Transplanting a green module into a Blue Mohlight

[anselm]

So I had this Blue Hotlight kit by Mohrenberg idly laying around and teasing me.:na:
Who doesn't.
I also had bought some green pens off DX some time ago, a "true 30mW"
and an "untrue 50mW". The 30mW is actually brighter, so it became my new favourite pen.
The other pen was gutted for the module, still much brighter than your average
5mW fleabay greenie.

So while I am waiting for parts to make a more interesting build, I decided to practice
with this little experiment.
Can a green module powered by a 18650 fit into one of the ubiquitous blue hotlights?
Well sure it can.

Here's all the pieces.

I basically added an extension cable between the diode and the driver.
The driver was meant to run from 3V, and while they do run off 4.2V, the
driver gets unreasonbaly hot almost immediately, and on top of that it
overdrives the diode with more current. Stupid driver. So I added
a 1N4001 diode to slice off 0.7V from the LiIOns voltage.
Oh and the button had to be bypassed as well.

Since the 18650 is not exactly the correct size for this host, I added a super
high tech anti rattle sleeve, a roll of cardboard wrapping from a beer pack.

Also, to make up for the battery's length,the tailcap spring had to be compressed by pressing down on it with
the blade of a knife while carefully heating it with the good-ole DX gas torch lighter.

Everything is about ready and the diode before the drivers input is soldered
to the clicky switch's tab, and the driver is crammed into the gutted black
plastic clicky switch support.
This material is surprisingly tough, I thought it would be easier to carve out
with the knife.

Unfortunately, the module still sticks out quite a bit from the front of the heatsink.

Obligatory beamshot to prove I didn't f'ck it up actually.

Bascially this was just a silly experiment to see if it can be done.
Maybe I'll try to cram it a little better to make the module recess a little deeper.

 

[anselm]

Hmm OK I wasn't very happy with the first attempt, so I had another go at it.
Ahh much better now.

This is about as far as the module goes back inside before without shorting out on the switch.

And with the cap on:

I've got this to say though about the Blue Hotlight:
While it is a great compact little versatile host, it's weak point is the switch.
It quit on me and I had to open it up and bend the contacts more than once to get
it working again. Also, the black plastic thinggy switch support is made out of a very
hard and brittle plastic, it is very easy to break while carving around it.

 

[Plan B]

Your rebuild looks much better Anselm. Great work. I imagine you've moved the module as far into the host as possible now? With Moh's kit and great posts like this it would be pretty easy and cheap to make a really nice matching set of all the common wavelengths.

 

[anselm]

Great work.

Thanks. I'm glad somebody besides myself can appreciate it.

I imagine you've moved the module as far into the host as possible now?

Yes. Well maybe some extreme measures can gain another millimeter or two, but basically, yes.

it would be pretty easy and cheap to make a really nice matching set of all the common wavelengths.

That's what I thought as well.

 

[anselm]

OK, it still didn't look so good, but NOW I'm happy with it.

Y halo thar, brother PHR.

 

[123splat]

Nice build, Oh Great One.
I copied yours with a '120mA' greenie module that I got off e-Bay. I did not undo the driver, I just hollowed out the switch support (some guys here have called it the 'pill', I thought that was supposed to be the laser module, but I'm senile anyway...) and soldered a lead to the head side of the switch (and wrapped with vinyl electrical tape for insullation) and soldered one of the springs from the AAA battery holder to the battery side of the switch. Then, looking at my new 22600's waiting for the rest of the parts for my 'BlueRay' build,,, I thought "why not? it ain't doing nothing but sitting there..." To make the 22600 fit the HotLite, I put the switch back in, dropped in the black battery support thingie, dropped in the 22600 (GREAT fit), put the battery cap back on, and pressed the switch support thingie down, from the heatsink end, as far as was comfortable, and super-glued (cyanoacrilate) the switch support to the barrel (ends up about 4 to 5mm further forward than originally) . Works great, easy build, stays plenty cool, but doesn't look as professional as yours, 'cause I don't have that neat looking end cap...
Thanks for the inspiration.