Lambda's "Ill Pill"

Re: Lambda\'s "Ill Pill"

Just got my "pill" in the mail today. Pretty simple drop-in mod. I did have to grind the lip on the battery barrel a little. Could not get it to turn off until I realized that I should have left the old lens in place in the head - replaced the lens and it works like a charm! Seems brighter than my Arc LSS - very nice. Don't have a Lambda Illuminator(yet) to compare it to. Nice job Lambda! May have to get another one(or two).

Re: Lambda\'s "Ill Pill"

Sounds good and all, but how do you go about getting one?

Re: Lambda\'s "Ill Pill"

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Slick:
Sounds good and all, but how do you go about getting one?

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Slick,

Check in the Buy/Sell/Trade forum for the thread "The Ill Pill - drop in Luxeon LED for 2 AA flashlights".

Still in the preliminary test and evaluation phase, so just shipping limited numbers right now to be sure everything is right before any mass production takes place.

Lambda

Re: Lambda\'s "Ill Pill"

lambda,

You could have a real winner here. Not just for CPF members, but for the mass market. Just think how many minimags there are out there.

If everything tests out, you should consider a commercial venture, if you haven't already done so. Perhaps I wouldn't give out too many details on this forum in the meantime.

Re: Lambda\'s "Ill Pill"

Thanks Lambda, I lost track of the thread after it moved to the other forum..

I've book marked your webpage and will check it for updates. I wouldn't mind building the complete kit, but my monitor sux and I couldn't really see what was going on in the kit building instruction photos..

Lambda\'s "Ill Pill"

It's here! Lambda's "Ill Pill" modification for the Mini-Mag has arrived.


The "Ill Pill" mod.


When you take out the batteries, be sure this doesn't fall in the carpet and end up inside the vacuum cleaner bag.
You can always count on me to bring you REALLY up close and personal to something tiny like this.


The customary beam shot.

Measurements later - the equipment I use for this was set up to measure the eclipse and hasn't been taken down and moved back here yet. It's too hot to stay here and work on this stuff today, with indoor temps expected to spike past 40°C later today (around 34-35°C outdoors), and there's no air conditioner. Warmest day we've had in Seattle since 1998, so they say.
Yuk.

I promise I'll move all the equipment back tomorrow and get some measurements on this bad bo.y

Re: Lambda\'s "Ill Pill"

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Slick:
I wouldn't mind building the complete kit, but my monitor sux and I couldn't really see what was going on in the kit building instruction photos..<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I don't think it's your monitor.

Lambda, should I send you my digital camera so you can re-shoot the assembly instructions in a larger, easier-to-see format? The self-timer is a pain in the toilet muscle to use (press Menu, scroll down to Self-Timer & press it, press Menu again, and then set up the shot and click the shutter) but it probably beats not having a self-timer at all.
Oh, and you'll need a tripod of some kind. Any kind will work as long as it has the standard attachment screw to go into the camera body. Do you have one or know somebody you can bum one off of for awhile?

Re: Lambda\'s "Ill Pill"

Craig, thanks for the offer, but I have gotten a hold of a camera with a macro lens set to try and re-shoot the pictures this weekend. That with a couple drawings hopefuly will make things clear.

Re: Lambda\'s "Ill Pill"

Craig/Kevin,

My Mavica has auto macro capability and when I get my Pill, prior to installation I will take photos of it in however many orientations/poses you think necessary. Let me know...

Re: Lambda\'s "Ill Pill"

Just got my pill! I got a bit macho with the dremel and ground off ALL of the lip on the battery tube. Result....NO LIGHT! Near as I can tell, must have some lip on the tube to make the connection. A little tap with the back of my Buck knife, and presto...a new lip. Now it works!!! Note!!! the on/off is reversed from a normal MiniMag.

B]added later:[/B]

Kinda sorta made comparison with my ARC SLS 2AA, MiniMag with a direct drive LS and the pill. Used a photo cell and a multimeter reading millivolts.

ARC SLS 2aa.....210 mv
Direct drive MiniMag.....63 mv
MiniMag Pill.....220 mv

I used the same set of batteries in all three flashlights.

B]added later, later[/B]

Now you know why I make a good beta tester...if it can get screwed up, I'll find a way to do it!.


added later,later,later

Finally figured out what I was doing wrong....the pill goes in through the BOTTOM of the battery tube, not the top!!

Re: Lambda\'s "Ill Pill"

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Roy:
Just got my pill! I got a bit macho with the dremel and ground off ALL of the lip on the battery tube. Result....NO LIGHT! Near as I can tell, must have some lip on the tube to make the connection. A little tap with the back of my Buck knife, and presto...a new lip. Now it works!!! Note!!! the on/off is reversed from a normal MiniMag.

added later:

Kinda sorta made comparison with my ARC SLS 2AA, MiniMag with a direct drive LS and the pill. Used a photo cell and a multimeter reading milliamps.

ARC SLS 2aa.....210 ma
Direct drive MiniMag.....63 ma
MiniMag Pill.....220 ma

I used the same set of batteries in all three flashlights.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Roy!

If you ground off all the battery tube lip, there is nothing for the pill to transfer heat to. It will most likely burn up if you run it very long.

Get another MiniMag and slow down, the remaining lip needs to be at least 1/16" for proper heat transfer.

I never envisioned grinding it all off, as I said to use a file or Xacto knife (slow and steady, check work, do some more, check work, etc.)............

Also, I cannot understand what you mean by the on/off works backwards??? It should work exactly like the original, screw down for off, loosen for on....

Re: Lambda\'s "Ill Pill"

I know the circuit in the pill is the same as in the Illuminator, so, is it safe to say that the runtime and brightness should be the same? Is the 'pill' set to push the same current to the LS?

Re: Lambda\'s "Ill Pill"

Well, even though I don't have the "Ill Pill" yet (still waiting for it to be made available), I already tried filing my Minimag's tube lip to see how easy it is to do. I found out that if you use a really sharp exacto knife, that its much easier to control the amount of aluminum that you shave off from the flashlight. Just please make sure to wear some kind of an eye shield or some kind of an eye protection everytime you file or ground off one of the these things. Just as a precaution.

Take care!

ZEPH

Re: Lambda\'s "Ill Pill"

Updated IllPill assembly instructions now posted at http://home.mchsi.com/~lambda/mpill.htm
.

Re: Lambda\'s "Ill Pill"

For those interested, I'm at this moment in the process of typing up the web page for the Ill Pill that was so graciously provided me by Lambda.

The URL is expected to be www.ledmuseum.org/lambda4.htm when it is published later this evening; assuming my computer doesn't sh*t itself again before I finish.

Re: Lambda\'s "Ill Pill"

Your initial page is up. www.ledmuseum.org/lambda4.htm


I'll try to get the rest of the laboratory powered up after it gets dark enough tonight and take care of all the measurements for both the Pill and the Hydra.