Solitaire 3mm Update

Because of newly availabile power sources, I'm making an improved mod suggestion fot both th Solitaire and the 2AAA Mini Mag.(This, more practical setup was made possible because of Mr."Ant" from the UK-finding a new site.) -yeah!
Anyone having a Solitare can Easily convert it to a powerful, reliable LED light that uses what I have found to be the BEST 3mm white LED available.
Put simply, besides the Solitaire, all that's needed is the LED-from "jbechto" OR part #142885 from www.jameco.com and 3 of the newly available NimH (125maH) batts from www.tnrtechnical.com
1. just swap out the old bulb for the new LED (after trimming its leads to proper length).
2. charge up the 3 new 1/3AAA batts. from TNR, reassemble and that's it!
Absolutely NO surgery,-anybody can do This one......
-You now have a focusable-to a pinpoint Spot, keyring light that's slightly more intense than the Arclight, and, of course u can recharge the cells over and over and over...........
The same Exact procedure was done on my 2AAA Mini-mag -using 3 new NimH 2/3AAA -(300maH) from TNR-and the results were also impressive on this flashlight.
The new batteries & LEDs fit absolutely perfectly in these 2 flashlights.
Btw-the little Solitaire ran about 2hrs20min. on those TINY little batteries.-I've not tested run time on the Mini-mag yet, but drawing 50ma. or so, It'll probably go at least 5-6hrs......
The only drawback to these conversions was the cost of the batts ($3.ea!),-but then you only buy 'em ONCE......

mr.lowtech

Wow. Talk about a simple conversion. Even I could handle that!

How do you charge those mini batteries? I have the venerable MAHA MH-C204F AA/AAA battery charger and it can only handle batteries in pairs. It can either do two or four batts at a time, so flashlights with odd numbers of batteries create problems.

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by RonM:
How do you charge those mini batteries? I have the venerable MAHA MH-C204F AA/AAA battery charger and it can only handle batteries in pairs. It can either do two or four batts at a time, so flashlights with odd numbers of batteries create problems.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
-Good question,
While that charger is sure a good one, you need a unit that of course can do at least a single batt. by itself.
A really good charger for this application is #28-1415 from: www.mcm.electronics.com ($13.)
-yes,it does 1-9 batteries simultaneously in N,AAA,AA,C,D,9v, and button cells. [L.R.44s etc.]
Another alternative is a small solar charger (and a 1AAA batt.holder) with selectable voltage (use 6v. pos.) and set it under an ordinary table lamp.The output should be 10-25ma for the 1/3AAAs (using the .1C charge rate).I think www.realgoods.com sells 'em.
You can use a DMM meter to check for proper ma. output, and position the panel under the lamp until u get that rate.

Videocal;
quote...." and 3 of the newly available NimH (125maH) batts from www.tnrtechnical.com ..."
I ordered the LEDs but
I see 2 batteries of the type you described at the jameco site -- which ones fit? The
"GP-12AAAM GP 1/3AAA"? --or the--
"H-1/3AAA VINNIC"?
--they are slightly different sizes...
otherwise -- if this works-- a tre elegante idea!!! VERY nice. ..Though I wish there was something to solder, my Metcal is getting a bit dusty...

Ted,
Order the H-1/3AAA (Vinnic) WITH the solder tabs,-from TNR-(not Jameco) as the batts otherwise have no nipples on the + (top) like consumer cells do,-so the tabs (cut down) will serve as the nipple.
p.s.-How much did that Metcal unit cost 'ya?

Videocal-
"...p.s.-I didn't see any suitable batts @ jameco-your post suggests [/QB][/QUOTE]..."
I misspoke, I meant to refer to the www.tnrtechnical.com site for the batteries...:>)
... wherefore I am off to forthwith...thanks again!
ps- the Metcal cost about $270, was on 'sale' at Wassco...

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Ted the Led:

ps- the Metcal cost about $270, was on 'sale' at Wassco...<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
OUCH!!!
Think I'll have to try eBay.
-got some SMDs to work on...

Videocal did you do any tests on how many amps the led was taking , and on the GP-12AAAM 1/3 AAA bateries you can just cut the platistic on top of the battery and take of the paper ring off ( it only lightly stuck on )and then you get the button top back ... i forgot to ask for the solder tags , not sure if you can do this with all bateries

have just got my batteries ( 1/3 AAA ) today , before i charged them i tested them it took a steady 32mA and 3.6v, but after charging the mA just when up and up , started at 30 mA but very soon got to 45 mA and was showing no sign of slowing down ,the voltage was 4.06 under load, put in a 15 Ohm ressistor and it was a steady 25.9 mA

i run a test to see how long it would last after an hour it was down to 20.7 mA after two it was 18.0 mA , at this point i tested it without the ressistor , it still was to much to run without a resitor in , the battteris were still giving 3.73 volts out under load,so i put a 10 Ohm in which is just enough to stop the amps running away , i will do a test at 10 Ohm to see how long it will keep on working for.

Ant

Ant,
The Solitaire with freshly charged 1/3AAAs was drawing 49.7ma at the start (no resistor involved), but I didn't measure the draw at the 2hr.20min. end of longevity test.
fyi-output at the end of the test was down about 70%....

Ted,

"Knees" - perfect term for those little flanges. When I did my Solitaire conversion, I used a fingernail file to remove the knees, worked well.

Joe

the stoppers lugs knees call them what you like but they do get in the way some times ,,, on the solitaire you have to get rid of them , i used a small drill with a 22mm carborundum cutting wheel

The 3mm LED from Jameco does indeed have a "dogbone" pattern when unfocused,(I just looked at it with the flashlite's head off)
But, in the Solitaire at least, it focuses right out when in actual operation....
On the Solitaire conversion, try leaving the LED's legs a little long at first, and then trimming off the leads gradually so that on activation, the light goes to a Spot without excessive turning of the bezel.
p.s.-I just use flush cutters and a thin flat file 2 remove those "knees".

I tried doing the conversion in another bi-pin 1aaa anonymous plastic flashlight.
I just folded up the tabs and stuffed the batteries in..I knew the batteries and circuit were good by the prompt supernoving of the filamented bi-pin bulb I forgot to remove...I trimmed the LED leads to the same length as the bi-pin, but they wouldn't seat because the
leads had flattened 'knees' -- wide points part way down the leads..I cut of the leads right above the 'knees' but then the leads proved too short to work..I put a second , untrimmed Led in (ordered three) and it worked. A very bright, yellow-white light, square inside a luminous white circle, strange, but bright! I will try trimming the leads to allow enough length to bend to fit into the pinholes below the knees, or maybe try grinding the knees flat...is this not a problem in an actual Solitaire?

Thanks guys.

"Truth is Light"

...by the way, why are we using this particular LED? Are the leads thinner than other LEDs ?? Or is just that the bulb is small enough to fit under the Solitaire head? (I Have no extra LEDs here at the moment to try...)

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Ted the Led:
...by the way, why are we using this particular LED? Are the leads thinner than other LEDs ?? Or is just that the bulb is small enough to fit under the Solitaire head? (I Have no extra LEDs here at the moment to try...)<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

On my conversion, I selected that particular LED because of:
1. it's brightness-compared to the other 3mm ones I had
2. wanted to do the mod. Without drilling the reflector out to accept a 5mm LED.
BTW-output tests showed that even with the little 3mm, (rated @2600mcd)-the brightness was almost as good as some of my other 5mm conversions.
I didn't see any difference in thickness of the leads (compared to a 5mm) on the LED -except for the stopper lugs. This little LED only draws 20ma.on average -giving a solid 2.5 hours running time, and performance, when focused, comparable to my Arclight.

i am using the nichia 5mm one ,,, you do have to make the hole bigger in the reflector , but a 3mm led is the right size so easier to fit.

Ant