MTN Electronics: LEDs - Batteries - Lights - Chargers - Hosts - Drivers - Components - 1-Stop-US Source

Do it. And post pictures.

Yes!!! A flashaholic’s Christmas…

It depends.

If you want the mod to be completely reversible then yes a spacer is needed. If you’re willing to get dirty with a handfile then you can easily mod the light to not need a spacer.

I received my first S2+ 18350 yesterday (first was not from RMM, but I have a second inbound from RMM). I immediately modded it into a triple without using a spacer.

The solid brass pill is sized for a 16mm star. It has a lip around the edges to keep the star in position. Before putting a 20mm star on top, you’ll need to flatten that lip so there’s more surface area touching the triple star.

There are two ways to do this:

  • Option 1: add disks of copper or other material, or add a spacer that has an indent at the bottom edge to go into this lip. This makes the light heavier and potentially longer, but has the advantage that it is reversible.
  • Option 2: File off the lip to make the top of the pill flat. I like making lights as small as possible and had no interest in converting this light back to a single-XML2, so I chose this option. 45 minutes of hand filing and the top was flat.

The next problem is the lack of a central hole in the top of the pill for the leadwires. Easily fixed with a drill.

Insert the driver (BLF17DD), solder up the leadwires and screw everything into the light. BUT… the threads don’t go all the way to the head so the TIR isn’t at the front of the light. The pill threads stop it from screwing up into the top position.

There are a couple ways to fix this:

  • Option 1: Add a spacer. Either a manufactured one from RMM (if he has one for S2+) or a homemade one. I usually make spacers out of copper disks hand-cut to fit, then soldered into a slug with solder paste. A spacer adds more mass for heatsinking and makes the light heavier. It can give a better thermal path than Option 2 and is also reversible.
  • Option 2: File off the top section of pill threads. If the top 3/4 of a cm or so of pill threads are filed off, the pill threads will no longer stop the pill from being screwed home. This allows the pill to screw all the way into position with the TIR firmly pressed against the edges of the bezel without the need for any spacer. It means less thermal mass for heatsinking, and potentially worse thermal path to the body tube due to less surface contact between the pill and the body. However, it also makes for a much smaller and lighter light. The pill itself is fairly long, so even if you file off 2/3 of the pill threads there are still plenty of remaining threads to make contact with the body. I chose this option. 20 minutes with a handfile and it was ready.

A note on the driver: The BLF17DD shorted when I tried using the stock driver retainer ring, probably because the bottom of the driver is not flat. This was easily fixed by ditching the retaining ring and just soldering the driver to the brass pill.

Shortening the light: If you chose both “option 2”s listed above, you gain quite a bit of extra space in the battery compartment. You can bridge this gap with long driver and tailcap springs. Or, if you want a shorter light you can simply file off part of the bottom of the head. I’ll probably do this next. I figure I can make the light maybe 7 or 8mm shorter with a bit of filing and still have plenty of room for the battery. This would shorten the light from 84mm to maybe 76 or 77 mm. Note however that this may affect waterproofing as this would remove the lip for the o-ring at the bottom of the head.

Also on my list of things I don’t need but want.

Yes. I added about 5.5mm worth on mine, in addition to filling in the 16mm pill space then sanding it flat.

You could file off the threads so that it can thread deeper, but I wanted the extra thermal mass and thread contact. Either way you need to flatten the face for the 20mm MCPCB.

Richard, what’s the chance of getting 9v MT-G2s? I understand its an extremely niche item but if it helps I’ll pay $30 for one.

Richard has X6 hosts on the way, we’ve found an excellent source for the triple optics that’s stateside, and my machinist has my prototype in hand today. With the holiday this weekend, I’m expecting to have some idea as to availability on the sinks for Richard next week sometime.

It’s easy to make one or two of something and make them to fit, but how do we know just how exacting a standard has been held on machining the inside of the X6’s from the factory? Will a snug push fit made for my original light fit the same way in 100 others? Or will it be to big to go in at all? Or loose? Trying to get some measurements inside the head of the X6’s available to see how consistent this runs. With a sampling of 6 or 8 lights available to me, we’ve got an idea…but who knows? I’d like to make them slightly on the large side. With the central hole running through it, should be pretty simple to run a machine screw through the middle and mount it up in a hand drill to spin it and sand it down slighty to fit an individual light snugly. Any thoughts?

I thought this would just be something that rested on the surface of the pill, where the mcpcb would normally go, and then the bezel would screw on to provide vertical compression.

The plan is, for the Triple Eagle Eye X6, to fill the head as much as possible while raising the 32mm Noctigon to the proper height for the optics to fit. The base of the heat sink will be machined to fit into the shelf where the star usually goes, with the larger diameter above that being filled side to side so the head of the light will be in full contact with the heat sink for optimum thermal path. This is only .30” (7.6mm) tall we’re talking about, so it’s not a real deep sink…needs to be as wide as possible to do the most good.

This way, the nice fins and thick aluminum already provided by Eagle Eye will be put to maximum use. With Triple XP-L’s that’s essential!

I built one by using stacked 20mm copper mcpcb’s with the dielectric layer sanded off. This leaves about 5mm+ of air space around the spacer column doing nothing. So a push fit aluminum spacer/heat sink will, ideally, be a simple thing to slip into the head and then put the large Noctigon on top of it. Thermal paste between all contacts of course. The existing shelf where the star now sits will have to have a hole bored through it for the wires. By having a central hole, we’re assured the wires won’t get cut when tightening down the bezel.

I've looked and it's hard to find one anywhere. It seems like they were available 9-12 months ago, but now Cutter, Digikey, Mouser, and a quick Google search hasn't turned up anything.

Mouser has one with MOQ=1, non-stocked. If time is not of the essence then that one might be an option. I did not check the order code against the datasheet.

Right, I should have said "in stock" at any of those places.

I knew what you meant; I was just pointing out that there’s at least one place a determined person could acquire a single. Maybe TheGloriousTachikoma has a project which absolutely hinges on using a 9v part.

Its not showing out of stock unless I missed something?

http://www.cutter.com.au/proddetail.php?prod=cut1816

I don’t know if you missed it (maybe you know or maybe you don’t), but Cutter charges $25 shipping to the USA. A fair price, but increases the cost a lot if you just wanted a single LED.

DNF offered to hook me up on that. I just wanted to have it, or a source, available if/when I get a linear 3s 7135 driver sorted out. Three cells in series and a single 9v emitter.

[quote=RMM]

[quote=Striker]

For some reason my quote didn’t work…this is from RMM’s post a while back:
“1. BATT, solder this to one of the empty pads next to the LED wires. I usually use the pad marked ”U2”, but any will do.
2. GROUND, solder this one to the pad marked “GND” on the board.
3. PWM (the wire connected to the small pad where a 7135 normally is), solder to the pad marked “P”.
4. One of the electronic switch wires should be attached to “SW-” NOT “SW+”on the board, the other should be soldered to Star 3 (counting from the left) on the 105C.”

Ok so, I was excited to get the kit…even though I ordered at the beginning or mtn’s “blackout week”…thanks!
…but could use a little help. I’ve been around electronics but mostly older stuff. This is not a hobby for an old guy with shaky hands who’s had too much coffee, eh? I thought they forgot to send the resistors then found them…like specs of black pepper in the bag. After borrowing the wife’s reading glasses, somehow I managed to solder them in although it aint as pretty as the pics I”ve seen. At one point I was trying to use a tweezers to hold the resistor down and soldered the tweezers to the resistor! I take it these resistors are able to withstand soldering temps? Because they are so small…I’m sure they get up to the same temp as the molten solder.

To my question: I assume the above is for a Supfire M6…and my Mod1 kit has the 105C board. It has three wires, not 4. So I can follow what to do based on the above “except” not sure on the 4th wire. I have two blacks and one red. So I need a 4th wire?

If so, I think it goes on a star pad? There are four star pads exposed/no wires on them. With the stars on the bottom, the far left one is connected to ground (call that #1), the third from the left has solder on it but no wire. Maybe this is where to connect the 4th wire?

Thanks in advance for helping out a noob!

This is a big thread, I’m not sure exactly what you are replying to. Why don’t you tell us:

  • The item number you ordered (not a big deal though)
  • What flashlight you are trying to modify

Generally speaking if you plan to piggyback a Nanjg-105c on something such as the Supfire M6 you just need 3 wires between the boards: GND, V, and PWM. You’ll also need to hook the switch wires up to the Nanjg-105c (or at least the Switch wire, Switch- is simply GND anyway).

Normally Star 4 is used for Switch+. (Star1 is directly connected to GND, count up from there.)

EDIT:
I fixed your quotes, I think. (problem was not your fault)

I do not know whether RMM has changed the Switch+ pin from stock STAR momentary as described or not. It won’t hurt to try both individually until RMM chimes in.

This is a Supfire-type M6

thanks for the lightning fast reply. I have another clue, I held a light up behind the 105c and found there’s another star (let’s call it #3) which has solder on it but no wire. I updated my post above to suit. So now I know I need another wire based on your post, just need to decide if I put it there (#3) or #4 like you suggested. I see what you mean where the far left star (we are calling #1) is connected to the outer ground ring.

I also edited my post to make the quotes work.

I’d go with #3, but it won’t hurt if it’s wrong. You’ll just need to change it, no harm done. I wonder why RMM uses #3?