# World's Smallest Aspheric Mag.: XPE Solitaire mod #2



## ma_sha1 (Apr 18, 2009)

Due to lack of funding, I just sold & shipped my XPE R2 Soli. 
https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/229365

Not even a day have passed, I am missing it already.:mecry: 
Luckly, I still have my option B, so I am out making another one.

The light is pretty much identical to the first XPE Soli. as seen here:
https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/228363

except that the emitter here is XPE Q5. 







To make the Aspehric head, I started with DX 20mm Aspehric lens (Left)
& trim it down to fit the Solitaire head (Right). The lens after trimming has a neck & simply "plug in" to the head/bezel of solitaire. The factory rubber O ring was used to seal the Aspehric lens from the bezel. 






I used my trusty table saw's side edge to trim the spheric lens 
from 20mm down to 10 mm. Don't try this at home :shakehead,
This got to qualify as one of the world's most reckless modding!
Luckly, I still have my 10 fingers:devil: 
Further trimming to create the "neck" was done using a grinder head on drill.






Here is the finished product, world's smallest aspheric Mag. (next to Mag 1C, with TerraLux Tle 1F led drop-in).





*Beam shots.*

Focus Mode: XPE Q5 Aspheric Solitaire on left, mag 1C Led on Right.
the Aspheric Solitaire is much brighter. 






Flood Mode: Very nice & smooth beam!





I can even get a clear Die image, but this requires the head to come off body about 2mm or pull the lens out & use a thick o-ring. 







*Summary.*

Compare to my first XPE R2 soli., This Q5 version is not as bright as the previous R2 version, I don't think the emitter make much of a difference, I think mostly due to the Carlos lens used in the R2 mod sit directly on top of the emitter & collect all the light, but with the Carlos lens, one can not adjust focus or change the beam shape, it is what it is. 

The Aspheric Solitaire Retains mag's full focusing function & is able to give out nice round beam. 
Hard to say which is better, it all depends on what's more important to you, Max Lumen or Focusing function. 
The flood-to-focus XPE Aspheric Solitaire made me a happy men again.


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## mash.m (Apr 19, 2009)

nice mod, but you are realy crazy to trim a lens with a "kreissäge".

to get a good fokus you need a lens with a short back focal lenght (it must be fatter).

markus


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## ma_sha1 (Apr 19, 2009)

I know, I have gone momentarily crazy. I am not going to do that again.

A few month ago, a co-worker of mine got cut on his circular saw & almost lost 3 fingers,
he had to go to hospital & get his fingers sewed back, scary to think about that.



mash.m said:


> nice mod, but you are realy crazy to trim a lens with a "kreissäge".


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## Nos (Apr 19, 2009)

mash.m said:


> nice mod, but you are realy crazy to trim a lens with a "kreissäge".
> markus



Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat? oo:  :green:  :twothumbs


Great one! omg still laughting hahahahaha hahaha i guess you are cutting your finger nails with thing too :nana:

anyway nice mod :thumbsup:


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## Al Combs (Apr 19, 2009)

Once again, awesome Solitaire mod.

I was just about ready to orders the TIR optics from Cutter. But Now I want the aspherics from DX instead. Is this it? Don't worry, I don't have a table saw.


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## DM51 (Apr 19, 2009)

That is really neat - very good result!


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## ma_sha1 (Apr 19, 2009)

Al Combs said:


> Once again, awesome Solitaire mod.
> 
> I was just about ready to orders the TIR optics from Cutter. But Now I want the aspherics from DX instead. Is this it? Don't worry, I don't have a table saw.



Thanks! 

Sorry, that's not the lens. The lens is sku 13903, 21mm actually;

http://www2.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.13903~r.33147568


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## ma_sha1 (Apr 19, 2009)

DM51 said:


> That is really neat - very good result!



DM51,

Thanks for the kind words.


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## Al Combs (Apr 19, 2009)

Thanks 


ma_sha1 said:


> Thanks!
> 
> Sorry, that's not the lens. The lens is sku 13903, 21mm actually;
> 
> http://www2.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.13903~r.33147568


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## toby_pra (Apr 20, 2009)

Very nice and clean work! Awesome!  :tinfoil:


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## greg_in_canada (Apr 20, 2009)

Very cool but I felt queasy just seeing your hand close to that saw.

Greg


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## dom (Apr 20, 2009)

Great job and nice clean beam.
Please don't use that saw again though -very scary.

On the first beam shot -how wide is the beam and how far away from the wall?

Cheers
Dom


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## ma_sha1 (Apr 20, 2009)

dom said:


> Great job and nice clean beam.
> Please don't use that saw again though -very scary.
> 
> On the first beam shot -how wide is the beam and how far away from the wall?
> ...




Dom,

The first photo, tight focus. The shot was from table to ceiling, 
about 5 ft. distance. The spot was about 8-9" (rough recollection).

When I do hallway shot with the same tight focus at distance of about 12 ft. 
The beam is about 2ft wide, roughly cover width of a door.


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## bstrickler (Jul 17, 2009)

Do you by chance live in the USA/Canada and have extra LED's? I don't want to have to spend $40 on 3 LED's from Cutter.

~Brian


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## souptree (Jul 18, 2009)

PLEASE don't do the stupid saw trick again!!!!! Quality flashlight modders are hard to replace!!! :green:  

Great work on the Solis. You are doing really cool stuff here!!! :thumbsup:


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