Streamlight ProPoly Lux - Parallel LiON 14500 Idea?

jar3ds · Sep 26, 2006

This is my idea.... To make a 14500 battery pack to fit into my Streamlight ProPoly Lux light...

Am I on the right track with this? Connecting all of the pos. and neg's together?

Let me know of any ideas/suggestions you have to make this a slicker mod...

I'm motivated by having the ability of the slow discharge rate of the li-ions and good cold weather performance (glove compartment)... also having a 3000mah battery pack isn't too bad either

Thanks!

Jared

monkeyboy · Sep 26, 2006

It would work but what's the point?

Nimh contains more energy.

Li-ion: 4 x 0.750 x 3.6 = 10.8 VAh
Nimh: 4 x 2.700 x 1.2 = 12.96 VAh

If you intend on leaving it in your glove compartment, just use alkalines or lithium primaries.

jar3ds · Sep 26, 2006

monkeyboy said:
It would work but what's the point?

...

1) Because you never no how much is left in a primary... if I use it once and a while for a few months... then I have an emergency... I don't have a good idea of when it will die on me...

2) I can make sure my liON's are always top'd off..

3) LiON's have better cold weather performance and a slower discharge rate than NiMH...

EvilLithiumMan · Sep 26, 2006

The two springs connect to the switch. If you connect them together, you've just wired the light to be permanently on - probably not what you wanted to do. Wiring should be:

Head(Positive) to battery pack positive
Battery pack negative to one side of the switch (either spring)
Other side of switch (remaining spring) to head(negative)

There isn't much extra room in the ProPoly Lux. (I've modded mine with a single 18650 cell) My guess is that the shrink sleeving won't fit unless it very thin. You may have to use something as inelegant Scotch Tape. If you are going to use unprotected cells, I suggest using 28 or 30ga wire for the positive lead going to the head. It's more than sufficient to carry the approx. 800ma load, but will act as a fuse if a short occurs. Something else I had to learn the hard way

Tachyon · Sep 26, 2006

Now that we're on the topic of modding propoly's I'm thinking of shortening a SL propoly 3C and using a 18650 lithium rechargeable in it. I guess I will have to epoxy the two halves of the light once im done with shortening it.

Sound like a good idea?

Cheers
Tachy

jar3ds · Sep 26, 2006

EvilLithiumMan said:
The two springs connect to the switch. If you connect them together, you've just wired the light to be permanently on - probably not what you wanted to do. Wiring should be:

Head(Positive) to battery pack positive
Battery pack negative to one side of the switch (either spring)
Other side of switch (remaining spring) to head(negative)

There isn't much extra room in the ProPoly Lux. (I've modded mine with a single 18650 cell) My guess is that the shrink sleeving won't fit unless it very thin. You may have to use something as inelegant Scotch Tape. If you are going to use unprotected cells, I suggest using 28 or 30ga wire for the positive lead going to the head. It's more than sufficient to carry the approx. 800ma load, but will act as a fuse if a short occurs. Something else I had to learn the hard way

thanks evil for the help!

WHen you did your 18650 mod... i'm assuming you did it to the 3C model?

EvilLithiumMan · Sep 26, 2006

jar3ds said:
thanks evil for the help!

WHen you did your 18650 mod... i'm assuming you did it to the 3C model?

It was the 4AA model, actually.

https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/131672

EvilLithiumMan · Sep 26, 2006

Tachyon said:
Now that we're on the topic of modding propoly's I'm thinking of shortening a SL propoly 3C and using a 18650 lithium rechargeable in it. I guess I will have to epoxy the two halves of the light once im done with shortening it.

Sound like a good idea?

Cheers
Tachy

2x18650 are equal in length to 3 C cells. If you do it carefully, you can wire the two 18650 in parallel. Double the capacity and not worry about chopping up the 3C body.

Tachyon · Sep 26, 2006

Thanks for that tip EvilLithiumMan. Is there any way I can get at the circuit inside the Propoly 3C without destroying it?

I really want to put a Lux III UV0J in there for outdoor use.

Tachy

Brighteyez · Sep 26, 2006

I think you need to re-assess.
If you're in an "emergency" and your LIon batteries quit on you, or you don't have a resource to charge them, what do you do?
Having a light that uses a commonly available battery size, like AA sized batteries can make life a little easier. Theory is of little use during an "emergency" only that things work as they're intended, and that can often be insured by using the product as intended rather than with a home-made modification.

jar3ds said:
1) Because you never no how much is left in a primary... if I use it once and a while for a few months... then I have an emergency... I don't have a good idea of when it will die on me...

2) I can make sure my liON's are always top'd off..

3) LiON's have better cold weather performance and a slower discharge rate than NiMH...

jar3ds · Sep 27, 2006

Brighteyez said:
I think you need to re-assess.
If you're in an "emergency" and your LIon batteries quit on you, or you don't have a resource to charge them, what do you do?
Having a light that uses a commonly available battery size, like AA sized batteries can make life a little easier. Theory is of little use during an "emergency" only that things work as they're intended, and that can often be insured by using the product as intended rather than with a home-made modification.

well.... emergencies that i forsee I have primary lithiums... .however... i like to know exactly how much life I have in my light at all times... the only way to do that is to keep li-ion's always topped off..

monkeyboy · Sep 27, 2006

Nimh can also be topped off regularly so long as they are fully discharged once in a while. Memory effect is not such a bad problem with Nimh (compared to NiCd) and not really noticible with relatively low drain devices like the SLPP. Have you considered eneloops?

I saw another thread where someone used a single 18650 in a SLPP. You wouldn't quite get the capacity of 4 x 14500 but it would be simpler. 2x 18500 would give the same capacity but leave more room for wiring. Don't forget, you have to wire in the switch too.

TigerhawkT3 · Sep 27, 2006

How about 2xCR123A? It wouldn't have quite the runtime of 4AA, but it could potentially be a lot smaller.

Brighteyez · Sep 27, 2006

I don't classify emergencies that I can forsee as "emergencies"

Lithiums would indeed be the other and more viable option. Knowing 'exactly' how much life you have left in the light is overrated, given that there can be so many variables that can affect battery life, including variations in usage.

It might be better to have spare unused batteries available for your 'emergency' lights (batteries set aside soley for emergency usage), and figure that any battery life that is currently in the lights is just icing on the cake.

jar3ds said:
well.... emergencies that i forsee I have primary lithiums... .however... i like to know exactly how much life I have in my light at all times... the only way to do that is to keep li-ion's always topped off..

Streamlight ProPoly Lux - Parallel LiON 14500 Idea?

jar3ds

Flashlight Enthusiast

monkeyboy

Flashlight Enthusiast

jar3ds

Flashlight Enthusiast

EvilLithiumMan

Enlightened

Tachyon

Newly Enlightened

jar3ds

Flashlight Enthusiast

EvilLithiumMan

Enlightened

EvilLithiumMan

Enlightened

Tachyon

Newly Enlightened

Brighteyez

Flashlight Enthusiast

jar3ds

Flashlight Enthusiast

monkeyboy

Flashlight Enthusiast

TigerhawkT3

Flashlight Enthusiast

Brighteyez

Flashlight Enthusiast

Similar threads

Latest posts