Best way to mount driver to P60 drop-ins

I was digging around, and didn't see anything specifying differences on how some of the driver boards are mounted into/onto the drop-in pill. I was curious if there was a simpler way to do it, other than soldering. I do not want to fully pot it though. I would like to have the ability to modify it later.

I have enough skill with a soldering iron to get by, but I was having some difficulty with solder on the "brass" pill adhering. I had it cleaned really well, but it seemed to just not get hot enough. I could probably benefit from using a little higher temp - as long as it's not so much I'm frying components, melting stuff....etc.


Also, if someone can post a technique - order of operations so-to-speak - for assembling the driver to the pill...that would be GREAT!

If there's already a tutorial or explanation out there, then I missed it. I did a search first, but came up with mainly other builds and customs that didn't explain that part. They simply stated, "installed driver and then....."

THANKS!!!!

Heat is your friend:thumbsup: (within limits)

Whenever I solder a driver to a pill I use a spare/garbage reflector and have it facing down, on top of a heat pad. I then place the pill on top of the reflector threads (LED facing down, not screwed in) so that I have a stable surface when pressing down on the pill/driver. This also assures that the LED wont be crushed/damaged as it will be sitting in the middle of the base of the reflector. I then apply heat to both the pill and the driver at the same time with the tip of the iron. After about 5-10 seconds or so it should be hot enough to solder the driver to the pill.

I usually do three to four solder blobs on the outside for permanent use. You can probably get by with two. My order of assembling a P60 module is:
1) Epoxy LED to pill
2) Solder LED wires to driver
3) Test fit driver, trim LED wires as needed
4) Solder battery positive to driver
5) Solder driver to pill
6) Solder LED wires to LED
7) (optional) Apply Fujik thermal glue on reflector threads, screw in pill (not permanent)

Hope this helps you out

Edit: I use a solder sucker to remove solder, desolder braid also works but I find the solder sucker works the easiest.

I don´t like the idea of current flowing through a stresspoint like the solderjoint between the pill and the driver, so I always run a separate wire from the rim of the driver, up through the holes and cennects it to a small cut-out I make on the top rim of the pill. Then I just glue the driver to the pill with some superglue.

Scattergun said:

I don´t like the idea of current flowing through a stresspoint like the solderjoint between the pill and the driver, so I always run a separate wire from the rim of the driver, up through the holes and cennects it to a small cut-out I make on the top rim of the pill. Then I just glue the driver to the pill with some superglue.

Click to expand...

You don't want to use super glue anywhere close to an LED. The fumes will mess up the LED.

Never had a problem with the LED since the amount of glue is really limited and on the other side of the module...

For testing purposes (OK... I'm guilty - I still have a few assembled this way) sometimes I'll copper or aluminum tape the negative ring to the pill - usually the same tape I'm using to wrap the drop in for thermal contact. I know it's cheesy, but it's super quick, is much easier to undo than solder, and has held so far in the two "quick" drop in mods I've used it in. I know it's not permanent, but it's great for testing/prototyping just to see if the sucker works before you take the time and effort to solder...