Intesity Control Switch (rheostat, dimmer) How to?

Flashlight Modding and DIY Parts
1

I am opening this topic in hope someone will know/suggest/point to how to build Intensity control switch for our flashlights.

This type of switch already exists and it seems like it is manufactured in UK:

So description that stands behind this switch is following:
”

  • made to be used with the IC range of LEDs of Nightmaster and Venom Strike flashlights (so probably they have moded drivers to accept that rheostat?)

- forward clicky tail switch, click to turn on - click to turn off.

- Adjustable brightness by turning left or right… Once a brightness level has been chosen, the remote switch memorises that level and will activate at the level every time you switch on, unless a new level has been chosen or the tail-cap is removed from the torch.

The IC tail cap comes into its own when you have set the beam for a particular range but actually want to shoot something much closer. The fast brightness control means you can make a quick adjustment. ”

So I said if they can build that BLF respective members certainly knows how they did it? :slight_smile:

Some will say that simple mods(hi-mid-low) are enough and yes they probably are for regular flashaholic but this switch aims toward hunters(and I know there are lot of hunters here).

Most hunters wants momentary on action. Sometimes high power flashlight is to powerful for close feeders… Sometimes to strong IR light is simply to bright for certain night vision equipment, This rheostat could allow us to adjust the light way we like.

It can be in this version also:

So maybe we could build our own version of this if we find appropriate parts?

I really hope someone will have idea how to start with building this kind of switch? :beer:

2

Not hunter specfic but Nitcore also uses the idea on their P36 which I think is a great light (but wish it went to 3k lumens instead of just 2k).

Ya I would love to put a different cap on my c8’s and have infinite adjustment, but from what I can tell the nitecore dial would not be cheap.

3

As a hunter, I can almost relate. To my old eyes (especially through a scope), it’s never “bright enough”, but that’s just me. And I fear shooting a pet thinking it looked like a pest…

On my rifle lights, I use the remote pressure switch so I can be in position, almost lined up in the darkness, then put the light on just long enough to make the shot.

I haven’t tried this, but I would opine that if you used Quantum Tunneling Composite at the battery end of the B- spring — you’d probably have to beef up the spring anyway for shooting, and that would help the QTC as well — then you could just reach forward & give the tailcap a twist to adjust the spring tension on the QTC (which alters its Resistance), then engage the remote switch for On/Off…

Ergonomically, it would be intuitive, as you’d Tighten to Brighten, Loosen for Less Light.

I can’t say if it would work or not, but I thought it out at one point & decided “working” means making the light dimmer, which I never seem to need; although you seem to.

HTH…

Dim

4

Dimbo the Blinky,

Yes through the scope and at larger distances we want strongest possible light.But...

Plenty of hunters also use IR lights(mostly 850NM) in combination with their night vision devices and sometimes especially at shorter ranges if beam from IR light is to strong it will blind your night vision equipment and you will not see anything... So that kind of regulation is more than desirable in that lights.

But imo it is good thing to have this kind of regulation no matter if you have 250 kcd light on scope or strong IR light on night vision.

Because sometimes you'll need to hunt down something from 20-50m max and it can be only advantage if you can set up only the amount of light you need not to mention we can be more covert with that kind of regulation.

Remote pressure switch decreases performance of high current nanjg drivers(above 3A) for more than 20%... Never had this issue with buck drivers.

With this rheostat switch we could have light regulation, remote switch, and tactical forward switch all in one.

So how did they make that rheostat work with their drivers running on 4,2V? Small rheostats does exists? Or we could ask some cheap China sellers to make their version of this?

5

sniper hog lights has a dimmer tail cap like this. I’d love to know how they are made.

6

For this mod it really seems that we need to modify driver + appropriate rheostat + probably rheostat moding required.

This is task for light professional...

7

check this out

8

The QTC material would, in essence, make your tailcap into that rheostat. As you tighten the tailcap, the resistance insinuated by the QTC would decrease, allowing more of whatever the driver (and remote switch) provide, to flow. Loosening the tailcap (within the limits of the spring) would increase the resistance, making the LED dimmer.

Of course, you’d have to adapt/modify/select the rest of the components to work together the way you want them to, but that’s engineering.

IDK what mount you’re using, but I use a single-piece Scope Base & appropriate Ring, off the bottom of the fore-end. A C8, mounted to hit point-of-aim at ’’ Maximum Point-Blank Range ’’ of a .30-06, with the head off the end of the stock to get the torch body as close as possible; still leaves a bit of a gap between the stock and the tailcap. That makes the normal tailcap pushbutton awfully hard to engage, even sitting around the house.

9

You guys gave me few advices but I really hope someone more experienced will build it and pass knowledge to us this is way to hard for me...

I never used C8 since I discovered Jacob, and I hardly use Jacob since I discovered aspherics.

This is switch (pressure switch, rheostat + fw cl for instant on actin) that covers all mounting and hunting solutions.

10

This thread came up while researching intensity control or dimming flashlights.

HTRN has a T20 dimming tailcap and SniperHawg makes a dimming cap for their light as well:

http://www.hightechredneckincorporated.com/High-Tech-Red-Neck-T-20-Infinity-IR-Device-p/nva3165.htm

http://www.sniperhawglights.com/Dimmer-Tail-cap-p/dtc.htm

Is there a source for these type switches and drivers so I can build my own on different host? I’m not sure what to search for at gearbest, fastech, mouser, etc. and buying one of these lights for parts seems impractical.

11

We build some work lights with an intensity control. Fly tiers and industry always want this. All the parts can be found here…. http://www.luxeonstar.com/ I have no affiliation with these folks other than as a customer. We build a lot of bore lights and they needed this capability to be functional. Looking into or taking a photo for inspection inside a bore isn’t easy with all the reflections that occur. :sunglasses:

Changing this from a work light to a flashlight wouldn’t be a big step. Keeping it water resistant would be the key task but even that is doable. Hope this can help.

TL

12

Good luck in finding them… It seems they are available only to lucky few :slight_smile:

13

I cannot believe that many companies, particularly ones that source their parts from China, have them and they are not available from a supplier. I must not be searching the right terms.

14

I would be glad if someone from BLF, other communiy or even some seller would offer this diy combos…
This is something to considerate for flashlight part sellers.

15

Did anyone figure this out??

16

I guess you have to be part of the Illuminati to have access to them.

17

This is good business opportunity for flashlight stores like IO and Mountain. They just need to offer driver rheostat combos and we will be ready to install them…

I would really like to know is there a way this thing could work with fet driver combination? I would not want to give up on performance of my single 18650 lights and light with rheostat regulated turbo mode seems like a nice idea if you don’t need blinky modes(sos, strobe etc.)