# Novatac 120P XP-G - now with outdoor beamshots!



## boznet (Oct 23, 2009)

Just received some XP-G R5 and i wanted to try in my favorite EDC light.
it's my first mod it was not very easy to fit the XP-G inside but thanks to my dremel and a little work, it fit.
the tint is a little warmer, the spot is bigger, i'm not disappointed by the P4 swap. 
some pics :


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## nanotech17 (Oct 23, 2009)

*Re: Novatac 120P XP-G*

nice work,did you enlarge the stock Novatac heatsink as well?
If you add some glow powder around the xpg it will show up even nicer


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## Ajay (Oct 23, 2009)

*Re: Novatac 120P XP-G*

 That red thing is the stock heatsink???!!!

Nice work Boznet done like a pro....the thread and the swap:thumbsup:


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## toby_pra (Oct 24, 2009)

*Re: Novatac 120P XP-G*



Ajay said:


> That red thing is the stock heatsink???!!!
> 
> Nice work Boznet done like a pro....the thread and the swap:thumbsup:



Yes stock heatsink...nice, right? :thumbsup:

Very nice mod, how about some outdoor beamshots?:twothumbs


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## IMSabbel (Oct 24, 2009)

*Re: Novatac 120P XP-G*



Ajay said:


> That red thing is the stock heatsink???!!!
> 
> Nice work Boznet done like a pro....the thread and the swap:thumbsup:



Does not seem to have any thermal grease around it, so i would rather qualify it as heat buffer than as sink... that would be the casing tube, with which the red block doesnt seem to have a lot of contact.


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## leukos (Oct 24, 2009)

*Re: Novatac 120P XP-G*

So you probably have a Novatac 200P now? :thumbsup:


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## boznet (Oct 24, 2009)

*Re: Novatac 120P XP-G*



nanotech17 said:


> nice work,did you enlarge the stock Novatac heatsink as well?
> If you add some glow powder around the xpg it will show up even nicer


 
:thanks:, i did not enlarge the stock heatsink, i have only trimed the 10mm board to fit the 8mm hole on the heatsink, and the glow powder is a good idea, i just order some 



Ajay said:


> That red thing is the stock heatsink???!!!
> 
> Nice work Boznet done like a pro....the thread and the swap:thumbsup:


:thanks:, not like a pro but for a first time, i think that not so bad



toby_pra said:


> Yes stock heatsink...nice, right? :thumbsup:
> 
> Very nice mod, how about some outdoor beamshots?:twothumbs


 
:thanks: , but it's gonna be difficult to find a place without ligths to take some outdoor pics (i'm in paris), will try to find a place without light polution



IMSabbel said:


> Does not seem to have any thermal grease around it, so i would rather qualify it as heat buffer than as sink... that would be the casing tube, with which the red block doesnt seem to have a lot of contact.


 
yes, i did put some artic ceramique thermal compound in the hole of the heatsink before i put the led and i have also put some around the heatsink before i replaced the element inside the head







leukos said:


> So you probably have a Novatac 200P now? :thumbsup:


:thanks:, i think more 150P


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## Cuso (Oct 24, 2009)

*Re: Novatac 120P XP-G*

Hmmm ingteresting how the SSC reflector seems to work fine with the XP-G. Nice job.


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## DaFABRICATA (Oct 24, 2009)

*Re: Novatac 120P XP-G*

Nice Mod!
The beam looks great!:twothumbs







Cuso said:


> Hmmm ingteresting how the SSC reflector seems to work fine with the XP-G. Nice job.


 

You are correct in that the XP-G has worked perfectly with _every_ SSC compatible reflector I have tried....and I've tried a lot!


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## John_Galt (Oct 24, 2009)

*Re: Novatac 120P XP-G*

Wow, that's pretty interesting...

But what's even _more_ interesting is that you've had 9 post since Feb. 07. If this is the kind of stuff you can do, you need to post more often! poke Nice job!!!

**EDIT** Hey, a question... The hotspot appears much larger than stock. Is it floodier now? I ask, because there have been many comments by people here that the Novatac is much too floody stock, and is much more usable with a K2 TFFC swap, as it focuses better, and throws further.


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## boznet (Oct 25, 2009)

*Re: Novatac 120P XP-G*



John_Galt said:


> Wow, that's pretty interesting...
> 
> But what's even _more_ interesting is that you've had 9 post since Feb. 07. If this is the kind of stuff you can do, you need to post more often! poke Nice job!!!
> 
> **EDIT** Hey, a question... The hotspot appears much larger than stock. Is it floodier now? I ask, because there have been many comments by people here that the Novatac is much too floody stock, and is much more usable with a K2 TFFC swap, as it focuses better, and throws further.


Yes the hotspot is larger but it's not floodier to me than the stock lamp it's just a little bit brigther, i don't have a K2 to compare i just saw some pics and the K2 appears to have more throw than the XP-G


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## kz1000s1 (Oct 26, 2009)

*Re: Novatac 120P XP-G*

Good work! Did you have to shim the board to get the focus right? Was the board easy to trim with the dremel?

I have some XPG's arriving in a few days and one is going in my HDS EDC. The hope is that it'll be driven a little harder than it would in a Novatac.


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## boznet (Oct 27, 2009)

*Re: Novatac 120P XP-G*

sorry my english is not so good what is "shim"?
the focus was good with the stock reflector i did not mod anything.
trimming the board was long because of the dremel the board is gettin very hot immediatly and it was hard holding it, turning and trimming at the same time 



kz1000s1 said:


> Good work! Did you have to shim the board to get the focus right? Was the board easy to trim with the dremel?
> 
> I have some XPG's arriving in a few days and one is going in my HDS EDC. The hope is that it'll be driven a little harder than it would in a Novatac.


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## boznet (Oct 27, 2009)

*Re: Novatac 120P XP-G*

here's some outdoor beamshots : 

control pic




stock 120P




XPG




control pic




stock 120P




XPG




control pic




stock 120P




XPG




control pic




stock 120P




XPG




control pic




stock 120P




XPG




:thumbsup:


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## DM51 (Oct 27, 2009)

*Re: Novatac 120P XP-G*

Very good work, and nice beamshots! 

That is a very noticeable difference from the stock 120 beam. If the stock is a genuine 120, that must be ~200 lm, by the look of it. Great mod!


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## kz1000s1 (Oct 27, 2009)

*Re: Novatac 120P XP-G*



boznet said:


> sorry my english is not so good what is "shim"?
> the focus was good with the stock reflector i did not mod anything.
> trimming the board was long because of the dremel the board is gettin very hot immediatly and it was hard holding it, turning and trimming at the same time



Actually your English is good. I have no problem understanding you.
A shim is a thin piece of material (metal like copper or aluminum in this case) placed under the LED to move it up farther into the reflector.

I was thinking that it would be difficult to trim a board that's so small.

Thanks!

Nice beamshots! I agree with a 200 lumen estimate. It could even be more. When you have such a big increase in spill beam brightness that
is a lot of extra lumens. Try doing a ceiling bounce test in a small room comparing it with the stock 120P.
I can't wait for my XPG's!


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## KDOG3 (Nov 6, 2009)

*Re: Novatac 120P XP-G*

Watching this thread very closely. I'm about to order a Ra light and want to keep up with the best mod for it...


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## kz1000s1 (Nov 6, 2009)

*Re: Novatac 120P XP-G*

I completed my HDS XP-G. Now from comparisons with other lights I still stand by my 200 lumen estimate. My Quark has a slightly brighter hotspot, but doesn't put out as much light.

Results Here: https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/247460

I had also been thinking about getting an RA Clicky instead of the HDS for this mod. A tough choice. The mod shouldn't be too hard. 
Here's a thread I found about Ra upgrading: https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/214748


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## ionizedsky (Nov 27, 2009)

Could you please elaborate how the head came a part in detail. I am getting ready to do similar mod.


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## boznet (Nov 29, 2009)

Just take out the retaining ring and the pill will follow,
very easy if the retaining ring is not glued with red loctite.
i used i little piece that i've cut from a small saw.




















good mod, cheers
boz



ionizedsky said:


> Could you please elaborate how the head came a part in detail. I am getting ready to do similar mod.


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## ionizedsky (Nov 29, 2009)

boznet said:


> Just take out the retaining ring and the pill will follow,
> very easy if the retaining ring is not glued with red loctite.
> i used i little piece that i've cut from a small saw.
> good mod, cheers
> boz



Thanks I appreciate it!


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## John_Galt (Dec 7, 2009)

First off, to the OP, once again very nice work! And this is off topic, but I didn't want to start a whole new thread just to ask one question...

I have a question for those of you who have modded a Ra Clicky recently. Does it disassemble the same way as the Novatac? Or can I access the emitter though the bezel? Also, does anyone have a picture of the Ra heatsink with the emitter romoved/present? Will the heatsink allow for an XP-G with a 10mm board, or does it have to be the bare emitter (I'm assuming bare emitter, b/c of limited space)? Will the XP-G need to be shimmed up, or filed down (in height) to reach the proper focal point? 

I ask because I'm getting impatient waiting for a Ra clicky/twisty with a higher output and a more efficient emitter.

Thank you for your help, and beautiful job OP.


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## John_Galt (Dec 7, 2009)

Anyone? I saw the other thread that kz1000s1 posted a link to, but the photos aren't there anymore.


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## ionizedsky (Dec 13, 2009)

HEY BOZ,

Do you have any close up photos of the red heatsink with the original led in place, I took mine out already and didn't mark which side was Neg and Pos...


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## kz1000s1 (Dec 14, 2009)

ionizedsky said:


> HEY BOZ,
> 
> Do you have any close up photos of the red heatsink with the original led in place, I took mine out already and didn't mark which side was Neg and Pos...



I have answer you need in your original question post.


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