Will a Mclux head handle a 5W well ???

I am thinking of doing a 5W Mclux mod.

I have heard of a few flooting around before.
Were they driven at full speck?

How many mA do you think I can crank threw the 5W in a Mclux head.
Assumming I make a custome heat sink for the Mclux head, that is as big as possible.

I'm direct-driving my 3x123 "longtail" McLux with no problems at all.. The key is understanding how to use it. The first 10-15 minutes will have to be intermittant use as there is not sufficient mass in the McLux head to dissapate the heat.

At about the 20 minute mark (guessing from estimated use, not controlled testing) the light settles into an EXTREMELY useful tool that produces about the maximum light/heat ratio the light can handle. The Mclux is the best heat dissapating light I have tested so far.

I say GO FOR IT! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif I like my direct-drive 5W Mcluxes so much that I'm build extra bezel options. And it's much much, more than a novelty light than I had ever expected..

Slick,,,,
Two questions.

What mA do you think is going to the led?

What optic are you using? Sence they all suck for 5W. lol /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
I was looking at the new nx05 fraen replacements.

What about a BRIGHT flood of light from a 5W and mcflood?

I think it was ~1.6a when fresh (using Panasonic CR123's).. I HIGHLY recommend that you use a serious CPU heatsink to test the emitter BEFORE you mount it in the McLux head - that way if you have one with too low of vF you could put a small value resistor in the circuit cavity to avoid thermal runaway.

My DD 3x123 McLux uses a W2V emitter that while very bright and white, suffers from the chip being off-center in the die-cup. Because of this, a collimator cannot be made to produce a perfectly centered beam, so I opted for using a McFlood which works perfectly. I have to say I grateful that we have so many options available to us as modders that we can change some parts around to salvage an otherwise unuseable (but expensive) part..

The Fraen NX replacement would have been the perfect optic for my McLux except for the off-centered die (that no lens could correct). In my tests, the 5W white lambertian emitter gave outanding results.

One caution is the the Fraen is a touch shorter and the McLux bezel is machined to a "fixed" length for the optic. While the McLux will easily swap back and forth between an NX05 (or 01) and McFlood, the Fraen (because of it being shorter) will require a thicker spacing washer to secure the optic. It's definitly doable - just offering the "heads-up" /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif

Ahhh, VERY good info Slick.
Thanks alot.
I plan on using a converter in mine. Probably a DB when they come out.

Thsts good news you were running such a high mA. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
Now I feel better about thinking about putting a DB 1 to 1.5 amp converter in it. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

From my experience, I think an over-driven McLux head would be most comfortable between 900 - 1100ma, but then the environment of the light's intended use will determine how easy it will be to keep the thing cool. Let us know how your project turns out. I've always been mostly a direct-drive modder, but lately have really been exploring using some circuits.

Slick,,, after thinking about it, and asking around...
I think you are right. About 800 to 1100mA is about right.

You say yours is doing about 1.5 amp?
Well, do you think it would get too hot, and damage the led or board at that mA?

I'd like to do about 1,000 to 1,200 mA.
And still be able to do continuous on.

I found the LDF from flashlightlens will cover a multitude of sins, including my 5 watter which also has an off-centre die. Im currently waiting for the PM6 McLux head, which im hoping will have a bit more mass, and will allow me to use a DownBoy 1 or 1.5A.

kakster...
PM6 Mclux head? Can you please explain what that is?
Link? Info?

Its a McLux head designed to take the Pelican PM6 reflector. Im assuming it will be a touch bigger than the stock head to accomodate the reflector.
Its been mentioned in a couple of previous threads, but i cant for the life of me remember which ones. Perhaps McGizmo will chime in, id like more info on it too.

hmmmm, that sounds very interesting indeed. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/popcorn.gif

Hi guys,

I just finished a second prototype of this head made from the dimensions I have provided to the off-shore mfg. I have taken some photos and will try to get them uploaded this eve. Basically the head is based on the McLux style of integral heatsink/ bulkhead. It is larger in diameter to house the PM6 reflector. I was able to make the head shorter than the PM6 head by a bit by using the Ecan for the rear end. I have toyed with various reflector settings and have decided to orient the default to the "true" focus of the reflector. What this means is that a 1W HD will be tight and focused. A 5W will have a hint of null in the center; similar to the KL4 and PM6 McModules when the reflector is set all the way down. I have designed the head, reflector and O-ring seal in such a manner that folks will be able to shim the reflector up by about .020" which is required to get the null to disappear with the 5W. IF the head does become a reality, the shimming process is very easy and reversible. I'll try to post pics later.

This head will fit the McLux, and all other E series style bodies. My plan is to have the head HA III natural to give it the most versatility. The head does have more mass and surface area than the 1" diameter bezels so it should handle the thermal issues of the 5W better than the smaller hosts.

- Don

McGizmo...
HA III natural.... that means it wont look like the originial 1" diameter mcluxs? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif
I love thier two tone look.

jtice,

I could always go with EN plating and bead blasting I suppose. I have assumed that with more E series bodies, UBH's and others all in HA that folks would be more in demand for these??!? The HA looks OK with the EN plated power paks. There is a real advantage to anodizing in that the heat sink will not be electrically conductive. This is desireable if a DB is planned in the build. The decision on plating has not been finalized at this point, heck the parts haven't been machined yet! In fact I need to get hopping; bye for now....

- Don

You could always offer HA tailpacks to go with it /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I agree with kakster... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif

Well, Personally, I like the look of the current mclux heads, and packs. I love the two tone look.

If you make them HA, thinking about ppl using it with UBH and such,,, odds are, its not going to match them anyway.
So its not really worth it is it?

As far as conductivity, that might be true, but there are always ways around that. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

If you do end up HAing them, they wont have that cool two tone look. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif
If you do HA, try to make it match the color sceme of the mclux packs as much as possible please.

OK,

Here's a pic of the second prototype I made:





As you can see, at this point, this thing is based on function, first and foremost. I ended up putting the grooves further aft than the design and in the design, there is more of a taper at the tail section. I was mostly concerned with the functional and critical dimensions within the head for this proto. It could be snazzed up with some second opperation indexed milling but I am on a real tight budget here and this guy is no beauty contestant anyway. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif I have passed on more information to the mfg. and I will now await their comments. The bezel cap could remain smooth and the rear of the head could be bead blasted. The head can be done in EN. I could also have the head done in black HA which would make it functionally correct and optimized and then it wouldn't match anything! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif The black would however go with just about anything.

Build a powerpak to go with this???? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

- Don

[ QUOTE ]
jtice said:
Slick,,, after thinking about it, and asking around...
I think you are right. About 800 to 1100mA is about right.

You say yours is doing about 1.5 amp?
Well, do you think it would get too hot, and damage the led or board at that mA?

I'd like to do about 1,000 to 1,200 mA.
And still be able to do continuous on.

[/ QUOTE ]

I think 1 - 1.2a is still a bit too much to get a continuous duty cycle.. 1.5-1.6a on fresh cells is not a problem as long as you give it a rest when it heats up.. I think 900ma-1a is about the upper limit for continuous duty - but I have not actually done tests to detmine exactly the current flow limit for continuous duty.

The problem is that there simply is not enough mass in this small of a light to continue absorbing heat once it reaches saturation.

Don,

Black HA-III would be nice. I think it would look very nice with the EN McLux bodies. A black KL3 with your E2C is very acceptable.

If you're going to build a new power pack, what would you do differently? I have thought about refinements to the McLux design, and most of what I've thought of was at the "business end".

One of the original McLux design goals was compatibility with Surefire E-series parts. I'd like to preserve that, but get a little more flexibility out of the McLux head. Nascar's E2e P61 mod and the McModule got me thinking.

The emitter would be housed in a module (like the McModule), but with the capability of using an E-can type circuit holder (this would also allow for a setup like the older McLux battery contact assembly for double-sided circuits like the present DownBoy if needed). The emitter module would mate to a head, rather than to the body as the McModule does, and then the head/module assembly would screw onto the body, which would still retain the E-series dimensions. This would allow an easy upgrade to turbo without the expense or time required to build an entirely new emitter/converter circuit.

I haven't really thought much about heat management, though.