7xAA Flashlight Mod

Flashlight Aficionado · Jun 19, 2008

I need help with a mod. I don't care if it will be LED or incandescent. I want to use Eneloops because I plan on leaving the light in my car 24/7, since they passed the car test in another thread. Eneloops seem to be 1.5 volts with a mAh of 2,000. So seven of them will be 10.5 volts and 14,000 mAh. I don't want to :poof:

an incan or

a LED

The very dim bulb that came with the light is 1cm-bulb, 1.5 cm-base, .75 cm diameter. the reflector housing can fit 1.1 cm diameter light-source and a maximum bulb length of 2 cm before it hits the lens.

I will need a new lens because the one it came with is plastic. It is 2.8 cm diameter.

The only other thing, I would love to have it regulated so that the lumens stay consistent. I don't know if this is possible on a home mod. Maybe I am just dreaming.

Thanks in advance. :wave:

LukeA · Jun 19, 2008

Flashlight Aficionado said:
I need help with a mod. I don't care if it will be LED or incandescent. I want to use Eneloops because I plan on leaving the light in my car 24/7, since they passed the car test in another thread. Eneloops seem to be 1.5 volts with a mAh of 2,000. So seven of them will be 10.5 volts and 14,000 mAh. I don't want to an incan or

a LED

The very dim bulb that came with the light is 1cm-bulb, 1.5 cm-base, .75 cm diameter. the reflector housing can fit 1.1 cm diameter light-source and a maximum bulb length of 2 cm before it hits the lens.

I will need a new lens because the one it came with is plastic. It is 2.8 cm diameter.

The only other thing, I would love to have it regulated so that the lumens stay consistent. I don't know if this is possible on a home mod. Maybe I am just dreaming.

Thanks in advance. :wave:

You can't have it both ways. 7 Eneloops would run either 9.8V, 2000mAh, or 1.4V, 14000mAh. You would need 49 cells for 9.8V, 14000mAh.

Regulation is certainly possible (in fact probable) for an LED mod.

Pictures of the light would be nice.

Flashlight Aficionado · Jun 19, 2008

LukeA - I am a noob modder. So what was my mistake? All I did was add up the battery's volts and mAh. I thought that was simple. :stupid:

I would love to post a picture, but my camera is on the fritz. I bought it from cold steel special projects. It is sterile, no markings. Just called my friend. He said he will loan me his camera. :twothumbs

Gunner12 · Jun 19, 2008

You either add voltage(all batteries in series) or the mAh(all batteries in parallel). And since you have a prime number of batteries, you can't have any other ways of arranging the batteries safely.

We'd have to know how much space you are working with.

Flashlight Aficionado · Jun 19, 2008

Gunner12 - All 7 batteries are in a straight line. Is that what you mean? Why does an odd number of batteries matter? Nevermind. I'd rather discuss how to mod this thing.

Now attempting to post pictures. :hairpull: Can't drag n' drop. Image button doesn't work for me. Very annoying. WHAT AM I DOING WRONG!?!? :hairpull:

LukeA · Jun 19, 2008

Flashlight Aficionado said:
Gunner12 - All 7 batteries are in a straight line. Is that what you mean? Why does an odd number of batteries matter? Nevermind. I'd rather discuss how to mod this thing.

Now attempting to post pictures. :hairpull: Can't drag n' drop. Image button doesn't work for me. Very annoying. WHAT AM I DOING WRONG!?!? :hairpull:

Upload them to photobucket, then paste the URL into the box.

What he's talking about with the eneloops is that if you had a number of cells that was divisible by another number, that you could make multiple parallel strings of cells.

Example: Say you have 12 cells. You can have one string of 12 (12s1p), two parallel strings of six (6s2p), three parallel strings of four (4s3p), four parallel stings of three (3s4p), six parallel strings of two (2s6p), or all the cells in parallel (1s12p).

You have seven cells, so your options are 7s1p or 1s7p. The light has them 7s1p.

Flashlight Aficionado · Jun 20, 2008

LukeA - Since my flashlight is very thin, it can only take batteries lined up, but with some fancy wiring I can make it 1s7p even though it is set up to be only 7s1p. Is that right?

Gunner12 · Jun 20, 2008

But the pictures are a bit too big. The rules state that pictures have to be 800 * 600 or smaller.

There might be space in the light to install a buck driver and do a LED mod.

Series means connecting end to end, like: -=-=-=-=-, parallel would be like:
/-=-\
/-=-\\____
\-=-//
\-=-/

Is it possible to measure approximately how wide and thick the spring thing is(the black plastic connection with the spring in the middle to the bulb)?

Also, how big is the reflector?

Flashlight Aficionado · Jun 20, 2008

How do I shrink the pictures?

Black Springy thing - 2.2 cm diameter, 0.3 cm thick + 0.5 cm threading, 2 cm spring to spring (uncompressed), ~1.0 cm (compressed)

reflector - 2.6 cm diameter, 1.3 cm depth

Flashlight Aficionado · Jun 20, 2008

:bump:

Flashlight Aficionado · Jun 21, 2008

Guys - Don't forget about me. I still need help. :kiss:

Gunner12 · Jun 22, 2008

What about the reflector size?

Flashlight Aficionado · Jun 22, 2008

reflector - 2.6 cm diameter, 1.3 cm depth

Illum · Jun 22, 2008

Flashlight Aficionado, you can remove those pics from your post
I had them rehosted within the size limits for CPF :grin2:

:wave:

7AA's, gee...how interesting, I've never seen anything like this before.
7AA's [using rechargeable NIMH cells can yield up to 10.5V up to 2,000mah capacity. there are higher output lamps out there but it might melt your light.

Is the reflector plastic?
does the lens feel plastic?

Flashlight Aficionado · Jun 22, 2008

Illum_the_nation - I am quite willing to change the size of the pictures. How do I do that? Nevermind, I see you did it for me, thanks.

The lens is plastic.

The reflector is SOLID aluminum. Solid enough to be a heatsink. Being so reflective make it hard to take its picture. That is why one picture was without the flash. It didn't help much. Here are better pictures of the reflector. I tried to fix the size on PhotoBucket. It says I have it at 320x240. :hairpull: Preview is too Big. :stupid:

glockboy · Jun 22, 2008

Flashlight Aficionado.
Yours flashlight is the Coldsteel Brute.
1- You can just put the SF P91, P90 in the head.(I used to)
2- Bored the inside of the head so it'll fit the DX Cree Q5 LED Drop-in Module (3.7V~18V Input) (I have on my now.)
It's bright and have long runtime too.
Eneloops under load is still 1.2 volt, not 1.5 volt.
If you want picture, let me know and I'll post it.

Flashlight Aficionado · Jun 22, 2008

glockboy - Which one is brighter? The P91 200 lumens or the DX Cree Q5. If the Cree is brighter, where do I buy it?
The easier one is obvious. Oh, and thanks!

glockboy · Jun 22, 2008

You can buy the drop in at dealextreme.com sku.11621 it rate 3.7V~18V Input.
From the look, I see the Cree brighter.
The incan same lumen as Cree alway look like the batteries is dying.(too yellow)
The P91 drop in is more easy to do.
And if you're going to use it as a club, keep the plastic lens.

Flashlight Aficionado · Jun 22, 2008

The Cree is 200 lumens and "brighter" and being an LED, it should last longer. While checking out the Cree, I noticed another with multi-modes. 80-120-200-strobe-SOS. The voltage range is different(see below), but if it will work, I'll buy that one.

SkU 11621 Cree Q5 LED Drop-in Module
Width: 26.5mm
Height: 40mm
Maximum Output: 200 Lumens
Input Voltage Range: 3.7V~18V

SKU 11622 Cree Q5 LED 5-Mode Drop-in Module
Width: 26.5mm
Height: 40mm
Input Voltage Range: 3.6V~7.2V

As for the lens, as long as it won't melt, I'll keep it.

glockboy · Jun 22, 2008

If you using the Led, you have to bored the inside of the head to make it fit.

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