Back to the drawing board

This thread started out simple enough, or so I thought... and then things became, for me anyway, more and more complicated. So the MA6 is out. Any suggestions for a nice simple light similar to the MA6?

hey,

I'm looking at a light that uses protected 17670s as the most efficient power source but it says you need to use a spacer for these flattops.

Where can I get them?

Thanks,

Mike

Re: Where can I get spacers for protected 17670s?

Hello Mick,

I'm not sure but I think what you need is a tiny magnet. When you purchase cells without a button top one of Sorry EDIT:these tiny magnets is used as a spacer. You may want to add a link to the light you are looking at, this will make it easier for others to help

Re: Where can I get spacers for protected 17670s?

lighthound.com sells the battery magnets to specifically do what you need. I have a dozen and they work great. Look for the batteries there and you will see them shown on the bottom as accessories.

Re: Where can I get spacers for protected 17670s?

Here's another tip. If you're going to use a magnet for the positive contact, install a small rubber washer around it. That way, you won't have the potential of a dead short if a hard hit to the light makes the magnet shift.

Hope that helps,
AZ

Re: Where can I get spacers for protected 17670s?

vestureofblood said:

Hello Mick,

I'm not sure but I think what you need is a tiny magnet. When you purchase cells without a button top one of these tiny magnets is used as a spacer. You may want to add a link to the light you are looking at, this will make it easier for others to help

Click to expand...

Thanks. Here's a link to the lgiht: http://light-reviews.com/tiablo_ma6/

And here's what it says about spacers:

Do take note that this contact is recessed, with a plastic collar sitting around it. This serves as a physical reverse polarity protection measure. Of course this also means that flat topped 17670 cells will require magnetic spacers in order to work in the MA6.

This is confusing. I looked at a couple of "spacer" pictures and the are different sizes. Some are flat like coins, others are cylindrical and are shaped like tiny cans and so on.

Anyone know what I need to get and where I get them?

Re: Where can I get spacers for protected 17670s?

Sorry I put the wrong link in befor...here is what I meant. You can get some 6mm magnets or even an 8 may be ok. If you get them from e-lectronics expect them in a couple of days, but you might as well buy somthing else from the sore because the minimum shipping charge is like a couple of dollars. You can also get these tiny magnets from places like DealExtream for less money but the shipping time is like 2 or 3 weeks. I also put a a little bit of glue around the very outside edge of the magnet to hold it in place (not between the magnet and the contact)

Re: Where can I get spacers for protected 17670s?

vestureofblood said:

Sorry I put the wrong link in befor...here is what I meant. You can get some 6mm magnets or even an 8 may be ok. If you get them from e-lectronics expect them in a couple of days, but you might as well buy somthing else from the sore because the minimum shipping charge is like a couple of dollars. You can also get these tiny magnets from places like DealExtream for less money but the shipping time is like 2 or 3 weeks. I also put a a little bit of glue around the very outside edge of the magnet to hold it in place (not between the magnet and the contact)

Click to expand...

Thank you.

Does anyone know what size I will need?

Re: Where can I get spacers for protected 17670s?

I've never liked the magnet idea because I'd always be worried that it would short out against something if the light was dropped.

My foolproof and simple solution is to take a flat faucet washer with about an 1/8" hole in the middle. These washers are generally about 9/16" in diameter give or take.
Then cut a piece of 1/8" copper rod just a little longer than the washer is thick.
Place the washer on a vice anvil and the copper "slug" inside the hole of the washer and tap it lightly with a flat headed hammer. This will flare the copper slug on both sides of the washer and make it captive.
Then just drop the washer "assembly" into the tube where you need it.

The rubber washer isolates the copper stud from touching anything else but the center of the battery.
A piece of copper hollow tubing works just as well, but if you don't control it while flaring it, I might tend to lean over to one side and get ugly (but still work fine).

Re: Where can I get spacers for protected 17670s?

Zenster said:

I've never liked the magnet idea because I'd always be worried that it would short out against something if the light was dropped.

My foolproof and simple solution is to take a flat faucet washer with about an 1/8" hole in the middle. These washers are generally about 9/16" in diameter give or take.
Then cut a piece of 1/8" copper rod just a little longer than the washer is thick.
Place the washer on a vice anvil and the copper "slug" inside the hole of the washer and tap it lightly with a flat headed hammer. This will flare the copper slug on both sides of the washer and make it captive.
Then just drop the washer "assembly" into the tube where you need it.

The rubber washer isolates the copper stud from touching anything else but the center of the battery.
A piece of copper hollow tubing works just as well, but if you don't control it while flaring it, I might tend to lean over to one side and get ugly (but still work fine).

Click to expand...

Oh well, it's back to the drawing board for me!

I thought I had found a pretty good all-around light for under $100.

But all this space/battery stuff is just a bit much for me. I'd really like to keep this simple or at least find a light into which you drop the batteries and the light works.

The search continues.

Back to the top by neccesity.

Then why dont you just get the 17670 batteries with button top, and forego the undue hassle?

All recent ones are made like that anyway, only those made for laptop battery packs don't have buttons.

I just paid for a Fenix TK11. It comes with the OP reflector and two protected 18659 batts and all the other stuff the TK11 comes with.

$55, shipping included.

Glad I'm done with waffling around on this.

Mike

Re: Where can I get spacers for protected 17670s?

vestureofblood said:

Sorry I put the wrong link in befor...here is what I meant. You can get some 6mm magnets or even an 8 may be ok. If you get them from e-lectronics expect them in a couple of days, but you might as well buy somthing else from the sore because the minimum shipping charge is like a couple of dollars. You can also get these tiny magnets from places like DealExtream for less money but the shipping time is like 2 or 3 weeks. I also put a a little bit of glue around the very outside edge of the magnet to hold it in place (not between the magnet and the contact)

Click to expand...

I already gave you the exact answer you needed. The battery magnets they sell on Lighthound.com does exactly what you need and fits perfectly. You don't need anything else. They are only in one size, they are very strong magnets, they work great. I have been using them for a year already. you don't want wider and flatter spacers. The penny shown next to the actual battery magnet is only for size reference. Its 1.6mm.


http://www.lighthound.com/Magnetic-Spacer--16mm_p_6-1046.html