Muyshondt Nautilus

[tnuckels]

I see where Enrique does not support the use of RCR123A batteries for use in the Nautilus. IIRC, the light does not have overvoltage protection and then there is always some concern about Li-Ion rechargeables that go POP for various reasons.

I have this RCR123A setup from Battery Junction http://www.batteryjunction.com/4parc390reli.html and it has served me well, if conservatively, for some time now. Given that this battery only puts out 3.0v under load and that most of the POPing batteries seem to be associated with the unprotected variety of 123As over-discharging, or in a mismatched multi-cell configuration, or melting down if put on the wrong charger, I'm wondering if this might be an acceptablly safe setup to use with my Nautilus?

As this is my only foray into the world of Li-Ion rechargeables (have plenty of NiMh) and I've tried to play it safe rather than sorry, I've not paid very close attention to the problems some have had with frying their lights electronics or turning them into hand grenades, so any thoughts or additional insights are welcome.

 

[HoopleHead]

couldnt find much other info on the Low setting, can anyone confirm if the Low really is ~12 lumens? thanks

 

[Hitthespot]

couldnt find much other info on the Low setting, can anyone confirm if the Low really is ~12 lumens? thanks

I have a P2D-Q5 and on low it is suppose to be 12 Lumens. I think they are both around the same give or take a couple of lumens.

Hope this helps.

Bill

 

[tnuckels]

Hi Bill,

You'd expressed an interest in seeing the finished clip I was working on for my Nautilus, so here you are:

More pictures and the saga of it's making can be found over here: http://candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=192960

P.S. After 7+ weeks my original battery is finally starting to give out. Low seems a bit more green than previously, and the light won't go to high any more, but goes instead to a setting a bit lower than the low when I try and use high now. I finally had to break out the spare I'd been carrying for several weeks in anticipation of a depleted first battery and used my 3.0v RCR123A with no obvious adverse effects. Still hoping for some feedback on using this setup with the Nuatilus.

 

[Hitthespot]

Thank you for the photo. I am presently carrying mine on my key ring but really like clip. I will give it serious consideration for later use.

Battery life is amazing compared to the competition. I really like Enrique's approach. You do not have to drive the emiter to the edge of its limit to give plenty of lumens and yet be conservative enough to give long lasting battery life. I believe he gives a good compromise. As emiter technology progresses I look forward to buying more of his products down the road.

Thanks Tnuckels.

Bill

 

[HoopleHead]

nice clip!

 

[bmstrong]

Nice clip! Is that Ti? Would love to see the Aeon set up for that as well...

 

[tnuckels]

Thank you for the compliments. Yes, this clip is pure titanium, cut, ground, and polished by hand.

Looking at the Aeon in the announcement thread https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/195649, even this small clip would have to be scaled down considerably to fit, especially where it is mounted, as rear lip on the Aeon appears to be about ½ the size of the lip on the Nautilus. I see cap head screws smaller than the #4s that I used (#3, #2, & #0) available, so it's well within the realm of possibilities. That, or design a clip that mounts non-invasively, yet securely.

 

[da.gee]

Nice work on the clip sir.

I celebrated the day my initial battery gave out. I didn't think it would ever happen.

 

[Endeavour]

Nice work Tnuckels, I'm glad to see it turned out well for you. :thumbsup:

The thread on the Aeon is not an announcement thread - I'll be posting that myself once it's ready - that's MSaxatilus' review of a prototype, as well as DM51's. The Aeon, as you've noticed, is significantly smaller than the Nautilus and it would be somewhat more difficult to work with for you because of the smaller diameter and shorter split ring recession - your anchor points would be very small. If you're determined enough (which you seem to be based on what you did to your Nautilus) you'll manage, but I'd say the Aeon is really far too small for a clip to be reasonable, and it's ideally suited to keychain carry because of its size. Of course, good luck if you end up trying to do it.

Take care!

-Enrique

 

[tnuckels]

Hi Enrique,

You seem to have quite the eye for detail … witness my faux pas calling MSax's thread an "announcement" when in fact it was a "prototype introduction/review" thread. Were you a lawyer, a linguist, or an English professor in a previous life? :nana:

I don't, as yet, own any of your CR2 creations, and so my comments in reply to BMSTRONG's suggestion regarding a clip for the Aeon were intended only to address if might be feasible, and not intended as an endorsement of the idea or as a statement of my intentions. I agree that the Ion/Aeon looks readily sized for keychain carry, which removes most, if not all, of the need for a clip.

The Nautilus, on the other hand, seems a bit big for most keychains and as such, having an additional method for keeping it secure comes in quite handy. Depending on your perspective, it is fortunate or not :tsk: that most owners of the Nautilus will not be such persistent little buggers :whoopin: as myself in pursuing their own preferred alternatives. :tinfoil:

Two questions, if you'd be so kind:

Did I correctly deduce how the two stage works when I replied to CPEng back in post #74?

Would it be possible for you to address my question in post #81 without obligating yourself to the rechargeable crowd? If not, I'll understand.

Thank you in advance.

 

[Endeavour]

Tnuckels: An eye for detail? Yes. Though the intent was to clarify, not criticize.

As for how the circuit works, you got the basic idea, though it's a bit more complex than that in actual implementation.

You're fine so far as the board is concerned using a 3V cell, which I'm sure you've noticed while operating it. 3 Volts is 3 Volts, regardless of where it comes from, the regulator isn't going to care. The light was not designed to be used with rechargeable cells, and using the standard 3.7-4.2 Volt cells causes undesirable operation. The main problem with rechargeable cells is that they like exploding if mistreated, if they're overcharged, or, more importantly for the light, if they're over-discharged. This is particularly true of unprotected lithium-ion cells, but even ones with protection circuits do occasionally fail. Hence why I don't recommend their use and anything that happens during their operation is entirely at your own risk. As I've said before, with the runtime you get on primary cells with my lights there's little reason not to use them - they're safer, provide more energy, and rarely need replacing.

-Enrique

 

[tnuckels]

Hi Enrique,

Tnuckels: An eye for detail? Yes. Though the intent was not to clarify, not criticize.

Umm … … … time for a checkup? Sorry, cheap shot …

Thank you for your answers to my questions.

I did not take your reply as critical so much as … well, I know it would give me a moment of pause if someone were proposing alterations to a product of mine that had as much time, effort, and care put into it as the Nautilus … that's all. It felt more like, while trying to be encouraging and always hopeful for a good outcome, your posts were tinged with a note of concern. This was actually somewhat comforting, that even though your products have flown the nest you still seem to be looking after them.

I'm honestly having trouble getting used to the idea of how frugal this light is on batteries, to the point where rechargeables might not seem such an integral part of a cost and environmental equation. I'm generally used to a week or two, maybe three, before a cell is spent, and ended up carrying around a backup battery for my Nautilus for weeks before it was needed. Given the lower energy levels, the possibilities for failure on the charger or discharging in the light, and the balance between the risks posed verses the benefits gained, I'm definitely going to have to give this some more thought.

Thank you for giving me something to ponder.

 

[fisk-king]

Are RCR123's safe to use?


Edit: stupid , Nevermind