First go at DIY P60 drop in

Hi,

I recently decided to have a go at some homemade P60 dropins but stumbled across some problems.

First off I decided to go with a CREE XP-L HI V2 5D LED with a AMC7135*8 1 mode driver (NANJG 105C) rated at 3.04A

Approximated light output:
613lumens @ 1.5A 25°C
1042lumens @ 3A 25°C
Color temperature: 4000-4125K

Everthing soldered up nicely and before going any further I tested the module on a powersource with 4.5V (max input for the driver) and the module only took about 1.8A. Is this normal as the led itself is rated at 1042lumens at 3A?

Second problem I encountered was the fitting of the reflector. I have a reflector with a 7mm emitter opening and one with a 4.5mm opening. With the 4.5 the led is fitted nicely just above the opening of the reflector. The one with the 7mm opening the led isen't even enetring the reflector. THis is probably due to the fact that the ring on the bottom side of the reflector is is wider and doens't give enough space for the leads.
Does someone have a tip how to resolve the problem with the 7mm hole? Or do you know a shop that specificaly sells the 4.5mm reflectors?

Thanks

common problem with amc drivers, you need more overhead voltage, but it also means more will be turned into heat. i had that happen more times than i can count, especially those with modes and mc. 1 mode no mc drivers put out 3A from 1 cell. on other forums i read people removed\shorted the diode (reverse polarity protection), and it fixed the problem. too much voltage gets dropped on the diode so driver wont supply max current.
or things are a lot simpler, your 4.5v (i assume 3 alkaline) sag under load and can not provide enough voltage, even if they did, no alkaline will supply steady 3A. try li ion cell before doing anything or replacing driver. measure voltage across the battery under 1.8A load.

Hey buddy,

As for the reflector, the one with the 4.5mm hole is specifically for the XP-L led you're using. The 7mm one is for the larger XM- sized LED. XML, XM-L2 etc. Mtnelectronics sells the XP reflector in their P60 mod kit along with base and spring. I've entered this hell before ordering mismatched led's and reflectors and trying to center and make them play nice before I realized they were different. Get your hands on some LED reflector gaskets, shaped like a ring or butterfly, that go over the LED and center the reflector. They are XP and XM specific. Makes life easier.

I know what you mean about the wide base on the larger reflector. With a larger XM die and a gasket it would make more sense how it's supposed to fit.

It sounds like you are on the right track, let us know how it goes!

Plus, after your post count is at least three, you can post pictures. Use an image hosting site for best success.
~D