Designing a new mag-switch/tower.. pics inside...

[mdocod]

Check this out:

A 1/4" rod runs down a hole to the head of the switch, by placing the switch on the back side of the body, it makes room for a socket drive set screw next to the rod, with a cone head on the set screw, and a pair of 1/4" rods on either side, when you tighten down the set screw, it forces rods out either side to seat the switch assembly into position, in a few days I'll have some bi-pin sockets in and I can figure out a way to mount it up on top.

You might notice a PAIR of contacts on the bottom of the switch, the plan is to make a 4 abreast adapter, by designing the switch to have both contacts at it's base, the 4 abreast adapter can be made substantially simpler, no provisions required for returning the electrical path to the opposite end of the adapter, which also means lower resistance

The switch is seated in the back and held in place by a pair of set screws, it holds very firm, I've tried "smashing" down the rods that acts as the switch to see if it would break free, it holds solid, good stuff!,

is this cool or what?!

Eric

Many thanks to LuxLuther for pointing out this switch in this thread:
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=191627

I think it will work great for 2D mods... I have a few bulbs in mind already

 

[Manzerick]

WOW!!!


Nice work!!

 

[Mr Happy]

Check this out: ...

Hey, you're shadowing me

I've been thinking up a design for a replacement Mag switch/bulb tower for a little while now, even considering exactly the same switch.

I have a different construction method in mind and nothing built yet, but I shall now be watching your developments with interest.

I also have been thinking along the 4AA-D lines with both positive and negative contacts at the top. This seemed like a good plan as soon as I saw that four Eneloops would fit in a Mag body without boring.

 

[mdocod]

In my experience, we are always all shadowing each-other, I often see ideas I thought of months or years previous materializing. It's great, means we have a lot of good thinkers with a lot of common goals.

I have 2 main goals in mind right now:
1. A 2K bulb Lumen 2D mag-mod that can be done for under $120 (probably less)
2. 28AA cells in a 6D pushing ~360W into a 64657, should be around 20K bulb lumens.

 

[Raoul_Duke]

In my experience, we are always all shadowing each-other, I often see ideas I thought of months or years previous materializing. It's great, means we have a lot of good thinkers with a lot of common goals.

I have 2 main goals in mind right now:
1. A 2K bulb Lumen 2D mag-mod that can be done for under $120 (probably less)
2. 28AA cells in a 6D pushing ~360W into a 64657, should be around 20K bulb lumens.

Switch looks Cool, Baffled on the 2 set screws, but fitting a judco into a D mag switch housing is a pain.

1. Cool

2. I think the 64657 is to hot, currently running like this, http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showpost.php?p=2398293&postcount=43
and its a real hot lamp, probably to hot. We need to develop a way of not melting reflectors; I have seen two reports of this lamp melting quality reflectors, and even reports of the 64458 melting quality mirrors, which rules out other lamps like the 64633 if you look at luxs temp measurements, although not in my experience yet with 458 623 or 633,

but my runtimes on the 250W are in the 10 second blast range at the minute. :devil:

 

[mdocod]

Yea I was thinking as a toy, you would never turn the thing on for more than a few seconds at a time, enough to scorch the lawn real quick, then back off, then put out any fires, etc etc...

 

[VidPro]

MdoCod, which day will it be when you realise that the only thing you are using the mag for is a "metal tube" everything else you made from scratch .

 

[mdocod]

hmmmmm.... interesting point... I need a lathe Make my own darned metal tubes

 

[LuxLuthor]

For some reason, I'm not grasping what you did here. Maybe if you have the time/interest a couple shots of it not all put together?

As far as fitting a Judco in a stock Mag, I actually thought it was easy to Dremel out the blue plastic and use some 3M Mastic #2229 to hold switch in place. Only challenging part is a new set screw tap to ground KIU to body.

 

[mdocod]

There-in lies the problem, when you hold the judco switch in front of the maglites switch hole, you begin to realize that there is very limited space around the switch body to accommodate a set screw that would actually be accessible, so you either have to move the switch head off center, or go about it differently. In an effort to keep head of the switch centered in the hole, I decided to eliminate the idea of trying to get a set screw protruding through the back, besides, I don't like working with anything smaller than a #6 if I don't have to, with this design, the set screw responsible for forcing rods out the side to mount the assembly is a larger #10, so you don't have to worry about stripping out out the head or the threads, I like to go to town on it and really crank things down.

The rest of the parts I need to finish the working prototype should be arriving here later today, I'll try to get some more detailed pictures up later tonight or this weekend sometime

 

[Ottawa411]

Since I am so incompetent, I like having someone else do the hard work for me. I hope you get this all worked out. It looks like something I would love to try out once it is for sale.

 

[kosPap]

mdocod, it is just humour, but shouldn't we call you "the Delrin Man"?

 

[mdocod]

It's by far become my favorite plastic, I think it holds threads stronger than aluminum

On another note: I built up a 16AA>4D adapter to go with this switch yesterday, and now suddenly I can't get 4 eneloops to go into a mag to save my life, I very snugly got some to fit the other day, now, nothing, I'm going to buy a hone here soon... The switch and the pack do work together just fine, I got some bi-pin sockets yesterday and tried it out holding the switch on top of the pack.

 

[mdocod]

Got a hone and made room for my custom 16AA>4D pack, just driving a simple 20W philips 12V MR-16 at the moment for testing purposes, this thing is rocking! I'm excited!

 

[Raoul_Duke]

These Do look interesting to me... What switch are you using, the taller judco, or the shorter in Lux's thread??

Can these cut down the length of the original mag switch housing for slightly longer packs, and lower down mounted Kiu sockets, for higher fillament height lamps?

 

[Raoul_Duke]

Also, another good thing to build in would be terminals ( under the rubber switch boot) to measure V under load !! But would have to think about protection from a short.

 

[mdocod]

Raoul_Duke
I'm using the short version, the design might work with either version with minor changes, but the smaller the better, makes it easier

That's a neat idea about the testing terminals, I'll be thinking about it.

 

[flex76italy]

I get back to resume this old thread...have you abandoned this project?