Super easy 17mm to 20mm driver conversion

Flashlight Modding and DIY Parts
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A really SIMPLE way to convert a nanjig 17mm driver to a 20mm driver with these blank PCB driver disks.

Everyone probably knew about these nifty little disks except for me, but if you didn’t know, you do now. I mentioned these in my Aleto zoomer thread, but thought they would get better visibility in their own thread.

These little disks are the best thing to happen to budget lightolier modding since Fasttech, which unfortunately does not carry them. Found them on banggood. Actually I think Gords sent me a link many moons ago. Shipping is SOOPER fast, or at least it has been for me. Like 7-10 days.

IMPORTANT EDIT: Apparently Fasttech DOES carry these. Guess I should research a little better before I post something. Ooops. Here they are at fasttech also:

https://www.fasttech.com/products/1138202

IMPORTANT NOTE: Banggood says these are 22mm, but apparently they have a ruler from Mars. These are DEFINITELY 20mm.
Beauty of these guys is that a 17mm nanjig driver spring fits EXACTLY in the blank disk’s hole. No messy wires taking up room, dangling from the bottom of another blank disk. PLUS, because the nanjig piggybacks so close to the blank disk, this setup really takes up very little extra room. I have only found one 20mm pill out of maybe 12 that was too small to take a nanjig/blank-disk piggyback.

Ah but what about the neg connection? If you look closely, the nanjig and the blank disk have a few tiny holes near the edges. Simply cut a tiny TINY jumper from normal emitter connection wire and solder it from a tiny hole on the driver to the tiny hole on the blank disk.

A drop of solder to hold the spring in the hole and you’re done. Remember to jumper any stars BEFORE soldering the disks together because the mode stars will be inaccessible once the piggyback is complete. And battery springs straddle the hole, so I haven’t had a problem adding any springs.

Some other fasttech drivers with larger springs will also work with these if you stretch the spring out a bit and thread ’em through the hole. You could also drill a larger hole I suppose.

Hope this helps.

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https://www.fasttech.com/products/1138202

Arent these the same?

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nice, I would suggest using a decent size neg cable, jumper the appropriate star on the nanjg with said cable to the ground ring then bend up to thread through the adapter disk and solder, then you cant forget to jumper the star and ground the driver to the spacer

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I have some of those on order, hopefully SG Post isn’t slow this time.

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Should have checked fasttech. They +DO+ carry them now. Have edited thread to reflect that.

>>>>> I would suggest using a decent size neg cable

You might have to enlarge the holes on the nanjig driver and the blank disk to do that because you sorta need to make the last solder connection on the OUTSIDE of one of the disks. I can’t get a soldering tip in between the disks once they are sandwiched together.

Having said that, someone will probably chime in with a better way to connect the negs than with a jumper between the little holes. The great ideas of BLFers never cease to amaze me. And my slow thinking never ceases to amaze me … I used these disks for weeks with OTHER drivers before I realized that a nanjig spring would fit in the hole of the blank disk. :–0

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I didn’t know about THOSE and good too cause I need one for a flashlight I broke that I want to convert. Was only finding one 20mm driver that I felt would accomplish what I wanted. All the other contact boards don’t fit like that which is perfect.

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I’ve put some in my cart as I already have uses for these……

I’ll take some pictures of what I mean with the neg connection. I always lay a little tinned wire across the star and to the ground ring on a nanjg then trim the excess, this excess will now become a jumper bar up to the contact board instead.

It’ll be easier with pictures….

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Nice find, I have converted a nanjg once with a wire and a lot of solder because these adapter rings didn’t fit but this here looks really good…

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I am having some of these built. 20mm to 17mm adapter ring. You solder the 17mm driver into the hole in the ring. If only I can get OSHPARK’s board house to cut the hole properly. Hopefully, 3rd times the charm…

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I just cracked open a brand new Roache F8 from FastTech and it came with a NANJG 2.8A driver attached in the same way to this very same contact board. I must say, they did a very,very neat and spiffy job of it too. I was going to replace the driver and LED, but it was done so neatly I might just add some chips to the exposed side. I’ll try to add a photo of it later. I just finished putting it all back together, and don’t feel like yanking it again right now.

I usually tin around the hole on the battery side first, so good contact is assured when soldering the NANJG spring into the hole. While I’m at it, I usually attach a piece of copper braid from the center of the driver, up through the hole of the contact board and the battery spring. It can’t hurt, and it only takes a minute while you’re at it.

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>>>>>I usually attach a piece of copper braid from the center of the driver, up
>>>>>>through the hole of the contact board and the battery spring. It can’t hurt, and it only takes a minute while you’re at it.

I never used to do the copper bit, but my lux meter changed my mind. A simple piece of copper like that can gain you 1k lux, if that’s the correct way to say the measurements I’m taking with it. Anyway, the difference between 4 and 5 on the lux readout scale. Truly amazing what a piece of copper braid will do.

My M12 keygos zoom went from 10k to 12 k on the light meter just from doing the long battery spring with copper braid. Cheapest and easiest lumen booster there is!
.

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You can also cut away a notch at the edge of the 20mm plate for access to the stars...

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Did you ever get these done sir? (I wonder if you could make the center hole a HUGE solder thru hole if they would remove the center section?

Can you make a few 13 to 15 mm as well, please?

P.S. I should have the Nanjg 20mm 8*7135 compatible board built soon, as soon as I get those 3 pin diodes in you recommended I get, I have everything else ready to go

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The baord house could not make the rings. The ring was too narrow and wound up breaking when they removed them from the panels.

Also, there is a rathr small limit to the size of drill holes. Large holes have to be cut with a router and can’t be through-plated.

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I used 17mm to 20mm copper ring adapter … and it fit just fine :slight_smile:

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I broke a spring off a driver, trying to stretch it out past the hole. Got it working with only a tail spring.

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I use small gauge sprinkler control wire (awg 24 solid)and solder pieces to the nanjg board first then bend as needed to fit the larger board. Slip the two together, solder and cut off the excess. It’s easier to clamp the wire and hang the nanjg board by the via and solder it, then cut the wire and hang the board from the next via, solder, cut, etc. Cutting the wires at different lengths will make it easier to feed them through the larger board holes.