Fitting 123s into a 2AA MiniMag...

Has anyone managed to increase the ID of a 2AA Mag to fit in 3 x 123s? The 123s fit in about 10mm but won't go in further. I was thinking of somehow grinding out 1mm from the ID to fit the 123s. Seems like that is all that is needed.

Has anyone managed to successfully do that?

TIA

That is one of the many projects Im working on but time is once again not on my side. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon23.gif Hopefully I will get it done by next weekend and have some pics to post.

tell me if you have done it howard. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

I didn't think the minimags had 1mm ID to give...?
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif

It would almost mean no threads at the tail...
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif

i don't know personally, but someone said before that your light would be held together by the anodyze /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/yellowlaugh.gif

not much room for threads at least...

Joe400: All the best.

FalconFX: On closer inspection, I can only put the 123s in only about 3mm, not the 10mm I overestimated above. Yeah, I would have to loose the thread PLUS the barrel ID... Nah... I'll give the idea a miss

Roth: He he

I have noticed CR2 Liths look a bit narrower and shorter than 123s...

Maybe it can be modded to fit those?

I found that you can put a CR2 (slightly thinner than a 123) into the threaded part of a Minimag barrel. The metal is awfully thin there. You could possibly mill out the rest of the barrel to hold a CR2 but I think the result would be fragile. What kind of lamp do you want to run on three 123's in a Minimag anyway?! If you want a Surefire, buy a Surefire.

I've had some interest for a while in chopping half of the Minimag tube (i.e. cut it down to 1AA length) and running a BB or Madmax on one NiMH AA cell, or two 1/2-AA cells. That seems much more feasible and would look really cool.

Paul

I was hoping I could put a 5w HD in there with a NX05 running 3 x 123s. Heatsinking may be an issue...

Yeah, the cut down version of the AA would look quite attractive.


Howard

6 1/3 AA's will fit in a MM and drive a 5 watter at about 1.3 amps for about an hour dimming from the start like any dd the only heat issues are during the first 15 min after that it is about as hot as BB 500.For most of that time it is brighter than a BB500.
Chris

1/3 AAs Chris? Please explain...

THanks

1/3 AA's are rechargeable cells that are the diameter of an AA but 1/3 the length. But there's no way they have 1300 mAH capacity. If the light is running at the same temperature as a BB500 for the last 45 minutes then the batteries are providing about the same amount of power, 1.8 watts or so.

It's certainly an interesting idea though. 15 minutes of runtime at higher output is comparable to a HOLA Surefire, and since the cells are rechargeable you can keep them topped off, if you don't use the light too much in a given day.

2/3 AAs have about a 650-700mah capacity, so I doubt 1/3 AAs are anywhere near that mah rating... Plus, 1/5A NiMHs at 400mah have a bit more capacity than the 1/3 AA anyways...

And in that retrospect, you'd be lucky to run a 5W LS with 20 minutes of runtime...

It dosen't run at that temp for the whole time,at 45 min its getting dim it falls off quick after the first 30 min and is cooling down. it got very hot while I did a run test
I used an ice pac to keep it cool,this is not intended for constant use.I would say it has 1/2 hour of very bright light with 15 or 20 min of dim(brighter than an ARC aaa)no real problems with running the cells down too far under 6v
(1v/cell)there is just a glow. good wow factor for a AA mini mag. The 1/3 AA are only 300mah this is stressing the cells pretty hard they have an permissable discharge of 900ma.
Chris