Newbie Questions

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Hmmm

Newly Enlightened
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Apr 26, 2009
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First of all, I am sorry if I posted this in the wrong thread. Second, I apologies if my grammar is atrocious.
I was wondering how much cooling is needed for a mce/p7? Also what are some of the advantages of the p7 vs. mce. If I did a maglite p7 or mce mod and shortened the barrel, so just the switch is left and a little extra so I could put the tailcap on, then cut fins into the reflector, would that have enough cooling? I thought they would because Elektro Lumens has 3 mce maglites, about 30watts of heat, and they can stay cool. I was thinking of using this light as a bikelight aswell as just a normal flashlight with the battery in my pocket. What about this light though https://www.magnalight.com/pc-45232...t-spreader-light--800-lumens--waterproof.aspx and this one https://www.magnalight.com/pc-2046-...t--800-lumens--2-inch-square--stud-mount.aspx ? Those look realy nice because they are premade and not too expensive and they sound like they have a really good driver, tell me if I understand this correctly, if you put higher voltage into that it will draw less amperage? Another question how easy is it to drive a ssc p7, and is this a good driver http://www.kaidomain.com/ProductDetails.aspx?ProductId=1866
 
Seen this thread? It might help you. It has a few links to quad die LED mods.

As for Seoul P7 vs Cree MC-E, use the search, there are quite a few threads on this.

Just the head and the heatsink is enough heatsinking. Finning only helps if there is moving air. Also the reflector of the maglite is plastic and not very thick, so I don't think finning it is a good idea. Some have also removed the switch sections and made a rear cilckie Maglite. The LEDs can be direct driven of a single Li-ion battery, or 3 normal batteries.

Maglites are kinda big, so might not make a good pocket light, you might want to look at smaller lights if you want to put it in your pocket.

:welcome:
 
I was thinking about it and wouldn't it be cheaper and easier to buy a premade ssc p7 d bin light from deals extreme, they have some for like 35 dollars, while it is $15 for a maglite, $10 for a heatsink for maglite, $30 dollars for d bin p7
 
One thing i've been worried about is the lights over heating from extended use, like some p7 lights say the warranty is void if run on high for over x minutes
 
Oh, sorry i wasn't exaclty accurate, when i said reflector, i meant the thing in a c/d maglite that holds the reflector
 
I'll try to answer as much as I might have understood, but please note that these are my very personal views. Not everyone must agree on it - and there is no general consensus.

* P7 <-> MC-E:
to ease it up, consider them being equal.
Sure the MC-E can be wired in series, which is simply the better way of driving multiple led AND that means using drivers that are tested and proven for years now, while there are not really good drivers for the P7.
The less current (but higher voltage) means these drivers are also much smaller
(PS: I have only bad efforts with Seoul and opt for Cree. At the datasheet Seoul wins every time, in reality its Cree. Much more consistent quality.)

* the lights You linked:
expensive + all those "special" makes (automotive, boat, ...) tend to be made RUGGED --> extremely HEAVY.
Much overbuilt for handheld/bikelight application.

* DRIVER Question -->
You make the usual error --> start at the wrong point.
1st: how bright should the light be? --> which led, which current?
2nd: how long should this run? --> Power that is needed?
3rd: what will be my battery system? --> know that --> know what driver is needed.


mag + its head + new reflector + driver + led + ...
makes no sense for You now, as You just plunged into light building.
Get a light form DX - or other shop - that runs on the voltage You plan and use just the head of it.
Is much less work than Maghead modding and works - for starting
... after a bit of use, You surely build up certain pro/cons and then can change whatever You dont like anymore
(led color, dirver, batteries, UI, ...)

PS: cooling is no prob, with the moving air from biking
 
Ok, I was thinking of deciding on the battery from from weither I was using mce or p7, because if I was using a p7 it would be a lower voltage more mah, if mce higher voltage lower mah. I wasn't sure how long I wanted it to run, but because it was a bikelight, and was going to be helmet mounted it needed an external battery pack, probably 3-4 hours, maybe or more. I was going to run it at full power. Also aren't most dx lights direct drive, so I would need to find a driver anyway, and their mces and p7s are parralel, I am pretty sure. And don't the dx lights put out very little of the original light out of the front
A very important question for me is whether the dx binnings for their led lights are currect, because I wasn't sure if any of the lights would realy have m bin mces, or d bin p7s.
Also, I wouldn't be only using it for biking.
Is it relatively hard to do a maglite mod, i have access to a metal lathe.
 
You can run the MC-E in all parallel, and get the similar voltage and mA (not mAh, mAh is capacity). The P7 is wired to have the dies in parallel and there is no easy way to change that.

If you want to run the LEDs at max rated current for 3 hours, you'll need a 31 watt hour battery pack minimal, that is persuming no losses from the connenctions and circuits.

The DX lights don't put out their stated specs, but should still be above 400 lumen, which is probably much more then most people have. The real output is lower then stated because the LED is not receiving max rated current and is not the top of the bin (most LEDs aren't).

The simplest version of this mod is to use 3 NiMh cells, or 1 Li-ion call, and direct drive the LED. That means no resistor or driver, the LED is attached to the heatsink with the wires from the switch directly wired to the LED without going through a driver or resistor. Direct drive is fine as ling as the right voltage is going to the LED and there is a big enough heatsink. You can buy premade heatsinks and I've seen at least one person who used copper tubing parts to create a heatsink.
 
doh, DX links are down again ...

Sorry, I am not familiar with the bins atm, I have a more rugged point of view.

f.e.: DX-Lights,
as I typed - good starting point to get info, later good point to start modding.
Except for all their critics (machining, materials, quality, drivers, tint, brightness, ...) which come from cheap quality, they work.
GOOD QUALITY = COST
use it as is, learn the pro and cons, then You still can purchase good driver (Sandwich Shoppe, Taskeld, ...), good led in bin and tint You want, maybe other optic/reflector, maybe other lens, ...
but the most difference will come from the good driver that simply pushes the led harder,
while the original DX ones generally dont start with max and decrease output even then.
Thats quality.



But You have all the mechanical parts --> housing, led mounting/thermal plate, front glass, O-rings, reflector, ...,
very cheap and with a housing that looks good.
Much cheaper than when modding a Mag head (and thus no problem to drill holes in it for mouting it to bars/helmet)
Smaller also means less weight!

again to the MAIN POINT I already mentionned, the BATTERY.
You still have no clue at all considering this, and therefore still have no chance to start modding with a "target". With everything You finish, new problems will arise. Almost-finished, there will be a light, possibly able to run, but then You have to search for a battery ...
... because You did not think be4 starting ;)
As Gunner typed, when full power + 4 hours, You need a hell of a pack.

Imho, there are 2 ways:
2 in series Li-Ion = 7.2 V camcorder battpack like Canon BP945 with step-down driver for P7, or step-up driver for MC-E, or
4 in series Li-Ion = 14.4 V homemade pack (same drivers, but the MC-E in series might be a problem)
the Camcorder packs are the only way to stay in financially useful cost range.

Think it over
 
ok, if i can find any reasonably high quality dx lights, the dx lights are for sure,
also,
couldn't i build a better pack using six of these and a smart chargen from their website
Also, tell me if i understand how direct drive works, the voltage needs to be right, but thats all?
i just found this battery pack on sale from all battery
http://www.all-battery.com/li-ion18...bprotectionbatterypackwithtycoconnectors.aspx
if i used the kd driver,it would last about 6 hours
I was wondering, what is the best kd/dx p7 or mce light
are the dx/kd p7s any more effiecent than a hotwire bulb?
where is most of the light for dx p7s lost?
and agian, are the dx binnign currect, because alot of the lights i like say d bin
are their any premade p7 drivers that are very effeicent?
 
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