FLuPIC in your Q-3, with zero effort?

OK, really not zero effort, but close.

I'm wondering if there is interest in a replacement heatsink assembly designed for the FLuPIC board? I'm thinking of making one for myself and I don't wish to use any parts from the existing curcuit. I personally don't want to strip the stock board just to have something to solder to. I other words, I want to drop the whole stock curcuit, heatsink ring and the led out of the light, and replace it with the FLuPIC, a new aluminum heatsink and a new led.

I realize some may wish to use the stock led, and that is great, two seconds with the soldering iron and job done.

Any thoughts?

TBase

Re: FLuPIC in your Q-3, with zero effort!

Send ViReN a PM. He made heatsinks out of copper

Re: FLuPIC in your Q-3, with zero effort!

Kryosphinx said:

Send ViReN a PM. He made heatsinks out of copper

Click to expand...

Are ViReN's made for the FLuPIC board? I thought it would be nice to be able to pop the board in the sink, run the wires to the led and stuff it back in the Q. There would be space to fill with thermal compound, or use it the way it is. If you wished to return the light to its original config. nothing would be destroyed.

I think what ViReN has to offer is excellent!

I'm looking to do something specific with this little board. I have two of them and would like to try one out asap, this just seems like quickest way for me to it without waisting any components.

TBase

Re: FLuPIC in your Q-3, with zero effort!

I don't know... if you're going to go to all that trouble and regulate it, you might as well upgrade at least a TW0H or TX0H.

Re: FLuPIC in your Q-3, with zero effort!

cratz2 said:

I don't know... if you're going to go to all that trouble and regulate it, you might as well upgrade at least a TW0H or TX0H.

Click to expand...

That is my plan.

Others may wish to try this with the existing led, and still have all the cool benifits of the FLuPIC without breaking the piggy bank.

Most of the new generation Q-3's I've sold in the last few months have had some really nice tints. In practical use my eyes don't detect tint variation.

I installed a UX1K in my EDC, and to be honest, there seems to be a bigger gain switching from the primary cell to a rechargable Li-Ion (stock curcuit) than there is from changing the led. I sent a UX1K to a friend, and he came to a similar conclusion.

For anybody out there thinking of swapping leds, I'm not knocking the U bin in any way shape or form, in fact mine will remain in my EDC Q-3. I'm just making a comparison using the (stock curcuit) that is in the Q-3 from Nuwai.

Re: FLuPIC in your Q-3, with zero effort!

TranquillityBase said:

I installed a UX1K in my EDC, and to be honest, there seems to be a bigger gain switching from the primary cell to a rechargable Li-Ion (stock curcuit) than there is from changing the led. I sent a UX1K to a friend, and he came to a similar conclusion.

Click to expand...

I'd definately agree with that. I think I'd still have to have a T-bin since they are so relatively cheap now, but I'd rather have a good S-bin and an R123 than a U-bin and a primary in the Q3.

Re: FLuPIC in your Q-3, with zero effort!

TranquillityBase said:

OK, really not zero effort, but close.

I'm wondering if there is interest in a replacement heatsink assembly designed for the FLuPIC board? I'm thinking of making one for myself and I don't wish to use any parts from the existing curcuit. I personally don't want to strip the stock board just to have something to solder to. I other words, I want to drop the whole stock curcuit, heatsink ring and the led out of the light, and replace it with the FLuPIC, a new aluminum heatsink and a new led.

I realize some may wish to use the stock led, and that is great, two seconds with the soldering iron and job done.

Any thoughts?

TBase

Click to expand...

I assume that by removing the stock circuit and replacing it with a FLuPIC, the FLuPIC modded light would not have the ability to boost 3V CR123 primaries anymore and would thus be less bright than the stock light when using primaries (roughly equivalent to the JIL DD on primaries). However it would get full brightness from rechargeable 3.6V LiIon RCR123's plus all the benefits of the FLuPIC's modes. It sounds a lot like a larger and somewhat less expensive version of the JIL Intelli.

Re: FLuPIC in your Q-3, with zero effort!

vortechs said:

I assume that by removing the stock circuit and replacing it with a FLuPIC, the FLuPIC modded light would not have the ability to boost 3V CR123 primaries anymore and would thus be less bright than the stock light when using primaries (roughly equivalent to the JIL DD on primaries). However it would get full brightness from rechargeable 3.6V LiIon RCR123's plus all the benefits of the FLuPIC's modes. It sounds a lot like a larger and somewhat less expensive version of the JIL Intelli.

Click to expand...

I'm very lost with the electronics end of it, but I only use a 17670 battery in my Q, so this sounds good to me. I bought two of the boards without knowing exactly what I was going to use them for or in, so I thought my Q-3 would be a good place to start. I can remove the existing guts, make the new board holder/sink add my TWOJ star and give it a go. If I like it, I will make some scratch built flashlights, I think I'm ready to try something new.

Re: FLuPIC in your Q-3, with zero effort!

I have one built specifically for the flupic .. if you need one please check this link and This link

Re: FLuPIC in your Q-3, with zero effort!

Very nice!

So the board fits in the recess...Solder the wires onto the board and feed through the holes for the star. What protects the board from shorting out? How to you make conductivity with the aluminum sink? Will solder stick to aluminum?

Thanks for the help ViReN,

TBase

Re: FLuPIC in your Q-3, with zero effort!

Thanks for chiming in Viren, Your the master when it comes to Q3 heatsinks.
I,ve tried the FLuPIC with a UWOK and it was fine but I ended up installing the UWOK star in my direct drive, IMS reflector, mineral crystal, two stage tail cap clickie Q3.
I felt the FLuPIC was better served pushing amps and all those amazing features in a rather good generic style "fire" host from 2004 because it had a great deep reflector and could take a 17500 cell. It still rocks with a TX1J star.
Love that strobe.

Just my two cents worth.
I'm holding out for the K2 emitters from 4 7's

Re: FLuPIC in your Q-3, with zero effort!

Thanks LumenHound

TranquillityBase said:

Very nice!

So the board fits in the recess...Solder the wires onto the board and feed through the holes for the star. What protects the board from shorting out? How to you make conductivity with the aluminum sink? Will solder stick to aluminum?

Thanks for the help ViReN,

TBase

Click to expand...

Yes it would fit as said by LumenHound, i didnt try it personaly, but others have verified and it worked...

for maximum heat conductivity, you could use Artic Silver or Alumina over the heatsink.

Aluminium soldering with Tin solder ... not sure if it will work out... morelikely, the solder temprature heat will render the LED nonfunctional if you are trying to solder star / emitter base to the heat sink. (to tell you a secret... :green: I had lost 1 emitter while trying to do such thing on minimag AA heat sink)

Re: FLuPIC in your Q-3, with zero effort!

I am useless with a soldering iron and this would just be what i'm looking for.
Hope you get some intrest so this can happen. Any idea of price.

Re: FLuPIC in your Q-3, with zero effort!

Oh how I wish people would put question marks at the end of threadtitles... I think this is the fourth time this week I've gotten all excited and then been dissapointed to find out the thread is actually a question.

Had to vent.

Re: FLuPIC in your Q-3, with zero effort!

oracle2 said:

I am useless with a soldering iron and this would just be what i'm looking for.
Hope you get some intrest so this can happen. Any idea of price.

Click to expand...

You would still have to solder the wires to the board and to the led. I'll give it a go later today and see what I can come up with.

Re: FLuPIC in your Q-3, with zero effort!

Whoa, Viren is the master at those heatsinks!

I want to reserve one or two for my Q3s as well. If people are interested, I can get a few more and make up Q3 sandwhiches with the flupic. To install the flupic, I would solder two wires from the flupic board then to the led. Add a little more solder on the -'ve side so the negative will touch the whole heatsink therefore providing ground to the board as well.

Some other things you can do is put a little epoxy on the underside to hold the flupic tight inplace.

BTW, I have lots of singlel stage switches for the Q3 so if you want to reverse the Q3 dual stage mod or replce the new problematic Q3 momentary switches.

Cheers!

Viren, you :rock:

Re: FLuPIC in your Q-3, with zero effort!

Here it is, my make it work now solution. It might be crap? This is my first official mod, where I'm in control of the soldering iron...yikes! I just bought some solder from rat shack, but all their wire looked too big, smallest was 22 gauge, what now? I also bought a 15 watt soldering iron, is this right for the job?

Help me make it go! Please!

I do have a salvaged muffin fan that has tiny gauge wire that I can use, is this good?

I'm also concerned about some of the components that are very close to the ledge that the board sits on. If one of the tiny black box looking things touches ground, is it lights out/board fried? I want to do this right the first time. Help!

Re: FLuPIC in your Q-3, with zero effort!

Yeah them LDO's are close man.
Is that your work on the Q3 Heatsink TranquillityBase?
Nice work
Solder the ground on the Flupic to the wobbly ground spring and to the LED also.
Then Solder the LED + on Flupic to the LED + on LED then happy Days.
I'm sure some compound/epoxy would help with insulating the components on the Flupic from grounding.

(My popcorns on the stove)

Sign me up for a couple. Where can I get that heatsink?

It just looks like you have to take a dremel or something to cut a few notches for the legs of the LDO regulators. Some epoxy to hold things together..

Re: FLuPIC in your Q-3, with zero effort!

I just wire it up with test leads and some wire, and it works! WOO HOO! I didn't blow anything up.

I made the heatsink about an hour ago, it's very easy to make. One chucking in the lathe for all operations (not many) and one trip to the milling machine. I used an 1/8" end mill for the wire slots.

I bought silver bearing solder, is this good for my project? And is the 15 watt iron the right wattage for this? Whats LDO stand for?

Also, what wire should I use? Should I go back to rat shack and buy the 22 gauge?

Last question, can I put a solder blob on the battery + pad without fear of cooking the whole thing?

Help!