# MC-E Maglite. Two ways to do it... Parallell and 2S2P. Now with beamshot comparison!



## StefanFS (Nov 13, 2008)

What you need for this project. A driver sandwich (see below), one CREE MC-E M bin emitter, one heatsink, some 0.3 mm silver wire or copper wire and some tools.









Preparing the emitter for parallell operation means you have to use a bridge to connect all the legs/connections on the emitter. The side with a cut corner is positive. Silver wires beneath the MC-E.








Pretinning the emitter legs..








Silver wire soldered to the emitter legs, it is difficult to get a good looking result. A steady hand and a fine tipped iron are bonuses in this step.








An exceptionally thin layer of Arctic silver epoxy to get a good thermal bond to the heatsink. The epoxy need to cure, best to leave it for 24 hours.








I simply glue the driver sandwich to the bottom of the heatsink and trim the leads to fit. No, that's not a problem with this solution, the driver does not get hot and if the heatsink get hot the led will fail before the driver even get close to overheating.








Soldering the 26 AWG teflon wire from the driver to the parallell prepared emitter legs. 








The finished result. It's a bored out 1D Maglite with UCL-glass and an OP alu reflector. Running on 1 D LiION. The beam distribution is almost identical to my SSC P7 DSWOI Mags with OP reflectors, visually that is. The MC-E M-bin Mag has less throw but more intense spill, spill is 15-20 % brighter and throw is ~15-20% less. The parallell solution seem to work very well with the MC-E in a Mag with a good heatsink. I plan on doing a 2 Serial-2 Parallel in a 2D Mag, with AMC 7135 based drivers and 2 D LiION cell or 6 AA eneloop. I'll post that in this thread.














------------------------------------------------------------------------​ 
*How to build a high quality, low cost, regulated 3 Ampere driver for your SSC P7 or parallell CREE MC-E Maglite*


This is what you need. Two 1A simple AMC7135 drivers (I buy the 1400mA kind and desolder the last chip at Q2 to make it ~1A) and one 1A AMC7135 multimode driver to control them. Some copper wire, teflon wire 24 or 26 gauge. Three connections are needed between the multimode and the slave sandwich, ~15 mm each. Two 5-7 mm pieces of copper wire to connect battery negative and battery positive between boards on the slave sandwich. One 10 mm piece of teflon wire to connect led negative between boards on the slave sandwich. Two pieces of 20-30 mm teflon wire for connection to the led from the multimode board.










Preparing the boards for the slave sandwich. Removing diodes and making sure connections are made between all AMC7135 chips with solder.










Soldering some copper wire jumpers in place of the diodes.










Making the sandwich. Battery negative is connnected on the edge with copper wire soldered between the boards, the ring around the boards. *Not seen is a similar piece of copper wire going from center positive to the other boards center postive *(if you miss this it will only give you 2.0A). A short piece of teflon wire going from led negative to led negative.










*Preparing the multimode driver.* 
1 will go to battery negative on the slave sandwich. 
2 will go to led negative on the slave sandwich.
3 will go to emitter negative.
4 will go to center positive on the top board of the slave sandwich.
5 is going to led positive.

Battery negative and positive connect to the underside of this driver,
negative to the ring and positive to the center.









To illustrate the connections.










Battery options are 1D or 1C or 1 x 18650 LiION, 3 x D-size NiMH 9000 mAh and up or 4 C/AA size NiMH. It's even possible to use one protected LiION and one NiMH cell as long as the NiMH cell have considerably higher capacity compared with the LiION cell. Everything goes with this driver as long as you keep it under 6V. Preferably under 5V for most of the runtime if that's possible.

Driver bords used can be found in a lot of places, two that are familiar to CPF are DX & KaiDomain: 
2-Level: http://www.kaidomain.com/ProductDetails.aspx?ProductId=1801
16-Mode: http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.7612
5-Mode: http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.6190
1400 mA boards: http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.1886

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------​ 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------​ 

*A 2S 2P solution for 2 LiION cells or 6 AA.*


The basis for this mod. User downloads excellent 2S2P solution based on AMC7135 drivers (pic borrowed from dowloads thread on the subject):







It differs from the diagram above in that my driver output ~1700 mA which will drive each dice at ~800-850 mA. See this thread for that discourse:
https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/201392


The MC-E mounted on a heatsink (for SSC P7 by user H22A), one 2 level 1000 mA AMC7135 based multimode driver and the 700 mA AMC7135 it uses as an extension/slave board. The teflon 26 AWG wire used is shown. The long piece is for switch positive to the first set of positive legs on the emitter, more on that below. The three short pieces are for connecting the boards and the three medium long ones are going to the emitter. The respective lenghts I used: 20 mm, 50 mm and 100 mm.








How the extension/slave board should look. 








With connections to the multimode driver.








The first connection to the emitter, this is from switch positive on the emitters positive side, see the cut corner at low right. I simply solder the wire between dice 1 & 2's positive contacts and let the solder bridge the connection.








Solder point 2 on the positive side goes to the driver positive out to emitter, the wire normally going from a driver to led positive.








First solder point on the emitter negative side. this is opposite the first solder point on the positive side. This one goes to the driver positive in (battery in) , where the wire from the switch module positive would go normally.








Second solder point on the negative side connects the driver led negative to the emitter.








A really wonderful result. It works great and looks even better. With the 2S2P driver two LiION cells or 6 AA eneloop in a cell holder are the best choices. Max 8.4 Volt.









A runtime with 6AA eneloop. This is really good, especially considering it's mildly overdriven and each die get slightly over 800 mA. Going on experience from my SSC P7 Mag builds I'd venture to say that runtime would double with 2 x 5 Ah LiION D-size cells, instead of eneloops in a holder.







I used one 1400 mA AMC7135 board that I stripped two AMC chips from according to the pics above. The simple AMC7135 drivers below 1400 mA being sold now are different in design, they are based on the multimode pcb.


Stefan


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## StefanFS (Nov 13, 2008)

*Re: MC-E Maglite.*

Beamshot time
It's less than stellar, the bad November storm weather tend to eat light and the shots appear darker than they are in real life. It sucks, but thats the best I can do at the moment. I think the beamshots do give a pretty good idea of how the respective lights function in severe conditions. The whole shoot it rained in varying degrees and it was misty and very windy. But I got the separate shoots under pretty much the same conditions. As a pointer; I started using a Fenix P1D for scene setup preparations and had to switch to a multi emitter Maglite to get enough light. 


From the left: Mag 1D CREE MC-E M-bin WC @ 3A, one D-LiION, op reflector. Mag 1D SSC P7 DSWOI @ 3A, one D-LiION, op reflector. Mag 2D CREE XR-E x 4 (each led is driven at 1.5A), quad optic, six eneloop cells in a holder. SSC P7 DSWOI 3D Maglite driven @ 3A, smooth reflector, four C-NiMH cells. Dereelight DBS V2, 3SD Pill with CREE R2 WC @ 1.2A , smooth reflector. Tiablo A9, SSC P7 CSXOI @ 2.4A, OP reflector.








The MC-E Mag with op reflector has brighter spill than the SSC P7 DSWOI with op reflector. The 3D Mag with SSC P7 D-bin and smooth reflector throws like the DBS with four times the hotspot and many times the spill, incredible. I measure 29 000 lux @ one meter from the 3D. All op reflectors are Chinese, Mag reflectors are from KaiDomain and the Tiablo A9 reflector is from Tiablo. 
Some shots have less than optimal focus, that's due to the bad weather and strong gusts of wind moving the tripod. I had the camera in full manual mode and all settings were locked.



*First setting. 35 meters to the trees.*















































































*Second setting. 200 meters to the tree line.*

































































*Third setting. *
Just a sandpit to show the differences in the respective beams. It's yellow/brown sand and it affects/exaggerates the tint. ~75 meters to the sand wall.






















































*White wall shots with lop/mop structured alu reflectors, MC-E and SSC P7 regarding hotspot composition and throw capability*

Hotspots. Both emitters are well centered. All shots are underexposed in varying degrees.
The MC-E hotspot is ~15-20% less intense than the SSC P7 in these lights, similar structured alu reflector from the same supplier and batch, same output within a few percent from drivers built the same way, both have UCL-glass lenses. But the MC-E have stronger spill light by the same amount that the hotspot is weaker. 



Here the difference in spill brightness and hotspot intensity show well. Both hotspots are very smooth. Underexposed.







Side by side. Underexposed.













*Complete beam distribution with op reflector. *

Remember that at only 1 m. this is not the best representation of the beam profile from these emitters, but it does give a pretty good idea how it looks. Slight ring around the spot. Nothing to get excited over. There's a ring even with heavy op reflectors. The ring disappear the moment you start to use it for real. 









*White wall shots with smooth reflectors, MC-E and SSC P7 regarding hotspot composition and throw capability*

Hotspots, same settings. MC-E hotspot is splotchier and weaker. Both emitters are well centered. All shots are underexposed in varying degrees.
The MC-E hotspot is ~15-20% weaker than it's counterpart the SSC P7 in these lights, similar Mag original reflector, same output within a few percent from drivers built the same way, both have UCL-glass lenses. But the MC-E have stronger spill light by the same amount that the hotspot is weaker.


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## CampingLED (Nov 13, 2008)

*Re: MC-E Maglite.*

StefanFS, you must stop doing this: great post, great photos, great review, first to post this, good work........:twothumbs

How does this compare to your P7 lights and where did you get the bare M-bin emitter?


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## rayman (Nov 13, 2008)

*Re: MC-E Maglite. One way to do it...*

Nice work :twothumbs.

Could you make some beamshots comparing your P7 and your MC-E Maglites?

rayman


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## 04orgZx6r (Nov 13, 2008)

*Re: MC-E Maglite. One way to do it...*

Wow great write up....
I know the beamshots will be great, in the mean time can you give us some preliminary thoughts on your P7 vs. M-CE?


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## StefanFS (Nov 13, 2008)

*Re: MC-E Maglite.*



CampingLED said:


> StefanFS, you must stop doing this: great post, great photos, great review, firts to post this, good work........:twothumbs
> 
> How does this compare to your P7 lights and where did you get the bare M-bin emitter?


 
It compares very well, it's as bright as my best SSC P7 D***I bin builds, but as I wrote ~15% less throw but brighter spill by the same amount. I t also has a slightly higher focus point in Mag reflectors. A biased feeling that's not substantiated in any way is that my MC-E Mag gets hotter in extended runtimes.. We'll see about that, it's no problem though, heatwise that is. This emitter probably works just as well as the SSC P7 in parallell applications.

I planned to fill up the space around the the MC-E with glow epoxy, but it looks good as it is. The reflector is bottomed out so there's no light leaking anywhere.

Stefan


Edit!
http://www.amilite.co.kr/ for M-bin WC emitters, they're not as cold as CREE X-RE Q5/R2 WC I have.


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## Sabrewolf (Nov 13, 2008)

*Re: MC-E Maglite. One way to do it...*

Excellent Work! I Love your solderings skills too :thumbsup:

And, now i know what a P7 Lokks like next to an MC-E!
That little MC-E is TINY! Can't wait till mine arrive :candle:


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## HEY HEY ITS HENDO (Nov 13, 2008)

*Re: MC-E Maglite. One way to do it...*

Superb photography Stefan,


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## StefanFS (Nov 13, 2008)

*Re: MC-E Maglite. One way to do it...*



Sabrewolf said:


> Excellent Work! I Love your solderings skills too :thumbsup:
> 
> And, now i know what a P7 Lokks like next to an MC-E!
> That little MC-E is TINY! Can't wait till mine arrive :candle:


 
It's smaller. This is in a SSC P7 heatsink. What it means for heat we'll see.


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## Essexman (Nov 13, 2008)

*Re: MC-E Maglite. One way to do it...*

Thanks for a great write up again, I'm looking forward to the 2D 6AA version.


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## Aircraft800 (Nov 13, 2008)

*Re: MC-E Maglite. One way to do it...*

Stefan,

Nice job on your Mag mod! Very Clean

The glow powder would look nice, depends on your taste. Here is a shot of mine:





*What reflector do you use? I have good luck with a stock reflector sputtered with clear epoxy paint, but it is hard to get one I like, it took me 3 tries *


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## wquiles (Nov 13, 2008)

*Re: MC-E Maglite. One way to do it...*

Nice work Stefan 

Will


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## Greg G (Nov 14, 2008)

*Re: MC-E Maglite. One way to do it...*

:naughty: Nice work as usual ..............BUT....




Beamshots or ban!


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## toby_pra (Nov 14, 2008)

*Re: MC-E Maglite. One way to do it...*

Very nice work Stefan! 

How about some beamshots of these Mags?


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## wildstar87 (Nov 14, 2008)

*Re: MC-E Maglite. One way to do it...*

I'm guessing you could an MC-E on the P4 Heatsink, though it doesn't have the same mass for heat. Yes, BEAMSHOTS!!


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## serious sam (Nov 14, 2008)

*Re: MC-E Maglite. One way to do it...*

I really hate this site..... 




NOT!

Time for more shopping


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## Grox (Nov 14, 2008)

*Re: MC-E Maglite. One way to do it...*

Nice work, and great tutorial! Thanks for the effort to put all this together.


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## StefanFS (Nov 14, 2008)

*Re: MC-E Maglite. One way to do it...*

Post #2 updated with beamshots!

The MC-E works very well with an op Mag reflector.


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## wquiles (Nov 14, 2008)

*Re: MC-E Maglite. One way to do it...*



StefanFS said:


> Post #2 updated with beamshots!
> 
> The MC-E works very well with an op Mag reflector.



Great job on the beamshots - very nice 

Will


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## StefanFS (Nov 14, 2008)

*Re: MC-E Maglite. One way to do it...*



wquiles said:


> Great job on the beamshots - very nice
> 
> Will


 
Thanks,
just the bloody weather, it's so damp, foggy and stormy here right now. Especially the fog/mist complicates things. In setting one some extra mist came billowing past when I shot the DBS, it looks like a laser compared to the others. Saw that when I got home and started working on the images...

/Stefan


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## AlexGT (Nov 14, 2008)

*Re: MC-E Maglite. One way to do it...*

I think the only picture missing is a comparison between smooth MCe and Smooth P7, I only see smooth P7 and no smooth MCE

Hope I made sense, LOL

AlexGT


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## vestureofblood (Nov 14, 2008)

*Re: MC-E Maglite. One way to do it... Now with beamshot comparison!*

Thanks for the step by step driver sandwich, and for the pics.


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## StefanFS (Nov 14, 2008)

*Re: MC-E Maglite. One way to do it...*



AlexGT said:


> I think the only picture missing is a comparison between smooth MCe and Smooth P7, I only see smooth P7 and no smooth MCE
> 
> Hope I made sense, LOL
> 
> AlexGT


 
A smooth Mag reflector simply doesn't work. It looks horrible with the MC-E, the smooth P7 beam is bearable and throws well. MC-E in smooth Mag looks like a disaster and doesn't throw that well (not mine at least)...

/Stefan


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## shakeylegs (Nov 14, 2008)

*Re: MC-E Maglite. One way to do it... Now with beamshot comparison!*

Stefan
Thanks for another great post. As always, extremely useful. 
BTW, I'm a big fan of that Osram bulb. It runs super cool for the massive amount of light it produces.


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## ARC mania (Nov 15, 2008)

*Re: MC-E Maglite. One way to do it... Now with beamshot comparison!*

Stefan: Thank you for sharing. Beautiful work!

ARC mania


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## Gryloc (Nov 15, 2008)

*Re: MC-E Maglite. One way to do it... Now with beamshot comparison!*

That is unfortunate news about how the MC-E performs in a huge, but smooth Maglite reflector. I am glad that it focuses okay in a OP reflector, but does that mean that the MC-E will never be a thrower?! If it cannot throw, none the less create a decent looking beam in the smooth Maglite reflector, then how will the beamshots look with smaller reflectors? :sick2: It is a tiny emitter, and modders will try to mount them in much smaller lights. So, how many will be dissatisfied after their mods? 

Just out of curiosity, could you post a picture of the MC-E behind a smooth reflector so we know what to sort of expect? Judging by certain artifacts and beam characteristics, we may be able to determine the optimal reflector for the MC-E.

I had hopes in using a MC-E emitter in a Jet-III Pro, but the reflector is only ~24.5mm in diameter with just a slight OP. I guess I have no choice but use the kinda bulky P7. :shrug: Sabrewolf successfully mounted SSC P7 emitters in a few Jet-III Pros. I am pretty happy with his beamshots.

Thank you for the beamshots. I was dying for some comparative beamshots of the MC-E vs the P7 in similar reflectors while waiting for my own MC-E emitters. Now I can finally get a little rest... :sleepy:

-Tony


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## AlexGT (Nov 15, 2008)

*Re: MC-E Maglite. One way to do it... Now with beamshot comparison!*

I see that you are using a DSWOI P7, did you get it from amilite? How is the tint? Is it brighter than the CSXOI you also have? I'm looking for a DSXOI but so far no luck, If I can't find one I might just settle for the WO tint and wanted to order from them if they are really D bins.

Thanks!
AlexGT


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## StefanFS (Nov 15, 2008)

*Re: MC-E Maglite. One way to do it... Now with beamshot comparison!*



Gryloc said:


> That is unfortunate news about how the MC-E performs in a huge, but smooth Maglite reflector. I am glad that it focuses okay in a OP reflector, but does that mean that the MC-E will never be a thrower?! If it cannot throw, none the less create a decent looking beam in the smooth Maglite reflector, then how will the beamshots look with smaller reflectors? :sick2: It is a tiny emitter, and modders will try to mount them in much smaller lights. So, how many will be dissatisfied after their mods?
> 
> Just out of curiosity, could you post a picture of the MC-E behind a smooth reflector so we know what to sort of expect? Judging by certain artifacts and beam characteristics, we may be able to determine the optimal reflector for the MC-E.
> .....
> ...


 
Take it easy, the MC-E throws plenty in an op Mag reflector (even in the original reflector). It just doesn't throw as well as the SSC P7 in a similar setup, my MC-E Mag trows ~18-20% less than my SSC P7 Mags with smooth reflectors. With op reflectors it's the same story. But remember that the MC-E throw ~16 000 lux and the SSC P7 throw ~20 000 lux with op reflectors and 24 000 and 29 000 lux with smooth reflectors. That's a lot of throw compared to most lights on the market, except HID lights of course.

The beam from the MC-E with an op reflector is smooth and creamy with great brigth spill, it's a really good alternative to an SSC P7 Mag with op reflector.




AlexGT said:


> I see that you are using a DSWOI P7, did you get it from amilite? How is the tint? Is it brighter than the CSXOI you also have? I'm looking for a DSXOI but so far no luck, If I can't find one I might just settle for the WO tint and wanted to order from them if they are really D bins.
> 
> Thanks!
> AlexGT


 
You can see the difference in tint in the shots in post two, the DSWOI is a bit yellower but not that much. It works very well outside. The DSWOI are brighter than my C-bins, not by much because most of my C-bins were from the first binning batch of 740-900 lumen or whatever it was. My C-bins were high in that binning, so it's between 5 & 15% brighter. Amilite seem to sell the real deal.

/Stefan

Edit!

I forgot! I have updated post #2 with some white wall shots of MC-E and SSC P7 in smooth Mag reflectors.


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## AlexGT (Nov 15, 2008)

*Re: MC-E Maglite. One way to do it... Now with beamshot comparison!*

Thanks for the pics Stefan, I see what you mean for horrible beam on the smoth reflector.


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## PlayboyJoeShmoe (Nov 15, 2008)

*Re: MC-E Maglite. One way to do it... Now with beamshot comparison!*

Beauty Stefan!!!

A little beyond my means/capabilities but something to shoot for!


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## vincebdx (Nov 15, 2008)

*Re: MC-E Maglite. One way to do it... Now with beamshot comparison!*

Thank you for this review :bow:


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## StefanFS (Nov 15, 2008)

*Re: MC-E Maglite. One way to do it... Now with beamshot comparison!*

Some white wall shots op reflectors addaed to post #2.


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## toby_pra (Nov 15, 2008)

*Re: MC-E Maglite. One way to do it... Now with beamshot comparison!*

Stefan!

One of the nicest beamshots comparison i have ever seen...:twothumbs


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## warx23 (Nov 16, 2008)

*Re: MC-E Maglite. One way to do it... Now with beamshot comparison!*

What a great write up. I appreciate the "how to" on the driver board. Gives me the encouragement to try it myself. 

Could you post up the links for the drivers. I see the driver boards but not the multi mode board. Thanks.

Keep up the great work!


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## poli (Nov 16, 2008)

*Re: MC-E Maglite. One way to do it... Now with beamshot comparison!*

Hi Stefan,
really interesting howto! I would like to try it myself and would also like to know, which drivers exatly you used for the mods. Can you please post the links to them? How about the input voltage of the circuit - can it handle external power supply of e.g. 7.2V from a battery pack?
Thanks and best regards
Poli


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## StefanFS (Nov 16, 2008)

*Re: MC-E Maglite. One way to do it... Now with beamshot comparison!*

Links posted in post #1. Input voltage are best kept under 6V with these drivers. Max of 4 AA/C NiMH cells or one big LiION.


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## Isthereanybodyoutthere (Nov 16, 2008)

*Re: MC-E Maglite. One way to do it... Now with beamshot comparison!*

Well it seams the MC-E dont give you more for the money than a P7 in a MAG 
But have look at this photo 





from this thread ,,,the car is at 100 meters :naughty:
https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/209991
Its a 26mm carclo tight optic 

Seams as one could make or mod a normal flashlight using the carclo ,if the heat can get away

Does anyone know how the beam is in the lights from Kai and DX compared to this photo (more or less throw)

I need light out there not in front of me where it will blind me


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## cryhavok (Nov 17, 2008)

*Re: MC-E Maglite. One way to do it... Now with beamshot comparison!*

This is interesting as electrolumens recently did a Mag-MCE mod and he was able to achieve MORE throw when compared to the Seoul P7. Check out this thread:

http://www.cpfmarketplace.com/mp/showthread.php?t=185704

He claims 40,000 lux (MC-E) compared to 20,000 lux (Seoul P7).


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## StefanFS (Nov 17, 2008)

*Re: MC-E Maglite. One way to do it... Now with beamshot comparison!*

With a beam that's tight at distances over a few meters the MC-E I have throw at most ~24-25 000 lux with a smooth org. Mag reflector. The SSC P7 D***I bin I have throw ~29 000 lux with the same setup.


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## wquiles (Nov 17, 2008)

*Re: MC-E Maglite. One way to do it... Now with beamshot comparison!*

On Saturday I attended the local flashaholic meet, and after testing side by side a Mag-based P7 and a Mag-based MC-E (driven at similar levels), neither light seemed to have an obvious advantage over the other one. 

Link to event:
https://www.candlepowerforums.com/posts/2701507&postcount=61


Will


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## PlayboyJoeShmoe (Nov 17, 2008)

*Re: MC-E Maglite. One way to do it... Now with beamshot comparison!*

wquiles, we could take it to PM if you want, but could you make me a decent 2x18650 (2C?) Mag P7 or MC-E? Maybe a three level driver or even a ramping one....


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## wquiles (Nov 17, 2008)

*Re: MC-E Maglite. One way to do it... Now with beamshot comparison!*



PlayboyJoeShmoe said:


> wquiles, we could take it to PM if you want, but could you make me a decent 2x18650 (2C?) Mag P7 or MC-E? Maybe a three level driver or even a ramping one....



Yup, but lets move to PM's as this is Stefan's thread. PM sent 

Will


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## poli (Nov 19, 2008)

*Re: MC-E Maglite. One way to do it... Now with beamshot comparison!*

Thanks for answers, Stefan!


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## StefanFS (Nov 19, 2008)

Post #1 updated with a 2S2P driver config in a 2D Mag running 2LiION cells or 6 AA.


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## StefanFS (Nov 23, 2008)

Post #1 updated with a runtime test for the 2S2P build on 6AA eneloop.


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## Nitroz (Nov 23, 2008)

It looks like both LEDs follow the same characteristics as their smaller counterparts when it comes to reflectors. The P7 works with a smooth reflector and the MC-E has a huge donut hole with a smooth reflector.

Is this what you find in your observation?

This makes me wonder if the MC-E in a narrow and deep reflector would throw well like the XR-E does. Hmmmm.....:thinking:


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## StefanFS (Nov 23, 2008)

Nitroz said:


> It looks like both LEDs follow the same characteristics as their smaller counterparts when it comes to reflectors. The P7 works with a smooth reflector and the MC-E has a huge donut hole with a smooth reflector.
> 
> Is this what you find in your observation?
> 
> This makes me wonder if the MC-E in a narrow and deep reflector would throw well like the XR-E does. Hmmmm.....:thinking:


 
It's not possible to get great throw focussed into a point due to the multichip design in existing small and deep reflectors. But you can get a really nice cone of light with a brighter center 'spot'. The MC-E do work with Tiablo A9 reflectors and Dereelight DBS V2, but with a little ring in the hotspot, it even look ok with a smooth Tiablo A9 reflector. Like the SSC P7 Tiablo A9 I have it can easily light up a treeline at 150 meters.


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## ergotelis (Nov 23, 2008)

Stefan, posting such information, we understand that you have tested it.But we need beamshots!!!You are one of the best in here i love your mods! 

Stefan, another question, have you used the 7882 board with a MC-E or a P7?It can provide high currents but i don't know if it will survive after some usage!


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## cdosrun (Nov 24, 2008)

Stefan,

I am looking at making something similar because the lamp post in my 3C-ROP has melted a bit so it is a good time to convert it to LED. Could the lack of throw compared to the P7 be because the post of the heatsink is too short? You said that the reflector is 'bottomed out' and from what I remember, the MC-E has a wider spread from its primary optic than the P7. Are there any heatsinks out there that you think would be better suited to the MC-E in a Maglite?

Also, I am intending to use the MaxFlex converter board from TaskLed to power this thing and have decided to go for an non-contact switch. Do you have any experience in using the QProx switches in these types of applications, or have any thoughts/opinions about the same?

Andrew


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## StefanFS (Nov 24, 2008)

ergotelis said:


> Stefan, posting such information, we understand that you have tested it.But we need beamshots!!!You are one of the best in here i love your mods!
> 
> Stefan, another question, have you used the 7882 board with a MC-E or a P7?It can provide high currents but i don't know if it will survive after some usage!


 
That driver board might be able to power it up to 1.3A or so, in effect seriously underdriving it. It's a snowstorm time here right now so no beamshots. I'm also trying to decide whether it will be my last Tiablo A9 that get upgraded or if I just make an MC-E pill for my DBS. 



cdosrun said:


> Stefan,
> 
> I am looking at making something similar because the lamp post in my 3C-ROP has melted a bit so it is a good time to convert it to LED. Could the lack of throw compared to the P7 be because the post of the heatsink is too short? You said that the reflector is 'bottomed out' and from what I remember, the MC-E has a wider spread from its primary optic than the P7. Are there any heatsinks out there that you think would be better suited to the MC-E in a Maglite?
> 
> ...


 
No, I don't think so. I tested with a cut down org. Mag reflector and throw doesn't improve. But come on, it's only about 10% less throw comapred with SSC P7, and spill is brighter instead.

No experience with those switches I'm afraid.


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## ergotelis (Nov 24, 2008)

StefanFS said:


> That driver board might be able to power it up to 1.3A or so, in effect seriously underdriving it. It's a snowstorm time here right now so no beamshots. I'm also trying to decide whether it will be my last Tiablo A9 that get upgraded or if I just make an MC-E pill for my DBS.



Ok, take care yourself!
I am asking about this board again,because it can provide the led with more than 2 amperes at over 3,7V.I am making some tests with it and a p7, i will provide more info when i will have completed my project.


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## download (Nov 24, 2008)

:wow: Wonderful mod, especially the beam-shots! 
2S2P draw less current from battery compare to parallel wiring, make the regulation last much longer. :goodjob:


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## olrac (Dec 1, 2008)

Very nice!! Your posts always contain valuable information. Thanks


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## Isthereanybodyoutthere (Dec 1, 2008)

OK i have been reading this with great interest :twothumbs

My plan is to mod my Aurora WF -600 with a MC-E


If i use this in a 2s2p setup





But with a 1050 miliamp multi mode driver like this




Then each die would get 0,525 amp 
If i then did ad one 0,350 amp 7135 chip i would up that to 0,7 amp to each die  perfect for the MC-E in 2s2p

I would have to use two rcr123 to make it run ,but that should not course any problems 

Am i correct so far ??


My original plan was to use the MC-E in parallel + the 2,4 or 2,8 amp sandwich Stephan is using in one of his mods + one 18650

So now tell me ,sins you both mean one will get longer regulation with the 2x4,2volt using 2s2p than 4,2 volt x1 in parallel

But 2x rcr123 is about 2x 0,880 =1,76 amp hour 
But 1x18650 is 2,4amp hour ,,but this solution you say is less efficient

So what would be best IF you could only chose between either 2x rcr123 or 1x 18650 

PS i would make a new pill out of copper to help the heat getting faster out of the light + the lower modes would be used most of the time


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## wildstar87 (Dec 2, 2008)

StefanFS, do you think the 2S2P would work with a 5 cell NI-MH pack? I'm guessing full charged, the voltage would be about right, but I'm not really sure. I know that 6 is optimal, but the battery pack I have is only a 5 cell.


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## StefanFS (Dec 2, 2008)

Isthereanybodyoutthere said:


> OK i have been reading this with great interest :twothumbs
> 
> My plan is to mod my Aurora WF -600 with a MC-E
> 
> ...


 
In a smaller light with either 2 x RCR in 2S2P or 1 x 18650 in parallell I'd go with the parallell solution for better runtimes. In a bigger light that use 2 x 18650 or 2 x C/D LiION or 6AA NiMH I'd use the 2S2P. But that's just me.




wildstar87 said:


> StefanFS, do you think the 2S2P would work with a 5 cell NI-MH pack? I'm guessing full charged, the voltage would be about right, but I'm not really sure. I know that 6 is optimal, but the battery pack I have is only a 5 cell.


 
No. Not very well at least. It would provide light for a while, but less light with bad regualtion. The MC-E seem to have pretty low vf, but not that low. Pretty soon you'd be down to 6V in the discharge curve and that would mean ~3V to emitter.

/Stefan


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## Isthereanybodyoutthere (Dec 2, 2008)

Ok Stefan i know the 18650 has more runtime than the two rcr123
But the efficiency is lower on the 1 x 18650 in parallel

Is it true you have both versions ,,could you do a test run one with two rcr123 and the other with 1 x 18650 in parallel,,please please 

The 2s2p looks good in the regulation ,my guess is that i would get about 20 to 25 min on two rcr123 running 1,4 amp through both set of parallel dies 
I would only need to ad one extra 7135 chip ,i could solder it directly to the 1050 amp driver (parallel to one of the other 7135`s),that would be a small packed 

If doing pure 1 x 18650 in parallel i would need to run 2,8 amp trough the set up 
I would need to ad extra FIVE 7135 chips to get there 
I could hide the FIVE extra chips in the head of the light, but might need to unsolder them to solder them to some wires ,and mount them with thermal glue ,, might not be worth the hassle :scowl:

The advantage of the two rcr123 set up is that it is fool proof  nobody can  my light by putting in two rcr123 

If doing the one 18650 this would be a risk 

+ if i really needed it i could use a extender tube and use two x 18650 for longer runtime 

So the two x rcr123/two x18650 is easier to build ,no risk of  by using two rcr123 

And the best  sins i plan on making a new pill out of copper ,i can go back to the stock Q5 pill if i wanted to  just by swapping the pills 

So how much do i really give up by using the two x rcr123 over using the one 18650

PS thanks to Download and Stefan for all this wonderful info

PPS one more benefit of the two x rcr123 is that the current in the switch would only be 1,4 ,instead of 2,8 with the 1x 18650


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## StefanFS (Dec 2, 2008)

CPF user eprom has sent me an Cree MC-E 5A emitter to make some real world tint comparisons against MC-E WC and SSC P7 DSWOI and SSC P7 CSXOI. The actual 2S2P Mag 2D build is finished and only the beamshots remain. I'll do that in a new thread.


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## PaulH (Feb 25, 2009)

I'm slightly embarrassed to ask for help when the tutorial is extremely comprehensive. I wish I understood why I was soldering wires to a certain location rather than just asking where. I learn more everyday though from this site and tutorials like this one, so perhaps I will understand at some point. Hopefully!

In the mean time... and here's where I show off my lack of knowledge, I would be grateful for some help.

I'm trying to put together a 2S2P 2C mag MC-E, to use with 2 C LiIons.

I've wired a 700mA board and a 1A multi-mode driver together like so (ignore the paperclip under the boards!):







So, if I have that right, the other wires come from the MC-E. I have numbered a picture from the manufacturer's website:






I haven't numbered them the best, so please bear with me! Please correct me if I have gone wrong.

3+4 go to the + out from the mag switch - easy!
1+2 go to the LED+ out on the multi-mode driver board (shown as 1 on the photo below - wires from 700mA board not shown for clarity).





Right, here is where I get lost.

5+6 on the MC-E go to LED- out from the MM driver board (shown as 4 on the photo above).
7+8 on the MC-E - I'm sorry... I don't understand where this goes!

Finally, does the -out from the mag switch get wired to the underside of the MM board?

I would appreciate any help with this one. I'm down to my last driver board, so I don't want to see this one go up in smoke!

Many thanks,

Paul


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## StefanFS (Feb 25, 2009)

Paul,

The function of this circuit is that it uses two of the leds, dice in this case, for dumping forward voltage from voltage in. Then it's a suitable voltage for the two serial connected leds (dice) that the driver 'controls'. The result is that the two serial sets of leds (dice) balance each other.

As for the connections:

1 + 2 = Battery in positive
3 + 4 = Driver positive out to led
5 + 6 = Driver led negative out to led
7 + 8 = Driver battery positive in (underside of most drivers)

Negative out from the Mag switch goes to the driver negative in, the ring oaround the rim, on the board with the other connections.

Think of the four dice as four separate leds if you will, then the opposing + & - are more easy to grasp. Of the four dice two are in serial connection, they are then in a parallell connection to the other two dice that also are serial connected.

The particular driver you made is going to overdrive your MC E to ~800 mA per die. It works very well with a good heatsink and its very bright.


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## PaulH (Feb 25, 2009)

Many thanks Stefan.

Am looking forward to having a go at putting it together later on!

PH


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## divelights (Mar 23, 2009)

Stefan

A question from a Newbie. Is the anodizing on the heat sink sufficient to prevent electrical contact? or did you need to bend the pins up as I have seen others do?

Great post!!


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## StefanFS (Mar 23, 2009)

divelights,
the anodizing should be more than enough. On the light with MC-E 5A that had the pedestal polished down I simply put a 0.3 mm disc of copper under the MC-E to lift the legs up a bit. But anodized heatsinks are safe to use without modifications as long as the anodizing is undamaged.


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## endo (Mar 24, 2009)

Stefan,

I have a question about what batteries to use. I have a 3D cell maglite and I plan on doing the 2S2P mod. I am not sure whats the max voltage I can use. I was thinking about using 4 C cell nimhs. What type of batteries would you recommend for a 3D cell maglite.


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## StefanFS (Mar 24, 2009)

endo said:


> Stefan,
> 
> I have a question about what batteries to use. I have a 3D cell maglite and I plan on doing the 2S2P mod. I am not sure whats the max voltage I can use. I was thinking about using 4 C cell nimhs. What type of batteries would you recommend for a 3D cell maglite.


 
You need to keep voltage between ~7.5V to ~9V for this 2S2P to work well. 6 NiMH cells or 2 LiION cells. There's probably a way to fit 6 Aa NiMH in a 3D or use a spacer with 2 x LiION cells.

But (depending on where you live) a 2D Mag would not be very expensive to buy as a host. I have even been buying only the battery tubes sometimes from places like Flashlight . king etc.


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## wildstar87 (Mar 24, 2009)

Hi StefanFS,

I think I have this right, but I just wanted to double check with you. I just got one of the "newer" versions of the 16-mode AMC7135 1000ma drivers. It seems that these newer ones on a green board have an empty spot for another AMC7135. So if I put an AMC7135 in that spot, that will make this a 1400ma 16-mode driver.

I'm planning on doing a 2S2P configuration with an MC-E, with 2-18650, so given all that, this should run all the dies at pretty much 700ma, which is exactly at spec right? Normally if you run all parallel that would be 2800ma, but since it's running 2S2P, it would halve the current (1400ma) and double the vF (~7.2v) right?

Just want to make sure my computations are all correct.. This is a hell of a cool solution with this LED if so..


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## StefanFS (Mar 25, 2009)

wildstar87,

you are correct on all points. I have done that with my newer 2 level 1000 mA boards as well, soldered a fourth AMC chip in the empty spot, and it works well.


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