minimag hotwire

[mdhammack]

I'm looking for a ceramic socket for the aurora mini mag and haven't had any luck. I guess they quit making them. Does anyone have a couple they want to part with? I have all the other stuff just not the socket, even found the aluminum reflectors for them. Any help, or extra sockets are much appreciated.

David

If these sockets are unavailable...is there any other mod to do to this light? I haven't found anything. Maybe a brighter LED setup?

 

[lctorana]

I'm looking for a ceramic socket for the aurora mini mag

Find one for me, while you're at it.

 

[Mjolnir]

Where did you find the aluminum reflectors for MiniMags? Are they still available?

 

[Al Combs]

If these sockets are unavailable...is there any other mod to do to this light?

Well you did say any other mod... This would fall under the other category. Why not make your own socket? Before you dismiss it out of hand, I think this has a fair chance of working. I did a search in both CPF and Google for, "ceramic potting compound" without the quotes. The CPF search turned up this JS post where he explains how he made his WA-Streamlight bulbs. He said he used 2600°F Cotronics 940LE adhesive paste. It cures @ 175°F in 5 minutes or 4-8 hours at room temperature. He also said the smallest quantity they would sell was a pint @ $65. That post is 5 years old though. There is a 3000°F potting compound called Cotronics 804, they termed as low cost. I'm not sure what low cost means, but it sounds like it's worth asking. The picture shows it pouring as a liquid. Cures in 24 hours at room temp or can be accelerated in a 150°-200°F oven. So you stick it in a toaster oven over night. BTW, Cotronics was just one of many companies that sell ceramic potting compound. Maybe with enough digging you can find something similar at a lower price.

I have a LightHound ceramic socket I bought 8 months ago. I was very lucky. Within days of purchasing, the entire HotWire category disappeared from their site, probably forever. I'm sorry to say I don't want to sell it. But I mention it to give the dimensions. It is 0.553" diameter by 0.236" thick. That's roughly the same diameter as the original plastic part that fits inside the battery housing. But it's about 1/16" thinner. The original I have measure 0.301" thick. The contacts look the same as the original, but they are glued in place with a clear cement. I have no idea what type they used. You reuse the original contacts. If you don't want to bend the positive bulb contact to remove it from the holder, just cut the holder apart. The contact is curved on both sides where the bulb pin touches it. I thought perhaps after the mold is finished, you could put some of the ceramic compound in just one of the contact's dimples. That would hold the contact in the holder. It would also leave the dimple on the other side to flex when the bulb was inserted. The potting compound won't stick to the metal contact. But it doesn't have to, just prevent the contact from falling out. I'm not sure how well the compound sticks to itself though.

Even if you use the toaster oven to accelerate the cure, almost anything can survive a 200°F toaster oven for a couple of hours. Just off the top of my head, a few layers of aluminum foil wrapped around the end of a AA battery would give the correct diameter of a mold. A few toothpicks sanded down to a 1/16" square and poked into something below the foil would serve for the contact holes. Perhaps corrugated cardboard would be good for a base. I'm not sure what would make a good release agent. They mention something in the Instructions for Casting link. Maybe a water soluble agent like dish detergent or glycerin would be good. Maybe the cooking spray PAM would work. Then just clean it off after the ceramic has hardened. Even if you didn't use a release compound, any extra aluminum foil could be taken off with sandpaper. Taking the toothpick out of the hole is another matter. Perhaps someone reading this who has used ceramic potting compounds before could chime in here.

Well it's a thought. If I didn't already have one...:kiss:

 

[mdhammack]

thanks for the responses guys. if i can get my hands on some of that compund I may just try that....seems simple enough and if I can make a decent one i may try and make a larger batch of them if there is any interest in them.



these are the reflectors I found.

http://www.dealextreme.com/feedbacks/BrowseReviews.dx/sku.5951

 

[Al Combs]

You can't argue with that kind of price. :)

The first customer review of your DX link said something about filing to make it fit. DX sells another similar reflector with a smooth surface. It is slightly larger. Perhaps they sent him this by mistake? If the dimensions in their pictures on your link are correct, the reflector won't reach the top of the reflector housing. So there will be no tension against the borofloat cover glass. The cover glass and the reflector might rattle around. Have you actually put it in your MiniMag to see how well it fits? I think there needs to be some kind of spacer. Something like a loop of 12 gauge Romex or maybe a washer. DarkZero mentioned he used McR-20's in some of his MiniMag mods. The reflector housing needs to be bored out for it to fit though.

There's one other minor problem. The only way to turn the light off with a DX reflector is with a tailcap switch. I guess depending on how you look at it, that isn't really a problem. Many people use it that way all the time to keep it in focus. Here is a FlashlightReviews of the AuroraLite. The second picture shows the ceramic socket installed in a MiniMag. There is no part of the socket in front of the battery housing for the reflector to press against. The second picture of this B/S/T post shows the original AuroraLite reflector LightHound was selling. Notice the small lip in the center of the reflector to turn the light off. The taper at the rear of a McR-20 reflector looks like it would reach the ceramic socket OK. But like DZ says, it's not a drop-in.

 

[lctorana]

If you change the reflector, can you use a Strion bulb? How long will the stock bulbholder last in this case?

 

[Al Combs]

That's a good question. A Strion bulb may be less powerful than a TL-3, but it's still a lot hotter than what the socket was designed for. I guess the only way to know for sure is to try it.

I know the TL-3 bulb won't even fit in the stock MiniMag socket. The TL-3's pin spacing is 0.083". The AA MiniMag bulb's pin spacing is 0.047". They both have the same 0.020" diameter pins. I measured them both with a micrometer. My samples might not be the exactly on spec. Whatever that is. I've never seen the Strion bulb. But I'm guessing from the pictures it's the same size as the TL-3. With the top part of the MiniMag socket removed, the TL-3 bulb starts to go in the socket. You might be able to jam the bulb into the socket without the cover. If you have a tailcap switch you don't really need that part. In fact you would have to use a tailcap switch. Otherwise when you turn it off the reflector would start to melt the socket, if it wasn't already. If you could find some thin thermal insulation to put between the bulb and the socket. If you only ever used it intermittently. It sounds like a lot of ifs.

Streamlight lists the TL-3 as rated at 156 lumens. The Strion's rating is 116 lumens. So there's less heat from the bulb. But there's more drain from just one battery. The Strion page says the battery is a 2,000 mAh Li-Ion. It sounds like an 18650. But maybe that's pushing a single 14500 a bit too hard. One good thing is you could put the battery spacer in between the battery and the bulb to keep it away from the heat.

It doesn't sound very promising. But then again, I never read a post by someone saying they tried it and it didn't work. Every now and then when I get hip deep in this MiniMag sleeper thing, and believe me I do get it, but sometimes I wonder if I want a light as bright as a TL-3, why don't I just go buy one.:crackup:

 

[Al Combs]

thanks for the responses guys. if i can get my hands on some of that compund I may just try that....seems simple enough and if I can make a decent one i may try and make a larger batch of them if there is any interest in them.

these are the reflectors I found.
http://www.dealextreme.com/feedbacks/BrowseReviews.dx/sku.5951

BTW, I forgot to thank you for the source on potential reflectors. Thanks.:)

Ictorana's question made me consider the actual TL-3 bulb. I bought one of those with the ceramic socket and never took it out of the bubble wrapper. I only roughly measure the size of the envelope. I was concerned it might not fit the 5.79mm ID of the McR-20 I was thinking of using without reaming and possibly chipping it. I had an Olight T10 in my mouth, a loupe in my eye, a metric ruler next to the envelope which was upside down in the package to minimize parallax errors. That must have been a sight.:crackup:

I hadn't actually considered the TL-3's pin spacing until Ictorana asked about the Strion bulb. If you do decide to make a mold to cast some ceramic in, the pin spacing is 0.083". Well that's what it measured on the bulb I have. It's much larger than a MiniMag bulb.

Some other thoughts on a better temporary mold. If you use a thin layer of soap on the AA battery (or whatever) and put silicone glue around it. When it dries put a thicker layer in a suitable container and stick the glue covered battery in it. When the 2nd silicone gluing dries you can rinse off the soap. You won't need it as a release agent for the ceramic. Kind of like a silicone ice cube tray. I measured the hole in the ceramic they glued the MiniMag contacts in as 0.058" by 0.055". That's 0.079" on a diagonal, mathematically at least. The diagonal of the contact that falls out of the MiniMag switch with the top off measured 0.065". The outer sheath on 18 gauge Teflon wire is 0.070" so that should be perfect. You can put a hole in your silicone mold with the TL-3 bulb. You don't even have to measure it, just center it. Strip the ends of the Teflon wire where it goes through the silicone, insert it and you're done (hopefully).

 

[lctorana]

But there's more drain from just one battery. The Strion page says the battery is a 2,000 mAh Li-Ion. It sounds like an 18650. But maybe that's pushing a single 14500 a bit too hard. One good thing is you could put the battery spacer in between the battery and the bulb to keep it away from the heat.

It is actually a 14670 I have in mind, so that changes the equation a little. Thanks for your thoughts, btw.

Every now and then when I get hip deep in this MiniMag sleeper thing, and believe me I do get it, but sometimes I wonder if I want a light as bright as a TL-3, why don't I just go buy one.:crackup:

You probably already know what I'm going to say in reply to that. I already have several lights this size that ARE as bright as a TL-3, but I still want to "do something with that MiniMag".

It's the disease. We've all got it.

 

[lctorana]

I hadn't actually considered the TL-3's pin spacing until LCTorana asked about the Strion bulb. If you do decide to make a mold to cast some ceramic in, the pin spacing is 0.083". Well that's what it measured on the bulb I have. It's much larger than a MiniMag bulb.

So is the Strion. I suspect it's the same size as the TL-3 - again, it's a much larger spacing than the (really tiny) MiniMag bulb.

 

[Al Combs]

Oops, my bad... I actually forgot about the 14670's. That will solve the drain if not the heat problem. I wouldn't buy one in anticipation of its working. But if you already have one, why not give it a try. The worst that can happen is a melted socket.

I was a little surprised you asked a question I was sure you already knew the answer to. You can use a pair of 1/2" brass washers, a screw and 3 nuts. It makes an excellent spacer that will keep the battery away from the heat.

 

[thorin693]

I may have two of the aurora light hotwire
kits pm me if your interested.

 

[lctorana]

I was a little surprised you asked a question I was sure you already knew the answer to.

The only question I have asked, and I really didn't know the answer to it, was how long the stock bulb holder would stand up to the heat of a Strion bulb.

But the bulb pin spacing issue has rendered that question redundant.

 

[lctorana]

I may have two of the aurora light hotwire
kits pm me if your interested.

PM sent.

 

[ifoxbox]

I may have two of the aurora light hotwire
kits pm me if your interested.

I have been looking for these for a while now. I am probably too late. If

lctorana has not purchased both of them, I would like to get one. If he has, does anyone else have one?

 

[thorin693]

mdhammac is first i,ll let you know as
soon as i hear from him

 

[mdhammack]

Thorin, I have too many irons in the fire right now.:broke: Go ahead and move down to the next person on the list. I will eventually pick up one or make my own. Thank you for the consideration.

 

[ifoxbox]

I'm still interested in one. I know lctorana asked for one before me, but do you really want to ship to Australia? :D I am almost your neighbor here in SC. Sorry lctorana I had to try. :)

 

[Bimmerboy]

Hehe... you dudes are lucky I have no money this month, or both kit's might've been gone 5 minutes after Thorin's first post.

As Al pointed out, the Auroralite reflector has a circular landing on the bottom that retains the ability to turn the light off just like stock. That was a great inclusion because there really aren't any good tailswitches available. All of them have enough resistance to actually see a lowering of output, and color temp. I've yet to investigate the "Malkoff improved" Kroll, but am getting around to that soon. Will report back.

Anyway, these things are great. I'm running two of 'em, one with a H1499 on 14670's (with custom batt tube extension, and FM turbo head), and a TL-3 on 14500's. Enjoy, guys!