# Unscrewing surefire head



## monkeyboy (Jul 20, 2006)

OK, I just got a surefire l7, arrived in the post yesterday. It's bright enough for most people but it doesn't exactly blow away my SLPP luxeon so I plan on replacing the LED with an X-bin luxeon V when they become available.

Unfortunately, the head doesn't come apart (unscrew) by hand so can any one tell me the best way to unscrew the head, what tools I should use and more importantly which way to unscrew the thing?

Any help is appreciated
thanks


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## Luna (Jul 20, 2006)

monkeyboy said:


> OK, I just got a surefire l7, arrived in the post yesterday. It's bright enough for most people but it doesn't exactly blow away my SLPP luxeon so I plan on* replacing the LED with an X-bin luxeon V when they become available.*



If that is the requirement then don't worry about it


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## Led-Ed (Jul 20, 2006)

You would have to use a heat gun or put it into a baggie then in boiling water.Then unscrew (counter clockwise).
But like Luna said ---X bins are pretty much Unobtainium!


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## monkeyboy (Jul 20, 2006)

I may settle for W bin if I get impatient. LED-ED, will the head unscrew by hand (with gloves) after sufficient heating or will I need tools? Will it screw back on easily enough without heating?thanks


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## FirstDsent (Jul 20, 2006)

They're not cheap, but every good modder should have a few FlexiClamps. See this webpage: https://www.micro-tools.com/store/SearchByCategory.aspx?CategoryCode=FLX

This is the ultimate solution for stubborn lights. Personally I can't stand that some manufacturers use threadlocker or other means to permanently seal their lights. If I can't open it, I don't want it. That's one reason I don't have a Fenix.

Bernie


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## Led-Ed (Jul 20, 2006)

It may unscrew by hand but you probably will need tools.
I have never taken apart that model so I don't know all the steps needed.
It may already have a good bin in there so think long and hard before you do this and void the warranty.If you really want to make it way brighter perhaps you can get someone here to mod the circuit and drive it harder.


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## chesterqw (Jul 21, 2006)

umm... you do know that the L7 is a lux V light and is FLOODY?

you can't compare it to the very throwy slpp luxeon!!!

the slpp luxeon will forever THROW furthur while the L7 will alway be FLOOD.

overall lumens is what the l7 wins at.
throw is wat slpp luxeon wins at.


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## monkeyboy (Jul 21, 2006)

Led-Ed, thanks for the help. I don't think the LED in there is a very high bin and maybe its slightly under driven. I'll go for one of the lower voltage bin lux V's, S voltage bin perhaps. I seems like a pretty straight forward mod if I can just unscrew the thing. I don't really mind if I void the warranty.

chesterqw, actually, the surefire L7 holds its own against the SLPP in terms of throw. The hotspot may not be quite as intense according to a light meter, but it definately throws more usable light forward. I do like the ouptut of the L7 better than the SLPP, but I was expecting more from a lux V vs. a lux I


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## monkeyboy (Jul 22, 2006)

OK I finally got the head apart after much cursing and swearing. I heated it in an oven at 120C and used a combination of vice/ hose clamp and random carpet tool. Ended up with some scratches on the anodize though.  DOH!!!!!!!!! Here's a picture. You can see the dried up thread lock.








Any suggestions on where to get high binned lux V's?


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## Led-Ed (Jul 22, 2006)

Look on this board for photonfanatic-he sells W binned Lux5.
Led Supply sells them also- they don't list the bins on the site but the last one I got from them was a WYOT -very much cool white -perhaps a little too much toward the bluish end of the binning as you would expect with the "YO",but still very bright.
Also Dat2zip sandwich shoppe has W bins also , along with a chart for showing the tint of each bin.
Some of these are on stars so you have to remove the emitters from the star which isn't hard if you know how to do it .
Use some thermal compound between the emitter and the sink -just a little dab.
Have fun and don't burn your fingers.


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## Led-Ed (Jul 22, 2006)

Also be VERY careful not to break the wires off the board .


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## FirstDsent (Jul 22, 2006)

Monkeyboy,
That's not at all what I expected to see in there -pretty skimpy heat sinking.
What is that LED module made of? are the emitter board, and the rest of the module aluminum? Does the body of the module contact the head for heatsinking, or only the flange?

Bernie


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## Luna (Jul 22, 2006)

FirstDsent said:


> Personally I can't stand that some manufacturers use threadlocker or other means to permanently seal their lights.
> Bernie



If they didn't, everytime someone screwed the battery tube on too tight, the LED head would come unscrewed.


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## Luna (Jul 22, 2006)

FirstDsent said:


> Monkeyboy,
> That's not at all what I expected to see in there -pretty skimpy heat sinking.
> What is that LED module made of? are the emitter board, and the rest of the module aluminum? Does the body of the module contact the head for heatsinking, or only the flange?
> 
> Bernie



The reflector assembly itself is the heatsink. It conctacts the can.


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## monkeyboy (Jul 22, 2006)

I don't think there is much heat transfer between the reflector and emitter but I could be wrong. The main points of contact are between the aluminium board and the two points where the screws go. You can see thermal paste (silver) on the aluminium board in the picture at these points. It doesn't seem like a large area of contact but it acts a bit like two heat pipes. The head gets hot quickly after switching on, so I reckon this is sufficient. 

Heat pipes in computer cooling systems usually look totally inadequate but are in fact very effective. If you wanted, I guess you could fill in the gaps between board and body with thermal paste, that should improve cooling. It would be a bit messy though.


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## CM (Jul 22, 2006)

If you're looking to substantially increase output, the W bin from Photonfanatic as well as increasing the bias to the LED will help considerably. I've taken Lux V's over 1.2A in KL6's with excellent results.


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## monkeyboy (Jul 22, 2006)

CM said:


> If you're looking to substantially increase output, the W bin from Photonfanatic as well as increasing the bias to the LED will help considerably. I've taken Lux V's over 1.2A in KL6's with excellent results.


 
I like the sound of that  

Can you tell me more on how to do this? Is this easy to do? Do I have to replace the entire circuit board?

Thanks

Edit: Now I'm looking at the Fatboy. This is able to overdrive a Lux V to 1000ma with 3.6V input of the L7 (I think). Wonder how long it will last at 1000mA?


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## x2x3x2 (Aug 3, 2006)

Kinda dissapointing to see this in a $200+ light don't u think?


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## monkeyboy (Aug 3, 2006)

Yes it's a little dissappointing. I paid rip-off UK prices too £160 = $300  OK that's mainly due to the current exchange rate but still thats expensive. I could have ordered from the US (about $225) but I figured import duty and postage would bump up the price a lot.

For the price I paid, I would have expected:

-W-bin luxeon V as standard
-Clickie tailcap
-decent battery capacity. i.e 4300mAh (subC) 3.6V instead of 1800mAh. Or even 2X 18650 Li-ions in parallel to give maximum possible 5200mAh 3.7V (using LG 2600mAh) That would fit too.


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