Cheers!
I have these PCBs in 20 and 21mm but they are not really good to use because the driver gets a lot thicker.
Is there any source for rings with like 17mm ID and 20mm OD made from PCB with a ton of vias and gold plated copper all to the edge?
I cannot create my own PCBs, so ordering from JLCPCB or others isn’t a viable solution for me.
I found some made from brass on KD, but with over 1$ per ring they are kinda expensive tbh…
I think you’d be better off with the Brass rings than a PCB solution.
If you solder a 17mm driver into a 17mm hole the only thing holding the driver in is the solder.
If you drop the light, the battery will likely push the driver out of the PCB it’s soldered into.
If you still want a PCB, MTN sells them here:
If you want 17 to 20, buy a 20mm OD washer, and a 17mm step-bit, and only drill maybe ½ to ¾ of the way through. Lay it inside and solder both sides. Oh, the battery should push the driver against the shelf, not the other way around.
I did that for… wasn’t my F13, as I got the 22mm or whatever driver it needed, some other light. Forgot. But it worked.
You both are completely right, soldered PCBs are kinda weak and brass washers are a better solution - I just didn’t think of them before.
I was about to order a brass pipe since I own a lathe, but washers are so much better because I don’t have to waste 2/3 of the material cutting it to the right thickness.
Depending on the light you are modifying, Simon also sells adaptor retaining rings.
