vinhnguyen54 Modding McClicky a Switch for Solar Force Hosts

If you installed a Mcclicky switch in a solarforce host you might notice that the light runs on all the time regardless of whether the click is engage or not. The reason is because the clicky got shorted by the aluminum retaining ring that holds the clicky in the tail cap. Here is a fix. You can use tape in place of heat shrink tubing too is you want.

The purpose of the heat shrink tubing is to isolate the retaining ring so that it wouldn't short the two shown arrows.

very nice mod, i wish i had a pile of those switches

vin, nice solution, but why this shorting did not happpen to me?

I had the plastic isollator ring removed form the retaining ring, and the switch seats in that recess. Thus the tabs are free of any contact.

I think it's just the 2011 Solar Forces host that have tight fitment and potential short hazards.

It has happened to my first gen L2P too. I had to adjust it so that the switch was perfectly centred in the switch.

What solar force tailcaps will these work in?

the standard L2 and the L2P ones. The L2S6 tailcaps have a different switch method

To get past this shorting I just used a small grinding "cone" attachment for my drill, and ground the inside of the retaining ring to widen it a little! Very simple - and only took about 20 second of grinding to be enough.

The end result is clean, and does not require any kind of heat shrinking tube or anything.

Either way works ... all depends on what you may have on hand!

Cheers

Never was sure if mcclicky would easily fit L2 tailcap. What about the L2s where the body and tailcaps both have square knurls?

Edit: I think it's the same tailcap as the regular L2. Sweet

Will this work on a S10 (L2T) tailcap?

JTik said:

Will this work on a S10 (L2T) tailcap?

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If you have access to a Dremel and 20 minutes then yes.

Diablo_331 said:

If you have access to a Dremel and 20 minutes then yes.

Click to expand...

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the point of the shrink tubing is so you do not have to dremel out the aluminum retaining ring?

I took the hard road when I modded mine. I cut down the tailcap body threads, shortened the hight of the brass ring, added a modded washer to act as a spacer, and finally opened up the inner diameter after the tailcap threads (closest the the boot). It wasn't hard and is self explanitory once you have it sitting in front of you. The only tools that I used was a dremel, bench vise, and needle nose pliers to tighten the brass ring. It took about 20 minutes of work after I figured out how I wanted to do it. Easier ways exists but this was how I did it. Here are a few photos.

JTik said:

Will this work on a S10 (L2T) tailcap?

Click to expand...

It works, You might have to enlarge the hole in the white plastic washer between the switch and the rubber boot.

Hey guys, just wondering if I can fit a McClicky into a Solarforce P1 host.

SimulatedZero said:

Hey guys, just wondering if I can fit a McClicky into a Solarforce P1 host.

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I think you can but McClicky are meant got high current usage and the P1 is not a good high current drain host as plastic doesn't conduct heat good.

vinhnguyen54 said:

I think you can but McClicky are meant got high current usage and the P1 is not a good high current drain host as plastic doesn't conduct heat good.

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I was more thinking to have the McClicky as a high quality dependable switch then for a high current application. I don't plan on passing 1.5 amps in this host and that's with copper tape connecting the pill to the metal in the battery tube.

SimulatedZero said:

I was more thinking to have the McClicky as a high quality dependable switch then for a high current application. I don't plan on passing 1.5 amps in this host and that's with copper tape connecting the pill to the metal in the battery tube.

Click to expand...

McClikies are very fine switch. But I have GREAT luck with Solarforce switches too.

vinhnguyen54 said:

McClikies are very fine switch. But I have GREAT luck with Solarforce switches too.

Click to expand...

Cool, thanks for the advice. Though, I may end up getting a McClicky just so I can say I have one

So you don't need the brass ring for the mcclicky to screw into a solarforce? What all is required to make it work? Pics? thanks