Inside the Mag D cell switch

I took apart the switch assembly(from the most recent production Mag 2D) just to check out its construction.

This is the switch assembly. This is the thermal insulator that prevents MagLED module from dissipating heat effectively to the body.

Take it ALL apart and you get these pieces


This ring completes the circuit between two plates.




Close look at how it works. The ring placed on plastic pole is pushed up in between two metal plates and completes the circuit between the two plates. The ring is free to rotate about and I believe its the rotating action on the rod from clicke action and pushing the ring in and out between the plates with friction is what Mag calls their patented self-cleaning switch.



The thin metal plate on left provides negative connection to the socket like a train pantograph allowing the focusing mechanism to move the socket in and out with respect to the reflector. This sliding contact is what causes the ocassional fickering as you change the focus.

Personally I would have preferred a fixed socket with better heatsinking and focusing mechanism solely from the changing the position of reflector w/ respect to bulb simply by moving the head up and down even though it would take a few turns to go from end to end of usable focus range.




Optics
The reflector has a beveled cut on the bulb that reminds you of a funnel. The beveled cut is what pushes on the pin that moves the socket up and down to focus. It is made of blue plastic chromed on inside(or whatever other metal they vapor deposited).

Window = plastic.

Thanks and congratulations for a great writeup!


:rock:

Thanks, much appreciated!

I should note that this is the new D-cell switch. The old one is nearly identical to the C-cell and Magcharger switch, and has many fewer internal connections.

There is the infamous soft plastic Mag window, the bane of many.

I still don't understand why Mag doesn't spend a few cents to use a hard coated plastic with AR coating, to reduce scratches and improve the light transmission. I could understand why they might go with plastic, due to the way the MagLite is typically treated.

There are also a number of thermally conductive molding plastics that could have been used for the switch assembly, but they chose not to use that either.

As far as the results of what the lack of heatsinking does, you can take a gander over here:
http://candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=119665

Nice pics.