calipsoii
Flashlight Enthusiast
- Joined
- Apr 21, 2010
- Messages
- 1,412
Surefire A2 Aviator
Homemade LED Rings
THIS RUN IS NOW CLOSED.
There may be another in the future, so please check back later!
Homemade LED Rings
THIS RUN IS NOW CLOSED.
There may be another in the future, so please check back later!
The sales thread for the 1st run of these rings can be found here.
The build log for the original homemade rings can be found here.
Models
You should buy a multi-mode if:
Single mode
Colors
Rechargeables
Beamshots
A rough brightness comparison showing how bright the green really is. The camera shows the red more than my eyes do - I see it much dimmer.
Installation Instructions
That's about it! I make these in my basement in my spare time, so while I can't crank them out like an assembly line, I will try my absolute hardest to get one into the hands of any of my fellow A2 enthusiasts who want one. Any questions/comments/suggestions please let me know!
Cheers,
calipsoii
The build log for the original homemade rings can be found here.
Models
You should buy a multi-mode if:
- You're ok with only getting 2/3rds of the max output in exchange for a completely separate color that's accessible with only a few button clicks.
- You want complete control over the brightness.
- You understand that the A2 tailcap was never designed for such a device and unless you lock it out before putting it in your pocket, you may find it doing things you aren't expecting.
- You acknowledge that even though you'll probably use white LED's 98% of the time, you just can't get it out of your head how cool red LED flashlights look.
- run4jc did an awesome little mini-review of the multi-mode rings here
- You want rock-solid, press-the-button-and-let-there-be-light dependability.
- You just want one brightness level and don't want to muck with multiple button presses and programming accidents.
- You know you're probably only going to ever use 1 color and you're ok with that.
- They're half the price!
Single mode
- 3 LED's of the same color
- Requires all 3 screws be inserted to operate (will be back to 1 screw in future revisions)
- 2 LED's of one color and 1 of another --or-- 3 LED's of the same color
- User changes which LED's are lit through a series of tailcap presses. The rotation is as follows:
- 1st Mode = 1 LED lit
- 2nd Mode = 2 LED's lit
- 3rd Mode = 3 LED's lit (This mode is optional and can be enabled/disabled by the user on all rings. It's intended primarily for rings that are all one color)
- The brightness of each of the modes can be set with a series of tailcap presses.
- The "administrative" commands (20+ clicks) have a 3-click leeway to make them easier to set.
- These rings have a lot of capacitors on them, each of which has to charge before current hits the microcontroller. This introduces a very small but noticeable delay (~0.15sec) between pressing the button and the LED's coming on. There is no way around this - all the capacitors are required.
- IMPORTANT: Each A2 has a different tailcap and some are quite sensitive. Rings ship in the Low Click UI by default, but may be changed to the High Click UI to help minimize accidental mode changes or brightness ramping. That said, pocket carry may result in accidental button presses that may cause unexpected behaviour. If this worries you, I recommend locking out the tailcap between uses. If that's unacceptable, I recommend a single mode ring instead.
- The idea with the multimode's was to keep the functions as unobtrusive as possible so that anyone who's used an Aviator can pick it up and have it work like they expect it to, but add a few extra features that make life more pleasant.
Colors
- Warm White: very close match to the tint of the incandescent bulb. Light yellow hotspot fading to slightly brown spill with a very smooth beam pattern. At 5+ feet, has a touch of blue tint in the middle of the hotspot that is almost unnoticeable (this is still the very best warm white 5mm I've found). Similiar tint to the Quark Mini AA Warm White. Output is lower than stock cool white since Surefire overdrives the LED's.
- Comprehensive warm white color measurements by rdh226 available here.
- Deep Red: very pleasing deep red with zero orange or pink tint. Smooth beam pattern with only a few artifacts in it. Bright enough that you don't need to strain to see but dim enough that it won't destroy your night vision.
- Ultraviolet: very strong, specialized LED. Will cause objects to fluoresce at 5+ feet. Works well for examining money, curing UV-reactive adhesives, etc. Will cause eye damage with misuse so USE WITH CAUTION!
- Please read this post before placing your UV order: http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...-Run)-*OPEN*&p=3657280&viewfull=1#post3657280
- Yellow/Green: interesting tint that appears very dim at first glance but grows progressively brighter as your eyes night adjust. Is noticeably dimmer than the stock Surefire Y/G LED's. Much easier to read by in the dark than the deep reds. Pleasing color (563nm) once your eyes get used to it.
- Green: Very bright green LED's.
- Blue: Even brighter blue LED's. Beam pattern is a little ringy but it throws surprisingly well for a 5mm.
- Cyan: A light blue LED, 491nm (pure cyan is 485nm). Tightest beam pattern of any of my LED's - an excellent thrower. A light sanding will diffuse the beam if you're looking for flood.
- Amber: Light yellow bordering on orange. Looks very much like the yellow light on a stop sign at an intersection. Throws a soft "campfire" colored light.
Rechargeables
- Input voltage range: 2.7 to 16V
- Low voltage warning: NO
- RCR123 with protection circuit recommended
- IMR16340 will work but may be permanently damaged if discharged too low
Beamshots
A rough brightness comparison showing how bright the green really is. The camera shows the red more than my eyes do - I see it much dimmer.
Installation Instructions
- Loosen the first screw using an eyeglass screwdriver that fits properly - the metal is quite soft and the wrong size will mangle the head of the screw. Mine had a small amount of thread locker on them, so I found I had to press down fairly hard and give it a quick twist to get things started.
- Once the screw is loose, tilt the head sideways and unscrew it the rest of the way to prevent the screw from falling into the hole where the bulb sits. Tweezers make it easier to remove the screw once it's totally loose (especially if your fingers are too big to fit in the head like mine).
- Repeat for the other two screws, then remove the ring by turning the head upside down and gently tapping it on a table (it may take a little jimmying as it fits tight). Store the stock ring in the container you received your modified one in.
- The screw holes line up quite well on the newer model A2 (with the 3 round sides on the body)
- The screw holes don't line up quite as perfectly on my older 4-flats A2. Despite this, the ring installs and operates fine.
- Place the screw in the hole, turn the head upright, set it on your table, and begin tightening with the screwdriver held vertically. Don't press down on the screwdriver, just let gravity hold it on the screw and gently twist it. The screw MUST be vertical and you should not feel much (if any) resistance. I got impatient and attempted to force a screw that was leaning at about a 33 degree angle, ignoring the resistance. Big mistake: that screw hole is now stripped. Much better to take it out and try again than wreck your Aviator. The screw should be 90-degrees up and down as seen in the picture below. Only tighten it half-way for now.
- If at any time, your screw starts to lean like this, STOP. Carefully remove it, insert it upright, and try again. You should feel almost no resistance while turning the screwdriver.
- Insert and tighten the 2nd and 3rd screws HALFWAY as shown below.
- Work your way around the ring, tightening the screws a bit at a time. Stop tightening when you feel resistance - continuing to tighten will strip the screw hole. Some of your screws may sit a tiny bit above the PCB (like the right one below). This is ok!
- When all 3 screws are tight, the lamp hole in the middle should be nice and centered in the ring like below.
- Replace the bulb and gently screw the head back on. Test it out!
That's about it! I make these in my basement in my spare time, so while I can't crank them out like an assembly line, I will try my absolute hardest to get one into the hands of any of my fellow A2 enthusiasts who want one. Any questions/comments/suggestions please let me know!
Cheers,
calipsoii
Last edited: