sammich shoppe's Downboy Converter

sammich shoppe\'s Downboy Converter

I'm trying to mod a brinkmann adjustable focus legend lx with a 1 amp downboy from the sammich shoppe. During my prelimenary tests (i.e powering it up with 6 volts from 2 fresh cr123's) it gets really, I mean really hot /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/eek.gif at some point I saw the dreaded magic smoke but fortunately it was just the rosin flux cooking /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif the luxeon 3 has no heatsink when I did the test maybe that's why it was cooking . I have no expreience at all driving luxeons this high and I hope the brinkmann's head would provide adequate cooling is this correct?

Can someone recommend an emitter board that could fit the legend lx and downboy? I was thinking of using a dime but thought hey maybe the CPF members has a better idea.

Re: sammich shoppe\'s Downboy Converter

Hi, I'm in the process of building a DB sandwich myself, and a couple of thoughts come to mind:

Emitter board - Cut a slug from 1/2" aluminum rod (readily available from and Home Depot), if you can find a wider diameter like 5/8", get it. You will have to file the slug flat to ensure good contact to the flashlight body and emitter for thermal transfer and to the body for electrical contact.

Potting - here is the real issue, the usual epoxies such as AA all have a HDT of around 140 degrees F, so at 140 degrees, the epoxy will begin to soften. The Downboy/Lux III combo will cut it very close temperature-wise, even with short intermittent runtimes. Dat2zip has recommended Devcon Tru Mold for creating the sandwich. I am using an epoxy with a HDT of around 250 degrees F and adding my own aluminum oxide powder to create a thermal potting compound.

Electrical contact - the bare aluminum of the slug will be fine to the body of the flashlight, but joining the copper wire from the DB to the aluminum slug for negative contact will be a challege.

I am still working that last one out, any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/help.gif

Re: sammich shoppe\'s Downboy Converter

Hey Wasabe64, where did you find an epoxy with a high HDT? I was planning to make a expedition to home depot, canadian tire, building box, home hardware in search of an epoxy, but maybe you could save me some time?

Re: sammich shoppe\'s Downboy Converter

I did it! finally got some time last night after two months /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif here's some pics of the legend-lx with lux 3watt, frean optic and UCL-LDF. I used a rubber washer to center the optic.




beamshots left modded arc-ls with lux3 twak, ucl lens & frean, right modded legend-lx wirh yellowish lux3 that I salvaged when I modded the arc-ls, frean optic and UCL-LDF lens:

Re: sammich shoppe\'s Downboy Converter

and the downboy converter sorry forgot /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif