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On the left a stock IST 3w dive light. On the right a modified IST with a Q5 LED Drop in LED module from http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.11621

To do this mod....

1 remove lens bezel from IST and then the reflector.
2. Remove LED & driver assembly using long nose pliers
3. Use dremel to grinding away the thread where the LED assembly sat. You may have to dremel the new LED module a bit too.
4. Press the IST reflector onto the new module after unscrewing the Q5 reflector.
5. Remove the - spring from the module and trim down the+ spring.
6. Reassemble.

Not only is the new LED brighter but its also more efficient so the batteries will last longer!!!

Please disregard the colour as it was against a yellow wall

I really like the IST. It is a well built little light and good value on Trade Me. I was quite impressed with the light output before but now Im blown away!!!

Only regret is that its not mine and now not only does Flipper have a brighter Can Light but a brighter backup too!

{silly computer fcuk up...}

That's an impressive mod for sure!

Flipper may have brighter lights but is he happy?

Lumens can't buy you love!!

Well they can buy my love but that doesn't count...

I'll remember that if I get lonely on the Lermi trip

Eeeeek!!!

Wow, that's a lot brighter than the stock IST LED.
I gotta to give it a try before the Lerm trip (read: major hassle for you, Packy. I don't even know how to remove lens bezel. Does it screw out? )

I'll need to ship a few things from US so I can slip in a few of them without incurring extra shipping if anyone wants one.
Be warned that it may take a couple of months before my boss decides what shoes she wants.
I'll try to push her to make up her mind well before the Lerm trip.

By the way, it seems that they also sell LED units: http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.11022
Would it be neater to replace the LED unit only instead of the whole module?

Shipping is free. I ordered a couple more last night. And it comes from Hong Kong not the US

Yeah the bezel unscrews. Its quite tight but you can do it by hand.
The module also unscrews with the pliers.

If you used that one Blee, first you would have to remove it from the star (so you would be better off with a bare emmiter).
Then the stock driver may not supply enough current and so it will not be as bright.
Also the stock driver is an inefficient design so uses up to twice as much power.
The only bennifit of doing it that way is that since the driver screws in to the body the heat transfer is pretty good. With the new module it will not screw in so heat transfer is poor but it should run cooler due to it being more rfficient.

Ah... that makes sense.
I'll order modules then.
I was thinking about play as it sounded like the driver is held by spring tension only.
As long as it's a close fit, that wouldn't be a problem, I guess.

Actually I have had a closer look at the stock module.
The old one was a bit corroded and the driver board was stuck in place. After a bit of force I managed to pop out the driver so now have the bare heat sink.
When I get my next lot of modules I will pull one apart and swap over the driver and LED into the stock heatsink.
It is a smaller heatsink but once threaded back into the torch body will offer far greater thermal conductivity. This will also mean theer is no need to modify the body at all.

can i use this Q5 for different backup torch?

Only if it fits. And you need to be able to dissipate the heat from the module which will be hard with a plastic torch. These ISTs are pretty cheap anyway so they make a good doner.
What torch do you have?

Ikelite

Having used it to rummage round in the attic last night (looks like that soft rat bait does the trick ) I can say the extra brightness does indeed make me extremely happy! [I am however extremely shallow, so results may not be typical ]

How do you feel when you see your 21W Salvo in action then, stoned?
Did you guys use stock 3.0V batteries or 3.7V batteries?