Newbie ROP question

[Mattmanic]

Hello,

I have a 2d and a 6d maglite. The 6d doesn't really seem to be all that much brighter than the 2 d LED. So I thought I should probably do something about it. I've ordered the Pelican bulb and a UCL lens and now obviously need a new reflector and some batteries.

First off I'm in the UK and can't find anywhere in the country that sells aluminium reflectors which is a problem. How long exactly do you need to keep a 24w pelican on for to melt the plastic reflector? If it's under a couple of minutes where is a good place to get a metal one?

And battery wise, will alkalines do until I buy a battery pack? I still have about 15 lying around and they weren't cheap. Although that would equate to 9v through a 6v bulb so I'm not sure if it would enjoy it.

For rechargeables I'm looking cheap due to not having a job but still wanting a really bright torch. So I've found 2 candidates:

http://www.mindyourfingers.co.uk/P361.html
I could just buy 3 packs of these, shrink wrap them together and charge them with 2 wires from my charger taped to the ends or something.

http://www.budgetbatteries.co.uk/20...m_source=affiliatewindow&utm_medium=affiliate
I'm not totally sure if these will provide enough juice but they seem alright and about double the capacity too.

So! Would someone like to point out my failings/guide me in the right direction?

Thanks
Matt

 

[DM51]

Welcome to CPF, Mattmanic.

I'll move your thread to the Incandescent section, where there you will also find other threads about ROPs.

 

[Barrie]

Hello from sunny Scotland

:welcome: you will find the UK hopeless to get parts you will have to order on line
light hound - DX and KD can all be found on CPF just do a search at the top of the page i spent weeks trying to find what i was after in the UK and we simply don't have it
if money is tight then KDs do free postage but it will take a few week to get here quality can be a bit hit or miss
i have used light hound with no problems for bulbs DX i have not ordered from yet but believe his stuff can be a bit hit or miss for quality just check if there is a review for the parts you want to buy before ordering
Barrie
Ps try aldi and lidl stores for the rechagable D size batterys £2.50-£3 for a pack of 2

 

[Barrie]

try here http://www.kaidomain.com/

 

[gswitter]

How long exactly do you need to keep a 24w pelican on for to melt the plastic reflector?

I doubt anyone can tell you exactly how long a stock reflector can survive the heat from a ROP bulb. I wouldn't try it with the ROP high bulb, unless you have a spare reflector.

Some people have claimed to use the stock reflector with the ROP low bulb, but I don't recall if they limited the set-up to short burst or if the reflector can survive longer runs. (The ROP bulbs come in pairs - one high current and one low current.)

If it's under a couple of minutes where is a good place to get a metal one?

Forums members fivemega and litho123 sell them. You can also get them from brightlumens.com, dealextreme.com, kaidomain.com, etc.

And battery wise, will alkalines do until I buy a battery pack?

Depends on your definition of "will alkalines do". They'll probably light up the bulb, but it won't be nearly as bright as with NiMH or NiCad cells.

http://www.mindyourfingers.co.uk/P361.html
I could just buy 3 packs of these, shrink wrap them together and charge them with 2 wires from my charger taped to the ends or something.

These are junk - low quality AA cell cores in D cell packaging.

http://www.budgetbatteries.co.uk/20...m_source=affiliatewindow&utm_medium=affiliate
I'm not totally sure if these will provide enough juice but they seem alright and about double the capacity too.

Gotta be better than the Energizer NiMH D's.

The price seems a little high. Can't you find loose NiCad D cells for under £4 a piece?

So! Would someone like to point out my failings/guide me in the right direction?

For a budget ROP build, the 6D is tough - decent quality rechargeable D cells are rarely cheap. The Powerizer NiMH D's from batteryspace.com are popular for budget builds, but I don't know if you can get them cheap in the U.K. Maybe use the 2D instead, and salvage a pair of 18650 Li-ion cells from an old laptop battery? Still have to account for the price of a charger though.

 

[Mattmanic]

I've had another look around and I've found these:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/8-x-AA-Rechar...s_SM?hash=item5634fae753&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

2 sets of those and some of these:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Battery-Conve...s_SM?hash=item1c0b2fec6e&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

Will those cases stand up to the heat? In parallel those AAs should provide about 5200mah at a total cost of £21 for both of my torches. This is cheaper and cheap is obviously good but if stuff melts then it is bad.


As for a reflector I have semi decided on: http://kaidomain.com/ProductDetails.aspx?ProductId=5631

Or should I go with the OP version?

Both seem to have plenty of decent reviews.


Sorry for all the questions but I hate to spend money unless it's definitely worth it. Cheapskate :twothumbs

Thanks
Matt

 

[Mattmanic]

Double post, sorry.

 

[Chrontius]

I've had good results with my Kai ROP reflector and lens. You shouldn't regret buying that one... though I used the MOP version. Your choice will throw a beam further, I was looking for something mid-ranged.

Loose ni-cads > stick ni-cads. With the right charger, you'll get much better cell balance, and your batteries will last longer. Also, when one of your cells goes, you only need to replace one cell this way. Also, cradle-style stick chargers are expensive and hard to find, otherwise you get to build your own cradle to hook a pack charger into.

 

[KiwiMark]

And battery wise, will alkalines do until I buy a battery pack? I still have about 15 lying around and they weren't cheap. Although that would equate to 9v through a 6v bulb so I'm not sure if it would enjoy it.

Haha - no the alkalines are not going to work. It isn't because the voltage is too high at 9V, it is because under the 4.5A load of the ROP High bulb you will not even get 6V out of them. They just can't deliver the current. You wont have a bright torch on alkalines.

http://www.mindyourfingers.co.uk/P361.html
I could just buy 3 packs of these, shrink wrap them together and charge them with 2 wires from my charger taped to the ends or something.

cheap, but rubbish! 2500mAh is pretty average for AA cells, but for D cells?

http://www.budgetbatteries.co.uk/20...m_source=affiliatewindow&utm_medium=affiliate
I'm not totally sure if these will provide enough juice but they seem alright and about double the capacity too.

Well, those would work fine. I have some 10 year old 4000mAh NiCd cells - they work fine in my 6D ROP High. They won't run as long as good 10,000mAh NiMH cells, but I already had them so they cost me nothing.

Here in NZ I don't know where to find 99% of the good torch stuff, so I buy online and wait for stuff to arrive. I wouldn't call www.kaidomain.com quick, but everything I have ordered from them has arrived eventually and I have no problems with the quality of their reflectors. As mentioned already www.lighthound.com are good. www.dealextreme.com are another company that does free worldwide shipping like kaidomain. If you want an LED torch or 2 then you should check out www.4sevens.com - they also offer free freight.

Here is a list of companies that can be worth checking when you want stuff:
http://www.cpfmarketplace.com/mp/showthread.php?t=181841

 

[Mjolnir]

Those Energizer "D cell" Nimh batteries are really just a smaller cell (about the same size of a AA cell) surrounded by plastic to make it the same size as a normal D. They are basically a scam intended to rip off people who do not know what Mah means, and have no idea about typical battery capacities.

 

[Mattmanic]

Ok, pretty much finalised my shopping list now, I promise.

Found some cheaper and even better value/make AAs to use with D converters. And after having a look around and seeing what other people have done with multiple AA configurations I decided to buy them.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/8-pcs-AA-3000...s_SM?hash=item3ca5a416e4&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Battery-Conve...s_SM?hash=item1c0b2fec6e&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

That'll give me 6000mah at an equivalent cost of £2.4475 per cell. Job done


On another note could anyone enlighten me on how to work out the discharge rate of a cell? Also whether more cells=higher maximum discharge rate. 12 AAs totally 7.2v and 6000mah should be able to provide the ~4 amps required shouldn't they?

Matt

 

[KiwiMark]

On another note could anyone enlighten me on how to work out the discharge rate of a cell? Also whether more cells=higher maximum discharge rate. 12 AAs totally 7.2v and 6000mah should be able to provide the ~4 amps required shouldn't they?

1 x AA = 1.2V
2 x AA in series = 2.4V
2 x AA in parallel = 1.2V and can provide twice the amperage.

You are going with the 2 x AA in parallel - this will provide more amps/less voltage sag at given amps. This should work well. If the current draw is 4.5 Amps then each AA will only have to provide 2.25A - this should not be too much to ask of a 3000mAh cell and you should be able to get over 1 hour from 12 fully charged AA cells.

6 x 10,000mAh cells would perform better and run longer, but I assume that would cost you a lot more money (US$12ea before freight costs).