Solarstorm Beamshots

Finally got a chance to check out the solarstorm X2 so beamshots here they are

X2 on low

Spidereyes on low

X2 on medium

Spidereyes on medium

X2 on high

Spidereye on high

seems a good little light let down by the batteries next step is to change the driver so the leds can be run at their max 3amps

And would this change be something you could do for us normal folk?

Need to get a battery and charger sorted out for mine. The Chinese stuff isn’t great! Charger runs quite warm (unsurprisingly given that there’s no space in the plug) but I checked mine out and the welds and contact points seem ok. Battery life is poor so I’ll be getting something from torchy or smudge soon enough

If the driver gets upgraded then I’d be interested in that possibly

That just makes me want Spider Eyes.

Nice to see the big man upstairs lending a hand!

Nice one.. although it does seem a bit like an ad for the Spidereyes!

I would also be interested in this mod trout 🙂

Nice one.. although it does seem a bit like an ad for the Spidereyes!

Not meant to be it was the first one to hand when I did the shots

should be an easy mod to slot in a Taskled Lflex to get the 3 amps into the leds.

Happy to be a trial customer if you need one! 🙂

Trout, I have no idea what I did, but I soldered a white wire back on (one on far right in your photo), and now I have 4 modes. No off mode now and a lot brighter.. Not sure how this happened.

Watches with interest…..
(I still really want a spidereyes too)

Whats the heat transfer path like on the X2?
is that something that needs improvement ?

OK its working at 3 amps now

to answer Doms question the heat path is ok though not a lot of metal to transfer it to the case
there was a small blob of paste under the leds

which got bigger when reassembled
made a small heatsink for the Lflex and made it a bit too thick

Sorry for the crap photo
space was tight but got it all fitted
and programmed up ready for the darkness .

Never having messed with DIY light building, and no real idea whats going on above…can I ask..

Have you done away with the original circuity and just fitted the Lfex instead?
If so, no switch now? Just full on 3amp drive when plugged in?

Yes Zippy have taken out the old driver and installed the Lflex
plus switch so still got low medium and hi or can even have 5 levels for the undecided 😉 as well as strobe mode

I would only use the full power when traveling fast as it does heat up damn quick on the desk but does have a thermal cutout at 60c now

cheers. So .. having though about doing it myself for oh 2 sec.. will you be offering this as a service? Any idea of costings?

I’m in!

me too!

That’s Ace !!
Cant wait to see beam shots, and I`d be up for a Troutified X2 as well 8)

I’m in!

Watches with interest….

X2 stock

X2 boosted

X2 Stock

X2 Boosted

X2 Stock

X2 boosted

So basically you get a Jack Russell with the improved version? 🙂

Definately interested in this trout if your going to offer this as a service. Does this make any difference to run times?

Yes on full it will be drawing 3 amps and a hound from the battery
all levels can be user chosen in the driver menus .

it also may be that the stock battery cannot deliver the 3 amps with out tripping its protection circuit I was using a Smudge pack for this one .

Ok ,ok. We’re interested let’s talk business.
(That’s if my lights ever turn up!)

Looks awesome for the money. I think it’s time to abandon the bastid. Looks like you’re building a waiting list for the mod already. Are you going to offer it or was this just an experiment? Any idea of cost? If you’re not offering, I might have to have a go myself, it’s not a massive loss if I balls up a £13 X2.

Yep Troutie.. how much? Go on go on go on… (etc).

It was just an experiment to see if it could be done easily .

not sure its worth the effort and money though
taskled Lflex driver $25 plus shipping form US
switch about £5 though I have an idea to use the stock switch which would save that.

and small heatsink for the driver which is important needs making
I can turn them in the lathe so say £1 each
some thermal past from maplins

then the time to do it and return postage

probably be cheaper to get another one and double your lumens

Can you alter the LED current by changing a resistor on the board? I know some Chinese lights are like this.
Also do you know what the max input voltage the standard driver will take?

How’s about a kit to allow us to mess around ourselves, or even just the heatsinks & destructions? (Which switch or how to re-use the switch & how do you program the Lflex ).
Though I’m really impressed with my unit for the cash, I do wonder if it’s under driven, as mine doesn’t get hot like other posts suggest there’s do….

Snaps, yes it’s been suggested over Here

It was just an experiment to see if it could be done easily .

not sure its worth the effort and money though

This is what has been puzzling me… By the time someone has bought a Solarstorm X2 off the net, bought a better battery and charger off Smudge, and then sent it to Troutie for a driver upgrade and better heatsink, you could have bought a decent branded light like a Gloworm X2 or Gemini Duo for similar outlay! Or for a little more, a full blown Troutielight.

Yes – that is true

But if you can live with the stock battery and charger (mine seems ok) it’s a bargain for the price. Once the batteries go I’ll get new ones. I may get a charger before then tho but it’s incremental outlay

And still significantly less than 70 quid even with new batteries and a charger

Gloworm X2 & Gemini Duo are both listed as £170 (Duo is listed as cheaper elsewhere but none in stock)

My SSX2 was £22
Oli battery box £12
Old batteries nothing.. ok £20 for 4x Panasonic 3600 when china sort out there Li-ion exports, and I already have a charger.
Total: £35, potentially £54

or

£13 for x2 lamp only (or £28 for the whole thing from ebay)
£8 charger from Torchy
£20 4400mah Battery from Torchy
Total: £41 or £56

ok

SSX2 £25 (latest price on ebay for lamp & battery)
Smudge Charger £26
Smudge Battery £42
Total: £93

Troutie would need to charge quite a lot to get that up to £170 for labour when he’s quotes £21 for parts…

FFS double post

Yes I have a few Lflex`s in stock and can do a few heatsinks .
can point you at the switch or how to reuse the stock switch when I have worked it out .
so a diy kit is doable

Troutie would need to charge quite a lot to get that up to £170 for labour when he’s quotes £21 for parts…

You’ve forgotten the price of postage there and back to Troutie mate to be fair… And if you want it insured each way, you’re talking the best part of £10 each way to be fair now that the PO doesn’t like sending Li-ion batteries!

And then there’s the fact you can buy a Gloworm for 10% discount… And to be fair, I don’t know of an LBS in existence that won’t give a loyal customer 10% discount off P&A anyway. I reckon you’re looking at £120 roughly to get a Solarstorm as you might want it. Or £153 for a Gloworm X2 or Gemini Duo, with full backup and warranty… You get my drift?

If you see it for what it is, a cheap and cheerful light, the Solarstorm X2 is a good unit (if a little ugly), but it’s not worth spending lots of money on to fix the faults from the manufacturer IMO.

^^ totally agree, I’ve been thinking the same. And you’re still left with a light that’s unproved, no great customer service and backup, plus you’re modifying the unit , so any warranty would be invalid.

I’d just buy a decent light, that’s guaranteed not to explode, melt, or need surgery to work how it should.

Mboy why would you need to send the battery? £4 for 2 day insured delivery.. All superfluous now from Trouts post

or need surgery to work how it should.

They work fine, or mine does (even with a suspect slightly unpowered driver) but if I can make it better why the hell not, it a cheap light to play with. It’s your choice, no ones making anyone buy cheap, I like cheap now, as I’ve been burnt by an expensive & supposed reliable large light manufacturer

Anyways i call dibs on a DIY kit!! 😀

And if you want it insured each way,

Insured postage for a £17 lamp?

is there any difference between buying off the UK supplier on Ebay at £33 and buying them from China?