Voltage question...

[deam_87]

ok so i got all my parts for my first blu ray, so i was thinking about modifying a dorcy jr to house 3 lithium photo batteries so i can use the rkcstr micro driver since it needs ~9v to function properly. however i found a 6V Lithium Photo Battery at radioshack and i wanted to know if i could just house that one and a 3v lithium photo battery to come up with the 9v. does anyone know if it can work like that??? :-? or is one of the batteries gonna explode or something???

 

[jayrob]

I'm no expert on batteries, but I wouldn't think it would be a good idea to mix different batteries like that. I'm sure they would discharge unevenly at the very least, giving an uneven supply voltage to the driver...
Jay

 

[deam_87]

well i that sucks! then do you know if there is any batteries that are ~4.5 instead of 3 or is there any way i can modify the driver to work with two of those 6v batteries?? i just dont want my host to be over a mile long! :-/

 

[jayrob]

Not familiar with that host, but if it will take 2 X 3.6 volt rechargeable batteries, then I believe this will be enough for the rkcstr driver with a blu-ray.

They charge to 4.2 volts ea. This will be 8.4 volts at full charge...
Jay

 

[Glaserfan]

The dorcy junior tahes a single CR123 or RCR123... Really the only way to go is to use a flexdrive.......

 

[deam_87]

The dorcy junior tahes a single CR123 or RCR123... Really the only way to go is to use a flexdrive.......

i was thinking about cutting the flashlight in half and just adding a pipe to extend it and that way put more batteries in it

 

[Glaserfan]

Neat idea... just getting it to hold together may be a task without a machine shop's help. Whatever you do, don't forget to kill the Dorcy's boost driver inside the black plastic part of the battery half...I can only imagine what it would do if you fed it 9v

 

[deam_87]

Neat idea... just getting it to hold together may be a task without a machine shop's help. Whatever you do, don't forget to kill the Dorcy's boost driver inside the black plastic part of the battery half...I can only imagine what it would do if you fed it 9v

my friends dad owns a shop!! ... and thanks bout that boost driver, didnt even know it was there! ill post some pics of my disaster as soon as i can!!

 

[Xplorer877]

The little 6v battery even though its lithium will struggle to keep the voltage up high enough to run the driver since they can pull up to 100mA. The 6v battery is just a bunch of little 1.5v coin batteries inside.

 

[Glaserfan]

True.. the only way to do this is to lengthen the Dorcy Jr. to hold 3 CR123's..

 

[deam_87]

Ok so that means that its gonna have to be as long as i fist thought. but thats ok i guess. as long as the thing shines light i would be happy! (a decent amount of light that is) ;D

Thanks guys!

 

[Glaserfan]

In the tutorials section is one on the Dorcy Jr... just apply the differences for blu-ray. The only thing not mentioned/shown is the removal of the original boost driver.. it will give you ideas on how to properly go about averything.. don't forget a good machined aluminum heatsink

 

[deam_87]

.. don't forget a good machined aluminum heatsink

yeah i got the dark horse heatsink, an aixiz module and the rkcstr driver. (and the test load for that too)...

 

[Glaserfan]

Sounds like this will be an awesome laser! Three CR123's or RCR123's(I know a US seller for these) will mean EXCELLENT battery life also. My Dorcy Jr. build(Long open-can red@480mA,flexdrive-much more current draw on a single battery) runs for over an hour before needing a recharge on the RCR123...

How are you going to extend it? Best thing I can think to do is cut the battery half just a little toward the clicky end from where the positive battery contact is, and place your "pipe" in between.. Not sure of the best way to secure it, but with some time in the machine shop, it could look really good. It would probably be best to make the "pipe" from machined aluminum stock also.

 

[deam_87]

.....ok so i cut the flashlight in half already and took the boost driver out. (it was easier than i thought i just popped it out in a vice) but havent gotten the right aluminum pipe extension to add to it yet. The guys i talked to said that the easiest way would be to use a couple of brass threaded pipe fittings and just use some kind of sealing gel or saghter (cant spell ). ((i gotta see if thats gonna work though because the aluminum from the flashlight acted as ground in the whole circuit.)) but they said it would be the easiest because i wouldn't even have to pre-thread the pipe or flashlight since the brass would just cut through the aluminum. but i just might to get a better and more even thread.
.........and how many posts do i need to be able to post pics??

 

[Glaserfan]

Since you have acces to a mchine shop, I would suggest that you machine both cut ends of the original host, and both ends of a custom aluminum extension pipe(turned to match the host's diameters), so everything threads together.

You will need the housing of the boost driver to use as a positive battery contact, and also to contact the spring from the head. Just remove all the electronics on it and solder the center on the spring side to the pass-thru hole on the board(you'll see it with electronics removed).