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Very Easy XM-L Build

64K views 293 replies 56 participants last post by  plugp7 
#1 · (Edited)
Just sharing what I've picked up from reading in this forum. Thanks to everyone for sharing their ideas!!

Object of this build is:
1) Make it as easy as possible so that anyone can do it.
2) Use very little power tools, so no cutting / gluing of metal.
3) To run the XM-L at high power from two to four hrs.
4) Use as little of this $$$ as possible!

The Parts
Led Supply dot com
XM-L Cool White - $10.05
Optics Carclo 20mm - Plain Tight Lens for helmet / Medium Ripple Lens on bar - $1.25ea
Optic holder - $0.23

Deal Extreme (DX)(Free Shipping)
LED Driver sku#57779 - $5
TrustFire Protected 18650 Lithium Battery (2500mAh 2-Pack Blue) sku #5790 - $7.99 (if you want to save you can use rechargable AA 8 min. good for ~2hrs but not as bright as using four 18650s).
14.8V 4 x 18650 Battery Holder Case Box with Leads sku#103855 - $2.80
Universal Adjustable Bicycle Mount for Flashlights (2cm~4cm Diameter) sku#31871 - $2.39
Clicky Switch for Flashlights (17.8mm 5-Pack) sku#5602 - $1.90
JST Cables (10-Pair) SKU#15234 - $2.78

Westburne Electrical Supply (Pricing in CDN$)
1 - 3/4 ALUMINUM CONDUIT COUPLING - $5.52
2 - CUP-2 KILLARK 3/4" CLOSE-UP PLUG - $1.95
1 - R32 KILLARK CONDULET - $2.30

Total comes to $52.17
If you have your own batteries - $33.37
Less if you have your own wires and switches.

The Build
Here is a pictures of most of the parts


1 - Mark out the holes you need to drill through the heat sink (cup 2 close plug) and drill.


2 - Using a soldering iron, solder the wires to the Led and paste it to the heat sink. ( I used Fujik compond that I got from DX working on other projects).Make sure to press down so that the Led is in good contact with the heat sink. You can use the optic holder and screw the R32 down on top of them. Note: I shaved off the tabs on the optic holder that hold down the optics, the R32 will hold it down for you.



3 - Now solder the Led wires to the Led Driver. Remember to use some heat shrink to cover the expose wires.


4 - The opening of the body (3/4 ALUMINUM CONDUIT COUPLING) is big enough for the driver to fit through.


5 - Take the second Cup 2 Close Plug and drill a hole through the middle. Make sure the hole is the same size or a bit larger as the wires you're using for the battery. After this no other power tool is needed. As you can see I have two sets of wires, one for the battery, the other for the remote switch.


6 - Push the wires through the second Cup 2 Close Plug and solder it to the Led Driver. Positive goes in the middle, negative around the edge. I used some heat shrink and a zip tie a cable strain. As you can see I've already screwed on the light head to the body


7 - Before closing it up, test to see if it's working!


8 - Once it's working, close it up by holding the power / switch wire steady and rotate the Cup 2 Close Plug into the body. Make sure the wires are not rotating also!! You should be able to have the Close Plug flush with the end of the body. When it's done you'll be holding this in your hands.
**There could be a small chance that the soldered points may make contact with inside the light body creating a short. You can wrap it with electrical tape or thermal paste the yellow metal thingy to the inside to secure it. Thanks to "slcpunk".for pointing this out.


9 - Sit back and have a cold one!!

10 - Wait for the darkness to arrive!! Then go out and ride!!

I have used clear RTV Silicone to seal the seams from water especially the back where the power wires are, fill it up with silicone. I'll be using a 30mm lens to cover the front and seal it the same way. All my wire conx are sealed the same way.

Water proofing accessories for the batteries.


The light on my bar and remote switch.



Beam shots


Outside
Camera set to manual
ISO 200
Shutter 4s
WB - Daylight
Jpeg
No post processing
Fence is about 50 feet away.

No Lights "Duh"


Wide on bar "High"


Wide on bar "Low"


Spot on helmet "High"


Spot on helmet "Low"


Both "High"


Both "Low"


Some other info
Weight - .095lbs according to the scale in the cafe at the place of work.
Been riding for close to two hrs at night and running at high and body only slightly warm to the touch. Lights up the trail pretty darn good!
Don't know what lumens it's producing, I'm guessing around 900? I know XM-L's produces over 1000, I'm happy with 900 hopefully.
Ordering from DX was easy and took about 1 1/2 wks to arrive from the time of odering. Led Supply was much quicker, but then they are only in the US.

Sorry no trail shots, to much of a hasle to bring camera, tripod etc. One of these days, maybe.

Well hope this help anyone looking for an easy DIY light build with little power tools needed. Everything just screws right in!

UPDATE:
Adding this video on how these lights work on the trail. Sorry but the GoPro does not work very well in low light. But well enough when the lights are on high. Enojoy.


Update:

Do you guys wish this build could be a little lighter and smaller? I would also say easier, but this is about as easiest as it gets.

Well you're in luck! Cause meet XM-L's little cozin..."XM-L2"



They are about the same in length but the new body has a smaller diameter.




It weights less too!! I assuming it'll weight in at around 81g with driver, optics, emitter and wires in place.

I'm going to be using XM-L2 emitters with AMC7135 3.0A driver on this new build.

Will I really see a difference in light output between a 2.8A and a 3.0A driver?

Anyways here is the info you'll need if you want the smaller body.
Mainbody is 1/2 ALUMINUM CONDUIT COUPLING $5.00
Optic holder is R-21 $1.83
Heat sink is CUP-1 KILLARK 1/2" CLOSE-UP PLUG $1.60

To close up the back end, I'll use one of the sliding door thingy with a cable gland through it.
 
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#73 ·
You could use a 2 pack for the helmut. I may do the same. But I do have the 4 18650 and could carry them a extras.

Just a note. The chargers I bought are incredibly slow. Like a good 8-9 hours per pair. Thankfully I took Pucked up's advice and bought 2.

The ones I got charge 18560 and 16340. I had 16340 for another light and it just made sense. I would avoind that charger. I think I read it runs ar 550ma.
 
#77 ·
So I just got my meter on my drivers and they are only running at 2.3a at best. From there it does go down after a few min to 2.285 ish. I assume this is a heat issue.

This is the driver that I subbed in as the original was out if stock.

They are still bright but I had a feeling they could do more. I guess this is a "get what you pay for" type thing. Now to find a true 3 amp driver :)
 
#78 ·
Thanks for the update. Wonder if there is a way to mod this driver so it pushes out closer to 3A?

The first set of lights I created was with the older driver, I don't think it was at 3A also. Side by side they both seem to have the same output. Yeah we get what we pay for, but it is still a lot of light for the price.
 
#80 ·
Driver with a middle mode.

I am going to build one of these regardless but does anybody know of a driver with a higher low mode of a 4 mode driver with a middle mode. Can these things be modified by changing a resistor?

Great design but I've got a wood lathe with a 4 jaw chuck and some carbide tools. Will not take long to clean up the threads and make that pretty as well as usefull .
 
#85 ·
I am going to build one of these regardless but does anybody know of a driver with a higher low mode of a 4 mode driver with a middle mode. Can these things be modified by changing a resistor?

Great design but I've got a wood lathe with a 4 jaw chuck and some carbide tools. Will not take long to clean up the threads and make that pretty as well as usefull .
The TaskLed drivers can be programmed to whatever you'd like. I run mine on Multimode, 5 levels of brightness equally spaced visually, with a 3A max. There are other modes where you set each level yourself.

I like the neutral tints, even though the lumen count is less. Better depth perception.
 
#82 ·
cool white or neutral?

I was all set to order some LED's to build one of these and don't have the knowledge to select between a cool and neutral LED. I asked my son if he knew anything about LED and he replied "Dad get the neutral, your not cool". Anybody have a more scientific approach to making this choice?
 
#88 ·
I was all set to order some LED's to build one of these and don't have the knowledge to select between a cool and neutral LED. I asked my son if he knew anything about LED and he replied "Dad get the neutral, your not cool". Anybody have a more scientific approach to making this choice?
This is cool white on the trail.


This is Neutral white on the trail.


Both of the pictures the lights are on high mode. As other have said, it's really your choice as which one you want to use. I've use and like both, but I do end up using the cool light set more often.
 
#84 ·
Color temp is a personal preference. Sunlight is ~5780K for reference and would be considered truly "white" light.

Cree XM-L color temp is rated like this:

Cool white is between 5000K and 8300K. This produces from white to slightly blue-white light.
Neutral white is between 3700K to 5000K. This produces slightly yellow-white to white.
Warm white is between 2600K and 3700K. Thsi produces a pretty yellow-white light.

In automobile lighting, my eyes prefer light between 5000K and 6500K. Based on my experience with automotive lighting, I selected cool white LEDs for my build. Cool or neutral should be fine, but I wouldn't want the warm white personally speaking.... it is far too yellow.... of course, warm white would penetrate foggy conditions better than the others, but I don't ride in fog.
 
#86 ·
Most commercial LED systems use a cool white LED, it's a higher temperature colour, and it's definitely got a bluish hue to it.

This is my experience: The neutral is a much more natural colour, it is a little warmer in tone. Each has it's advantages and disadvantages. The cool has a slightly better throw length; it seems like it projects deeper into the woods, but at the same time, it washes colours out a lot, so you lose contrast. The neutral doesn't seem quite as bright, but it gives a much more accurate colour illumination, so the contrast seems sharper.
I like them both, but personally, I prefer the neutral.
 
#87 ·
The neutral doesn't seem quite as bright, but it gives a much more accurate colour illumination
This is correct for most LEDs, including the XM-Ls. Here's a good short article on typical white LEDs and color rendering. The picture of the spectra in the center of the article is worth a thousand words and explains why neutrals show colors/contrast/depth better.
 
#89 ·
Are those identical lights, except for the tint? Also it 'appears' that maybe the cool white is pointed down a little which may affect it's appearance of, or lack thereof, throw. I have to say I can see why some builder's love the neutral white. It's not as impressive at first glance but it does look more 'natural'.
 
#91 · (Edited)
Has anyone tried sourcing parts from big box stores? I found some items at Home Depot I will try once the LED and driver arrive.

Halex 3/4 in. Rigid Conduit Coupling

Taymac 3/4 in. Metal Closure Plugs, Gray (4-Pack)

I still have a problem trying to find something local to replace the R32 condulet but I'll see what I can do with reducer bushings and possibly some threaded conduit.
Halex 1 in. x 3/4 in. Reducing Bushing
Halex 3/4 in. x 1/2 in. Reducer Bushing

I will also look into some water tight compression joints once the parts arrive.

Please correct me if I'm wrong - I am no electricitian by any means but I thought conduit was non-conductive which is why its used for housing electrical wires.

Btw, great write up!

EDIT: Grainger carries fittings in aluminum
POWER FIRST Rigid Conduit Coupling, 3/4 In, Alum
 
#93 ·
Yeah aluminum has a much higher heat conductance than steel, but would it be significant in this application without being finned? I think the bigger advantage of aluminum in this case would be the weight savings.

(Not trying to sound argumentative - just trying to learn)
 
#94 ·
Your biggest issue is not so much the heat that the led is producing. You'll be moving and as you are riding your bike will cool the housing. The biggest issue as you've already said is weight. The parts you'll be using is 4 - 5x the weight I've listed. If you can make this work, it's fine if you'll be using them on your handle bars. It will be too heavy to use as a helmet light.

If there is no Westburne where you live, try Fastenal. The 3/4" coupling part #0749523

R32 KILLARK CONDULET

Fastenal seem to be more of an international company.
 
#96 ·
Try an electrical supply store that deals with electricians. They got it or can get it and they are all over the place. I got my parts in 10 minutes at the shop across the road from the Home Depot after spending twice that long digging through shelves at HD and trying to find someone to help me. Might have spent an extra 50 cents buying it there but the guy behind the counter gave me some good advice and pulled a wire off something and said it was what I wanted for the wire to the battery. He gave it to me for free. Of course my wife was with me and now I be spending a couple of hundred replacing fixtures in the kitchen.
 
#97 ·
Just wanted to add some voltage info.

Did a large night ride and got about 3.3h of mostly high. Just got back to the car as it kicked from high to low. Still not 100% sure it was a voltage thing. When I git home the batteries were stilat 3.5v each. This was without load. I will get a with load reading just to see if they dipped down alot more.
 
#102 ·
Just wanted to add some voltage info.

Did a large night ride and got about 3.3h of mostly high. Just got back to the car as it kicked from high to low. Still not 100% sure it was a voltage thing. When I git home the batteries were stilat 3.5v each. This was without load. I will get a with load reading just to see if they dipped down alot more.
I finally replaced my broken multimeter today. I tested the voltage on a fresh set of batteries and this is what i got.

No load - 16.7v
On high - 16.2v
On low - 16.5v

I haven't had a chance to go night riding the last couple of wks. I'll test them again after i go for a good night ride.
 
#103 ·
Great light!

I misplaced my last set of DIY lights in a move, so I'm very happy to find this design. It's got everything that I like... bright, low cost and requiring few tools. I ordered parts today for two lights. It looks like they will take a lot less time to assemble than my past lights.

However, I have one question... Is anyone using rubber o-rings to mount their lights like the Dinotte style lights? It seems like this light is well suited for it.

Like this: http://forums.mtbr.com/lights-diy-do-yourself/diy-dinotte-style-368896.html
 
#104 ·
#106 ·
I ordered that mount, and I'm planning on trying it for the bar. I'll probably try the rings too and see which one suits me best. I'll definitely be trying to figure out a good way to get that light low on my helmet too. I think the rubber o-rings will help with that.

Thanks for the replies. I'll share a picture if I figure out anything that could advance the cause. Based on shipping from Hong Kong, I'm guessing it will be a while before I start piecing things together.
 
#112 · (Edited)
Thats almost exactly what I got. 3h 23min and they both kicked to low.

They run twice as long as my friends light, and im abke to run on bigh the whole time while he is constantly switching down.

Its been a great light. How hot did they get just sitting with no air flow? I didnt have good thermal paste, so I have been alittle weary leaving them on indoors.

And the weather was amazing yesterday. I opted for a day ride as my riding partner was working nights. My area is not the kind of trails you want to be flying through the trails at night alone. Let us know how the better batteries work. I would love to get some task led driver to run a full 3a but there is enough output as they are and I dont want to lose run time.

This is some of te studf I "run into" at night.



Yes there is a trail through the moss. It was grippier then I though.
 
#116 ·
How hot did they get just sitting with no air flow?
There is a fan blowing on high just in-front of the light. It gets warm a bit that's all.

Marwi mount.
NICE!
Are you able to tilt the light down with that mount?

I like the helmet mount! Got to try that one.

Handle bar mount Update:
I'm using these now for the handle bars.


Bought at MEC (mountain equipment Co-op) $3.50. I like these as the light sit low to the handle bars. I had to sand off some plastic off the base to get the zip ties through. Works great and are firmly attached to the bars.
 
#113 ·
Can anyone recommend an alternative source for the DX stuff?
Please include a link for the driver.

I'm OK with paying a little more to save 3 weeks of delivery time.
 
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