Monster Usb rechargeable host.

[Tmack]

Found this guy at Walmart lol. Uses two 18650 rechargeable through the host. The head is larger than a mag light. The led goes from red to blue when charged and I'm guessing it goes back to red when power is depleted. As a flashlight it's 750 lumens with high, med, low, sos modes. Around $50. I think it would give a duty cycle like a mag light and has a little more tactical look. Will be contacting a machinist for sure.

Anyone up for machining me a heatsink?! A big one!

 

[uniman2]

that host is sick. nice find!

 

[Livinloud]

RETURN IT NOW! That is a rip off and the batteries are unsafe! BLF has a big post on it. There is no battery vent in the host and apparently with the batteries it uses and there being no QC with ozark, its a ticking pipe bomb!

EDIT: if you are using it for a laser host then make sure to ditch the battery pack it came with and use real 18650s

 

[Cyparagon]

The walmarts where I live only have 3xAAA lights.

That's a series configuration on the cells, yes? Is there an electrical contact between the cells for balancing? Charging lithium cells in series is a bad idea if you don't balance them.

Peculiar. Link please, Mr. Loud?

 

[Tmack]

No good for a host? Even with new batteries?

Can't tell about the batteries. They are shrink wrapped together.

 

[NightExplorer96]

Wow.

Very strange and nice at the same time.

Great find Tmack, +1!


Edit: Need to spread some more rep around

 

[Tmack]

If I scrap these batteries, cyp is saying charging in series is bad.

 

[Livinloud]

Yes you wont be able to use the charger. the battery pack inside the light is parallel due to the 5V charging. Basically a ridiculously expensive light if all you plan to use it for is the host and to top it off, the charger will be junk unless you make a carrier to make the cells parallel

Ask and you shall receive: Walmart Carries Lithium Thrower | BudgetLightForum.com

 

[cantthinkofone]

Nice one T! Looking forward to a build thread!

 

[Tmack]

I'll see about making a carrier and using a boost driver, because I'd really like to use the charger. It was only $50 bucks. No biggie.

 

[Livinloud]

I dont know much about chargers but i believe when they mentioned a boost driver, they were referencing the actual charging driver which from what i understand is separate then the driver you are thinking about. If you swap in a standard 17mm boost driver then im still 99% sure the charger port will not work unless you some how figure a way to wire the port to the driver and get it to transfer the power to the cells

EDIT: and if you are not going to use it for a host, you might as well return it since the batteries are parallel so you cant just pop in 2x 18650 and eliminate the battery issue. thus we go back to the $50 pipe bomb issue

 

[Tmack]

I see. Well I appreciate the info. I'm glad I brought it up before just going at it and finding all the bs the hard way.
I guess I'll just have to build the 17 hosts I just bought.

Damn

 

[Livinloud]

Hey if you ever want to sell any of those rainbow hosts, let me know :beer:

 

[Tmack]

I got all his other ones too lol. Red kryton, stacker, a whole bunch. couldn't say no to to deal he gave me.

 

[Livinloud]

Same with the red kyton, I'd be super super super interested in that one. I already have the matching blue kne so I was bummed wheb he said as a group only :cryyy: so if you are not going to build it and keep it, PLEASE PM ME :beer:

 

[Tmack]

Just tested the batteries and they are in series.

I disassembled everything. The bottom part where it's charged is separated from the pill and driver. All I would need to do is take out the stock driver and swap it. It would have no effect on the charging devise. The positive and negative are already through the pill to the contact board. I would remove the stock driver and solder the existing leads to the new driver. And since the batteries are in series everything will work fine.