simple high/low drop-in for Arc LS

[gadget_lover]

Re: simple high/low drop-in for Arc LS / L4

Wolfen, the mod should work in a Kroll in an L4, but we haven't established the appropriate wattage or resistance for the L4. I'll have one to examine within a week, so I'll let you know then.

Daniel

 

[this_is_nascar]

Re: simple high/low drop-in for Arc LS / L4

Daniel, it arrived today. It took me an entire 30-seconds to be up and running in my ARC LSH-P. This MOD kicks ***. You are da' man.

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/bowdown.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/buttrock.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif

I'd like you to make me 2-more units please. I will pay you $15.00 each, assuming you feel that's a fair price for parts and labor. I hope my offer doesn't insult you if, in fact, I'm too low on my offering.

 

[gadget_lover]

Re: simple high/low drop-in for Arc LS / L4

Nascar, are you sure you don't just want the parts so you can enjoy the thrill of assembling it yourself? The smell of curing epoxy and burned fingertips from the soldering iron can be (ahem) invigorating.

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

If you really want be to do it for you, I will. I'm doing another batch because my new LSH came with the 123-tsp and the 2AA TSP. It's amazing how quickly I became used to having it. Send me a PM to let me know if you want parts VS assembled.

I hope the one I sent Peter Gransee worked just as well. I'd really like to see him make and sell them with the LS line to keep it alive after the ARC4 is available. It would not be as efficient as the ARC4, but it does make it more than competitive with the SF L1.

Daniel

 

[TCG]

Re: simple high/low drop-in for Arc LS / L4

Well, my mailbox was empty today, so I can't share the joy quite yet. I did fool around and do some looking at my L4 thou.

A 10 ohm 1/4 watt resistor across the back brings my L4 to about the same brightness as my lsh-p. Held it there for about 1 minute and the resistor didn't get very warm. Not enough hands to measure the current at the moment.

Replacing the spring on the Z57 clicky switch should work very well. The spring is the only thing that touches the back of the battery. Problem is there doesn't seem to be an easy way of non-destructivley removing the spring from the Z57. I took it apart (what a ***** that was) in hopes that the part connected to the battery spring could be removed and replace with something machined to fit. Not quite that easy. Need to think on it some more.

The lotc (z52?) from the e1e shows more promise. The spring is similarly sized to the kroll battery spring and pulls out of a pocket the same way. The diameter of the spring pockets are close enough that the springs can be interchanged. A mod very similar to what Daniel has created would probably work well with the lotc. Possibly even the same mod he created for the lsh. The spring pocket in the lotc measures 0.030 smaller in diameter than the pocket in the kroll.

Might try something like that after I examine Daniels handywork when it arrives. Odds are the talented Daniel and his magic bottle of glue might beat me to it thou. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Todd

 

[gadget_lover]

Re: simple high/low drop-in for Arc LS / L4

Todd, Is that the level you would want? How about others? Does a 20 Ohm resistor give you something close to an Arc AA level?

If the spring on the L4 is similar to the one on my L1, I'd imagine that the spring could be fully compressed and trapped there by a second spring assembly that fits up against the sides of the cap.

What we are hoping is that there will be a reasonable way to add a third contact leg to the Z57 tailcap.

Daniel

 

[TCG]

Re: simple high/low drop-in for Arc LS / L4

Here is the z57 (by the light of the Super Baby Pin /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif)

Hard to see, but the spring is wrapped around a small center post that is then flaired out with a punch or press. It would be easy to remove, but hard to put back.

20 ohms is a little brighter than the arc aaa. lots bigger beam thou. It would be very usable at that level.

Todd

 

[gadget_lover]

Re: simple high/low drop-in for Arc LS / L4

Funny, my previous pictures were illuminated by my LSH! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

That's not the same spring design as the L1. It might be possible to trim this spring down and put a second one outside it connected by a resistor. I'm not sure it would work well. I'm still thinking that a third contact may be the way to go with this switch.

Yet another other thought was a thin wavy washer the same diameter as the battery tube that would sit between the tailcap and the battery tube. It could be built to have lower resistance when the peaks were pressed down. With the right materials (nichrome wire?) it might even act as a variable resistor.

Hmmmmmm.

Daniel

 

[this_is_nascar]

Re: simple high/low drop-in for Arc LS / L4

Daniel, PM sent.

 

[this_is_nascar]

Re: simple high/low drop-in for Arc LS / L4

I don't know anything about resistors and electronics and all that good stuff, so bare with me. I have a question concerning this MOD. I haven't had the time to prove this one way or the other on this one that I have. Since this resistor is cutting the current flow to the LED, how does that affect runtime. For example, a normal LSH running un-modded yeilds 2-hours of constant bright light. With this MOD in low-beam mode, am I still only to expect 2-hours or will the runtime be largly increased?

 

[TCG]

Re: simple high/low drop-in for Arc LS / L4

Would you like an explanation or just an answer.

The simple answer is that in the low level mode the run time will be greatly increased. Compared to something like the arc4 at the same brightness, the runtimes will be shorter. Power is wasted in the resistor.

The worst case would be to choose a resistor that left the light in regulation. Then the runtime would actually go down with the resistor in place.

An experiment is worth a thousand words. Put your light on low, and let it run all night. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

If you would like, I could try to explain in more detail later tonight.

Todd

 

[this_is_nascar]

Re: simple high/low drop-in for Arc LS / L4

Thanks Todd. Running the light all night is exactly what I'm planning to do. It's be running for about 40-minutes now. I think I may be able to prove or dissprove this by letting the light run in low-mode for 2.5 hours or so, then try to go to high. If high-beam yields sun-mode, that would prove to me that less power is being consumed, since normal moon-mode would occur at the 2 hour and 10 minute mark on this particular LSH.

 

[gadget_lover]

Re: simple high/low drop-in for Arc LS / L4

The resistor is in series with the electronics. It forces it out of regulation. The resistor drops the current to about 30ma, depending on the resistance of the circuitry and LED. Assuming 1300 mah in a CR123a, that's 43 hours at 30ma. As the battery voltage drops, so does the current and the LED light level.

I've run mine for 24 hours straight. I posted about it somewhere in this thread. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif I started with a battery that was used for a while, then turned it on and left it on. At 12 hours I stopped the test to see if it would still enter Sun-mode. Yup, it did. It started to dim after 16 hours or so, but was still usable at 24 hours. It came back to a nice bright 'moon mode' when I put it in high beam after 24 hours.

I'm guessing that I can get about 30 - 40 hours of moon mode IF I don't use sun-mode and start with fresh batteries. I figure that mine's mostly in moon mode, and I use it for 5 to 10 minutes a day. I'll have to replace the battery sometime in March to assure that I have Sun-mode when I want it. If I just use it till it dims out I'll be replacing the battery in June or July.

I'm sure the ARC4 will do even better simply because it uses PWM for dimming instead of resistance. It will also step down to the next level when the battery can no longer handle the currnt required for the current level.

Daniel

 

[this_is_nascar]

Re: simple high/low drop-in for Arc LS / L4

The is awesome. Last night, I ran on dim-mode from 9:15 pm until 6:00 am this morning. I had left the light on the LM631. It had only dropped 2-ticks the entire time. I than fired up to full power and sun mode light brightly. I didn't have a chance to leave it on sun-mode very long, but it was nice to see that it was capable of doing so.

 

[Klaus]

Re: simple high/low drop-in for Arc LS / L4

Talking about 2 ticks makes me think you talk about the ARC4 and not the "moon spring" though ?

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif

Klaus

 

[this_is_nascar]

Re: simple high/low drop-in for Arc LS / L4

No, I'm talking about this modification. The light meter only dropped 2-ticks, numbers, units (call it what you will). This is extremely impressive.

 

[Klaus]

Re: simple high/low drop-in for Arc LS / L4

Sorry Ray - I was just confused as the digital regulation on the ARC4 was referred to as "ticks" and so I thought as a tester of those units you just posted in the wrong thread.

Klaus

 

[Alan Hsu]

Re: simple high/low drop-in for Arc LS / L4

Now if someone can make the modded Kroll switch as a regular item at the Shoppe...

 

[gadget_lover]

Re: simple high/low drop-in for Arc LS / L4

I've found that using JB-WELD instead of normal epoxy is a good idea for this project.

JB-Weld allows you to make final solder connections without the epoxy melting. Kwik JB-Weld is not as temperature tollerant (only good for 300 degress) but cures in a couple hours and sets quickly. The Kwik version does not appear to have any problems with short soldering sessions.

Daniel

 

[Likebright]

Re: simple high/low drop-in for Arc LS / L4

I just received my drop in Kroll switch mod from gadget lover and I have to say it is a great addition to my Arc LSH. With the two power levels it doubles the versatility of the light.
Great Job Dan! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink2.gif
Thanks
Mike

 

[MR Bulk]

Re: simple high/low drop-in for Arc LS / L4

GOT mine yesterday, but have not had a chance to try it yet. Just wanted to say THANKS, Daniel! Let me know if you ever need anything...