DIY SF-MN21 (MNxx) to BiPin Conversion - Method +Photos

Hi

This is the Method I posted before all over the place ! ! !

Works for Small Bi-Pins
eg.
Osram 64275AX (slight grinding to fit through mirror hole)
Philips 5761 (some need edges taking off crimp area of glass too)
WA 1185 etc. (No need to cut slots if only fitting WA bulbs)

How 2
Take one used (blown) MN21
1. Un-solder the springs from MN21
2. Break off bulb (mind your eyes)
3. Drill / Dremmel out centre potting and stuff.
4. Cut slot - my Leatherman saw was just the right width
5. File edges so that bumps on side of bulb slide down but locate bulb nicely centred
6. Dremmel tiny bit off each side of bulb sides near bottom until goes through M6 mirror hole
6B. Push 2 pieces of heat resistant wire - KIU Orange is perfect - over legs
7. Solder orange wires to springs - channels to the springs have to be slightly opened out - Dremmel
8. Done

Click to expand...

Now here are the photos of the process
. . . and the sequence of operations is slightly better ordered !

1. Un-solder the springs from an old MN21 (or similar ? MN20/MN16/MN15/MN61/MN60 ?)


2. Drill / Dremmel out centre potting stuff . . .
Didn't bother breaking off bulb as it just fell out eventually !
.

3. Channels to the springs have to be slightly opened out at some point - Dremmel/File . . .


4. Cut slot for 64275AX - my Leatherman saw was just a nice width (Dremel saw works well too)


Note: You don't need the slot if you only want to use WA bulbs - they fit right down the middle !


Put a 45 chamfer on each edge of the slot to centre the 64275AX
5. File edges so that bumps on each side of bulb slide down and locate bulb nicely centred
..




You can also see that in a dual use adapter not much of the WA pins would be in the wire - You could . . . Cut the slot 2mm less deep and fit a 2mm spacer washer when using a 64275AX - no spacer for WA. Or just make the appropriate adapter for your favourite bulb (or two)

6. Push 2 pieces of heat resistant wire - KIU Orange is perfect - over legs

! CAUTION ! Don't touch the lamp with your fingers without cleaning it with alcohol afterwards. . . .Thanks Winny


7. Solder orange wires to springs - channels to the springs have to be slightly opened out
. . . (if you haven't already done it as per new method)


BUT . . . It won't quite fit . . .


So . . . 8. Dremmel tiny bit off each side of bulb until goes through M6 mirror hole
.

It Fits ! ! !
.

Focus beam from spot to flood as you prefer.

Done.

64275AX - Cheap bulb - Great beam shape and quality - Brighter HOLA when regulated at 7V~6.2A

Cheers Pete

ps. Now if someone were to make a kit with: pin-sockets +wire +potting stuff . . .

Pete,
Excellent write-up and pictures.

When you say adjust for flood or spot what do you mean. Is that the height of the bulb in the holder? Won't you have to desolder the connections to the spring, then adjust then try and repeat if necessary? Or am I missing something.

Thanks

Curtis

Very nice job in the pictorial step-by-step

Will

Goooood job!!

cue003 said:

Pete,
Excellent write-up and pictures.

When you say adjust for flood or spot what do you mean. Is that the height of the bulb in the holder? Won't you have to desolder the connections to the spring, then adjust then try and repeat if necessary? Or am I missing something.

Thanks

Curtis

Click to expand...

Hi Curtis

I cut the slot a little over deep so that there is about 1-2mm over insertion possible for Doughnut effect and when I soldered it all up I soldered with the bulb 1-2mm high for correct focus - but if it's slightly wrong, or not to your liking, you can just push the wires into the pillar a bit or pull the bulb ever-so slightly out of the wires so that it is just a bit higher - a couple of mm seem to be enough to go from spot to slight flood. Actually bogus1 has done the most experimenting with focus and seems to be able to get most beam variants from his MN-adapter.

Cheers Pete

Great writeup, as always!

petrev said:

Click to expand...

Just a friendly note: Don't touch the lamp with yout fingers without cleaning it with alcohol afterwards. How big the impact is is debated but 1 cl of alcohol is almost free and if you don't keep spare bulbs at home, well, you get the piont...

winny said:

Great writeup, as always!



Just a friendly note: Don't touch the lamp with yout fingers without cleaning it with alcohol afterwards. How big the impact is is debated but 1 cl of alcohol is almost free and if you don't keep spare bulbs at home, well, you get the piont...

Click to expand...

Hi Winny

Absolutely - Very good point. Watch out for greasy fingerprints that burn onto the bulb.

I normally handle bulbs either in their packing or using pieces of Kleenex type tissue to avoid marks.

You can use Tape-Head cleaner - IsoPropyl Alcohol - to clean things.
I'll go back and note the ! CAUTION !

Cheers Pete

I got my drmel ready

Hi Pete, great job with the mod. I'm posting this from a PSP in Phoenix AZ. Later!. ......

Nice work petrev. Fivemega has already made a "purchasable" version.

https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/126198

Written very well with great supporting pictures.

DUQ said:

Nice work petrev. Fivemega has already made a "purchasable" version.

https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/126198

Click to expand...

Hi DUQ

Yes - FM has just made his MN-BiPin Feeler a Sales item for ~$50.

Nice item - what would be best for me though is a kit for say $10 that is just pin-sockets and wire to replace my KIU wire and some potting medium to make it permanent. Hmmm - Anybody Wanna Run with the idea ? Surefire already make the other half of the kit for $30 with a free 250/500 lumen bulb attached for interim use.

Thanks All
Pete

ps Hi Dizzy - Holiday with the kids ? Got to amuse yourself somehow ?

You guessed it Pete. I was sitting in the airport waiting for the Red-Eye flight to Newark New Jersey. Made it home safely I'm glad to say.

The PSP is a neat toy but takes forever to post with.

I just wanted to thank you for that awesome post with pics you did.

You make it look so easy, even I could probably make one.

I've been on vacation for 10 days and see things are coming along well on all fronts.

Keep up the great work! Must get some sleep now........

Wow... great job with the hand tools. Personally I find files to be a tool that's good for turning my finely tuned hand movements into random unpredictable cutting action.

Thanks scott.cr

UPDATE:

Just did an MN20 conversion and its a bit more difficult to get the potting out than the MN21 as the bulb goes further into the tower - but it is do-able.

Tried to do an MN15 conversion, on the other hand, and now have blunt 3mm drill and a nice set of useless diamond cutter tools (Chinese "Dremel") that glowed red hot and went all blunt and useless on me. They worked just great on a couple of MN21s and did OK on the MN20 but the MN15 potting and glass envelope defeated them !

Heres the finished MN20 though . . . and said tools ! ! ! Oh yes and a one legged 64275 that couldn't take the pressure ( very big and had to take off too much glass to get it to fit - it didn't like it ) the other 64275s that I've fitted have been fine and one even fitted one way round with no trimming at all !



Cheers Pete

Hi Pete, who is your supplier of burned out MN lamp assemblies. I want to build one of your mods but can't justify using a perfectly good MN.

Also, who do you get your 64275 bulbs from? I may as well start collecting the parts I will need for your mod while I am waiting for an MN to blow.

Good job on your most recent convertions. Too bad about the burned out dremel bits. Those things are not cheap, (to buy, at least) especially the diamond ones.

Still waiting to put the XTN to good use It shouldn't be too much longer now. Take care. Mike

dizzy said:

Hi Pete, who is your supplier of burned out MN lamp assemblies. I want to build one of your mods but can't justify using a perfectly good MN.

Also, who do you get your 64275 bulbs from? I may as well start collecting the parts I will need for your mod while I am waiting for an MN to blow.

Good job on your most recent convertions. Too bad about the burned out dremel bits. Those things are not cheap, (to buy, at least) especially the diamond ones.

Still waiting to put the XTN to good use It shouldn't be too much longer now. Take care. Mike

Click to expand...

Hi Mike

I was doing them as a favour using their old blackened MNs - at least one worked out OK and it all adds to the cumulative group knowlege-base !

The 64275AX is about $5 from http://www.replacementlightbulbs.com/lampsphoto.htm and no doubt elsewhere - I get mine from a UK supplier that charges more but the postage is cheap.

Other places do them online in the US too but may have minimum order numbers eg $4.20 but 40x http://www.atlantalightbulbs.com/ecart/nw012104/OSRAMSYLVANIA5402764275.htm

Svetila.com do great prices on all Osram Lamps but don't list the 64275AX ? If you e-mail them they will no doubt give you a price - €5 delivery upto €20 order ! MasterCard only ! ! !

I think AWR has bought some but I don't know who his bulb supplier is !

Only one of the bits was a genuine Dremel. The diamond bits were actually quite cheap Chinese "Dremel" type, so not as bad as it might be - wonder if the real ones hold up better ?

Looks like the AWR HD-kit should be here soon - he seems to have all the parts now.

Good to hear from you
Cheers Pete

Hi All

Currently using this in my M6 with a PH-5761 and 2x AW-CLions - works great so far - touch wood !

Cheers
Pete

might sound like stupid questions but...

1: *edit* [I can't believe I'm asking this ]
2: what speed did you set your dremel to?
3: the springs IIRC is spotwelded to the base, what kind of solder gun did you use to pry it off?:laughing:

Illum_the_nation said:

might sound like stupid questions but...

1: *edit* [I can't believe I'm asking this ]
2: what speed did you set your dremel to?
3: the springs IIRC is spotwelded to the base, what kind of solder gun did you use to pry it off?:laughing:

Click to expand...

Hi

A1: ?????????????
A2: D300 set to slowest ~ 10,000rpm ?
A3: Springs on mine are interference fit and come off when the lamp pins are de-soldered !

Hope this helps :thumbsup:

Cheers
Pete