Introducing the Master Blaster! (7320 lux! Photos)

milkyspit

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Sep 21, 2002
Messages
4,909
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New Jersey
FOUND MY WIFE when I got discouraged with years of non-success on the dating scene, and finally decided just to enjoy my life and stop worrying about trying to find that special someone. Suddenly, there she was!

So it was with my latest mod, the Master Blaster. Not that I was ever trying to give MR Bulk a run for his money, but on some occassions in the past I would go into a project with the goal of creating a monstrously bright light, but it never quite worked out the way I had planned. Finally I decided to give up such foolish ventures! I would simply take the lemons I had been dealt and try to squeeze some lemonade out of them.

Enter my Blaster Jr., a nice little light. Well, originally I removed the resistor to make the light direct drive, then replaced the stock emitter with a TV1K Luxeon III, only to find out that my emitter produced a lime green beam and worse yet, had the highest Vf of any K-bin I had ever seen. To add insult to injury, when a few fellow NJ flashaholics (KartRacer31, richpalm, and silvercloud) came over to mod some lights, I saw clearly that my Blaster Jr. was the worst of the bunch by far. And theirs were using both stock emitters and the infamous high resistance 3-to-D battery packs! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon15.gif

I hung my head in shame. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif

An angled photo of the LuxIII TV1K emitter in my Blaster Jr...
image-cpf-master-blaster-tv1k-angle.jpg


An overhead photo of the same emitter. Although not visible, note that I applied Arctic Silver II thermal compound (NOT epoxy!) to the underside of the star. As you'll see below, this might have ended up one of the success factors in what eventually became a fabulous light!
image-cpf-master-blaster-tv1k-overhead.jpg


After thinking about things for a few days, though, I decided to run this light on 2x123 just to get the light working on a cheaper power source. You see, the extremely high Vf of my emitter made it unsuitable for NiMH rechargeables, and lithium AA cells are expensive! As for alkalines, they would grow dim far too quickly, and wouldn't do so well in the low temperatures outdoors in this uncommonly cold NJ winter. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/jpshakehead.gif

Tailcap view of the stock light...
image-cpf-master-blaster-el-tailcap.jpg


First I needed a battery holder. No problem there! Just happened to have bought some rubber radiator hose from the local auto parts store for a different mod, but never ended up using it. I sliced off enough of a piece to fill most of the Blaster Jr. battery tube, then sliced an 0.25 inch (approximate) strip longways from the hose so I could squeeze it a little smaller and more easily get it in/out of the battery tube. Next, I cut a piece of PVC pipe exactly 3.25 inches long. This pipe was just the right diameter for the 123 cells to sit securely inside, and the length was just right to eliminate sliding around inside the light with the tailcap on.

A look at the opened tailcap with radiator hose, PVC pipe, and 123 cells clearly visible...
image-cpf-master-blaster-batteries-exposed.jpg


I took the spring out of the stock tailcap and set it aside. Now I found a spring in my parts box that was narrow enough to sit on the metallic tail end of a 123 cell. I decided not to attach this replacement spring to the stock tailcap so I could switch back to the stock light more easily if desired later. But to keep the spring from flopping sideways while attaching the tailcap, I put a nylon spacer behind the rear 123 cell.

Nylon spacer sitting behind the rear 123 cell...
image-cpf-master-blaster-no-spring.jpg


Now the spring could sit in the spacer fairly securely, yet completely unattached to the tailcap! Here's a look at the spring sitting in place, ready to pop the tailcap back on the light...
image-cpf-master-blaster-no-tailcap.jpg


That's it! A dollar's worth (estimated) of parts yielded a nifty 2x123 battery holder. Now we're cookin'! Here's an overhead look at the parts so far...
image-cpf-master-blaster-everything-overhead.jpg


Same stuff, but looking at it from an angle...
image-cpf-master-blaster-everything-angle.jpg


Time to crank up this little puppy! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I should note first that there was one operational premise at work: since I was really displeased with the emitter, I figured it would be no great loss if I fried it. I made sure everything fit, fired 'er up, and... it lit! Always a good sign. Before going much further, I popped off the tailcap for a moment to check current flow from the fresh 123 cells... and measured 2 amps! Actually, that's not as bad as it sounds. If anyone's ever checked a Space Needle II running with new 123 cells, you know the SNII can go even a bit higher in terms of current flow, but that the current also drops steadily while watching the tester. It's like watching a countdown timer!

At any rate, the emitter wouldn't be subjected to such abuse for all that long due to the steady drop in current flow typical of direct drive 123 cell lights. Besides, that Arctic Silver II thermal compound ought to do a good job with heat transfer; it's designed for power hungry CPUs that pump out far more heat than this emitter ever could! And last but not least, if the emitter fried it would just give me the opportunity to put something better in my Blaster Jr.

The housing did grow warm after a minute or so of use, but that's as far as things went. The beam had some faint blue rings near the edge of the spill light, but no blue in the hotspot and certainly no "angry" blue to be seen anywhere. The Master Blaster seemed to be holding together.

Finally, I pulled out my trusty LM631 light meter to take a lux reading, just for the sake of learning more about the light's performance, and was promptly floored by the result! Take a look...
image-cpf-master-blaster-7320-lux.jpg


That's 7320 lux at one meter, which puts the Master Blaster squarely in Space Needle territory! A terrific surprise indeed. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/naughty.gif

The beam is now a yellowish white, and very intense. At close range the outline of the LED die is faintly visible, as is a ring around the outside of the spill light. At greater distances, both those artifacts disappear, and the only thing left is an evenly bright, super intense hotspot that carries far into the distance.

So the story has a happy ending. I got my lemonade, at least until the emitter burns out, which so far it shows no signs of doing. I can still run the thing on 3AA batteries whenever I want, although at not even close to the same brightness. This is one tremendous light. Given the compact size and cheap batteries ($2.xx per feeding), I couldn't be happier! I've created... the MASTER BLASTER! A light to make even the great MR Bulk proud. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/buttrock.gif
 

raggie33

*the raggedier*
Joined
Aug 11, 2003
Messages
13,454
Re: Introducing the Master Blaster!

very nice light .have any beam shots?
 

milkyspit

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Re: Introducing the Master Blaster!

Raggie, No beamshots as of yet. I'll try to get some soon, but I'm not very good at taking photos of the beams. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon23.gif

For now, imagine the beam from a Fraen LP optic, only with a MUCH brighter, longer throwing hotspot, and you'll get the idea. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinser2.gif
 

Wildcat

Enlightened
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Nov 4, 2003
Messages
281
Location
Kingwood, Texas, USA
Re: Introducing the Master Blaster!

I too was not pleased with the output of the SV1K Lux III emitter that I put in my Blaster Jr. I cut down a 123xD sleeve and turned the tailcap spring around. Bent the end of the spring so it would contanct the battery. Worked great. Stuck 2 used 123 cells in and it lit up. I only got IIRC @ 4600 lux. It was pulling @ 1.2 amps. Then I stuck 2 fresh Surefire cells in and noticed the light was sorta blue. The new cells were over 2 amps. Didn't measure the light output with the fresh cells. Now, if I could get the same output with NiMH, I'd be a happy camper. I plan to try the new 3 to D adapters once they come out. Maybe that will help.
 

MR Bulk

Flashaholic
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Aug 12, 2002
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6,059
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Hawaii
Re: Introducing the Master Blaster!

Hmmm...

Okay Scott, I will now use the "sandwich" critique technique I was taught a long time ago when I was an FTO (Field Training Officer) while evaluating new officers fresh out of the Academy and on the road for the first time.

When rating their performance on a case, First you give some sort of praise, Then you tell them what areas they may have to pay more attention to for future improvement, and Finally you end up giving praise again (thereby "sandwiching" the real critique between to praises to encourage rather than discourage). Soooo...

Nice mod, very bright!

It will fry -- maybe not right away due to this particular Luxeon III's high Vf, but it will eventually. And...

Nice mod, very bright! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 

drs2000

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Nov 18, 2003
Messages
147
Location
Northern Calif/Bay Area
Re: Introducing the Master Blaster!

Cool twist! You tend to bounce from one extreme to another, I see. 1MA to 2A thru your LEDs.. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Just to be safe, and maybe get a bit more runtime and life, I'd toss an ohm or two worth of resistor in there. Will help tame a fresh battery blast, and even things out, without damaging your output too much, I think..

Keep on glowing!!

Just got my first III's today.... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif My soldering iron's calling to me....

drs the anticipatory.
 

milkyspit

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Sep 21, 2002
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New Jersey
Re: Introducing the Master Blaster!

MR Bulk, wow! I'm in the modder academy! Thank you sir! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif

Thought you'd show up sooner or later when you saw this writeup, heh heh. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

And as one famous economist said, in the long run we're all dead. I can't think of a batter way to kill off a Luxeon that I never much liked in the first place. But your point is noted, and sooner or later I will retrofit some sort of low value resistor to the circuit, unless the LuxIII dies first. DOH! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon15.gif

For what it's worth, Arctic Silver thermal compound is GREAT stuff, and this light can use it since the star is bolted rather than glued in place.

drs2000, thanks! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif BTW, you're gonna love the LuxIII. It's a really versatile emitter, capable of underdriving as if it's a 1-watter, all the way up to, er, substantial overdriving. But who would do a thing like that? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif
 

milkyspit

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Sep 21, 2002
Messages
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Bumped to the top... some folks have PM'd me recently trying to find this one...
:thumbsup:
 

milkyspit

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Sep 21, 2002
Messages
4,909
Location
New Jersey
Old thread? Absolutely! And yet, a fellow CPFer was looking for it, so the bump hopefully helped a bit. ;)

To be honest, I don't own this light any longer! But AFAIK the current owner has NOT fried it yet. :naughty:
 

Kid9P

Flashlight Enthusiast
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Apr 4, 2006
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NJ
Milky,


Thank You for digging this up for me :grin2:

As soon as I finish my Q3 mod, the Blaster Jr is next.
 

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