Tutorial: ~1.4w 445nm Hotlights kit **PIC HEAVY**

[bhwollen]

I have my first LPM in the mail
Its all estimated... But jakeGT used this driver in a guidesman and got 1.4W so its a good estimate.

Nice job with kit and tutorial. It's good to see these at an affordable price, and you did a great job with the pill mod to allow for CR123 batteries.

I didn't see anything mentioned of LPM tests. Did you use a LPM to get that 1.4W power rating you are advertising or are you estimating based on the current?

 

[Kevlar]

Yes, it is a good estimate but every diode is different in it's efficiency. You could have some below or even higher than 1.4W. It might be a small point but since you are selling these it might be best to change it to "approx 1.4W".

It's totally up to you of course, it's just a suggestion. You wouldn't want to sell one to somebody who has a LPM, they test it and find out it wasn't a very efficient diode, and it puts out 1.2W.

Like I said, just a suggestion. I'm trying to prevent an future headaches from false advertising.

With this price, they should sell like hot-cakes!!!

 

[bhwollen]

Well it does say ~1.4W

And thank you. The first batch I had sold almost immediately. But then I added 1 yesterday and nobody have even asked about it

 

[Kevlar]

Well it does say ~1.4W

Sorry, don't know how I missed that.

We get new members everyday looking for high powered blues, it will be gone soon. :beer:

 

[bhwollen]

Lol. Thats what I thought. I always have to let them know though that soldering leads to a diode is NOT easy. And they are like "yeah yeah I'll figure it out."

Sorry, don't know how I missed that.

We get new members everyday looking for high powered blues, it will be gone soon. :beer:

 

[Kevlar]

I always have to let them know though that soldering leads to a diode is NOT easy.

Ain't that the truth!! LOL. I've killed a couple that way, even a 12X :banghead: It only takes 1-2 extra seconds of heat and poof, off to diode heaven.

 

[bhwollen]

The way Ive killed a few is pulling off pins. Or making a mess with solder on the pins.

 

[ravenit]

I like it, how do you find the 123 batts do they slop around in there sideways?
Looking to use these batts aswell just waiting for them to arrive, thinking about maybe packing them with tape or something.
Also I see you used all 3 connections on your diode, is that how most people wire them up I thought about just connecting the neutral wire to the host somehow.....

 

[bhwollen]

There is so much pressure between the batteries and the spring that they don't move. I used three connections because this host is case negative. I went from the case pin on the diode to the V-. I use it because its a solid connection with the host.

I like it, how do you find the 123 batts do they slop around in there sideways?
Looking to use these batts aswell just waiting for them to arrive, thinking about maybe packing them with tape or something.
Also I see you used all 3 connections on your diode, is that how most people wire them up I thought about just connecting the neutral wire to the host somehow.....

 

[xivlia]

would i be able to put a lr123a? instead of a cr123a battery? or anyother types of batterys?. im not sure which one to buy because i dont know what the minimum mah rating needed for good battery life. on this 1W pointer. please help its my first build. thanks

 

[bhwollen]

I am not familiar with the dimensions of an lr123a. I just go with the more mAh the better

would i be able to put a lr123a? instead of a cr123a battery? or anyother types of batterys?. im not sure which one to buy because i dont know what the minimum mah rating needed for good battery life. on this 1W pointer. please help its my first build. thanks

 

[xivlia]

ok heres the problem...i bought two lr123a @ 1800mAH. they are exactly the same size as the cr123a because i compared the two infact the lr is about 1mm smaller. and ive done everything in the tutorial....but the battery cap on the hotlight wont close... i tried putting in the batteries without the pill and i found out that the switch is blocking them. thus making the battery cap impossible to close....any ideas on how this can be fixed?

 

[bhwollen]

I bend the prong of the switch up and make the pill sit higher.

 

[xivlia]

i tried that..it wont work. its the plastic part of the switch that gets in the way. and im clearly not gonna sand that down. maybe my hotlight is abit smaller due to manufacturing fault? :\ who knows. any other suggestions ?

 

[xivlia]

ok i finally got it to fit. i had to bend the metal part on the switch even more. and sand the rear part of the switch a bit so that the battery can just squeeze enough to close the lid..and i had to snap abit of the spring. lol but it fits. now i must solder my driver once it arrives and hopefully it will work. unless i fried my diode already while soldering wires on it

 

[bhwollen]

Glad you figured it out. What driver are you planning to use?