

 

 

The blacked-out reflector worries me. I think the reason for a blacked-out reflector is that the lens projects an image of what it sees. If it sees light coming off a reflector at funny angles, then you will end up seeing that. It makes for a very ugly beam which can be distracting in use. You end up with a strong beam in the middle, but also many little beams shining out sideways. However, the reflector shouldn't be a problem if you have a short focal length lens. If the focal length of your lens is long enough that you can keep the stock reflector, then it's a very bad lens.

 

 

Moving the lens closer provides a wider, smooth, round, even beam. This can be a very nice beam. Some people even choose to de-focus the beam a little, just because they like how it looks.

[Dave-G]

Thank you for the detailed answers Ash.

 

That explains why, for the shooter at least, there are less requests for the spacers than the lenses.

 

A wider neater beam would probably appeal more to walkers for example - but not for the night hunter who not only wants to see greater range, but to see it without compomising his nite-eyes with pupil dilation etc caused by illuminated local objects.

 

For our needs then, Your lenses are what we want - but not the spacers.

[Dave-G]

Well you seem to be a very shy lot, umpteen views but hardly any replies makes me think there is hardly any interest. Having been more than happy with the cheap Dx lens results I am up for getting even longer range out of these ahorton lenses, particularly when we consider the cost of other lamping rigs.

 

The bonus is that we can put white or IR drop-in bulbs in them too, and replacement 'bulbs are cheaper that halogen bulbs many other lamps use - not to mention the massive current it takes to run them. a tiny rechargeable single cell lasts me two lamping sessions because they are only used a few seconds at a time.

 

If nobody else has any real interest in this break through I'll just go ahead and order some for the torches me and my brother have. Anyone who wishes to group buy them for better prices that we can get with individual orders please say how many you'd like and we'll have an idea of what price they might end up at delivered to the UK - and then to ourselves.

 

I am prepared to do the buying and distributing but please - since I am the one who has brought this group buy idea to this forum I hope somone else will agree to take control of it so that I'm not thought to be making any funds from starting this thread.

 

I'll start the list off, please add to it below any comments you wish to make in your replies so that the final line contains the updated list:

 

 

Dave-G wants 2 P60 Aspheric Lens + Spacers kit.

Group buy total 2 P60 Aspheric Lens + Spacers kit.

Edited June 18, 2012 by Dave-G

[ahorton]

Just a couple of clarifications:

 

Using these lenses will need a spacer of some sort. I don't mind if you don't buy them from me, but just be aware that you will need to make them somehow. The easiest way is to modify a reflector in a lathe, but you will also need to raised the LED to bring it close enough. For an XR-E emitter, you'll want the back of the lens to be 10.9mm from the base of the LED. You need to be fairly accurate so I advise some form of fine adjustment.

 

Secondly, you mentioned white and IR 'bulbs'. I assume you mean LEDs. Bulbs will not work at all with these lenses.

 

Feel free to ask about any of the language I use. I tried not to use any jargon, but I normally hang out with flashlight-nerds so some of it might have crept in.

[Dave-G]

Just a couple of clarifications:

 

Using these lenses will need a spacer of some sort. I don't mind if you don't buy them from me, but just be aware that you will need to make them somehow. The easiest way is to modify a reflector in a lathe, but you will also need to raised the LED to bring it close enough. For an XR-E emitter, you'll want the back of the lens to be 10.9mm from the base of the LED. You need to be fairly accurate so I advise some form of fine adjustment.

 

Secondly, you mentioned white and IR 'bulbs'. I assume you mean LEDs. Bulbs will not work at all with these lenses.

 

Feel free to ask about any of the language I use. I tried not to use any jargon, but I normally hang out with flashlight-nerds so some of it might have crept in.

 

Thanks for that Ash, I'm at an age where I'm easily confused so please bear with me.

 

I'm using this G60 cree red LED torch: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/300584297308?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649

It now has a 28mm DX lens swapped out for the standard flat glass and a standard length blacked out reflector. I'm getting better results (witin the small and just right very tight beam)than some of the orthodox incandescent shooting lamps... by the time a red filter has been put in front of them that are currently used by most shooters.

 

The result is a slightly diverging 'square' beam thats working to incredibly good effect, much more than any shooter using a red filtered halogen lamp could possibly imagine possible from such a tiny self contained and powered itsy bitsy little torch. I'm hoping your system will extend the range from about about 120 yards to significantly more.

 

By 'raising' the LED, do you mean shortening the reflector, moving the lens back just as far and putting a spacer between the front of the lens and the bezel like your spacer set? If so - and I concede I may be being thick, didn't you say putting the lens closer to the LED would produce a broader but nicer beam - which we shooters won't want? I've probably got that wrong somehow.

 

With regard to the 'bulbs', that was for the benefit of members who might think of the drop-in assembly as a bulb (ebay language) rather than an LED.

 

EDIT: Oh dear, gulp It's just occurred to me that the G60 LED drop in could have a vastly different emitter size and height to the XR-E emitter

Edited June 18, 2012 by Dave-G

[ahorton]

Yeah, ebay language can be a bit annoying. Especially when it's coming out of Hong Kong.

 

I'll define a few words I use just to avoid confusion:

 

XR-E: an LED (emitter) made by Cree

Bulb: any emitter with hot wire filament inside a glass chamber (can be halogen, HID, regular incandescent etc)

MCPCB: Metal Core Printed Circuit Board (The little aluminium or copper based board that the LED is soldered to)

Pill: A brass, copper or aluminium disc to which the drive circuit, LED, and MCPCB are attached

Drop-in or Module: The whole assembly of pill, drive circuit, emitter, refector (or spacer+lens), and contact springs

 

 

 

The Red Emitter WF501B that you have from ebay is probably very good value. I've used the same host for many of my projects. Personally (being a flashlight nerd) I like to throw away the emitter, MCPCB, and drive circuit so that I can build up my own module with a better emitter and solder it directly to copper (no MCPCB). This gives a much stronger beam but take more time and money. What you have bought is probably the best value-for-money.

 

 

So let's talk about what you have and I'll explain the differences in my setup. The reflector you have (or at least how it started) holds the lens 15mm from the top of the LED's dome. It looks like you've trimmed yours down a little to get the focus right, so my guess is that your lens is well focused at about 13.5mm from the top of the LED's dome. This would fit with my own experience.

 

My lens has a shorter focal length and needs to be held about 6.5mm from the top of the XR-E dome. This means that if you took your lens out and put mine in, it would be terrible out-of-focus. You'd need to bring the lens 7mm closer to get the focus perfect. The obvious solution to this is to shave another 7mm off the reflector but this isn't so easy.

 

If you take 7mm off the front, then you'll notice that the diameter gets smaller and smaller. Put a lens on top and you'll see that the reflector is much narrower than the lens and light cannot get to the outer parts of the lens. So that defeats the point of having a shorter focal length.

 

If you take 7mm off the back, then you loose all your thread and have no way to attach it to the pill.

 

So the best way, is to leave the reflector at its full length, but drill out the middle. Then take the pill and remove the LED and its MCPCB. Now place a small column of aluminium or copper (about 7-9mm high) on the pill and mount the MCPCB and LED on top of it. Replace the reflector. Voila! Now you have moved the LED about the right distance closer to the lens. Just make minor adjustments to get the focus right. The only downside here is that the lens still goes at the front of the head (where the original flat one was) but now it sticks out the front because it's 14mm thick. It doesn't hurt performance, but it is exposed and can send a little light sideways (hurting your night vision).

 

Have a look at here to see pictures of how it needs to be done.

 

With my spacer kit it's much easier. All you do is unscrew the stock reflector and screw on the spacer. The spacer is only 14mm high, so it brings the lens closer without needing to modify the pill, LED, or MCPCB. Of course now the whole module is much shorter and would rattle around if you put it in the flashlight. So the second ring goes in front of the lens. This pushes the (fat) lens deeper into the head so that it doesn't stick out the front.

[Dave-G]

Aha - I think I've gotcha Ash: It sounds like a bitch doing it the hard way - or nice-n-easy your way with the spacers as per your last paragraph.

 

(In case anyone is wondering, my photo is of an Ir drop-in so it has an orange peel standard reflector instead of a smooth one)

 

As near as I can figure, that simplified (for us) explanation removes the cooling heatpath to the torch body.

 

Am I right then to assume the thin threaded lens retainer is much further back in the head, but still contacts (and accepts?) the new wider one of your spacers so it restores the heat transfer path to the body? and that your new components go where I have shown?

 

[ahorton]

Aha - I think I've gotcha Ash: It sounds like a bitch doing it the hard way - or nice-n-easy your way with the spacers as per your last paragraph.

 

It's not that bad. I think the first one I did took me about an hour to modify the reflector with a drill press and a grinder. Then another hour to remove the MCPCB, cut a chunk of copper, and glue it all back together. 2 hours work, but it was essentially free.

 

 

As near as I can figure, that simplified (for us) explanation removes the cooling heatpath to the torch body.

The spacer I use is still aluminium. So it transfers heat nicely. If you do want to improve it, you can always wrap it in aluminium or copper foil. This does help a bit. The next step is to thermally glue the pill into the head. I tend not to worry about these extra modifications and have always found that the body heats up very quickly (a sure sign that heat energy is making its way out efficiently).

 

 

Am I right then to assume the thin threaded lens retainer is much further back in the head, but still contacts (and accepts?) the new wider one of your spacers so it restores the heat transfer path to the body? and that your new components go where I have shown?

If you want, you can use the thin threaded lens retainer as you describe. My spacers to fit into it. However, in my setup, I just discard the thin threaded lens retainer.

 

Or if you're making your own, you can use this retainer in front of the lens to force the lens deeper into the head.

 

 

 

So that's a proper IR LED is it? What brand / type is it?

Edited June 18, 2012 by ahorton