Newbie questions: PM6 mod and MM+ WO sammie

Hi, Wayne and everyone! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif I wanna start off saying it is really good to be here, and I had immensely enjoyed reading and learning from these forums!

I am a total newbie here /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/help.gif and would just like to seek some advices on ordering a BK assembly and building my first PM6 sammie:

For the PM6 mod, I plan on ordering:

1 Lux III 3W TV1L
1 McModule
Couple of PM Emitter board and Contact PCB(in case I screwed up soildering), and
1 DB 1000mA Stepdown Converter Board-Rev. 3

Q1) Am I missing anything for making a PM6 mod? My PM6 is an Incan with internal thread in the batt tube.
Q2) Although I do not intend to use it for few minutes at a time, will the PM6 be too hot to handle even in, say 5-10 min?(I had read about the heat issue with a BB 1000 in MiniMag) When approx will it become too hot to handle?
Q3) From what I have read/gathered, it seems like the original PM6 reflector is pretty decent…is there anything I could order to improve upon it? If I could have it my way, I would prefer an intense spot with min spill over flood.
Q4) Will it be brighter than the original PM6 incan?


For my Minimag Sammie, I am ordering a BK assembly with:

1 Lux III 3W TV1L
1 MM+ Wide Open
Faren LP and 17mm IMS reflector
retaining o ring and o ring

Q1) Am I missing anything for a BK assembly?
Q2) How bright? Approx in lumens? Or any comparable commercial flashlight?
Q3) I really love the twist on/off for the MiniMag(with the head twist all the way down)…just wondering is there a way I could keep it without much modification on the original body(maybe mod on reflector like KJ has shown here ? Btw, Is this the correct O-ring to place b/n lens and mod reflector)?
Can I save the work by a domed glass for lens?
Or is kroll the only answer since the Lux III will be touching the lens if I do so?


Finally, what is a common mistake that anyone would make for making a Sammie? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

I know I have tons of questions/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif, but if anyone could contribute to these questions at all—I really do appreciate it!! Thank you in advance! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

PM6 Q1 - You'll need some good high quality teflon coated wire to connect the DB to the anode contact and the ground screw in the McModule, plus more to connect the emitter to the DB. You'll also need some Artic Alumina adhesive or similar thermal compound to fix the emitter slug to the McModule. You might also want to add the PM6 clickie change the switch from momentary-on/twist-on to click on-off.
PM6 Q2 - No, it should be fine even after 5 or 10 minutes.
PM6 Q3 - There isn't a whole lot you can do, it's the standard 27mm "PR" reflector that I believe was the basis for the new wave of Aleph reflectors. You could order a ultra clear lens from flashlightlens.com (or get their UCL/clickie combo!) to allow a few more photons to make it out.
PM6 Q4 - most likely, yes and the beam will be better too - an intense spot with a wide but soft flood around it.


As for the sammich, The Fraen should still allow twist-off function but it's difficult to get the same with a reflector w/o modifying the head a bit. I can't comment on the brightness of the TV1L w/ MM+ but I think MM+ boards do better with lower Vf emitters. In other words a TV1J would be brighter than a TV1L if both were driven by an MM+. I'm guessing this is the case, Wayne has never confirmed it. You might want to look into a NextGen BB750 board instead, or look for a lower Vf emitter for the sammich.

Are you having the Shoppe build the sammich for you? The most common mistake I make when building them myself is sloppy soldering on the emitter board. I always seem to bridge the anode connection to the emitter board...
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/banghead.gif Second to that is finding a way to epoxy the two boards once everything is soldered together. I've started to use bars of soap of all things. I first drill a 1/2" hole through the bar and then split the bar through the hole making two troughs. I wedge the soldered sammich into one of the troughs then pour in a little JB Weld and let it cure. Works perfectly!

Jon

[ QUOTE ]
AuroraLite said:
Finally, what is a common mistake that anyone would make for making a Sammie? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif


[/ QUOTE ]

Allow me to declare myself the champion of sammie mess-ups. Here are some links that might help you avoid some "extra fun":

too much solder and other woes

Too much epoxy on the emitter (and how to remove an emmiter)

Soldering tips(after I learned the hard way)

About epoxies
Wire gauges
Thread with links to tutorials

Having a sammie-building fixture helps. Here's a simple gadget for doing that. Here are some pics of mine:

Thank you so much for the advices! This forum definitely rocks! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/buttrock.gif


StoneDog:

PM6 Q1--The clickie is a good suggestion and I will definitely put it on. I also notice McGizmo had made a tulip clickie and it just look plain awesome(can do the candle mode too!) Is that tulip tailcap for sale anywhere?

PM6 Q3--I do have one concern--I just realized on my M6 incan, the bulb and reflector seems to be made into one piece and cannot be separated. Should I order a new reflector( McR 27mm for SF Classic Threaded?) Can anyone confirm that this will work?

PM Q2, Q4--awesome! Bright light without a first degree burn...at least not the first 10 min.

And yes, I am having Sandwich Shoppe to build this first Mag AA sammie, I think my chances of screwing my first sammie up without even knowing how one will look like in hand is fairly high. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif But very good tip on the bar of soup and I will definitely keep that in mind!


Greenled:

Wow...I guess afterall it might be good that I have decided to order my 1st Minimag sammie made. At any rate, I probably will do more damage to all the delicate components and my wallet otherwise.

But some really good info about cleaning up the mess, and definitely is helpful for future references! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Cheers

AuroraLite,
Just fixed the pic links. The bottom part of my fixture is a brass pipe fitting I found a local hardware store. I stuffed a piece of wooden dowel in there, and then carefully drilled a hole in the middle of the dowel to give room for the Lux's dome. I "calibrate" the sammie's thickness by tightnening or untightnening the pipe fittings. I also used some teflon tape (not showed) around the threads (so the copper part won't wiggle), and had to file the ID of the copper piece so the sammie would slide in and out nicely (I actually overdid the portion close to the edge, as shown in the last pic).

Regardless of the shaky hands, all the solder fumes, messing up so many times, etc., building my own sammie was LOTS of fun. You might give it a try some time. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif

The pipe fitting and soap bar idea are both excellent ideas for my shaky hands--I will definitely bare them in mind when I make my own first sammie for my mini mag. And thanks for the links too!

Meanwhile, I am still wondering about the following just before putting in my order /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/help.gif

1) According to Wayne's osCommerce page, the PM6 McModule do not include a modified PM6 reflector--I have measured the diameter of my PM6 incan lamp assembly and it is 27mm

So which one is the correct reflector that I need to order for making a PM6 mod(the 27mm 'PR' reflector)?? 27mm IMS? McR27 soft Al? Or McR 27mm for SF classic(<--my wild guess is this one)?

2) For all the BB nextgen convertor, they all say 'Compatibility: Sandwich, ECan, Aleph Light Engine' does it mean they are all ok for PM6 mod as well as mini mag mod?

3) Will the 3W Lux III TX1J works well w/ either DB 1000ma or BB NG 1000ma for a PM6 mod? What about with BB NG 1A for Minimag?

4) Finally, does anyone know when will the following items be avialible?

Arctic Alumina 14.0g
17mm IMS reflector
BB Nexgen 500mA TX1J Sandwich Kit


As always, my thank you in advance for your time/input! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

for the PM6, you need to get the McR 27mm soft or production version. Both are the same as the original modified PM6 reflector which we no longer stock.

2) Any sandwich converter board will fit in the PM6 McModule can.

3) The TX1J is a good choice for all the above combinations. (Better than the TV1L due to the lower Vf bin code)

The BB Nexgen sandwiches will be assembling a batch this week. I'm current making a batch of BB500 Sandwiches.

The Arctic Alumina and 17mm should be back in stock already or will be in a few days.

StoneDog,

I'm sure there is a thread discussing the MM+ and various LED combination vs runtime. I actually have reference charts on my web site buried deep somewhere that shows what happens with different Vfs and a MM+ converter.

The MM+ delivers fixed power to the LED at any given voltage. The higher binned Vfs will therefore be less current to the LED since Power = Voltage * Current. As you can see from the equation, if Power is constant and Voltage goes up (Voltage being Vf in this case) that the current will go down to keep the equation balanced and vice versa if the Vf Voltage goes down the current will go up.

Use a H bin! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Wayne

[ QUOTE ]
dat2zip said:
StoneDog,

The MM+ delivers fixed power to the LED at any given voltage. The higher binned Vfs will therefore be less current to the LED since Power = Voltage * Current. As you can see from the equation, if Power is constant and Voltage goes up (Voltage being Vf in this case) that the current will go down to keep the equation balanced and vice versa if the Vf Voltage goes down the current will go up.

Use a H bin! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Wayne

[/ QUOTE ]

Hah, I knew it!!! I may have to dust off my MM+/R2H sandwich and install it in something! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Jon

[ QUOTE ]
dat2zip said:
for the PM6, you need to get the McR 27mm soft or production version. Both are the same as the original modified PM6 reflector which we no longer stock.


[/ QUOTE ]

Wayne, thanks for answering my question. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Since now the McR27 Al or the 'production version' are no longer in stock, how should I proceed to make this PM6 possible—i.e. what is my next best choice of reflector for making a PM6 from the current inventory?

I have the new PM6 incan which it has the lamp assembly(reflector and bulb in one piece)… /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif

Just a brief /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thanks.gif to you all who did contribute for helping with my first mod...my order is in.

If my hands are not too shaky on making this PM6 mod, I will post out my process with pictures(keep my finger crossed).

Do kindly ignore my last post, found the McR 27mm is now back in stock!! Hurray! (I kinda thought they will be out forever...)