need help with M@g85 reflector

OK I finally have my mag85 done....I am impressed, even my friends are impressed
I have a camless LOP from light edge. I have the shims as well.
whats the best way to hold the shims in plce? they always seem to slide, then contact the bipins on the bulb and short it out.
is there something else I can use as a shim?
I just can't think of something to use as a glue that can take the heat.

Hi Seth -

Springloaded stock Mag socket (ie. potted bulbs, Fivemega Hi temp BP slug, MC slug) -
- Unscrew the retaining ring. (This is the part that would normally hold the potted bulb in place.)
- Add the shims... Screw retaining ring back in place.
- Add/remove shims until you have the desired focus.

Kiu socket -
- No shims are needed...just dial head until you have desired focus.

setherd said:

OK I finally have my mag85 done....I am impressed, even my friends are impressed
I have a camless LOP from light edge. I have the shims as well.
whats the best way to hold the shims in plce? they always seem to slide, then contact the bipins on the bulb and short it out.
is there something else I can use as a shim?
I just can't think of something to use as a glue that can take the heat.

Click to expand...

Ouch, that could be ugly. The go on top of the bulb then the retaining ring. Add and remove for best beam, 8 seems to be the magic number.

I should have added I don't have a stock mag bulb holder in place, I have a magcharger bipin slug in there. so I can't put the shims under the retaining ring.

Sounds like you need to unscrew the cam follower screw on the side of the bulb post and put a washer behind it to lock the floating slug down. After you do that and find the proper location, you can adjust the head for best focus.

Jeff

Jumping in here, maybe that's my solution too! I've just put 8-10 shims in my FM 9-17500 1300 Lumen hotrod with 1185 and camless LOP, and my beam with the 1185 is really UGLY! It still has a large hole in it and several rings around it. I've tried two other camless LOP reflectors with the same result.

The only other M*g I can compare to is my FM 700L with cammed LOP and 1166. It's beam is pinpoint, hot and gorgeous.

Does anyone have beamshots of what kind of beam the 1185 with LOP produces?

Thanks!

A way to mod the bulb pedestal.
I went digging into the past and this is the only bulb pedestal mod details left to be found...

Quote:
Originally Posted by LEDmodMan
I added another method to fix the bulb post problem...
Essentially, you add a thin washer under the larger brass roller (see pics in Chief's post above for details) and when you tighten it down, it bears againt the plastic housing and locks the bulb post into place. Simple and effective! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif



I took a different approach as I couldn't get the washer tight enough and ended up stripping the threads.

I unscrewed the brass roller from the channel it moves in, removed the guts of the bulb holder, (it would be best to clean and solder these parts together to remove most of the resistance in this area - as we now know).
I then drilled a hole next to the channel, enlarging it until the brass roller fit inside of it. Then I reassembled everything back together inserting the roller into the drilled out hole. The roller is now trapped, no more spring-loaded movement. I then screwed on the head and now have variable focus again.

http://img297.imageshack.us/my.php?...pedestal3zq.jpg

I hope this is of help to others. The nice thing about this mod is that it is simple AND if you don't like it, it can easily be undone.
RE: Beamshots...
https://www.candlepowerforums.com/posts/1114209&postcount=68

Litho,

Thanks for the info and the link to the great beamshots!

Before I start drilling into the plastic base, is it common to have to add over 8 or 9 slim metal shims to a FM bi-pin slug and camless LOP reflector with an 1185 to achieve proper focus. Or is there a possibility that my M*g is somehow "out of alignment"? BTW, I was trying to focus with the head screwed all the way down to the body of the light.

Thanks!

Tom

Hi Litho,

Thats what I do also, I drilled a hole to the side after determining the best focus.

how do you remove the internal?

Remove tailcap, batteries, head and bulb. Peel off the rubber boot on the switch, depress the switch to on position, insert a 2mm hex key into the hole on the switch button, turn anti clockwise a few rounds, slide the thing out.

SJACKAL said:

insert a 2mm hex key into the hole

Click to expand...

I think that a 5/64" is actually the correct size but :shrug: 2 mm is pretty darn close though. I dream of the day when everything is standardized (to metric of course).

Ahh, I have a rather comprehensive set of keys including the 5/64 but I did not try it.

I guess 5/64 is better then, cause my 2mm always got stuck inside the screw, need a little pull to get it out. The black coating had been worn because of my Mag projects,

Thanx for the correction.

Should ha

thanks for all the info people!
I think I'll drill a hole until that new super-reflector is available.

setherd said:

thanks for all the info people!
I think I'll drill a hole until that new super-reflector is available.

Click to expand...

Measure carefully and drill once.

A tip is that its better to drill lower than higher coz if you are still out of focus thereafter, you can still make compensation by expanding the hole with a small file a little bit, mm by mm until you get the right focus. This is because of the spring will push the slug up. But if you already drilled high to start with and the focus is wrong, the only way to correct it is by drilling another new hole on the other side.

Good luck

I have another idea - I just put together a Mag85 earlier in the week. I put a zip tie around the pedestal - acts as a new "stop" for the brass roller. Cinch it tight enough so the spring tension doesn't cause the slug to creep upwards. After it's reassembled, you can adjust it by nudging the zip tie with a screwdriver.

SJACKAL said:

Measure carefully and drill once.

A tip is that its better to drill lower than higher coz if you are still out of focus thereafter, you can still make compensation by expanding the hole with a small file a little bit, mm by mm until you get the right focus. This is because of the spring will push the slug up. But if you already drilled high to start with and the focus is wrong, the only way to correct it is by drilling another new hole on the other side.

Good luck

Click to expand...

I used to insert a plastic tubes, or matchsticks in the gap at the brass roller, etc. They either fall off eventually, or the spring slowly but surely push the slug forward, may not notice it initially but it happens after a few days. So I want a sure, fool proof method.

I drilled mine last night. I drilled the hole about halfway down along the current path. Worked out just fine. Be careful, the drill goes through really quick.

PS, it doesnt really matter how far down you drill. Because you can always adjust the head for proper height.

A96HondaAccordCoupeEX said:

PS, it doesnt really matter how far down you drill. Because you can always adjust the head for proper height.

Click to expand...

I think it actually depends on the type of reflector you have. Coz if adjusting the head solves the problem, then why are we drilling in the first place. :shrug:

Perhaps the new reflectors don't have the same problems? I am using the Carly 1940 modded reflectors.