New Vinh P60 drop in on the way- A few Questions

This will be for a Solarforce host. What are you folks using to wrap the drop in with? Aluminum, copper tape?? Thanks!

Stockhouse13 said:

This will be for a Solarforce host. What are you folks using to wrap the drop in with? Aluminum, copper tape?? Thanks!

Click to expand...

I have been using aluminium foil all along, learnt it from watching Vinh's tutorial video. http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?329978-vinhnguyen54-How-To-Wrap-A-P60-Drop-In

There is also this method, http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...-Improving-heat-sinking-on-P60-style-drop-ins

I have been using aluminum strips cut from soda cans and it seems to transfer the heat to the body pretty well, this is also a bit more reusable if you are the type that likes to take their light apart often. If you use this method, make sure that you remove the coatings and printing from both sides of the aluminum, you can use steel wool or fine sandpaper for this, a scotchbrite pad might work also.

After using alu tape, copper tape & alu can strip.. My verdict is that the can strip is the cleanest & most effective but slightly more troublesome (for the initial cutting & removal of the paint). But once u have it, u won't have to worry about it again.

And as bbrins says, if u plan to change dropin once in a while, the can strip method is much easier.

Why tapes are considered messy?
Its because after applying them, no matter how tight fit i make them to be, there will always be some glue adhesive residue on the throat of my flashlight & removing the tapes is also a pain with the amount of adhesive residue that remains on the reflector.

What about the cheap aluminum pie plates you can buy at the grocery store? You shouldn't have to remove the paint on that and the thickness should be close to the can.

Avoid adhesive tapes if possible. Besides the mess, the adhesive layer impedes thermal transfer.

If cost is a concern, Al can strips work fine. But if you can afford it, just buy Cu strips and foil. That's what I use.

jonwkng said:

Avoid adhesive tapes if possible. Besides the mess, the adhesive layer impedes transfer

Click to expand...

Yes many people say this, including Vinh, who is certainly deserving of respect. What evidence do you have to back that claim? I would mention that nailbender sends a small amount of copper tape with his dropins, sufficient to do the job. Nor do I find it 'messy' ; at least with the tape he supplies. Aluminum foil also works fine for me, I would just like to see any credible research on the matter. Have you seen the Flir images of the flashlights that have been running a while? The one with copper tape seemed to be doing just fine. It was on an older thread regarding this same issue.

I like to use a cut up soda can, easier to work with compared to aluminum foil and is easier to re-use. Just be careful not to jam it in too tight, otherwise it will pretty much be permanently stuck in that host. It does need to be real snug, but there is a nice compromise that lets it heatsink well but not make it near impossible to remove.

I too prefer the aluminum strip. Durable, transfers heat well, and can use over and over.

LeukTech said:

I like to use a cut up soda can, easier to work with compared to aluminum foil and is easier to re-use. Just be careful not to jam it in too tight, otherwise it will pretty much be permanently stuck in that host. It does need to be real snug, but there is a nice compromise that lets it heatsink well but not make it near impossible to remove.

Click to expand...

Yeah, definitely not as forgiving as foil if you jam the drop-in in to tight, the first time I tried this method, I got one stuck and wound up destroying the reflector to get it out. I like to make it snug, but so that I can still easily remove it with my fingertips.

Sent from my XT1080 using Tapatalk

I will give the soda can strip a try? Just seems like an adhesive could melt and maybe become a mess. Do you guys have the measurements of the strip I should cut ?
.75" x 3" ??
Thanks!

Update: Went with a strip of foil 6" x 10". Folded 3x length-wise and worked like a charm. VERY snug. Thanks for all your help and video links. Felt the foil would meld better to the shape of the drop in to the host's body.