(con't from last post)
Making a Sandwich Shoppe Sandwich
Making Lux I RY0J MadMax Lite
(posted May 2005)
Difficulty: 2/4-3/4
MakeSSS000
The sandwich described in this section is a Madmax Lite RY0J sandwich. Regardless of what mod/light I do/buy, I always believe in a good balance between performance and runtime.
🙂 Meaning if I were to go bright, I expect shorten runtime but not disproportionately shorten and vice versa. MM lite RY0J is a fine example for this good balance, it stay regulated for 3+ hours but the regulated output remains fairly 'bright' and useful throughout. And the fact that it could be used for either 2AA and 1AA makes it more versatile and fun to have...
This subsection is my (self-contained) building notes for this sandwich, but before venturing into it,
I’d strongly suggest to visit some really fine written building notes here:
Kj's site 'Mini Maglite Mod w/Sandwich Module'
Beautifully written and pictures taken
KevinL's light refineries - BB500 + TV1K Sandwich
Innovative use of 'blue tack', very informative and well written
Ready? Here we go!
MakeSSS001
Here is a shot showing what are needed for making a Lux I RY0J MadMax Lite sandwich:
Right Column (all necessary):
-Thermal Conductive Adhesive (Arctic Alumina Adhesive Part A and Part B)
Used for fixing the Luxeon led on top of the emitter board and between emitter board and convertor board. You could create your own ‘thermal conductive’ adhesive, please refer Section 5 for more details
-1 Luxeon Led (Lux I RY0J)
For Madmax Lite which drives 350mA, the current provided is right on the spec of Lux I. Personally, I think a RxxJ should give an extra bit of brightness vs TxxJ.
Purely by mathematics, here is my calculation:
RY0J, R bin has 45.75 lumen, 350ma x 3.39v = 1.1865W
45.75/1.1865= 38.56 lumens/watt
RY0J at .350 w 3v = .350*3*38.56 = 40.4867 lumens
TY0J, T bin has 77.3 lumen, 750ma x 3.39v = 2.5425W
77.3/2.5425 = 30.40 lumens/watt
TY0J at .350ma w 3v = .350*3*30.40 = 31.92 lumens
Though the spec for each RY0J and TY0J might varies and the actual output (after lens, temperature changes and reflector deduction) would be different from the figures,
I do love the idea of this efficient setup which will give good brightness and decent runtime.
-Emitter Board and Connectors
-Converter Board (MadMax Lite)
The Soul of a Sandwich. For now, besides BBNG, this is ought to be one of my favorite boards from Shoppe. IIRC, it drains the battery to as low as 0.8v (which might not be good for Nimh batteries, but great for Alkaline).
Also, if you take a look at Wayne’s ‘AA Sandwich Comparison Chart’, MM lite 1w P-bin gives around 25 lumens (using a RxxJ bin here should be brighter) whereas BB400 gives around 30 lumens (around 20% increment), but then the runtime is 100% longer (I test run it with 2AAs and it will stay regulated for 3 hours or more)… not to mention it works really well with 1AA Miniminimag as well, making it one of the most versatile board on site.
-Choice of optical ware (NOT shown)
You could purchase various kind of optical ware or even mod the stock reflector yourself (see later section); but for an easy way out, simply purchase a 17 IMS reflector or Fraen LP (which takes minute or two to install).
Left Column (extras or simple assisting tools):
-A self made fixture for keeping the emitter board and converter board separated by a correct height
-Extra 2 sets of Emitter board and Connectors, in case of messing up and they are great tools to help the soldering of connectors onto the board.
MakeSSS002
Emitter board face up.
A closer look to the Emitter board, notice on the left side there were 3 holes in a row, and the last one has bridge-like connection to the board surface-that is the negative(Cathode) side which will lead to –ve of the Lux. The other 3 holes in a row, on the right, does not have any connection to the board surface (looks like an 'island'); that’s the positive (Anode) side. Do NOT get confused which side is which. :nana:
MakeSSS003
Put the Emitter face down...
Insert the SHORTER end of the two connectors’ leads into the same sized holes on each side (observe MakeSSS006 for which holes). Then stack on another two emitter boards, via the same holes, onto the connectors’ black joints. Reverse the whole thing upside down, and now you should have a pseudo sandwich, with the shinny board surface facing up, and two SHORTER ends of the connectors protruding from two same sized holes on each side (as shown above)
Use a vise to grip onto the very bottom spare emitter board. Make sure it is as level as it can be, and the boards are as straight in stack as possible…and then proceed to soldering the two connectors’ leads onto the board surface on top.
Trick: to get only a small amount on the tip of the soldering iron, you could cut out just a tiny bit of solder and ‘pick’ it up by the tip of the iron.
Caution: Be absolutely Careful when soldering the positive side of the leads onto the hollow metal rings of the holes. See MakeSSS002 again, the positive side of the holes are in an ‘island’ of itself. Do NOT let any soldering flow from this ‘island’ to the board(also see MakeSSS015, the left side is the positive side of the leads). As for the negative side, it is meant to be connected, so don’t worry too much about it if the solder does get onto the board a bit.
MakeSSS004
After the soldering, check with a DMM to see whether positive leads are isolated from the board/negative leads. Turn the DMM to connectivity mode (like shown in picture), and if it beeps, then it is likely you have a breach somewhere.
MakeSSS005
Reverse the Emitter board upside down, put on a tiny bit of solder on ALL the openings you see on the board. This is to prevent the epoxy/adhesive flowing out from the small holes later on. Two of the openings are sealed as shown in picture above.
MakeSSS006
Now go onto Wayne’s site
here to check out the wiring diagram for Madmax Lite, find out which two holes are positive and negative. Corresponding to the correct charge, stack the two boards together via the connectors; the flat side of the converter board should be facing ‘out’. Mark the positive sides of the Emitter board and converter board with colored marker for identification. (So you won’t soldering the wrong side together later) :green:
In the following, I would write out two different methods of mine soldering the two boards together at the right height.
🙂 The total height from the top surface of the emitter board to the bottom side of the converter board, as recommended from Wayne, should be 7.6mm (0.3 inches) (see MakeSSS012). The tolerance for error is about + or – 0.1mm(or more forgiving, + or – 0.01 inches). Personally, I think anywhere between 7.5-7.6 is actually ok; since the original switch assembly is 7.6mm in total height and you will need to account for the thickness of the solder blob on Vin.
Caution
: If you must err, then go shorter rather than going taller-the reason is because you could always solder a larger blob on the Vin of the Converter board (where it contacts the battery) to make up the short comings…but when the sandwich is too tall, then it might never be able to switch off (!) :hairpull:
Method 1: Using a fixture
MakeSSS007
Take some measures on the thickness of top and bottom board, and get subtract that from 7.6mm...which gives about 4+ mm for the thickness of the fixture. Find/make a piece of Balsa wood that has the same height described, drill a 10+ mm hole in the middle for the guts of the sandwich to fit in. And cut that wood in half right thru the middle of the hole. Now you could enclose the guts in that hole while the edges of the two boards resting on each side of the board to the correct height...
MakeSSS008
This picture shown the thickness of the future sandwich clamping onto the wood fixture. Please make sure when you soldering the leads to the backside of the convertor board, the boards were snuggly clamp against the fixture. And do NOT mix up the positives and negatives (double check the mark you made at the side).
Method 2: small ‘pillars’
MakeSSS009
With this method, you won’t need to go thru the trouble creating a fixture, all you need are some short lead/toothpick. Measure the thickness of top and bottom board, subtract that from 7.6mm...whatever left is the correct distance between two boards. Cut 2-4 sticks of lead/toothpick according to this distance.
MakeSSS010
You’d probably guessed it
🙂 , when you are holding onto the two boards for soldering; insert the short sticks (pillars) between the two boards as perpendicular as possible. Pinch the boards together with the flesh of your fingers while trying to keep all the sticks clamped between the boards. Should any of the pillar fall out, then you know the height of the sandwich had been compromised. Picture here shown one of the pillars between the two boards.
MakeSSS011
MakeSSS012
Finished soldering and measure the distance between the two boards. Remember, the correct height from top of top to bottom of bottom board is 7.6mm (0.3inches); any significant error (>0.01 inches) will be problematic…especially when it is way too tall, it might never be able to switch off. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif
Continue on...(how many times I have mentioned 7.6mm? Haha...)or get take a coffee break.
🙂
MakeSSS013
Filled the tiny openings at the bottom with solder. Same as MakeSSS005.
MakeSSS014
Now is a chance to check whether everything is in order; connect the luxeon led to the +ve and -ve leads on top of the board, then supply 3V 2AA voltage to the sandwich by apply the -ve to the top board, and +ve to Vin at bottom. Ouch...my eyes!
😎
For retrieving the Luxeon led from the ‘star’, please refer to section 6. Once retrieved, place the lux in the very center of the emitter board, and you could trim the two longer leads at the sides, until it touches the connecters’ leads at both sides (see next picture).
MakeSSS015
Mix a very tiny amount the Artic Alumina Adhesive part A to B(1:1), apply as thin a layer as possible to the bottom of the metal slug of the lux.
Double check the POLARITY of the lux, and stick the lux to the very middle of the board. Get a drink and allow it to rest for at least 15-20 minutes.
Note: Double check the trimmed led leads at both sides whether they are touching and in between the connecter’s leads. And make sure it is the correct polarity.
MakeSSS016
After the short break and the adhesive settled, solder the lux to the two leads protruding from the emitter board. Then again, use a DMM to check the connectivity between the positive solder joint vs negative solder joint of the lux (they should NOT be connected). If somehow the DMM beeps and it shown connectivity, check to see where is the breach at the positive connectors/’island’ (See ‘Caution’ at MakeSSS003)
MakeSSS017
Using the 3V 2AA power supply, check to see whether everything is working. See MakeSSS014 for more details. This is last chance to fix anything; once you put in the thermal epoxy between the two boards, it will be ultimately difficult to fix anything/take them apart again. Great job, you are almost done! :goodjob:
MakeSSS018
For extra pre-caution, I have used play dough/blue tack(?) to mount around the emitter to prevent the epoxy leaking to the emitter board later on when filling.
You could use electrical tape or any non-permanent easy-to-cleanup tape/tack as you see fit. You could also tape small strip of paper over the lux, just in case you somehow got epoxy smeared on the lux surface.(Doh!)
😛ullhair:
MakeSSS019
Gauge how much you will be needed to between the two boards, mix up the thermal epoxy for half of that quantity needed and start filling up the void in between with a toothpick (only half of the sandwich hollow). I do suggest using epoxy that has a settlement time of 5-10 minutes. Arctic Alumina Adhesive has the usual settling time of 5 minutes. When mixing, do NOT stir too quickly which will create tiny bubbles in the epoxy. Picture shown the sandwich being filled half way.(for more about AAA or thermal epoxy in general, please read section 6)
Allow the epoxy to somewhat settle at surface (for AAA, 5-10 minutes), then mix and fill the other half of the sandwich. Afterwards, do let it sit for a few hours to completely settle (or sleep on it, the middle part is dense and will take longer).
Be patient, and do NOT touch it with your fingers-or else you might leave your biometric identification on your sandwich.
🙂
MakeSSS020
MakeSSS022
After the long wait, place the Sammie into the tube with batteries to see whether it works. If it works fine already, then you could consider apply only a very, very thin layer of solder at Vin or just do without it.
If the sandwich did not get turn on, then you will need the solder blob to make up the height difference. Melt small amount of solder bolb at the Vin and refit it in to see whether it will lit up...keep soldering bit by bit and re-fitting. Always remember to keep your solder tip clean, do NOT over heat (Use a 3-4 count rules) and use flux.
MakeSSS023
Lastly, apply a thin layer of nail polish to any exposing solder points EXCEPT Vin. This is to prevent accidental shorting.
MakeSSS024
Yea!! Now go play!!
😀 The final product is a cool mod that would stay regulated for about 3 hours, and give out a fairly bright light output!
StockvsMMliteRY0J
Stock Minimag vs. MadMax lite RY0J
TLE5vsMMliteRY0J
Terralux TLE5 vs. MadMax lite RY0J
🙂 🙂 g) Lambda MiniPro Lux III DIY kit building notes 🙂 🙂
(posted May 2005)
Difficulty: 3/4
LambdaMP3kit000
MiniPro III is one of the latest Lambda creation for Minimag drop-in. Many CPFers would have known the really, really long waiting list for buying this module(dozens of pages of posts). This DIY kit is the MiniPro III is for modders who are capable of putting this together to have the benefit of owning one without getting into the long wait list line.
Personally, it truly is a great mod (at a very good price) and fun/challenging to put it together, the result is very satisfying too. The most challenging part is the small part soldering (SMD, <1mm?), and there is almost no room for error. And if you are experienced in soldering or want to challenge yourself, this is a great kit to try.
From the naked eyes and the light beam shot compared to other sandwiches, my educated guess is it should put more or less 500mA to the Luxeon. Continuously, it would regulate about 90+ mins, and for intermitted use, it will be more.
Lambda had already did an excellent job for writing a really
comprehensive guide for making this kit and the following is my
COMPLEMENTARY building notes basing on his great write up:
Let’s get it on!
🙂
LambdaMP3kit001
LambdaMP3kit002
My package came with three bags, containing the reflector/lens, a TW0J(you could order without one, I use a TY0H of mine instead of this ordered one), and the electronics/boards.
LambdaMP3kit003
As Lambda suggested, use a DMM to check the connectivity between all the regions(for ex, 1+2, 1+3, 1+4, 2+1, 2+3...). Make sure they are all separated.
Picture shown DMM turn to connectivity mode.
LambdaMP3kit004
The SMD parts are so small that it is necessary to use flux to allow the solder to flow better. Solder the legs at region 3 (ground) first, and make sure the other 4 legs at the opposite side ALIGN with the four little copper pads perfectly when you do so.
LambdaMP3kit005
As you see, I use a magnifying glass to look at the parts, and the clamps on the magnifying glass stand to hold it flat. Shining light under the board will tell you whether your soldered legs are well separated. :huh:
LambdaMP3kit006
I use a ‘reverse’ tweezers (when you let go, it clamp on) to hold the small parts in position. It also helps to cool down the parts in case of overheating.
LambdaMP3kit007
For the Input capacitor and the Coil(the black part), try dry fitting them around on board before soldering since you will also need to fit a wire between them later on.(See LambdaMP3kit014)
LambdaMP3kit008
Check again over a bright light, no misconnection. :sweat:
LambdaMP3kit009
The three wires soldered on…
LambdaMP3kit010
Fun time-let’s test out whether pill works…and it does!!
LambdaMP3kit011
Remember the insulation we stripped from the wires? Now we are going to reuse one of them, and trim it to the exact height of the metal heatsink. This is to prevent the wire from shorting to the heatsink.
LambdaMP3kit012
Apply a very thin layer of your thermal epoxy on the heatsink, then stick the two boards together. Remember Lambda’s caution about not to let any epoxy flow into the holes of wires and ground screw hole.
NOTE: You see, I had cut the positive wire insulation a little long, it works ok for me since I am extra caution about the shorting. But suggested length should just be the same height as the heatsink.
LambdaMP3kit013
LambdaMP3kit014
Tighten the gound screw, and rout the input wire around the inductor. But do NOT let it touch the board or other parts as it might short.
LambdaMP3kit015
With the bottom board together, I measure the top of heatsink (which will touch the negative contact of the tube) to the bottom of the bottom board to be 6.54mm. If you had previous sandwich building experience, you might know that the optimal height for sandwich is 7.6mm (resembling the same height as the original Minimag switch)
We are actually at a pretty perfect height at 6.51mm, since applying solder blob to the positive battery contact could make up for the height difference.
LambdaMP3kit016
Test the whole setup to make sure it still works…this is the last chance before you start potting the pill. It will be almost impossible to fix anything once potted. :nana:
(Make absolutely sure you had already TIGHTEN the ground screw, and apply a solder blob on the Vin at the bottom of the board)
LambdaMP3kit017
First mix and apply(with a toothpick) only a very small portion of the thermal epoxy (such as Arctic Alumina Adhesive) to the routed wire around the inductor. Let it sit for a 5-10 minutes (or how ever long it takes) to fix its position.
LambdaMP3kit018
Now mix and apply the thermal epoxy to the rest of the hollow area. Allow it to settle for at least 15 minutes (if you have time, longer the better, I’d say a few hours). Do NOT use finger to touch/test the epoxy, or else you might leave finger prints on…
As for now, you could retrieve the Luxeon from the star. Please refer to the Section 5 for detailed step to step guide for Luxeon removing.
LambdaMP3kit019
Use a clamping tool to flatten the leads at both sides of the led
Double check the
POLARITY of the Luxeon and the wires...
Now you are ready to glue the Luxeon onto the heatsink, apply a very, very thin layer at the slug and stick it to the very middle of the sink.
Check polarity again.
Rotate the lux such that the wires are touch the led leads. Allow plenty of time for the thermal epoxy to settle. :sleepy:
LambdaMP3kit020
Once lux is fixed, we
carefully bend the wires on top of the Lux leads at both sides and as close to the black casing as possible. Then we solder them together.
LambdaMP3kit021
Trim the excess of the Lux lead and wire…and you are DONE!!
Now that’s one mod that you could be proud of!! :goodjob:
LambdaMP3kit022
Install it into the Mag body, for more details about installing sandwich/pill; please read the ‘All about Sandwich Shoppe Sandwich’ section. If you have a hard time to turn off the light, then it is either your solder blob is too large at the Vin or the reflector is not pushing the pill down the tube properly...switch to 17 IMS and it should solve that problem.
GO play!!!
stockvsLambdaMPIIITY0H
Stock Minimag vs. Lambda MPIII TY0H
TLE5vsLambdaMPIIITY0H
Terralux TLE5 vs. Lambda MPIII TY0H
🙂 🙂 $6 8 Leds Minimag Mod 🙂 🙂
8 Leds Minimag Mod
(posted May 2005)
Difficulty: 2/4-3/4
MiniM8led00
Very much like it’s 5 led predecessor, the 8 led ‘light engine’ is retrieved from a Chinese made 8 leds 1 AA (or 2AA) light. I won’t bore you with the details of making how to retrieve the ‘light engine’ and making the ‘contact board’, since the process is exactly the same as detailed in 5 led mod. Please refer to the $5 5 leds mod for the detail step-by-step for the work.
🙂
For this writeup, I would simply show some pictures of how the parts fit together and additional work required for making this 8 led mod.
Personally, I prefer the look of the 5 led mod since the original Chinese light bezel will miraculously fit into the head like it were meant for it. But 8 led does give a marginally brighter output than the 5 led light. So check them all out, and see/choose what you like better for yourself
MiniM8led01
The light engine retrieved from the Chinese made 1AA 8 leds flashlight. When taking apart the front led holder/bezel, do take extra care of not leaving too much indentation on the metal since we might savage that part for use later.
MiniM8led02
Use a sharp knife to open the ‘light engine’ up, and you could de-solder the top led board and bottom converter board apart. Notice how the 8 leds from the top board will fit thru the Minimag bezel.
MiniM8led03
After some dry fitting, you might notice the 8 led version is on a larger size for the converter board to fit into the Minimag head assembly. So we will need some trimming done on the bottom converter board and switch the black plastic casing with a smaller plastic casing. On the converter board, trim it to a circle of size which does not cut into the actual circuit but small enough to fit thru the head.
(
Note : I use the new black plastic ‘casing’ to help draw that circle which will fit. See MiniM8led05
MiniM8led04
With the right diameter, the board will securely rest on a latch inside the Minimag head assembly.
MiniM8led05
This is an interesting fact-if you have also modded a Mag D flashlight, you might have cut off/safe a the black pedestal. That black pedestal will actually fit into a Minimag head and a perfect replacement for the original blacking plastic casing of the light engine.
😗
MiniM8led06
What a coincidence!
😱
MiniM8led07
In terms of the new casing height, I simply cut it so that the new black casing will be flush with the top of the bottom half Minimag head assembly. If you are uncertain, just trim/cut and fit until it works for you.
MiniM8led08
MiniM8led09
Solder everything back together. MiniM8led09 shown how the new modded light engine compared to the original light engine. Notice both the converter board is smaller in diameter, and the new black casing is taller while slimmer in diameter.
MiniM8led10
Now is the time to put everything into the head
MiniM8led11
Since the leds are exposed out of the bezel, one could reverse the original Chinese light bezel and place it in front for protection and cool factor.
😎
MiniM8led12
Viola! A underexposed shot from the business end...
😎
Stockvs8led
Stock Minimag vs. 8 led Minimag mod, 2 ft from the wall
TLE5vs8led
Terralux TLE5 vs. 8 led Minimag mod, 3 ft from ceiling
5ledvs8led
5 led Minimag mod vs. 8 led Minimag mod, 2 ft from the wall
Notice: the 8 led mod is marginally brighter than the 5 led version, and has a little more intensity of light at the middle.
5ledvs8led1ft
5 led Minimag mod vs. 8 led Minimag mod, 1 ft from the wall
5led26kvs8led
26k 5 led Minimag mod vs. 8 led Minimag mod, 2 ft from the wall
The amazing power of the 26k led...the 26k 5 led does outshine the 8 led mod by a bit. :rock:
5led26kvs8led1ft
26k 5 led Minimag mod vs. 8 led Minimag mod, 1 ft from the wall
I make a poo-poo
😛 when I was taking the picture, anyway, you could see the 26k led is whiter in color and has a larger hotspot.
8 UV led Minimag mod
Never shine the UV directly into eyes, or use it too upclosed or for any long duration!! And do
NOT leave this light in the hands of kids!!!
8UVledMMmod1
Basically, the very same idea of making the 8 led mod, but the UV leds are swapped in.
8UVledMMmod2
Shinning the UV light on a E2D lux modded head...
8UVledMMmod3
The UV will make any translucent material glow in the dark...absolutely fun to play with.
🙂 🙂 i)
Streamlight TT 1x123 Xenon bulb in Minimag mod (Jun 05)
🙂 🙂
Inspired by AW, a fellow HK flashaholic, I got this idea one day to replace the stock Minimag bulb with the Streamlight Twintask 1 Lithium Cell Xenon bulb. The mod process is very straight forward and the result is quite satisfying.
SLTT1Cmod01
This is how the replacement package of the Streamlight TwinTask 1 Lithium Cell Xenon bulb will look like.
SLTT1Cmod02
Left is the SLTT Xenon bulb (4mm width), Right is the original stock Minimag bulb (3.11mm)
SLTT1Cmod03
This is the only part that you will need to mod in order for this SLTT bulb to work in Minimag-drilling a bigger hole (~4.5mm) to let the new bulb fit thru. Left is back of the enlarged-hole reflector for the new Xenon bulb, right is the original stock.
SLTT1Cmod04
Left the SLTT 1 cell Xenon bulb in enlarged reflector, Right the original stock bulb in stock reflector
StockvsSLTTmod
Stock Minimag vs. Streamlight TwinTask 1 cell bulb mod, 2 ft from wall; 1/125, F2.8
TLE5vsSLTTmod
Terralux TLE5 vs. Streamlight TwinTask 1 cell bulb mod, 3ft to ceiling; 1/160, F2.8
🙂 🙂 J) DownBoy 750 Lux V VXOS Sammie 🙂 🙂
(posted Nov, 05)
Difficulty: 2/4-3/4
MMDB750LuxV00
For the longest time, I wanted a 5W Minimag which will yield a wall of light when lit. And thank you to the resourcefulness of fellow CPFers, this mod is no longer a 'want' but actually a fun modding (and playing) experience.
In this mod, we will be using 2 protected Li-ion AAs to power a Downboy 750 sammie with a VX0S lux V on top. The process is very similar to ‘Making Sandwich Shoppe Sandwich’ but I have added in an extra ‘tab’ of copper and a metal reflector to manage the heat better. The result is a satisfying ‘wall of light’ effect, and the heat is somewhat marginally manageable. However, there will be a little donut hole in the middle of the beam, but it is not too noticeable if you use it in real life.
If you are shooting for an all-out Lux V Minimag mod, then this mod could be quite suitable for that cause. And if you are looking for a more ‘solid’ tool to use, then I would suggest to use a DB500 board since 500ma will probably yield much less heat and the output will still be very useful nonetheless(see later in the section). The mod had been built for a few months(back in Aug 05), and while I had been using it from time to time, everything seems to be quite ok so far.
Ok, without further ado, here we go:
MMDB750LuxV01
MMDB750LuxV02
This is the copper ‘tab’ heatsink I put on top of the DB Sammie. The reason is to give extra material to rid the heat of the Sammie. Together with the metal reflector(McR20), they will be pivotal to the heat management.
The width I use for the tab is 9.40mm(in diameter), and it is 2.70mm thick. And before making one, I would strong recommend you to check out the width tolerance on the Sammie contact board, between the positive and negative holes. Your tab should not completely cover those two holes, orelse it will not be possible to connect the lux +/- to the board Led+ or Led- later on. And as for the height, if the tab is too long, then the bezel head assembly of the Minimag might not have many threads left to allow it to screw all the way down onto the body.
MMDB750LuxV03
The modded emitter contact board on the right
Since we will not be using the contact board in a traditional way, you could actually drill a hole via the original holes to enlarge it for the wires going thru. But be careful it is not too wide apart(just drill over the original holes will be a good distance apart) or else the wire will run into the lip of the body tube of Minimag.
Another suggestion for the more skilled modder(or modder with the resources) is to use a copper contact plate instead of this emitter contact board to improve the heatsinking.
MMDB750LuxV04
MMDB750LuxV05
This is how the copper tab looks on top of the Sammie emitter board. Notice I have made trenches at where the wires holes will go thru, to facilitate the wires to go to the lux later on.
MMDB750LuxV06
Soldering the Led+ and Led- wires onto the back of the board.
MMDB750LuxV07
MMDB750LuxV08
After soldering the Led+, Led- and Ground wires, bent them such way that it will go thru to the emitter board with ease. Note the Led- and Ground wires are close to each other at the same side. Afterwards, test the whole setup with the 2 protected Li-ion AAs and it works! :naughty:
MMDB750LuxV11
Keep the Led + and Led – wires straight, but do strip the Ground wire bare as it ‘exit’ the board. We will solder this bare wire later onto the top of the emitter board.
MMDB750LuxV12
The positive and negative wires go thru the emitter board enlarged holes. And the Ground wire is soldered onto the board surface as flat as possible. So it will not affect the turn on-off or operation of the light.
MMDB750LuxV13
We then epoxied the emitter board onto the DB Sammie. The beauty of this mod is that we don't have to keep a certain height between the two boards using a jig or anything. Just place a little bit of epoxy(Arctic Alumina Adhesive) over the conductor and press the emitter board onto the top of the conductor, and do make sure they are in a straight line so it will slide into the body tube of Minimag alright. At the end, fill the void between the top and bottom board with epoxy to allow better heat conductivity.
MMDB750LuxV14
After epoxying the copper tab onto the emitter board, soldering the Led+ and Led- wires to the lux on top of the copper tab. It is quite important that one measured carefully as where the center of the tab is and try to epoxy the lux as middle as possible. Featured in the picture is the sandwich jig made by PhotonFanatic.
MMDB750LuxV15
This is how it looks from the negative Led wire at the side. Notice I had filed one side of the copper tab at the edge to accommodate the Ground line solder blob on the emitter board.
MMDB750LuxV16
Put some solder at the positive battery contact. I found my protected Li-ion AAs are little longer than normal AAs, so I didn’t put in too much solder blob at the contact plate to make the whole Sammie thicker than necessary.
MMDB750LuxV18
The finished product! Hope you could follow the guide alright, and you have fun modding too! :thumbsup:
MMDB750LuxV19
With the modded McR20, it looks to utilize the whole reflector quite well!
stockvsDB750LuxV2ft.JPG
Stock Minimag vs LuxV DB750 VX0S, 2ft from the wall
TLE5vsDB750LuxV3ft.JPG
TLE5 vs LuxV DB750 VX0S, 3ft from ceiling
BBNG500TY0H12ft
DB750LuxV12ft
DB750 LuxV VX0S, 12 ft away. Though BBNG500 Lux III is one of my favorite sammies, the LuxV Sammie does give out a tremendous amount of light at the same distance. Notice how the side of the corridor is lit up.
As many of you have already know, due to their construction, Lux III will give a more intense output at the spot(a little more throw than lux V given the same level of current and optics used) but Lux V will give more output of light. In short, they are different animals, so choose your's accordingly.
🙂
🙂 🙂 K) Minimag Hotwire Incan TL3/Strion Mod 🙂 🙂
(posted Nov, 05)
Difficulty: 2/4-3/4
The Story
Basically, it was a mod first developed by our fellow CPF member Aw. And eventually, it turned into a GB that was hosted by me. In short summary, this mod turns an ordinary Minimag(peak lumens of 15 lumens) to a 120+ lumens light 'Hotwired' Minimag, utilizing a handmade(or now mass produced) ceremic based Minimag socket, higher powered bulb(such as TL3 or Strion bulb) and custom made metal reflector.
Without sounding more and more like a self-ad, I will simply copy and paste some excript from what I have written for this Minimag Hotwire Kit.
🙂
Original homemade ceremic based socket was a decent mod(though it is rather primitive and hardly as durable and eye pleasing as the mass produced one). (1st two pictures courtesy of Aw)
The following is the finished mass produced version of the mod(as of Nov 05, currently on GB, getting ready for 2nd run):
Minimag Hotwire Incan Ceremic socket, top side. This ceremic socket is made such way that it will slide into the body tube with decent clearance of the threads.
This particular socket has survived dozens of drop test from above 6 feet directly onto marble floor, throwing as hard as I could upon a marble floor couple of times, at least 5 runtime tests from a full set of batteries until it could no longer lit and numerous twist on-off to see how well it fair. The set of picture depicts how it looks afterwards (I cleaned up the socket a little bit since there are some 'grease' from the lip of the Minimag).
The backside of the socket
After evaluating different alternative of bulb holder, I have decided it is probably in our best interest to adopt the original Minimag bulb holders. The two pieces are epoxied onto the socket from the top and bottom side seperately. And after multiple runtime tests, they seemed to be able to hold their places quite well.
The socket in a Minimag body tube without the bulb.
The bulb in the holder with the TL3 Minimag Hotwire reflector on top. All the reflectors made in this run will retain its turn on-off function, and incan reflectors should be able to withstand the heat of the bulb.
Another picture, this time the metal reflector inside the Minimag head bezel.
Videos
The first three video show how the beamshot of SF P61, SF P60 and Minimag Hotwire Incan TL3 mod will look like in motion and real life. The P61 and P60 uses the same set of battery, and they measured ~2.95v each when finished shooting. The Minimag Hotwire Incan uses ~4.2v li-ion protected AAs.
One thing I like to point out is my interpretations of these three videos--The first P61 video shown what a 120(+) lumens light will look like, and as you compared it side by side to the Hotwire TL3, you might noticed the beamshot is a little yellow on the TL3 mod. Personally, I think it might have to do with my digital camera setting and it had excessively colored the latter yellow while bring out too much white for the P61, the contrast is less in real life.
When comparing the MMHI to the P61, the hotspot seems to be less intensed since it is using a smaller and shallower reflector afterall, but the total output is definitely comparable. And when comparing the MMHI to P60, you will see the MMHI does yield a much higher level of light, especially in the sidespill.
Note: Highspeed connection recommended, some files are large in size (~1mb)
SF G2Z with P61 2x123 3V panasonic pictures
SF G2 with P60
Minimag Hotwire Incan TL3 mod with 2 x Li-ion protected AAs
MMHI TL3 in candlemode. This is one of the best part about Minimag, is that it could allow defocusing and candlemode. The light does flood up the whole are quite decently as you can see.
MMHI TL3 building throw test.
To test how far it will lit up, I stand on a 18th floor balcany of a building at night, and try to 'throw' the beam down the side of the buidling as far as I can. I think the bottom of the 'building' is actually a rooftop of another building, so technically, it is probably a 14 storey building test.
🙂 🙂 Downboy 500 Lux V VXOS Sammie 🙂 🙂
(posted Mar, 06)
Difficulty: 2/4-3/4
DB500VX0S03
Comparison: DB500 luxV sammie on the left, RY0J MM lite sammie on the right
If you had been following this DRG, then you will know that this is a remake of the same Lux V Sammie as mentioned earlier. Except, this time I make it with a DB500 which emits less heat and has a longer runtime(of course, the output diminish as well).
After using/playing it with a while, I do think this is a more appropriate level of light for urban EDC purposes, especially if you do not need a lot of throw but good all around illumination.
As compared to the Lux V DB750, you will notice the Lux V DB500 has an obvious drop of light level, though the level of light is still way plenty for day to day EDC close/mid range purpose. Now, the DB750 and DB500 are the two sammies that I have made with almost identical settings, lux, board(except current forward) and batteries—and there is the possibility that a luxeon lottery is at play here. But one thing for sure, when compared to its analogy of difference in light output of my lux III BBNG 750 vs lux III BBNG 500 mods, the difference of light output level is more pronounced in the lux V case, quite possibly just about 30-40%(as compared a 10% visual drop for the BBNG750 vs BBNG500).
To conserve internet space (in another words, being lazy…), I will show you only the more critical pictures of this mod, and for the details of the mod, please kindly refer back to the DB 750 article.
DB500VX0S02
Here, we can see that for this mod, I had omitted the copper tab-sink on purpose. Turns out the heat is not as much as an issue, and without the tab, we could be using the grinded McR20 with ease and without worrying there are not enough threads left to secure the head bezel(due to the tallness of McR20 and the added height of copper tab-sink). Basically, everything else is exactly the same.
DB500VX0S01
Now, if we take a closer look at the two contacts of the lux. Unlike how we will do it with other board, you will notice we will use the wires to connect between the board and the lux, since the ground(-ve) contact to the board is not the same as the lux –ve contact, it is connected to another wire directly to the board.
BeamshotDB750vsDB500
This shown the two lux V VX0S DB750 and DB500 mods side by side, notice the DB500 is dimmer than the DB750.
BeamshotLuxVVX0SDB500vsLuxIIITY0HBBNG500
When compared to a lux III light, obviously the lux V does not have an intense spot as the lux III, because it has a larger pad than lux III. However, if you look at the overall output level of light, Lux V does do better than the Lux III.
BeamshotLuxVVX0SDB500vsNewbeam
The camera must have done some tricks to this picture, but the DB500 lux V sammie definitely blows the TLE5 out of the water... :touche:
BeamshotLuxVVX0SDB500vsStock
🙂 🙂 SMJ 5mm led mod 🙂 🙂
(posted Mar 06)
Difficulty ¼-2/4 (for the drop-in)
SMJcloseupConfig4McR20
What? What? What? :huh: As the led tech advance faster than I can say 'dope!', output of many newly marketed 5mm leds has constantly put me in awe...
The Super MJ 5mm led were introduced by Lambda/MJ early in 2006. Basically this mod is about using a higher powered 5mm led in place of a stock Minimag bulb along with a modded reflector(or any drop-in luxeon reflector that for Minimag).
If you have experienced the MJ leds in the past, and were impressed by what a single 5mm led can do, then you are definitely onto a real treat with the new SMJ.
Personally, the new SMJ seems to have increased in brightness almost 50% to my naked eyes, and the tint color is much cooler than it used to be(which the original MJ could be bright, but might be just a slightly bit too warm/yellow if you have 'cooler/blue-ish' taste). Definitely a hands-down winner on runtime (which according to Lambda, it takes 35 hours until it reaches 50% with 2 L91 li-ion 1.5v batteries.
😗 ) while giving decently bright output(for a single 5mm).
The installation of this little wonder could be found on our fellow CPF member Lambda’s homepage, and in short, one will need to trimmed down 5mm legs to just about the same as the stock bulb, then slowly insert those legs into the lamp socket assembly.
NOTE: if you were planning to use this SMJ with any McR series or luxeon based reflector, I do suggest to keep the legs a bit shorter than the suggested length on Lambda’s page(since the focal point of those reflectors are usually at the very bottom of the reflector and having long legs might mean you will have to unscrew the bezel much further to get the 5mm in focus) See the picture at the very top of this essay, and that is how short I cut the legs of my SMJ used with a McR20.
Be extra careful not to bend those legs, or else it will be really hard to get it focused well again.
As for the reflector, the ‘kit’ will probably come with a modded parabolic reflector which serves it’s purpose well. But one could use any other modded reflector for luxeon or luxeon-based drop-in reflector to achieve a better performance(such as McR18, MDR, etc)
The following pictures will probably tell the story better than my words:
StockvsSMJmcr20
TLE5vsSMJmcr20
The true value of the SMJ led really shows here--a single 5mm led which has a really, really long runtime might not be a direct comparison to the side-emitter of TLE5, but sure as hell it did an excellent job...
MJvsSMJ
The old MJ led on the left, and SMJ on the right. The new SMJ is giving more output while whiter in tint.
🙂 🙂 DJPark’s POP Sammie 🙂 🙂
(posted Mar 06)
Difficulty 1/4 (for the drop-in)
DJsammie02
This is one Sammie that I have long wanted to write about, and this review is truly long overdued. IIRC, this whole new generation of Sammie of Djpark/Cgpeanuts’ all started as a CPF contest entry for an AAA light, and eventually develop into a whole new generation of multi-function small sized flashlight. :goodjob:
This particular board in the Sammie is similar to‘buck’ circuit, and so as long the Vin is larger than Vf, the Sammie will work. And mostly it is catered to use with a single li-ion rechargeable cell as the power source, but user could try running it with the a single 123 or 2AA batteries, given the user adopt the use of a low Vf lux III(though the output will be dramatically lower than those used with li-ion rechargables)
The drop in process of this Sammie is no different from the previous article ‘installing sandwich shoppe sammie' and like another Sammie, it could be used along with all various kind of opticalwares or installed in other light(such as Jil, Groovy) with a single rechargeable R`123.
The true beauty of the DJpark's Sammie is how it is being operated—namely by number of consecutive times a user powering on-and-off (either by how many times a user twisting the bezel to power on or partially depressing a clickie), user can signal the electronics onboard to access another level of light output or function of the light(such as giving SOS or flashing).
Without babbling on and on, I will let the video do the justice: :rock:
DjSammie.mpg
Here is a short menu of how the light/board function:
1st ON = default level (last used, low or high)
2nd ON = alternate level
3rd ON = low level brightness selection
4th ON = strobe mode
5th ON = sos mode
The following are the beamshots of the DJ/cgpeanut’s Sammie:
StockvsDJpophightest
StockvsDJpoplowest
In this beamshot, the output of the DJ’s Sammie is adjusted to the lowest level which is barely noticeable if user's eyes are not dark adjusted. Though I never had done any runtime test on this, I am sure the runtime could last for dozens of hours at this really low setting.
TLE5vsDJpopHighest
TLE5vsDJpoplowest
Yes, it could drop really low and almost invisible in this picture...
McluxIIIPDlowvsDJpoplowest
🙂 🙂 o)
New Terralux TLE5 🙂 🙂
(after market product, easiest to do)
(posted April 06)
Difficulty 1/4 (for the drop-in)
TLE5new01
If you have read this Dummy Reference sometime last year, then you would probably have remembered I have modded my old/original Terralux TLE5 from a side emitter to a high dome Lux III.
TLE5new02
Coincidentally, Terralux finally put out a newer upgraded model of their original TLE5 which will feature a high dome Lux. As seen in the picture above.
TLE5new03
Original TLE5(left) vs New TLE5(right)
I have read somewhere that Terralux might have improved and released the new TLE5 with new reflector. And if you look at the next set of pictures, one could tell there is some difference between the old and new reflectors.
TLE5new04
(from the left): self-modded original TLE5 vs Original TLE5 vs New TLE5
Since there are instructions on how to install this mod, and it is virtually the same as last TLE5, I will skip the writing and do more comparison--the left most reflector is what I have modded for the original TLE5 reflector(with larger opening) and I have found that with this larger opening(which let the lux rise up higher in the reflector), it does give a more intense hotspot when compared with the original middle reflector.
The right most reflector is what I believe the new reflector come with the new TLE5. As one could tell, there are higher fins at the bottom of the reflector(which might help to turn off the light) and the opening is a bit larger than the old...however, the end result is still little short of optimal when compared to self-modded version.
TLE5new05
This picture shown the new TLE5 installed in a minimag. The installation was really easy, however, I was not happy with how the luxeon is sitting in the very middle of the reflector, regardless how I try my best effort to try to center it. The end result was a hotspot that is tilted to the side...a little bit disheartening to a perfectionist flashaholic, but hopefully it was just my bad luck.
NewTLE5vsOldTLE5
As said above, the new TLE5 gives a little brighter hotspot but due to its reflector mis-alignment, the output is marginally better than the old TLE5.
NewTLE5vsOldTLE5modded
The self-modded TLE5 on the right has a more centered hotspot, thus giving an impression that it is brighter. My guess is if the NewTLE5 is centered correctly, their output might be around the same. But what I what I used was a TV1J(really yellowish color that I don't like), and I am really glad that the tint that new TLE5 has is rather white in comparison.
TLE5newVsStock
Anyhow, the new TLE5 is still a good improvement over the stock.
🙂 🙂 o)
NiteIze Led Upgrade Combo 🙂 🙂
(after market product, easiest to do)
(posted April 06)
Difficulty 1/4 (for the drop-in)
NiteIzeLedUpgrade
This led upgrade combo consists of a clickie switch and a 3 5mm leds drop-in replacement for a minimag. Like other aftermarket products, the installation is rather simple and the process is reversible.
NiteIzeLedUpgrade1
NiteIzeClickieVsStock
The NiteIze led replacement installed in a minimag, and the lower picture shown the black clickie that comes with the combo. Athough the workmanship for both the drop-in and the clickie might not be top-notched(some mis-alignmend for leds and really soft clickie which might lead to accidental turn-ons), this combo is actually quite good for its value.
The clickie is very soft to switch it on/off and does not offer a very solid 'clicking' feel to it and it is hard to tell by the click that whether the light is on or not. Certainly it is a very silent clickie, but the drawback is easy accidental switching-on in pocket or shealth. From the pictures shown by other memebers, I think it is essentially the same as the RAM clickie switch that was offered a long while ago.
NiteIzeLedVsNewbeam
One the left column are the parts for the NiteIze led upgrade combo and the right column are the parts for NewBeam Opalec. Personally, I still like the Opalec better(though it is indeed much more expensive), since it has a low battery indicator, great perfect regulation and the construction is more rugged.
The NiteIze combo does offer an extra clickie switch with a lower price tag. And I do like the sliver-colored spacer which potentially might improve the input slightly bit.
NiteIzevsNewbeam
Compared to the Newbeam Opalec on the right, the NiteIze on the left offers a whiter output which I do like a lot, yet the opalec gives a rounder symmetric hotspot(better leds alignment)
NiteIzevsTLE5
NiteIze led upgrade vs original TLE5
NiteIzevsStock
NiteIze led upgrade vs stock
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