RA twisty to clicky conversion

I was wondering if has anybody looked at (or worked on) the idea of creating a new tail-section for the Ra twisty which converts it from a twisty into a clicky?
Seems to me like it would be a popular mod especially if it was a drop in conversion.
Ideas?
BTW It isn't like I don't like the twisty but I do tend to prefer clickies....

It is ok to call me crazy but please keep it on topic.
Yaesumofo

I've oft considered it.

... Here's my thoughts..

Take the stock tail cap, bore it out so that a piston could be inserted. Put the battery terminal spring on the inside of the piston, as per the usual design, and use o-rings where necessary.

This would give us something like a mix of Surefire L1 and classic Twisty action.. Press for first channel, a little harder to get channel 2, and all the way in gets channel 3. For latching, you'd still have to twist the tailcap.

Other than that, I can't quite fathom how a "clicky" tailcap could actuate the U-wire contacts that the Twisty uses for level changing.

Twist it to the proper level for the U wires then click the button?

Sgt. LED said:

Twist it to the proper level for the U wires then click the button?

Click to expand...

Hm.. That might just work..

Tighten the tailcap down to position 3 then click the tailcap to turn the light on and off...

The next obstacle would be where to house the switch mechanism.. There isn't much extra room at the rear of the cap.

Enzo Morocioli said:

I've oft considered it.

... Here's my thoughts..

Take the stock tail cap, bore it out so that a piston could be inserted. Put the battery terminal spring on the inside of the piston, as per the usual design, and use o-rings where necessary.

This would give us something like a mix of Surefire L1 and classic Twisty action.. Press for first channel, a little harder to get channel 2, and all the way in gets channel 3. For latching, you'd still have to twist the tailcap.

Other than that, I can't quite fathom how a "clicky" tailcap could actuate the U-wire contacts that the Twisty uses for level changing.

Click to expand...

it would be like a Ra PD, i really like that idea. alot, and it would be the first three stage... someone please make this.

How small can we make a McClicky?

Trim the spring and the clicky's button as much as possible........solder a small bit of of springy metal for the negative path........grind down the threaded portion just a tad.............

Shorten the spring in the head the appropriate amount...................


:shrug: Possible

Enzo Morocioli said:

Hm.. That might just work..

Tighten the tailcap down to position 3 then click the tailcap to turn the light on and off...

The next obstacle would be where to house the switch mechanism.. There isn't much extra room at the rear of the cap.

Click to expand...

Well actually if a turnkey part is designed and made we would be able to put a McClicky or any other switch in that we want.
A year or two back I designed and made a clicky for the ARC LS designed to replace the Crappy Kroll clicky switch. I used (use) the McClicky switch and it works just fine.

We really just need to experiment with the head and how to send power to the rails which can be switched. Clearly there is NO Logic in the tail which would have been a big obstacle.
Lets face it the Ra Twisty head is where the action is. Creating a tail to replace the Original part with a clicky really shouldn't be that tough. Making it to a spec which maintains the Heavy Duty factor is somewhat of a challenge.
Anytime you introduce a PLASTIC (switch) Part that IMHO becomes the weak link...

Lets see where the discussion goes. Hopefully it will not take as long
to make this little aftermarket accessory that it took to make the light or the RA clicky for that matter...
Yaesu Mofo

mossyoak said:

it would be like a Ra PD, i really like that idea. alot, and it would be the first three stage... someone please make this.

Click to expand...

I think a little research into the logic of the RA twisty head is in order.
Yaesumofo

what if it were sort of a combination...switch on and off twist for level...?
Yaesumofo

Yeah like reply #3.
:naughty:

Hmmm... Ra PD... I'd actually really like to see that combo

yaesumofo said:

I think a little research into the logic of the RA twisty head is in order.
Yaesumofo

Click to expand...

yes... to be honest i think a McClickie even with its long record of reliabity shouldnt be employed, the light is designed to be drop dead reliable, therefor i dont think there should be any plastic or tiny springs and parts to poop the bed when you really need some light, the piston drive idea is a stroke of genius and McG is brilliant, and these to ideas could work together to make something truely amazing.

Creating a PD IMHO is a whole lot more difficult that creating a new tail and adding a switch. If it were to come down to creating a drop in part based upon the amount of time I have to invest into a project of this nature i would have to vote for a clicky simply because I have a great deal of the work done. Making a PD tail would mean a return trip to the drawing board. I look forward to seeing that part made. It will not be me who does it. A clicky on the other hand...
Yaesumofo

Sgt. LED said:

Yeah like reply #3.
:naughty:

Click to expand...

the credit is all yours.:mecry:
Yaesumofo

:nana:

I am getting tempted with all the clicky talk here. If I didn't have to sell the new one I just got I might try making something myself.

Why not just make a new tube section and thread it so it can use one of the so many existing surefire tail cap solutions. That seems to be the easiest solution.

*Imagining a SW02 on the Twisty*

I don't think this will work. Doesn't the twisty need to run it's initialization sequence when power is connected/reconnected?

This is what I am talking about in reference to the logic of the head. There is an initial contact where I believe the head figures out the voltage of the battery.
It really shouldn't be all that tough.
Anybody know if there is a drain on the battery when off?


The idea of making a surefire compatible tube is pretty good. The problem if you want to call it that is the 1 inch +_ diameter of the tail end of the tail. the e series switches are not 1 inch parts.

The use of a surefire switch would end the lights ability to tailstand as well.

It boils down do what people have in terms of priorities.

Before anything can be done really, tests needs to be done to determine if the insertion of a switching component interferes with the function of the flashlight.
I will be playing around tonight. Maybe some of you guys could too. Please report results here...
Yaesu Mofo

Cool Beans said:

I don't think this will work. Doesn't the twisty need to run it's initialization sequence when power is connected/reconnected?

Click to expand...

The power path cannot be interrupted.. The Twisty notices when there is a break between the contact of the threads between the head and the tailcap, and it goes into this blinking mode that happens on all three channels until the tailcap is removed for more than 10 seconds and reconnected.

As such, I don't think a signal-path style switch could work with the twisty, since it would interpret the break in connection as a power supply failure.

All the signaling is done through the U-wires. If we gave a switch to the Twisty, it would somehow have to make a direct connection to those U-wires and be able to determine which U-wire received current at any particular time.

That is why I suggested a PD style button switch, because it would essentially mimic what the stock twisting behavior accomplishes, without any new electronic switching mechanism.

yaesumofo said:

The use of a surefire switch would end the lights ability to tailstand as well.

Click to expand...

i think a black Z68 scoutlight tailcap would be perfect for this, tailstands and its fully guarded