P60 sized led drop-ins (part 3)

[psychbeat]

just use a small strap wrench or a towel and
some pliers - Ive loosened both of my NB dropins
with my hands on the reflector and
pliers on the pill
I doubt you'll break anything if yer
patient and careful.
Im sure Dave will sell you an OP
reflector and ship it right away.
DX will take forever.
skip the lubes n fancy chargers etc.
(unless yer really OCD or into maintenance)
Ive been using a cheapo DSD charger
and getting great results - just used my 2.8A
Linger Special tonight in
the rain for an hour and a half or so
before it dimmed n flashed.
good luck!:thumbsup:

 

[Midnight Oil]

Went medieval on the drop-in with a pair of pliers and a blowtorch. Finally got it loose. Maybe I will take your advice and order an OP reflector from NB.

Out of curiosity, I just read selfbuilt's review of the FENIX TK12 R5. It has a smooth reflector but no die marks show up in its hotspot. It's beam is very much artifact free. What I take away from NB's explanation of the defect in my drop-in is that the die marks are unavoidable with a smooth reflector:thinking:.

Could it be some geometric constraint inherent in the D26 form factor?

 

[neoseikan]

Hi, one question.
Why you want a MC-E / P7 / SST-50 P60 dropin?
In what case you will use it?
And how much did you pay for them>?

 

[psychbeat]

MO:
Fenix might have custom reflectors made for
their lights where NB makes his stuff to order
by hand from available parts I think.
artifacts in a smo ref are fairly common
otherwise everyone would use them for the
added throw. its a trade off. you might try tuning
the beam yourself by trying different depths of
threading in the pill- its probably tedious.
these are custom lights that are bleeding edge
and not mass produced obviously so require more
involvement by the user. the upshot is you have
an emitter that was JUST released and not fitted in
many/any mass produced flashlights.

NEO:
Ive got an SST50 3 mode 2.5A from Nailbender
that I bought because I love the modular form factor
of the C2 (mines bored for 18650) and cus they look
cool that way I can just get a new module when
new emitters are released and keep my trusty ol
C2 Im now so attached to. I also have one of his
dual XPG modules in 3B tint single mode 2.8A
the SST 50 drop in was 65$ shipped CONUS.
I like how the SST50 looks like a super big smooth
XPG and I like floody lights for tight forest trails.

 

[old4570]

Hi, one question.
Why you want a MC-E / P7 / SST-50 P60 dropin?
In what case you will use it?
And how much did you pay for them>?

Why ? = Power , serious illumination of your surroundings .
Case = When things go bump in the night .
Pay = DIY [ make them myself ]

ATM = I have 3 SSC P7 P60 lights and one MTE for a total of 4 / SSC P7 [ MTE was ?? $35 ]
Sorry , also one MCE ..

 

[sfca]

Psychbeat,

I was pretty excited to hear the kind of runtime you're able to get out of your configuration, and was eager with anticipation for much of last week, waiting for my drop-in's arrival. Then I popped it in the host and !? Such an anticlimax:sigh:.

The pill is secured with medium duty thread lock, and I can't seem to get it loose short of busting the whole works. Any ideas? I've tried rubbing alcohol and it didn't budge. Someone told me to try Coke; the idea is that the acid will eat through the stuff, but I'm not that daring, yet.

Other than DX where can I get a reasonably priced OP reflector?

I was planning to get the brightest 8-degree XRE from NB next. I expect it'll be something like the Malkoff M30, which, per Gene's description, will blind someone within a 100 feet, and easily illuminate objects up to 350 ft. I wonder if that is a realistic expectation.

M30 I believe is a flood light. If you want a thrower you're better off with a used M60 @ the marketplace.
Since you already have this module you could try to sell/trade it there..

Otherwise like psychbeat said - just get a OP reflector from Nailbender. The beam will be much better then... If you're going to keep it, might as well use it!!

I have a Nailbender 2.8A SST-50 on the way.. I bought a DE bin (bluest bin) from photonfanatic.
I've had one before so I'm guessing 2.8A + custom reflector and blue-white light = very, very blinding.

 

[neoseikan]

@SFCA: Then, won't you worry about the heat from 2.8A SST-50?
It's a different story.
Give 1A on the XP-G, the baseboard get hot in seconds, really hot, my finger have to leave it.
2.8A?
The P60 structure is not quite good on heat transferring, so all the heat is kept around the LED.
I think 1.5A for SST-50 on P60 is good and I'd like to produce one, but 2.8A is too high to get a good output.

 

[red02]

I remember reading that the M30 goes into 'quasi-direct drive' with NiMH. I don't really like the sound of that... Will I be able to get full output from a M30 with 3xNiMH?

 

[psychbeat]

the m30 is the lower voltage single cell version of the
m60.
not a flood.

NEO- 2.8A in a P60 host works fine.
especially with some copper tape and AS-5 on
the pill threads.

~500 OTF lumens

 

[DLF]

Looks like your D1500 drop-in is driving the XP-G at 1.5A already, Neo. How hot does that get in a typical P60 host (let's say, a P6L)?

 

[sfca]

@SFCA: Then, won't you worry about the heat from 2.8A SST-50?
It's a different story.
Give 1A on the XP-G, the baseboard get hot in seconds, really hot, my finger have to leave it.
2.8A?
The P60 structure is not quite good on heat transferring, so all the heat is kept around the LED.
I think 1.5A for SST-50 on P60 is good and I'd like to produce one, but 2.8A is too high to get a good output.

Yeah definitely it will get hot. I have a defensive use for it, so doesn't take much on-time to blind somebody hahaha!

1.5A may be a good seller for the SST-50 - but you should ask around first whether people will be happy with the output. Have a LEO poll on whether they (professional use) would have a use for it.

Careful though, it might be like the case of 4sevens "warm" lights - big demand, but no actual buyers.

People also would need insight into why you chose 1.5A; a well worded reason would do marvels.
A module like the Malkoffs (MC-E) would solve heating problem. Oh! Some modules are potted and slugged too!

 

[red02]

I was wondering what kind of runtime and output could I get with 3xNiMH with a direct drive MCE?

 

[Midnight Oil]

Psychbeat & Sfca,

Thanks for the encouraging advice.

Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in!

Lights Ohn!

Does anyone have distant beamshots of the XR-E R2 in a reflector vs one in an 8 degree optic?

 

[Paul_in_Maryland]

I was wondering what kind of runtime and output could I get with 3xNiMH with a direct drive MCE?

I used to run a direct-drive warm MC-E (NailBender) from 3xNiMH (Eneloop). Its output was impressive, delivering throw surrounded by an ugly, but wide, spill. I think I got about 50 minutes of good use; since brightness tapers off slowly, it's hard to define how long it lasts. Nowadays I run a Malkoff M30WF from 3xNiZn AAs (4.8V total). It's noticeably brighter than the M30WF was on 3xNiMH. It's so bright that I no longer covet a Malkoff MC-E.

 

[Noctis]

Yeah definitely it will get hot. I have a defensive use for it, so doesn't take much on-time to blind somebody hahaha!

I have ridiculously high standards regarding that.

The sun has a lux of around 130,000 when it's brightest(this is typically when you start burning ants with a magnifying glass). Yet I've personally stared at it as a child. I'm also sure we've been personally greeted by that infernal ball of fire at some point when we're driving. Could you describe that as "blinding"?

Considering most lights will give less than 5,000 measured lux at 1 meter, you'd have to be really close to even approach the intensity of sunlight.

Using an SST-90 Direct Drive at 3.5A, the beam feels like sunlight at 3-4 inches away from the head.

So you really have to go to extremes to get any kind of noticeable effect.

I'd settle for nothing less than 1,000 lumens if I were expecting to "blind" someone, and I'd have to be no more than 10 feet away.

1.5A may be a good seller for the SST-50 - but you should ask around first whether people will be happy with the output. Have a LEO poll on whether they (professional use) would have a use for it.

If you're going for 1.5A, I don't see why anyone would pick an SST-50 over an XPG for that. The XPG is more efficient and will generate less heat than the 50 at that current.

A module like the Malkoffs (MC-E) would solve heating problem. Oh! Some modules are potted and slugged too!

It would be nothing short of fantastic if Malkoff would simply sell a "black" shell with the brass & your choice of reflector or optic, while making it "customizable" by allowing you to screw in a P60 sized pill.

I'll have to strangle myself for saying this, but a Nailbender SST-90 Direct Drive pill nested inside a Malkoff brass body module with a LOP reflector would be "Made of Win".

 

[Midnight Oil]

Got my Solarforce L2r yesterday.

I popped in my Nailbender drop-in, a buck/boost module with exposed circuitry on the bottom, and ended up shorting it out. Below are the things I did. Can someone tell me which, or if all of them, might have contributed to the short?

1. I had taken the drop-in out of my CL1H V4 host without first taking out the battery and taking off the tailcap. But I only had an AA alkaline in it shimmed with two rolled up business cards, and I had done this several times before with no problems, though I have learned since that it is always a good idea to remove the batteries and tailcap first before taking out the drop-in.
2. I forgot to install the external spring the first time I popped the drop-in into the L2r, so the bottom of the drop-in, with the exposed circuitry, was in contact with the bottom of the head.
3. When I later proceeded to clean the L2r host, yes I know I should have cleaned it before doing anything else, I noticed the bottom of the head, where it contacted the bottom of the drop-in, had a thin layer of aluminum filings, probably left behind from fabrication. I've wiped it cleaned though.
4. The 2 AA alkalines I put into the L2r was a really really tight fit. The springs on the drop-in must have gotten squished like crazy. Perhaps the top of the battery came into contact with the exposed circuitry on the bottom of the drop-in, or there was too much force on the drop-in internal spring.

I'm trying to find out if the short was exclusively the result of a stupid person, and therefore conclude that the L2r host itself had nothing to do with it via faulty tailcap or something. I can live with the stupid person but hate to have to return the host.

Should I trim the drop-in spring or the tailcap spring. I'm not exaggerating. the fit was tight. The tailcap probably would have shot out a good yard under the spring tension.

Any additional advice regarding how to physically handle drop-ins, especially ones with exposed circuitry will be much appreciated.

 

[kosPap]

DAMN It happened to me too with the L2R and i was lazy to report it!

I had the same thing happen with a homemade dropin that used the Dx 15880 board...(exposed electronics too)

The reason you and I had this misfortune was that the ledge that the spring rests one is too wide...the module spring can compress lower that the module rim, so it does not stop the PCB for contacting the bare aluminum ledge!

DAMN!

 

[Noctis]

DAMN It happened to me too with the L2R and i was lazy to report it!

I had the same thing happen with a homemade dropin that used the Dx 15880 board...(exposed electronics too)

The reason you and I had this misfortune was that the ledge that the spring rests one is too wide...the module spring can compress lower that the module rim, so it does not stop the PCB for contacting the bare aluminum ledge!

DAMN!

Would having thermal epoxy over the exposed board prevent that? Or whatever Gene uses in his drop-ins.

 

[PlayboyJoeShmoe]

If the problem is as I visual it, I don't see where that would help.

SOUNDS like the area for the drop in is not deep enough. Or the ledge is too wide.

One or the other.

I don't have a light like that or a drop like that to check it out.

 

[kosPap]

Would having thermal epoxy over the exposed board prevent that? Or whatever Gene uses in his drop-ins.

sorry about that, but I already posted the question in anothn thread before reading this,,,,,In effect no...

https://www.candlepowerforums.com/posts/3390505&postcount=473