# Dummy Reference Guide to Minimag Modding(many pix)



## AuroraLite

*Dummy reference guide to modding Minimag*
(Reader beware...*200+ pix, 11000+ words*) 



*Last Update*: *(26 Apr 06)*



*Updates*(from latest):

*Major Update 26 Apr 06*: 
Added Section 3:
o) *New Terralux TLE5* (after market product, easiest) (Apr 06)
p) *NiteIze Led Upgrade Combo* (after market product, easiest) (Apr 06)
Added Section 5:
-*Terralux TCS-1* clickie tailcap (after market products)
-*NiteIze clickie* (see p) in Section 3)



*Major Update 22 Mar 06*: 
Added to Section 3: 
l) *DownBoy 500 Lux V VX0S Sammie* (Mar 06)
m) *SMJ 5mm led directly driven mod* (Mar 06)
n) *DJ/Cgpeanut's POP sammie* (Mar 06)
Added to Section 4:
*McR18*





Hi, all.

This is the third in the dummy reference guide series (since the  Mag 2c Nflex Lux III mod  and PM6 Lux III mod), and like those mods, I had truly enjoyed the process of making them and contributing my humble experiences in making various kind of minimag mods. This will be an on-going effort...and I shall hope you guys would enjoy it as much as I do!

Group00e




A brief *Thank You* note(in no particular order) to many modders who had contributed many ideas about minimag modding, Wayne and Cindy from Sandwich Shoppe (who had made modding minimag such an easy job even for layman like myself), Lambda(the maker of the great MiniPro), Kiu, Ken, Aw (the HK flashaholics who had provided me ideas and parts, and make my flashaholism feel normal), and all after-market drop-in makers (who had made my first ‘wow’ when I stare into the reflector when the show is on). :thumbsup:


*Contents:*

*Section 1 Before everything

Section 2 About Minimag modding and my mumble jumble

Section 3 Minimag Modding Galore (‘Action’ section)*

a) *NewBeam*, *Terralux TLE5* (May 05)
After market Drop-ins, easiest to do 

b) *Terralux TLE5 modded with TV1J* (May 05)

c) *Cut MJled*(directly driven) (May 05)

d) *$5 5 Led Minimag Mod* (May 05)

e) *26k mcd 5 Led Minimag Mod* (May 05)

f) All about Sandwich Shoppe Sandwich
--*Installing and Removing ‘sandwich’*
--*Lux I RY0J MadMax Lite* (May 05)

g) *Lambda MiniPro Lux III DIY kit building notes* (May 05)

h) *$6 8 Led Minimag Mod*(8 UV led mod) (May 05)

i) *Streamlight TT 1x123 Xenon bulb in Minimag mod* (Jun 05)

j) *DownBoy 750 Lux V VXOS Sammie* (Nov 05)

k) *Minimag Hotwire Incan TL3(120+ lumens)/Strion Mod* (Nov 05)

l) *DownBoy 500 Lux V VX0S Sammie* (Mar 06)

m) *Cut SMJ 5mm led* (directly driven) (Mar 06)

n) *DJ/Cgpeanut's POP sammie* (Mar 06)

o) *New Terralux TLE5* (after market product, easiest to do) (Apr 06)

p) *NiteIze Led Upgrade Combo* (after market product, easiest to do) (Apr 06)

(This list might keep expanding)

*Note* : *d, e, f, g, h and K* are *MiniMiniMag*(cutdown Minimag 1AA) compatible!

*Section 4 Various optics for Minimag Mod, runtime shots and Beam shots*

Various Optics for Minimag:

Featured:
17 IMS reflector (SO17XA) 
20 IMS reflector (SO20XA) 
Modded Minimag stock reflectors 
-Self modded 
-DarkZero Smooth 
-DarkZero Splutter 
Etendue metal reflectors 
-original 
-self-polished original 
-upgraded (30 Apr 05) 
McR18
Mcflood 
NX05 
Fraen LP 
3/4” Acrylic ball 
Carclo 6 degree Optic
Carclo 15 degree Optic
Carclo 25 degree Optic
Carclo Fiber Coupling Optic


Optics Modding:

Modding Minimag Stock Reflector for Luxeon (High Dome)
Modding 20 IMS reflector
Modding the McR20


*Section 5 Tailcap and other mod ideas*
-Kroll, Kroll improvement and Kroll 2 stages
-Minimag stock 2-stage tailcap mod
-Terralux TCS-1 clickie tailcap (after market products)
-NiteIze clickie (see p) in Section 3)

*Section 6 Suggestions (tools)/Related links/Resources*













*Section 1 Before everything*


This is a dummy reference guide for making various kind of Minimag mod, by no mean it is supposed to be any kind of official ‘guide’ for making particular kind of minimag mod.

These mods varies in time and skill required, it ranges from the easiest of simply dropping something into the Minimag host to hand-shaking SMD parts (<1mm) soldering job. If you are interested in particular kind of mod listed here and/or new to modding, I would like to humbly suggest you to walk thru the whole subsection/post before beginning. I am a novice in modding; and given enough time and focus, if I can do it, so can you. :naughty:

To use this reference post effectively, you will notice there are tons of smiley faces (  ) all around this post. If you see a massive display of the  , it usually means it is the end of a section. And there are usually a few smiley/faces surrounding a sub-section title to make them stands out.

Also, I have posted a date on each subsection head, so if you are interested in making the latest Minimag mod, you could always check on the post/mod entry date.

For new comers and/or new modders, I had written my modest opinion of modding/minimag modding (especially in the next section). If you are veteran modders and just want the ‘action’, skip forward to the action section 3.

Some of the process involved here might be irreversible for utilizing/modding some parts of the flashlight, so there is no turning back once you entered into the process.

I would try to be as detail as possible and post up as many pictures necessary to make the process look easy, but YMMV in the end. If you have any feedback/suggestion/comment regarding this thread, please feel free to post, I would love to hear them. :wave: 


(WARNING: Do NOT attempt to read thru the whole thing in one sitting, people, it might get so dry and long that your bottom might stick to the chair...and that was what happened to me... :laughing: )


----------



## AuroraLite

*Section 2 About Minimag modding and my Mumble Jumble*


This section is my humble mumble-jumble for various aspect concerning leds and Minimag modding, mostly to new comers and starter like my dummy self…


Group03e





*Errr…which mod?*

Personally, for practical use, I think it is always wise to understand your personal choice/taste before inputting time, money and energy into a mod. In this section, I would layout some humble opinions and experiences of mine on various issues for Minimag mod. Hopefully, that would shed some light into answering this question.



*Why Minimag Mod?*

I guess I have a Minimag ‘complex’ since it was my first ‘quality’ flashlight since young (not counting the Ever-ready 1$ flashlights).  IMHO, it is one flashlight that has a perfect platform for modding since it is of good quality built (hardly seen much failure considering how many were made), choices of color are brilliant/bundle and at a decent price (low cost for replacement). Also, with a reflector, it could be focused and de-focused for throw and flood lights; while user could choose the ‘candle mode’ should you need to have the flashlight sitting on a flat surface…in short, it great to start with this ‘platform’ since one could always upgrade it part by part-lens, reflectors/optics, drop-in modules, tailcap switch, almost everything could be modded/changed except the body. :devil: 



*Luxeon and Bin code*

Luxeon (lux) is one kind of leds that are popularly used by CPF modders and manufacturer, much higher output when compared to normal 3/5mms. ‘Bin code’ for a Lux will determines the brightness of led, the ‘tint’ and the Vf (voltage forward, voltage going into the lux). For myself, I like the W0, X0, and Y0 tint. For W0, it is a warmer tint, and when there is less current going into it, it tends to very slightly shift it’s tint to warmer color (yellow). Y0 has a very slight hint of blue in it, I observe less ‘shift’ in this tint when the current is low(with naked eyes), it just gets dimmer.



*How bright? How much current to the Lux/Led(s)? What about runtime?*

These three questions always go hand in hand--more current to the led, more brightness it would be; but increasing current/brightness also means reducing runtime. Two major reliability issues are overdriving a led could cause heat issue (sometimes it could heat up the flashlight too much to even handle it, if the hot-sinking is not good enough :sweat: ) and significantly lessen the lifespan of the led (or even burn it outright). It is always important to understand the spec of the lux/led before use, so you know what you are getting into. 

For my own use, considering the output of one single Luxeon and size of Minimag compatible optics, an efficient regulated/semi-regulated 500mA (forward current) with 2AAs seems to be a good balance between runtime and brightness for EDC purposes. My reasoning is because

1) My Minimag mod is usually one of my EDC choices and for day-to-day close up usage, I wouldn’t need or expect it to throw like a Mag D lux III mod with 3” head. Too bright or intense the light source in close range is actually uncomfortable to work with, and it might cause heat issue and shorten runtime; 

2) Lux III has a diminishing return for current vs brightness;

3) Considering the size of the Minimag head assembly and the optics that could be fitted in, higher current might not be translated directly (and proportionately) to higher light output for human eyes. For ex, the current increase from Badboy NexGen 500 to Badboy NexGen 750(Sandwich Shoppe sandwich) will only be barely noticeable in practical use (you wouldn’t feel the 25% increase of output), but the trade-off could be very noticeable shorten runtime(around 33% shorten). 

For 3mm/5mm led(s), I would not expect the same light output from them like luxeons (at least not for now); therefore I mostly see/use them as flood lighting purposes. But one good thing about them is long, long runtime and usually there is no heat issue-and that is usually what I would be looking for when buying/doing 3mm/5mm led mods. Multiple leds lights make great reading light and are great to use in really close-up working environment. 



*Regulation, semi-regulation and directly driven?*

I am no EE person, and I could only contribute what I know of them. Full regulation (regulation) usually means the output of the light will remain constant (constant current/voltage boosted/bucked to the led) until the power of the battery could no longer support the regulation; and depending on the design of the board, it usually would have a sharp drop into a low output mode(star or moon mode).

Semi regulation means the output of the light will gradually dim, and it will not be as consistent as the full regulation. And the transition from ‘sun’ mode to moon/star mode will be more gradual as well. I would consider a ‘resistor-ed solution’ as passive regulation, and it would fall under this same category.

As the name had suggested, directly driven means no regulation of any kind and the batteries are directly hooked up with the led. The output of the light over time will largely depend on the setup of the batteries and the led/bulb. Often time, if a led yields great brightness at the beginning, the output might drop exponentially later on. The main advantage of directly driven solution is its inexpensiveness and simplicity. 

For a Minimag, a directly driven luxeon is usually done with Li-ion batteries. It is kind of tricky since over voltage/current will most likely damage the lux/led. On the other hand, the user might risk overdischanging a rechargeable Un-protected Li-ion batteries used in the light if lux/led drain them too low (which could be become dangerous if an overdischagred Li-ion is being recharged with a ‘dumb’ charger again).

Alternative to the luxeon solution is the directly driven bulb(or super bulb), bulb solution has always been one of the simplest solution there is for any flashlight. And by using protected li-ion batteries, it is now possible to run higher powered bulb to create high output minimag 'hotwire' mods. However, it is a modder resposibility to carefully mod and use such creation, for the heat/light management is a serious matter for this mod.


To choose between the three categories will depend on how you use the light, if your application requires constant ‘full’ brightness all the time-then I would suggest full regulation. For myself, I prefer full regulation if the runtime for full regulation is acceptable; that is especially true in my Minimag EDC. Though I had said that I don’t expect it to be a throw monster, I do hope that it will be of good use when needed to be--and maintaining a regulation will give fairly constant output/throw through out its useful time.



*Optics, the other half of the story!*

For a flashlight, the bulb/led, electronics and batteries might determine the brightness and runtime, but the beam characteristics (beam shot) will be determined by the optics used. Whether a light can ‘throw’ will not only depending on how bright is the light source, but also the shape/depth of an optic. Same goes to flood lights. In section 4, we will take a look at various kind of optics available for Minimag mods, their beam shots and how to mod some of these optics to fit into Minimag. 



*After market drop-ins vs. modding*

Depending on time and budget constrain, nowadays flashaholics and non-flashaholics do have the choices to choose between purchasing ready-to-run after market products (that might include module made by modders) or making the mod themselves. The advantage of making your own mod, besides it is so much fun and satisfying, is that modder could choose more specifically what components(especially bin/tint of lux) to go into the module. Sometimes, modders would just mod for fun, and need no further reasoning… :nana: 



*What about bulbs? Is there a superbulb solution for Minimags?*

One of the issues about a (super/high power)bulb in Minimag is the runtime/power and heat management. Unlike it's Mag D or Mag C relatives, the Minimag is born with a smaller body(2AA) and the power source is thus restricted to some degree. Although it is possible to stack some Li-ion cells(1/2 or 1/3 Li-ion rechargable AA cells) to achieve a higher voltage, but I would strongly recommend NOT to do so unless the cells combination is provenly *protected* and one know how to safely handle those Li-ion rechargable cells. As one would have guess too, the smaller cells are bound to have smaller capacity, so runtime might be shorten depending on the current draw.

High power bulb will generate lots of heat in a body size like Minimag. And like any superbulb mod for Mag D or C, minimag will have a more urgent need for the metal reflector and glass lens replacement. If you are interested, do check out in section 3 about the Minimag Hotwire kit(which has metal reflector, ceremic socket and uses a high powered bulb to achieve a higher output)

As for some slightly better performing bulb improvement, one could always find any 1 lithium cell or 2AA small bi-pin bulbs to test fit it in Minimag for an instant improvement. If interested, please read mod section for details. 


What? You managed to live thru my mumble jumble?! No kidding! :green: 
Let’s mod!


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## AuroraLite

*Section 3 Minimag Modding Galore (‘Action’ section)*

To check out the dozen kinds of Minimag mods being featured in this section, please go to the very top of this thread.


This section details all kind of mods and drop-ins for Minimag. Most of the instruction/guide is either *self-contained* or as a *complimentary building notes* to already existing written instruction. If it is a complimentary building notes, I strongly advice you to follow the ‘official’ instruction. And I would rate the *difficulty level* as following:

*1/4* Super duper easy to do, absolutely no skill required
*2/4* Modders might need to do simple soldering/assembling + purchase their own parts
*3/4* Need more time, skill and parts than 2/4, also might need to improvise on parts
*4/4* Need originality and modder might even have to design and make up his/her own parts


If you are new to modding and has decided to do one of these mods, I do humbly suggest to also check out the later sections which would detail some of the resources, links and tools that might proof valuable later on.

*Most important of all, have fun and enjoy!!* :thumbsup: 




  *a) After market Drop-ins, easiest to do* 



*Newbeam Opalec

(posted May 2005)
Difficulty: 1/4*


Opalec01



This is a great after market mod, it is one of the easiest to do and it gives a very constant output for a long time (9 hours+) and the best part is it will warn you of the low voltage when it is time to change the battery.(the small red led will light up)

Though it’s output might not be comparable to luxeon based mod, it remains to be a very useful light for extreme low light situation (camping). As it does not have a reflector/optics, it main purpose is for flood lighting closed up area.


Opalec02



Newbeam Opalec comes in a package including a new lens (plastic), the ‘light engine’ and a black plastic piece (for turning off the light)


Opalec03



Opalec04



This is how it looks onced installed to Minimag, the built is very rugged since it has two plastic legs (besides the electrical leads) to insert into the original Minimag bulb holder/retainer. The upgrading is simply swapping parts around, take only 1-2 minutes.


StockvsOpalec



Stock Minimag vs. Newbeam Opalec


TLE5vsOpalec



Terralux TLE5 vs. Newbeam Opalec





*Terralux TLE5

(posted May 2005)
Difficulty: 1/4*


TLE5Terra00



Terralux TLE5 has a 1w side emitter luxeon at its heart. As compared to the stock Minimag, it has a decent improvement for output and the output is longer as well. (where the output towards the end is way more useful than Minimag stock bulb). And as advertised, it is semi-regulated.

IMHO, it is one of the best, after market, luxeon based upgrade for a Minimag. For that reason, I had chosen this light to be one of the benchmark to other mods. 


TLE5Terra01



Terralux TLE5 comes in a package like this…


TLE5Terra02



Top row shown the parts that will go into the Minimag, bottom the replaced parts. The easy swapping/upgrade will only take 1-2 minutes, but the output and runtime is way better…


TLE5Terra03



Terralux TLE3 installed; since it is a side emitter, it is great for ‘candle mode’.


stockvsTLE5



Minimag stock vs. Terralux TLE5


TLEvsOpalec1



Terralux TLE5 vs. Newbeam Opalec








  *b) Modding After Market drop-ins*  


Depending on the nature of the after market drop-ins, this subsection is for modding those products for fun and attempting to improve upon its performance.





*Terralux TLE 5 modded with TV1J

(posted May 2005)
Difficulty: 2/4*


TLEmod001




For myself, I am a fan of Y0, X0 and W0 tinted Luxeon. And I had in possession a TV1J that I hardly will use for any of my mods…then I came across my TLE5 and was thinking to myself, ‘what if I have a better perform luxeon instead of the side emitter…?’

That was the short story how I came about modding the TLE5, merely a coincidence, but a very happy result. Modded with a TV1J, though it is not my favorite tint, the performance had a decent and noticeable improvement.


TLE5mod002



The top row shows the original parts for Terralux TLE5 and its reflector. The bottom row shows the TLE modded with TV1J and the modded reflector. For getting a luxeon emitter from a luxeon star, please refer to Section 5. Please make sure you checked the POLARITY of the luxeons before de-soldering the original side emitter (by DMM) and soldering the new emitter (by apply 3V 2AA) onto the TLE5 board.


TLE5mod003



It shows how the board and the modded luxeon sitting on top of the body tube.


TLE5mod004



The original reflector with the modded TV1J. I do suggest to sand down the original TLE5 reflector for better focusing; but like modding the stock reflector, please sand it down with sand paper (NOT a dremel) and do it patiently. Oversanding will cause the luxeon to fall thru the reflectors opening and the TLE5 mod will NOT be able to shut off. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon15.gif For more, please read ‘modding stock reflector’ in the optics section. 


TLE5mod005



Modded TLE5 reflector with the TV1J, now it looks more or less in focus…


stockvsTLE5mod



Left is the stock Minimag vs. modded TLE 5


OpalecvsTLE5mod



Newbeam Opalec vs. Terralux TLE5 mod


TLE5vsTLE5mod



Original Terralux TLE 5 vs. Modded Terralux TLE 5 with TV1J. Notice there is more light intensity at the hotspot.








  *c) Resistor-ed and directly driven led mod*  

As the name has suggested, this subsection is for making directly driven or ‘resistor-ed solution’ (passive regulation) led modded Minimag.




*Cut MJ led 

(posted May 2005)
Difficulty: 1/4*


Mjled001




Cut MJ led made by ArcMania is a white 5 mm led that has a Vin spec close to 3V. One could obtain the cut version (optimized for use with a reflector) from Lambda or the uncut version from Sandwich Shoppe.

Do not be fooled by the appearance of this 5mm mod, it actually does give satisfying output considering its simplicity. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/clap.gif With the proper optics, it actually throws quite well when comparing to a 1w side emitter luxeon! The very best part about this led is its low forward voltage requirement which we could simply use normal 1.5 Alkaline and it probably will last for a long, long time (dozen hours+, if not more). /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/eek.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/faint.gif IIRC, it is almost like a flat sloping line, output decreasing almost constantly from start to end. 


Mjled002



I got my a cut MJ led kit from Lambda a while ago, as shown on the left, it also came with a drilled reflector and a lens. On the right is the uncut MJ led.


Mjled003



Mjled004



There are really not that much to tell as how to install this MJled, simply trim the leads short (around 1cm) and slowly/firmly insert the led leads into the bulb holder/retainer of the Minimag. The base of the led should be almost flush with the top of the bulb retainer.

Caution: Do NOT force it in or you might twist/bend the legs. Go slow.

For the reflector, simply drill out a hole that will fit the MJ led base diameter. But do NOT sand the ‘fins’ on the back of the reflector since they are there to turn the light on/off. See Mjled002.


Beamshots below are for the cut Mjled:

TLE5vsMjled



Terralux TLE5 vs. Cut MJ led mod with Lambda modded reflector


stockvsMjled



Stock Minimag vs. Cut MJ led mod with Lambda modded reflector


Mjledstockreflector



Cut MJ led with Lambda modded reflector

MjledNX05



Cut MJ led used with a NX05; notice I haven’t modify the NX05 to a better fit or adjust it to best centering.


Mjledacrylicball



MJ led used with 3/4”Acrylic ball, wow! Look at the intense hotspot and no side spill!


MjledacrylicbvsTLE5



With the help of an acrylic ball, it does not do too bad when compared to a 1w side emitter…


uncutMjled



This is a picture showing an uncut Mjled used with Lambda modded reflector








  *d) $5 5 Led Minimag Mod *  

*5 Leds Minimag Mod

(posted May 2005)
Difficulty: 2/4-3/4*



MiniM5led000




In this mod, we will transplant a ‘light engine’ from a small 1AAA Chinese made flashlight into the Minimag. Basically, we will be overdriving it with 2AAs, but no worries--the 5 leds do have resistor for limiting the power that goes into the circuit and the leds.

This mod is not very difficult to make, it might take 40 minutes to make and the result is quite satisfying. The budget for making this mod is rather low as well, and here is the shopping list:


MiniM5led001



-1 Minimag
-1 Chinese made *1AAA 5 leds* aluminum light as shown in picture; usually one could be picked up for $3-$5. *The widest part of the bezel in front should be ~20.20mm*
-Small piece of one sided copper-plated board, 1 inch x 1 inch
-2 short pieces of lead, same diameter/girth to any 3/5mm leds; 1.5-2cm long.

Tools:
Dremel
Dremel sanding bit
Soldering iron
0.8mm/1mm drill bits(or bits with small diameter <2mm)
1 Ziplock bag
Pilers


Ready? Here we go!


MiniM5led002



While having batteries inside, take apart the Minimag as shown. Take out the reflector, front lens, bulb and the little lid/bulb holder; and store them in safe places. You will no longer need them in this mod.


MiniM5led003



Put the Chinese 1AAA 5 leds light into a ziplock bag, make sure the bag is closed properly(water tight). Now get a large pot and fill it with water, put a (paper) towel at the bottom of the pot (to prevent ziplock bag melting at bottom). Bring it to boil and submerge the bag (flashlight head) once the water boils for a 1-2 minutes. Make sure you do take out the battery before boiling... 

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/caution.gif *Warning*  if you want to preserve the look of the light, please carefully wrap a lot of towel around the body of the light before taking the body apart. It is very easy to damage the body, and modder should accept the potential irreversible risk/harm that might be done to this original Chinese 1AAA light. :devil:


MiniM5led004



After a few minutes of boiling, quickly remove the whole thing out of water. Use two pilers to grip onto the head of the light (blue part) and the 5 leds holder part (the silver part at the very front) and pull/wriggle them apart. Give the parts a few minutes to cool down. (Caution: do NOT touch them with bare hands…ouch!) :green: 


MiniM5led005



MiniM5led006



MiniM5led007



Now here comes the coolest part of the mod--you will notice the silver 5 leds holder could be place backward onto the leds…and this whole thing will fit perfectly into the Minimag head! 

From this point on, we will be making a connecting board for this ‘light engine’. Basically, it is board with two pins at the bottom which will lead to the positive and negative pin slot on the original switch assembly. The positive pin will lead to a small contacting circle on the face of board, and negative pin will lead to the wider hollow circle on the board. See picture MiniM5led019 for the finished product.


MiniM5led008



Retrieve the switch assembly from the Minimag (the black plastic part which sits on top 2 AAs; be careful not to lose the small metal piece for the negative contact) Place the black switch assembly on top of the small piece of copper plated board, and draw a circle on board.


MiniM5led009



Dremel/Cut/Sand out the circle as drawn, and the board should be able to sit on top of the Minimag as shown. It should be big enough to rest on the tube while small enough to not get caught with threads when entering into the Minimag head assembly.


MiniM5led010



Draw a line on the diameter of this circle board, and mark two small cross as the width of the Minimag bulb wires in the middle as shown.


MiniM5led011



Now use the 0.8mm(or the super small drill bit) to drill a hole on one of the cross mentioned above. Then at the back of the board, draw red line starting from where the other cross should be(at the front) to the edge of the board. This red line should be mirroring/in line with the diameter line at front.


MiniM5led012



Use the 0.8mm bit to make a trench on the red line at the back of board, and also take out some material at the side of the board where the bottom and front red line should meet. This ‘trench’ is to allow the wire to be embedded into the board, be sure it is deep enough to allow the lead flush with the board once embedded; as shown in MiniM5led017 later.


MiniM5led013



Flipping the board face up again, draw (red) circles to indicate the copper material we will be taking out. Try to mirror the bottom of the light engine as much as possible, and do make sure the negative/positive area on your board will come in contact with the correct, corresponding area.


MiniM5led014



Use the dremel to sand out the unwanted area of copper. And using the small bit, trench out a line where the negative lead will lay later.


MiniM5led015



You are almost done! Let’s start bending the negative lead first. Place one end of the lead flush with the little trench we had just made on the face of board, while gripping it with a piler, bend the lead 90 degree up flush into the little groove at the side of the board. Then continue on bending the lead all the way around to the back of the board, flush into the back trench.


MiniM5led016



The bend negative lead should look like this. Crimp on the little hook a little to make sure it ‘grip’ onto the board tightly.


MiniM5led017



At the back of the board, while the lead is flush with the face and side groove, bend the lead straight up where the back trench ends in the middle. Try to be as precise as possible. At this point the negative lead should be ‘gripping’ onto the board by itself, flush with the bottom and side of the board.


MiniM5led018



Pick up the other lead, use the piler to bend it into a L-shape as shown. The shorter part of the L should be within the diameter of the middle copper circle as shown.


MiniM5led019



Soldering the leads onto the board. Do try to keep the two leads as parallel as possible and closely resembling the width between the 2 original bulb legs. You could place some solder adjacent to the negative lead for better contact to the light engine.


MiniM5led020



Side view of the finished board. See how the soldering is somewhat even in height.


MiniM5led021



Checking the leads width at the back of board, resembling the width of original bulb.


MiniM5led022



Place the contact board at the side of the switch assembly. Board on top, and check/trim the length of the leads to the height of the switch assembly.


Optional: Check the two pins and two copper area with DMM, to make sure the positive is no where connected to negative. If you don’t use the DMM, shine a very bright light under the board, and see whether there is any hint of connection between two copper areas on top…


MiniM5led023



With the switch assembly above 2AAs, insert the contact board’s pin into the switch. Please make absolutely sure the negative pin is in the negative pin hole. As shown in picture.


MiniM5led024



Push the board flush on top of the tube and you are ready to rummmmble!


MiniM5led025



Viola! The light from the business end. Great job, go play! 


MiniM5led027



MiniM5led028



I don’t have a formal runtime test for this light, yet it does last forever and ever. But here is the comparison-when the battery is dying on Opalec, it still give useable light on the 5 led Minimag mod!  


Stockvs5ledMod



Minimag stock vs. 5 leds mod


TLEvs5ledMod



Terralux TLE5 vs. 5 leds mod


Opalecvs5ledmod



Newbeam Opalec vs. 5 leds mod








  *e) 26k mcd 5 Led Minimag Mod*  

*(posted May 05)
Difficulty: 2/4-3/4*


MiniM5led26k000




This is an improvement mod on the basis of the $5 5 led Minimag mod. All it involved is to remove the original 5 leds in the ‘light engine’ and replace it with 5 26k mcd leds.  For the 'contacting board', please refer to the second half of the '$5 5 led Minimag mod' 


MiniM5led26k001



First use an X-acto/sharp knife to pry out the top and bottom board from the middle black plastic cylinder of the ‘light engine’. Some ‘light engine’ will have the led’s lead connected between top and bottom board-cut. If wires, just leave it as is. And mark down where is the positive and negative connection from the led board to the converter board.


MiniM5led26k002



Remember/observe how the leds are positioned, most of the time they would be all lined up the same way. Take a note of it.
Gripping the Led board with a vise, de-soldering one led from the board with soldering wick(to absolute the solder and allow the Led to drop) and solder iron.


MiniM5led26k003



MiniM5led26k004



Using the retrieved led from board as a gauge, trim the legs of your 26k led accordingly (MiniM5led26k004); and if you do want to salvage the led legs, hold the led and the leads as shown in MiniM5led26k003. Those led legs would be perfect for making the 'contact board'.


MiniM5led26k005



MiniM5led26k006



MiniM5led26k007



Line up the 26k led like the previously de-soldered led, put the led ‘holder’ over the leds and reverse the whole thing upside down-this is to keep the 26k line up straight while soldering. Mark down which one of the leds you had just modded.


MiniM5led26k008



Test it with a 3V 2AA power supply to see whether it works, if it does; continue to de-solder the other Leds. And don’t forget to mark down which ones you had modded.


MiniM5led26k009



MiniM5led26k010



Here is a trick to quickly removing the leds, first use the wick to pick up as much solder before attempt to move the leds. Then wiggle the led out until it is almost out while with the help with a hot iron. Finally, put the wick on top to absorb the last bit of solder and push the led legs thru with the iron on top of the solder wick.


MiniM5led26k011



Cut the last 26k Led replacement leg a little longer, exactly like the original led. This will be connected to a wire later.


MiniM5led26k012



Solder the correct connection between the top and bottom board with wires.


MiniM5led26k013



Superglue the whole thing back together, and let it sit for few minutes. And you are DONE!!


Stockvs26k5ledmod



Stock Minimag vs. 26k 5 leds mod


TLE5vs26k5ledmod



Terralux TLE5 vs. 26k 5 leds mod


Opalecvs5ledmod



Newbeam Opalec vs. 26k 5 leds mod


5ledmodvs26k5ledmod



Minimag 5 led mod vs. Minimag 26k 5 led mod, 2ft from wall
The 26k 5 led mod is a little whiter, gives more light output, and slightly 'brighter'.

5ledmodvs26k5ledmod2



Minimag 5 led mod vs. Minimag 26k 5 led mod, 1ft from wall








  *f) All about Sandwich Shoppe Sandwich*  


*Sandwich*(Sammie, Sammich, Sandwiche) is a general term used to describe a Luxeon modded drop-in module for Minimag or similar form of flashlight, usually it is referring to the module made by Wayne from Sandwich Shoppe.

Modders nowadays could easily pick up all the parts necessary for making from the Sandwich Shoppe, or for less work, one could simply pick up a ‘Sandwich Assembly’ (ready-to-run out of box) from the Shoppe. Here we will discuss the basic maintenance and making of a ‘sandwich’




*Installing Sandwich Assembly*

This is a simple dummy description for installing a Sandwich Shoppe Sandwich with a 17 IMS reflector (SO17XA).

You could either order an assembled ready-to-run ‘sandwich assembly’ or build one yourself. For more details, please read sandwich building section of this thread or visit Wayne’s Sandwich Shoppe board here on CPF.

NOTE: My method for installing the 17 IMS is a little different from the orthodox method as described in Wayne’s site. Please read the original Wayne’s method here to determine which one suits you better. 


InSA001



Here is a snapshot for some of the parts that could go into the MiniMag head for a Sandwich. Depending what kind of package you have ordered with the sandwich assembly, different O-rings might be included (usually 2-3 O-rings, 1 opticalware is included in an ready made assembly). For more about optics, please read section 4...

First Row: 17 IMS reflector(SO17XA), sandwich retaining O-ring, 16mm O-ring, Sandwich(this is a self made TY0H BBNG500)

Second Row: 20 IMS reflector(SO20XA), Fraen Optic, 18mm O-ring, UCL 22.6mm lens



InSA002



InSA003



InSA004



First, remove the lid (Buld holder) by pulling, and slide the switch assembly back from the bottom of the body. Put the assembly back together(bulb, bulb holder and switch assembly) and safely store it away.


InSA005



Optional: Whenever I buy/make a new sandwich, I have the habit to write down the Luxeon bin code and the board used for the sandwich with a permanent maker on the contact plate/back of the sandwich. So I won’t get confused or forgotten what was installed.


InSA006



InSA007



InSA008



InSA009



Slide the Sandwich slowly down the tube, and insert the sandwich retaining O-ring pass the threads. Then I slide two AAs down the tube backward to push the oring into the body(right behind the sandwich).


InSA010



After this, the sandwich should stay in the tube even without the tail cap or the batteries.


InSA011



Trimmed the three legs of 17 IMS reflector as shown in picture.


InSA012



Open the head assembly, remove the original reflector. Then place the 18mm O-ring on the lens, and the 17 IMS reflector in the middle.


InSA013



This is where I differ from the orthodox method: instead of placing another 16mm O-ring inside the 18mm O-ring and in front of the reflector, I place it on the ledge on the head assembly behind the reflector. 

I found that should I place the 16mm in front, then either I don’t screw the two parts of the head assembly tightly together(since it will smash the 16mm O-ring against the glass) or screw it tight like it supposed to be but got an ugly looking O-ring at front...and without the 16mm, it doesn’t affect the beam quality at all, thus I place it behind to hold the reflector up in the head assembly.

InSA014



(InSA014 is optional, I usually do it without)
InSA015



InSA016



Screw the two parts of head assembly together until a few threads left. Put a small piece of paper behind the two batteries(or usually, I simply put in the battery without the paper), and screw the tail cap on tight.


InSA017



1) Slowly screw the head assembly down onto the body tube, allow the lux to push the reflector up almost touching the lens. 
2) Next, tighten the head assembly 1/4 turn. This should firmly push the lux up against the reflector upon the lens (if you look straight into the reflector, you should see a yellow reflection evenly spread across the reflector). Or if you do not have the paper bewteen the batteries and tailcap, this move will just turn off the light.
3) Then we loosen the lux from the reflector by turning the body tube 1/4-1/2 turn, and allowing the lux and reflector to ‘lower’ a bit. Without the paper, your light will just got turned on again...
4) Repeat step 2) and 3) until the two parts of head assembly is snuggly tighten. And at this point, the reflector should be fixed in position and the lux will be in good focus when the light is on(see step 2)

For myself, a good test for checking proper installation is to tighten the head and the body all the way, while the light is on. If the light gets switched-on again after its initial switch off, then you might have to start over and repeat all the steps again. This is to prevent the light accidentally turned on even when it is already off.

For daily usage, do NOT overtighten the head assembly and the body tube to switch off the light. For switching off, turn an additional 1/4 turn when the light goes off.





*Removing the sandwich from the minimag*


When I first started using the sandwich assembly, removing the sandwich has always given me a headache. :thinking: And here is my dummy solution to my dummy problem...

This process is for sandwich using the rubber retaining ring, YMMV on metal retaining ring! :nana: 

OutSA01



Remove the head assembly, batteries and tail cap

OutSA02



OutSA03



Use a round-ended tweezers to push on the contact board of the sandwich (*NOT* on the luxeon led or the black casing around it, but on the contact board itself), push it in for about 1-2 inches

OutSA04



The sandwich rubber retaining ring will be pushed into the tube; reverse the tube and allow the sandwich to *slowly* slide back down to front. Then use the tweezers to pick out the rubber retaining ring.

OutSA05



Cupping a hand as cushion, slide the sandwich slowly down the tube...and you have set the sandwich free! 




                              
              *TO BE CON'T*


----------



## AuroraLite

(con't from last post)


  *Making a Sandwich Shoppe Sandwich *   


*Making Lux I RY0J MadMax Lite

(posted May 2005)
Difficulty: 2/4-3/4*

MakeSSS000




The sandwich described in this section is a Madmax Lite RY0J sandwich. Regardless of what mod/light I do/buy, I always believe in a good balance between performance and runtime.  Meaning if I were to go bright, I expect shorten runtime but not disproportionately shorten and vice versa. MM lite RY0J is a fine example for this good balance, it stay regulated for 3+ hours but the regulated output remains fairly 'bright' and useful throughout. And the fact that it could be used for either 2AA and 1AA makes it more versatile and fun to have...

This subsection is my (self-contained) building notes for this sandwich, but before venturing into it, *I’d strongly suggest to visit some really fine written building notes here:*

Kj's site 'Mini Maglite Mod w/Sandwich Module' 
Beautifully written and pictures taken
KevinL's light refineries - BB500 + TV1K Sandwich 
Innovative use of 'blue tack', very informative and well written


Ready? Here we go! 


MakeSSS001



Here is a shot showing what are needed for making a Lux I RY0J MadMax Lite sandwich:

Right Column (all necessary):

-Thermal Conductive Adhesive (Arctic Alumina Adhesive Part A and Part B)
Used for fixing the Luxeon led on top of the emitter board and between emitter board and convertor board. You could create your own ‘thermal conductive’ adhesive, please refer Section 5 for more details

-1 Luxeon Led (Lux I RY0J)
For Madmax Lite which drives 350mA, the current provided is right on the spec of Lux I. Personally, I think a RxxJ should give an extra bit of brightness vs TxxJ.
Purely by mathematics, here is my calculation:

RY0J, R bin has 45.75 lumen, 350ma x 3.39v = 1.1865W 
45.75/1.1865= 38.56 lumens/watt
RY0J at .350 w 3v = .350*3*38.56 = 40.4867 lumens

TY0J, T bin has 77.3 lumen, 750ma x 3.39v = 2.5425W 
77.3/2.5425 = 30.40 lumens/watt
TY0J at .350ma w 3v = .350*3*30.40 = 31.92 lumens

Though the spec for each RY0J and TY0J might varies and the actual output (after lens, temperature changes and reflector deduction) would be different from the figures, 
I do love the idea of this efficient setup which will give good brightness and decent runtime.

-Emitter Board and Connectors

-Converter Board (MadMax Lite)
The Soul of a Sandwich. For now, besides BBNG, this is ought to be one of my favorite boards from Shoppe. IIRC, it drains the battery to as low as 0.8v (which might not be good for Nimh batteries, but great for Alkaline). 
Also, if you take a look at Wayne’s ‘AA Sandwich Comparison Chart’, MM lite 1w P-bin gives around 25 lumens (using a RxxJ bin here should be brighter) whereas BB400 gives around 30 lumens (around 20% increment), but then the runtime is 100% longer (I test run it with 2AAs and it will stay regulated for 3 hours or more)… not to mention it works really well with 1AA Miniminimag as well, making it one of the most versatile board on site.

-Choice of optical ware (NOT shown)
You could purchase various kind of optical ware or even mod the stock reflector yourself (see later section); but for an easy way out, simply purchase a 17 IMS reflector or Fraen LP (which takes minute or two to install).


Left Column (extras or simple assisting tools):

-A self made fixture for keeping the emitter board and converter board separated by a correct height

-Extra 2 sets of Emitter board and Connectors, in case of messing up and they are great tools to help the soldering of connectors onto the board.



MakeSSS002



Emitter board face up.
A closer look to the Emitter board, notice on the left side there were 3 holes in a row, and the last one has bridge-like connection to the board surface-that is the negative(Cathode) side which will lead to –ve of the Lux. The other 3 holes in a row, on the right, does not have any connection to the board surface (looks like an 'island'); that’s the positive (Anode) side. Do NOT get confused which side is which. :nana: 


MakeSSS003



Put the Emitter face down...
Insert the SHORTER end of the two connectors’ leads into the same sized holes on each side (observe MakeSSS006 for which holes). Then stack on another two emitter boards, via the same holes, onto the connectors’ black joints. Reverse the whole thing upside down, and now you should have a pseudo sandwich, with the shinny board surface facing up, and two SHORTER ends of the connectors protruding from two same sized holes on each side (as shown above)

Use a vise to grip onto the very bottom spare emitter board. Make sure it is as level as it can be, and the boards are as straight in stack as possible…and then proceed to soldering the two connectors’ leads onto the board surface on top.

Trick: to get only a small amount on the tip of the soldering iron, you could cut out just a tiny bit of solder and ‘pick’ it up by the tip of the iron.

Caution: Be absolutely Careful when soldering the positive side of the leads onto the hollow metal rings of the holes. See MakeSSS002 again, the positive side of the holes are in an ‘island’ of itself. Do NOT let any soldering flow from this ‘island’ to the board(also see MakeSSS015, the left side is the positive side of the leads). As for the negative side, it is meant to be connected, so don’t worry too much about it if the solder does get onto the board a bit. 


MakeSSS004



After the soldering, check with a DMM to see whether positive leads are isolated from the board/negative leads. Turn the DMM to connectivity mode (like shown in picture), and if it beeps, then it is likely you have a breach somewhere.


MakeSSS005



Reverse the Emitter board upside down, put on a tiny bit of solder on ALL the openings you see on the board. This is to prevent the epoxy/adhesive flowing out from the small holes later on. Two of the openings are sealed as shown in picture above.


MakeSSS006



Now go onto Wayne’s site here to check out the wiring diagram for Madmax Lite, find out which two holes are positive and negative. Corresponding to the correct charge, stack the two boards together via the connectors; the flat side of the converter board should be facing ‘out’. Mark the positive sides of the Emitter board and converter board with colored marker for identification. (So you won’t soldering the wrong side together later) :green:



In the following, I would write out two different methods of mine soldering the two boards together at the right height.  The total height from the top surface of the emitter board to the bottom side of the converter board, as recommended from Wayne, should be 7.6mm (0.3 inches) (see MakeSSS012). The tolerance for error is about + or – 0.1mm(or more forgiving, + or – 0.01 inches). Personally, I think anywhere between 7.5-7.6 is actually ok; since the original switch assembly is 7.6mm in total height and you will need to account for the thickness of the solder blob on Vin.

 Caution  : If you must err, then go shorter rather than going taller-the reason is because you could always solder a larger blob on the Vin of the Converter board (where it contacts the battery) to make up the short comings…but when the sandwich is too tall, then it might never be able to switch off (!) :hairpull:  


*Method 1: Using a fixture*

MakeSSS007



Take some measures on the thickness of top and bottom board, and get subtract that from 7.6mm...which gives about 4+ mm for the thickness of the fixture. Find/make a piece of Balsa wood that has the same height described, drill a 10+ mm hole in the middle for the guts of the sandwich to fit in. And cut that wood in half right thru the middle of the hole. Now you could enclose the guts in that hole while the edges of the two boards resting on each side of the board to the correct height...


MakeSSS008



This picture shown the thickness of the future sandwich clamping onto the wood fixture. Please make sure when you soldering the leads to the backside of the convertor board, the boards were snuggly clamp against the fixture. And do NOT mix up the positives and negatives (double check the mark you made at the side). 



*Method 2: small ‘pillars’*

MakeSSS009



With this method, you won’t need to go thru the trouble creating a fixture, all you need are some short lead/toothpick. Measure the thickness of top and bottom board, subtract that from 7.6mm...whatever left is the correct distance between two boards. Cut 2-4 sticks of lead/toothpick according to this distance.


MakeSSS010



You’d probably guessed it  , when you are holding onto the two boards for soldering; insert the short sticks (pillars) between the two boards as perpendicular as possible. Pinch the boards together with the flesh of your fingers while trying to keep all the sticks clamped between the boards. Should any of the pillar fall out, then you know the height of the sandwich had been compromised. Picture here shown one of the pillars between the two boards.


MakeSSS011



MakeSSS012



Finished soldering and measure the distance between the two boards. Remember, the correct height from top of top to bottom of bottom board is 7.6mm (0.3inches); any significant error (>0.01 inches) will be problematic…especially when it is way too tall, it might never be able to switch off. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif


Continue on...(how many times I have mentioned 7.6mm? Haha...)or get take a coffee break. 


MakeSSS013



Filled the tiny openings at the bottom with solder. Same as MakeSSS005.


MakeSSS014



Now is a chance to check whether everything is in order; connect the luxeon led to the +ve and -ve leads on top of the board, then supply 3V 2AA voltage to the sandwich by apply the -ve to the top board, and +ve to Vin at bottom. Ouch...my eyes! 



*For retrieving the Luxeon led from the ‘star’, please refer to section 6.* Once retrieved, place the lux in the very center of the emitter board, and you could trim the two longer leads at the sides, until it touches the connecters’ leads at both sides (see next picture).


MakeSSS015



Mix a very tiny amount the Artic Alumina Adhesive part A to B(1:1), apply as thin a layer as possible to the bottom of the metal slug of the lux. *Double check the POLARITY of the lux*, and stick the lux to the very middle of the board. Get a drink and allow it to rest for at least 15-20 minutes.

*Note*: Double check the trimmed led leads at both sides whether they are touching and in between the connecter’s leads. And make sure it is the correct polarity.


MakeSSS016



After the short break and the adhesive settled, solder the lux to the two leads protruding from the emitter board. Then again, use a DMM to check the connectivity between the positive solder joint vs negative solder joint of the lux (they should NOT be connected). If somehow the DMM beeps and it shown connectivity, check to see where is the breach at the positive connectors/’island’ (See ‘Caution’ at MakeSSS003)


MakeSSS017



Using the 3V 2AA power supply, check to see whether everything is working. See MakeSSS014 for more details. This is last chance to fix anything; once you put in the thermal epoxy between the two boards, it will be ultimately difficult to fix anything/take them apart again. Great job, you are almost done! :goodjob: 


MakeSSS018



For extra pre-caution, I have used play dough/blue tack(?) to mount around the emitter to prevent the epoxy leaking to the emitter board later on when filling.
You could use electrical tape or any non-permanent easy-to-cleanup tape/tack as you see fit. You could also tape small strip of paper over the lux, just in case you somehow got epoxy smeared on the lux surface.(Doh!)  ullhair:


MakeSSS019



Gauge how much you will be needed to between the two boards, mix up the thermal epoxy for half of that quantity needed and start filling up the void in between with a toothpick (only half of the sandwich hollow). I do suggest using epoxy that has a settlement time of 5-10 minutes. Arctic Alumina Adhesive has the usual settling time of 5 minutes. When mixing, do NOT stir too quickly which will create tiny bubbles in the epoxy. Picture shown the sandwich being filled half way.(for more about AAA or thermal epoxy in general, please read section 6)

Allow the epoxy to somewhat settle at surface (for AAA, 5-10 minutes), then mix and fill the other half of the sandwich. Afterwards, do let it sit for a few hours to completely settle (or sleep on it, the middle part is dense and will take longer). *Be patient*, and do NOT touch it with your fingers-or else you might leave your biometric identification on your sandwich. 

MakeSSS020






MakeSSS022



After the long wait, place the Sammie into the tube with batteries to see whether it works. If it works fine already, then you could consider apply only a very, very thin layer of solder at Vin or just do without it.

If the sandwich did not get turn on, then you will need the solder blob to make up the height difference. Melt small amount of solder bolb at the Vin and refit it in to see whether it will lit up...keep soldering bit by bit and re-fitting. Always remember to keep your solder tip clean, do NOT over heat (Use a 3-4 count rules) and use flux.


MakeSSS023



Lastly, apply a thin layer of nail polish to any exposing solder points EXCEPT Vin. This is to prevent accidental shorting.


MakeSSS024



Yea!! Now go play!!   The final product is a cool mod that would stay regulated for about 3 hours, and give out a fairly bright light output!


StockvsMMliteRY0J



Stock Minimag vs. MadMax lite RY0J


TLE5vsMMliteRY0J



Terralux TLE5 vs. MadMax lite RY0J









  *g) Lambda MiniPro Lux III DIY kit building notes*  

*(posted May 2005)
Difficulty: 3/4*

LambdaMP3kit000



MiniPro III is one of the latest Lambda creation for Minimag drop-in. Many CPFers would have known the really, really long waiting list for buying this module(dozens of pages of posts). This DIY kit is the MiniPro III is for modders who are capable of putting this together to have the benefit of owning one without getting into the long wait list line.

Personally, it truly is a great mod (at a very good price) and fun/challenging to put it together, the result is very satisfying too. The most challenging part is the small part soldering (SMD, <1mm?), and there is almost no room for error. And if you are experienced in soldering or want to challenge yourself, this is a great kit to try.

From the naked eyes and the light beam shot compared to other sandwiches, my educated guess is it should put more or less 500mA to the Luxeon. Continuously, it would regulate about 90+ mins, and for intermitted use, it will be more.


Lambda had already did an excellent job for writing a really comprehensive guide for making this kit and the following is my *COMPLEMENTARY building notes* basing on his great write up:


Let’s get it on! 

LambdaMP3kit001



LambdaMP3kit002



My package came with three bags, containing the reflector/lens, a TW0J(you could order without one, I use a TY0H of mine instead of this ordered one), and the electronics/boards.


LambdaMP3kit003



As Lambda suggested, use a DMM to check the connectivity between all the regions(for ex, 1+2, 1+3, 1+4, 2+1, 2+3...). Make sure they are all separated.
Picture shown DMM turn to connectivity mode.


LambdaMP3kit004



The SMD parts are so small that it is necessary to use flux to allow the solder to flow better. Solder the legs at region 3 (ground) first, and make sure the other 4 legs at the opposite side ALIGN with the four little copper pads perfectly when you do so.


LambdaMP3kit005



As you see, I use a magnifying glass to look at the parts, and the clamps on the magnifying glass stand to hold it flat. Shining light under the board will tell you whether your soldered legs are well separated. :huh: 


LambdaMP3kit006



I use a ‘reverse’ tweezers (when you let go, it clamp on) to hold the small parts in position. It also helps to cool down the parts in case of overheating.


LambdaMP3kit007



For the Input capacitor and the Coil(the black part), try dry fitting them around on board before soldering since you will also need to fit a wire between them later on.(See LambdaMP3kit014)


LambdaMP3kit008



Check again over a bright light, no misconnection. :sweat: 


LambdaMP3kit009



The three wires soldered on…


LambdaMP3kit010



Fun time-let’s test out whether pill works…and it does!!  


LambdaMP3kit011



Remember the insulation we stripped from the wires? Now we are going to reuse one of them, and trim it to the exact height of the metal heatsink. This is to prevent the wire from shorting to the heatsink.


LambdaMP3kit012



Apply a very thin layer of your thermal epoxy on the heatsink, then stick the two boards together. Remember Lambda’s caution about not to let any epoxy flow into the holes of wires and ground screw hole.

*NOTE:* You see, I had cut the positive wire insulation a little long, it works ok for me since I am extra caution about the shorting. But suggested length should just be the same height as the heatsink.


LambdaMP3kit013



LambdaMP3kit014



Tighten the gound screw, and rout the input wire around the inductor. But do NOT let it touch the board or other parts as it might short.


LambdaMP3kit015



With the bottom board together, I measure the top of heatsink (which will touch the negative contact of the tube) to the bottom of the bottom board to be 6.54mm. If you had previous sandwich building experience, you might know that the optimal height for sandwich is 7.6mm (resembling the same height as the original Minimag switch)
We are actually at a pretty perfect height at 6.51mm, since applying solder blob to the positive battery contact could make up for the height difference.


LambdaMP3kit016



Test the whole setup to make sure it still works…this is the last chance before you start potting the pill. It will be almost impossible to fix anything once potted. :nana: 
(Make absolutely sure you had already TIGHTEN the ground screw, and apply a solder blob on the Vin at the bottom of the board) 


LambdaMP3kit017



First mix and apply(with a toothpick) only a very small portion of the thermal epoxy (such as Arctic Alumina Adhesive) to the routed wire around the inductor. Let it sit for a 5-10 minutes (or how ever long it takes) to fix its position.


LambdaMP3kit018



Now mix and apply the thermal epoxy to the rest of the hollow area. Allow it to settle for at least 15 minutes (if you have time, longer the better, I’d say a few hours). Do NOT use finger to touch/test the epoxy, or else you might leave finger prints on…


As for now, you could retrieve the Luxeon from the star. Please refer to the Section 5 for detailed step to step guide for Luxeon removing.


LambdaMP3kit019



Use a clamping tool to flatten the leads at both sides of the led

Double check the *POLARITY* of the Luxeon and the wires...

Now you are ready to glue the Luxeon onto the heatsink, apply a very, very thin layer at the slug and stick it to the very middle of the sink. *Check polarity again.*
Rotate the lux such that the wires are touch the led leads. Allow plenty of time for the thermal epoxy to settle. :sleepy: 


LambdaMP3kit020



Once lux is fixed, we *carefully* bend the wires on top of the Lux leads at both sides and as close to the black casing as possible. Then we solder them together.


LambdaMP3kit021



Trim the excess of the Lux lead and wire…and you are DONE!!
Now that’s one mod that you could be proud of!! :goodjob: 


LambdaMP3kit022



Install it into the Mag body, for more details about installing sandwich/pill; please read the ‘All about Sandwich Shoppe Sandwich’ section. If you have a hard time to turn off the light, then it is either your solder blob is too large at the Vin or the reflector is not pushing the pill down the tube properly...switch to 17 IMS and it should solve that problem.

GO play!!!  


stockvsLambdaMPIIITY0H



Stock Minimag vs. Lambda MPIII TY0H


TLE5vsLambdaMPIIITY0H



Terralux TLE5 vs. Lambda MPIII TY0H








  *$6 8 Leds Minimag Mod*  

*8 Leds Minimag Mod*

*(posted May 2005) 
Difficulty: 2/4-3/4*



MiniM8led00




Very much like it’s 5 led predecessor, the 8 led ‘light engine’ is retrieved from a Chinese made 8 leds 1 AA (or 2AA) light. I won’t bore you with the details of making how to retrieve the ‘light engine’ and making the ‘contact board’, since the process is exactly the same as detailed in 5 led mod. Please refer to the $5 5 leds mod for the detail step-by-step for the work. 

For this writeup, I would simply show some pictures of how the parts fit together and additional work required for making this 8 led mod.

Personally, I prefer the look of the 5 led mod since the original Chinese light bezel will miraculously fit into the head like it were meant for it. But 8 led does give a marginally brighter output than the 5 led light. So check them all out, and see/choose what you like better for yourself


MiniM8led01



The light engine retrieved from the Chinese made 1AA 8 leds flashlight. When taking apart the front led holder/bezel, do take extra care of not leaving too much indentation on the metal since we might savage that part for use later.


MiniM8led02



Use a sharp knife to open the ‘light engine’ up, and you could de-solder the top led board and bottom converter board apart. Notice how the 8 leds from the top board will fit thru the Minimag bezel.


MiniM8led03



After some dry fitting, you might notice the 8 led version is on a larger size for the converter board to fit into the Minimag head assembly. So we will need some trimming done on the bottom converter board and switch the black plastic casing with a smaller plastic casing. On the converter board, trim it to a circle of size which does not cut into the actual circuit but small enough to fit thru the head.

(*Note* : I use the new black plastic ‘casing’ to help draw that circle which will fit. See MiniM8led05


MiniM8led04



With the right diameter, the board will securely rest on a latch inside the Minimag head assembly.


MiniM8led05



This is an interesting fact-if you have also modded a Mag D flashlight, you might have cut off/safe a the black pedestal. That black pedestal will actually fit into a Minimag head and a perfect replacement for the original blacking plastic casing of the light engine.  


MiniM8led06



What a coincidence! 


MiniM8led07



In terms of the new casing height, I simply cut it so that the new black casing will be flush with the top of the bottom half Minimag head assembly. If you are uncertain, just trim/cut and fit until it works for you.


MiniM8led08



MiniM8led09



Solder everything back together. MiniM8led09 shown how the new modded light engine compared to the original light engine. Notice both the converter board is smaller in diameter, and the new black casing is taller while slimmer in diameter.


MiniM8led10



Now is the time to put everything into the head


MiniM8led11



Since the leds are exposed out of the bezel, one could reverse the original Chinese light bezel and place it in front for protection and cool factor. 



MiniM8led12



Viola! A underexposed shot from the business end... 

Stockvs8led



Stock Minimag vs. 8 led Minimag mod, 2 ft from the wall


TLE5vs8led



Terralux TLE5 vs. 8 led Minimag mod, 3 ft from ceiling


5ledvs8led



5 led Minimag mod vs. 8 led Minimag mod, 2 ft from the wall
Notice: the 8 led mod is marginally brighter than the 5 led version, and has a little more intensity of light at the middle.


5ledvs8led1ft



5 led Minimag mod vs. 8 led Minimag mod, 1 ft from the wall


5led26kvs8led



26k 5 led Minimag mod vs. 8 led Minimag mod, 2 ft from the wall
The amazing power of the 26k led...the 26k 5 led does outshine the 8 led mod by a bit. :rock: 


5led26kvs8led1ft



26k 5 led Minimag mod vs. 8 led Minimag mod, 1 ft from the wall
I make a poo-poo  when I was taking the picture, anyway, you could see the 26k led is whiter in color and has a larger hotspot.



*8 UV led Minimag mod*

  Never shine the UV directly into eyes, or use it too upclosed or for any long duration!! And do *NOT* leave this light in the hands of kids!!!  


8UVledMMmod1



Basically, the very same idea of making the 8 led mod, but the UV leds are swapped in.


8UVledMMmod2



Shinning the UV light on a E2D lux modded head...


8UVledMMmod3



The UV will make any translucent material glow in the dark...absolutely fun to play with.






  i) *Streamlight TT 1x123 Xenon bulb in Minimag mod* (Jun 05)  

Inspired by AW, a fellow HK flashaholic, I got this idea one day to replace the stock Minimag bulb with the Streamlight Twintask 1 Lithium Cell Xenon bulb. The mod process is very straight forward and the result is quite satisfying.

SLTT1Cmod01



This is how the replacement package of the Streamlight TwinTask 1 Lithium Cell Xenon bulb will look like.


SLTT1Cmod02



Left is the SLTT Xenon bulb (4mm width), Right is the original stock Minimag bulb (3.11mm)


SLTT1Cmod03



This is the only part that you will need to mod in order for this SLTT bulb to work in Minimag-drilling a bigger hole (~4.5mm) to let the new bulb fit thru. Left is back of the enlarged-hole reflector for the new Xenon bulb, right is the original stock.


SLTT1Cmod04



Left the SLTT 1 cell Xenon bulb in enlarged reflector, Right the original stock bulb in stock reflector


StockvsSLTTmod



Stock Minimag vs. Streamlight TwinTask 1 cell bulb mod, 2 ft from wall; 1/125, F2.8


TLE5vsSLTTmod



Terralux TLE5 vs. Streamlight TwinTask 1 cell bulb mod, 3ft to ceiling; 1/160, F2.8








  *J) DownBoy 750 Lux V VXOS Sammie*  
*(posted Nov, 05)
Difficulty: 2/4-3/4*






MMDB750LuxV00

For the longest time, I wanted a 5W Minimag which will yield a wall of light when lit. And thank you to the resourcefulness of fellow CPFers, this mod is no longer a 'want' but actually a fun modding (and playing) experience.

In this mod, we will be using 2 protected Li-ion AAs to power a Downboy 750 sammie with a VX0S lux V on top. The process is very similar to ‘Making Sandwich Shoppe Sandwich’ but I have added in an extra ‘tab’ of copper and a metal reflector to manage the heat better. The result is a satisfying ‘wall of light’ effect, and the heat is somewhat marginally manageable. However, there will be a little donut hole in the middle of the beam, but it is not too noticeable if you use it in real life.

If you are shooting for an all-out Lux V Minimag mod, then this mod could be quite suitable for that cause. And if you are looking for a more ‘solid’ tool to use, then I would suggest to use a DB500 board since 500ma will probably yield much less heat and the output will still be very useful nonetheless(see later in the section). The mod had been built for a few months(back in Aug 05), and while I had been using it from time to time, everything seems to be quite ok so far.

Ok, without further ado, here we go:





MMDB750LuxV01



MMDB750LuxV02
This is the copper ‘tab’ heatsink I put on top of the DB Sammie. The reason is to give extra material to rid the heat of the Sammie. Together with the metal reflector(McR20), they will be pivotal to the heat management.

The width I use for the tab is 9.40mm(in diameter), and it is 2.70mm thick. And before making one, I would strong recommend you to check out the width tolerance on the Sammie contact board, between the positive and negative holes. Your tab should not completely cover those two holes, orelse it will not be possible to connect the lux +/- to the board Led+ or Led- later on. And as for the height, if the tab is too long, then the bezel head assembly of the Minimag might not have many threads left to allow it to screw all the way down onto the body.





MMDB750LuxV03
The modded emitter contact board on the right
Since we will not be using the contact board in a traditional way, you could actually drill a hole via the original holes to enlarge it for the wires going thru. But be careful it is not too wide apart(just drill over the original holes will be a good distance apart) or else the wire will run into the lip of the body tube of Minimag.

Another suggestion for the more skilled modder(or modder with the resources) is to use a copper contact plate instead of this emitter contact board to improve the heatsinking.





MMDB750LuxV04



MMDB750LuxV05
This is how the copper tab looks on top of the Sammie emitter board. Notice I have made trenches at where the wires holes will go thru, to facilitate the wires to go to the lux later on.





MMDB750LuxV06
Soldering the Led+ and Led- wires onto the back of the board.





MMDB750LuxV07



MMDB750LuxV08
After soldering the Led+, Led- and Ground wires, bent them such way that it will go thru to the emitter board with ease. Note the Led- and Ground wires are close to each other at the same side. Afterwards, test the whole setup with the 2 protected Li-ion AAs and it works! :naughty: 





MMDB750LuxV11
Keep the Led + and Led – wires straight, but do strip the Ground wire bare as it ‘exit’ the board. We will solder this bare wire later onto the top of the emitter board.





MMDB750LuxV12
The positive and negative wires go thru the emitter board enlarged holes. And the Ground wire is soldered onto the board surface as flat as possible. So it will not affect the turn on-off or operation of the light.





MMDB750LuxV13
We then epoxied the emitter board onto the DB Sammie. The beauty of this mod is that we don't have to keep a certain height between the two boards using a jig or anything. Just place a little bit of epoxy(Arctic Alumina Adhesive) over the conductor and press the emitter board onto the top of the conductor, and do make sure they are in a straight line so it will slide into the body tube of Minimag alright. At the end, fill the void between the top and bottom board with epoxy to allow better heat conductivity.





MMDB750LuxV14
After epoxying the copper tab onto the emitter board, soldering the Led+ and Led- wires to the lux on top of the copper tab. It is quite important that one measured carefully as where the center of the tab is and try to epoxy the lux as middle as possible. Featured in the picture is the sandwich jig made by PhotonFanatic.





MMDB750LuxV15
This is how it looks from the negative Led wire at the side. Notice I had filed one side of the copper tab at the edge to accommodate the Ground line solder blob on the emitter board.





MMDB750LuxV16
Put some solder at the positive battery contact. I found my protected Li-ion AAs are little longer than normal AAs, so I didn’t put in too much solder blob at the contact plate to make the whole Sammie thicker than necessary.





MMDB750LuxV18
The finished product! Hope you could follow the guide alright, and you have fun modding too! :thumbsup:





MMDB750LuxV19
With the modded McR20, it looks to utilize the whole reflector quite well!





stockvsDB750LuxV2ft.JPG
Stock Minimag vs LuxV DB750 VX0S, 2ft from the wall





TLE5vsDB750LuxV3ft.JPG
TLE5 vs LuxV DB750 VX0S, 3ft from ceiling





BBNG500TY0H12ft




DB750LuxV12ft

DB750 LuxV VX0S, 12 ft away. Though BBNG500 Lux III is one of my favorite sammies, the LuxV Sammie does give out a tremendous amount of light at the same distance. Notice how the side of the corridor is lit up.

As many of you have already know, due to their construction, Lux III will give a more intense output at the spot(a little more throw than lux V given the same level of current and optics used) but Lux V will give more output of light. In short, they are different animals, so choose your's accordingly. 







  *K) Minimag Hotwire Incan TL3/Strion Mod*  
*(posted Nov, 05)
Difficulty: 2/4-3/4*


The Story

Basically, it was a mod first developed by our fellow CPF member Aw. And eventually, it turned into a GB that was hosted by me. In short summary, this mod turns an ordinary Minimag(peak lumens of 15 lumens) to a 120+ lumens light 'Hotwired' Minimag, utilizing a handmade(or now mass produced) ceremic based Minimag socket, higher powered bulb(such as TL3 or Strion bulb) and custom made metal reflector. 

Without sounding more and more like a self-ad, I will simply copy and paste some excript from what I have written for this Minimag Hotwire Kit. 











Original homemade ceremic based socket was a decent mod(though it is rather primitive and hardly as durable and eye pleasing as the mass produced one). (1st two pictures courtesy of Aw)


The following is the finished mass produced version of the mod(as of Nov 05, currently on GB, getting ready for 2nd run):




Minimag Hotwire Incan Ceremic socket, top side. This ceremic socket is made such way that it will slide into the body tube with decent clearance of the threads. 

This particular socket has survived dozens of drop test from above 6 feet directly onto marble floor, throwing as hard as I could upon a marble floor couple of times, at least 5 runtime tests from a full set of batteries until it could no longer lit and numerous twist on-off to see how well it fair. The set of picture depicts how it looks afterwards (I cleaned up the socket a little bit since there are some 'grease' from the lip of the Minimag).





The backside of the socket
After evaluating different alternative of bulb holder, I have decided it is probably in our best interest to adopt the original Minimag bulb holders. The two pieces are epoxied onto the socket from the top and bottom side seperately. And after multiple runtime tests, they seemed to be able to hold their places quite well.





The socket in a Minimag body tube without the bulb.





The bulb in the holder with the TL3 Minimag Hotwire reflector on top. All the reflectors made in this run will retain its turn on-off function, and incan reflectors should be able to withstand the heat of the bulb.





Another picture, this time the metal reflector inside the Minimag head bezel.



*Videos*

The first three video show how the beamshot of SF P61, SF P60 and Minimag Hotwire Incan TL3 mod will look like in motion and real life. The P61 and P60 uses the same set of battery, and they measured ~2.95v each when finished shooting. The Minimag Hotwire Incan uses ~4.2v li-ion protected AAs.

One thing I like to point out is my interpretations of these three videos--The first P61 video shown what a 120(+) lumens light will look like, and as you compared it side by side to the Hotwire TL3, you might noticed the beamshot is a little yellow on the TL3 mod. Personally, I think it might have to do with my digital camera setting and it had excessively colored the latter yellow while bring out too much white for the P61, the contrast is less in real life.

When comparing the MMHI to the P61, the hotspot seems to be less intensed since it is using a smaller and shallower reflector afterall, but the total output is definitely comparable. And when comparing the MMHI to P60, you will see the MMHI does yield a much higher level of light, especially in the sidespill.

Note: Highspeed connection recommended, some files are large in size (~1mb)




SF G2Z with P61 2x123 3V panasonic pictures





SF G2 with P60





Minimag Hotwire Incan TL3 mod with 2 x Li-ion protected AAs





MMHI TL3 in candlemode. This is one of the best part about Minimag, is that it could allow defocusing and candlemode. The light does flood up the whole are quite decently as you can see.  





MMHI TL3 building throw test.
To test how far it will lit up, I stand on a 18th floor balcany of a building at night, and try to 'throw' the beam down the side of the buidling as far as I can. I think the bottom of the 'building' is actually a rooftop of another building, so technically, it is probably a 14 storey building test.







  *Downboy 500 Lux V VXOS Sammie*  
*(posted Mar, 06)
Difficulty: 2/4-3/4*

DB500VX0S03



Comparison: DB500 luxV sammie on the left, RY0J MM lite sammie on the right

If you had been following this DRG, then you will know that this is a remake of the same Lux V Sammie as mentioned earlier. Except, this time I make it with a DB500 which emits less heat and has a longer runtime(of course, the output diminish as well).

After using/playing it with a while, I do think this is a more appropriate level of light for urban EDC purposes, especially if you do not need a lot of throw but good all around illumination. 

As compared to the Lux V DB750, you will notice the Lux V DB500 has an obvious drop of light level, though the level of light is still way plenty for day to day EDC close/mid range purpose. Now, the DB750 and DB500 are the two sammies that I have made with almost identical settings, lux, board(except current forward) and batteries—and there is the possibility that a luxeon lottery is at play here. But one thing for sure, when compared to its analogy of difference in light output of my lux III BBNG 750 vs lux III BBNG 500 mods, the difference of light output level is more pronounced in the lux V case, quite possibly just about 30-40%(as compared a 10% visual drop for the BBNG750 vs BBNG500).

To conserve internet space (in another words, being lazy…), I will show you only the more critical pictures of this mod, and for the details of the mod, please kindly refer back to the DB 750 article.


DB500VX0S02



Here, we can see that for this mod, I had omitted the copper tab-sink on purpose. Turns out the heat is not as much as an issue, and without the tab, we could be using the grinded McR20 with ease and without worrying there are not enough threads left to secure the head bezel(due to the tallness of McR20 and the added height of copper tab-sink). Basically, everything else is exactly the same.


DB500VX0S01



Now, if we take a closer look at the two contacts of the lux. Unlike how we will do it with other board, you will notice we will use the wires to connect between the board and the lux, since the ground(-ve) contact to the board is not the same as the lux –ve contact, it is connected to another wire directly to the board.

BeamshotDB750vsDB500



This shown the two lux V VX0S DB750 and DB500 mods side by side, notice the DB500 is dimmer than the DB750.

BeamshotLuxVVX0SDB500vsLuxIIITY0HBBNG500



When compared to a lux III light, obviously the lux V does not have an intense spot as the lux III, because it has a larger pad than lux III. However, if you look at the overall output level of light, Lux V does do better than the Lux III.

BeamshotLuxVVX0SDB500vsNewbeam



The camera must have done some tricks to this picture, but the DB500 lux V sammie definitely blows the TLE5 out of the water... :touche: 

BeamshotLuxVVX0SDB500vsStock










  *SMJ 5mm led mod*  
*(posted Mar 06)
Difficulty ¼-2/4 (for the drop-in)*


SMJcloseupConfig4McR20



What? What? What? :huh: As the led tech advance faster than I can say 'dope!', output of many newly marketed 5mm leds has constantly put me in awe...

The Super MJ 5mm led were introduced by Lambda/MJ early in 2006. Basically this mod is about using a higher powered 5mm led in place of a stock Minimag bulb along with a modded reflector(or any drop-in luxeon reflector that for Minimag).

If you have experienced the MJ leds in the past, and were impressed by what a single 5mm led can do, then you are definitely onto a real treat with the new SMJ.  

Personally, the new SMJ seems to have increased in brightness almost 50% to my naked eyes, and the tint color is much cooler than it used to be(which the original MJ could be bright, but might be just a slightly bit too warm/yellow if you have 'cooler/blue-ish' taste). Definitely a hands-down winner on runtime (which according to Lambda, it takes 35 hours until it reaches 50% with 2 L91 li-ion 1.5v batteries.  ) while giving decently bright output(for a single 5mm).

The installation of this little wonder could be found on our fellow CPF member Lambda’s homepage, and in short, one will need to trimmed down 5mm legs to just about the same as the stock bulb, then slowly insert those legs into the lamp socket assembly. 

*NOTE*: if you were planning to use this SMJ with any McR series or luxeon based reflector, I do suggest to keep the legs a bit shorter than the suggested length on Lambda’s page(since the focal point of those reflectors are usually at the very bottom of the reflector and having long legs might mean you will have to unscrew the bezel much further to get the 5mm in focus) See the picture at the very top of this essay, and that is how short I cut the legs of my SMJ used with a McR20.

Be extra careful not to bend those legs, or else it will be really hard to get it focused well again.  

As for the reflector, the ‘kit’ will probably come with a modded parabolic reflector which serves it’s purpose well. But one could use any other modded reflector for luxeon or luxeon-based drop-in reflector to achieve a better performance(such as McR18, MDR, etc)

The following pictures will probably tell the story better than my words:

StockvsSMJmcr20




TLE5vsSMJmcr20



The true value of the SMJ led really shows here--a single 5mm led which has a really, really long runtime might not be a direct comparison to the side-emitter of TLE5, but sure as hell it did an excellent job...

MJvsSMJ



The old MJ led on the left, and SMJ on the right. The new SMJ is giving more output while whiter in tint.







  *DJPark’s POP Sammie*  
*(posted Mar 06)
Difficulty 1/4 (for the drop-in)*

DJsammie02




This is one Sammie that I have long wanted to write about, and this review is truly long overdued. IIRC, this whole new generation of Sammie of Djpark/Cgpeanuts’ all started as a CPF contest entry for an AAA light, and eventually develop into a whole new generation of multi-function small sized flashlight. :goodjob: 

This particular board in the Sammie is similar to‘buck’ circuit, and so as long the Vin is larger than Vf, the Sammie will work. And mostly it is catered to use with a single li-ion rechargeable cell as the power source, but user could try running it with the a single 123 or 2AA batteries, given the user adopt the use of a low Vf lux III(though the output will be dramatically lower than those used with li-ion rechargables)

The drop in process of this Sammie is no different from the previous article ‘installing sandwich shoppe sammie' and like another Sammie, it could be used along with all various kind of opticalwares or installed in other light(such as Jil, Groovy) with a single rechargeable R`123.

The true beauty of the DJpark's Sammie is how it is being operated—namely by number of consecutive times a user powering on-and-off (either by how many times a user twisting the bezel to power on or partially depressing a clickie), user can signal the electronics onboard to access another level of light output or function of the light(such as giving SOS or flashing).  


Without babbling on and on, I will let the video do the justice: :rock: 

DjSammie.mpg




Here is a short menu of how the light/board function:

1st ON = default level (last used, low or high)
2nd ON = alternate level
3rd ON = low level brightness selection
4th ON = strobe mode
5th ON = sos mode

The following are the beamshots of the DJ/cgpeanut’s Sammie:

StockvsDJpophightest




StockvsDJpoplowest



In this beamshot, the output of the DJ’s Sammie is adjusted to the lowest level which is barely noticeable if user's eyes are not dark adjusted. Though I never had done any runtime test on this, I am sure the runtime could last for dozens of hours at this really low setting.

TLE5vsDJpopHighest




TLE5vsDJpoplowest



Yes, it could drop really low and almost invisible in this picture...

McluxIIIPDlowvsDJpoplowest










  o) *New Terralux TLE5*  
(after market product, easiest to do)
(posted April 06)
Difficulty 1/4 (for the drop-in)


TLE5new01



If you have read this Dummy Reference sometime last year, then you would probably have remembered I have modded my old/original Terralux TLE5 from a side emitter to a high dome Lux III.

TLE5new02



Coincidentally, Terralux finally put out a newer upgraded model of their original TLE5 which will feature a high dome Lux. As seen in the picture above.

TLE5new03



Original TLE5(left) vs New TLE5(right)
I have read somewhere that Terralux might have improved and released the new TLE5 with new reflector. And if you look at the next set of pictures, one could tell there is some difference between the old and new reflectors.

TLE5new04



(from the left): self-modded original TLE5 vs Original TLE5 vs New TLE5
Since there are instructions on how to install this mod, and it is virtually the same as last TLE5, I will skip the writing and do more comparison--the left most reflector is what I have modded for the original TLE5 reflector(with larger opening) and I have found that with this larger opening(which let the lux rise up higher in the reflector), it does give a more intense hotspot when compared with the original middle reflector.

The right most reflector is what I believe the new reflector come with the new TLE5. As one could tell, there are higher fins at the bottom of the reflector(which might help to turn off the light) and the opening is a bit larger than the old...however, the end result is still little short of optimal when compared to self-modded version.

TLE5new05



This picture shown the new TLE5 installed in a minimag. The installation was really easy, however, I was not happy with how the luxeon is sitting in the very middle of the reflector, regardless how I try my best effort to try to center it. The end result was a hotspot that is tilted to the side...a little bit disheartening to a perfectionist flashaholic, but hopefully it was just my bad luck.

NewTLE5vsOldTLE5



As said above, the new TLE5 gives a little brighter hotspot but due to its reflector mis-alignment, the output is marginally better than the old TLE5.

NewTLE5vsOldTLE5modded



The self-modded TLE5 on the right has a more centered hotspot, thus giving an impression that it is brighter. My guess is if the NewTLE5 is centered correctly, their output might be around the same. But what I what I used was a TV1J(really yellowish color that I don't like), and I am really glad that the tint that new TLE5 has is rather white in comparison.

TLE5newVsStock



Anyhow, the new TLE5 is still a good improvement over the stock.







  o) *NiteIze Led Upgrade Combo*  
(after market product, easiest to do)
(posted April 06)
Difficulty 1/4 (for the drop-in)


NiteIzeLedUpgrade



This led upgrade combo consists of a clickie switch and a 3 5mm leds drop-in replacement for a minimag. Like other aftermarket products, the installation is rather simple and the process is reversible.


NiteIzeLedUpgrade1



NiteIzeClickieVsStock



The NiteIze led replacement installed in a minimag, and the lower picture shown the black clickie that comes with the combo. Athough the workmanship for both the drop-in and the clickie might not be top-notched(some mis-alignmend for leds and really soft clickie which might lead to accidental turn-ons), this combo is actually quite good for its value.

The clickie is very soft to switch it on/off and does not offer a very solid 'clicking' feel to it and it is hard to tell by the click that whether the light is on or not. Certainly it is a very silent clickie, but the drawback is easy accidental switching-on in pocket or shealth. From the pictures shown by other memebers, I think it is essentially the same as the RAM clickie switch that was offered a long while ago.


NiteIzeLedVsNewbeam



One the left column are the parts for the NiteIze led upgrade combo and the right column are the parts for NewBeam Opalec. Personally, I still like the Opalec better(though it is indeed much more expensive), since it has a low battery indicator, great perfect regulation and the construction is more rugged.

The NiteIze combo does offer an extra clickie switch with a lower price tag. And I do like the sliver-colored spacer which potentially might improve the input slightly bit.


NiteIzevsNewbeam



Compared to the Newbeam Opalec on the right, the NiteIze on the left offers a whiter output which I do like a lot, yet the opalec gives a rounder symmetric hotspot(better leds alignment)


NiteIzevsTLE5



NiteIze led upgrade vs original TLE5


NiteIzevsStock



NiteIze led upgrade vs stock


----------



## AuroraLite

*Section 4 Various optics for Minimag Mod, runtime shots and Optics modding*


In ‘*Various optics for Minimag Mod*’, we will talk about some of the useable optics that could go in a (modded) Minimag. As mentioned earlier, batteries and electronics are only half of the story...different kind of optics will give different kind of beam characteristics, and deciding the right kind of optics will give you the light that you want.

'*Optics beamshots*' will feature the same/very similar light with identical output performance to demostrate how the optics do in comparison.

'*Optics modding*' will talk about...well...err...optics modding.

'*Runtime beam shots*' is a dummy way to look at different lights outputs over time. Basically, instead of just looking at a runtime chart, beamshots of various lights with different ‘light engines’ were taken periodically and being observed. And by looking at those ‘output’ snap shots, one could see how well is the light regulated, its regulation time if any and its actual output in real life.



  *Various Optics of Minimag*  

*Featured:*
17 IMS reflector (SO17XA)
20 IMS reflector (SO20XA)
Modded Minimag stock reflectors
-Self modded
-DarkZero Smooth
-DarkZero Splutter
Etendue metal reflectors
-original
-self-polished original
-upgraded (30 Apr 05)
McR 18
Mcflood
NX05
Fraen LP
3/4” Acrylic ball
Carclo 6 degree Optic
Carclo 15 degree Optic
Carclo 25 degree Optic
Carclo Fiber Coupling Optic



*IMS 17*

17IMS01



17IMS02



This reflector had been popularly used by modders for making Minimag mods with Luxeon leds. It is easy to mod (takes only seconds to do) and the result is quite satisfying. For how to install this reflector, please read the sandwich installing section.


*IMS 20 reflector (SO20XA)*

IMS20modvsIMS20



Left: Modded IMS 20 reflector
Right: original IMS 20 reflector

The original IMS 20 (SO20XA) is a bit large to fit in the head assembly of Minimag mod, but with some work, it is possible to fit it into the Minimag head assembly. For more, please read the reflector modding subsection below. 


*Modded Minimag Stock Reflector*

Modstockref01



From upper left, clockwise: self-modded stock reflector, Darkzero modded stock reflector smooth, Darkzero modded stock reflector splutter, original stock reflector


Modstockref02



Modstockref03



Probably giving one of the brightest, if not the brightest, hot spot, the Minimag stock reflector has a great balance of having one of the brightest hotspot while having a very useful spill. Here are some pictures of my self-modded stock reflector comparing to Darkzero’s. Darkzero did a marvelous job on making the lux opening smooth and even, and as he suggested on his post, his reflectors might need a kroll switch for on/off function.(notice it has a larger lux opening than mine). I have decided to keep the twist on/off function, that’s why my own humble stock reflector mod has a smaller lux opening. For more details about making the Minimag stock reflector mod, please read on…


Modstockref04



Modstockref05



Top: My self modded stock reflector sitting on the lux black casing.
Bottom: Darkzero’s lux opening is much larger, and the black casing of the lux will go thru the hole. But notice how even and smooth is the yellow reflection from the lux center. And it will be in perfect focus once the reflector is retracted up above the lux.


*Etendue Metal reflector(pre-Apr,05 and upgraded)*

EtendueMetalRef01



From Upper left, clockwise: original metal reflector, self-polished original metal reflector, upgraded metal reflector (after 30 Apr 05), and the 17 IMS.
From the reflection of the ceiling lights, you could tell how well each reflector is ‘reflecting’

EtendueMetalRef02



From left to right: self-polished, original, upgraded (after 30 Apr 05)

EtendueMetalRef03



Side view of original (left) vs. upgraded (right)

Etendue had been selling a great keychain light called Jil 1.3w. And it happens that the metal reflector is quite similar to the 17 IMS. And I went ahead and put them in my minimag mods. The original stock reflector does give somewhat a softer hotspot and more ‘floody’ light than a 17 IMS. After polishing one of the originals, the result yields a brighter hotspot and is a little less ‘floody’. As a comparison, the upgraded has the smoothest finish of those three featured and has the tightest hotspot of those three.


*McR18*




From left to right,
IMS 17 with trimmed legs, McR18, modded McR20

McGizmo did it again! This time, the McR18 is a direct drop-in metal reflector for the Minimag AA light.




Personally, I still like the modded McR20 reflector the best, since it is probably the largest metal McR reflector that could fit into the Minimag head.
But for a direct drop-in reflector, it is indeed a much better choice than the old IMS17. In fact, with posterized pictures, I think it is actucally somewhat comparable to the IMS20!


*Mcflood*

Metalref01



Clockwise, from upper left: Etendue polished, Etendue Smooth, Mcflood, IMS 17

IIRC, it was an invention of McGizmo for one of his lights. Mcflood is a great metal flood reflector of great quality. How I wish he would make some McSmooth and that will make my day!


*NX05*

NX05



A popularly used optics for giving a tight hotspot with minimum spill, NX05 works great with Lux III HD. The only issue about using it is sometimes it might be difficult to get the lux to be centered in the optic. It has a flat surface at the top.


*Fraen LP*

Fraen LP



As compared to NX05 and 3/4” acrylic ball, Fraen LP gives a much larger hotspot, and hardly much spill. The larger hotspot is uniformly bright across, and the beam will become more ‘floody’ as it is projected in a much longer distance (15ft+). If you need a bright ‘floodish’ beam in close-mid range, this is the optic for you. Fraen LP has a concave surface at top.


*3/4” Acrylic Ball*

Acrulicball3quarter01



Believe it or not, this acrylic ball does give the tightest spot light with virtually no spill whatsoever. It is so tight in close distance; that it might even hurt to look straight at the spot.

Acrulicball3quarter02




Installed onto the Minimag, the only disadvantages of this odd ball are that it might be easily scratched since it is exposed and it will pressure directly onto the lux if you continue to use the twist on/off function.

*Carclo 6, 15 and 25 degrees Optics*

Carclo6



Carclo 6 degrees Optics
Carclo 6 degrees is a very nice optic to work with. The beamshot has a nice hotspot and a smooth transition from the hotspot to the corona, at the same time it is very easy to center the optics over the high domed Lux III(unlike NX05). It too has a flat surface at the top.

Carclo15n25



Left: Carclo 15 degrees optics Right: Carclo 25 degrees optics
Carclo 15 and 25, as the name have suggested, do give wider beam than it's 6 degrees relative. Different from the flood reflectors, the flood light these two optics give are evenly spread out(reflector flood light sometimes still have a spot in the middle, depending on how smooth of the finish). Both optics have grooves/rings at the top, and almost identical in looking.


*Carclo Fiber Coupling Optics*




This ought to be one of the strangest optics I have ever seen. If one check out the beamshot, it gave a very squarish intense spot in the middle, then a dark donut between the spot and the corona. The surface of the optics is convexed, so no lens can be fitted over this optic. And the normal twist on-off function might not work properly with this optic since it does not sit deep enough in the head assembly.



  *Optics beam shots*  

This subsection will show groups of beam shots, using a specified Minimag mod with the same/almost the same settings. The purpose is to see/compare various optics under the same/similar settings.


For the following set:

BBNG 500 Lux III TY0H, using 2 x Alkaline ~1.4-1.5v
UCL lens
Camera: Optio 550 1/20 F2.8 ISO 400
Distance: ~6ft
Aiming at Santa Claus


Roomlighting



How the setting will look under the normal room lighted condition

Backlighting



The same setting with very, very minor ambient light; before any beamshots.


BBNG500IMS17focused



IMS 17 reflector - focused

BBNG500IMS17defocused



IMS 17 reflector de-focused

BBNG500IMS20focus



IMS 20 reflector - focused

BBNG500IMS20defocus



IMS 20 reflectorde-focused


BBNG500ModstockRefFocus 



Self modded Minimag stock reflector - focused

BBNG500ModstockRefdefocus



Self modded Minimag stock reflector de-focused


BBNG500DarkzeroSmooth 



DarkZero modded stock reflector 'smooth' focused

BBNG500Darkzerosplutter 



DarkZero modded Minimag stock reflector 'Splutter'


BBNG500EtendueRefOrg



Etendue original metal reflector (before Apr 30, 2005)

BBNG500EtendueRefOrgPol 



Etendue Metal reflector original self-polished

BBNG500EtendueRefUp



Etendue Metal reflector upgraded

Metal reflectors offered by Etendue, the original polished reflector has a slightly more intense hotspot than the original metal reflector(ordered before April 30, 2005). The upgraded reflector has the tightest spot of these three featured.

BBNG500Mcflood



Mcflood

BBNG500NX05



NX05

BBNG500FraenLP



Fraen LP

BBNG500Acrylicball



3/4" Arcrylic Ball
In this group, the 3/4” arcrylic ball does give the tightest spot light with virtually no spill.

NG500TY0HCarclo6



BBNG500 TY0H with Carclo 6 degree optics
It seems to me that the Carclo 6 degree, unlike previous optics, has a 'gradual' transition from hotspot to corona.

NG500TY0HCarclo15



BBNG500 TY0H with Carclo 15 degree optics

NG500TY0HCarclo25



BBNG500 TY0H with Carclo 25 degree optics
Optics wise, Carclo 25 degree seems to give the one of the most even flooded beam I have seen so far.

NG500TY0HCarcloFiberCouplingOptic



BBNG500 TY0H with Carclo Fiber Coupling Optic
Very interesting optic, as one can see in the picture, this Fiber Coupling optic gives a 'dark donut' between the hotspot and the corona. In close distance, the hotspot appears to be squarish.


Unrelated, but other lights in the same camera setting and distance:

Opalec 




TerraluxTLE5TV1Jmod 



Terralux TLE5

5ledmod



5 led Minimag mod

26k5ledmod 



5 26k led Minimag mod



  *Optics Modding*  

*Modding Minimag Stock Reflector for Luxeon (High Dome)*

In terms of Optical wares for the Minimag mod, the modded stock Minimag reflector does give one of the best focused and most useful beams.

This subsection will detail how to mod a Minimag stock reflector to work with a drop in module (or Sandwich Shoppe Sandwiches) with a high domed lux III.


Modstockref001



Modstockref002




First we measure the width of the dome (not the black plastic casing, but the transparent part); and as a comparison, the width of 17 IMS reflector opening. That shall give you some idea how big a reflector opening for our modded reflector.


Using various size of the drill bits, slowly increasing the bit size and drill a wider opening on the reflector. Put the drilling direction on REVERSE, so the reflector will not go up the drill bits. And turn the direction of drilling back to normal when you are very close to drilling thru the hole. Keep the drill as perpendicular as possible. And stop at drill bit size of 5.3 or similar (Do NOT get too close to the actual size of the lux, you shall see why later).


Modstockref003



Now we will start sanding down the reflector to a larger openings (6.95mm) while maintaining a proper height (9.50mm). Use mildly coarse sandpaper and progress to use very fine sanding paper. Patient is definitely a virtue here. Constantly measure and check it with the luxeon. NEVER let the opening becomes too large to and allow the black casing of the Lux falls thru or the height of the reflector becomes too short.

Caution: Besides maintaining the height and opening width, NEVER use a dremel to sand down the reflector (especially at the last stage) simply because the high heat generated will melt the opening of the reflector.


Modstockref004



Modstockref005



Modstockref006



After a while, you might see some debris forming around the opening of the reflector. Do NOT attempt to remove it too soon, as long as the opening and height of the reflector are within range.


Modstockref007



Modstockref008



Modstockref009



Modstockref010



The debris will later form a ‘ring’ around the opening, now you could use a tweezers to carefully pick out the ‘ring’ of debris from the back of the reflector. Check to see whether the lux is in focus in the reflector…one major issue about modding the stock reflector is to maintain the proper height of the reflector, if the opening is too large which the lux with the black casing fall thru; then you might never be able to turn off the light without a kroll switch. Modstockref010 shown where I stop sanding, there is still approximately 1mm or less all around the opening to ‘sit’ on the black casing at this point.


Failrefmod



I believe this is my very first stock reflector mod attempt, as you can tell, both openings of the reflector had melted miserably. That is the reason why we should use the sandpaper towards the second half of our process. And there is NO need to sand/dremel the big opening end of the reflector. The perfect original diameter of the big opening will keep the modded stock reflector centered in the middle.


Modstockref011



Comparison between modded stock reflector to 17 IMS

Modstockref012



Another comparison shot, notice the modded stock reflector has a tighter and brighter hotspot



*Modding 20 IMS reflector*




The original 20 IMS is a little large to fit into the Minimag head, but with a little work, it is do-able. First, cut off all the ‘fins’ around the reflector. Then dremel/sand around the outside of the upper half of the reflector (the half close to the larger opening). The process might take awhile (30min-1 hour) and it is simply repeated fit-and-sand action. Keep the sanding even around the reflector and do NOT over sanding. You could shorten the reflector just for a little bit (maybe 1mm or so), but do NOT shorten it too much which will make the mod losing its charm. The result is a tighter beam than 17 IMS in a Minimag, similar to modded stock reflector.



*Modding the McR20*




McR20mod
I always under the impression that if it is an orange peel reflector, then the hotspot is blurred to the side spill and it might not be able to throw as much as the normal SMO(smooth mirror) reflector. The McR20 is the exception to this belief.

It is truly one well designed reflector that gives one of the most intense hotspot as compared to other reflector, at the same time, offering one of the brightest and useful side spill of all Minimag reflectors I have seen so far. One might not be used to the smooth transition from hotspot to side spill, and it might take sometime to get used to. But for sure it is a job well done by McGizmo and it really deserves a round of applause.


The process, errrr, is rather easy. All one has to do is to dremel/file away all the ‘steps’ of extra material from the side of the reflector (as shown on the left of the picture). The Al material is surprisingly soft and the whole job will only take about 15-20 minutes, and unlike modding an IMS20 reflector, you don't need to worry about melting the reflector as much. At the end, the modded reflector will fit into the Minimag rather well like it is meant for it.

Note: The end product might leave a very tiny gap between the bezel ring and the bezel (since it is too top to fit into the head, but it is <1mm and it is hardly noticeable). But you could also file the large opening of the reflector to make it shorter for a perfect fit(Personally, I won't recommended it since it will affect the performance of the reflector and wasting its awesome focusing power)





  *Runtime Beamshots*  

Each/each group of runtime beamshots will has same/very similar optics used in the light. I am a lousy photographer and the color of the tint might be a little off due to the camera. But the light output should be somewhat accurate. Sometimes a light will flicker to try to maintain in regulation (on its way falling out of regulation), and that is the reason why you might see a light dimmed in one shot, and brighter in the next.


Minimag Mod Runtime beamshots01




Camera: Optio 550, 1/100 F2.8 ISO400
8 ft from ceiling to the lights,
10-11 minutes between each shot
All used Energizer 2300mah batteries, ~1.28 each

Pattern:

O O O
O O

MM Lite RY0J Lambda MPIII TY0H MM+ TX0J
BBNG700 TW0J BBNG500 TY0H 






                                                                                                                              






*Section 5 Tailcap and other mod ideas*


  *Kroll switch, Kroll improvement and Kroll 2 staged mod*  

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif *Kroll swtich*, the good, the bad and the ugly /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Kroll01



It is a 'clickie' switch that one could be used for Minimag or Miniminimag body. The light will be momentarily turned on when the rubber button depressed, and it will be turned on when the button depressed fully and latched on (when you hear a 'click'). The light will be turned off when you depress the button fully again.

Personally, I have a love-hate relationship with the current kroll switch design. And here are the reasons why:

*Advantage:*
-User can turn the light on and off without turn the bezel
-Momentary turned on the light. User simply depress the kroll half way for a momentarily use.
-It still allow candle mode when needed
-Extra safety to prevent accidental turned on. If user turn off the light by the bezel and 'clicked' the kroll into 'off' position, then the user will need to click the kroll into 'on' position and turn the bezel to 'on' position to get the light turned back on. It is great if you need extra precaution for accidental turned on in holster or pocket.

*Disadvantage:*
-Really high resistance. It is so awful that I could tell the difference of output level when compared to a normal stock tailcap. Visually, I would experience a 20-40% drop of output depending on my luck. Once in a while, I could experience very different levels of output when I press the button all the way down before it is latched 'on' vs. the button is latched/clicked on.

-Rubber boot on the kroll is not the best thing on earth. After usage, this rubber boot might be stretched out of shape and user will have a hard time to fit the rubber into the body. Also, appearance of the rubber might not look its best when you have used it for a while.
-The Minimag might loss its water resistance/waterproofness. Simple because the rubber boot might not fit into the body tube perfectly.

I guess, in the end, it is up to each individual user to decide what's best. For now, it is one of the only viable options for 'clickie' and the drawbacks might just be ‘necessary evils' if you must have that 'clickie' function.


 *Kroll Improvement mod* 

stockspringinkroll



This is one very, very simple mod to make the kroll just a tiny bit better in terms of less resistance. What one will need to do is to replace the Kroll battery spring with a normal stock tailcap spring. Believe it or not, I can 'see' a very minor difference in terms of light output improvement after this. And the kroll is easier to be screwed onto the body, since the spring is now shorter and softer.

Also, another good way to improve the kroll switch consistency(meaning less flickering or even uneven output after each click) is to pull out the springs and strenched them out a little bit. Turns out the switch become a heck lot more consistant afterwards.


 *Kroll 2 stages switch* 

This is a kroll switch mod for users who would like to have a 2 stage kroll switch. Inspired by our fellow CPF member, Gadget_lover, who had mentioned in one of the posts that a 2 stage switch was possible for kroll--and this is my dummy solution to his inspiration /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif This switch will lose it's function to switch off the light, but will work as a 'click-high, click-low' switch.


Kroll2stage01



There are basically 3 main springs and 1 smaller spring in a kroll switch. For the ease of description, I will call those 3 main springs as the battery contact spring, the side spring(the spring that will be touching the flashlight body tube), and the connection spring(a spring that will conduct electricity between the battery and body spring, it is embedded in the kroll switch)

Pull the rubber boot off the Kroll. Then insert a flathead screw driver into the side spring cavity, and wedge open the kroll switch CAREFULLY and SLOWLY. Be sure you doing this in an area that is well lit and have a surface to 'catch' all the parts if they spring out.

The picture depicts all the parts in a kroll. The battery spring at the far right, connection and side spring at the middle and the small spring at the far left.


Kroll2stage02



Solder two pieces of wires, both no less than 1 inches long, onto the both end of a SMD resistor. Put on a heat shrink wrap over the resistor and wire to prevent shorting. Then I have used a 2.7ohm resistor for a BBNG 500 sammie and have found that the reduced light output remain fair bright (but a lot more comfortable to work with close range) at pitch dark and acceptable when there is ambient light around.


Kroll2stage03



Solder one end of a short wire (1 cm or 0.3 inches) onto the battery spring of Kroll switch. The resistor and the short wire will be nested under the battery spring, and insert the other end of the wire via the opening of the 'connection spring' and let it go thru the spring via the middle of the spring.

Note: it is quite important that the wire is going thru the middle, because any other wise might affect the connection spring working properly.


Kroll2stage04



Next we will solder the other end of the wire onto the side spring. Now you'd probably have some idea how this switch will work. Even though the kroll is in normal 'off' position, since now you have a resistor-ed wire connected between the side spring and battery spring, the light will give a 'low' output; and when the kroll goes into normal 'on' position, the electricity will go via a path that has least resistance and the light will give the high output at this point.


Kroll2stage05



Put the two halves of the kroll switch back together, and rubber boot back on top-now you have a high-low Kroll switch! 


TLE5vsBBNG500Kroll2pt7Low



Terralux TLE5 vs. BBNG500 and Kroll with 2.7 ohm on 'Low'


TLE5vsBBNG500Kroll2pt7High



Terralux TLE5 vs. BBNG500 Kroll with 2.7 ohm on 'High'


BBNG500Kroll2pt7SoloLow



BBNG500 and Kroll with 2.7 ohm on 'Low'


BBNG500Kroll2pt7SoloHigh



BBNG500 and Kroll with 2.7 ohm on 'High'


BBNG500stockTailcap



BBNG500 with normal tailcap




  *Minimag 2 stages stock tailcap and Prototypes*  

After experimenting with two different prototypes, I have finally come up with this silly design of mine. It is by no mean anything fancy or great, but a very solid, KISS solution to achieve the goal of having 2 stages option with a stock Minimag tailcap.

MM2stageProto1




MM2stageProto2



Originally, I tried to come up with a design where a user could choose the high/low option simply by unscrewing/screwing the tailcap tight. The pressure switch at the bottom of the tailcap hollow will be activated/deactivated when the tailcap was being tighten/loosen. But after much test and trial, I realized that were many issues that were in play here: each sammie might come with different heights(due to the solder bulb/original sammie height) and different lengths of batteries, not to mention, the retaining rubber o-ring might interfere with the proper functioning of the intended application. After using/testing those prototypes for a while, I have decided to go for a more KISS solution.

And that’s how I arrived with my 'slide switch' in a Minimag stock tailcap design. A user can now access the tailcap to change the normal (high)/low setting when needed, and when fully tightened, the tailcap will retain its original outlook and water resistance. It might not be as convenient as those prototypes design, but after few weeks of trail, it has proven to be a robust solution and has now become a permanent part of my EDC Minimag.

With this mod, the process is completely reversible and one could simply replace the modded 'guts' with the original tailcap spring and everything will be back to normal.


MM2stageTailA01




Here are the components for making a simple Minimag stock tailcap mod with 2 stage switching:

1 switch that could fit in the tailcap hollow
1 SMD resistor at low value
1 AA battery holder spring
1 soft rubber spacer that could fit into the tailcap hollow
1 firm rubber spacer that has the diameter with the stock spring
Some copper sheet that is thinner than 1mm (I use 0.3mm)
Some electrical tape


MM2stageTailA02



The switch that I have used for this mod has the dimension of 8.44mm (length) x 3.68mm (height)(height from bottom to top of slide switch; 5.49mm) x 3.42mm (width), and the whole switch will fit into the Minimag stock tailcap with much room to move around vertically and horizontally.


MM2stageTailA03



Bend two of the legs to the back of the switch, and solder the SMD resistor onto the bend legs. (Depending how low you would like the output to be, I personally think the 2.7 ohm still gives very useful light in pitch dark and ok output under ambient light, the output will be a little less than my Lux I RYOJ MM lite's output) Once this is done, you could clip away all the remaining legs of the switch.


MM2stageTailA04



Solder the wires onto the switch or SMD resistor. One of the wires will be connected to the tailcap, and the other wire to the spring. Do allow a much longer length for the tailcap wire (2 inches or more), and use really thin insulated wires for the best result.


MM2stageTailA07



Afterwards, mask electrical tape around the switch except the side for sliding switch. This is to prevent accidental shorting.


MM2stageTailA08



Wiggle the spring from the battery holder into the plastic elastic spacer. It is ok to use non-elastic spacer, or just any kind of plastic small pieces that will fit-but for long term use, the plastic elastic spacer will last longer. The spring should very securely hold by the spacer, and shall not move up and down when the spring is compressed.


MM2stageTailA09



Then solder one of the wires to the top of the battery spring.


MM2stageTailA10



For the contact to the tailcap, we will use some really thin copper sheet and wrap it around an elastic small rubber spacer. This whole thing will sit securely at the very bottom of the hollow inside the tailcap, and shall be able to be compressed a little when there is enough pressure.


MM2stageTailA11



Solder the other, longer wire onto the contact metal. Then insert this whole into the tailcap.


MM2stageTailA12



The 2 stage Minimag stock tailcap.


MM2stageTailA13



MM2StageTailA14





TLEvsBBNG5001pt8ohmlow





TLEvsBBNG5002pt7ohmlow





TLEvsBBNG5002pt7ohmhigh





BBNG5001pt8ohmSoloLow





BBNG5002pt7ohmSoloLow





BBNG5002pt7ohmSoloHigh





BBNG500stockTailcap







  *Terralux Tailcap Switch TCS-1*  

TerraluxTCS1



For the longest time, I had been wishing for a 'perfect' clickie. And this call has finally been partially asked by Terralux with their TCS-1.

In the following, I will talk about what I like or room to improve for this particular clickie:


TCS1vsStock



*What I like about the TCS-1:*
1) Decent clickie feel, easy to operate
2) Like any clickie, offers extra safety to the light in case of accidental switch-on
3) metal threaded
4) Decent rubber cap that will not scratched out of shape(as compared to Kroll)
5) lanyard hole
6) Still allow the light to go into candle mode if you use a really thin lanyard/small lanyard ring


*What I dislike/room for improvement for TCS-1*:
1) Reverse clickie, no momentary function of the light
2) Like any clickie, the rubber cap inhabits the light to stand on its tail.
3) lanyard hole is too small
4) Spring does not seem to be very durable/robust
5) The red tailcap rubber might not stand up for very long term wear-n-torn


TCS1VSstock



ClickesStock



But all in all, still a great tailcap as an alternative to those perfer clickie over the stock tailcap. I love clickie especially it offers the extra safety to prevent accidental power-on for the light-- 

A user simply can switch the light off by twisting the bezel first, then click-off again at the tail. Now the use has to click the light back on while twisting the bezel to get the light back on.

The package comes with a replacement lens and the TCS-1.



                                                                                                                              






*Section 6 Suggestions (tools)/Related links/Resources*


 *Tips n Tricks for Minimag (mod)* 

-If the Minimag mod has a high current drive level provided to the led, Lithium battery will provide best performance for high current drain, next is Nimh battery, and Alkaline will not do so well in terms of holding the voltage under high current drain.

-If you are not planning to use the Minimag mod for a long, long time (only monthly or less), it might be a good idea to leave the batteries out of the body (except Lithium batteries). Nimh will lose its capacity fastest, Alkaline is better and Lithium batteries will hold its charge for the longest time.

-Keep the threads and o-ring of the switch clean and well lubed, with conductive gel for threads, it might even further improve the output performance.

-If the collection of your Sammie is growing, it is probably a good practice to write down the Sammie’s particulars somewhere on the Sammie itself and attach a small tag with each Minimag to remind yourself which is installed in which color body.

-The plastic black bezel in accessory pack will help prevent the light being turned on when in a case or preventing the light rolling off the table.

-For an impromptu flood light, take out the head assembly and simply use the lux for flood light (candle mode). If you need a more concentrated flood, take out the front lens and reflector/optics-the reflection from the bezel will give a more concentrated flood light. 

-For more longer term flood solution, an easy method is to apply scotch tape over the lens to diffuse the beam.

-Bring the original plastic lens/extra batteries/additional optical wares with you if you are going on a long trip.

-If you are using Kroll switch on your Minimag (mod), you could simply replace the original Kroll battery spring with the Minimag stock tailcap spring for a possible slight improvement for output.

-Original Minimag finishing is a Type II anodizing, which does not have a very high scratch/abrasive resistance. If your intended use for your Minimag (mod) is in a harsh environment (such as caving), I would humbly suggest to use Sliver colored minimag since lightly scratched marks will not be very visible.

-From our fellow member *Kilted*(thanks for the info  ), if you have purchased your Minimag with the black presentation box and have no further use for it, remove the liner and it will hold 20 CR123 batteries(with additional foam to prevent rattling)


 *Some humble Suggestions*: 

-Do a search on CPF about Minimag mod, and read up as much as you can before deciding what mod, drop-in and/or parts you want/need.

-Make a list of all the necessary parts before ordering them, and double check that list, missing parts in middle of a mod is like going to toilet and discover you have no toilet paper! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smoker5.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon15.gif

-Find time. Mistakes are often time made when you are in a rush, think it thru and work it out mentally before executing each step will certainly save you from regret. 

-Share your story! What makes CPF so great is the sharing and learning experience.

- /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/caution.gif Never leave your tools unattended!! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/caution.gif Especially when you have kids/animals at home! 


 *Tools suggestion* 

Toolsuggest



Here are some tools suggestions, it is not ‘required’ but having them will make the job much easier…
Iron, solder (I recommend those with small silver content, easier to handle), solder wick, solder flux, magnifying glass, ziplock bag (for mixing adhesive or boiling method), toothpicks (applying/mixing thermal adhesive), wire stripper, (mini) vise, pilers/wrench, nail polish, tweezers (for removing sandwich or simply solder work), reverse action tweezers (for pinching small SMD parts to board), DMM, 3V2AA battery supply



/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif *Removing Luxeon led from a Luxeon star* /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
Borrowed from my PM6 Dummy reference guide:







Next, de-soldiering the Lux III emitter out of its original 'star--I clamp the Lux III star by using a 'mini vise'and use a tooth pick to move the Led lead contact once the soldier is melted. Next picture shown how the LED lead contacts are cleared off the soldier and the star.










Use two large pliers to clamp onto the star, as close to the emitter as possible (not over the LED emitter lead contact), and start bending the 'star' backward. Eventually, the emitter will just fall/pop from its star. Make sure you have tissue paper or an area to 'catch' it when it does pop.




Depending how smooth is the back of your emitter(I think it was originally glued to the star), you could file it with some really really fine sand paper or I use a dremel here to help clean out the back of the emitter. So as long it is not really uneven, don't worry too much about it.


/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif *For bin codes info about Lux III or Lux V emitter* /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
Bin Codes Explained from Wayne's site 
Idleprocess' Bin code chart 


/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif *Thermal conductive epoxy related post* /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
Which epoxy for potting the converter board  
Artic alumina as potting compound?  
AA + epoxy recipe help
Making a Sandwich  


/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif *About Minimag mod Optical wares modding* /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
Can I modify a stock minimag reflector to fit a MM  
Mini-Mag reflector... with Luxeon! (pics)
New reflector for MM? 


 *After market ready-to-run drop ins(in no particular order)* 

Sandwich Shoppe
Lambda Lights
Terralux Luxeon drop-ins
Newbeam Opalec
NiteIze - 3 leds / switch upgrade 


:thumbsup: *Other CPF modders’ exciting ideas about Minimag mods* :thumbsup:
(So many thoughts and talents for making the Minimag, I can never enlist them all!!  :thumbsup: )

DJpark's POP2 circuit/sammie 
The new POP2 circuit that he is making is so amazing that it always give me goosebump!  :naughty: 

Viren - Minimag 6 led mod
Similar to my 5 leds mod, I had no idea until today! :thumbsup:

Gadget lover - Minimag Turbo Head 
Also the maker of Kroll 2 stage switch, this 'turbo head' is awesome!

McGizmo - 9 led mod 
Maker of Aleph system, always put me in awe to see his mods! :nana:

McGizmo - Aleph/SF E-series head on Minimag AA body 
What did I tell you?  Ain't that cool?

Battery Charger - Extremely simple red LED mini mag mod? 
Simplicity at its best, this is one mod I would love to try sometime as well... 

Reefphilic - Modded MMM with 5 stages switch 
Very nice, *cough* when are we going to *cough* get it made for minimag? *cough* 

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/popcorn.gif *Other Dummy Reference Guide* /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/popcorn.gif
Dummy reference guide for making Mag 2c nflex mod 
A Dummy Reference for making PM6 LuxIII BB NG 1000 




 _*Thousands words and hundreds pix later*_ 

_My friends_, I hope you had enjoyed reading/doing these mods...please do feel free to comment and make any suggestion!

Last and by no mean least, my sincerest *Thank you to you all for your kind support and ideas! * :rock:

See you in the next 'dummy reference guide', and until then, take care!! :wave: 





* The End *



*(Disclaimer: This section/thread, process or mod is NOT endorsed by another maker of or claim to have affiliation to any feature flashlight/components/tools maker. All reader, user and modders do understand by modding the parts/flashlights, their had voluntarily void their warranty on the products and do assume all risk involved.)*


----------



## LITEmania

well done....very clever even reserve the spce, WoW...


----------



## AuroraLite

Haha...thanks!

There is a lot more to come...that's why the 'reserved space'. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif And later on, we would actually talk about the reflectors that you had brought onto the CPF commnunity for Jil 1.3 (will fit Minimag quite perfectly as well).

Great job! I love those metal reflectors! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif


----------



## Ledean

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/clap.gif Great job. And very clever to reserve the space.
Great pictures and well explained.
Thank you


----------



## stormtrooper77

Nice!


----------



## greenlight

well written guide AL, clear and informative. Cheers! When do the test units go on sale?


----------



## greenLED

*Re: Dummy Reference Guide to Minimag Modding(many*

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/bowdown.gif Dooood!! Your "dummy" guides are suberb!! I have 3 of them in my favorites now. Am I missing any others. Excellent! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/bowdown.gif


----------



## jtice

*Re: Dummy Reference Guide to Minimag Modding(many*

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/buttrock.gif Damn good work !!!!

Thanks for all that time you put in to that, thats gonna help alot of ppl out !!!!!!!!


----------



## AuroraLite

*Re: Dummy Reference Guide to Minimag Modding(many*

*Ledean*: Thanks for your kind word, I like your bored out Minimag head idea, cool! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif

*Stormtrooper*: Thanks for reading!

*Greenlight*: Haha...the 'test units'! Err...I am simply enjoying their companies, and you probably can tell how serious a 'Minimag' complex I have, right?! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

*GreenLed*: I still remembered you showing the pix about a very cool 'fixture' for making the sammie...that was awesome work! And someday, I will put up a post to consolidate all my 'dummy reference guide series' posts, and no, you haven't missed one and been very supportive, thank you! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif

*Jtice*: Thanks! Just one dummy contributing what he can... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif


----------



## reefphilic

*Re: Dummy Reference Guide to Minimag Modding(many*

Nice guide! You're now officially conferred the title of Magmodaholic! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif


----------



## IsaacHayes

*Re: Dummy Reference Guide to Minimag Modding(many*

I took apart an Xnova 5led 1AA and replaced the LEDs with UV like you described. I forgot to leave one LED lead longer to make the negative to the boad so I soldered a wire like you did. Only I noticed on the LED board that there was a spare hole for negative connections not being used so I soldered the wire to it.

I look forward to section 4!


----------



## vinn

*Re: Dummy Reference Guide to Minimag Modding(many*

great job! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif
gotta try the china light 5led mod.
*click* favourite thread /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif


----------



## taylor

*Re: Dummy Reference Guide to Minimag Modding(many*

Wow! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/happy14.gifMinimag is one of my favour. Your dummy reference guide is very useful for me. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/bowdown.gifThanks.


----------



## KDOG3

*Re: Dummy Reference Guide to Minimag Modding(many*

This thread isn't a sticky? Your kidding me!


----------



## AuroraLite

*Re: Dummy Reference Guide to Minimag Modding(many*

*Reefphilic*: Haha, not sure I could qualify to be the 'Magmodaholic'(so many here could bare that name)...but 'MiniMag-modaholic', maybe. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif Btw, I am still waiting for your 5 stage Minimag switch!? Paypal ready! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

*IsaacHayes* So cool that it also works for you, and hoped you like your modded Xnova/Minimag mod and the contents of section 4. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif Truly, not until I did the comparison between those optical wares that I have re-leart the value/importance of optics in a flashlight. Optical wares, indeed, is the other half of the story.

*Vinn* Glad you like the thread, how was those krolls doing? Btw, I am planning to put together a section about Minimag 'tailcap' someday, and now in process of furnishing the details/mod/material...

*Taylor*: No, _thank you_! Without you guys, my flashaholism will feel so out of place in this big city. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

*KDOG3*: Thanks again for your kind support! That's so kind a complement. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif


----------



## greenLED

*Re: Dummy Reference Guide to Minimag Modding(many*

I'm gone for 3 days and you manage to improve your first post with references to optics, drop-ins, mods, etc. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif


----------



## wquiles

Outstanding - awesome job /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/bowdown.gif

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/happy14.gif

Will


----------



## PhotonAddict

Wow!! Just wanted to say that is a great guide! There are some nice tips in there, and lots of pictures too. I can appreciate the time it must have taken to produce a guide like this. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/bowdown.gif


Hmmmm... I guess I'll have to order more stuff so that I can umm, practice what I've just learned /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif


----------



## Deadshot11

*Re: Dummy Reference Guide to Minimag Modding(many*

Awesome guide!

I'm pretty newbie, but is it possible to do the chinese 5 LED mod with one of the 8 LED 1AA flashlights I'm seeing on ebay? Would that fit in a minimag? And would that be any brighter and still be able to run on two AA's?


----------



## AuroraLite

*Re: Dummy Reference Guide to Minimag Modding(many*

*Greenled*: Yes, and there will be more to come... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

*wquiles*: Thank you! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif

*PhotonAddict*: Good luck! And let us know how it turns out! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

*Deadshot11*: I did purchase some 8 leds 2 AA Chinese flashlights as I was doing the 5 leds mod, but after some initial dry fitting, it was hardly as eye-pleasing as the 5 leds one, so I went ahead with the 5 leds mod. But it is definitely do-able. 

And some work will need to be done on the 'light engine' in order for it to fit into the Minimag head assembly. I will post some update/my result in the next few days about the 8 leds mod, essentially it is almost the same process but with 8 leds. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif


----------



## Deadshot11

*Re: Dummy Reference Guide to Minimag Modding(many*

I saw both 2AA and 1AA versions of the 8led's. Wouldn't there be no point mod the 2AA version into the minimag, since it's already driven by 2AA's and there'd be no overdrive? I thought the whole point of the 5 led mod was to overdrive them.

How does the stock 8 led compare to your modded 5 led minimag?


----------



## AuroraLite

*Re: Dummy Reference Guide to Minimag Modding(many*

You are correct that the 'overdriven' 5 leds mod does seem to surpass its original AA/AAA original light.

But on the day of purchasing those 5 leds lights, the only one I saw on the street was 8 leds 2 AA and I turn it into a Minimag mod anyway, just to see how it looks. It does give very tiny bit more light(if not just about the same) light as a 5 leds mod, but the color was kinda 'angry blue'. I guess it wasn't entirely a fair comparison since the makers might have made them with different leds, and the 8 leds mod, for some reason, has a tighter flood than the 5 leds mod.

I will try to look for a 8 led 1 AA version and see how it turns out...

And here is just a snap shot of what a 8 leds in Minimag mod will look like:





And *all reader please take note*: I went back to check out the 'destroyed' 5 led light body, and it turns out that it is actually a AAA instead of AA. So when you shop for that 'light' please take metal note it is a AAA, but AA in similar size should work too. The widest part of the flashlight(the led holder at front) should be ~20.20mm, so the holder could fit the Minimag perfect in 'reverse'.


----------



## rscanady

*Re: Dummy Reference Guide to Minimag Modding(many*

Awesome job! This was exactly what i was looking for a friend.

Thanks again!

Ryan


----------



## Codeman

*Re: Dummy Reference Guide to Minimag Modding(many*

WOW - I know where to come when I have the time! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/buttrock.gif


----------



## AuroraLite

*Re: Dummy Reference Guide to Minimag Modding(many*

*Rscanady*: Thank you! Hope this works for you/your friend /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
*Codeman*: Haha, the question is will you have the time until USL is finished? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/evilgrin07.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/nana.gif My hats off to the hard working 'Team USL', and what a fine accomplishment that will be! Truly looking forward to that! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/buttrock.gif


<font color="red">*Update*</font>

A *new entry* of *$6 8 led Minimag mod* had entered the arena! I doubt we could pack even more led than that into a Minimag head, but who knows?

Very soon, we will see the *8 UV led mod* coming out soon, just for *fun sake*! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif 

And I am currently working up a Minimag 2 stage solution using the original tailcap, keeping my finger crossed... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif


----------



## Ledean

*Re: Dummy Reference Guide to Minimag Modding(many*

love the way you keep updating and improving.
Waiting for more .
Great job again


----------



## Deadshot11

*Re: Dummy Reference Guide to Minimag Modding(many*

What's the easiest way to get a hold of a piece of one-sided copper-plated board for the 5 led mod? I don't wanna buy a whole board if I only need one square-inch. Anyone know any tricks to getting a hold of that?


----------



## chimo

*Re: Dummy Reference Guide to Minimag Modding(many*

Very well done. Thank you for all your hard work!

Paul


----------



## Display_Name

*Re: Dummy Reference Guide to Minimag Modding(many*

I would also need a copper board and lead wires but the instructions for the board seem a little difficult to understand. Also I dont have a dremel.


----------



## AuroraLite

*Re: Dummy Reference Guide to Minimag Modding(many*

*Ledean* and *Chimo*
Always my pleasure! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif New sub sections are being written up as of now. I will be adding some pictures for a some prototypes or working 2 stage stock tailcap/kroll switch soon.


*Deadshot 11*
I have tried checking it for you, and seems to me that some online electronic shops do offer them in 3"x5" format(such as digikey), and I would suggest keyword search for 'copper clad board' Could you find them in any local electronic shops?

Good luck with the mods! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif


*Display_Name*
Could you please let me know which particular part might seem to be difficult to understand? 

I know some of the wordy description probably might do no justice until you 'click' onto those pictures and see it upclose...it is not my mother tongue, but I will try my best to remedy that. Just let me know(in particular, which photo 'ID' number). /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

As for the leads, I usually get them from the left-over cut-off led legs from other led mods, and they served this purpose really well.


----------



## Display_Name

*Re: Dummy Reference Guide to Minimag Modding(many*

Sorry now that I looked at the larger pictures I understand. Great jobs on these mods. Any suggestions on where to find the chinese 5 led light.


----------



## AuroraLite

*Re: Dummy Reference Guide to Minimag Modding(many*

Hi, Display_Name.

Glad you could understand them ok. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif As for those 'Chinese lights', one could usually find them on Ebay(keyword search: 'led' or 'led light') or even from our local distributor on CPF. For the 5 leds mod, it is a 1AAA 5 leds light. 

Depending where you are localed, sometimes these lights could even be spotted in local electronic shops.

Best of luck to you and your mods! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif


----------



## Deadshot11

*Re: Dummy Reference Guide to Minimag Modding(many*

Thanks, I had checked two small electronics stores, and they didn't have the copper board. But I didn't think to drive over to the local Fry's and check. Picked up a 3"x5" board for $3.


----------



## 270winchester

*Re: Dummy Reference Guide to Minimag Modding(many*

Auroralite:

My props for the amount of effort and time you put into this thread. Thanks!!

Nick


----------



## 03lab

*Re: Dummy Reference Guide to Minimag Modding(many*

WOW /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/eek.gif Very impressive, thanks! This needs to be turned into a PDF for offline reference! (I could host it if you like. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif )


----------



## Hallis

*Re: Dummy Reference Guide to Minimag Modding(many*

Holy Crap!!! All i have to say is one word

STICKY!!!!!

This thread and the extremely detailed and pictorial descriptions and walkthroughs definately need to be stuck in this section. That was totally awesome. Thanks ArouraLite!!!

Shane


----------



## greenLED

*Re: Dummy Reference Guide to Minimag Modding(many*

I second the sticky motion.


----------



## AuroraLite

*Re: Dummy Reference Guide to Minimag Modding(many*

*Nick*
Thank you! And I really hope your thought(which I have the same dream/thought)for having cool looking turbohead for Minimag will come true! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

*03lab*
Err...that's too kind a complement. Definitely shall take the PDF into consideration. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

*Shane*
Just one dummy contributing what he can. I always felt in debt to those who had inspired/encouraged me along the way--so many great talents and I only got two thumbs. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

*Greenled*
Thank you for visiting, again! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif Right now there are few very exciting ideas, still cooking, but I just can't wait to see them completed...



/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif *<font color="red">Major Update 27 Jun 05 </font>* /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Newly added *section 5* will include topics covering *2 staged stock tailcap/kroll* and other mod ideas. 

Added *Streamlight TT 1 cell lithium Xenon bulb in Minimag mod* in section 3. *8 UV leds mod* pictures had been posted in the 8 led mod section. 

*Carclo 6, 15, 25 and Fiber coupling optics* beamshot/feature added in Various Optics section. A short writeup of tips and tricks has been added in Section 6. 

New solutions are being developed(which will take the Minimag to a *whole different level of brightness*) and will be discussed in section 3 once they are done. *Stay tuned!* /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif


----------



## greenLED

*Re: Dummy Reference Guide to Minimag Modding(many*

AuroraLite, I can convert whatever you have into PDF format, in case you need help with that.

Man, what it is about mini-Mags? I simply love them (yup, even with their "sucky" stock beams). Looking forward to more, especially if it has anything to do with "different level of brightness"!


----------



## greenLED

*Re: Dummy Reference Guide to Minimag Modding(many*

I just noticed Inretech's drop-ins are not in your "After market ready-to-run drop ins(in no particular order)" section.

Inretech.com gets you to the site, and here's the linky for the shop: InReTech's shop


----------



## AuroraLite

*Re: Dummy Reference Guide to Minimag Modding(many*

I'd remember checking and comparing the InRetech AA adapters vs Terralux TLE5 when I first trying to decide which one to get. It wasn't a very 'direct' comparison since Inretech used what I believe was a low dome with optics while TLE5 used a side emitter with a reflector. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon15.gif

And after reading from Quickbeam's FLR site and Craig's ledmusuem, I figured I probably got the most bang of the buck from Terralux over InRetech. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

I might look into getting one of those InRetech AA adapter if the price has fallen(for review purpose), since we now have newer technology with more competitive prices. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif


----------



## AuroraLite

Hi, all! :wave:

It has been a long while since my last update, and here we go:

*Update 28 Nov 05*: Added to section 3: *DownBoy750 Lux V VXOS sammie*, *Minimag Hotwire Incan TL3/Strion Mod* and *modding McR20 reflector*(in section 4) And some minor changes were made to the section 2 for my mumble jumble.

Sometime after this, I will add in my review on DJ park/Cgpeanut's POP sammie(it truly is a brillant piece of work) and now that I can more comfortably running it with the protected Li-ion AAs. And for now I am just really looking forward to the K2 from lumileds, and other new boards upcoming from various board makers on CPF.


----------



## Icarus

You really did a great job!!!  :twothumbs


----------



## AuroraLite

Icarus,

Thank you and do hope you have enjoyed the read! 
I had fun modding a nflex mag D after making reference/reading from your post too! :bow: :thumbsup:


----------



## LuxLuthor

LOL....I was even overwhelmed by the Dummy's Guide. I can't even imagine how many hours this all took you to write up and photograph. I think I'm gonna try to find the brightest drop in easy mod for my minimags at one of the vendors.

Thanks for all that information. My brain hurts because I read it all at one time even though you said not to.


----------



## will

I am new to modding mini mags and will read this through completely, just not in one sitting...


----------



## AuroraLite

Hi, all! :wave:

Just two updates for the month of Mar and Apr in 2006, and the latest update includes:

*Major Update 26 Apr 06*: 
Added Section 3:
o) *New Terralux TLE5* (after market product, easiest) (Apr 06)
p) *NiteIze Led Upgrade Combo* (after market product, easiest) (Apr 06)
Added Section 5:
-*Terralux TCS-1* clickie tailcap (after market products)
-*NiteIze clickie* (see p) in Section 3)


I am still eagerly waiting for the new IQ switch from NiteIze(May! I had been keeping my fingers crossed...) Hopefully, it will work with all kinds of sammies that is featured on this guide, and that'd be one of the greatest days for a minimagaholic in the year 2006...  

And if any gifted EE person is reading this line--another secret wish for me is a smart boost board that will fit into the Minimag, and that will for sure a hot item for probably many modders on board! 



%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%


LuxLuthor and Will,

Sorry for the super-belated reply, but wish you guys great luck in modding the Minimag and find what you are looking for!


----------



## greenLED

will said:


> ...will read this through completely, just not in one sitting...


Trust me, every time I look at this thread, Aurora's added something else. Being a fan of minimags, this is one of my favorite threads on CPF.


----------



## Kryosphinx

How's the water-resistance of the Terralux tail-switch?


----------



## AuroraLite

greenLED,

Nothing warms a fellow minimagaholic more than your kind words. Thank you for the continue support of this thread! 


Kryosphinx,

Good question, and from the look of it(especially the red rubber cap part), I will assume it to only be rain or splash proof since I can't get into the internals of the switch to check and see whether it could survive a dive in the water, without destroying the switch itself...


----------



## Kryosphinx

hmm.... 
I recall rdshores tore apart lots of aftermarket minimag switches. I'll see if i can find that thread.

EDIT: Here it is.


----------



## bimemrboy318

This thread needs a bump... I think it'll help alot of newbs!.. just like it helped me!


----------



## tanasit

Well done (better than well, in fact).
Good job (better than good job, in fact).
Thanks for the great work (better than great work, in deed).!!!!!!

:goodjob: :goodjob: :goodjob:


----------



## milkyspit

*AuroraLite, *had anyone attempted to capture this guide, photos and all, in a PDF file? IMHO that would be a great asset in that folks could refer to it even when offline, traveling, etc.; and it would be easily searchable from the local computer. Of course, it wouldn't include the most recent updates, but that doesn't seem too bad a price to pay!

I'd love to have this in PDF form and would take a shot at creating the PDF if I could get a little support, such as copies of the full-size images and whatever else might make the task easier.


----------



## wmpwi

If AuroraLite doesn't object, http://www.pinkfleamingo.com/Picts/CPF/a.pdf. If he does, I'll delete it. Runs about 119 page or a 1.78 meg download, but no enlarged pictures.


----------



## snipinglight

Auroralite, do u know if Lamda is still selling their *Lambda MiniPro Lux III DIY kit . Wrote to them a few times but no reply*


----------



## AuroraLite

Wow, I myself haven't visited this thread for a while, and am too think it is about time to give it a little update:

bimemrboy318 and tanasit,
Thank you! 


milkyspit and wmpwi,
I will be honored to have it be recorded as a pdf. The whole purpose of this thread is to serve as a reference guide to all who have interest related to modding maglite AA or the even the lights that are similar in such format. Anyway we do that could improve this thread as an more effective will always be appreciated. :rock: :goodjob: 


snipinglight,
I really don't know, but last time I have heard, a new MiniPro with user adjustable output was on the way, IIRC. Maybe shoot them another email/PM later on again to see what happens?


##################################

Just some thoughts about where do we go next, recently had been quite busy at work and various kind of mods/light/lights-related fun. And I had been waiting for the Maglite led 2AA to hit the local market ever since. While I always think modding is a fun hobby, and it sometimes might not even need a justification to itself, I also very much so like to keep things real--that in some way or another, the mod will bring additional value to the modder than it's original form.

With the new maglite led 2AA hitting the market, I think it is time to re-evalute what this thread could offer in the future. Though there are still probably tons of mag 2AA incan avialible to be modded on earth, I think the next steps will logically to explore the idea on how to improve upon the maglite 2AA led. I have seen a few great ideas/mods done already on that end onboard CPF, which I probably will start collaborating into this thread. 

And with more and more new led/electronics/battery tech advancement, I am sure the fun will never ends. :devil:


----------



## wintermute

*Re: Dummy Reference Guide to Minimag Modding(many*

*one of the best threads ever!* Tons of info. Great job.


----------



## Lightingguy321

Does the SOX20A (IMS 20 reflector) fit in the minimag head without the need for the 16 and 18mm O-rings?


----------



## milkyspit

Lightingguy321 said:


> Does the SOX20A (IMS 20 reflector) fit in the minimag head without the need for the 16 and 18mm O-rings?




Yes, but it has its own issue: the MM head needs to be drilled or bored out a bit to allow the IMS20 to slide deep enough into the head to close the bezel ring properly.


----------



## Lightingguy321

So would the SOX17 A be a better drop in solution or could I go with an McR 18 or McR20 for drop in?


----------



## milkyspit

Lightingguy321 said:


> So would the SOX17 A be a better drop in solution or could I go with an McR 18 or McR20 for drop in?




If you've got the means to make the IMS20 fit, that IMHO is the best match to the MiniMag. If not, a McR18 is a decent alternative.

BTW, if you're careful you could probably enlarge the opening using a Unibit drill bit (those stepped bits) of the sort available at Lowes or Home Depot.


----------



## greenLED

LG, yes, but you'll need an o-ring to stabilize it inside the minimag head. You gotta place the o-ring on the window, center the reflector over it, and then tighten the head. 

I haven't tried a McR18. Seeing how the IMS17 is too small, and any 20mm reflector is too large, the McR18 might be your ticket.


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## Lightingguy321

shall I say I am putting these together (a twin pair that has the same innards and reflector/window) for two of my friends for christmas presents. Put it this way, it's the minimag form factor with an LED that is at least 4 times brighter than the original. (thats if I did my calculations right, TXOJ running from a MadMax plus board off of two Lithium, NiMh, or Alkaline AAs,= ~70lm from the LED I believe (thats if the calculation was done right).


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## greenLED

Honestly, I'd buy them a TerraLux drop-in and get it over with. Giving mods is really cool if your recipients are like-minded. But sammies can get finicky and if the reflector requires fine-tuning, etc. it'll be more of frustration for them than anything.

Even the Lux I drop-in from TerraLux is a whole lot brighter than the stock bulb. It comes with a very nice reflector and it's very simple to change the innards, etc.


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## Lightingguy321

How about the Seoul or Cree Terralux drop in


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## greenLED

Last I heard some of those newer drop-ins were having heat management issues, so make sure to research what the latest feedback on those is.


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## Lightingguy321

Or I could make both sandwiches and just keep the lights for my self (that was my original intent). Could I use a Luxeon I SWOH (from the Shoppe) with a MadMax Plus step up regulator board (700mA)?


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## greenLED

That sounds like a plan too. I have a couple of R-bin Lux sammies that I still find plenty bright & useful.


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## Lightingguy321

I might actually scratch running S bin 1 watts at 700mA, afraid I might toast the emitter. I am actually going with Luxeon III HD emitters (TXOJ) and from my calculations you still get quite a wall of light compared to stock lamp. I however am curious to see if any one finds it suitable to floor the Luxeon I (SWOH) at 700mA.


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## greenLED

Actually, the current hadn't fully "clicked" in my head when I replied to your post. I'd use a T bin and maybe a copper heatsink (filed down pre-1982 pennies work well).

That said, I prefer the 500mA sammies - bright enough and a lot longer runtime than the 750mA flavors.


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## Lightingguy321

LOL talk about defacing federal currency filing down pre 1982 pennies. I have to try that one.


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## Lightingguy321

how long is the run time on a 750mA sammie? I might have to drop down to the MadMax lite with a RYOJ if runtime shakes too much.


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## greenLED

There's a graph with runtimes in The Shoppe's sammie page.


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## Lightingguy321

Hmm 1.5 hours from the 700mA sammie on average (NiMh or lithium), that is here to stay, that is my final choice, I am kind of doing these for a little more brightness and a little less runtime, after all in the end I am probably only going to use NiMh AAs with the lights. Any body know how the sammies indicate low batteries (does it flash, or does it just die)


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## hank

Look for the light output change over time, there are charts around for each. The dropoff is the cue to watch for.f

At that point if you're in a cave or dark woods just leave it on, I think, I recall it takes more power out of the batteries to start it up and then drop down to 'moon' mode than just to stay on at that level.


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## Lightingguy321

Would the madmax plus be the best choice for output though (considering I am buying from the shoppe?)


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## greenLED

IIRC, you can adjust the current on the BadBoys, but not the MM's. (but I haven't played with one of Wayne's boards in a long time)


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## Lightingguy321

Last I looked on Wayne's web page on sammies I think I saw that the MM plus had a pot on it for adjustments. Other than that it was due to sheer price and the fact that I want output and not so much towards run time.


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## greenLED

Lightingguy321 said:


> I think I saw that the MM plus had a pot on it for adjustments.


That was the *old* version; that feature hasn't been on for a couple of years now.


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## Fourinchdragslicks

I just stumbled across this after purchasing a drop in Terralux *TLE-5EX. *What a great reference ! Thanks for the valuable information.


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## Midnightrun

This should be made a sticky with updates


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## Tsportmat

Hi all. I have a few decent torches... and an old MiniMag laying around. I fancy trying to use the Acrylic ball to make a great thrower; which is the best drop-in to use with it these days?


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