I’ve finally got around to publishing my video on wrapping a P60 drop in…I know, there are other videos, but I use a unique method to accommodate my ‘fat fingers’. I wish the quality could have been better, but it’s tough with a one man production crew. If you comment on it, please note: my wife has already told me I should have cut my finger nails…or at least wash my hands.
The first part of the video shows ‘mode group changes’ and ‘spring and contact changes’. The wrapping starts a about 9 minutes, 45 seconds.
I enjoy watching your video and there are some cool ideas I have never seen before: The replaceable spring and the satin finish part of the reflektor. Could you tell us, how you made the satin part (which tool and technic do you use)?
Mind blown. One of the best kept P60 secret I have seen in flashlight forum. Looking forward for more videos from pflexpro! Hopefully in Full HD next time.
Randy, when the fit is so tight, what’s the best way to remove the dropin in the future? I’m afraid I might crack the reflector using a pair of channel lock. I suppose I could use a dowel and push it out from the tail end, but I’m concerned that would deform the spring too much. Thanks.
The video shows how I remove the drop in…I use a piece of HDPE tubing. You can also use 1/2” CPVC pipe. Again, I don’t recommend doing this unless the drop in is potted. You just insert the pipe into battery tube (the spring easily fits into the opening of the pipe). Now, the pipe is sticking a couple of inches out of the battery tube, just press down on the host and pipe will force the drop in out. I regularly insert my personal drop ins with over 100 lbs of force and never have a problem removing them. With the wrap inserted with about 100 lbs of force, the copper really performs like a solid block. When I ship drop ins pre-installed, I usually insert them with about 20 lbs of force.
I also lube the inside of the head with a thin layer of silicone so it’s easier to push in the drop in and the silicone grease fills in areas in the head that may not be super smooth. The reflector shaft is polished, the copper foil has a polished finished so only the inside of the head needs the silicone.
I’ve started shipping the extraction pipe and waxed string with my drop ins and P60 lights now that I have a video tutorial on how to use it. I shipped some pipe/string sets before the video was finished and had to send lengthy emails explaining what to do with it.
I will look into packaging and shipping…I think they will have to be rolled and boxed. Because of the packaging and shipping cost, it may only be economical for multiple roll orders.
I can only tell you that my ‘Very Pretty’, Bright Shiny looking UltraFire 501b doesn’t ever even get warm on High, with a 8x 7135 Qlite - This with a Reynolds Wrap - kitchen Au foil.
Of course no way I can get more than 5lbs force on it without tearing it all up:-(
Thanks, and will be looking to see if you can come up with something for us…
Living in the USA, I do know that shipping can be unkind.
Actually, I do have something for you (short of buying my drop ins).
Besides the copper having 2x the thermal conductivity, my method has another very distinct advantage…fewer layers. So, if you want fewer layers, buy one of the throw-a-way aluminum baking pans.
Heavy duty aluminum foil is about ½ mil thick. The baking pans are about 3½ mils thick. This will reduce the layers by 7X and is also more durable so you can insert with greater force (using the string to hold it in place). The baking pan has formed ridges on the bottom and perimeter, so, cut it wide (about 1.5 inches), then flatten it across the edge of a table or something. After it’s flat, then cut it to your final width. You can then use the HD aluminum foil to do the final fitting if necessary.
Using copper or aluminum, the thick strip will last many wraps and re-wraps. I have copper strips I use when testing…I usually get about 50 good wraps before it’s trash.
Insertion force. I’ve been ask how to tell if it’s tight enough. When inserting, put the end of the drop in on a bathroom scale and look for the maximum force as you push it into the host (just before it bottoms out). That’s the only way I’ve been able to tell people how tight it should be…and it’s interesting to know.
Extraction: My pipe presses against the potting material which is rock hard. If I machine it, I have to use diamond tooling. You can use the pipe trick, but with a different pipe. Use a piece of ½” copper pipe with a ½” sleeve on the end (total length should be about 5” long). It would be best if the sleeve were sweated to the pipe, but because of the stops in the sleeve, it should work anyway. The bore of the sleeve should only press on the edge of the pill (check to make sure). Using the copper sleeve/pipe will not crush the driver since it’s just pressing on the edge of the pill.
Another measure of the wrap effectiveness is the time it takes the head to get warm (faster is better). I just measured how long it took the head on a Solarforce L2P with a 3.04A drop in to rise 10° F…it took 32 seconds. If the power is consistent (with a similar host), faster heating of the head means a more efficient wrap because the heat is moving more freely from the emitter to the environment. The total mass of the flashlight (especially the head) will cause variations in the heat up time, but if you measure the time for the head to heat up before and after re-wrapping, you can determine if the wrap method is more effective. If you shorten this time by just a few seconds, it has made a big difference on Tj and emitter temp.
Thanks for taking so much time with us - Actually, to me, it is plain to see that you are a Flashaholic first, and a Vendor second, though a Very Fine Vendor you are!
Thanks so Much!
-Chuck
PS - Do you have any idea why Solarforce has all Forward Clicky and no Reverse Clicky now?
I only like a Forward for single mode lights. - I have a Forward L2M and wish I could get a Reverse for it.
I ended up wrapping mine with the adhesive backed copper foil, because I could really pull and wrap it tight. I’ll take some measurements tonight for a comparison.
Solarforce sells a separate RC switch…but there are problems with this switch -the silicone boot supplied with it is too small (diameter). It tends to pop out when you tighten the switch and I would have little confidence in it being waterproof. You can’t use the original SF forward clicky boot because it doesn’t have a nipple inside. I have sourced a rubber boot that is the right diameter and has a nipple inside. I still have to make the switch plunger about 1½ mm longer for it to work properly.
Excellent work Randy! 
One of the best kept P60 secret I have seen in flashlight forum. Looking forward for more videos from pflexpro! Hopefully in Full HD next time.