The little Convoy S series has become pretty popular. I already have a couple of S2+ triples with DD drivers, and a nice little S2 Nichia 219b that I currently have on the bed-side table.
There’s been a few times now during the night, where I’ve needed to use the little S2 bedside torch, & wished I had the flexibility of an e-switch firmware.
Moonlight for the toilet run? Turbo for the ‘bump in the night’? One press, no mode-cycling…. sounds great, but just not with the S2
…Or maybe I could…
I had another S2+ on order, along with a ticket in the KD Nichia lottery. Whilst waiting for it to arrive, I thought about how I might fit an e-switch to it…. Here is how it panned out;
Being a small light, it needed an unobtrusive switch. I couldn’t find anything that would attach to the body, without looking out of place. I knew the S2+ pill was fairly deep, so I figured that I could mount the switch inside, & run an actuator to it.
With the pill assembled, it was installed firmly in the head. I would have to drill through the body & pill at the same time, to ensure the actuator holes lined up on final assembly.
With the hole drilled, I fashioned the actuator from a piece of silver-solder welding rod. A plastic sleeve was made to slip over the rod and switch pole, to keep the actuator rod aligned. An ‘O’ ring groove was cut into the rod, which keeps the rod from moving around, with the ‘O’ ring allowing just enough movement to actuate the switch.
With the switch completed, the pill had to be removed in order to attach the driver. Care had to be taken to avoid galling the internal threads, as the brass had some sharp edges from the drill hole that had to be removed prior to winding out.
Now to attach the driver, & re-install everything.
This was a real PITA; the ‘O’ ring had to be rolled onto the plastic sleeve first, & placed inside the pill. The pill then screws in until firm, where the body & pill holes line up.
The actuator is then pushed through & into the plastic sleeve, & then the ‘O’ ring rolled back onto the groove. …All with the driver & wiring in the way, deep in the top of the head…
As you can see, I didn’t go for all-out power with this one; just a modest 1.4a driver. 5 evenly spaced modes, beautiful moonlight, buttery-soft Nichia goodness from the frosted optic.
Here’s the finished product, with it’s family;
Thanks for reading!