Mag Switch Resistance Fix.. 1/6th stock!

[fivemega]

Why is the wire in the spring coiled?

To reduce resistant of spring while it can compressed with spring.

and why does it have to go counter clockwise?

Spring is clockwise and coiled wire must be counter clockwise to stay inside spring without interference.

 

[jimjones3630]

Someone, think Lasercrazy told me using 10 ga unsoldered wire just wrapped around both ends touching the tailcap when spring snapped in and touching the bat. neg when tail cap screwed in. works as well as soldered.

I've tried it,unsolder, on several and works.

Jim

 

[Northern Lights]

I use a piece of braid, snapped in both ends

 

[Raoul_Duke]

Someone, think Lasercrazy told me using 10 ga unsoldered wire just wrapped around both ends touching the tailcap when spring snapped in and touching the bat. neg when tail cap screwed in. works as well as soldered.

I've tried it,unsolder, on several and works.

Jim

Thats what I did in a C tailcap

At the base of the spring, I wrapped wire around in a loop, slid it round to near where the end of the spring finnishes. This is a pinch point and holds the wire firmly in place.
Put the spring in the tailcap, and it is held fast.

I needed to make up a little space in my mag mod as the cells I was using came up a little short, so I used the "crown" or bit that you see at the top of the switch in the first picture in this thread, that screws on and holds the lamp into the holder, ( I used a kiu so I didn't need this bit) and pushed it on the top of the battery touching end of the spring. I then looped the other end of the wire, that I'd attached to the base of the spring around the top, and the fact that it snapped on the top of the spring held it in place very well.

I'm guessing it works as well as soldering it to the spring, why wouldent it.
The only thing better would be to solder direct to the tailcap, and bottom cell but that wouldnt work for removing the cells easily.

 

[Northern Lights]

https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/143345

Try this for low tail cap resistance and gives more room in the tail, you set that by making the washer thin or use a rubber tube, like automotive hose.

 

[jimjones3630]

The ways to manage space in mods is amazing.

The rubber hose could be any length even longer than OEM tail spring if have short bat. pak. I have solder 2 OEM springs together in the past but I like the hose idea.

Jim

 

[bimemrboy318]

I've read this a bunch of times and wouldn't it be even better if we did away with the solder wick inside the spring. Instead just solder directly from the upper spring cap to the upper contact. Then you'd avoid transferring power through the solder wick all together... right?

 

[3rd_shift]

Thank you.
I was just looking for this thread for a 6D hotwire I'm working on. :thumbsup:

I've read this a bunch of times and wouldn't it be even better if we did away with the solder wick inside the spring. Instead just solder directly from the upper spring cap to the upper contact. Then you'd avoid transferring power through the solder wick all together... right?

I was just thinking about that too.
I think I'll give it a shot and see.

It appears that getting rid of as many of the "loose" contacts as possible seems to do the trick.

Half a volt drop at 3 amps is about 1.5 watts of wasted power and heat that might heat something up. oo:

Yeah, I think I'll get to work on the D Maglite switch resistance fixes described here.

 

[jimjones3630]

when wiring bipin adaptors I solder a 18g wire from the bipin pos. to the upper switch contact. I use only non cam reflectors so it's not an issue.

 

[lasercrazy]

Someone, think Lasercrazy told me using 10 ga unsoldered wire just wrapped around both ends touching the tailcap when spring snapped in and touching the bat. neg when tail cap screwed in. works as well as soldered.

I've tried it,unsolder, on several and works.

Jim

Yep that was me. Speaking of ultra low resistence check this out. Solid 8Gauge ground wire springs. This wire doesn't like to flex too much, so I had to carefully measured it beforehand. Once I bent it into shape I adjusted the height so too much preasure wasn't put on the batts.

 

[jimjones3630]

Nice, that looks tough to get into that wrapped shape, bet it cost less than copper braid and probably as effective. I found a piece of old auto battery copper braided ground cable. It's about 3/4 inch wide and thick use it with Northern Lights tailcap mod.

Yep that was me. Speaking of ultra low resistence check this out. Solid 8Gauge ground wire springs. This wire doesn't like to flex too much, so I had to carefully measured it beforehand. Once I bent it into shape I adjusted the height so too much preasure wasn't put on the batts.

 

[Germ]

I tried soldering some Radio Shack solder wick to the spring cups and could never get the solder to wet. What did I do wrong? I even used a Bernomatic torch and couldn't get the solder to wet, the solder would just ball up. The solder was Oatey 95% tin %5 antimony electrical solder.

 

[Northern Lights]

I have used common electronic type solders. I usually burnish the spring edge with some sand paper. Take solder off a 30 watt iron.

 

[LuxLuthor]

I tried soldering some Radio Shack solder wick to the spring cups and could never get the solder to wet. What did I do wrong? I even used a Bernomatic torch and couldn't get the solder to wet, the solder would just ball up. The solder was Oatey 95% tin %5 antimony electrical solder.

Yeah as NL said, clean off the old solder, rough up the surface...then I use 60/40 (tin/lead) rosin core after also applying some flux. Check this other recent topic for many others experience.

 

[Germ]

I got some lead, 60/40, .050 diameter, rosin core solder from Radio Shack. Using just this (no added flux) and a cheapo soldering iron it was pretty easy to wet the inside of the caps. No lead free ever again. I had some flat braided Radio Shack solder wick.

For my fist try I only soldered the wick to the caps. I cut the wick about 1/2 inch longer than the spring and put little 90 degree bends on the ends. I soldered one end of the wick into the middle of the big cap. Then I put the spring over the wick and into the big cap. Then I soldered the other end of the wick into the middle of the small cap. The wick then collapses inside the spring when the small cap is put back on the spring.

I couldn't really think of a good way to actually solder the spring to the caps. How do you get a soldering iron down in there through the spring?

 

[Northern Lights]

I got some lead, 60/40, .050 diameter, rosin core solder from Radio Shack. Using just this (no added flux) and a cheapo soldering iron it was pretty easy to wet the inside of the caps. No lead free ever again. I had some flat braided Radio Shack solder wick.

For my fist try I only soldered the wick to the caps. I cut the wick about 1/2 inch longer than the spring and put little 90 degree bends on the ends. I soldered one end of the wick into the middle of the big cap. Then I put the spring over the wick and into the big cap. Then I soldered the other end of the wick into the middle of the small cap. The wick then collapses inside the spring when the small cap is put back on the spring.

I couldn't really think of a good way to actually solder the spring to the caps. How do you get a soldering iron down in there through the spring?

Good job, I use wick. I also sometimes drill a hole in the cap to bring a wire directly to the pr to bipin sockets I use.
To solder to the + terminal on C switches the tower dissasembles off, easy access. To D switches I pull the switch assembly out and fish the wire from the spring down into the switch chamber, replace the switch sub assebly and solder to it. I usually have removed the ground bracket to do that.

 

[LukeA]

I couldn't really think of a good way to actually solder the spring to the caps. How do you get a soldering iron down in there through the spring?

You can't solder to aluminum anyway.

 

[Northern Lights]

You can't solder to aluminum anyway.

" The wick then collapses inside the spring when the small cap is put back on the spring."

This is the switch thread, I think he is refering to the caps on the socket spring. Those are non-aluminum and take solder quite well.
I use 1.5mm soldering wick works very well.
post #1

 

[Germ]

Good job, I use wick. I also sometimes drill a hole in the cap to bring a wire directly to the pr to bipin sockets I use.

Thanks Northern Lights. So does everyone just solder the wick to the cups? I was under the impression that everyone soldered the spring to the cups too, I just couldn't figure out how. I've searched for detailed instructions on doing the switch spring mod, but never found any. If anyone solders the spring too, please tell how it is done.

Now I wish I had a decent mult-tester to check if I actually lowered the resistance.

Where do you get the rope type solder wick? All I could find was the flat braided type at Radio Shack.

LukeA, thanks, I didn't know you couldn't solder aluminum. I think everyone naturally thinks "tailcap" whenever you say anything about modding a Mag spring.

 

[Northern Lights]

No need to solder the spring to the cups. The path of the circuit is cups through the braid not the sping. If you remove the friction contacts and solder from the switch to the + terminal of a pr to bipin socket the better. If you are using a potted bulb or just wish to drop in a bipin to pr socket then soldering the cups to the braid is the minimum you need. Springs are not good conductors. What you did is adequate for most builds, if you like to squeak ever last lumen out of it you can go further but this takes care of the bulk of the resistance.
Here is a good post of the conductivity:
Electrical conductivity of metals