Maglite XPG Canister mod

[oldspice10]

Hi all, after reading Packhorse's threads on his many builds, I am ready to begin a maglite mod. Question is: could I use xpg's in place of the XR-E? Im not sure why I would want to, but just a question. also, I was thinking that Cutter's 4*XPG board might be used. This way I dont have to space the LED's myself, but I am unsure that the spacing is enough to fit this lense: (http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.13903) on the PVC spacer as Packhorse did.

if not, can I just use the cutter 4* optics? Will it be too much spill?

I was thinking of doing a cutter 7up (xpg) with the (Khatod PL1211xx 7 up) optics (6 degree). Could this be driven using a SST50 5A boost driver from Der Wichtel?

I am still up in the air about the 7up or the 4XPG/XR-E. I dive mostly in clear waters, so throw is not really most important, but occasionally I dive in Monterey CA, so some throw would be nice.

any input would be great! thanks everyone!

 

[Packhorse]

Using the cutter board and optics will simplify things quite a bit but it will produce a very different beam to my quad aspheric set up. That may or may not suit your needs. ( I have never used it so I dont know what its like)

 

[oldspice10]

would I be able to use the same lenses you used on the cutter board? as opposed to using the cutter optics? I was just hoping to simplify it, but if I must use the PVC spacers and lenses to get a better beam, I will. Thanks for the quick reply!

 

[350xfire]

Hi all, after reading Packhorse's threads on his many builds, I am ready to begin a maglite mod. Question is: could I use xpg's in place of the XR-E? Im not sure why I would want to, but just a question. also, I was thinking that Cutter's 4*XPG board might be used. This way I dont have to space the LED's myself, but I am unsure that the spacing is enough to fit this lense: (http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.13903) on the PVC spacer as Packhorse did.

if not, can I just use the cutter 4* optics? Will it be too much spill?

I was thinking of doing a cutter 7up (xpg) with the (Khatod PL1211xx 7 up) optics (6 degree). Could this be driven using a SST50 5A boost driver from Der Wichtel?

I am still up in the air about the 7up or the 4XPG/XR-E. I dive mostly in clear waters, so throw is not really most important, but occasionally I dive in Monterey CA, so some throw would be nice.

any input would be great! thanks everyone!

Just do this and forget spending hours trying to figure it out... Just machine slightly to fit in Mag and you are done. Run it using 2 LiIon in series. I purchased the 800 lumen a while back and I was pretty impressed. I have one of these coming.
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.35241

 

[oldspice10]

Thats not a bad idea! I will look alittle more into it. I would think that a 4*XPG would throw pretty decent. and since I do not have a lathe at my immediate disposal, it might be a tad bit easier.

350xfire: I just sent you a PM on the cave divers forum, are you still making the DIY canisters I am interested.

 

[350xfire]

Thats not a bad idea! I will look alittle more into it. I would think that a 4*XPG would throw pretty decent. and since I do not have a lathe at my immediate disposal, it might be a tad bit easier.

350xfire: I just sent you a PM on the cave divers forum, are you still making the DIY canisters I am interested.

Yeah, that DX deal is really a good deal for an off the shelf out of the box unit. I was really impressed with the 800 lumen so looking forward to the 1200 to arrive. It will take some grinding and such on the mag and the reflector, but much less fabricating than trying to mount everything from scratch. I will warn you however, the beam is a bit funky due to the reflector, but nothing that would probably bother anyone using under water.

Yes, actually, I have some canisters laying around that I'll let go cheap. What size do you need?

Hector

 

[Packhorse]

would I be able to use the same lenses you used on the cutter board? as opposed to using the cutter optics? I was just hoping to simplify it, but if I must use the PVC spacers and lenses to get a better beam, I will. Thanks for the quick reply!

I very much doubt it. Space is at a premium and setting the LED's in the correct places is pivitol to alighning all 4 beams. Remember the lenses must be machined to fit.

After building my aspheric SST-90 Mag I think this is probably a much easier way to go than the quad aspheric. If you want a tighter beam then I'd recommend the SST-50. It will not be as tight as the quad aspheric but quite close and a much easier build.

 

[baywatch106]

I might be interested in a cannister .Got any small cannisters? Something like a 2 inch pipe diameter? Using 6 18650 in a triangle , two batteries high

 

[350xfire]

I might be interested in a cannister .Got any small cannisters? Something like a 2 inch pipe diameter? Using 6 18650 in a triangle , two batteries high

I have a couple laying around that are 1.95 and 2.2" +/-. PM me if you are interested.

 

[oldspice10]

I very much doubt it. Space is at a premium and setting the LED's in the correct places is pivitol to alighning all 4 beams. Remember the lenses must be machined to fit.

After building my aspheric SST-90 Mag I think this is probably a much easier way to go than the quad aspheric. If you want a tighter beam then I'd recommend the SST-50. It will not be as tight as the quad aspheric but quite close and a much easier build.

Which heatsink could be used? I am assuming I would have to use a flat top from the sandwich shoppe, so there is room to mount the aspheric on top.

The SST50 sounds interesting, and I was actually thinking of doing the 3 XRE 1 MCE, to get alittle more spill until you mentioned this mod. The SST50 sounds like the ideal mod for me as it has good throw and spill (for those murkey day in monterey) which aspheric would you reccomend? the 44mm from DX?

thanks for all your help!

 

[Packhorse]

I machine up my own heat sinks so I cant really recommend any,

I like the DX44mm aspheric, others dont because they say it cant be focused perfectly. This does not bother me at all since you could never tell underwater anyway. Perhaps only when shone on a flat wall.

 

[oldspice10]

I ordered some of the 44mm optics from DX, and have an SST-50, and a canister inbound (thanks 350xfire!!!), This should be an interesting build.

 

[350xfire]

I ordered some of the 44mm optics from DX, and have an SST-50, and a canister inbound (thanks 350xfire!!!), This should be an interesting build.

No problem. I f I can help with anything else, let me know.

 

[oldspice10]

alright I have been looking at threads all morning and am trying to find the best way to seal the maglite head. On scubaboard I saw several different ways to do it, 2 lenses glued together, one lens bigger o-rings, stepped lenses etc.
anyone have an opinion as to which they prefer and why?
I have switched from a 4*xp-g mag to an SST-50 canister mag. based on the advice that the sst aspheric would be much easier to finish than the 4 aspheric (thanks packhorse!)

 

[Packhorse]

Slightly thicker than stock O rings with a single piece 4mm acrylic lens. Very simple, cheap and reliable.

Check out my quad aspheric thread, I think there are O ring sizes in there somewhere.

 

[oldspice10]

great, I have o-rings on the way (based on the sizes you mentioned in that thread. I will have to find a local glass shop for the acrylic lens. local seal shops had $100 minimums, and I dont have room for 10,000 o-rings so....I have to wait for my online order. what size glands did you use in the maglite tailcap? I will be ordering from McMaster Carr. I know you used two back to back, but how did you thread them together? thanks for your help!

 

[Packhorse]

I used M16 sized glands, agro glands are this size I think. Imperial size could be pg11???

I didn't use 2 glands in the head. I tried it in the cannister but didn't bother in the end.

 

[oldspice10]

Great! I just have to wait for parts to start filtering in. Im still not too sure what heat sink to use, I am thinking I can use THIS since I will have to make a spacer for the aspheric anyhow. is it going to be a very tight fit between the aspheric and the outer lens? I just want to know if the heatsink will mount the LED low enough in the head to allow for such a large aspheric.