Wanna make my first p60 type drop in!

But I need your help! I also don't post much so hi!

Here are my questions:

1. Where's the best place I can buy all that I need? Like the empty drop in and driver board?

2. Is there a driver board that's easy to solder because I'm a beginner?

3. Is there such thing as making your own driver board?

4. High quality to low quality. What are some examples as far as parts?

5. Things I need to look out for and/or be careful and mindful of?

Thanks guys!

KAMM said:

But I need your help! I also don't post much so hi!

Here are my questions:

1. Where's the best place I can buy all that I need? Like the empty drop in and driver board?

2. Is there a driver board that's easy to solder because I'm a beginner?

3. Is there such thing as making your own driver board?

4. High quality to low quality. What are some examples as far as parts?

5. Things I need to look out for and/or be careful and mindful of?

Thanks guys!

Click to expand...

Hi KAMM,

1) Google Mountain Electronic or International Outdoor shop.
They sell all the better components needed for a P60 dropin.
For other reseller website, Fasttech & DealExtreme carries quite a fare bit of sfuff as well.

2) Soldering takes some skills that comes with practice. So yeah, practice a little & be prepared to spoil some components in the beginning. Which comes to the next point, buy some spares in case u damage the components.

3) I am sure u can buy I have no idea how to or who can. Haha.. sorry!

4) As far as i am concerned higher quality parts for P60 are copper MCPCB (Notigon, SinkPad) & high temp wires.

5) Get a decent soldering iron, they make alot of difference. 50 to 60W should be good enough.
A simple clamp to hold your parts when u solder.

For P60, u will need a 16mm MCPCB & a 17mm driver.
For the reflector, a smooth reflector will generally gives u better throw and an orange peel reflector gives a smoother & wider beam.
There are also different emitter to play about.
So yeah, do some research on your own to find out more.

Cheers and have fun.

- Jon K

i bought some inexpensive empty p60 kits from illumn
its against the rules to post a link to them. they also sell LEDS, MCPCBs, and some drivers. although the only driver that i like has been out of stock for awhile now.

the kit comes with an empty pill, reflector, and springs. what you will also need is a driver, LED, and MCPCB to attach the LED onto.
(the driver may or may not come with wire leads on them, depending on which you get)
if you get a 17mm driver, itll be an easy fit for the underside of the pill. make sure you solder the driver to the pill for ground.
16mm MCPCB would be a good fit for the top side of the pill. anything bigger than 16mm would require some filing, or cutting.

you can buy LEDs that are already attached to a MCPCB. which will make things a little easier. these LEDs are so small nowadays that working with them can be a pain.

i think my last p60 dropin i made cost me a whoopin $7 total, and was quite easy to put together. (they had some sales)

also, when using an aluminum reflector, make sure the reflector doesnt make contact with the wire leads or LED. it will cause it to short.
so when soldering your wires onto the MCPCB, try not to use more solder than needed. i usually use 2 layers of electrical tape as insulation.

i dont know how you are with soldering... you want your solder joints to pool. make sure you heat up the parts before adding solder. if the solder is balling up and rolling away... you need more heat.

when grounding the driver to the pill. you want to make sure that area of the pill is hot so the solder will bond. the pill is a large piece so it will take more time heating it than the driver.

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...uit-boards-for-sale&highlight=wquiles+circuit

check out this thread. some great info about drivers.

Wow! Thanks guys!

I HIGHLY suggest the fasttech XML dropin. Its reflector has impressed ANYONE that has used it or bough my dropins.

If you end up with oen of the popular drivers with AMC1735 chips, be prepared for a challenge.

It is thicker than the P60 dropin socket.

I file rim at the forward end at 45degrees to make the driver sit lower.
Else soldering will be VERY difficult