# Going to mod my Tikka XP and MYO XP



## whippoorwill (Sep 6, 2007)

Getting two SSC stars from PhotonFanatic. Gonna screw up two nice headlamps! Do I need to use thermal paste? If so, aluminum or silver? Any help would be appreciated!


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## BlackDecker (Sep 7, 2007)

Keep us posted on the upgrade. My Tikka XP is pretty sad compared to my Rayovac Sportmans Extreme that cost one third the XP.


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## whippoorwill (Sep 7, 2007)

I have the ROV headlamp also. If it had a Seoul or Cree it would be even better! I will keep everyone posted. Should be an easy upgrade according to the posts on the forum. we'll see!!


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## Valolammas (Sep 7, 2007)

whippoorwill said:


> Getting two SSC stars from PhotonFanatic. Gonna screw up two nice headlamps! Do I need to use thermal paste? If so, aluminum or silver? Any help would be appreciated!



Can't help you with the Myo XP, but I modded my Tikka XP just a while ago. It really is very easy, just be sure not to get the positive and negative wires mixed up after you unsolder the stock led. For instructions, see post #14 of this thread.

Thermal paste... Yes, I think you will need it. Don't know about the type, my local store only had one kind, so that's what I got and it works. Anyway, Tikka XP (probably Myo too) apparently has temperature protection. It probably doesn't need it in the normal modes, but it will cut off the boost when the LED gets too hot. So there's a heat sensor under the star, which you'll probably want to "paste" to the bottom of the SSC star so that it will work properly.


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## whippoorwill (Sep 7, 2007)

Fred(Photon Fanatic) recommended Ceramique for the heat paste. Anyone ever used that?


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## cave dave (Sep 7, 2007)

The original Tikka Xp star has a good helping of thermal past already on it. Just scrape it off and reuse it.
Here is a pic of the back of the orginal star. I wiped off half the thermal paste and their is plenty left.






And here is the new P4 in place:




Over in the bottom left corner is the spot for the catalyst pellet. It will fall out. Try not to lose it.


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## whippoorwill (Sep 15, 2007)

Finished my mod on the Tikka XP. It really is a 5 minute mod if you know what you are doing. I didn't so it took me a little longer. Will report on the results when it gets dark! But the light came on when I pushed the button! YEAH!!!!!

All functions seem to remain so I consider my first mod a success!!!


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## whippoorwill (Sep 15, 2007)

Ok, here's the scoop. Medium with the SSC looks like high on the stock, but the boost has some major throw. Ran the light on high for about 20 minutes and no major buildup of heat.

This is a worthwhile easy mod for this headlamp.


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## Valolammas (Sep 16, 2007)

whippoorwill said:


> This is a worthwhile easy mod for this headlamp.



It sure is, I'm very happy with mine. Did you notice that without the diffuser, the beam is now round instead of square? And has some spill, too! Before the mod, I always used mine with the diffuser on, but now I like it both ways.


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## Gaffle (Sep 16, 2007)

That is one edge Petzl has over the competition. The diffuser lens. I love having throw and flood in one package.


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## whippoorwill (Sep 17, 2007)

I tested mine Saturday night and I am here to tell you, this is one serious headlamp. I have not compared it to my PT Apex, but I can almost guarantee it will match it.

In the boost mode, it is really amazing!


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## whippoorwill (Sep 17, 2007)

You know I used to look down on the Petzl lamp because it wasn't regulated. But if you think about it, that is the ideal for a headlamp. It just doesn't shut down on you suddenly and leave you in the middle of nowhere without a light. You have the ability to change out the batteries before it goes. Assuming of course that you had enough sense to bring extras!


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## josiah (Sep 27, 2007)

Great info on this thread! I also have a Tikka XP that I'm thinking about trying to mod, which would be my first.

I'm wondering about a couple of things...one, how do I know what kind of emitter will be compatible with the Tikka XP? I see the new Cree Q5's are out there...can one of those be put in? Is there an ideal emitter and star for this specific headlamp?

Also, I've noticed that Lithium rechargeables are warned against being used on the Petzl website. Would putting a new emitter make it more tolerant of the Lithiums, or is it the circuitry I should be worried about?

Hopefully these are valid questions, and haven't already been covered...I'm brand new to this!


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## whippoorwill (Sep 27, 2007)

Personally, I think either the SSC or the cree would work. Supposedly the SSC works better with reflectors, but the Tikka XP has a lens , so I think it would work with either one. I think that the issue with the Tikka XP and lithiums would be wth the circuitry.

I have done exactly one mod in my life, so take all this with a grain of salt!:shrug:


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## josiah (Sep 28, 2007)

What is the reason for SSCs working better with reflectors? Is there a difference in the optics of the SSC and the Cree?


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## tnuckels (Sep 28, 2007)

In my very limited mod experience (Tikka XP https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/154135 & LongBow Micra https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/168096&page=2) the SSC P4 is an easier fit because it is nearly identical in size, shape, etc. to the Lux emitters currently sitting in most of your existing older lights. The whole head of your light is designed to feed power to and position the LED correctly within the reflector or in relation to the optic being used. Replacing it with a brighter LED that has the same form factor is, I think, the quickest and easiest bang for the buck, especially when you’re like me, and uncertain of all the details, equations, and specifications that actually went into the making of the original light.

Go to the LED manufacturer’s websites and find the PDF spec sheets to see the dimensions firsthand (I think I got the right ones):

CREE http://www.cree.com, or here:http://www.cree.com/products/pdf/XLamp7090XR-E.pdf

LUMILEDS http://www.lumileds.com, or here:http://www.lumileds.com/pdfs/DS25.pdf

SEOUL http://seoulsemicon.co.kr, or here:http://www.seoulsemicon.co.kr/_homepage/home_kor/product/spec/X42180.pdf

To help toward answering two previous questions: 

Thermal Pastes: as CaveDave said, you can reuse the ample paste from off the backside of the original star, or do like I did and use a bit of Silver 5 I had left over from a PC repair. I think the paste is only being used to transmit heat to the sensor (that little resistor looking thing behind the star attached to the two long silver wires) that Petzel uses on their lights to shut them off and protect them from overheating when used in boost mode. The three Arctic thermal pastes each have different properties for specific applications, but for the purposes of this modification I don’t think it really matters … just don’t slip up and get the epoxy unless you want your mod to be enshrined for all eternity!

SSC & Reflectors: until fairly recently most of our high powered lights have come with some sort of Lumileds (Lux) LED. The pattern of light distribution from the phosphor source, as well as its position within the well of the reflector or in relation to the optic, determines the characteristics of the beam shape, angle, hotspot, flood, transition, etc., that you see out the front end of your flashlight. I think that Cree LEDs work different in these respects and perhaps need the supporting hardware to be laid out different to match, while Lux and SSC are close enough to be quite compatible. There is enough difference between even the Lux and SSC emitters for manufacturers such as McGizmo to offer slightly different reflectors (ex. McR18 for Lux vs. McR18S for SSC), but if you’re less than a perfectionist you can probably make do with either.

In the specific case of the Tikka XP (don't have the MYO) the original LED came on a star and the Seoul (SSC) comes on a star. The solder points, heat disbursement, front and rear holders that position the star/LED assembly, etc. were all designed around this specific size and shape device. Perhaps someone more innovative might take the time to fiddle a CREE into place and make it work, but I suspect the difference in effort is something akin to removing a splinter vs. performing surgery, and all for a negligible difference in output (see chart http://img529.imageshack.us/my.php?image=fluxvfig5.jpg for U bin SSC vs Q5 bin Cree) 

There may be smaller, brighter LEDs out there, but for my time, effort, and knowledge level, going with the SSC just works out better. Take the easy road and feel good about your first mod … and feel free to correct any mistakes in my understanding of these subjects.


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## hirby (Sep 28, 2007)

Be aware that with the Myo XP, the Seoul P4 LED has a thinner backing than the Luxeon. This is an issue because there are 4 plastic posts that position an aluminum heat sink againast the back of the star. This aluminum HS piece will not sit against the back of the star unless you push it down "past" the tiny built-in step on the post. You might have to widen the holes a tiny bit or thin the bottom of the post past the step (or just remove them as the HS paste should hold the lightweight aluminum hs pretty good). At least that's how my Myo XP was. I didn't use the original heat sink though and changed the battery power setup.


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## Sarratt (Sep 28, 2007)

whippoorwill said:


> ......You have the ability to change out the batteries before it goes.......



The Apex blinks / flashes as a warning of low battery. Switching to low then gives you hours of time.


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## josiah (Sep 29, 2007)

Thanks for the good info, tnukels! I especially appreciate your thoughts on being the simplest, best choice and not just because it's the brightest.


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## tnuckels (Oct 3, 2007)

Cave Dave: Do you know what the “catalyst pellet” does, and how it learned to move so fast?

Whippoorwill: Which “Heart of Dixie”, there seem to be so many …

I’m thinking my old Petzl Tikka + needs some tender loving care about now. Any ideas on which Nichia 5mm LED would work best while retaining the functions? The Jupiters are a much as a dang SSC or LuxIII … gotta’ be good for that kinda' money, eh?


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## whippoorwill (Oct 3, 2007)

Montgomery, Alabama, of course!




Whippoorwill: Which “Heart of Dixie”, there seems to be so many …


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## tnuckels (Oct 4, 2007)

Whippoorwill: I’ll give a shout and flash my light tomorrow night as I blow through your town on my way to the BEACH!

Guess Dave's off somewhere chasing down his catalyst pellet ...

I’d not seen these previously … not that I was looking all that hard: http://www.theledlight.com/Cree-LED.html.

So the CREE comes on a star, or someone mounted it there after the fact, as I don’t see this configuration at the CREE website. Well, that’s part of the battle already fought for you. Now all you have to do is get the right reflector and probably adjust the star’s height and you’re in business. Maybe …

And the Jupiter appears to require more juice to run, as it’s listed in 1.5W lights, and so probably won't work in the Tikka Plus. 

Guess I'll wait till the new DS 5mm LED http://www.nichia.co.kr/specification/led_lamp/NSPW500DS-E.pdf is for sale or pickup some CS 5mm LEDs http://www.nichia.co.kr/specification/led_lamp/NSPW500CS-E.pdf for cheap.


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## Nereus (Oct 6, 2007)

I have modded my incan Petzl Myo with a Seoul P4 led, see this thread. I don't know how similar Myo and Myo XP are, but I hope that the thread helps you.

-N


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## whippoorwill (Oct 8, 2007)

Just got through modding my Myo XP. World's second easiest mod. Will try it out tonight. That damn thermal compound gets on everything. It is worse than mustard!


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## whippoorwill (Oct 9, 2007)

Getting a TON more light out of the front. What surprised me is the amount of flood. Throw is a little less than expected, but this headlamp lights up the world now!


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## gunga (Oct 10, 2007)

Hello.

It;s my intention to mod a Tikka XP with a P4 star.

I'm just wonderingm has anyone ever tried replacing the optic with a reflector? Is that even possible given 
the construction of the xp?

If so, seems like a good idea (reflector mod and diffuser lense).

I've seen no mention of this so I take it it's not possible?

I did read somewhere someone put some diffusion film behind the optic or something? How is that done? I have some mod ideas in mind.

I'm now developing a headlamp collection...


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## cave dave (Oct 12, 2007)

Pellet is for absorbing any hydrogen gas that is off-gased by the batteries.

Optic is very thin, would be hard to find a reflector to fit, and then you would need a lens too.


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## gunga (Oct 12, 2007)

Valolammas said:


> It sure is, I'm very happy with mine. Did you notice that without the diffuser, the beam is now round instead of square? And has some spill, too! Before the mod, I always used mine with the diffuser on, but now I like it both ways.


 
Hey yah, I did the mod last night.

Man, that square beam is weird?! It did take more effort than I thought to remove the old star. I tried using solder braid, but had a lot of issues. I need to pick up a solder sucker for next time.

The Tikka XP with Seoul is MUCH better. I still wish I could get a diffusion film on there to clean up the beam. I suppose I could just stick on a piece of Right Write, just not ideal. A reflector will not work.

I think the beam with the diffuser on still gives a bit of a weird pattern, the edges are pretty odd.

Overall works well, but ugly on the wall...

I still like the EOS beam a bit better (stippled reflector, SSC mod), and the Zebralight for construction and 1 AA, but this one is more versatile and is the only headlamp I have that can throw and flood. I just wish you could lock on boost, that is BRIGHT!

Will be good to try out on the trails!


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## tnuckels (Oct 18, 2007)

Thanks for the info Dave. So, no pellet ≈ miniature Hindenburg disaster on your forehead? Hydrogen bombs, exploding Ion batteries … it’d seem that what little wits I’ve left are in peril.

I didn’t notice anything like this pellet in my Tikka Plus when I took it apart the other day, so maybe it’s not a “Petzl” standard in their headlamps, or perhaps it just sneaked off when I wasn’t looking? Is there a pellet in the Myo XP, and if so do we know what determines its use?


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## hirby (Oct 18, 2007)

tnuckels said:


> Is there a pellet in the Myo XP, and if so do we know what determines its use?



There is no pellet in the Myo XP. Here's my post with modding the XP to use a Seoul P4 and "4" AA battery pack (as opposed to the Myo XP's 3 AA batt pack)from a Myo 3 . 

https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/174538


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## Daniel_sk (Oct 18, 2007)

I am thinking about changing the emitter in my Tikka XP for a Seoul LED.
Will the runtimes change or just the brightness?
Where can I get a Warm-white Seoul LED with cheap intl. shipping? (what LED tints did you use for the upgrade?)

Thanks.


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## gunga (Oct 18, 2007)

Should be brighter with the same runtime. Small changes are possible due to vf, but most likley the same runtime.

PhotonFanatic is a great place to get ssc stars (note $20 minimum order). I used usvoh on mine. Love it.

MUCH better than stock.


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## Daniel_sk (Oct 18, 2007)

Thanks gunga, I see that he is selling USW0H and USV0H. What's the difference? Is it the tint or something else? (w=warm white?)

I am a bit affraid of the soldering, we have an old soldering iron at home and I don't have much experience with soldering - I think I'll find someone to do the soldering for me (I don't want to destroy the Seoul emitter).


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## gunga (Oct 18, 2007)

v = vanillla, a bit warmer.
w = white, pure white.

I like the v tint better, tho it is a bit warmer. V is likely better for outdoor use.

You could always buy mine since I'm selling a new modded xp.

:naughty:

It's a pretty easy mod and you don't have to solder an emitter, just a star. The star takes a bit of heat to get off, but it's not too hard to do.

Just need a tiny torx screwdriver (or something else that can fit torx #6)


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## Daniel_sk (Oct 27, 2007)

:sweat:Ok, got the USVOH Seoul LED. Disassembly was easy, removing of the old LED was easy. Now I did something VERY stupid - I wanted to put some more solder on the two wires, I did this over the PCB board - I put some aluminum foil to protect it, but a small blob of solder bounced off the foil right on the board -  . I did a quick test with batteries = no light. I was VERY frustrated, but I tried to remove some solder with the soldering iron, and somehow I managed to do it - it worked again :candle:. There is still some solder left on the board but it works, I hope it won't have any after-effects later. I connected the Seoul LED and closed the headlamp.

I like the warm tint, but there are quite a few artifacts, different rings of different tint. And a donut hole in the middle , the donut hole disturbes me. Anyone else has a donut hole in the beam after the mod? Shall I open it again and re-align the LED somehow?

My first mod.. nearly ended with a total failure .


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## cave dave (Oct 27, 2007)

I had a donut hole on the Tikka XP mod. I used some write-wright film to diffuse it into non-existance.


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## gunga (Oct 27, 2007)

I did the same.

Can't remember if there was much of a hole but I also used the write right to clean up the beam.

I don't recal there being a donut, just a bit ringy after the mod.

I sold the tikka to fund other purchases so can't confirm at the moment.


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## Daniel_sk (Oct 27, 2007)

Ok, I've just returned from a short walk in the woods. I didn't notice any donut hole in the beam, or any artifacts. I can see them only on a white wall (not so common in the woods ), so I am going to keep it as it is now. I'll ask my friend to borrow me his stock Tikka XP, so I can compare the difference in the brigtness and tint.


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## barnefko (Feb 4, 2008)

Hi
First of all hello to y´all! thanks a lot for the many ideas!

I did the tikka xp mod now with a SSC P4 and i have to say that i am pretty dissapointed. I got the donut hole and dont know how to remove it (whats "write right film"? - doesnt exist here in sweden) and the beam isnt really much stronger.

I build myself a single diode bike lamp with exact the same diode and mobdar optics that is driven with 700mA. The beam of my bikelamp outshines the modded tikka XP in hi-beam mode by far. I cant really see any differences to as it was before. Too bad that i didnt take any before-after beamshots.

THX in advance for your suggestions.

Greetz from sweden


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## grrickar (Dec 10, 2009)

I hate to resurrect an old thread, but I have the Tikka XP and was wondering what the best emitter available today would be for better output with a similar runtime. I see the P4 is popular, but now there are Q5s and P7s. Would either of them work better? Note that this model has a diffuser which is a fresnel style lens for throw, and a diffuser that slides over for spill. http://www.flashlightreviews.com/reviews/petzl_tikka_xp.htm

I guess in a headlamp heat can be an issue, since there is not a metal body to help sink the heat?

Ideally I'd like something that won't have too many artifacts in the beam.


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## Hack On Wheels (Dec 10, 2009)

grrickar said:


> I hate to resurrect an old thread, but I have the Tikka XP and was wondering what the best emitter available today would be for better output with a similar runtime. I see the P4 is popular, but now there are Q5s and P7s. Would either of them work better? Note that this model has a diffuser which is a fresnel style lens for throw, and a diffuser that slides over for spill. http://www.flashlightreviews.com/reviews/petzl_tikka_xp.htm
> 
> I guess in a headlamp heat can be an issue, since there is not a metal body to help sink the heat?
> 
> Ideally I'd like something that won't have too many artifacts in the beam.



I would stick with the P4. If output is important, then go for a cool white tinted P4. SVO or SVN will give you the "warmest" of the cool tints. I recently put a USVO P4 into my Tikka XP and it was a great improvement. Certainly brighter, but perhaps the nicest surprise was how much better the beam pattern (without diffuser) is!

If you are interested in warmer tints and better colour rendition, then you might look into the High CRI P4 emitters. These will still be brighter than the old Luxeon which comes stock in the Tikka XP, but not as bright as the "cool white" LEDs.


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## grrickar (Dec 10, 2009)

So I'm cornfused...

I thought the P4 in this headlamp would yield a donuthole in the beam. Is that not the case? If not, where is the best place in the States to get one?


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## uk_caver (Jan 6, 2010)

I just did a P4 mod on a Tikka XP I found at the weekend wedged underwater in boulders, in a very 'active' vertical cave*.

I wouldn't say there was a donut hole as such, though the beam isn't exactly tight, and there's possibly a slight darkening at the centre.
Still, I have other larger headtorches for when I want a tight beam, and I'd expect to be using this one more for convenience jobs where a tight beam wouldn't be much use.

*I was amazed how well the light had stood up to its ordeal - outside was somewhat 'concreted' with mud, and the light was completely flooded, but apart from a little rust from the cells, seemed pretty clean inside, and the battery contacts were still fine.
Even when still soaking, it worked after a fashion on replacement of the cells, but wouldn't turn off/change power levels, thought boost worked OK.
After some drying out, I could get it to work more normally much of the time, but only by pressing the boost before or while pressing the main power button.

On checking at home, the main power switch was goosed - must have corroded inside since there was minimal resistance change between pressed and unpressed, but since I didn't need the boost function, I cut some tracks and jumpered the boost button to do the main power function.
Will probably restore the boost when I've sourced some suitable switches.


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## tedh (Jan 6, 2010)

UK caver, you're a refreshing change to the disposable culture so common these days. I probably would have drawn the line at jumping traces to the other switch, I admire your dedication!

Ted


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## uk_caver (Jan 7, 2010)

Thanks.

To be honest, I had thought of physically swapping the switches, but cutting/jumpering turned out to be much easier - even with a desolder pump, getting a switch removed in one piece didn't seem likely to be achievable without a lot of fiddly effort.


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## uk_caver (Jan 8, 2010)

As for the post-P4-mod beam - beamshot taken on white wall ~1.5m from the light






It looks more doughnutty than it is - in the largely flat central region, there is a slight brightening around the lower rim, but nothing heavy - I think it's more that the region is lacking a peak in the middle that makes it look subjectively darker.


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## worldburger (Mar 27, 2014)

*Upgrade Tikka XP or purchase new headlamp?*

I've got an Tikka XP…was just wondering two things:

With all the LED developments since this thread was active, what LED would you use?

This is for backpacking, 5 days+ trips. I'll be bringing a smaller 6000mAh charger for iPhone (GPS, etc), which has a micro-USB built in, so the rechargeable Li-Ion of the newer headlamps looks nice.

So far, I've looked at the RXP+, the R+, NAO, and the new Tikka XP (but am always open to suggestions) 

Thoughts?


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## Szemhazai (Mar 27, 2014)

*Re: Upgrade Tikka XP or purchase new headlamp?*

I'm currently using the Cree XP-G2, but the principle is the same as for XP-G.

Tikka XP - Cree XP-G mod :thumbsup:


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## worldburger (Mar 27, 2014)

*Re: Upgrade Tikka XP or purchase new headlamp?*



Szemhazai said:


> I'm currently using the Cree XP-G2, but the principle is the same as for XP-G.
> 
> Tikka XP - Cree XP-G mod :thumbsup:



Thanks! Ha, I saw another post from your website. Nice. What is the difference between the XP-G2 and XP-G? Where would I buy this LED in the US?

Does color balance influence battery life?


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## Szemhazai (Mar 28, 2014)

*Re: Upgrade Tikka XP or purchase new headlamp?*

XP-G2 is about 15% more efficient than XP-G, sorry I don't know where to buy leds in the US. Many international buyers are buying in Cutter (Australia).


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