# XP-G in PT apex



## jjyoung (Feb 8, 2010)

I'm wondering if anyone has put a xp-g into an apex yet? I think I may try to on mine but my only problem is optics. I currently am running a ssc p-4 with a shortened 20mm reflector. This gives great throw and a tight spot. I am looking for an optic that would give the same using the xp-g. Any suggestions?


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## Szemhazai (Feb 8, 2010)

Princeton Apex XPG mod :mrgreen: 

Luxeon III - low / high










Cree XP-G R4 low/high

*Moved to*  https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/270231


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## hopkins (Feb 8, 2010)

jjyoung - I keep thinking I'll swap Cree XP-G's into my favorite headlamps
but then they're plenty bright already. Maybe I've lost that fanatical edge to
have the brightest lights possible. Sigh!

But next year if they will come out with a new LED
brighter than the XP-G I'll may go for it. 

What we really need are batteries doubling in amp/hours every year or so!:twothumbs


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## psychbeat (Feb 8, 2010)

whoa- Iwant to do that to my Brunton L3!!!!!!!!!
kinda be funky with the optic n heatsink tho?!

I already put a P4 in it thanks to Szemhazai's awesome thread.


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## jjyoung (Feb 8, 2010)

hi Szemhazai, is that using the stock optic? I guess I need to find a optic with the longest throw/ tightest spot I can find. I use the light for fishing at night and need a spot to penetrate the water when I shine for fish.


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## Szemhazai (Feb 9, 2010)

*jjyoung*, yes it's stock optic.

*psychbeat*, a bit funky, but it is possible - you will have to cut some pcb I think.


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## psychbeat (Feb 9, 2010)

ooooooooooohhhhh....
maybe Ill crack er open n see how tough it looks..
Ill have to scrape all of that AA I globbed on the P4
or maybe ill just wait till there's something easier or
better than an R5 xp-g.
boy the beam from my 123 mini R5 looks sooooo
good (although a little greenish compared to the p4)
it would be awesome in a 4AA headlamp like the L3
seems like it would def fit in the optic.
just getting the die on the heatsink etc..
maybe SSC will update the p4 soonish?
thanks again for the idea guys:twothumbs


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## psychbeat (Feb 9, 2010)

or maybe if I cut a small piece of copper or aluminum
and put it between the heatsink and the emitter for more height?
I didnt realize the die on the xpg was so small!!
hmm


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## Gryffin (Feb 9, 2010)

hopkins said:


> Maybe I've lost that fanatical edge to
> have the brightest lights possible. Sigh!



Since the Apex has high and low settings, it's not just about maximum brightness, it's about efficiency; if you can use the low power more and the high power less, you get more functional runtime too. EVERYBODY wins!


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## Offroad'Bent (Feb 10, 2010)

Szemhazai said:


> *jjyoung*, yes it's stock optic.
> 
> *psychbeat*, a bit funky, but it is possible - you will have to cut some pcb I think.



OK Buster, how about some step-by-step instructions and pics, like the ones posted here I used to pimp my Apex (and 8 others for friends) to P4s?:bow:

I think a lot of us would appreciate it.
Especially since a Fenix HP10 is too hard to pimp.


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## psychbeat (Feb 10, 2010)

yeah- Im tired of my tini quark mini 123 being more powerful than my
giant 4aa p4 HL!

maybe some more ideas on how to do it on a
Brunton L3 too!! :twothumbs

or not and Ill just learn to be happy with
my p4 like I was till I got my quark...
"have to admit its getting better..."


"it couldnt get much worse..."


lovecpf


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## sunspot (Feb 11, 2010)

XP-G in an Apexlovecpf


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## Offroad'Bent (Feb 21, 2010)

Still no more details?



sunspot said:


> XP-G in an Apexlovecpf


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## Szemhazai (Feb 21, 2010)

Sorry guys I was vivisecting Magicshine for the last few days...


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## yellow (Feb 21, 2010)

brighter and this wider beam,
a winner


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## psychbeat (Feb 22, 2010)

Sorry guys I was vivisecting Magicshine for the last few days...
whoa SST-90 in the magic?!???????


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## vaska (Feb 24, 2010)

Szemhazai said:


> Sorry guys I was vivisecting Magicshine for the last few days...



Is it going to appear in your beamshot gallery?


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## Szemhazai (Feb 24, 2010)

vaska said:


> Is it going to appear in your beamshot gallery?



Yes, I'm waiting only for better weather conditions to make outdoor shots => to much snow on my test site :thumbsdow


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## StealthZ (Mar 25, 2010)

Offroad'Bent said:


> Still no more details?


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## f22shift (Mar 25, 2010)

is the petzl myo moddable too?


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## vtunderground (Mar 26, 2010)

f22shift said:


> is the petzl myo moddable too?



Incandescent Myo? It's probably not easily moddable.

Myo XP? Should be easy to replace the LED.


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## Barbarin (Apr 6, 2010)

Szemhazai said:


> *jjyoung*, yes it's stock optic.
> 
> *psychbeat*, a bit funky, but it is possible - you will have to cut some pcb I think.



Taking a look at the pictures, it seems a little nonsense to buy a Petzl Ultra when you can have a PT Apex for a fraction of the cost, with way similar results.

By the way, I've been out of this CPF world for a while, and I had no idea about your incredible website. Thank you very much.


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## kevinm (Apr 7, 2010)

Barbarin said:


> Taking a look at the pictures, it seems a little nonsense to buy a Petzl Ultra when you can have a PT Apex for a fraction of the cost, with way similar results.
> 
> By the way, I've been out of this CPF world for a while, and I had no idea about your incredible website. Thank you very much.



The Ultra is a totally different beast. It puts out 350 lumens. It's like 3-4 of these together. That does mean no spot, but it's bright!


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## kevinm (Apr 7, 2010)

Any problems with the XP-G on high getting hot? I have some lights with K2 TFFC's and poor heatsinking that I would like to change to Xp-G's, but am worried about them being destroyed.

Thanks,
Kevin


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## Barbarin (Apr 8, 2010)

kevinm said:


> The Ultra is a totally different beast. It puts out 350 lumens. It's like 3-4 of these together. That does mean no spot, but it's bright!



But at 1 Amp a XP-G R5 can put out 350 lm, and you can get near four hours of it using decent NiMH's.

Is the Apex driving the LED at 1 Amp?

It seems many high end lamps gets prematurely outdated.

Javier


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## kevinm (Apr 9, 2010)

Barbarin said:


> But at 1 Amp a XP-G R5 can put out 350 lm, and you can get near four hours of it using decent NiMH's.
> 
> Is the Apex driving the LED at 1 Amp?
> 
> ...



True, they can put out 350 lumens, but can they do it reliably without catching on fire? 

Seriously, I don't know. I meant my question above: given not great heat sinking, how does the XP-G fare at 1A for long periods of time?



The LED's in the Ultra are under-driven and it generates a wall of light, not a spot. The application is different. Also, the 350 of the Ultra is, from looking at it in person, an out the front measurement.

I'm not claiming the Ultra is worth the extra money, but if I could get one for twice the cost of the Apex, I probably would.

Kevin


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## NoFair (Apr 9, 2010)

Barbarin said:


> But at 1 Amp a XP-G R5 can put out 350 lm, and you can get near four hours of it using decent NiMH's.
> 
> Is the Apex driving the LED at 1 Amp?
> 
> ...



I think the Apex runs it's led at about 700 mA. Thinking of putting an xp-e in mine (warm white)


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## Barbarin (Apr 9, 2010)

kevinm said:


> True, they can put out 350 lumens, but can they do it reliably without catching on fire?
> 
> Seriously, I don't know. I meant my question above: given not great heat sinking, how does the XP-G fare at 1A for long periods of time?
> 
> ...




Well, I haven't seen or tested an APEX, but if it runs at 700 mA as NoFair said, it is putting out 265 lm, according to jtr1962 testings (Thank you). I don't think it is going to catch fire.

Yes, the ultra is a nice lamp, but the lm/US$ relationship is on the APEX.

Javier


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## Ace12 (Apr 9, 2010)

How much you charge to do the Apex mod with the XP-G? I'm terrible at modding anything.


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## NoFair (Apr 10, 2010)

xp-e works great with the stock optic as well, tighter beam than a Seoul though. Neutral white and R2 brightness is very nice

Sverre


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## Offroad'Bent (Apr 11, 2010)

NoFair said:


> xp-e works great with the stock optic as well, tighter beam than a Seoul though. Neutral white and R2 brightness is very nice
> 
> Sverre



NoFair, where did you get your XP-G emitters? I'm thinking of re-modding my Apex, upgrading the Seoul to an XP-G with the stock optic.
I am assuming at 700ma the lumens should jump from 150 to 250 or so.


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## NoFair (Apr 11, 2010)

Offroad'Bent said:


> NoFair, where did you get your XP-G emitters? I'm thinking of re-modding my Apex, upgrading the Seoul to an XP-G with the stock optic.
> I am assuming at 700ma the lumens should jump from 150 to 250 or so.



From Cutter: 

http://www.cutter.com.au/products.php?cat=Cree+XPE

I have the XPEWHT-L1-4D-R2-0-0 Neutral White (R2 brightness, D4 tint) on Cutter-XPE10SRO (10mm round) pcbs. The pcb has to be turned down (belt sander works) to 8mm to fit in the slot for the Seoul/Luxeon. The hight is fine so no need to make the 2mm pcb thinner. The beam is tighter and output is higher than even a very good Seoul U-bin. 

Sverre


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## Offroad'Bent (Apr 11, 2010)

NoFair said:


> From Cutter:
> 
> http://www.cutter.com.au/products.php?cat=Cree+XPE
> 
> ...



Thanks. I think I'll wait for the XP-G, if I'm going to remove my P4 anyway from my Apex.


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