Could use a hand with unkown Cyclops model...

[chance91]

Hey all,

I've been hanging out here unregistered for a few years now.. Never really had an issue I couldn't find on here. Till now I guess.

I've got a pair of cyclops flashlights from my stay in the military that have traveled all over with me, and it seems I've lost a lot of stuff that goes with them. I'm down to just 1 battery pack and can't find the charger either. These were pretty nice little units when I used to use them, of course I understand the consensus here seems to be that cylcops is sort of a sub par competitor compared to the normal units suggested here, but hey, they have sentimental value! I have probably gone over 20,000 miles with these boys, so I'd like to hang on to them.

The bulbs are, of course, incandescent, and the whole thing is aluminum construction, double rubber seals at both ends, and all in all pretty decent construction. They use a stack of 4 panasonic 2000 Ni-mh batteries which I cant seem to find replacements for either. I understand that they've been supplanted by 4x 2200 batteries by now?

Here's some pics. Also, a cheapie eveready flashlight I bored out for photo batteries, and running a surefire bulb. My sister was using it and left it on for abut an hour or better, and it melted itself :-D

~nick

 

[mdocod]

Hi Nick,

Welcome to CPF!


I'm guessing that maybe they are Sub-C size cells, which are available in a wide variety of capacity but are not sold in normal everyday store fronts. Are they ~22mm x 43mm roughly?

Eric

 

[lctorana]

Looking at the proportions, they look more like 4/5 Sub-C.

A 4x stick of those would be ~138mm long overall.

 

[fivemega]

4 end to end soldered 4/5 Sub C will be perfect replacement.

 

[chance91]

4 end to end soldered 4/5 Sub C will be perfect replacement.

Cool, I spose there is a writeup of how to do that on this forum somewhere. I'm not sure my soldering skills are good enough to put batteries together... I am used to just larger wiring jobs, not really something that ... different. I assume you solder them all the way around the circumference.

This is actually what I have, it took me a while to find, but I just happened across it today. I had a charger like that, but it could hold 4 of the 4xSubc battery packs at once. Its apparently a xenon bulb, so, i'm familiar with car bulbs but this made no sense to me, the bulb looks, well, normal. So, its just a standard inca. bulb with xenon gas instead of your normal halogen mix of gases? huh.

So, what do you guys suggest I do, then? Maybe try and locate an OE charger or ? I'll get pictures up later, its a really nice unit underneath the packaging. Heavy, solid reflector, with well done threaded bulb holder with a nice thumbscrew to hold the bulb in, heavy duty spring, and good body. All in all, its a bit overkill for a flashlight, pretty nice output as well, but I haven't used them in maybe a year now.

~Nick

 

[chance91]

Or, maybe there is even a way I can adapt a common charger or build one of my own out of a phone charger, come to think of it. That would be itneresting. I've got dozens of chargers for cell phones, and they are pretty much what I need, no? Aside from the proper amp/volt ratings... which I'm sure I could work out, it is a ac to dc adapter/charger, so in theory...it should work. And the power rating is pretty close I think, one of my phones had a 2200 battery.

Also, this must be a huge forum, don't see this much security too often. My posts will be pretty delayed due to needing moderator approval every time. Sorry for the two in a row.

 

[mdocod]

Hi Nick,

Just click on the link provided by FiveMega. That place does custom packs for you. You just tell them the size of the cells, the type of cells, and what configuration you want, then just trade some rectangular dollars for cylindrical battery sticks. (They can do the soldering and shrink-wrapping for you)

For the charger, if I had to take a guess, the original charger was probably just a very low power wall-wort style AC-DC transformer. So it probably just trickle charged the pack whenever it was plugged in.

You could do this and it would work fine for awhile. But you should use a ~6V 150-200mA transformer if you want to do this, and charge time will be 16 hours or more. In my experience, most wall wort transformers will deliver more than their label voltage rating as the load drops so even a 5V transformer might do the trick, but you need something that can approach ~6V for a 4 cell pack. A cell phone charger may or may not work, you would have to check the open circuit voltage but as I recall most of them are 5V switched supplies, which wouldn't be enough voltage to top up the cells.

Best thing would be to find the right little plug adapter, and wire it on to the end of a true 4 cell pack charger, or programmable hobby charger.

Eric

 

[chance91]

Ok, now I get it more so. Thank you much. I'll check that out and see what I can do.

This is the link I had forgotten before, its what I've got.
http://www.sierratradingpost.com/p/...non-Professional-Flashlight-Rechargeable.html

I'm going to jump on this project after I finish up my bicycle...needs new deraileurs.

 

[mdocod]

Do you still have the cradle for the pack?

If not, you could probably use use magnets or something.

Eric

 

[bouncer]

your cyclops model appears to be a Cyclops xrf

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001QCXTAE/?tag=cpf0b6-20

google will find results now that you know what model it is Good luck

 

[fivemega]

Another interesting mod will be:
Using 7.2 volt bulb and 2x18650 instead of original battery stick.
Battery length will be same but needs some spacer to keep center and avoid rattling.
In this case batteries must be recharged in proper Li-ion charger.

 

[syncytial]

Although the OP hasn't been here for a while...

www.cyclopssolutions.com is the company website - try contacting them.

A local battery supplier/rebuilder, or one of the on-line ones, could easily supply replacement battery packs. You should be able to get a simple charger from the same source - it'd be nothing fancy, but it would work.

Smart chargers for 4x NiMh cells are available, but pricier.

Once the batteries have been replaced, the bulb will fail... :ironic:

Then the fun begins! Mod time!