Modding a D10 Tribute with a Nichia 219 HCRI emitter [pic heavy]

[ninemm]

Cool,I will be watching.

Thx scintillator!!

Got one of the two SmartPD D10s I picked up open last night to have a look at things. Hopefully the new emitters will sit correctly on the stock board! Also jeeeez everything is so much tinier than I imagined hahah

 

[light-modder]

A 219 won't fit on the stock board unfortunately. You also may have to add a spacer under the new board to get the led focused in the reflector.

 

[ninemm]

A 219 won't fit on the stock board unfortunately. You also may have to add a spacer under the new board to get the led focused in the reflector.

I was wondering about focusing and the possible need to add a thin copper shim or some such. However, the OP in this case was able to swap a 219 with the stock emitter. However, he did have a Tribute version of the D10 as opposed to the original SmartPD version.

 

[badtziscool]

The 219 won't work on this version but if you have a D10 that uses the xpe led, then that should work since the led pad size is the same. So a tribute version, a d10 r2 "hybrid" version or the d10 sp r2 should work.

 

[ninemm]

Hmm but I could just get a MCPCB that would work and use that? Something like this 10mm board from Mtn Electronics?

http://www.mtnelectronics.com/index.php?route=product/product&path=63_65&product_id=436

Thanks for the help and tips guys! When I saw the board was different I had a little bit of pause haha

 

[light-modder]

Yes that board should work, and a thin piece of copper under it is the right idea for a spacer to focus it. If you are able to measure the stock MCPCB then you may be able to get a bigger one that might help with centering.

 

[calipsoii]

Oof, it came with an XR-E. Your mod just got slightly more involved.

1. The pill screws all the way up to the base of the reflector, pinning it against the lens. Shimming *beneath* the MCPCB won't affect focus since either way the reflector is sitting directly on top of the MCPCB. To change focus you need to shim on *top* of the MCPCB, moving the reflector closer/further from the LED.
2. That silver disc around the XR-E was a built-in focus + centering mechanism. 3535 LED's like the N219 don't have any built-in mechanism like that, which is why the later D10's came with that white plastic disk. You'll need to fabricate some kind of shim that keeps the emitter in the center of the reflector hole. Otherwise when you run it for a while and it gets hot, the MCPCB will slide around on it's thermal paste and your LED won't stay in the middle of the reflector.

Something like this will get the LED centered and allow you to easily adjust focus by just sticking some tape on the bottom of the butterfly gasket. If you search for "XP-G centering gasket" you should be able to find a supplier. If it doesn't come with butterfly cutouts, make some with an X-Acto knife so that your wires have somewhere to go.
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/XPE...lation-gasket-Butterfly-shape/1615398958.html

 

[ninemm]

Oof, it came with an XR-E. Your mod just got slightly more involved.

1. The pill screws all the way up to the base of the reflector, pinning it against the lens. Shimming *beneath* the MCPCB won't affect focus since either way the reflector is sitting directly on top of the MCPCB. To change focus you need to shim on *top* of the MCPCB, moving the reflector closer/further from the LED.
2. That silver disc around the XR-E was a built-in focus + centering mechanism. 3535 LED's like the N219 don't have any built-in mechanism like that, which is why the later D10's came with that white plastic disk. You'll need to fabricate some kind of shim that keeps the emitter in the center of the reflector hole. Otherwise when you run it for a while and it gets hot, the MCPCB will slide around on it's thermal paste and your LED won't stay in the middle of the reflector.

Something like this will get the LED centered and allow you to easily adjust focus by just sticking some tape on the bottom of the butterfly gasket. If you search for "XP-G centering gasket" you should be able to find a supplier. If it doesn't come with butterfly cutouts, make some with an X-Acto knife so that your wires have somewhere to go.
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/XPE...lation-gasket-Butterfly-shape/1615398958.html

Ugh ugh ugh haha Not a big deal but this will be my third small individual order from Mtn Electronics! They had two different types of XP centering/spacer rings. Ordered a handful and will fiddle with them to get a nice fit n focus. Thanks Mike!!

 

[light-modder]

Oh man I've got quite a few I could have sent you a couple. Maybe next time.

 

[ninemm]

Finally after quite awhile and many misordered parts and procrastinating I got around to modding my two D10s. The first one was around a week or two ago now and I put a V2 5D XPL HI in it. Overall it went pretty well minus getting the pill/spring/brass ring back inside afterwards. What a PITA! (Mainly because I forgot how it all went together because I'd taken it apart a few months previous haha). The XPL HI was a marked improvement in color and output. Super creamy rosy white...just amazing. Next we went to putting a 219C 4000K in the second one. This time I tried my hand at soldering...it went alright! A bit tougher in some ways but also not too bad. Reflowing the led is easy peasy by comparison.

Pic of the XPL HI on right with the original emitter on left


Desoldered the leads and removed the old MCPCB (new 219C also pictured)


Solder paste applied to pads, LED aligned and test fit prior to reflow (not pictured small torch that we used to reflow)


Finished pill, LED reflowed, artic silver paste underneath, leads soldered to pads...man they were such short tiny wires! Dirty but got the job done.


Finished installed! It is much better centered than seen...also since the board sits incredibly snugly within the pill and is contained by the wires, no issue at all with it moving even after prolonged use thus far

 

[ninemm]

Thanks to Mike and everyone else that helped out! It was a fun project and honestly I am now looking for more hosts with leds to swap.. haha A bit addictive!

 

[DHart]

Thanks to Mike and everyone else that helped out! It was a fun project and honestly I am now looking for more hosts with leds to swap.. haha A bit addictive!

Excellent info in this thread - thanks to all.

Following info here I just replaced the XR-E in my D10 R2 with a domeless XP-L HI V2 5A2, which came from Mtn Electronics on a 16mm diameter MCPCB. Fit like a glove. Well-centered. Wonderful floody, warmish beam. Major improvement over the cold, spot beam of the XR-E that I removed.