ROP LE 2C: Would love a bit of advice

[RickB]

Hi All,

I'm itching to try my first hotwire mod, and thought I'd try the Mag 2C ROP LE (lithium edition) as shown here:

http://lights.lightrefineries.org/?page_id=35

Here's the parts list I've come up with:

Mag 2C host
Bulbs (FL-3854)
Lens (borofloat or UCL?)
Batteries (4x18650 unprotected from AW; 2 in the light and 2 in the charger)
Charger (Ultrafire Multi-Battery Charger 14500 / 17500 / 18500 / 18650 / RCR123 3.7 volt Lithium Battery Charger)
Reflector (fivemega dual-function MOP)

My questions:
-Lens/Window: Borofloat or UCL? I like the idea of more light going out the front (-->UCL), but I don't like the idea of breaking a lens due to thermal stress (-->Borofloat).
-I've got the reflector coming from fivemega, probably get the host from Brightguy and all the rest from Lighthound. Any general comments on the parts or sources? I'd like to get good parts from the good places, to make a good light!

Thanks as always for the good advice!

-Rick

 

[mdocod]

wait a couple/few weeks... AW will have protected C size li-ions available with over 3AH capacity that will light up an ROP high on a single click.... this way you won't have to mess with tail cap mods, you'll have the safety of protection circuitry in the cell, and a longer running brighter light....
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=106075&page=1&pp=30

if you want to stick to 18650s and order this right away, might as well order LG-electronics 2600mah unprotected cells..
http://www.all-battery.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=1600
http://www.batteryspace.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=2763

 

[RickB]

mdocod,

Thanks for the tip on the C-sized protected cells. Looks like a better fit, and I can wait a bit. Do you think the Ultrafire charger will work with these? Or is there something more suitable available?

Any thoughts on the UCL vs. Borofloat issue? ROP high would be the biggest bulb I'd put into this, and probably wouldn't run it very long at a stretch.

If all goes well and I have fun, I may "graduate" to D-sized Mags and start to play with some of the higher-powered stuff...

Thanks again!

-Rick

 

[VWTim]

I personally use Borafloat's in all my mag mods. I've used UCL's before and cracked a couple as I try to use all my lights. The Borafloat's are tougher.

 

[Timson]

I use Borofloat on my hotwire's and UCL's on my Luxeon mods.

The Ultrafire will charge the C cells that AW has coming - you'll need some of those magnets with leads attached and some leads with croc-clips to attach from the chargers output to the afore-mentioned leads.

If you had something like a Triton - you'd have more flexibility with regards to charge rate and cut - off voltage.

Check this out too.

Tim

 

[LumenHound]

The UCL can handle the heat stress the ROP HI bulb will dish out.
I can't recall anyone ever reporting a broken UCL in their 2C ROP LE during normal use.
I've done many full duration burns on a ROP LE with a UCL and never had a problem.
If you were building something more powerful like a top rank Mag85 or beyond then the higher thermal stability of the borofloat lens would make for a safer choice.

 

[PeteBroccolo]

I built an ROP LE with a 3 C, borofloat lens, HS camless reflector, 2 of AW's protected 18650 cells, a brass spacer, some small magnets & a chunk of PVC pipe. It fires on the 2nd click.

 

[nightstalker101]

I was just useing my ROP to try to start paper on fire. I had the paper about 1 inch away from the lens (UCL) and after 3 minutes of smoking I herd a pop. I shut off the light and realized the lens had cracked in 3 places. Bummer. now I think I am going to get a Borofloat instead.

 

[bwaites]

Unlike Lumenhound, I have popped UCL's in ROP's, Mag11's, Mag74's and Mag85's.

The least common is Mag11's, then '74's, then ROP's, then '85's, but all of them are capable. The USL pops them on the first run about 50% of the time.

I now use Borofloat on my MagMods, although some of my UCL lens lasted as long as a year before going POP!

Bill

 

[RickB]

Thanks for all the input, guys. I guess I'm glad I only found out about the C lithium ions this week, because I'm real eager to get some, and others have been waiting for about a year now!

If you had something like a Triton - you'd have more flexibility with regards to charge rate and cut - off voltage.

Check this out too.

The Triton looks cool, but maybe overkill for my "starter" needs. Plus it looks like I'd need a power supply I don't have. The Alin one has flexibility going for it, although I like the idea of bays to pop the cells into. I'm thinking about getting some Radio Joke C cell holders to mate up with whatever charger I get.

Unlike Lumenhound, I have popped UCL's in ROP's, Mag11's, Mag74's and Mag85's.

I'm glad you weighed in, because I had convinced myself to go ahead and try UCL. The votes seem to be in favor of Borofloat for this application, so I'll go that way this time.

I'm going to go order some parts, and then wait impatiently for the C cells to go on sale!

-Rick