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Thread: Something different... part deux

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Location
    Noo Yawk
    Posts
    81

    Default Something different... part deux

    This is actually going to be a three part series in total... lol. Almost done with beamshots and the like. Again, the CPF post will be longer, and with more pics.

    First up is "The Grayser". The name mixes part of my last name (yes, I have some Brit blood in me), with of course, the word laser. The link goes to a more detailed write up on my own forum.

    It uses a Rohm rld65pzb5 in an Aixiz module, both from Dr. Lava's GB on CPF. The two E2 AA's go through a 2.7 Ohm resistor, and a there's a 100uF cap across the leads to the diode.

    Estimated power in this configuration is somewhere in the 55 - 60mW range (or thereabouts). With the focusable lens, it'll pop a balloon with a little black magic marker on it in about a half second at four ft. away, and blackened matches in one second at one ft. After it's planned upgrade using a constant current driver, power should be about double. That safety sticker (which most of you will recognize) ain't on there for nuttin'!

    The switch goes forward for constant on, center is off, pull it back and hit the red "fire" button for momentary operation. Note: it's supposed to have a true off position, but recently discovered I'd buggered up the DPDT switch connections. That will be fixed this week.



    The business end.



    A look inside the magical box of Light Amplified by Stimulated Emission of Radiation.



    Cap, resistor, switches.



    The module sits on a small heatsink, which is channeled a bit on top for the housing to nestle in, and attached the two with Arctic Silver heat conducting epoxy. Cool stuff... no pun intended.



    Next up... my Frankensteined out, lantern mod. I haven't decided which of two names this will be called. One is "The Fug-light" because it's a light, and it's fugly. The other, and more likely name is "The Excrelamp"... because it uses a Cree X-lamp, and it looks like who did it and ran?!

    Yep, this beauty queen is sportin' a Cree P4 on top of an old CPU heatsink, pushed by a bFlex driver (for you non-CPF'ers, it's a very nice CC driver with three different UI's, and TONS of features) and 4 alkaline D batteries held in a 6V lantern battery adaptor! How's that for stupid?

    It started life as a junky, not very bright for the power consumption, ugly lantern. I've been wanting to mod this thing for the longest time into an even uglier, but much more efficient and long running light. Haven't done a runtime test on it yet, and am hoping the alkies perform as desired (read: keep the circuit in regulation). Really don't want to use NiMH D's because of the self discharge. What good would that do me during a power outage?... not that we really get any. Last time was the big one back in August '03. Can't even remember the one before that. So, this thing is like a rebel without a cause... or rather a lantern without a reason, but I like it anyway. What else is this ridiculous, yet has a bFlex in it? Top THAT!

    Size comparison to a bottle of beer (empty of course)



    In it's original configuration





    The eye of the monster



    The brains of the monster.



    The bowels of the monster.



    It's almost alive! It's almost ALIIIIIVE!!!... haaaa! haaaaaaa!



    That little red button is the bFlex controller. Silly as it sounds, the diameter of the driver and location of the switch makes it an absolutely perfect fit inside the neck. So perfect in fact, it's like George designed it specifically for this lamp!... lol.



    And there's where the business gets done. The heatsink is crazy glued to the lampshade holder to keep it from moving, and the Cree is AS5'd to the sink. The Artic Silver keeps it stuck in place, and the wires are bent to keep it from lifting off... I hope. It's not epoxied because the emitter will eventually be replaced with something with a 180 degree spread. The Cree's dispersion angle is 75 degrees. Not the best for this mod. A Seoul would do the trick, but the sticky, gummy dome would not be protected from dust. I'm dreaming up some kind of idea to get the light to disperse around and downward like a bulb would. Whatever gets stuck in there for that job should also make the whole thing even uglier too... hehe.



    Last but not least, my first real hotwire mod... "Baby Magzilla".

    It's been about a year and a half in the making, and although I didn't make or modify any of it's parts myself, the centerpiece of it's individuality was my idea... and what a PITA to have it made! That centerpiece is a 35mm long extension for a standard Minimag tube. There's a huge story behind it, so detailed that it will bore the living crap out of you, so I'll spare you most of the details. It involved multiple CPF'ers, a local machine shop, me hounding the daylights out of said CPF'ers, failed plans, failed attempts, a LOT of time, etc. But persistence, and a desire to give myself blind spots, paid off.

    This pocket barn-burner has a high-temp ceramic socket for the bulb, turbohead (Stinger head and high-temp reflector along with a finned, gun metal gray HAIII Stinger to Minimag adaptor), and a pair of 14670's pushing the vaunted, Carley halogen filled 1499!

    Next to my latest standard for size comparison... another empty bottle, which is likely the reason for the bad focusing.





    And this is the extension. The Minimag walls become quite thin when trying to thread them, especially when trying to machine them. The only thing that seems to work is to use a die. Even then, you can see how thin the wall is upon live, close inspection.




    There's a very good reason for the extension, other than just to be different. I didn't want to run a pair of 14500 Li-ions at 2.5 - 3C. Simple as that. The current draw of the H1499 (1.85A) would easily put that load on the batteries, which as many of us know (hopefully) is a no-no with Li-ions. It's one of the factors that could lead to internal dendritic growth, eventually puncturing through and shorting cathode to anode, and then we have a serious problem. With the extension allowing the use of higher capacity 14670's, the rate of discharge goes down to approximately 2C. Still riding the edge a bit, but definitely safer than 3C.


    The pair of 14670's, and a very well made 14670 dummy cell (thick aluminum core with a Delrin shell). The dummy really adds to this build! Not only does it allow testing of a new bulb on just one batt to see if it's working, but also allows the versatility of using a Strion bulb for lower output, less heat, and in effect, a spare battery.


    So, all these mods have four things in common. Electricity, photons, a desire for things slightly off the beaten path, and BEER! Yes, it's fun to down healthy portions of your favorite beverage while modding... mine is Bass ale... seems to make things more challenging... or perhaps, just plain challenged.

    Hope ya'll enjoyed the mods! There are a few others in the works, but are more of a normal bent... Mag85, multi-level tri-Cree, etc. Inspiration can strike at anytime though, and given some of my recent song ideas (check out Attack of the Lydian Cows for example... no guitar solo yet), the next round of wackiness should continue the trend, no problem.

    Part three with beamshots, ambience shots, etc. are in the works.
    Alas, poor diode. I fried him well.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jun 2005
    Location
    SoCal
    Posts
    508

    Default

    Hah you should look at making the minimagzillas, That's a really good idea.
    I'd buy one

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