Got a mate with a lamp she likes, but it is useless. 6 old 5mm LED’s
I’ll upgrade it for her if I can find a quick ready to drop in solution solution.
Flood or spot, whatever is available for that low height of unit
originally 3 x AA, but I could bore it out a little to take 3 x AA shaped lithiums so 12 volt …make it really bright
the head unit, including electronics and LED’s is about 12mm deep to the top of the battery case to the glass. Measurements in the picture.
On/Off is Maglite style, but this has no zoom. screw the head to the body to make contact with battery top.
I can then turn down a ’block/pill/slug drop in to the head unit.
Machine a recess at the front end to mount the LED board, with a second recess at the back to press fit the driver board in to.
it will just be a really wide flood …Mule? is that the word?
the driver is stated as begin good for 4.5 volts, so 3 x AA is good.
Otherwise it would be 3 x lithium cells, so near 12 volt and then need a different driver.
No switch, so it will work the same as the original, screw down to make battery contact. May need to create a spring or similar buffer to help push the base of the driver cleanly off the battery positive, so the modes can be swapped, from High/ med low.
Not sure about that but time will tell.
heat exchange is going to be an issue too, but only time will tell on this
If you’re already going to that much effort, how about putting a clicky in the tail-cap? Also, is there not any room in the head for any optics? A TIR or aspheric to focus the light? Maybe make a new head, with room for optics, and while you’re at it, some fins for heat dissipation from the pill.
Well if I came across a clicky tail cap that fitted, then yes, that is a thought
This lamp was only ever used in capacity as workshop / engine bay vehicle inspection / work lamp so no optics not an issue. It had crossed my mind, and if anything turns up it may happen.
Very little work or effort needed to make the ‘drop in’ .
Bar of stock in lathe, turn down externally and face off the front, 2 minutes.
Another 1 or 2 to bore the recess.
Pare it off, put back in lathe and face and cut /bore the second recess.
Drill 2 x 1mm holes for wiring.
Probably 15 minutes work at most.
But making a new finned head, with internal threads to cut etc, that could end up as half a day.
I have only been playing with these LED lamps for a week or two now, so just want to keep it simple for now.
What driver to use to run an XML2 at a max of 3 amps, with a 12 volt input? Can easily use a different driver, I am a total newbie to this. What driver is available that runs at that input to output to a single LED?
I only skimmed your OP, but it seems like a 7135 based driver (Qlite, Nanjg-105c, etc) along with whatever you want (oldschool XM-L, XM-L2, triple XP-G2, a handful of 5mm Nichias, whatever) would be the way to go, driven by 3s1p NiMH.
For Alkaline a single 7135 (not 8x) would be appropriate.
Tight fit is one way to put it. That’s a small head, smaller pill, and big driver.
You’re comfortable with your friend and Li-Ions?
The driver you linked to does not have any LVP or low voltage warning features. It will be able to easily damage cells.
If you’re convinced that 3s1p Li-Ion is the way to go you could use a triple XP-G2 configured for 3s w/ 20mm Carclo triple optic. That can be driven by a 17mm 7135 driver with the Zener mod and configure LVP. I’m sure RMM can do that for you as a custom service if you need him to.
Whatever you do above 0.5A or so will want some kind of heatsinking IMO. You need a thermal interface between the MCPCB and the inside of the head at least.
I don’t see a credible reason not to stock with Alkaline or NiMH for this light. It greatly simplifies the mod and will blow what she had out of the water without the extra “management” stuff that the 14500’s will add.
Not an issue, we have various lathes, we can make it fit if it is not too great a height. Planning on milling / boring out a solid block of alloy/brass/copper to take both the LED board and the driver.
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100% . We charge LiPo Nano Tech pouch cells at 10C…that is a lot of current and a massive charger with a 12 series 10Ah e-bike battery pack.l Li_Ions are just pussies in comparison
Hey Ho, thats life, not a real worry, if they die, they die. If they get a bit low, charge them carefully at 0.1C or less. Maybe in NiCad CC mode to start with if using an iCharger
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james did suggest the Carclo optic, and a 3 LED array, but that is extra thickness, again , if it had a thinner driver then, maybe…but the whole lot has to fit in about 12mm depth, Plus the XML2 and the other driver now on its way. may just knock off the 7135’s to get the current down a bit. The Energiser Ultimate Alkalines seem good, or otherwise back to the NiMh cells at a lower current.
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Yep, may just shave a thou or so off the anodising on the inside of the head unit, and make the pill a tight press fit. Until the bits arrive we will just have to wait and see.
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Yes, it is the easiest option, but as previously mentioned, Lithium charging is a non event really . just be careful, have some sort of over temp protection on the charger and all is well, plus a bucket of sand
You could always bore it out a little and make a 3p long 14500 carrier, or shrink wrap 3 14500s in paralel length wise and make a 141500 charger for it…
Yes, that was a thought.
I do have 2 of them on order for the Suprabeam I am trying to mod.
The issue was going to be to find a driver that will run at that voltage and still fit the unmodified head. All the drivers I have seen have inductors on big cores, so are getting up to 10mm deep.
Problem now is waiting for the post to arrive with my bits from James3 and FastTech
Got a load of drivers and LED’s on stars plus some lamps that were suggested to me to try in another thread of mine.
What he meant was to somehow wire the batteries together in parallel, so you only have a max voltage of 4.2V but at a much greater amperage. :bigsmile:
Funny you should say that, that idea had crossed my mind ,
I never measured up to see though.
When I put the vernier in the body I do seem to remember there might have been enough wall thickness for machining enough out for that.
When the 14500’s arrive I’ll have a closer look. Could even use two of them and use the remaining space for a charge wire storage, possibly a small CC charge board…from flea bay. to direct charge without stripping
I could always try sleeving some braided copper de-solder wick inside som heat shrink for the side wiring.
You know you are on BLF when a ‘quick and easy’ 3AA drop in mod turns into a blow torch. …or, if you are not careful, a pipe bomb; be very careful with insulating that 3 parallel li-ion setup././././
