# Milky Cree-Mation!



## milkyspit (Nov 9, 2006)

*And so it begins... *:naughty:


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## milkyspit (Nov 9, 2006)

*(Reserved for Additional Runtime Charts and Photos.)
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## milkyspit (Nov 9, 2006)

*(Space Reserved for Additional Runtime Charts and Photos.)
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## Archangel (Nov 9, 2006)

(smirk) Is that picture legal?


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## fnmag (Nov 9, 2006)

Hmmmmm,


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## havand (Nov 9, 2006)

Archangel said:


> (smirk) Is that picture legal?



I don't know...But it makes me feel better about soldering to the top of them myself!


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## MSaxatilus (Nov 9, 2006)

Nice Closeup!!! Reminds me of a really funny story, to long and disgusting to go into here. But anybody that wants to hear it remind me at Photon Fest VII. Its definitely worth the 10 minutes.


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## WAVE_PARTICLE (Nov 9, 2006)

milkyspit said:


> *And so it begins... *:naughty:


 

Awesome. I can imagine 7xCREE XR-E in 27mm deep reflectors. Hmmmm.... lumens....

Hey Scott, did you get my PM?

WP


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## bombelman (Nov 9, 2006)

So Milky-man, the contacts next to the dome can just be soldered to with pos [+] and neg [-] leads directly from a driver-boards ?

Cheers !!


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## milkyspit (Nov 9, 2006)

bombelman said:


> So Milky-man, the contacts next to the dome can just be soldered to with pos [+] and neg [-] leads directly from a driver-boards ?
> 
> Cheers !!



As long as the board itself is electrically isolated, which a Luxeon star heatsink is, then YES!
:thumbsup:


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## EricMack (Nov 9, 2006)

Shaawiiingg!! :laughing: Dr. Frank-Cree-Stein at work in MLabs....  :naughty: 

The more the merrier!


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## Lonely Raven (Nov 9, 2006)

Ewe! Is that your typical soldering job, or is there a reason it looks like silver goobers slobbered over those cree contacts?

Anywho, excited to see what you do with it!

Nice photo by the way.


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## wquiles (Nov 9, 2006)

Koooooooooollllllllll :rock: 

Will


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## milkyspit (Nov 15, 2006)

*First Project-M CREE Light: The M321-1D Cree-Mated!*_*
*
_


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## jch79 (Nov 15, 2006)

Why is this under BST??
I keep clicking on it thinking there is something for sale.
Seems more appropriate in the Homemade/Modified lights? :shrug:
I obviously don't mean any offense or harm  - I think this is awesome!
Thanks,
john


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## IsaacHayes (Nov 16, 2006)

LOL, thats crazy!!! Why not just use the cree star if you are using a lux1? A lux3 star would be a better choice if you cut around the pcb so it would sit down if you want to improve thermal transfer. Franky with all the work to put it on the star, why not just use the emitter and solder wires to it? There are small enough wires... just clip the corners..

Anywho, whats the power to the 1D? what reflectors? ludicrous amount of light!


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## milkyspit (Nov 16, 2006)

*Isaac, *the LuxI star does a nice job at 350mA and I find it's easy to solder to... besides, I have a bunch sitting around from emitter removal in previous Luxeon builds. 



jch79 said:


> Why is this under BST??
> I keep clicking on it thinking there is something for sale.
> Seems more appropriate in the Homemade/Modified lights? :shrug:
> I obviously don't mean any offense or harm  - I think this is awesome!
> ...



*John, *yeah, it's a little confusing right now I guess. The vast majority of items shown in this thread will in fact be for sale... for example, the M231 shown a few posts above this is something I can build for folks... might not end up using exactly the same reflectors, but the concept will be the same... hmm... if ya want an M231, send me a PM!


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## jch79 (Nov 16, 2006)

Cool! And please don't tempt me!
Thanks :wave:
john


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## milkyspit (Nov 16, 2006)

IsaacHayes said:


> Anywho, whats the power to the 1D? what reflectors? ludicrous amount of light!



Oops, forgot this part! Take a look in the *Project-M* thread for a brief writeup on the M231...


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## IsaacHayes (Nov 16, 2006)

Milky: Ahhh only 350ma. I forget your mods are good with runtime. Yes 350ma is fine, and the lux1 star is actually even better at thermal transfer than the mcpcb that people have been putting the crees on. I would caution though that a star that has been bent to pop the emmiter off can weaken the bond of the pcb to the aluminum, and the aluminum won't be perfectly flat when it contacts the heatsink either anymore. I guess this all really depends on the amount it was bent, as I've done some really far and the pcb comes right off with the luxeon. But one would still want to sand / lap the backside to make sure it's as flat as possible.

I kind of like the look of the cree on the luxeon star though! Something familiar, and something new!


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## wquiles (Nov 16, 2006)

IsaacHayes said:


> But one would still want to sand / lap the backside to make sure it's as flat as possible.


Yep, that is an old trip from mounting new heat sinks for computer CPU's - don't assume that becuase it is new it is also "flat" 

Will


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## milkyspit (Nov 16, 2006)

wquiles said:


> Yep, that is an old trip from mounting new heat sinks for computer CPU's - don't assume that becuase it is new it is also "flat"
> 
> Will



Hmm... I thought lapping the heatsink was meant to remove small pores and ridges from the heatsink's surface... but guess that's the same as flattening, really.

Yep, I've built a PC or two in my day. :naughty:

Then I moved on to flashlights because it was getting too expensive to keep building PCs!


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## freewheelin' (Nov 16, 2006)

Ok, I'll make it official! Put me down for Milky's first Cree - mation. Just let when its gonna hit my wallet and how much. It'll be my 1st 1st.


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## Kiessling (Nov 16, 2006)

The guys are right, this thread isn't really a B/S/T thread and more of an introduction thread, and so I'll move it to homemade.
Milky ... please feel free to start a B/S/T thread about this anytime or add it to your other threads ... your choice 
bernie


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## milkyspit (Nov 17, 2006)

Kiessling said:


> The guys are right, this thread isn't really a B/S/T thread and more of an introduction thread, and so I'll move it to homemade.
> Milky ... please feel free to start a B/S/T thread about this anytime or add it to your other threads ... your choice
> bernie



Dangit Bernie!


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## D MacAlpine (Nov 17, 2006)

milkyspit said:


> Dangit Bernie!


 
Take revenge, don't let him have any of your new creations!  

I think that I need to start saving up now for one of the nice little single emitter flamethrowers that you'll be producing when you have a supply of Crees & reflectors.... (flashpoint is 100+ lumens & 2 or more levels in an 18650/RCR123A body - the ML1 Cree???)

How is the software for your multi-level boards coming along by the way?


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## Kiessling (Nov 17, 2006)

Guys ... :whoopin:  :wave:

With all this talk about multi-level boards ... how will it work? What will the user interface be like?

bernie


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## MSaxatilus (Nov 17, 2006)




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## Phaserburn (Nov 17, 2006)

Let the modding commence...!

Did you get that led Minimag yet?


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## milkyspit (Nov 17, 2006)

Phaserburn said:


> Let the modding commence...!
> 
> Did you get that led Minimag yet?



Hmm... by the time you posted this, yes, I had already picked it up... about 2 hours earlier.


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## milkyspit (Nov 18, 2006)

freewheelin' said:


> Ok, I'll make it official! Put me down for Milky's first Cree - mation. Just let when its gonna hit my wallet and how much. It'll be my 1st 1st.



*Freewheelin', *I'm happy to build the first one for you... actually honored is the better word! It's a pleasure sir.  I'll need your payment and if memory serves, you have plans in the upcoming week? Also (off-topic for just a moment) you were going to mail your light and a MO to me... just wanted to remind you about that so maybe you could get it in the mail in time? PM me and let me know what's up from your end. Thanks!


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## freewheelin' (Dec 7, 2006)

milkyspit said:


> *Freewheelin', *I'm happy to build the first one for you... actually honored is the better word! It's a pleasure sir.  I'll need your payment and if memory serves, you have plans in the upcoming week? Also (off-topic for just a moment) you were going to mail your light and a MO to me... just wanted to remind you about that so maybe you could get it in the mail in time? PM me and let me know what's up from your end. Thanks!



Yeee Haw, I got it, my stuff is on its way to be transformed into the first Milky creeation! Look for beamshots when it gets here. It'll be ugly with my black KL3 and Z57 and a bare alum UBH and HA3 E2C but it'll be unique, blinding bright and MINE, MINE MINE. (Doing happy dance) Don't ask, you can't borrow it, if you get too close I'll shine it in your eyes!


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## freewheelin' (Dec 7, 2006)

*Sorry, double post*

sorry


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## David_Web (Dec 7, 2006)

IIRC from another thread.
How about a XR-E behind the optic from a new style KL1/L1?
You said you got them open without much problem or damage.
Someone posted a pic of the optic just held in front of the led and it worked nicely, maybe you could test it.

BTW with all the reflectors put in the new style KL1 and L1 do you have any optics left I could get? It's worth a try.


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## jtice (Dec 7, 2006)

I cant wait for Scott to pull off a Tri-Cree M3 

~John


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## milkyspit (Dec 7, 2006)

jtice said:


> I cant wait for Scott to pull off a Tri-Cree M3
> 
> ~John



John, want yours to be the first? (hint, hint)


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## milkyspit (Dec 8, 2006)

David_Web said:


> IIRC from another thread.
> How about a XR-E behind the optic from a new style KL1/L1?
> You said you got them open without much problem or damage.
> Someone posted a pic of the optic just held in front of the led and it worked nicely, maybe you could test it.
> ...



David, I believe it was CM who posted a pic of the TIROS optic held in front of a Cree emitter. Regarding the L1... *DONE!* :naughty:

Right now I've got a new-style L1 with Cree P3-WC (superb white tint) behind the stock TIROS optic. The light is in excellent condition, with no gouges, blemishes, or similar damage whatsoever... opened cleanly! At close range the optic magnifies the emitter die, which is actually kinda neat to see projected on a wall, at least IMHO... at longer distances and outdoors, all one sees is a great big circle of intense light hitting the target out in the distance. Runtime with high beam roughly 90-120 minutes on a single 123 cell, 150+ hours on low beam. *Available now, first come first served, for $199 plus $5 shipping worldwide... and if you like, I'll toss an extra TIROS optic to play with into the package!* 

PM me if interested!


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## D MacAlpine (Dec 8, 2006)

jtice said:


> I cant wait for Scott to pull off a Tri-Cree M3
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 
Now that's going to be worth some



, are the reflectors out there to focus the output from 3 Crees in this size of head or will it be more like the Mr Big "wall of light"??? (have you secretly got hold of some McR17s???:naughty: )

Scott, you have some serious research on your hands there!


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## jtice (Dec 8, 2006)

milkyspit said:


> John, want yours to be the first? (hint, hint)



Damn Skippy! 

and, good point, what reflectors do you plan to use?
The textured ones seem to work best with the Crees.

~John


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## D MacAlpine (Dec 8, 2006)

D MacAlpine said:


> (have you secretly got hold of some McR17s???
> 
> 
> 
> )


 
At the risk of answering my own question, I see that you have indeed investigated the McR17.

Can a Cree/McR17 combo be shoehorned into a KL3 size head or is the package too big?

You already have the M-series and the X-series - will you need some new letters for the Cree versions??

More dumb questions to follow in due course I imagine......
(sorry - I'm a little giddy from passing a lengthy course at work, and due to get worse on fizzy wine when the wife gets home......



)


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## milkyspit (Dec 11, 2006)

D MacAlpine said:


> At the risk of answering my own question, I see that you have indeed investigated the McR17.
> 
> Can a Cree/McR17 combo be shoehorned into a KL3 size head or is the package too big?
> 
> ...



Well, uh... (fidgeting)... I *might* have a few McR17xr's sitting around here somewhere. oo:

The KL3 old-style head is a little space challenged for 3x Cree... even with Luxeons the only reflector that fits is McR11... Mr. BIG was built using 3x LuxV emitters mounted with 3x McR11 reflectors, and man, is it one heck of a bright near-range flood!

Now an old-style KL3 with the bulkhead bored out, and a big reflector mounted in there, and a Cree emitter plus something like an E2C adapter... :naughty:

As for letters, so far I'm going with a little "xr" on the end of a name, such as M231xr. Gotta give that one some thought!
:thinking:


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## freewheelin' (Dec 19, 2006)

Yeah duddy, got my KL3 w/ Cree yesterday and spent a couple hours playing in the dark. Kinda purdy with the missmatched parts too.
No beam shots yet but I put a new set of SF123's in and WOW, beautiful white light with a 5 foot hotspot at 15 feet and an abundance of usable spill and not a ring in sight.
Went and got my C3 with new batts to test.
The C3 outthrows it a good bit but has a much smaller hotspot and a lot less spill. 
IMHO the Optimator with the Cree is much more usefull to me as I like to have a wide field of view.
More as I learn.


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