MC-E Keychain lights (EDCs) - 3rd torch new pics

MC-E Keychain lights (EDCs) - (4) pics, video

Unfortunately, the tailstanding polished Aluminum beauty you see the photo would not accommodate a driver larger than 16mm and the unregulated 5-mode (PWM + memory only) driver that I'm using is 17mm in diameter. I had purchased that torch specifically for this project,but it wasn't a total loss, even as stock, it's awesome in every way. I might, at some point in the future, try reducing the diameter of one of those drivers to fit, and if successful, do the upgrade to it then. For now, I hate to chance destroying its perfection. Anyway...



The beat up old Trustfire TR-803 made an awesome MC-E host, once I got the CREE Q5 out of it. The whole thing is heavy, pill included, and so lends itself to heatsinking more so than any other 1*CR123A torch i own. I've perfected my own method of installing the MC-E emitters in such a way that XR-E reflectors are optimally focused and that there is no risk of crushing the delicate little *******s when tightening things up (see pill pics).

The PWM only driver (with mode memory) was key to providing the option of running unregulated full blast or more consevative modes that will last more than 15 minutes, without the annoyance of having to cycle through modes every tmie I turn it on. (If I couldn't find one in 17mm, I would have considered a two-mode switch and a resistor, but I'd still have the cycling problem and probably couldn't have fit a resistor of the right spec.)

The crucial element of course, is the IMR 16340 battery. The MC-E pulls over 2A on high - not something I'd want to try with a Li-Ion RCR123. I suppose LiFePO4 could handle the load, but would have had lower output and shorter runtime than the LiMn IMR battery.

Tailcap measurements on a battery that measured 4.19V at rest (so almost full charge, but not quite:

High: 2.2A
Med & Strobe: 1A
Low: 200mA

This one's a pisser. I don't think anyone will be less than amazed at the output comming off my little keychain light.

I'd love to strip it down and have it polished or Nickel plated or something to dress it up. Maybe on the next custom plating group buy...
*update: I de-ano'd a new T-803 host and moved the pill to the new host. I also improved the electrical path by placing a spring under the pill and by filing down the tailcap to make sure the bottom of the battery tube made direct contact with the switch retention ring. Now it's perfect in form and function.

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Here's a few pics of my 2nd keychain MC-E creation, which uses an UltraFire EMR1 Rebel as the host. I've dubbed it "The Ugly Duckling":







The pill and reflector have substance for a single CR123A light


Pill and reflector (bored hole, filed bottom to achieve focus)


Coated the threads of the lens retaining ring in this flexible loctite adhesive to waterproof it in the absence of a bezel gasket

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...And here's #3. I love this one. Single mode DD, pulls 3.3A off fresh battery (gets hot but doesn't turn blue), but doesn't get hot under normal use after battery has been conditioned with a few short uses. Double gaskets at head and tail. Thick gasket at lens. Tailstands. Awesome.


Look like that one above that I said I couldn't use? Well, it is. (Who needs a driver anyway?)



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At it again. Had to have one in neutral white. This little beauty is the smallest yet, but also the heaviest. It's the chrome-plated-brass Ultrafire WF-C6S (incorrectly advertised as stainless steel). The boost driver that ran the Q5 it came with well even on a primary 3V battery is smaller diameter than the KD driver, so I had to go direct drive again, but I don't mind. It's plenty bright in neutral white and man, this sucker gets hot after a little while. Good heatsinking, good mass, and a good thing the little IMR 16340 wont run it at full blast very long...









The first two are now for sale here.

Re: ME-E Keychain light

show us more!!!

Re: ME-E Keychain light

griff said:

show us more!!!

Click to expand...

Ask and ye shall receive:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I2mkS6vIpFQ

I have to add two disclaimers here. My house was a mess when I took the video with my phone. Don't judge me. I couldn't tell with the lights off and I was too busy filming with a phone while juggling two keychains and trying not to trip to notice what I was filming. Number two, the phone doesn't film well in low light at all and the auto iris/balance shuts down bright light really well. (I actually use it to tell if all 12 diodes in my 3xMC-E torches are lighting by pointing those torches directly into its lens, and you can actually make out the squares perfectly.) That last part said, the outside video looks entirely unimpressive, but hopefully, you can tell the tremendous difference between the 1000mA XR-E keychain torch and the 2.2A MC-E keychain torch, even if neither appear all that bright on the phone video outside. Enjoy...

Re: MC-E Keychain light

Doh! I typo'd the thread title, which should have read MC-E keychain light. Bummer.

Re: ME-E Keychain light

I think you can fix the title if you click advanced mode. Nice mod on the MC-E. Could you post any inside beamshot pics?

Re: MC-E Keychain light (EDC)

matrixshaman said:

I think you can fix the title if you click advanced mode. Nice mod on the MC-E. Could you post any inside beamshot pics?

Click to expand...

Yep, that did it. Thanks for the tip. I'll post indoor beamshots tonight. I know the YouTube video makes it hard to judge because of the phone that it was shot with.

Re: MC-E Keychain light (EDC)

great mod!.. what driver did you use there?

Re: MC-E Keychain light (EDC)

Here are some beamshot comparisons of this new EDC keychain phenom compared to the previous keychain champ, a CR123A CREE Q5 with boost driver.

Specs on the two contenders:

1. Ultrafire A1 CREE XR-E Q5 modded with DX driver sku 15880 (1A buck/boost 5 mode)

2. Trustfire TR-803 modded with MC-E k-bin, IMR 16340 battery, KD driver pid 1845 (unregulated/DD 5 PWM modes with memory)

All shots of a given distance were taken with the same camera settings as follows:

4ft from target: ISO100 F/4 1/8sec
12ft from target: ISO100 F/4 1/3sec
40ft from target: ISO400 F/4 1.3sec

The subjects: 1.right 2.left


The subjects: 1.left 2.right (MC-E host is 1-2mm thicker)


Control shot lights on 4ft.


XR-E 4ft.


MC-E 4ft.


Control shot lights on 12ft.


XR-E 12ft.


MC-E 12ft.


Control shot outdoor flood lights on 40ft.


XR-E 40ft.


MC-E 40ft.



That's it.

Re: MC-E Keychain light (EDC)

Wow! Nice mod!

Thanks for the Video.

How much runtime do you get?

Re: MC-E Keychain light (EDC)

Gunner12 said:

Wow! Nice mod!

Thanks for the Video.

How much runtime do you get?

Click to expand...

The short answer is "not much"...

The long answer is that the total runtime is open to interpretation when using these components together. There's no low-voltage protection PCB on the battery and no low voltage cut-off built into the driver either. The MC-E will still light up at pretty low voltages too, so you have to gauge by eye when it's time to charge the battery again. While running the battery below 2.5v doesn't risk physical harm to the operator the way it might with Lithium Cobalt batteries, it does risk damage to the Lithium Manganese battery, which will reduce cycle life and runtime. So even if you don't mind running it down to dim levels on high, you'd be doing yourself a disservice in that you'd be shortening your battery's service life.

If you run it constantly on high (show and tell mode) you'll probably be much more aware of the difference in brightness as the voltage drops, and want to recharge the battery before it's voltage gets down to ~3V. That's pretty much how I use it - I charge it well before the total runtime ahs been reached.

Considering that the draw measured at a full charge decreases as the battery's voltage decreases, and that these batteries' capacity are pretty accurately rated compared to say Trustfire batteries, I think it's probably safe to calculate the realistic usable runtime as rated capacity in mAH divided by draw (measured on full charge) in mA = runtime in H, and then add 20% to compensate for the reduction in current draw that occurs as voltage drops, extending the total runtime. Adding 20% to the runtime calculated by the draw measured at a full charge, I think, is conservative, considering that my torches with protected batteries yield 200% of runtime calculated by draw measured on a full charge before the protection circuit on the batteries kick in.

The IMR 16340 is rated at 550mAH so using my formula for realistic runtime presented above yields:

High: (550mAH / 2200mA) * 1.2 = 0.3H * 60min/H = 18 minutes
Medium/Strobe: (550mAH / 1000mA) * 1.2 = 0.66H * 60min/H = 39 minutes
Low: (550mAH / 200mA) * 1.2 = 3.3H * 60min/H = 198 minutes
SOS is probably similar to Low, I think, but that's a wild guess.

Re: MC-E Keychain light (EDC)

Lightening strikes twice... I had a second one of those PWM drivers lying around and one more MC-E k-bin emitter, and was still bummed about not using the other torch I wanted to for this project so I modded another 1xCR123 light.

This time I used the UltraFire EMR1. The body is thin and short and it tail stands. The head is the same size as the TR-803, but because the walls are thinner, it accommodates a wider reflector. I was hoping to achieve a slightly better throw with this one, because of its slightly wider reflector. It's very hard to tell (beamshots would make it easier to judge).

I had to hand ream the reflector that was meant for a Rebel in order to fit the MC-E diameter, and file it a bit from the back end to thin the wall of the opening, to better focus it. I also ahd to file down the pill's wall height to allow the reflector to come closer to the bare MC-E emitter. The MCPCB that the Rebel was on was thicker than the MC-E base, causing the MC-E to be further from the top of the pill than the Rebel was. It took some careful, patient work, going a little at a time, but in the end, the fit and focus are perfect.

The EMR1's head was glued on and there was no way I was leaving the clip on it. I marred the black anodizing something awful while removing the head, even though I had wrapped it in packing foam before getting out my pliers. Not having any lye around, I tried to remove the anodizing off of the head and body with a wire wheel. Now it has a very unusual look. I think I'll dub this one "the ugly duckling".

It's thinner, lighter construction makes the heat it generates on high much more noticible than the TR-803.

:Edit: Pics of this added to 1st post

Re: MC-E Keychain lights (EDCs) - 2nd torch new pics

I will trade you some finish work for a light mod:~) Send me one of those lights and i will clean it up and bead blast it. It will remove all of the anodizing and it will look something like the lights in the pic below. I can also high polish your light but alot more time involved in that kind of work.Lights below have all been blasted with my super fine blast mix. Comes out very smooth.
Matt

Re: MC-E Keychain lights (EDCs) - 2nd torch new pics

Pontiaker said:

I will trade you some finish work for a light mod:~) Send me one of those lights and i will clean it up and bead blast it. It will remove all of the anodizing and it will look something like the lights in the pic below. I can also high polish your light but alot more time involved in that kind of work.Lights below have all been blasted with my super fine blast mix. Comes out very smooth.
Matt

Click to expand...

Sounds good to me, if you supply the parts. I'd prefer the polish to teh matte finish, but beggers can't be choosers. BTW, what kind of alloy are those lights in the pic? On my screen, they appear gray with a purple tint.

Re: MC-E Keychain lights (EDCs) - 2nd torch new pics

The purple tint is just from the flourescent lighting. The two lights on the right are Surefire, not sure what alum they use? The other is a hodge podge of parts, also have no idea on the alloy.
Matt

I will send you a PM and we can talk.
Thanks!

Drivers? We don't need no steenking drivers!

I couldn't resist. That nice polished aluminum light with all the gaskets and everything was just going to waste by not being on my keychain.

I pulled out the 6 mode driver to save for a rainy day and replaced it with a blank contact board salvaged from a 1AA light driver.

The emitter that I put into it I pulled from another torch I had modded. Among the two dozen or so MC-E emitters I've been through, this one was without doubt the brightest. Easily an M-bin disguising itself a s a K-bin (from DX, no less!).

I trimmed down the parallel star it came on rather than risking ruining it by trying to remove it from the MCPCB. The extra metal came in handy for heatsinking. I filed the threads on the torch body to accommodate the extra length inside the tube and worked the hole in the reflector a bit (it was actually too small for the XR-E before).

It couldn't have come out better. I'm so happy with it.:twothumbs

Hot off the charger, a new IMR 16340 measures 3.3A draw at the tail cap. Amazingly, the emitter doesn't get hot or shift toward blue at all. Damn, I wish they were all this good!

Pics added to first post.

Awesome result after the mod!!!

Re: MC-E Keychain lights (EDCs) - 4th torch new pics

Couldn't resist - had to have one in neutral white. The new Ultrafire WF-C6S sure is purty. Chrome plating is so hard to keep polished though. Pics up top.

Full-powered MC-Es in keychain lights... awesome.

BTW, when you say that the MC-E at 3.3A isn't getting hot, how long are the runs you're using? Something like that should heat up pretty quickly, so if the flashlight surrounding it isn't hot, you may be cooking your MC-E. An overheating MC-E or XR-E won't turn blue like a Seoul will. Of course, sometimes that's the price you have to pay for such a sleeper. :devil:

Re: MC-E Keychain lights (EDCs) - 4th torch new pics

TigerhawkT3 said:

Full-powered MC-Es in keychain lights... awesome.

BTW, when you say that the MC-E at 3.3A isn't getting hot, how long are the runs you're using? Something like that should heat up pretty quickly, so if the flashlight surrounding it isn't hot, you may be cooking your MC-E. An overheating MC-E or XR-E won't turn blue like a Seoul will. Of course, sometimes that's the price you have to pay for such a sleeper. :devil:

Click to expand...

The 500mAH IMR battery only pushes that amount of current to the emitter fresh off the charger and then current quickly tapers off. Basically, these torches are like little hotwires in that way.

I notice that if I run them for a few minutes when the batteries are fresh, they get very hot in my hands, (especially the two direct drive ones), but if I do that after typical use of several short bursts, they generate much less heat.

As for turning the emitters blue, P7s and MC-E s absolutely do it, it just takes more juice than conventional Li-ions provide if the emitters are heatsinked well. I've done it to 3 well mounted MC-Es at a time using 2 AW IMR batteries and one poorly mounted P7 using a regular Li-Ion.

If you check out the 3x MC-E torches in the MC-E Maddness link in my signature, you'll see I had to add resistance to keep from the 6s2p emitters from turning blue when directly driven by 2x18650 IMR batteries.

Hi!! Im new to modding flashlights, but I have been reading the forums for a while now, and still have some questions. I would like to copy your TR-803 MC-E K-bin design. I have the donor light (TR-803), but Im not sure what driver to buy. You mention a " KD driver pid 1845 (unregulated/DD 5 PWM modes with memory)" Where can I buy one of those?
And also about the MC-E, should I just get an emitter, or is there one already mounted to a driver available that will fit into the TR-803 head? I am pretty handy with a soldering iron, and electronics, but this is still a very new world to me.
Any other tips for me?
Please let me know!