BadBoy Luxeon-III Bad News/Good News

vcal

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Here's what came in today from a new friend overseas:
In the mail was a Badboy 750 with a TVOK Luxeon. When I installed it in one of my Minimags ,it was really dim, sick, and near death. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif Looking at it closely, I'm guessing that the sandwich circuit had shorted out and overheated.

Because I'm not highly skilled in electronics, I decided not to attempt circuit diagnosis or repair. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon15.gif
However, when I hooked up the Luxeon itself directly to a pair of AA cells-the LED blinked and sprung to
life by shining brilliantly!
What's the good news??
It took me a little while, but I was able to wire around the bad circuit, and put the TVOK 3 watt sandwich into the 2-AA minimag and power it with 3 x 2/3 AA NiMH. Man alive..it's really BRIGHT, and the current draw was only 670 mA. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif The tint appears identical to my Q3J LD MadMax.

Minor problem....the optic was centered poorly, so that the square was off to one side.
-Solution??.....
By rotating the optic into different positions inside the bezel, after about 4 attempts, I was able to get it beautifully centered.
it will stay that way because I use a tailswitch. Alternatively, removing the sandwich and repositioning (rotating) it also has a great effect on perfect centering. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif

So now the Badboy 750 has become my
Goodboy direct drive. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

p.s.-I also took my McRothrandir MMM³ single AA minimag out and after inserting a single Lithium-Ion AA cell in it, the shorty minimag became a roaring pocket rocket -operating the TVOK at the 3.7 volts.
-I was very pleasantly surprised to notice that the Luxeon withe the single Li-ion was only drawing 830 mA. (I measured it on the 10A output to avoid a shunt error).

Now I've got my favorite AA powered EDC. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif
 

Nerd

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Uh, pardon me, but I thought the "Mc" name is only given to our prestigious McGizmo? What's it doin on roth! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

BTW you meant a Lithium AA right? Not a Lithium Ion AA? Cos a lithium ion AA can be recharged while a normal lithium cannot.
 

vcal

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[ QUOTE ]
Nerd said::DBTW you meant a Lithium AA right? Not a Lithium Ion AA? Cos a lithium ion AA can be recharged while a normal lithium cannot.

[/ QUOTE ]
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
I actually meant the AA Lithium-ion, -the kind that usually cost about 20 bucks each..when you can find 'em. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon15.gif (not that L91)

-Now I just need that $45. charger that JonSydneyB sells. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif
 

Rothrandir

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yes, i don't deserve the mc! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/bowdown.gif

nice to hear you're putting it to good use! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

(btw, wouldn't "mmm³" be miniminiminiminiminiminiminiminiminimag?)
 

Nerd

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[ QUOTE ]
vcal said:
I actually meant the AA Lithium-ion, -the kind that usually cost about 20 bucks each..when you can find 'em. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon15.gif (not that L91)

-Now I just need that $45. charger that JonSydneyB sells. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

AH!!! where can you find a AA Lithium ion? I sure would be interested! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 

vcal

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[ QUOTE ]
Nerd said:
[ QUOTE ]
vcal said:
I actually meant the AA Lithium-ion,


[/ QUOTE ]
AH!!! where can you find a AA Lithium ion? I sure would be interested! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[/ QUOTE ]
I got mine from CPFer dpr..you could PM him?
Also, I'd imagine Pila or -JonSydneyB might be able to spec. order some for 'ya.
 

Doug S

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Jun 20, 2002
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Chickamauga Georgia
[ QUOTE ]
vcal said:
I actually meant the AA Lithium-ion, -the kind that usually cost about 20 bucks each..when you can find 'em. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon15.gif (not that L91)

-Now I just need that $45. charger that JonSydneyB sells. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

[/ QUOTE ]
Careful there, Doug. I am pretty sure I have seen a post on the forum that the Pila chargers put out way over the proper voltage for charging a bare Li-ion cell. I seem to remember someone posting that they measured 4.6V at a load of 0.3A. I am not familiar with the Pila line of chargers, perhaps they do offer a model that is appropriate but if the post I am remembering is accurate, clearly at least one model of Pila charger is not. I do know that it is a fairly typical design arrangement for Li-ion charger/battery arrangements to have the charger put out over the 4.2V required by the cells and rely on the battery pack protection to terminate the charge once the cells reach fully charged. The raw charger voltage is below the value that would cause a catastrophe if the battery pack overvoltage cutoff fails but it is still high enough to trash the battery. If you do find a Pila charger that limits it's terminal voltage to the required 4.2V, you still need to be concerned about the charger's max output current. Most Li-ion cells should be charged at no greater than a 1C rate. All of the Pila cells are higher capacity cells than AAs [the AAs are typically 650-750 mA] so there is a chance that the charger max output current would be too high for an AA.
 

vcal

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Good advice Doug, and well stated.
I have a constant current charger that I built myself that I can infinitely adjust the voltage (meter integral) and the current up to about 400mA or so.

It also has an adjustable voltage shut-off. I thought that the commercial charger for the Li-lon might be more convenient-like the CCrane charger is for the NimH cells.
 

JonSidneyB

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People charging bare cells is what prompted Pila to drop the S batteries for a little while, they correctly realized that doing that does not stop anyone from using the charger for other batteries... Pila recomends not using the charger for any other battery, well, the copias will be fine
 
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