Moddoolar Slim bodies and battery fitment questions

Without the oring at the front end of the body tube I can get an unprotected pana3400 to sit about flush with the end of the body tube. The cell is actually about 1-2mm shorter.



I was wondering if the tl34 and tl20 fit the same way for unprotected 18500 and 18350 respectively and if anyone has a picture of cells in the body from the tailcap end?

Re: Oveready / TorchLAB - Questions

ElectronGuru said:

With the bumper removed, youre looking at about 66.6mm from end to end.

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Just to clarify:

1) By "bumper" do you mean the rubber o-ring which you install in the tube to prevent damage to the battery if it is compressed against the metal lip at the front of the tube?

2) With a 65.0 mm long cell installed in the tube and touching the metal lip at the front end, does this leave 1.6 mm of extra tube space at the tail end?

3) With the tailcap screwed down on a tube to the same depth as with a McClicky/brass adapter installed, what is the axial length from the tail end of the tube (bare aluminum bottoming surface with brass adapter) to the inside bottom surface of the tailcap? I assume its about 8 - 9 mm or so but not sure. This question came up regarding the Ultra Low Profile smartswitch by Mattaus.

thank you.

duplicate post

Re: Oveready / TorchLAB - Questions

Regarding carl's questions, the switch I'm working on is intended for normal use in most C-series like tailcaps. However, given the lower than average profile (<6mm) of the switch, people are wondering if this would allow for clicky capabilities in short hosts where switching mechanisms like the ZeroRes Shorty would normally be the only option.

- Matt

Yep that is correct. An 18650 in the TL50 tube meant for 18500s. I purchased it to use with some 18500 cells I have but noticed the 18650 also fit when using a solarforce switch (which is already flat, just cut down the spring). I also removed the anodization on the threads because the end of the TL50 was not touching the tailcap switch retaining ring. Stripping the anodization allows for the current to flow through the threads. Lock out is still possible by unscrewing the head a few turns to disconnected the spring from the battery.

This is why I am wondering about the battery fitment on the TL20 and TL34 as it could mean I could run 18350 and 18500 respectively in a small package with a solarforce tailcap.

Re: Oveready / TorchLAB - Questions

ElectronGuru said:

Tom starting doing battery lips before I even met him in '08. It quickly became 'weird' for anyone doing the same steps not to include them. The same lip approach was carried over to the Moddoolar line. With the bumper removed, youre looking at about 66.6mm from end to end. But about 15 of that is reserved for tailcap contents. You can get it back with the ZRS if you are willing to forgo clicky action.

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Can you provide the same stat for the tl34 and tl20? Will they fit 18500s and 18350s respectively?

Also here is a thread with a picture showing an unprotected pana 3400 in the TL50 slim without the rubber oring bumper. Works very well with a solar force tail cap with a cut down spring. Both lights below using 18650s
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...lar-Slim-bodies-and-battery-fitment-questions

skyrider - thanks for the pics which are worth a thousand words...

1) Did you remove the hard anodize on the tube threads or tailcap threads?
2) Is there a Solarforce mechanical clicky in the tailcap of the shorter light?
3) Is your TL50 natural or black?

No problem, figured it was easier than describing it all.

1) I had to remove the HA on the tube threads. Solarforce already has bare threads in their tailcaps. If you don't want to go that step, you'd have to find the right sized washer/spacer or make one out of some sheets of alum or copper.

2)Yep, standard forward clicky. Can't fit a Mcclicky with the way it protrudes through the tailcap.

3)I ordered the natural. There were 2 options and I got the "lighter" version. Under better lighting, it does not look as dark.

Skyrider - thanks for the info. And thanks again for the picture showing the battery clearance at the end of the tube. Your 50mm long tube light is the first one I've seen with a P60/clicky/18650 combo - a nice compact lego!

Especially since 18500 batteries don't have nearly the energy capacity as the Panasonic 18650 at 3400mAh (the highest capacity 18500 I've been able to find on the internet is a Panasonic 18500 at 2000mAh but no one can find anyone who sells it so the next available is the Sanyo 18500 at 1700mAh which is only half of the 3400mAh of the 18650.

In regards to available tube length / battery space, which one has the greater: the TL50 or the combo TL20/A19 ? (both will fit an 1x18650 in a twisty-only setup).

A19 are based on CR123 which are 34mm long. TL20+A19 is a mm shorter than the TL50, with an effective battery length of 49mm.

So no way an 18650 would fit in the TL+A19 combo like it fits the TL50. Is the TL + A19 combo equivalent to the TL34-slim?

Does an 18500 fit into the TL34-slim similar to how the 18650 fits the TL50-slim (cell fits almost flush with end of body tube with 1-2mm spare); Also, will the TL20 be able to take an 18350 (cell fits almost flush with end of body tube with 1-2mm spare).

Also, can the TL20 be purchased separate from the ZRS?

To your last two questions: yes

The T20 is body only however it will need to be coupled with a railcar and the ZRS if that makes sense?

I'd prefer the TL20 without a ZRS if possible because I can run a switch that is flush with the end of the body tube. This is why I wanted to know whether the TL20 can hold an 18350 with no battery poking out. The switch doesn't protrude into the body. This will let me run a compact clicky 18350.

I'm curious as to what "effective battery length" is. Is this accounting for a spring at the tailcap and drop-in?

In the TL50, I have about 67mm of battery space assuming no spring at the drop-in, just a small solder drop on the driver, and a flat clicky switch at the rear. I would think the TL20 + A19 combo should actually have very close to the ~67mm battery space.

skyrider said:

So no way an 18650 would fit in the TL+A19 combo like it fits the TL50. Is the TL + A19 combo equivalent to the TL34-slim?

Click to expand...

The sets go something like this:
TL20+A19 is nearly equivalent to TL50. The The middle two above both support 18650 when combined with a ZRS, the 49 will just squeeze the spring a bit more.

skyrider said:

Does an 18500 fit into the TL34-slim similar to how the 18650 fits the TL50-slim (cell fits almost flush with end of body tube with 1-2mm spare); Also, will the TL20 be able to take an 18350 (cell fits almost flush with end of body tube with 1-2mm spare).

Click to expand...

The TL20 was designed to take an 18350, with one condition. There are two things going one with length changes. The A19 confuses things, so lets focus just on the tailcap for this bit. Using the same line up:
In all ZRS configs, the cell reaches the very tail end of the body, but must exit the body itself when a head/drop is installed. This is because the spring of the head intrudes into the top of the battery chamber.

skyrider said:

Also, can the TL20 be purchased separate from the ZRS?

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TL20 are sold separately here.

skyrider said:

I'd prefer the TL20 without a ZRS if possible because I can run a switch that is flush with the end of the body tube. This is why I wanted to know whether the TL20 can hold an 18350 with no battery poking out. The switch doesn't protrude into the body. This will let me run a compact clicky 18350.

Click to expand...

Not intruding into the body isn't enough. The key feature of the ZRS is that it does not intrude into the tailcap. The ZRS turns the tailcap into a 15mm spacer. Any switch that is taller that a few mm, will be taller than the ZRS and will push against the battery, which is pushing against the spring, which is intruding into the body.

To allow for a taller switch, you'll need a short or soft spring that allows the battery to compress to the top of the battery tube.

skyrider said:

In the TL50, I have about 67mm of battery space assuming no spring at the drop-in, just a small solder drop on the driver, and a flat clicky switch at the rear. I would think the TL20 + A19 combo should actually have very close to the ~67mm battery space.

Click to expand...

Sounds like you've thought this through and that it should work. Just keep in mind, there has to be some spring somewhere. Both to absorb cell length differences and prevent rattle during lock out.

If someone wants to send me the parts, I'm happy to test it.

Thanks for the thorough response. As long as an 18350 fits into the TL20 without protruding and the same for the 18500 for the TL35 then I am good to go.

When I run just a solder bump on the driver of my p60 drop-ins, the battery is still within the tube. Then I also run a switch which lays flat across the battery tube. The switch never intrudes into the body tube. A spring does intrude the body tube to connect with the 18650 but the spring is able to compress into the tailcap.

PMed again about adding to an order I made yesterday that I don't think has shipped yet, thinking of adding to it.