01-13 2013

The FandyFire Rook, did we all get Rooked?

You know there has to be a video title now, for every build. Well do you know how hard it is to find a song about Rooks?

I always thought the Rook looked like it might be interesting, but I didn't want to spend the bucks for it. Well a few days ago, I received a package and in that package were several gifts from a BLF member. One of them was a FandyFire Rook.

I decided to mod this light into a 3AA in series light (the way it should be) and to do something to get rid of the parasitic drain (well maybe not). Anyhow, here's the start of the mod thread. It's going to take some time.

First of all, here's what I got in the mail.

This is always the most fun, the tear down!

If I am going to change to series, the bottom battery contact plate can't be in parallel, so I have cut the contact strips on the back side, so that each terminal can be independent on the back and so that only one will be the new ground.

On the front side, I cut the springs short and put them back on the plate. Then I made one of the contacts positive and bridged it to one negative contact. The springs are shortened to give a couple mm room on the front side, as I will be making the top contact plate for series, from scratch.

Now you can see how the ground to body path works for the Series mod.

On the top side, I will be making another plate, to create the rest of the series circuit and create the positive contact. 

This will take some time, as I question the ability of the stock driver/switch to do what I want to do, so I have asked others to give me a hand. Mr. Electronics I am not, but other members here are. This mod may be dormant for a little while, but it's not over till the --- lady sings. I will post again, when I make some more progress.

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 UPDATE 02-02-13

It is Finished!!  The drivers from DrJones came in today and I worked on getting the light up and running.

I had to make several changes to the way I was going about it. Since I wanted to do series, I made that bottom contact plate with two springs for negatives and one flat for positive, so the batteries could face the right way for series. Well, when it came to the top plate, it was a mess. I could not figure out how to have a spring up top and still take the light apart or put it together, to put batteries in it, without having two plates up top. One stationary over the batteries and the other in the head.

It was too complicated, so I dropped that line of attach and went back to having three batteries in the bottom. No problem, just have one positive rest on a spring. That way the top could be three flat plates that would rotate with the head.

Photos are better than words.

So, I had two springs for negative contacts and a flat, for positive. I just put the third spring back in. It will still be a positive contact.

On the back side of that plate, I cut the rest of the back traces, to isolate everything and I ran copper from the negative, to the center and added a spring. This way, the tail cap will not be touching the ground and it can be a lockout.

I removed the ano from the body, where the tail cap seats.

I also removed the ano from the outer rim of the tail cap and scratched the center, so the spring has contact. Yes it looks ugly, but it was a test.

For the top plate I got a package of the round bread boards and found one that fit perfectly! I made the three contact plates out of 3/8"x24ga copper rounds and flattened two sides on each. I soldered them on and attached a positive wire on one contact. The other two are bridged to complete the series circuit. This board was a tight fit into the brass ring in the head and worked great.

Looking down in, when the body and head are screwed together.

With the Tail cap tight, It works!

And with a half turn of the tail cap, it's locked out, no juice.

I put everything back in the head. DrJones driver is wired in along with the electronic switch.

Three Eneloops in place and it's time to screw the head on and go take some Beam Shots!!

Beam Shots. - I am using the Defiant Thrower as a light to compare with, against the Rook.

I have done mouse overs here. The Defiant is MOUSE OUT. The Rook is MOUSE OVER.

 Looks like the Rook is brighter. It does have a larger hot spot and a larger spill.

I still like the Rook better!

Now you can see how the Defiant throws, where the rook is more floody.

Same here, the Rook is more floody

Big difference here. The defiant is lighting up that tree, where the Rook is just barely touching it.

Well, that's all folks. Thanks for looking at the build.

Now you need to go sign up for the Giveaway!