WTB 6x cylindrical lens set

I'm fairly new to this, and as of yet have an immediate use for these. But I can see them coming in handy later on.
Count me in for a set if still possible. PM me when ready.

Will do

Update on this.

Got a reply from him today he said, "the lenses are ready to send, I should be sending payment for them later this week, so not too far off :yh: "

So to me it sounds like they have been manufactured and will ship to him once he pays for them sometime this week.

Good news! The lenses have finally arrived and we can start the group buy. Anyone still interested in their sets please send me a PM.

Just wanted to update everyone. I have collected enough now to send off payment for the lenses. I will be sending the payment this Friday evening pacific time. If anyone is still interested that hasn't sent payment yet please PM me as soon as possible to get the info.

Sent off payment for the lenses today. Will update this post with tracking info once I recieve it.

Lenses came today. Getting them ready to ship to everyone tomorrow and will PM tracking info.

Shipped! looks like everyone should have theirs by Monday. Tested mine with a G9 and NUBM44 with pretty good results. Definitely increased my burning distance much more than 4x.

The cylinders are about 10 mm or less from the output of the g9. I wish I still had an expander but I sold my old one. It was a variable 10-20x with a 50mm exit lens diameter, never should have sold it lol.

RedCowboy said:

Cool, you didn't use any more than a G9 and a cylindrical pair?
Adding a beam telescope could probably get more range, will have to see.
What distance did you set your lenses at?

Click to expand...

Mine arrived! I was surprised by just how much smaller they are compared to the ones hey're much smaller than those ones from Tomorrow Systems. Now to find out how to mount these nicely...

Thanks a lot for your help in arranging this GB!

Glad to hear yours arrived! Would like to see how you end up mounting them once you figure it out.

I think both the g9 and g2 are similar enough in focal length that there won't be any noticeable difference between the two when using these Cylindricals with them.

I was thinking about using my favorite MX-900 housing with a 2 inch by 2 inch bar stock add on heat sink and a couple aluminum plates 3/8 inch thick bottom and 1/4 inch thick top about 2.0 - 2.5 inches long.

I will cut out some of that thin silicon rubber transistor insulator material for the top and bottom of the lens and sandwich them between the plates, I will cut and drill 8 - 10mm bar stock to use as standoffs the height of the lenses plus a fraction so only the rubber gets compressed so I can pinch the lenses in place without crushing them and still have unlimited adjustability as per their positions.

Then I can use a 2 inch wide hollow inner diameter aluminum pipe stock piece to enclose it and cut a front plate with exit hole.

All material can be purchased from ebay pretty cheap and work done with basic home workshop tools.





Or you could mount a slotted metal tube or PVC with the lens mounted in disc that will slide, 4 slots in tube, 4 screw points per disc @ 3, 6, 9, and 12 O clock

The tube attaches to the host by way or a thick face ring that the module comes through, copper or aluminum.




I think I am going to go with option #2 but the lens will need to be mounted level and the module level as well, but the slots can have a little side to side play to compensate, could even use washers on the outside and do a real caveman job, but I'm not building a piano, I just want solid results. Someone with a mill could do a 1st class job.


Even easier and stronger is use a Mx-900 with a budget beams heat sink and attach a bar stock piece 1.5 x 1.5 then use a 1.5 inner diameter tube to slip over that's first slotted, then 1.5 inch wide disc to mount lens.

Or just any 1.5 inch host then slip over a 1.5 inner diameter tube that you slot and use 1.5 inch disc to mount lenses.




After these beam shapers a beam expander or telescope set, who knows, I'm still not 100% if we are bringing in the highly divergent axis or expanding the less divergent axis to square things up, one way will work better as is the other needs a telescope set. Either way I think the slide over tube is the best way, then the end could fit a BE or additional lenses.

I may drill and tap my working unit and use 4 threaded rods and disc mount the cylindrical pair, I can use nuts to set the disc and see what we are working with. One way or another it will be done

All....there are many, many ways to mount these lenses. But....please note that lens to lens separation distance is very, very critical to optimal results !!

A +/- .2 mm can make a difference. I have found no way around this demand.

One way I have recently solved this problem is to machine a special holder/mount....see pic....for use with a HSOP ( Heat sink optical platform) unit to couple the Cylindrical's to the beam axis.

In using this unit...the Cylindrical lenses are epoxied to the holder.....with one lens fixed to the base...and the other able to move back and forth in the slot. This single degree of movement allows one to determine the optimal separation distance....and then to lock the slider/trombone component in position. Just one way to do it !!

But...as I said....there are many ways to accomplish the coupling of the cylindricals to your host. Good luck RC !

Beam out.

RedCowboy said:

Thanks, yes I started thinking about side to side runout, my 1st idea gives full adjustment.
The thing is these lenses look a lot smaller than the ones in your pic, I will take some pics next to a penny and a ruler after dinner so you can see them, I would buy a mount if you have one for sale, I know you were doing a c cell Maglite setup and I kinda would like to use 3 cells and I can make a spacer with a copper contact button because 3 26650's are a little shorter than 4 c cells. I will get dimensions after dinner.

Click to expand...

OK.....I do custom machine work....and ....I consider myself...a Full fledged..." Hack Machinist "

Your lenses are a lot smaller....but....I tell you....there will be the size I use available shortly....ya...ya...I know I said that before....but...it will happen !!

The main challenge is not only how to mount the lenses.....but....what the heck to mount them to !!!

A custom heat sink can be machined ( HSOP = Heat Sink Optical Platform ).....as was done with the " Sky Blue Ramjet" project.....and I am sure I can do that for most host's.

There are many different approaches......as done in the SBRamjet....where the optics were positioned and epoxied...." live "

This means the current was dialed down as low as possible to the LD....and a jig was used to position the lenses...in a rough manner...but....the final...lens to lens separation distance was done....with the LD....ON.....as the epoxy was setting....the optimal separation distance was determined....and the epoxy set. That is one way to do it !!! A bit nerve racking....as you only have about 5 min. to " dance " around with the optics !!....and the smaller the optics....the more trouble I have just mov'in em around !!

Anyway....let me know....there are options !

Beam Out

Well....the problem with the small cylindrical's is they are so small...handling just becomes a challenge....as they are difficult to get and keep ahold of.

But....a smaller size ( footprint)....means they may fit into a smaller build area

I personally do not care for the small lenses.

For my builds....typically using several diodes....I need more power capacity...
and this means...larger cells....or a multiple of four (4) 18650 cells !!!....and this means I have a larger diameter to work with ! SO...if I have a larger diameter....I have more room for the optics to occupy....so...larger cylindrical lenses are just fine for me !!!

I have not had a problem with 5min epoxy off gassing and screwing up optics.

Beam Out :tinfoil: