My M3 mod (complete)

[ambientmind]

I've been putting this mod together in my head for months now, and its finally coming to fruition. This part of it is for the standard M3 head which will house a M-WG bin MC-E driven at 2A by a Shark Buck. The EVA optics provide an almost perfect fit in the head, and I'm designing it so that the optics will be easily swappable between the D, M and W beams. The hard part was machining the heatsink, and since I don't have a lathe I had to get creative. I made a jig out of some scrap aluminum and bolts to hold everything together. I clamped an old AC drill into the vice, leveled it and started turning the aluminum using various files to shape it. I was more than pleased with the results. I'll post more photos as the mod continues, but here is the progress so far:

Next will be the turbohead...all I know so far is a 3A shark buck will be powering it....

 

[Edwood]

Re: My M3 mod (in progress)

LOL, I love the ghetto lathe setup.

Please keep us posted with your results.

-Ed

 

[maxspeeds]

Re: My M3 mod (in progress)

It looks like a great start! I can't wait to see it finished!

 

[ambientmind]

I had some time to finish up all the components this week and got it all done today!
Heres what it looks like...

2A Shark Buck attached to the back of the heatsink:

Completed heatsink with contact board and standoff attached:

MC-E attached to heatsink and connections made:

Module inside M3 head:

Completed head with optic installed:

Beamshots will come later, but so far its a pretty floody beam. I'm using the narrowest of the EVA optics and the hotspot is still much wider than my P7 mag is. But beam quality is really good with no donut at any distance and the tint is a perfect white. I'm guessing its about 600 lumens at the emitter, which is plenty for me! Current draw at the tailcap is just short of one amp. Now onto the turbohead....any suggestions?

 

[lumafist]

I have to wait until I get home to see pics...........

It sure sounds like a good setup Mark.....

 

[collector]

Very nice !!

 

[toby_pra]

That looks awesome...

Cant wait to see beamshots! Hurry up...

 

[softfeel]

Great Mod! Are they for sale?

How did you make the contact board and standoff? Can you post some more pictures of that?

 

[Edwood]

Awesome results with your ghetto lathe! Beamshots, please.

 

[lumafist]

just got home...


WOW.................:twothumbs

 

[toby_pra]

just got home...


WOW.................:twothumbs

Is it yours...? :naughty:

 

[ambientmind]

Thanks for the kind words everyone. If I had a lathe, I would definitely make more of these but that heatsink took forever to turn on my "ghetto lathe". I'm trying to find a good place to take some beamshots but so far it throws about as well as my Fenix TK10 but lights up everything around it due to the enormous spill Now I'm thinking I should have used the 3A Shark Buck I have. But the head gets pretty warm as it is...

 

[ambientmind]

just got home...


WOW.................:twothumbs

Axel,
Thanks! Also if you were wondering what your TNC body is up to...

KX2 head w/ Q5 WG at ~800mA from a RV7 1XAA driver. Its bright!
-Andrew

 

[lumafist]

Is it yours...? :naughty:

Nope.....

Axel,
Thanks! Also if you were wondering what your TNC body is up to...

KX2 head w/ Q5 WG at ~800mA from a RV7 1XAA driver. Its bright!

Wicked setup Mark...!
Thanks for posting that one...!
You know who to PM if he needs daddy back......

Both these look the job....:thumbsup:
I rarely quote pictures but that one deserved it IMO.....

EDIT: I just now realised looking at the pictures again how you did the gettho machining...!!

 

[LightSward]

Looks awesome!:thumbsup: