moderator007
Enlightened
- Joined
- Jan 1, 2010
- Messages
- 990
I have seen several of these mods here on CPF. So I thought I try one sense A customer requested one for his wife.
Runs off of a single AA battery. Didn't really want to go the li-ion route here for safety purposes.
The driver came from DX about two years ago and they don't sell them anymore, sku #4451.
It draws about 800ma from the batteries so i would guess around 350ma to the led. Seems alot brighter than 350ma though. Driver could be changed easy enough for a li-ion. May build one latter to run on li-ions. The brighter it gets the less run time. I just have never felt like a small light should run for only 30 minutes to be usefull in everyday carry. Modes would help with this problem but at lower light levels. So this driver should allow the light to be usefull for a long time at its full brightness and some dimmer run time as the battery die's. The led is a shiningbeam 14mm XP-G R5 1A tint. Duracell AA battery.
Cut the inside of the head down taking some of the threads (for room) to except the heat sink with the stock reflector.
Better pic
Barrel threads shortened to the right length so the end of the barrel contacts the driver when screwed down. If I had left the threads stock length then when you screwed the barrel down the seal would show and serve no purpose.
Threads on the end angle cut slightly to allow easier threading engagement.
Tail cap end. Barrel cut and threads applied with the tail cap seal recess.
Heat sink (pill) machined and polished to a high shine. CK battery in the back ground to show the lapping.
Lapping done on the XP-G R5 14mm pcb.
Heat sink and pcb together.
Cut a small delrin insert to fit into the pill so that the driver would not conduct current threw the pill, isolating it. Cut a small recess in the delrin to hold the driver. Driver and delrin are a press fit.
Driver press fitted in the delrin recess.
Reflector had to be cut down slightly to adjust focus for the XP-G. Stock reflector on the right.
Two year old driver from DX. With silicone wire added.
Led glued down to the pill with artic silver thermal epoxy and centered.
Artic silver thermal paste added around the head for heat transfer from the pill.
Pill installed with driver and led.
Completely assembled finally.
Beam shot at two feet. Not the best I ever seen but works great for a general purpose light.
Mini mag with a AA on the left and ITP A3 with a AAA on the right. Alot of people own a ITP A3. So what better to compare it to. Notice the spill from the mini takes over the spill from the ITP A3.
The shorty Mini.
Standing up right.
For some reason I can't get good pic's without the color being some what off. The Mini is a deep purple. This pic is more of the right color but the pic is a little dark.
Screw the barrel down and the light comes on. The action and the feel of turning the light on is smoother than any light I own. Very smooth engagement. I have built many D maglite's and wanted to do something different so what do you think.
Runs off of a single AA battery. Didn't really want to go the li-ion route here for safety purposes.
The driver came from DX about two years ago and they don't sell them anymore, sku #4451.
It draws about 800ma from the batteries so i would guess around 350ma to the led. Seems alot brighter than 350ma though. Driver could be changed easy enough for a li-ion. May build one latter to run on li-ions. The brighter it gets the less run time. I just have never felt like a small light should run for only 30 minutes to be usefull in everyday carry. Modes would help with this problem but at lower light levels. So this driver should allow the light to be usefull for a long time at its full brightness and some dimmer run time as the battery die's. The led is a shiningbeam 14mm XP-G R5 1A tint. Duracell AA battery.
Cut the inside of the head down taking some of the threads (for room) to except the heat sink with the stock reflector.
Better pic
Barrel threads shortened to the right length so the end of the barrel contacts the driver when screwed down. If I had left the threads stock length then when you screwed the barrel down the seal would show and serve no purpose.
Threads on the end angle cut slightly to allow easier threading engagement.
Tail cap end. Barrel cut and threads applied with the tail cap seal recess.
Heat sink (pill) machined and polished to a high shine. CK battery in the back ground to show the lapping.
Lapping done on the XP-G R5 14mm pcb.
Heat sink and pcb together.
Cut a small delrin insert to fit into the pill so that the driver would not conduct current threw the pill, isolating it. Cut a small recess in the delrin to hold the driver. Driver and delrin are a press fit.
Driver press fitted in the delrin recess.
Reflector had to be cut down slightly to adjust focus for the XP-G. Stock reflector on the right.
Two year old driver from DX. With silicone wire added.
Led glued down to the pill with artic silver thermal epoxy and centered.
Artic silver thermal paste added around the head for heat transfer from the pill.
Pill installed with driver and led.
Completely assembled finally.
Beam shot at two feet. Not the best I ever seen but works great for a general purpose light.
Mini mag with a AA on the left and ITP A3 with a AAA on the right. Alot of people own a ITP A3. So what better to compare it to. Notice the spill from the mini takes over the spill from the ITP A3.
The shorty Mini.
Standing up right.
For some reason I can't get good pic's without the color being some what off. The Mini is a deep purple. This pic is more of the right color but the pic is a little dark.
Screw the barrel down and the light comes on. The action and the feel of turning the light on is smoother than any light I own. Very smooth engagement. I have built many D maglite's and wanted to do something different so what do you think.
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