If you don't know already I'm into CHEAP quick and dirty mods. This christmas break I decided to do something a bout a stock and therefore worthless 3D mag, and a minimag host which was dead due to bad guts.
For the minimag: I bought a 1-3aaa driver board from dealextreme for $3. It has bright, low, and two strobes. I also bought some star-mounted cree-generation emitter, I forgot which one. Probably the cheapest I could find. I already had a clicky tailcap.
As you can see from the photos I epoxied in the driver board into the top of the light after filing down the anodizing on the body so it would ground to the driver.
Then after soldering the emitter wires, I epoxy'd that in too. This didn't leave any room for a reflector, so I fashioned one out of aluminum foil which increased output noticeably.
Removing the guts requires a spacer
This is absolutely a flood light and has no beam or spot. However, it is supremely useful this way and I'm very happy. It's a super work light because it does not need aimed at all. I already used it to assemble a computer and it's far better than anything with a beam. It's great to walk by in the dark too, because you don't have to aim it. It's like hemispherical.
For the maglight: I epoxy'd the emitter right to the tower, retaining it's spring-up-and-down function.
To wire the positive, I captured a machine screw underneath the emitter so that it makes contact with the center conductor inside the tower. For the negative I soldered to the threads. After cutting the cam off the reflector I can screw it down until it starts pushing the tower down. The setting really doesn't matter because I sanded the reflector to put the emitter in best focus, and screwing it down just pushes the tower down more. This mod throws great, pulls a bit over an amp from 3D alkalines and cost me like $7. I suppose it's not properly heatsinked, but I don't care.
These aren't 'real' beamshots because they are subject to my camera's auto-exposure, but you can get an idea especially with the floodlight.
Mag, complete with Edison Optical trademark yellow ring:
Floodlight mini-mag.
For the minimag: I bought a 1-3aaa driver board from dealextreme for $3. It has bright, low, and two strobes. I also bought some star-mounted cree-generation emitter, I forgot which one. Probably the cheapest I could find. I already had a clicky tailcap.
As you can see from the photos I epoxied in the driver board into the top of the light after filing down the anodizing on the body so it would ground to the driver.
Then after soldering the emitter wires, I epoxy'd that in too. This didn't leave any room for a reflector, so I fashioned one out of aluminum foil which increased output noticeably.
Removing the guts requires a spacer
This is absolutely a flood light and has no beam or spot. However, it is supremely useful this way and I'm very happy. It's a super work light because it does not need aimed at all. I already used it to assemble a computer and it's far better than anything with a beam. It's great to walk by in the dark too, because you don't have to aim it. It's like hemispherical.
For the maglight: I epoxy'd the emitter right to the tower, retaining it's spring-up-and-down function.
To wire the positive, I captured a machine screw underneath the emitter so that it makes contact with the center conductor inside the tower. For the negative I soldered to the threads. After cutting the cam off the reflector I can screw it down until it starts pushing the tower down. The setting really doesn't matter because I sanded the reflector to put the emitter in best focus, and screwing it down just pushes the tower down more. This mod throws great, pulls a bit over an amp from 3D alkalines and cost me like $7. I suppose it's not properly heatsinked, but I don't care.
These aren't 'real' beamshots because they are subject to my camera's auto-exposure, but you can get an idea especially with the floodlight.
Mag, complete with Edison Optical trademark yellow ring:
Floodlight mini-mag.
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