jayrob
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Just turning my tutorial into a Kit for sale...
There have been different modifications to the Mini Mag lights, and here is yet another modification using a FlexDrive with custom spacer and heatsink.
This mod uses a single, protected 14650 battery for a large capacity.
If you want to DIY following this tutorial, I can sell the heatsinks and custom spacers with o-ring. Or you can get the entire kit! (except the diode and battery) (pricing at the end of this post)
Here are the pictures...
Note:
Another way to get ground, is to have your 'negative FlexDrive input wire' longer, and feed it up the inside of the aluminum spacer, and fold it over the front. (the part of the wire that is folded over the front would be bare wire) That way, when you push the assembly into the host, the ground wire would get 'pinched' between the host and the spacer, and make contact with the bare aluminum area at the tip of the host on the inside lip. (this is the contact point by design of the Mini Mag - see first picture)
The Mini Mag lights are very appealing because of how nice the finish is on them! Plus, they come in different colors!
I will sell the custom heatsink, with spacer and o-ring for $32 dollars plus $3 dollars shipping if anybody is interested...
Or for the complete kit, here is the price breakdown:
* Basic Mini Mag Kit - $52... Black host/heatsink/spacer/o-ring/tail switch. (Terra Lux)
* Add the 'Hot' option - Plus $55... This includes the FlexDrive installed with current pre-set. (This 'Hot' option is a little more work and time than my other kits)
* AixiZ module - $5
* 405-G-1 glass lens mod - $55 31% increase for blu-ray vs AixiZ acrylic! (new) See link in signature!
* 650-G-1 glass lens mod for red! (fit for AixiZ) - $52 25% increase for red vs AixiZ acrylic! (new) Shown here: http://laserpointerforums.com/f64/f...modification-fit-aixiz-25-increase-46332.html
* Shipping - $6
* Please read my shipping policy here!
All you will need is a battery and a diode!
Driver:
If you are just using this post as a tutorial, you can get the FlexDrive here:
http://hacylon.case.edu/ebay/laser_diode/Micro_FlexDrive.php
Build tip for getting negative:
The host itself is ground. (battery negative to tail cap switch)
You need to get the negative input lead to the driver to touch the host.
I showed one way to do it, but you could also use the diode case pin if you wanted to. In this case, you would not need the little wire I showed. Just your positive lead to FlexDrive. And the negative would come from the diode.
As long as the heatsink is touching bare metal. If not, then you just file off the anodized area where the heatsink would be touching when tightened, and then you could use the diode case pin to be the 'ground to driver'. But the Mini Mag has anodized threads at the head, so this may be a problem for getting good ground from the host to heatsink.
A FlexDrive only needs one ground connection. Most of the time, I like to give ground from the host or pill, and then connect the positive and negative driver outputs to the diode. Because there is less chance of a bad connection, which could kill your diode.
But if you have a good connection from your heatsink to your host, then it is fine to get the ground from the diode case pin.
With a red build, the case pin is the negative. With a blu-ray build, you would just solder the case pin to the negative pin, and then the negaive wire to your FlexDrive...
See the 4th wiring diagram in the FlexDrive documentation:
http://hacylon.case.edu/ebay/laser_d..._V5_manual.pdf
Tail Switch:
I have tried both the Terra Lux tail cap, as well as the Nite Ize brand, and I like the Terra Lux much better...
The Terra Lux switch requires more pressure to 'click' it on or off. Nice smooth finish too!
mini mag cap terralux, great deals on Sporting Goods on eBay!
This host is also the perfect length for an O-like module using a 14500 instead of a 14650... my heatsink shown here, would be adjusted to be a 'custom front piece' similar to my DIY Green Kit. (shown in my signature below) Then the front end of the barrel would be drilled out so that the module would slide through and be held in place with a tiny set screw. (which would also be the positive contact point) I think a small sleeve type heatsink would also be used on the module. This would probably have to be glued on, because it would be very thin...
Jay
There have been different modifications to the Mini Mag lights, and here is yet another modification using a FlexDrive with custom spacer and heatsink.
This mod uses a single, protected 14650 battery for a large capacity.
If you want to DIY following this tutorial, I can sell the heatsinks and custom spacers with o-ring. Or you can get the entire kit! (except the diode and battery) (pricing at the end of this post)
Here are the pictures...
Note:
Another way to get ground, is to have your 'negative FlexDrive input wire' longer, and feed it up the inside of the aluminum spacer, and fold it over the front. (the part of the wire that is folded over the front would be bare wire) That way, when you push the assembly into the host, the ground wire would get 'pinched' between the host and the spacer, and make contact with the bare aluminum area at the tip of the host on the inside lip. (this is the contact point by design of the Mini Mag - see first picture)
The Mini Mag lights are very appealing because of how nice the finish is on them! Plus, they come in different colors!
I will sell the custom heatsink, with spacer and o-ring for $32 dollars plus $3 dollars shipping if anybody is interested...
Or for the complete kit, here is the price breakdown:
* Basic Mini Mag Kit - $52... Black host/heatsink/spacer/o-ring/tail switch. (Terra Lux)
* Add the 'Hot' option - Plus $55... This includes the FlexDrive installed with current pre-set. (This 'Hot' option is a little more work and time than my other kits)
* AixiZ module - $5
* 405-G-1 glass lens mod - $55 31% increase for blu-ray vs AixiZ acrylic! (new) See link in signature!
* 650-G-1 glass lens mod for red! (fit for AixiZ) - $52 25% increase for red vs AixiZ acrylic! (new) Shown here: http://laserpointerforums.com/f64/f...modification-fit-aixiz-25-increase-46332.html
* Shipping - $6
* Please read my shipping policy here!
All you will need is a battery and a diode!
Driver:
If you are just using this post as a tutorial, you can get the FlexDrive here:
http://hacylon.case.edu/ebay/laser_diode/Micro_FlexDrive.php
Build tip for getting negative:
The host itself is ground. (battery negative to tail cap switch)
You need to get the negative input lead to the driver to touch the host.
I showed one way to do it, but you could also use the diode case pin if you wanted to. In this case, you would not need the little wire I showed. Just your positive lead to FlexDrive. And the negative would come from the diode.
As long as the heatsink is touching bare metal. If not, then you just file off the anodized area where the heatsink would be touching when tightened, and then you could use the diode case pin to be the 'ground to driver'. But the Mini Mag has anodized threads at the head, so this may be a problem for getting good ground from the host to heatsink.
A FlexDrive only needs one ground connection. Most of the time, I like to give ground from the host or pill, and then connect the positive and negative driver outputs to the diode. Because there is less chance of a bad connection, which could kill your diode.
But if you have a good connection from your heatsink to your host, then it is fine to get the ground from the diode case pin.
With a red build, the case pin is the negative. With a blu-ray build, you would just solder the case pin to the negative pin, and then the negaive wire to your FlexDrive...
See the 4th wiring diagram in the FlexDrive documentation:
http://hacylon.case.edu/ebay/laser_d..._V5_manual.pdf
Tail Switch:
I have tried both the Terra Lux tail cap, as well as the Nite Ize brand, and I like the Terra Lux much better...
The Terra Lux switch requires more pressure to 'click' it on or off. Nice smooth finish too!
mini mag cap terralux, great deals on Sporting Goods on eBay!
This host is also the perfect length for an O-like module using a 14500 instead of a 14650... my heatsink shown here, would be adjusted to be a 'custom front piece' similar to my DIY Green Kit. (shown in my signature below) Then the front end of the barrel would be drilled out so that the module would slide through and be held in place with a tiny set screw. (which would also be the positive contact point) I think a small sleeve type heatsink would also be used on the module. This would probably have to be glued on, because it would be very thin...
Jay
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