First hotwire attempt, Need your suggestions.

I started a while back to slowly collect a few bits and bobs so that I could make a few hotwires.

I have the Madmaxabeam 13 cell 65623 2D (at the bottom.)
Its a sweet light, But I wanted to learn how to build somthing of my own.

So I thought I'd jump in at the deep end & after much reading, PM's and head scratching I had a few Ideas and stared to go with them.

Trouble is, as events unfolded, I bought other bits and pieces, forgot what I ordered, and now I have a boat load of 12V lamps, cells, Kiu bezzles/sockets and hosts and a load of ideas floating around my scrambled head.

The Elite 1500 Nimh's were orriginally for me to try to build a 16 cell 3D 64458 in a 3D tribore host, But with no 3D, and a newley acquired 7C, I just tried the Elites that arrived today & can fit 13 cells in the 7C.

Good for a 64623 and others. ( lamps on the right of the pic)

I also found today I can fit 11 Elite's in the 6C's, so that would be sweet for the 64625. ( but sadly I didn't order any of those....Doh )

I have 19 Elites.



The above options would make very lightweight, but still handy lights, but I was orriginally aiming for more runtime, which is why....



I also ordered the 26700 Emoli cells.

They are 3.7V ( 4.2V fully topped up) 3000mAh ( 2600mAh, at the ~9A current draw I plan to use them at) cells.

The plan was for a longer running 64458 in a 7C using 5 of these cells. Total 21V.

The cells very nearly fit in the 7C but I have a few tollerance issues.

The bare cells fit in the tube, but I saw a few sparks / shorts, as I put them in the tube to test the fit. The cells cases are stainless, and even though the anodising should act as a wrapper/ insulator, I noticed a spark on the threads as it slipped in & out, so something inside the tube is shorting the cell some how. I think there are imperfections prehaps in the mags internal anodising.

To get the cells in the mags you have to remove the card board wrappers, and use some tape ( anybody know of realy thin, wide tape as mine is still a little fat and could realy be better if it was double the width. The tape is about 2" wide)

Still, they do just fit with some insulating parcel tape, and one overlap.

Now length wise, with 5 cells inside, I only have 6 of the 9 threads showing inside the end of 7C body, so I will have to move the switch a few mm forwards, or chop it up a little when I Kiu it, or use one of the shortened tailcap options, I dont want to permanently mod the 7C's tailcap (or switch TBH, but I will, or buy some repacements to chop up.) as its different to the 6C's and probably rareish.
I'd like to be able to go back to original, if I needed to.



I havent done a kiu switch mod before, so I hope the old style switches can take the kiu socket.

I also planned to use 4 emoli cells in the 6C I had, But then I bought two more 6 C's a few days back, and realised I could potentialy have 3 x 6C with 16.8V using the emoil's.

I have 11 Emolis


I was going to get a 3 C that I could ROP with two emolis, but I just noticed 6 elites would fit in there aswell, nice and light, but short runtime. Ahhhh still more options to ponder. ( although I dont have a way of charging 6 elites on there own, I guess two packs of 6 would work on my charger though.)

So, Given what I have already, where would you lot suggest I go next

I could make 3 x 6C's with 4 emoilis each, (would still need a spacer to bridge the 15 ~ 20mm gap.

A heat resistant spacer would probably be good, But I dont know what material to use yet. I thoght something like PTFE with a rod throught the middle may work although I think that would have to commission that.

and a 7C with 13 elites.

Thats 4, 16.8V torches with a lot of lamps to choose from.

Or go with what I was originally thinking:

and shoe horn the 7C With 5 emolis for 21V, 2600mah and hammer the 64458 ( I suppose that this has got to be done realy).

& make just 1 x 6C. With 4 emolis for 16.8V, 2600mah 65623.

and use the remaining Elites for to make a nice lightweight 6C 64625.

I would also like to hear any tips on heat disapation.

I have heard, and seen, pics of people using insulation too stuff in the head to force the heat out the front, or is it best to have something to conduct the heat into the head out to the surface area of the head to disipate the heat?

Idealy I'd like all the mods to be reversable.

But this may bring problems with holding the Elite packs together, I thought I could just use some very wide insulating tape that I have to wrap 11 or 13 cells together, so If I want I could take apart and swap around. But then I thought I could end up with lost of cells with a different state of charge and no way to ballance them. I thought using thin magnets, but I wonder if these add resistance, they wouldnt slip out and short though If I wrapped it all in tape.

What I realy need help with is finding a decent charger for the emolis, They charge like regular Li-ions. But it would just be like a fast li-ion charger; however chargers are a whole subject in themselves, and I'm not up to speed on that yet, so any suggestions are welcome.

I have a 9.6 to 18V (9 to 15 cells I think) universal charger for that so I may not need one for the elites, but that depends what pack I make with them.

Also some tips on widening the openings of the two reflectors I bought from Litho123 to fit these larger lamps would help, i dont want to scratch them up, and I can see this happening.

Oh, Yes, that is a DSD with two of the pins bent round and an Emoli cell resting on top of the cradle;
I haven't tried to charge them with the DSD yet, I think it will be ok, but It will take a long time at ~450mAh. The emolis can take some serious charging current apparently, something like 10A, I think, So I am hoping in time to charge in a few hours and not a few weeks.

Still hopefully buy the time I have completed the mods, I will have found and bought a decent charger.

While you are pondering this I'm off to buy a 5C and a 3C ( because 5C's are also on the endangeres species list/ rare'ish, althought I cant think what to build/ mod a 5C in to yet,) ans the 3C will to make either a 6 x elite or 2 x emoli Rop.

I cant think of mods for the 2C and 4C, so I will hold off from buing them now, but I think In time I will have the complete "C" mag ranger from 2C right through to 7C.

Who said maglights arnt cool?

:bump:


MagMods Are Cool

and some of yours will be very HOT very soon . . .

Great selection of torches and lamps there RD.

Hmmm - Wonder if AW's V2 SoftStarter will run the "Nominal" 90W 64458 from 5xEMoli in a 7C mag ?

Now I need a 7C mag :shakehead

Lets hope someone decides to sell one on as they have too many



Have Fun
Pete

.

Just saw this thread from link in Mag623 topic.

Did you get all these finished? To have the Emoli or A123 cells work properly in a C Mag, you need to use a KD Brake Hone to bore out the I.D. just a bit. Given the power of these cells, I think it is wise to have a layer of shrink wrap to give some insulation from inside of Mag.

Other than AW's C Li-Ion's and Emoli/A123 (with bore), C Mags are pretty limited regarding battery combos as compared to D Mags.

Well, Yes and no.

I built a 6C with 4 emoli Kiu and the rest, and thats my most used light right now, bought even more lamps and stuff.

Made a 2D Rop with 2 Emoli, easily reversable.

Never touched the 7C as it is mint, I bought two more used ones on BST, but they never made it here. ( actually had a big package in transit with a 2C, a 3C, a 4C, a 5C + 2 x 7C's, but its a no show, I opted for cheaper shipping as it was a huge package and the other options were alot more & the fact that USPS has never let me down, untill now. :shakehead But its my fault for not (having chosen secure enough shipping)

With regards to Emoli requiring the C cell bodys to be reamed...Ha, Poppycock! We just needed to find the right width tape.

Or atleast thats my experienced with the 3 x 6c's I have and the 7C. I remove the card & wrap my emoli with leak test tape we use here at work which is very similar to 75mm wide insulation tape, and its perfect, snug, but I dont like my cells to rattle.

The problems I was having was overlapping the tape to much, and crinkles.
also the switch tap needs to be lifted when inserting or removing the cells as it allows the presure to escape, otherwise the tube cells act like a piston, and down alow the air past quickly.

Had got the other C's I had enroute, I could have checked if the smaller mags have different engineering tollerances, but my 6 C's and 7C dont have a 'C' in the serial No ( at least as far as I can remember) if that helps any.

Probably the wrong place to mention it here, but would there be any use for 18650's sized Emoli's with 1400mah capacity. I've found a pottential source for them.

Low capacity I know, but 6 in an elepant may make for a nice set up? or 2 in a small light with 5761?

I take your point on C mags being suited to cetain cells, but its much easier to Carry a loaded 6 or 7 C to a 6 or 7D, I prefer the form factor of the C's, if in the longer lengths.

Saying that thought I have a 6D with extentions and 7 emoli in the works, but got delayed over Xmas.:devil:

Wohoo, package eventually showed up.

Haven't seen it yet, as still away for a week, but looking forward to seeing my box of 8 Maglites.

Hoooray

Glad to hear all those beauties turned up.

Now you just need some PTSD Counseling

Cheers Pete

Raoul_Duke said:

With regards to Emoli requiring the C cell bodys to be reamed...Ha, Poppycock! We just needed to find the right width tape.

Click to expand...

I was not comfortable with the tight fit I achieved with 1mil Kapton (used a razor and straight edge to cut overlap). It is actually very quick (few mins) and easy to get a bit more room with the hone, and I wanted to give a wee bit of tolerance for outside and battery temp effects. Also it gives you more flexibility with using shrink on cells which is a better protector when inserting/removing cells.

Raoul_Duke said:

Low capacity I know, but 6 in an elepant may make for a nice set up? or 2 in a small light with 5761?

Click to expand...

The longest light I can deal with is a 4D/C, so my choices are limited on a personal basis. I have been playing with the A123 18650 cells from the Black & Decker VPX packs $19 for 2 cells inside.

You can fit a Quad wide x 18650 config in an Elephant, and I have made some packs with charging balance taps for 4s1p in regular Elephant; 4s2p, & 8s1p in Elephant with 60mm extender tube. Have not seen Emoli in 18650....source?

The source is not available to the public, Only to industry. I found it through work, as I work in the oil and gas industry.

Definatley the real deal, all the spec sheets, etc. Also got the Specs ( PDF's) for 26700 emoli. Cells made by Emoli in Canada.

Interesting thing was the sheets say you can discharge down to 2.5V. I thought the limit was 3V, but it was hard to tell where 3V was, as cells drop off rapidly just at 3V, so you notice light ouput dropping of at 3V ( measured resting) and have probably taken them below that buy the time you realise and react. Hopefully its enough to avoid damaging the cells. I plan to do some running V tests when I get some time, to see cell loaded output verses dimming. Will also have to have a read of the sheets in more detail again.

Didn't know about A123 18650 for sure, Think I saw a bit about them a while back on the RC forums, Maybee I got the two chemistries muddled up in my head, In any case that got me chasing down Emoli 18650, and found them, but havent asked what they cost.

Didnt know you could get 4 into the id of an Elle. Interesting. Might get some then, when FM make some more

Whats the capacity of the A123's in 18650

Raoul_Duke said:

Didnt know you could get 4 into the id of an Elle. Interesting. Might get some then, when FM make some more

Whats the capacity of the A123's in 18650

Click to expand...

Alas, only 1100mAh, hence my 4s2p. They are also that pesky 3.3V, so the Emoli 18650 would be handier. Main benefit of these is zero fire/explosion risk, and not critical for PCB protection circuit.

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