advice / Help

[abew330]

hello everyone here on CPF
newbie here to whole flashlight mods and i have been reading pass/current forums on maglite modding. but have few questions...

hoping to get some advice / help on getting what i need.

first i have a 3d maglite that i am hoping to mod.
i just want it brighter / better than stock.

is it ok to use just one AMC7135? with what emitter would best suit this driver to use its full power? (bright white not warm white)
would a heatsink still be needed if not using great amount of volts?

why do some members do not use a driver? and only use the emitter by its self? or the emitter with a resister?

i have other questions but this is it for now.
any advice / help would be greatly appreciated
thank you

 

[TorchBoy]

Maglite mod

:welcome:

is it ok to use just one AMC7135? with what emitter would best suit this driver to use its full power?

Each AMC7135 chip provides a constant current output in the range 320-380 mA. (What it actually is depends on the exact model of AMC7135; 350 mA is a common typical figure.) AMC7135s can easily be run in parallel, so boards often have several AMC7135 chips used together to give more total current. Some drivers run AMC7135s using PWM to get dimmer modes.

Just about any high power LED can cope with a single AMC7135 at 350 mA, so should provide a reasonable amount of life with good battery life - a good tradeoff. You might want to use a Cree XP-G which is the most efficient LED around and has a low Vf, so your AMC7135 will stay in regulation for as long as possible.

 

[abew330]

Re: Maglite mod

Thank you TorchBoy for your reply

how about this driver?(link below) after reading reviews seem like it would work ok

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.6190

or

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.20329

so running a amc7135 in parallel like done here(link below) would give more total current to the emitter? depending on voltage.. correct?
also would running drivers parallel would increase MAX input voltage??

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=212835

cant find Cree XP-G at DX

this is a stupid qustion but what does it mean when one refers to a bin? as in CREE MC-E M BIN emitter
cree is like the make and MC-E is the model but M BIN??

would a heatsink be need like the ones below of using only one driver - led:
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=203235

i know it would be better to use one because leds dont work well with heat correct?

found these on DX but sure which one is better / brighter than the other

Cree XR-E P4
CREE 7090 XR-E P4
SSC Seoul P4 (U-bin) SW0
Cree XR-E Q5
Cree XR-E R2
Cree Q3-WC
SSC P7 C-Bin
Cree XLamp MC-E

would using a stock reflector be ok in my planned application?one driver one led not sure on batterys yet

going for best bang for the buck

Each AMC7135 chip provides a constant current output in the range 320-380 mA. (What it actually is depends on the exact model of AMC7135; 350 mA is a common typical figure.) AMC7135s can easily be run in parallel, so boards often have several AMC7135 chips used together to give more total current. Some drivers run AMC7135s using PWM to get dimmer modes.

Just about any high power LED can cope with a single AMC7135 at 350 mA, so should provide a reasonable amount of life with good battery life - a good tradeoff. You might want to use a Cree XP-G which is the most efficient LED around and has a low Vf, so your AMC7135 will stay in regulation for as long as possible.

 

[TorchBoy]

Re: Maglite mod

Bin = box, tray, cubby hole, whatever. Bin happens to be the word used. It signifies a particular range of brightness, as noted by the M just before it. N bin is brighter/more efficient, K bin less so.

Cree XP-Gs are available from some CPF members or from Cutter Electronics. Click on "XPG on MCPCB" for options like 3, 4, or 7 XP-Gs on a single board. (Optics also available.)

What current do you want to drive your LED/s at? The higher the current the more heatsinking you'll need. What batteries will you be using?

 

[abew330]

Re: Maglite mod

sooo F bin is not as bright as P bin? C bin less bright than M bin?

i dont plan on using D cells. to bulky/ heavy.

maybe nimh C cells 2 or 3

or if i can find right size battery holder for AA

unless i can find good deal on li ion 18650 +charger

 

[TorchBoy]

Re: Maglite mod

When you compare C bin to M bin you're probably comparing Seoul P7 to Cree MC-E. They're different scales.

There's someone on CPF who manufactures high quality AA-to-D adapters. That would give you the weight you want to avoid, but lots of volts to play with (with 6 or 9 AA cells) - good for buck drivers.

 

[abew330]

Re: Maglite mod

i was comparing C to M bin as an example, didnt know there different bins between P7 and MC-E