# Adventures in Modding a Blackhawk Gladius - SUCCESS!



## sween1911 (Jan 12, 2016)

I have a Blackhawk Gladius en route to me scored from the 'bay and I'm already researching LED swaps. There's a lot of good info on here. Since I have an extra (I think) creamy white XP-G2 on a Noctigon from my Novatac led swap, I'm thinking I can use that. Item description: "CREE XP-G2 R4 5A2 LED on Noctigon 16mm MCPCB"

Does the XP-G2 match up to the existing Gladius electronics with respect to amperage? It appears that way but just want a sanity check.

Anyway, will update when I have it in my hands, watch this space! I managed to survive the Novatac LED swap only burning off some of my fingerprints, and the light's been working perfectly since, so I think I've got some mad skillz to try mangling something else.


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## sween1911 (Jan 17, 2016)

*Re: Adventures in Modding a Blackhawk Gladius*

Okay kids, I got the head open...







Intended LED...





Given the height of the OEM LED module and how it lines up






I'm very concerned with the height of my Noctigon unit as it's very low and doesn't appear to line up with the reflector for a good spot, which is what I want...






Any ideas? I'm a little leary of trying to chop the PCB and stick it on a riser. I've put it back together in stock form for now.
Is there a reflector out there that might be better? I have a burnt-out Surefire P60 and was looking at the reflector, but the tunnel that the lamp goes through is too long.


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## m4a1usr (Jan 17, 2016)

*Re: Adventures in Modding a Blackhawk Gladius*

I don't know your setup well enough to say definitively that its not going to work but at first glance I have never seen a reflector using that small of a die being a very effective projector given how wide the opening is? The geometry just seems wrong. However based on casual observation could you not use a 8mm MCPCB to get the die inserted a bit deeper into the reflector if throw is your goal?


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## Icarus (Jan 18, 2016)

*Re: Adventures in Modding a Blackhawk Gladius*






Copy my mod.


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## Icarus (Jan 18, 2016)

*Re: Adventures in Modding a Blackhawk Gladius*

Like I told you by pm you will never get a good result with the old reflector. This reflector was designed for the LuxIII. What you need is a reflector designed for the XPG. Because the new reflector doesn't have the same dimensions as the old one you best also make a custom holder for the new reflector. Believe me it is worth the efort. The result will be a perfect beam! PM to follow.


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## sween1911 (Jan 18, 2016)

*Re: Adventures in Modding a Blackhawk Gladius*

Dude, got your PM. AWESOME! Will be ordering shortly. Thanks so much for the info. Glad I can use this XPG2. I put the same exact emitter in my trusty Novatac last year and it's beautiful, bright creamy white. Thanks for the tip on the plastic chip things too, worry-free centering!

Dunno how I'll make a custom reflector holder though, I'll have to play with it. Is it just a circular piece with a little smaller diameter? Maybe a washer or oring or something to take up the space?


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## Icarus (Jan 18, 2016)

*Re: Adventures in Modding a Blackhawk Gladius*






Here is another photo.


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## sween1911 (Jan 20, 2016)

*Re: Adventures in Modding a Blackhawk Gladius*

Ordered the new reflector and plastic die-centering chips. Will report when they come in and I figure out what's going where.

In the meantime, the second Gladius I won from the 'bay showed up. It's an older one with the ceramic finish. The beam is so much better than the later one. Less ringy and the tint is a bit closer to neutral. I'm going to leave that one alone. The tailcap action is also tighter and more precise and oddly enough, the head unscrewed easily. Saw no thread lock. The later version was practically glued shut, I needed to use a strap wrench and heat. Interesting the difference between the two. Even though the design is more than a decade old, I might do a side by side review. The UI is still amazing. Been carrying it everyday.


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## Icarus (Jan 20, 2016)

*Re: Adventures in Modding a Blackhawk Gladius*

Great! It will be interesting to compare the beamshots of both lights after modding the first Gladius.


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## sween1911 (Feb 17, 2016)

*Re: Adventures in Modding a Blackhawk Gladius*

Worked on the Gladius last night. Hey... what size is the ball bearing that goes in the head? 
Um... asking for a friend.



What are the odds that a 20mm triple XP-G2 with optic will fit in there assuming I figure out exactly how high a spacer would be and a collar or o-ring of some kind to center it in the head? Would the amperage work out?

Something like this...

http://www.mtnelectronics.com/index.php?route=product/product&search=xp-g2&product_id=83

... with the narrow-optic that goes with it.


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## Minimoog (Feb 18, 2016)

*Re: Adventures in Modding a Blackhawk Gladius*

I remember these - I bought one when they first came out (mine had the ceramic finish). Babied it in the box as the finish was known to be fragile and as I was not using it ended up selling it on eBay. The winner messaged me sating he will pick it up on the way to work - I said fine - and when the doorbell rang it ended up being a 6 ft 3 policeman in full Met police gear - on his way to work! Lucky for me I was not a fraudster.


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## sween1911 (Feb 18, 2016)

*Re: Adventures in Modding a Blackhawk Gladius*

Just ordered a nice new UCL lens the perfect size for the Gladius. As always, flashlightlens.com frickin' rocks.


Edit: Oh yeah, I have two of them. Bearing measures 1/8" (.125") New bearings on the way from Amazon.


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## sween1911 (Mar 10, 2016)

*Re: Adventures in Modding a Blackhawk Gladius*

I'm going in a little different direction, I got a triple XPG2 on a Noctigon. Should I wire it parallel or in series?


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## Justin Case (Mar 11, 2016)

*Re: Adventures in Modding a Blackhawk Gladius*

Try this mod approach.


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## sween1911 (Mar 12, 2016)

*Re: Adventures in Modding a Blackhawk Gladius*

Justin, thanks for the info. That's a decent alternative, get the XPG2 up where the original SSC was on like a little pedestal.

Okay, mocking up the triple. Richard from MTN Electronics is awesome, and is providing me with some good insight. Unfortunately, the one I bought did not have jumpers on it, so I'm not connecting everything up yet. However, here is the head layout so far...

Heatsink with O-ring around it fits perfectly inside stock reflector holder sleeve...





Slightly thicker o-ring fits perfectly around optic to keep it centered...





Mocked up head (not soldered yet)





Question: Any heat issues with the o-rings? I've got a nice big brass spacer/heatsink that the board is on which will be artic silvered when it's all together, so I'm thinking that will suck the heat out of the board before there's an issue.


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## sween1911 (Mar 13, 2016)

*Re: Adventures in Modding a Blackhawk Gladius*

I DID IT! It's so beautiful!

Heatsink, module, optic, o-rings all stacked up. New lens from flashlightlens goes on top...





Next to stock...





Stock beamshot on left, triple XPG2 on right...





I am beyond happy with the outcome!

Recipe: 
CREE XP-G2 S3 3C LEDs on NOCTIGON 3XP COPPER MCPCB - Wired in parallel. 
Carclo triple narrow-focus optic #10507
Copper triple-spacer 13.4mm high
New UCL from flashlightlens
#15 O-ring (1" outside, 3/4" inside diameter) around heatsink keeps it centered in stock reflector holder
Plain black garden-hose O-ring around optic keeps it centered in head.

Oh, and I had to drill a hole through the center of the factory heatsink for the wires to pass through.

After repeated fittings, and checking with calipers, the copper spacer on top of the existing heatsink (with original star removed) + module + optic fit perfectly in the light without having to grind anything off the spacer. Optic goes right up to the lens.


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## Justin Case (Mar 14, 2016)

*Re: Adventures in Modding a Blackhawk Gladius*

Looks great.

Running a triple in parallel divides the drive current to each emitter by 3, so each XP-G2 is getting only about 330 mA of current. Based on the Cree datasheet, that's about 150 lm per LED, or say about 450 total (assuming Tj=85 C).

If you drove a single XP-G2 S3 at the full drive current, you'd get a little less than 450 lm, perhaps about 375 lm. The big difference probably is the beam pattern. The beam isn't as tight with the Carclo optic, compared to the stock Gladius smooth reflector.


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## sween1911 (Mar 17, 2016)

*Re: Adventures in Modding a Blackhawk Gladius*

Thanks for the backround on the current. Nice to get confirmation that they're not being overloaded. It does seem to be 400-500 lumens based on my seat-of-the-pants estimate and ceiling bounce comparisons. This is a departure for me since I've always liked a simple single emitter and reflector, but in this case I love the result.


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## Justin Case (Mar 17, 2016)

*Re: Adventures in Modding a Blackhawk Gladius*

Based on the sense resistor and the switcher IC used, the nominal drive current is about 950 mA, which is consistent with what I've measured for 3 different Gladius lights. Close enough to call it 1 amp drive current.

I have I think 4 different lights that use that Carclo triple optic.


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## sween1911 (Mar 21, 2016)

*Re: Adventures in Modding a Blackhawk Gladius*

Any info on tightening the action of the tailcap? 

The control ring on the one I modded is a little loose and somewhat noisy in operation. Wondering if there's a way to shim it or otherwise take out a bit of the slack. I have an earlier unmodded example and it's tight, smooth and silent.


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## sween1911 (Jun 1, 2017)

*Re: Adventures in Modding a Blackhawk Gladius*

Okay gang, it's been over a year. The Gladius has been joined by an Insight Typhoon that I modded with an XML2 and reflector and I love it. Perfect UI, perfect tint. http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?428858-Insight-Typhoon-getting-an-XML2 Based on my rough calculations and seat of the pants guess and Justin Case's 950 mA number, it's putting out between 300-400 lumens.

Now I want to mod my Gladius to a single die reflector. The triple is fun, but I like having some throw for a tactical light. I have an XP-L and a smooth reflector on order from Mountain Electronics. We'll see how it goes. While we're talking about it, is it possible to boost the current from the Gladius?

One thing I've experienced is a sudden shock to the Gladius will make it turn off. I have to loosen and tighten the tailcap and it's back to normal. If I were to hazard a guess, my constant fiddling with it while I was modding it loosened the ribbon that goes down through the body that is triggered by the position of the magnet in the tailcap. I'm guessing if the light is dropped, that position is moved and the light thinks it's off. Not sure if this theory has any merit.


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## sween1911 (Jun 5, 2017)

*Re: Adventures in Modding a Blackhawk Gladius*

You guys created a monster... ya know that? I just removed the triple XPG2 and have a beautiful XP-L and a mirrored reflector in the Gladius now. It's a blaster! Beamshots will be up.

I think I figured out the intermittent connection issue. Added a fiber washer between the lens and front of the reflector holder to keep everything together.


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## sween1911 (Jul 20, 2017)

*Re: Adventures in Modding a Blackhawk Gladius*

Checking back, the Gladius is no longer with us. 
After tweaking and loosening and tightening and testing to try to stop the connection issue (if it was shaken hard enough or dropped on a carpeted floor, it would turn off. Loosening and tightening the tailcap and it works again), it stopped working permanently. I'm sure repeatedly cranking down on the reflector and messing up the leads to the XP-L that I had to resolder multiple times probably had something to do with it. I resorted to pulling the entire insides out and trying to adjust the position of the three strips that went down to sensors to detect the tailcap position. It didn't end well but I'm still good. Everything I learned from this, I used to mod my Typoon, which works perfectly and is now front line gear. 

Plus, I'm also tracking a beater Gladius on the 'bay. If I win it, the guts are going right back in mine and it'll be back up with parts to spare. Win-win!


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