dim maxflex with stock mag switch?

[VegasF6]

A thousand pardons, I am sure this has been addressed, but I can't find it. I am attempting a mag build with a maxflex driver. I chose it over the shark because I was told I could get dimming capability and keep the stock appearance. With the shark I would need an external pot (remora aside)

With the maxflex I am a little confused. If I wire from the mag switch to VIN+ and ground, and my emitters to LED+ and ground, I would still need another momentary switch wired to SW and ground. In addition to that there is the stat led, but that isn't a problem.

I was really hoping to do it all with the mag switch, and not have a second switch.

So, I started thinking about how are people doing this? I realized that perhaps they are running a constant hot to maxflex and using the mag switch as the momentary. Is this correct? I found this post on how to mod the switch to momentary, but I am not clear if it is the answer I need.
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showpost.php?p=1822760&postcount=6
Also this one:
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=90912

There is more information on doing this with a D switch than a C, but hopefully both are possible.

So, I mod the C switch to momentary and wire that to SW and ground, and where exactly do I get the power for VIN+ and do I still need another ground? Couldn't I just have one ground wire and the momentary Mag switch only cuts the +SW lead?

Thanks for your time.

 

[kenster]

Battery to VIN+ and GND.
LED`s to LED+ and GND.
Switch to SW and GND.

The switch has to be made into a normally open momentary switch. The MaxFlex does draw some current when it is in sleep mode but it is an extremely tiny amount.

 

[Tidra]

If you mod your switch, than you know how must be done inside of the switch,...

With momentary mod switch this way, you already make momentary (-) required for MaxFlex SW on/off/dimming/programming function.

Personally I chose this option with only 3 wires out of the switch to MaxFlex because it is easier, MaxFlex has only 2 holes for GND (-), one for Battery (-) and one for LED (-).

This way you connect green wire to MaxFlex SW, red to Vin (+) and back to GND (-) and you have to connect your LED to LED (+) and GND (-)-

You get Batt (-) to the switch over the MagLite body.

Beware:
on mod Switch you can see green wire on to places, but it is not the same, on one side of switch it connect one part of the switch contact to GND (-) and on the other side it connect another contact of the switch and that give you a momentary (-) that you need for MaxFlex SW position.

 

[yellow]

I always thought that one can use the additional switch, OR just power the Flex on/off with one single switch and still be able to change levels or program it

(at least I hope that, have/had no time now to use the one I have here and that is planned with just the single switch operation)

 

[Sway]

For the C switch try this nicely written and well illustrated post by wquiles.

Later
Kelly

 

[VegasF6]

Sway, that is exactly what I was looking for. I already had seen your excellent post here:
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showpost.php?p=1822760&postcount=6
but it didn't quite answer all my questions. This additional post really did it, thanks!

P.S. I found link to your single post, but at first couldn't figure out how to read the entire thread, so I was reading it out of context and was slightly confused. I finally saw how to read the entire thread, and that helped also.