Hotlips 'D' from hotbeam

EvilLithiumMan

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Hotlips \'D\' from hotbeam

Just did my first 2D Maglite mod with hotbeam's hotlips 'D' heatsink. It is a big, beautifully machined slug of aluminum. It has a raised pedestal to aid in centering the emitter, a TX1K in my case:
Headon.jpg


A lot of folks make an adapter to fit the PR bulb holder. I didn't bother. I just pushed the mechanism all the way in, bent the negative contact strip over and soldered wires directly to it. By deanodizing the tailcap and using a 'C' size spring, I can fit 3 NiMH 4500mah C cells into the 2D host:
Tailcap.jpg


The reflector needs to be cut down:
Cutdown.jpg


Fresh out of the charger, it draws 1.4 amps. At the nominal 3.75 volts, the draw is 930ma. The throw rivals my 2C Mag with the 3x123 KPR112 mod. I just need the UCL lens now:
Finish.jpg


And guess what you can do because of the cut down reflector?
Mama Mia! That's a one spicey candlestick!:
Candle.jpg
 

darkzero

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Re: Hotlips \'D\' from hotbeam

Nice one ELM!

[ QUOTE ]
EvilLithiumMan said:
I just need the UCL lens now!

[/ QUOTE ]

And maybe some sputtering. It cleans the beam up nice!

[ QUOTE ]
EvilLithiumMan said:
That's a one spicy candlestick!

[/ QUOTE ]

Awsome, I didn't even think about that!
thanks
 

EvilLithiumMan

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Re: Hotlips \'D\' from hotbeam

darkzero - You did a great job with the Krylon sputtering. I've been reluctant to try it, because it usually takes me 3 or 4 attempts to learn any new task and I don't have any spare reflectors around /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif.
 

Sway

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Re: Hotlips \'D\' from hotbeam

ELM,

Very nice /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif keep up the good work!

Later
Sway
 

hotbeam

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Re: Hotlips \'D\' from hotbeam

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif
 

darkzero

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Re: Hotlips \'D\' from hotbeam

[ QUOTE ]
EvilLithiumMan said:
darkzero - You did a great job with the Krylon sputtering. I've been reluctant to try it, because it usually takes me 3 or 4 attempts to learn any new task and I don't have any spare reflectors around /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif.

[/ QUOTE ]

Thanks ELM. I've pretty much got the technique down now. It's really fairly easy once you get the hang of it. If you read the last post in my link above, Lambda gives a short how-to on how to do it. Gotta thank Lambda for finding this one out. Since then I've been using reflectors over optics and been sputtering everything that has the slightest artifacts.

Sorry, I took down my pics and replaced them with just a link if others wanted to see. I kinda felt if I was maybe "hi-jacking" your post or something and didn't want to do that! In other words I already had my "glory" with my own post with my mod. This thread is to get yours..../ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinser2.gif

If you'd like, you can send me yours and I can sputter it for you. I'm in LA so the turnaround will be quick. I'll sputter as many as you like as long as you don't send 20 of them all at once and of course free of charge. Just PM me if you'd like it done.

thx
 

EvilLithiumMan

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Re: Hotlips \'D\' from hotbeam

darkzero - You can put back your sputtered reflector shot if you like. Far from 'hi-jacking' the thread, I felt you added to it because folks can see a direct comparision of the two.

As for 'glory' - that belongs to hotbeam for what I feel is an excellent product. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif
 

darkzero

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Re: Hotlips \'D\' from hotbeam

[ QUOTE ]
EvilLithiumMan said:
As for 'glory' - that belongs to hotbeam for what I feel is an excellent product. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

Amen to that! I love these Hotlips so much I have so many I don't even know what to do with them. They're just here all sitting on my desk getting admired by me.

An excellent product from a wonderful person.
Howard is da man! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif
-Will-
 

Rothrandir

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Re: Hotlips \'D\' from hotbeam

yea hotbeam, nice heatsinks! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 

hotbeam

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Re: Hotlips \'D\' from hotbeam

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif Our heatsinks /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif
 

Justintoxicated

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Re: Hotlips \'D\' from hotbeam

Hey im about to do a similar mod, how much are those NIMH Batts and do you have to use a special recharger to use them?

thanks, JI
 

EvilLithiumMan

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Re: Hotlips \'D\' from hotbeam

[ QUOTE ]
Justintoxicated said:
Hey im about to do a similar mod, how much are those NIMH Batts and do you have to use a special recharger to use them?

thanks, JI

[/ QUOTE ]

I bought these - http://www.batteryspace.com/product.asp?3=40 - there may be better deals out there, I didn't do a whole lot of shopping.

I use a home made constant current charger for my cells. It has selectable rates of 50, 100, 150, 300, 600 & 1200ma. I have to be careful with the higher rates; there is no temp. or voltage control.

I hope someone else will recommend a good charger for C NiMH cells. Most of the ones I've seen don't charge very fast. Cells of this capacity typically take 30 to 40 hours to charge. But at least the charger is safe to leave unattended.
 

PaulW

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Re: Hotlips \'D\' from hotbeam

[ QUOTE ]
EvilLithiumMan said:
darkzero - You did a great job with the Krylon sputtering. I've been reluctant to try it, because it usually takes me 3 or 4 attempts to learn any new task and I don't have any spare reflectors around /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif.

[/ QUOTE ]

ELM,

This was a concern of mine too. I happened to have some small (about 4 oz.) plastic drinking cups and used them to practice. I wrapped some masking tape, sticky side out, around a short 1 by 2 and just stuck the cups on. I then practiced with single, double, and triple coats sprayed on the inside until I felt I was skilled enough.

Paul
 

darkzero

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Re: Hotlips \'D\' from hotbeam

[ QUOTE ]
Justintoxicated said:
Hey im about to do a similar mod, how much are those NIMH Batts and do you have to use a special recharger to use them?

thanks, JI

[/ QUOTE ]

AmondoTech has a deal, here, on the Vanson BC1HU charger and 8 'C' 4500mah for $50.55 and shipping is only $4.95.

It's a great charger and AmondoTech has the best price on it anywhere. The feature that stands out amongst it's other great ones is that it has independent channels meaning you can charge 1 or 3 batteries at a time unlike most that have to charge in pairs. Do a search on Vanson here to find more info.

The Vanson and NiMhs combo is not really a money saving deal though. If you buy just the charger and 8 of the NiMhs it'll come out to the same price as the combo. So I just got the charger and 6 NiMhs. The Titanium 'C' 4500mah cells are $3.20ea., listed here.
 

EvilLithiumMan

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Re: Hotlips \'D\' from hotbeam

I my original post I mentioned 'pushing the bulb retainer all the way in and securing it by bending over the contact strip'. This only works for the 'D' models. The contact strip in the 'C' models is too short for this method.

But we can make the contact strip 'longer' by making the bulb retainer 'shorter'. Remove the 'C' switch and grind away the area as shown here:
Grind1.jpg


Now depress the bulb retaining post fully. Enough material has been removed so that the contact strip may now be bent over to secure it.
Grind2.jpg
 

darkzero

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Re: Hotlips \'D\' from hotbeam

ELM, there really isn't need for all that cutting and grinding.

IMO, easiest way (I take that back, ELM your way is way easier! That's some good thinking or maybe I'm just dumb, I would've never thought of that, which is why I do it the way I do. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinser2.gif ) to make the connections is first pull the negative strip contact up and out of the switch assy. grabing it where the set screw is at. Take razor blade or something thin and use it split the switch assy apart at the seams. It's not glued or welded together. It comes apart very easily.

Be sure to take note of where all the switch components go. Just split the two halves slowly and you'll be ok. I included a pic of the order of components in case you get things mixed up. Remove the brown bulb holder housing and bulb holder, then toss them in the trash (I always keep the bulb holder for some reason, got a box full of them). Put the switch assy's halves back together and make sure the switch is in operational order. A helpful trick in getting everything back together is, remove the contact for the positive side of the batteries along with the other contact that the spring is welded to. After you get the two halves together with all the switch components in order, reinstall the two contacts just before you get the halves closed up.

Then carefully bend back and forth the positive contact spring to break it free from the switch contact. Cut to shorten down the negative contact strip to desired length. Now just make all your conections straight to the switch assy. Makes a cleaner install and leaves you plenty of room for adding a large resistor for those mods that require them.

f9bb2d3d.jpg

f9bb2d3b.jpg

f9bb2d3a.jpg




As for a MagD switch:
(These were pictures that I sent to a friend overseas)
f9bf2b41.jpg

f9bf2b6c.jpg

f9bf2bb6.jpg

f9bf2b49.jpg

f9bf2b5a.jpg
 

EvilLithiumMan

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Re: Hotlips \'D\' from hotbeam

Now those are nice pics of the 'D' switch assembly! I was lucky with my 'D' mod; it only took a couple of minutes and didn't require removing the switch. But the big disadvantage to that approach is that there is no room for a resistor. I didn't need one this time. That may not be the case next time.
 
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