# Tikka XP - still dangerous ;) (xp-g mod)



## Szemhazai (Jul 6, 2010)

I guess that everyone knows it - one of the ugliest headlamp on the market, black-brown body, a little plastic and headband . But at the same time, robust, well sealed, reliable, built-in diffuser or removable color filters. For years serves to many people at home and on the trail. Last year was displaced from the shops by its more colorful successor XP 2, but in my opinion it is still worth interest when you are choosing the new headlamp - especially if you are not unfamiliar with soldering iron :huh:. And there is also that beautiful black-yellow HAZLOC version 







Quite large buttons:






Solid piece of gasket and battery status indicator on the side:






*Mod*

Classic set for the most of Petzls: headlamp & Torx 6 :devil:.






Cree XP-G on micro pcb






Some thermal adhesive i.e. Arctic Alumina or other glue - I'm using 3M 467MP 0,05mm adhesive tape, some tin, 2 pieces of wire and soldering iron 

After removing the three screws from the battery compartment you can easily push everything out by pressing gently on the top lens. Usually a small piece of ferrite is going out somewhere - you cannot worry about that . By the way you can see now another gasket on the lens.






Take the old and using a sharp knife remove everything, only to leave an aluminum plate that will serve you as a base for centering a new led. Now you have only to glue in the center the mcpcb with cree xp-g on board and connect the power. Purist technicians can replace the entire wire - remember that it have to be adequately thin to fit between the star and the holder.






Now, put on the holder and center the led gently pushing the star in the direction you want.






It’s done - now you have only put everything together and test your new powerful headlamp .

*To mod, or not to mod ? Or simply, for what ?*

Certainly for a better color, switching from a SSC P4 to the XP-G you can select the neutral white or even warm led . The difference between the neutral white and cold will be significant and with the warm led you can feel almost like with an old Incandescent bulb



. In addition, you will get more light and better focus.

But is it worth it? Compared between Tikka XP 2 (45$) and modded Tikka XP (in the shop 45$ + 10 for the led) - you have to make a choice lovecpf. 

high xp2 vs. boost xpg









high xp2 vs. high xpg









Modded XP on SSC P4 vs XP-G boost.









Modded XP on SSC P4 vs XP-G high.









Rest of the test photos you can find on my website : http://www.light-test.info


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## Walterk (Jul 6, 2010)

*Re: Tikka XP - still dangerous *

Love my Tika.
Good job!


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## PScalfano (Jul 6, 2010)

*Re: Tikka XP - still dangerous *

That is a great mod!

Would a star-mounted xp-g work instead of the micro PCB glued to a star? Say, this one?


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## Szemhazai (Jul 6, 2010)

*Re: Tikka XP - still dangerous *

*PScalfano*, no, it won't work without additional modification to the holder - you will have to trim it about 2mm. XP-G needs to be about 2mm higher than SSC P4 / Luxeon.


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## Rathand (Jul 26, 2010)

Hi Szemhazai
The result looks incredible!
Could you PM me the details of your XPG you used and recommend someone online who could sell me one?
thanks alot!


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## The Fred (Mar 23, 2011)

Hello, I want to modify my Tikka XP like you did here.
Can you direct me to where I can purchase the correct LED for this mod and what are specifications required for an LED I want to use in this headlight?

Thank you!

Freddie


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## mrlysle (Mar 23, 2011)

Hello Szemhazai! That's a kick-butt mod. Like the others here who have responded, I would like to try this with my headlamp, so I'll ask you a question. I have the TacTikka XP. Is this model similar enough to yours for me to do it? Petzl has sooo many dang models, it's hard to keep up with them. I do know mine looks almost identical to yours, buttons, lens, sliding filter, etc. It also takes 3 AAA batts. If I modded mine with a new emitter, could I put lithium primaries in it, or is that restricted due to the driver board? Any input would be greatly appreciated! Nice job on the mod!


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## dfwcaver (Mar 23, 2011)

Hi Szemhazai, Nice Mod! I put an xm-l star in my Tikka XP. The spot is not very good any more, but it's much brighter with a lot of flood – which is what I wanted.


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## Szemhazai (Mar 23, 2011)

*mrlysle*, yes, the only differences between the ticca's xp are filters and colors. Yes, you can use primary lithiums, in the boost mode you will outshine many competitive lights :naughty:

*The Fred*, if you don't want to **** the old holder you can cut any standard star mcpcb to necessary size it's about 4x10mm. :thumbsup:


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## Chrisdm (Mar 23, 2011)

Thats awesome I wish I had the skills to do that to my old Tikka... It has been retired but was my best friend many nights out in the wilderness.. It would deserve this treatment!


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## foxx (May 10, 2011)

I'm using tikka xp with xp-g neutral and it's great, but still when using with recyko rechargeables the power input is 50%-60% of what its with alkalines (at least when they are fresh...).

I was thinking if lower Vf of xm-l could compensate for it, so I have greater input power even when using nimh batteries...

Could anyone confirm that? If so, Id exchange xp-g to neutral xm-l


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## 5150Bronco (May 11, 2011)

I am looking to maybe get the xp 2 and this would be a interesting mod. I would like to do this or know more.


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## robostudent5000 (May 11, 2011)

5150Bronco said:


> I am looking to maybe get the xp 2 and this would be a interesting mod. I would like to do this or know more.


 
the xp and xp2 are different lamps. the xp is older and needs the emitter swapped to bring it up to date. the xp2 is newer and the emitter cannot be swapped. you can still buy the xp, but the xp is more expensive than the newer xp2.


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## The Fred (Aug 3, 2011)

I have a problem. Everywhere I look, the specs for the XPG say that it is from 3.2-3.7v and I don't want to fry the new XPG in my Tikka XP.
I have no idea what the voltage/current is from the XP on "high" and "boost" mode. I'm worried it will overload the XPG.
*Where can I get the correct LED for this mod and it needs to be from somewhere that offers international shipping.*
I'm desperate to do this mod because I'm fed up of the pinkish colour from the current LED in the light.

Cheers!

Fred


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## Mark620 (Aug 3, 2011)

*NICE!*


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## The Fred (Aug 3, 2011)

I detect sarcasm somewhere...

Anyway, can you help me here?
Are any of these the right LED?

http://www.led-tech.de/en/High-Powe...CREE-XP-G-R4-on-Star-PCB-LT-1651_120_138.html
http://www.led-tech.de/en/High-Powe...CREE-XP-G-Q5-on-Star-PCB-LT-1646_120_138.html
http://www.led-tech.de/en/High-Powe...CREE-XP-G-R5-on-Star-PCB-LT-1628_120_138.html

I really have no idea.


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## robostudent5000 (Aug 3, 2011)

The Fred said:


> I have a problem. Everywhere I look, the specs for the XPG say that it is from 3.2-3.7v and I don't want to fry the new XPG in my Tikka XP.
> I have no idea what the voltage/current is from the XP on "high" and "boost" mode. I'm worried it will overload the XPG.
> *Where can I get the correct LED for this mod and it needs to be from somewhere that offers international shipping.*
> I'm desperate to do this mod because I'm fed up of the pinkish colour from the current LED in the light.


 
the XP-G has a max voltage of 3.75v. the typical forward voltage for a Lux I at 350mA (probably close to what the XP is running on High) is 3.4v, so in theory, even if the circuit is a voltage source rather than current source, the XP-G should be fine. plus others have done this mod and run it w/o problems. 

the real problem you'll run into isn't whether the emitter is compatible with the circuit, it's whether the emitter is compatible with the optic. the height, size, and beam patterns of the Lux I and XP-G are different, so the optic holder needs to be modded for it work with an XP-G. 

as with any Lux 1 upgrade, the easiest mod you can do is to swap the emitter for a SSC P4. you can do this mod without any changes to the optic holder. it's just a straight star swap. the toughest part is finding a SSC P4 with the tint you want.

good luck on the mod.

*Edit* try CPF Marketplace for LED's. someone there might have the emitter you want. if not, they may be able to point you in the right direction.


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## The Fred (Aug 18, 2011)

I just did the mod and it was a disaster in my opinion. The first LED I tried was a CREE P4 Warm White. After I finished soldering it, the lens on the dome of the LED randomly popped off exposing the diode inside and all this silicone glue went all over it so it was pretty much ruined.:sick2:
The second LED I soldered was a Cree P4 BIN XR7090WT-U1-WD-P4-0-0001 and the lens of the LED is obviously not high enough because it made an awful ringy wide beam pattern that really sucked!

The LED that was originally in my tikka XP is a SXPHW 0645456 1507LXHLMW1D LUXEON. It is about 5.5mm high.

Can anyone recommend the correct LED for this mod to be successful? I am really stumped and I've already wasted about $20 on the last two LED's.

I am eagerly awaiting your help!!!!:sigh:

Freddie


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## abbotsmike (Aug 18, 2011)

@ The Fred.

Do Dealextreme deliver to you? I ordered my P4's from there (one for modding a tactikka XP and one for my 4D mag) and they cost under $20 all in, delivered to the UK

FWIW, I used a standard P4 on the start U-bin


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## The Fred (Aug 18, 2011)

what is the SKU of the LED you ordered. One of my LED's was actually from DX.


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## abbotsmike (Aug 18, 2011)

The Fred said:


> what is the SKU of the LED you ordered. One of my LED's was actually from DX.


 
SKU: 1445


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## The Fred (Aug 18, 2011)

Ah yes, I thought so. I was just searching for that very one.
You're confident that this one wont emit a messed up beam pattern with the Tikka XP lens?
Oh! And I need a tiny amount of thermal paste since I cant recover the little blob that came off the original LED.
Is SKU 4593 the right thing?
cheers!


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## abbotsmike (Aug 18, 2011)

The Fred said:


> Ah yes, I thought so. I was just searching for that very one.
> You're confident that this one wont emit a messed up beam pattern with the Tikka XP lens?
> Oh! And I need a tiny amount of thermal paste since I cant recover the little blob that came off the original LED.
> Is SKU 4593 the right thing?
> cheers!


 
Mine actually had a slight ring in the hotspot as standard, but I shimmed the star forward, moving the optic closer to the LED, and it has gotten rid of that. I did it using small strips of electrical tape underneath where the star sits. I used 5 layers, but I guess it would be a trial and error thing. I was inspired to get on with it by the beamshots in this thread! Very happy with the improved tint (for me) and noticeable increase in brightness. The flood on boost is now fantastic! I managed to recycle the old paste, but that stuff looks fine to me.


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## The Fred (Aug 18, 2011)

A slight hotspot ring is not going to be an issue. I just want reassuring that the beam wont come out looking like an "out of focus" maglite.
I'm trying to get the same beam as before with the original LED. I don't want to shim the star forward because I want it to maintain contact with the thermistor underneath.


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## abbotsmike (Aug 18, 2011)

The Fred said:


> A slight hotspot ring is not going to be an issue. I just want reassuring that the beam wont come out looking like an "out of focus" maglite.
> I'm trying to get the same beam as before with the original LED. I don't want to shim the star forward because I want it to maintain contact with the thermistor underneath.


 
When I say 'hotspot ring' I mean that the hotspot has a slightly less bright circle in the middle. The shimming isn't a problem with regards to the thermistor. Due to the long wires it is on, its natural springiness holds it up against the star. I bent mine upwards slightly more than that to make sure. It now has a perfect hotspot, like it did with the stock LED. At a guess, it has moved forward by <1mm


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## The Fred (Aug 18, 2011)

Sorry for misunderstanding you there! I'm going for it, and hopefully it wont be a total fiasco!
I'll post some pics when its finished.

Thanks for the help!

Freddie


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## tam17 (Aug 19, 2011)

Cool mod, Szemhazai! :thumbsup:

I wonder if someone tried to perform this mod starting from a _bare_ XP-G, having _no proprietary MCPCB or star_ at hand?:sick2:

That's my only option at the moment and I doubt if it's feasible at all, considering the size of this emitter (hand soldering almost impossible!), and having in mind the necessity of good heatsinking.

The only XP-G I can get at the moment is bare NW 4000K. Any help would be highly appreciated.

Cheers,

Tam


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## Szemhazai (Aug 19, 2011)

You can cut any star to the appropriate size and then solder led into it and glue it to the old star... That's not a big problem


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## tam17 (Aug 19, 2011)

Thanks for your support, Szemhazai!

I have a cheapo 1W Luxeon clone with a CCT of approx. 8000K which is useless to me, but its star could be tailored like a micro PCB like the one shown in your tutorial. It won't be thick enough, but I'd have to shim it anyway to get the beam right. If I understand well, I'd have to solder wires to the points on the _upper surface_ on the XP-G, and that's what frightens me most (must get a small pointed-tip soldering iron and good magnifying glass, since the XP-G's footprint is only 3x3mm IIRC!):sick2:

Still I have to find suitable non-conducting thermal epoxy (or improvise one). I wonder would the slow-setting epoxy mixed with fine aluminum oxide powder do the trick?

Cheers,

Tam


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## one_half_3544 (Aug 22, 2011)

Cool. Will definetly try this.

Does the runtime change anyhow?


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## Szemhazai (Aug 22, 2011)

No - it may be a bit longer because Vf of the XP-G is much lower than Luxeon I.


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## tam17 (Sep 7, 2011)

I've finally pulled the trigger on this mod - and succeeded. The emitter is XP-G Neutral White (4,000K). It took an evening to accomplish the soldering, and next day was reserved for potting and beam tune-up. A bit tricky job for a beginner like me, since I've bought the bare emitter, the only one available at the moment. Photos and comments are here.

Thanks to all participants in this thread - especially to szemhazai :thanks:

Cheers,

Tam


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## The Fred (Sep 18, 2011)

Nice one! You beat me to it! I was delayed by the post people so I've only just got my LED. I'm off to start work!

Cheers!!!


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## Berguie (Jun 3, 2013)

abbotsmike said:


> Mine actually had a slight ring in the hotspot as standard, but I shimmed the star forward, moving the optic closer to the LED, and it has gotten rid of that. I did it using small strips of electrical tape underneath where the star sits. I used 5 layers, but I guess it would be a trial and error thing. I was inspired to get on with it by the beamshots in this thread! Very happy with the improved tint (for me) and noticeable increase in brightness. The flood on boost is now fantastic! I managed to recycle the old paste, but that stuff looks fine to me.



Hi, when you shimmed the star with the electrical tape, did you need to modify the older? There is not space to shimme it by 1mm or the older won't grip. 
Thans for your answer & best regards,

Berguie


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## Berguie (Jun 3, 2013)

*Re: Tikka XP - still dangerous *



Szemhazai said:


> *PScalfano*, no, it won't work without additional modification to the holder - you will have to trim it about 2mm. XP-G needs to be about 2mm higher than SSC P4 / Luxeon.


Hi, I would like to know which xp-g led you took and where you bought it?
thanks & best regards,
Berguie


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