Cheap Headlamp Mod

Undrcoverrednek

New member
I'm putting this thread up because I got a few PM asking about my red led headlamp mod.

I get a cheap LED zoomable headlamp off an auction site that looks like this:


I order a Cree red XP-E2 on a 16mm Noctigon copper board.

Then, I remove the bezel/lense from the headlamp so it looks like this:



Then, I unthread the white retainer. They might have a plastic ring just pressed down on the board. Whatever it is, just remove it and don't damage it.

Make note what color wire is soldered to +/- polarity points on the LED board. Unsolder the wires from the LED board.

Put a little blob of solder on your new Noctigon board and solder the headlamp wires to the correct polarity points like this:



Reassemble the headlamp.

Tips:
1. cuss alot trying to hold the Noctigon and solder the wires to the board. I use a toothpick cut in half to help press the wire while I'm soldering.

2. Make sure you get the Noctigon board. It is thick and made of copper for an excellent heat sink. These lamps on high are putting about 2.5A to the LED and you need to dissipate the heat from the LED.

3. Use good batteries. Your light might come with Chinacrapfire batteries. Ditch them and get a good panasonic/sanyo/something worthwile.

4. Experiment with how you like the light zoomed. On low, these lights are in the 0.6 - 0.8A range. Zoomed out for a wide flood is good low light. You can zoom it in and the illuminated area will be brighter. On high and zoomed in, you can see eyes greater than 300 yards away.

5. Don't expect this to be quite as convenient as a Night Eyes, Wicked, or other light specifically designed for this application. It will work very well, though.

6. This isn't an original idea. This headlamp was discussed heavily several years ago before colored LEDs were available. Now colored LEDs are readily available. I made the easy swap and am very happy with what this headlamp does.
 
Great info for the DIY crowd, thanks for posting the zoomable 5W Cree Q5 LED mod.

When searching for zoomable lights I found many different newer models using Cree technology and thought there may be other candidates suitable for the mod.

Have any of you folks found other zoomable headlamps suitable for the red LED mod?


Boon
 


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