# Adjustable ArcAAA TX0H miniFLuPIC (pics!!)



## chimo (Apr 12, 2006)

Here is another ArcAAA mod. The driver is a mini-FLuPIC by goldserve. It is similar to his other FLuPIC drivers, with the exception of it having one, rather than two, LDO regulators. The board has been sanded down a bit around the edges to allow it to fit in the Arc head. 

Driver Topology: A low drop out (LDO) regulator limits the maximum output current to around 500mA. The LDO regulator is PWM enabled by a microcontroller. 

There are *three output levels*. Two levels are selectable from 5-100% in 5% increments (20 levels) and the third is full on. This driver also also has *Strobe* and *SOS*. There are 5 menu modes - normally, you choose a mode and leave it there (I prefer mode 4). 

Click on the pics for a larger version.

Here is the FLuPIC Mode guide. (My favourite is Mode 4)




Old pill and new driver board. The board needs about 0.5mm removed from the diameter to fit snugly.




A test fit of the miniFLuPIC after edge sanding.




Here it is being tested (Low and medium).


 



Head - before and after bevel of first ridge inside the lip.


 



Why the bevel? Clearance is very tight in a few areas and the bevel will help avoid edge pins. On the final build I put a thin coat of epoxy on the affected pins for electrical insulation.


 

 

 



Reshaped (more parabolic) and polished head. Should I moisturize?  


 



Most of the parts. TX0H LuxIII or SV1J LuxI (on the way)?




I was very impatient today and did not wait for the SV1J so I used a TX0H instead.

*BUILD COMPLETE*

Heatsink Fabrication. I decided to make the heatsink thicker so I made it out of two copper layers soldered together (flattened solid copper penney).


 

 

 




 

 

 




 

 

 

 


 

 

 

Board Ground Tab


 

It fits snugly. What if you need to remove it? Installable pull-tabs.


 

 



Assembled Head


 



Beam Shots compared to ArcAAA w/ new NichiaCS (Arc on the Left) Low/Med/Hi (10%/40%?/100%). (Note: The colour balance on the camera must have auto adjusted on the brightest light - Arc in the first photo and on the mod light for the other two.)


 

 



Run-Time Test High (100%) and Medium (50%). I had a fan blowing on the light for the 100% test but not the 50% test. I ran out of time to do a 10% test, but I plan on running one. I expect about 5+ hours for the 10% test. I have mine set at 10% - great for night nav around the house. The behavior at the end of the curves (the rise in output) are typical for this type of LDO regulator and consistant with my previous tests. 




I added a 10% run to this graph. I ended the test after 8 hours (it was late, I was sleepy, I had to go to work in the morning and I didn't want to run the risk of over-discharging the Li-ion). I checked the no load voltage on the Li-ion after the 8 hours and it read 3.79xxV (I forget what the xx was - didn't write it down). I believe 3.8V corresponds to around 30% of battery life remaining.




Thanks for lookin'


Paul


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## goldserve (Apr 12, 2006)

*Re: Adjustable ArcAAA miniFLuPIC WIP (pics!!)*

Just a point to note, the two critical points on the IC are okay to touch ground. =D


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## Bogus1 (Apr 12, 2006)

*Re: Adjustable ArcAAA miniFLuPIC WIP (pics!!)*

That is a very cool mod!


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## chimo (Apr 13, 2006)

*Re: Adjustable ArcAAA miniFLuPIC WIP (pics!!)*

Thanks, I edited the picture but imageshack is doing some wonky stuff and will not give me my thumbnail links.

Paul

Edit: got it fixed.


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## inq2000 (Apr 13, 2006)

*Re: Adjustable ArcAAA miniFLuPIC WIP (pics!!)*

:goodjob: 

Is that for sale?
I want take it .


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## IsaacHayes (Apr 13, 2006)

*Re: Adjustable ArcAAA miniFLuPIC WIP (pics!!)*

LOL @ moisturize. My hands look like that in winter. I get vertical splits in my fingertips actually! I hate hand lotion though (or anything on my hands stick/greasy), so I suffer.


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## jar3ds (Apr 13, 2006)

*Re: Adjustable ArcAAA miniFLuPIC WIP (pics!!)*

dang... looks yummy! Is the waterproof-ness lost @ all with the Luxeon?

I've been looking for a li-ion option for my ARC AAA because thats my fav. battery chem. and ya just got'a love the flupic

I do feel that you will get a lot of orders if you sell these... I'm in for one....


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## goldserve (Apr 13, 2006)

*Re: Adjustable ArcAAA miniFLuPIC WIP (pics!!)*

chimo,

:nana: free FLuPIC board = you have to make me one too :nana:


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## DUQ (Apr 13, 2006)

*Re: Adjustable ArcAAA miniFLuPIC WIP (pics!!)*

Nice work chimo. Talk about small eh. Glad to see one of us getting there mod off the paper.


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## AW (Apr 13, 2006)

*Re: Adjustable ArcAAA miniFLuPIC WIP (pics!!)*

Nice job, chimo:goodjob: 

I have 3 of those AAA heads with Lux I RWOH for about a year now. The chips were assembled together by 3D soldering. These are gems ! I have one on my keychain, one with a N cell body and one with a bass double-headed tube. The UI is low/high/strobe/sos/brightness adj


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## vortechs (Apr 13, 2006)

*Re: Adjustable ArcAAA miniFLuPIC WIP (pics!!)*

Well, that looks like a good use for AW's 10280 sized (2/3AAA) Li-Ion. Is that a Jets22 N-sized tube for the Arc AAA head that is shown in AW's picture alongside the 10280 Li-Ion? I've been wondering if it could produce enough current to run a Luxeon in a cut-down Arc AAA body. Of course, now I'll be wondering if that tiny battery can power a Lux-III, or if a Lux-I is pretty much the limit. 

This mod looks like it is going to create something even smaller than the JIL Intelli, with all the same features. Good work.


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## Grumpy (Apr 13, 2006)

*Re: Adjustable ArcAAA miniFLuPIC WIP (pics!!)*

I would love to see a beamshot comparison between the TWOH and the SV1J.


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## cy (Apr 13, 2006)

*Re: Adjustable ArcAAA miniFLuPIC WIP (pics!!)*

pretty slick, nice work!!!


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## mosport (Apr 13, 2006)

*Re: Adjustable ArcAAA miniFLuPIC WIP (pics!!)*

Looking good Chimo, nice pictures too!

Your mods are always clean and tight, any tips on reshaping the reflector and enlarging the head's inside diameter?

Can't wait to see the rest of the build pics... 

:rock:


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## chimo (Apr 13, 2006)

*Re: Adjustable ArcAAA miniFLuPIC WIP (pics!!)*

Thanks for the kind words. This is still a WIP (work in progress). I have not decided on the emitter yet - the S-bin LuxI has not arrived yet so I will have to wait until after the long weekend.  

Isaac, same problem and same dislike for greasy lotions.

inq2000, sorry this one's not for sale.  

jar3ds, it would be fairly easy to make this water resistant. There's lots of room inside.

goldserve, PM sent.  

AW, very nice. Is that the POP version?

Grumpy, if I get impatient and put the TX0H in there this weekend, I have another TX0H to compare beamshots.

mosport, I put the head in my drill press. I then used a dremel tool with a spherical metal bit (will try to post a pic later) and free-handed it. I followed up with some varying sandpaper and brasso. 
EDIT: pic posted above

Paul


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## greenLED (Apr 13, 2006)

*Re: Adjustable ArcAAA miniFLuPIC WIP (pics!!)*



chimo said:


> mosport, I put the head in my drill press. I then used a dremel tool with a spherical metal bit (will try to post a pic later) and free-handed it. I followed up with some varying sandpaper and brasso.


I'd be very interested in a pic of that Dremel bit. :twothumbs



goldserve said:


> Just a point to note, the two critical points on the IC are okay to touch ground. =D


 Exactly what two critical points are we talking about here?


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## chimo (Apr 13, 2006)

*Re: Adjustable ArcAAA miniFLuPIC WIP (pics!!)*



greenLED said:


> I'd be very interested in a pic of that Dremel bit. :twothumbs
> 
> Exactly what two critical points are we talking about here?



I must have been posting the pic while you were posting. I find that the stonetype clog with Al too easily. If I use the stone bits, I clean them with a wire wheel on a normal drill. The metal bits cut very well. See first post.

I posted a new pic with the critical points. I had the outer two on the uPIC listed in my initial post. The areas of concern are LED+, the cap, and one leg of the LDO.

Paul


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## greenLED (Apr 13, 2006)

*Re: Adjustable ArcAAA miniFLuPIC WIP (pics!!)*



chimo said:


> I must have been posting the pic while you were posting.


:laughing: Yes, you were! :thanks: You're always very helpful, chimo, thank you very much for sharing. Wow, that drill bit is really small.

I should get off my lazy butt over the weekend and make a list of supplies I "need".


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## chimo (Apr 17, 2006)

*Re: Adjustable ArcAAA miniFLuPIC (pics!!)*

Finished this off today. 

The first post of the thread has been updated with a bunch of new pics.

Looks like I found a new keychain light! I still have to do some run-time tests, but I am very pleased with the results.

Paul


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## greenLED (Apr 17, 2006)

*Re: Adjustable ArcAAA miniFLuPIC (pics!!)*

Awesome mod!! :twothumbs Thanks for all the extra pics. Are you using a penny as source for the 2-layered micro heatsink?

Source for AAA li-ions?
Any chance of protected AAA li-ions?


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## chimo (Apr 17, 2006)

*Re: Adjustable ArcAAA miniFLuPIC (pics!!)*



greenLED said:


> Awesome mod!! :twothumbs Thanks for all the extra pics. Are you using a penny as source for the 2-layered micro heatsink?
> 
> Source for AAA li-ions?
> Any chance of protected AAA li-ions?



It's an old penney. It met Mr Hammer prior to those pics. Hammering down the ridges helps speed up the smoothing process. 

I believe I got the AAA Li-ions from AW or Emillion. It would be hard to shrink the protection circuit in the area of a AAA.

Cheers,

Paul


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## greenLED (Apr 17, 2006)

*Re: Adjustable ArcAAA miniFLuPIC (pics!!)*

Even armed with sandpaper, last time greenLED met penny, he lost his fingertips. I'd rather not repeat the experience. uch:

Mr Hammer! I shall use such a fine-tuned precision intrument with great care (as to not destroy it's delicately tuned functioning). :devil:

Thank you so much, chimo!


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## andrewwynn (Apr 17, 2006)

*Re: Adjustable ArcAAA miniFLuPIC (pics!!)*

great mod.. holy cow on the heat-sink.. wish i'd have known i make them in about 3 seconds now.. i use a pneumatic punch to make the 8mm circle (usually out of silver) and take a 'nibbler' to notch out the two emitter holes. Did you learn the 'hard way' about the shorting of the pins.. i shorted out a LOT of lights in the process of learning how to make a nano. 

I thought i saw some question about prot. ckt.. pretty much unnecessary with AAA size LiON. i've dead-shorted them many times.. they just get very warm.. the specs on the first batch i got included being able to deal with dead shorts.. 

Probably unnecessary to double-layer that heatsink.. i use about .8 or 1.0 mm thick copper or silver... the key is to use some thermal compound to get the heat out of the sink into the head.

looking through the pictures gave me some serious nano flashbacks.. and i still have paylenty more to go.. fortunately with good help things are finally getting cooking. 

-awr


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## chimo (Apr 17, 2006)

*Re: Adjustable ArcAAA miniFLuPIC (pics!!)*



andrewwynn said:


> great mod.. holy cow on the heat-sink.. wish i'd have known i make them in about 3 seconds now.. i use a pneumatic punch to make the 8mm circle (usually out of silver) and take a 'nibbler' to notch out the two emitter holes. Did you learn the 'hard way' about the shorting of the pins.. i shorted out a LOT of lights in the process of learning how to make a nano.
> 
> -awr



I could have done the punch thing at work (but I was off today).  This certainly took longer. I used a file for the notches (brazenly stolen off the nano, btw  ). I did have to correct an initial short - AA epoxy cured that problem (no pun intended). 

Paul


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## goldserve (Apr 17, 2006)

*Re: Adjustable ArcAAA miniFLuPIC (pics!!)*

Whoa, nice to come back from a short vacation to see the final product! cheers! Great work!


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## andrewwynn (Apr 17, 2006)

*Re: Adjustable ArcAAA miniFLuPIC (pics!!)*



chimo said:


> I could have done the punch thing at work (but I was off today).  This certainly took longer. I used a file for the notches (brazenly stolen off the nano, btw  ). I did have to correct an initial short - AA epoxy cured that problem (no pun intended).
> 
> Paul



Glad to see the influence like that.. i actually had over 100 solid copper 99.999% pure heat sinks i made at the cost of about $400 that turned out to be too thick for the final design.. part of why nanos cost me money to make... but at least i am making enough so it's not that much per nano. 

-awr


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## chimo (Apr 17, 2006)

*Re: Adjustable ArcAAA miniFLuPIC (pics!!)*

Thanks, Kevin. (btw, notice that I made 2 heatsinks).

Andrew, Lots of room in this one. I put a 3mm spacer block (between the board and the heatsink) to give the board more support. 

Paul


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## chimo (Apr 19, 2006)

I have decided to do a very limited (<10) run of these.  

I will start a new thread in the Custom B/S/T for this in the next couple of days.

Cheers,


Paul


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## adirondackdestroyer (Apr 19, 2006)

Sweet! Can you give an estimate as to how much they will cost?


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## chimo (Apr 19, 2006)

adirondackdestroyer said:


> Sweet! Can you give an estimate as to how much they will cost?



I have not got all the parts ordered yet but they should be around $100 (likely less) and will include a lug body.


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## bombelman (Apr 19, 2006)

COOL !!


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## Justone (Apr 19, 2006)

Good news!! I am in for one. Please keep me in the line. Justone. 
Paypal is ready!!


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## andrewwynn (Apr 19, 2006)

chimo.. send me a note.. [email protected] i can set you up with some heat sinks.. they take me SECONDS to make. 

-awr


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## chimo (Apr 19, 2006)

The first post has been updated with a run-time test for 100% and 50% output.  

Andrew, I punched out a bunch of 3mm thick copper ones at work yesterday. The only problem is that the closest punch was 3/8", which means taking another 1-2 mm off the dia.  

Paul


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## goldserve (Apr 19, 2006)

Great! Makes one great keychain light. How does 10% compare to a ARC-AAA.


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## andrewwynn (Apr 20, 2006)

chimo.. email me your address.. you need to use 8mm discs... i only use about 1mm thick you could stack them if you wanted to, or actually i have some other copper discs that were cut down from 8mm rod, they need a little bit of sanding on the face to make them smooth and i'd use a dremel to make the notches.. much less work than trying to reduce the size .. ouch.


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## chimo (Apr 20, 2006)

Andrew, email sent. Thanks!!!

Paul


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## vortechs (Apr 20, 2006)

I'm definitely interested. 

Please let us know how the max brightness compares to some other lights we might be familiar with.


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## cmendoza (Apr 20, 2006)

What battery was used for the runtime test?


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## chimo (Apr 20, 2006)

cmendoza said:


> What battery was used for the runtime test?



The capacity (as labelled on the battery) is listed on the graph (300 mAh). I believe I got them from AW or emilion. 

BTW, the med (50%) is incorrectly labelled on the graph as being fan cooled.


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## Tritium (Apr 20, 2006)

I want one. Can provide luxeon and bare (new) ARC head. I have a tube and AAA Li Ion already as well.


Thurmond


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## chimo (Apr 20, 2006)

The interest thread is here, however, demand has already exceeded supply. :sigh:


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## paulr (Apr 20, 2006)

Wow, awesome. Um, you do know that pennies have been made of zinc since 1982, so aren't so good for heat conduction (compared with copper). I also would have expected you to get chips all over the place cutting it up. I realize it would increase costs a little but you could splurge and use a dime, which is nickel-plated copper, or you could scrounge through your penny jar to find some pre-1982 copper pennies (they're still plentiful).


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## chimo (Apr 20, 2006)

paulr said:


> Wow, awesome. Um, you do know that pennies have been made of zinc since 1982, so aren't so good for heat conduction (compared with copper). I also would have expected you to get chips all over the place cutting it up. I realize it would increase costs a little but you could splurge and use a dime, which is nickel-plated copper, or you could scrounge through your penny jar to find some pre-1982 copper pennies (they're still plentiful).



:laughing: I went through the penny jar for solid copper pennies before I started this. The silverish color you may see in the heatsink photos is solder because two pieces are soldered together.


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## vortechs (Apr 21, 2006)

I just thought I'd mention that I really enjoy seeing how people on CPF share ideas and parts for projects like this. The friendly environment is part of what makes the forums a nice place. Many thanks to Paul, Andrew, goldserve, and others.


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## chimo (Apr 21, 2006)

Thanks vortechs!

I added a 10% runtime test to the first post in this thread. I ceased the test after 8 hours (reasons listed above).

Paul


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## greenLED (Apr 21, 2006)

vortechs said:


> I just thought I'd mention that I really enjoy seeing how people on CPF share ideas and parts for projects like this.


Ditto! Chimo is a great modder, and he's always gone beyond the call of duty to help me answer my noob questions (and even some I hadn't even thought of asking - my ignorance is bliss).


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## moeman (Apr 22, 2006)

OMG!
that is a sweet mod!
i wish i had seen this!!!!
chris


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