I decided to see if it was easy enough to take two of the GearBest 3xAA series holders and turn them into a 6xAA series holder. It ended up being fairly simple, so I thought others might want to know, in case you want a holder.
I have torn down the holders. Actually I tore one down too far. I only needed to remove the bottom plate from one and the top plate from another. I did not need to remove all the plates off one of them.
I am trimming off the ends of the uprights, so that they will go together flush and to shorten the overall length, so that the cells will fit snug. I used a hacksaw, but next time I will use a tubing cutter, to get cleaner and more exact cuts.
Next is to drill out the rods more. I am using a drill for 4-40 screws. Then I will use a 4-40 tap and some WD-40, to cut new threads.
Now, I am using some 4-40 set screws to put the uprights together.
Not very pretty, or very exact, but there you have it, down and dirty, quick and easy.
What I needed to do, is to take a little more off the rods. Instead of cutting at the step, I need to go about 1/2mm farther past that. I will go back and cut them with a tubing cutter, to get more exact cuts and a shorter overall length. You can see below, that the springs are not compressed much and I like them to be almost fully compressed.
The other issue is that the cells fall out easily. A simple fix, is to use a couple of thin O rings and put them over the cells close to where they meet, so the center does not want to spring out. That is a simple way to hold them in, if you have clearance, which you should, if the holder itself clears the body tube.
This is a simple and relatively cheap way to get a strong holder for using in any light where you want an AA option for an MT-G2 or anywhere it will fit, for an option instead of two 26650 cells. Remember the OD might keep you from using this in many lights.
Time to make was 20 minutes and cost was the two holders and set screws, so less than $10, but if you don't have the tools already, it will be considerably more expensive.
