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ArcticMyst Security by Avery

Tool AAA host. Maybe?

Bacon

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I gutted my Tool AAA flashlight and was pleased to find that the end is about 12.2mm with a lip at the end to hold a module in, and still alow the lens to poke though. I stuck an x-drive in for a test fit / example since its my only driver not in use right now. Too bad its just slightly too small all together.

I might try and find some 10280 batteries since they are shorter (and also very hard to find in small quantities). Has anyone else tried using one of these? :thinking:
They come in titanium, copper, brass, and aluminum too.


Driver can sit in-between battery tube and end.
aaa-1.jpg

10440 slightly too long
aaa-2.jpg

Maybe some day...
aaa-3.jpg
 





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Another cheap flashlight bites it to become a laser host. There are many of these around now that you don't have to look for an unusual battery to fit it. Good luck with this build.
 
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Bacon, If you find any 10280's available domestically, please let me know. Especially if they are name brand. I've only been able to find them in reasonable quantities from China and they are generic.
 
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i got the skyworf AAA host and i think with some cutting modifications i can fit a driver inside as the only thing that takes all the space is the led metal frame and screws in till the battery end.
 
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Hi
Yes there’s no much room to mod the host that’s why I machine my own heat sinks for them. Then there’s plenty of room for a full 12mm module with a back half.

Rich:)
 

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LaserRanger

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What about using a 10180 cell? Or 2 if you cut the tailcap spring shorter? For low power lasers with a back half or no back, just driver and diode housing fitted on the head of the flashlight... I have a nice copper tool with a hi cri that I do not want to kill for a laser lol but I was thinking about it even before I read this thread
 

Benm

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One source of such small batteries could be electronic cigarettes, even (or especially) the disposable ones. Oddly many disposable ones seem to just have a rechargeable lipo in them, though make sure this is actually the case! You may also be able to find suitable cells of this site as replacement ones for e-cigs.

I guess the ones used in disposable e-cigs would not be the best quality, but the ones from refillable must be pretty decent considering how much current is drawn when using them, and the number of claimed charge cycles on those things.
 

LaserRanger

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One source of such small batteries could be electronic cigarettes, even (or especially) the disposable ones. Oddly many disposable ones seem to just have a rechargeable lipo in them, though make sure this is actually the case! You may also be able to find suitable cells of this site as replacement ones for e-cigs.

I guess the ones used in disposable e-cigs would not be the best quality, but the ones from refillable must be pretty decent considering how much current is drawn when using them, and the number of claimed charge cycles on those things.

I actually took apart one of those cigarette lookalikes and found a lipo battery of decent capacity but once the tabs break off the contacts, there's no real way to use them since I could not sodder any wires to those little tabs
I also do have a pair of 10180s that fits nicely inside the lumintop AAA tool and it seems like it fits with an aixiz module fitted on the flashlight head
 

Benm

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I guess the tabs are spot welded on there, but are they made of some material that doesn't take solder at all?

If you can get proper cells from reliable vendors that would obviously be preferable, but there are so many bogus ebay listings i don't trust them anymore.
 

LaserRanger

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The tab broke off the lithium pouch and only a small piece is left and it won't take up the solder the other one does so it's useless now.

Yeah I haven't looked hard enough for reliable sellers for those batteries but the ones I got are working good enough for me, although I don't believe to be pushing them too much
 
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I wouldn't buy them on eBay, but Efest makes those size batteries. You can get ones that are the same size as AAs and AAAs. There are too many counterfeits on eBay to know which are which.
 

LaserRanger

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I wouldn't buy them on eBay, but Efest makes those size batteries. You can get ones that are the same size as AAs and AAAs. There are too many counterfeits on eBay to know which are which.

Yeah that's all too true. I wanted to test fit things around so I got a pair of cheap batteries for 5 dollars. I will be buying trusted batteries once I get my mod to work which is working fine but needs a few adjustments then I'll make a more detailed post if anyone is interested
 

GSS

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What diode are you using in this Tool AAA light host.
Why couldn't you stack a few small button tops at 3V or 3 of them at 4.5V even if they are Alkalines?
 

LaserRanger

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I have 3 "modules" that I can swap out of the flashlight host. I have a m140 diode in one doing about 1w battery life is less than 2 minutes and the host soaks up plenty of heat but still get hot enough to be a concern. I have a 405nm 5.6mm diode on the second doing 200-400mw not sure actual power. Batter life is low, good burning power and not much heat generated by the diode in general so it might be lower powered. Then I have a 520nm diode on the 3rd one with enough power to see the beam clearly in a dim lit room that has moderate battery life ( used it as a pointer through the day) and no changes in host or module temperature as far as I can tell.

As for the button cell batteries, I did not think of using those. I was using the 10180 lithium cheap cells from ebay. I'll have to buy some alkaline buttons to see what size fits and if it's enough to power the laser

In the picture below is of my 405nm "module" in a completely dark room. It light everything up like it's shown in the picture. Proper eye safety equipment was used during testing.
 

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GSS

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That is a nice 405. the camera picked it up nice:)
Was thinking the button cells for the lower output's. I "think" Jayrob has posted small flashlight builds with button cells somewhere.
I know the LR44's are to wide and the about the width of a AA.
 

LaserRanger

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That is a nice 405. the camera picked it up nice:)
Was thinking the button cells for the lower output's. I "think" Jayrob has posted small flashlight builds with button cells somewhere.
I know the LR44's are to wide and the about the width of a AA.

Jayrob's builds are what inspired this mod. I saw how he got a keychain led light and squeezed the driver and diode inside with a few machined parts. What I did allows me to swap out from one "module" to another or put the led and driver back in the flashlight without having to do any mods to the flashlight host itself
 
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