Minimag 1AA Cree R2...Pocket Rocket ;)

[Fichtenelch]

Hi,
i finished this nice light 2 days ago and it really is a little pocket rocket
Pictures first:

Now, to the facts:

-Cut down Minimag to 1xAA/1x14500
-BB Nexgen Driver
-Cree R2 @ 1000mA
-Tailswitch is ordered

Did some measurings and it's pulling 1.06A from a 14500. Haven't tried AA yet, since i didn't built it for that, but i think it won't work with the BB Nexgen.
However, the output is comparable to my fenix p3d q5, so i would claim it to be over 200 lumens, the r2's specs are 242 lumens @ 1A, but i got nothing to measure that But it's really bright

Might have to do some beamshots

 

[half-watt]

Nice lil' light. Looks nice. Good job! Thanks for sharing. Enjoy it.

 

[Crenshaw]

what pill is that? custom?

Crenshaw

 

[Justin Case]

The BBNG's boost IC is not designed for a single AA. The IC is designed for 1.8V to 5.5V input voltage range.

For 1x14500 Li-ion, you are running in DD since the Vin is above Vf.

How come you didn't select the GD1000?

 

[Fichtenelch]

The BBNG's boost IC is not designed for a single AA. The IC is designed for 1.8V to 5.5V input voltage range.

For 1x14500 Li-ion, you are running in DD since the Vin is above Vf.

How come you didn't select the GD1000?

Let me think, i was just searching drivers in 14mm size on sandwich shoppe...so i discovered the bbng and thought that it should work
1AA won't work, but as i said, that's not what i was thinking about when i chose a cut-down minimag as host...
But as long as the Vin is over 3.4V, it should be working.

 

[Fichtenelch]

what pill is that? custom?

Crenshaw

You mean the heatsink? It's an ofc heatsink from the CPF's Custom & Mod B/S/T

 

[Nitroz]

For some reason your link did not work to the OFC heat sink?

 

[Justin Case]

My point on the driver is that if you are interested in having the option of running 2xAA NiMH *or* 1x14500 with a spacer, then the BBNG1000 makes sense since it is a very efficient boost driver. And it can handle a small amount of overvoltage (e.g., 1xLi-ion) and run in direct drive. But if you are going to run 1x14500 *exclusively*, then my opinion is that a GD1000 boost-buck is a better choice. The light will run in regulation for the entire duration, vs direct drive for most of the time (or nearly all of the time if the LED Vf is sufficiently low). You probably could dispense with the BBNG entirely and just go DD.

 

[nanotech17]

so the reflector should be from the McGizmo XRE line.

 

[darkzero]

so the reflector should be from the McGizmo XRE line.

Not necessarily. I've used McR-18 & McR-20 with the XR/XR-E with pretty good beams.

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d105/zero_four/CPF/Arc/Img_4520.jpg

They need to be slightly modded of course though. It's reported that the largest reflector that can be used with OFC heatsink is McR-18 so I'm assuming that's what's in this one. I doubt a McR-19XR would fit here.

I agree with Justin, a GD driver should definitely be used here. The BBNG really isn't doing anything here but making battery contact. If this were a Seoul P4 mod that poor P4 would be crying blue!

 

[Fichtenelch]

Hmm ok..so i got the wrong driver for my purpose.
The reflector is a 18x12 from dx, but the beam pattern is pretty good..

 

[toby_pra]

Very nice work! But we need beamshots...

 

[Fichtenelch]

My point on the driver is that if you are interested in having the option of running 2xAA NiMH *or* 1x14500 with a spacer, then the BBNG1000 makes sense since it is a very efficient boost driver. And it can handle a small amount of overvoltage (e.g., 1xLi-ion) and run in direct drive. But if you are going to run 1x14500 *exclusively*, then my opinion is that a GD1000 boost-buck is a better choice. The light will run in regulation for the entire duration, vs direct drive for most of the time (or nearly all of the time if the LED Vf is sufficiently low). You probably could dispense with the BBNG entirely and just go DD.

So i got a question to the driver, when i take my 14500 fresh off the charger (haven't put fresh charged 14500's in the light yet) with 4.2V and the driver does dd above 3.4V, it might kill the led, right? So i gotta change the driver...

 

[Justin Case]

Probably no need to change out the driver, at least wrt overdriving the LED. Your tail current draw measurement of 1.06A suggests that the LED is running close enough to spec. The 14500 probably sags to a voltage close to the LED's Vf@1000mA drive current spec, thus giving you the 1.06A tail current.

Where did you get your "3.4V" figure of merit? Is that the Vf you've measured for the Cree R2 when powered?

 

[bshanahan14rulz]

where are you getting your tail clicky, and do you think they have any for AAA-sized lights? I am working on a AAA-sized li-ion dd minimag

 

[LEDcandle]

Nice Pocket Rocket!! Glad to see the miniminimag finally put to use. Will be looking out for real world beamshots

 

[Fichtenelch]

Probably no need to change out the driver, at least wrt overdriving the LED. Your tail current draw measurement of 1.06A suggests that the LED is running close enough to spec. The 14500 probably sags to a voltage close to the LED's Vf@1000mA drive current spec, thus giving you the 1.06A tail current.

Where did you get your "3.4V" figure of merit? Is that the Vf you've measured for the Cree R2 when powered?

Got the 3.4V from the website of the mod shoppe

 Note1: Safe mode is ~1.5A input current. If output doesn't go into full regulation it falls back to safe mode. For a Nexgen 750mA or Nexgen 1A, this critical starting voltage is ~3.4V. Input voltages above this will start the regulator into full constant current regulation and it will regulate down to ~2V input. A Nexgen 500mA will almost always start in full regulation mode.

But i'm still thinking about what that means on my purpose.

where are you getting your tail clicky, and do you think they have any for AAA-sized lights? I am working on a AAA-sized li-ion dd minimag

Got it from ebay, found it from terralux from a seller from the uk including glass lens + lanyard.

 

[Beam Guru]

I love the shortened body on that. Uber hot!

 

[supasizefries]

Hmm ok..so i got the wrong driver for my purpose.
The reflector is a 18x12 from dx, but the beam pattern is pretty good..

Was THIS the reflector you used?