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ArcticMyst Security by Avery

Maglite Solitare Build

Joined
Nov 26, 2011
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86
Points
8
I first saw the Maglite Solitare flashlight in Walmart and thought that it would be a nice, compact, small laser host. So, I picked one up and over the past few weeks have turned it into this nice ~300mW red laser. It's run by 1x10440 battery, so not much battery life, but I can carry spares, and long battery life wasn't the point of this build. I had to modify almost every piece.

I started by dremeling out the front section where the lens and bulb used to be. I decided to use an aixiz module, which was just about as wide as the host. I filed down the aixiz module with a tool-sharpening spinning grindstone and made a nice press-fit.

I decided to use a 10440 AAA-sized battery, but found that it would be extremely tight for space with a flexdrive. I accidentally burnt out the first flexdrive I ordered by running 18 volts through it, and managed to kill the second too, but the third finally works at ~455mA. I also killed five LPC-826's trying to finish this build... the last of which is the one currently in the laser, which burnt out a couple of hours ago :yabbem: I guess I'll just have to get another. It's easy enough to replace.

I modified the tail cap to have a momentary switch. I tried to bore out the whole thing with a drill press the first time, but ended up splitting the tail cap in two. So, I got another solitaire and dremeled out a small area for the switch. It's a tiny switch from Radioshack, the same found on many of the green chinese modules, only with an long button. I had to glue some extensions to the button to make it stick out the back of the tail cap.

This laser measures ~0.5in by 3.5in, so it's quite small. Not bad for a first fully custom build :D

Pictures:
dzyotl.jpg


jud4c2.jpg


This is the modified tailcap:
97pw1i.jpg


You can see how tight for space it is:
epk5y.jpg


Unfortunately I have no beamshots right now because the diode is dead... but I can assure you it works well :D

Shep
 
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sinner

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Oct 27, 2011
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Thats a great build , i love small builds and would definitely make one like this, or maybe smaller!! i mean how small can it be made.. i think 10280's are the smallest known to mankind !! :D
 
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Mar 22, 2011
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Pretty cool build! I like that you are able to use a driver in this! most solitaire attempts don't have that.
 
Joined
Nov 26, 2011
Messages
86
Points
8
Thats a great build , i love small builds and would definitely make one like this, or maybe smaller!! i mean how small can it be made.. i think 10280's are the smallest known to mankind !! :D

Thanks :D

I'm pretty sure there are 10180's out there somewhere, but they're really hard to find. Lighthound has them listed but they're sold out right now. I just cut down another maglite solitare so that it's just the middle section and it almost all fits with a 10280... I'm short only about 4-5mm. I may be able to gain some space back in the tailcap though. It would be about an inch shorter though :)
 

sinner

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10180's are just 90mAh advertised and since chinese made are about 60% of specified capacity (if you're lucky) , current draw approx. 0.5A isnt possible.. that makes 10180's a bit of a bad choice! If u want your laser to work for a number of times in one charge, 10440 like yours is the best option!! no point on making a 300mW burner that wont even run at full power!!
 
Joined
Nov 26, 2011
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Ah, good point. Maybe I'll put a lower-current draw PHR with a 10180 sometime.
 




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