you should use the xpe2 instead. it has a higher surface brightness/area than the xre and can be pushed harder (3+ amps on copper)
you would probably have to change the focal point in the reflector as well 
great 
First off, I think 8-32 is probably even better than 6-32. When I was searching for parts I also wanted to use a brass screw, but could not find one. I never thought to use a copper strap for the copper, I bought a 5x7 inch piece of copper flashing. It was over $4. Make sure that strap is pure copper and not just copper plated. I know for sure that HD sells copper hangers that are NOT pure copper. Probably copper plated zinc. The flashing I used is .02” thick
Thanks for the Copper Straps idea Gotta. I haven’t been able to find copper flashing around here. I’ve been trying to determine what gauge copper sheeting I should order on-line before I read that idea.
Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to find the 1” variety in the HD near me. They have some smaller holders, but they look to short. I’ll try Lowes and a more distant HD soon. I’m going to try something though. I have some 1/4” soft copper tubing. I think I’ll pound it flat, resoften (don’t know the proper word off hand) it with heat, and then shape it into jumpers.
There were some short straight lengths of tubing in different sizes also. I thought about cutting it in half lengthwise and then shaping it. I was hoping for less work, but it looks like I may end up cutting the straps in half anyway.
Copper tube straps (SKU # 802714) were found under the solder/flux and misc stuff in plumbing at our HD store. There was even a copper pipe hanger (SKU # 327483), but it had too many large holes and was pricey. This coated strap (SKU # 842238) looks promising, I just didn’t have the sku to ask for it. As long as the resistance is low, it doesn’t matter if it is solid copper since it’s not for heat sinking.
The builders desk told me copper flashing has to be ordered at our store. I’m sure the tube strap is coated, but with it’s very low resistance that seems OK for a connector instead of a heat sink part. I’ll tin the contact points and insulate the copper coating anyway.
I made up another short dummy tonight and found that the zinc screw is costing over a quarter amp on the draw, so I might add a copper wire/braid and solder the ends, leaving the screw for structural support.
Great info. Thanks GottaZoom.
dchomak, or anyone else that may know:
Do you know the sku and retailer for the copper flashing you used? Or any other ideas for that matter. I’m having a hard time locating any here. The Metal Supermarket charges $25 for a 12”x12”x.021” sheet of copper. Lowe’s has 20’ rolls of flashing, but the thickness is not indicated, but it sounds very thin by the reviews saying there are not durable and not even copper.
You may have luck at a Hobby Lobby, or similar.
They sell ~3.5" x ~7" sheets of copper that would seem ideal for this application For under $10.
Guys, has anyone compared the Super Thrower to TK70 (both in stock format, no mods)?
I bought this copper foil on Ebay (5mil thick). I used it for P60 wrapping. Good seller, quick shipping. You can search their listing for a smaller sheet for less $.
-Garry
Thanks Chicago X and Garry.
Yeah, I tried Hobby Lobby with no luck. I think copper theft is so bad out here that retailers are hesitant to carry copper products. I should see if I can order it to the store to avoid shipping.
That ebay seller seems to have decent prices. I think I may place an order tonight.
Thanks for the suggestions again 
From my sales receipt, 753593418409 5”x7” copper step flashing $3.70.
(What I bought was on clearance and was about 25% off). Maybe because it was on clearance it will no longer be available. I know, I have been very lucky with all that was needed for my mods on this one.
BTW, this flashing is .02 inches thick, thick enough to bend and supply enough stiffness to hold and connect to the cells.
You choose the diameter. Use a hack saw and slice through one thickness. Then pry it open with a screw driver or the like. If you have a band saw then you can slice through the length entirely. Now you’ll have two halves. Take a hammer and pound each half flat as possible. Wear safety goggles.
Now you have two strips of pliable copper. If the strips are too wide for your application get some tin snips. Use vise grips to hold the strip steady while you snip along your scribed cut line. Flatten again with hammer or squeeze the strip in a vise with flat jaw surfaces. If using a vise you may have to insert some flat stock between the jaws as most vises have “knurls” on their clamp faces that’ll mar your soft strips with dimples, diamonds, and such.
Finally file down or sand down the edges so they’re smooth/rounded and not flesh/battery wrap cutting sharp. Wear leather type gloves as much as possible as these pre-sanded strips can be nasty sharp.
As I typed the last post on my Ipad in a MacDonalds, I realized that I was around the corner from another HD. I went in and found the last of 13 pieces of the 5x7 copper step flashing. I bought them all, I use them to make repairs to out slate roof at home. In a previous post I sort of complained that the one sheet that I bought for the 2 parallel cell mod was over $4! Well these last 13 were on clearance for $1.33 each, hence my buying them all. The mystery for me is how they lasted so long at that price! If you look carefully at the yellow price label, you will see that they were on the floor for that price since August 2012. It seems I really do have good luck at these sort of things!
BTW, the SKU# is 693055
Actually I paid a little less than that, got an extra 5% off for using my Home Depot card!
If anybody needs some let me know.
Excellent Idea! Thank you very much! I have soft copper tubing already and actually forgot I wanted to try something similar to your idea. I will do it.
dchomak, Great score. You got a heck of a deal there.
cat eyes, thank you for the humor and good memory jogger from childhood.
Garry, your thread just hit 600 (or is is 650, it keeps changing) posts. Can we get our free Defiants now?
cat eyes, did you see post 587?
Nottawhackjob may have been kidding and I’m just too thick to get it, but I wasn’t.
I just discovered this forum and I hope I’m not hijacking the thread, but I’m hoping to get some information about this flashlight.
I was helping my buddy do some work on his car and (over a couple beers) started talking about adding some super bright lights to his car. He doesn’t want to spend a lot of money and was hoping to DIY it using maglites or something. I told him about this $20 flashlight at home depot and we started trying to figure out a way to mount a few of them onto his roof rack and power them from the car’s battery.
The best idea we could come up with was to use a 2 or 4 port (depending on how many lights he installed) cigarette lighter adapter, each with a 2A tablet charger, which would power 1 light a piece. Assuming there isn’t a better way to do this (which would seriously surprise me), would running 5v to the LED driver pose any risk of ruining it? Would there be a way to run these lights off the 12-14V provided by the car without having to step the voltage down to 4.5-5V? I guess the real question is is this even possible?
Please forgive my ignorance. I don’t know much about LEDs, but I want to learn. Any help you can provide would be greatly appreciated.
I don't believe the current stock driver in the Defiant will regulate voltage, so if you go too high (how high is too high? I don't know.) you'll likely blow out the LED. How about just getting two of these? They have a decent review here.
-Garry
+1 to what Garry said. Also, the defiant has a bit of spilled light in the foreground, but it’s mostly a spotlight so might not be ideal for a fixed mount on a car.
Welcome to the forum. You probably win the ‘furthest north in North America’ prize for today.