# My new triple Q5 "Easy DIY" style



## HuffyPuffy (Jun 9, 2008)

I just finished my triple Cree Q5 light using Citizen Kane's "Easy DIY" light as inspiration. It think it turned out pretty well, it would have been considerably easier if I had stuck with the design and used angle stock for the heatsink. It is running on a 12x AA Eneloop pack for now. The box I used was model 1455J1201BK (https://www.mouser.com/Search/Refine.aspx?Ntt=546-1455J1201BK).

I did not take any build pics, but it runs on a 1A buckpuck with a external pot controlling the brightness. The Ledil optics were a bit tight and required some trimming of the inside of the box where the optics are placed. The optics were not perfectly centered when it was completed, but I am pleased. The heatsink is a chunk of 1" Al from speedymetals which I trimmed down to fit (a couple screws hold it firmly from the bottom of the case).


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## langen (May 21, 2005)

Wow! Looks sharp!


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## ocean breathes salty (Oct 1, 2006)

How does it go for cooling? I assume it will get hot while sitting but the pot will take care of that. 

Did this box come with two black endcaps and you have cut out a large section and fitted the clear window? 

Looks great though. I have a couple of these boxes on order and cant wait to start playing


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## troutie-mtb (Sep 20, 2007)

:thumbsup: magic build there huffy puffy:thumbsup:





































What and where from for the cable connecter


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## Hambonio (Jul 16, 2008)

Ditto on the pot. All from Mouser?


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## mjzraz (Oct 8, 2005)

Do you have a parts list and I would also like to know about the front cap and lens cover detail. How you did it and maybe a picture of the front taken apart? I understand if it's a paint to take apart...


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## HuffyPuffy (Jun 9, 2008)

Thanks, I ran this light for about 30 minutes last night on a quick ride around and it got a bit warm, but nothing concerning. The beam is nice but does have a sweet spot vertically. the heat is sucked up by a 1" chunk of Al which I bought from Speedymetals so I am sure it will be able to run as long as the battery with no issues.

I checked my Mouser receipt which says the connectors are:

502-EN3C3F16
3C FEMALE CORD W/#16

502-EN3P3M16
3C MALE PANEL W/#16

I used a Deans connector at the battery end.

The caps are just the stock caps. I cut a piece of clear plexi for the lens, with a black piece of rubber acting as a seal (and also covers the guts when looking through the front.

The Pot is one of these:

http://www.mouser.com/catalog/634/682.pdf
P16NP472MAB15

The Ledil optics are from a seller over at CPF (http://www.cpfmarketplace.com/mp/showthread.php?t=175502). Bram shipped them very quickly and they were packaged very nicely. He also assisted on the choice of optics which are CRS-M(medium) CRS-SS (smooth spot) CRS-M (medium). Thow could be better, but for my road bike it is fine with decent side spill. I was thinking of using a CRS-SS (smooth spot) 1x CRS-O (oval) CRS-SS (smooth spot) for some throw but decided on an all-round setup and used what I did.


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## HuffyPuffy (Jun 9, 2008)

mjzraz said:


> Do you have a parts list and I would also like to know about the front cap and lens cover detail. How you did it and maybe a picture of the front taken apart? I understand if it's a paint to take apart...


I don't want to take the front off at this point due to screws being the self tapping type (the less they are run in and out the better). The front is not very interesting (but required the most work). Basically the 3 Ledil optics side by side are just a few mm too wide to fit and just a tad too high so I removed some of the inside of the case with a dremel and cut off blade. The pic below shows the cuts in red and the blue outline is the approximate outline of the 3 Ledil optics (not to scale). Due to the cuts I also had to use some longer screws which don't bite well until after they clear the optics. I also added a shim of aluminum sheet above the optics in the small area above them (not shown in the pic):


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## HuffyPuffy (Jun 9, 2008)

I just got my other "East DIY" style project light together (it is still not completed, but far enough along to test).























































The Polymer Optics are actually not bad, the throw is pretty decent too. I actually like the beam pattern better than the Ledil optics.


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## znomit (Dec 27, 2007)

Fantastic!!!!
:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:


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## HuffyPuffy (Jun 9, 2008)

Thanks, I still need to do some finishing work on it and get it sealed up. I really like the size and low profile of this one over the other light. It seems to preform as good or better too (though it is too early to know 100%).


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## znomit (Dec 27, 2007)

Yeah the polymer optics are nice. I actually prefer the square beam pattern on the 6deg.

Where did you get the case?


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## troutie-mtb (Sep 20, 2007)

*Hip flask light*

Very slick that Huffypuffy looks like a hip flask 
where is it going on the helmet I presume.

:thumbsup: the quality keeps getting better :thumbsup:


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## HuffyPuffy (Jun 9, 2008)

znomit said:


> Yeah the polymer optics are nice. I actually prefer the square beam pattern on the 6deg.
> 
> Where did you get the case?


Thanks Znomit, I think the center is the 6deg with the outside ones being the wider ones, together they make a good beam with throw and spill. The enclosure is a Hammond case I also picked up at Mouser:

http://www.hammondmfg.com/pdf/1455B802.pdf


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## HuffyPuffy (Jun 9, 2008)

troutie-mtb said:


> Very slick that Huffypuffy looks like a hip flask
> where is it going on the helmet I presume.
> 
> :thumbsup: the quality keeps getting better :thumbsup:


Thanks Troutie. A helmet light was the original plan, but after I got it on my cross bike I thought it was made for it. The bigger one will have a home on my mountain bike. The helmet light will be my next project


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## smudgemtbuk (Jul 13, 2008)

nicely done huffy :thumbsup: just shows what can be done as a diy project with limited tools available.
Some beamshots would be nice to finish youre project off with.


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## znomit (Dec 27, 2007)

Ahh, same beam pattern as my old light.
Where are you getting the optics? They're 8$ each from cutter which is a bit much.


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## dazzat3 (May 4, 2008)

:thumbsup: Excellent light's, I particularly like the smaller housing.:thumbsup: They both rival commercial products.


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## HuffyPuffy (Jun 9, 2008)

znomit said:


> Ahh, same beam pattern as my old light.
> Where are you getting the optics? They're 8$ each from cutter which is a bit much.


Yea, that is where I had to get 'em. Cutter is great in that they ship within a reasonable time frame, but their prices are a bit high. $32 plus shipping for the optics was a hard pill to take. If anyone has a better source I would love to hear about it .

Right now I am using Google Sketchup Pro trial to make some CAD files for the endplates and maybe the heatsink. Making this stuff by hand is a pain, so I want to see what it would cost to have the parts run off on a waterjet (going to try bigbluesaw.com). If it is not too much I may make one for my helmet too. The only problem is that I am a novice to CAD so the learning curve is a bit steep.


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## HuffyPuffy (Jun 9, 2008)

dazzat3 said:


> :thumbsup: Excellent light's, I particularly like the smaller housing.:thumbsup: They both rival commercial products.


Thanks! This light is still not ready for prime time as it is. I need to make a rubber seal for both ends and get some screws that are a bit longer to finish it up. I think the heatsinking may be a bit overkill too (there was no science in figuring the size).


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## ocean breathes salty (Oct 1, 2006)

The new model looks fantastic Huffy!!!

What plug and connector did you use? They look very secure and waterproof and give a really professional look to the whole package. 

Is the pot waterproof (or near enough?) because it looks really neat aswell.


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## HuffyPuffy (Jun 9, 2008)

I was thinking about making another one, and one for a friend who asked for one so I checked with BigBlueSaw.com on pricing for waterjet cut parts. For the faceplates, heatsink and lens to be cut it would be $414.5 + shipping for 10 which I cannot swing. Would make an expensive light into a very expensive light. The upside is that I learned a bit about CAD this morning :yawn:

Al front and rear plates










Lens










Heatsink










I need to ask Santa for a waterjet cutter jr. this year


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## HuffyPuffy (Jun 9, 2008)

Thanks Ocean!

The Pot and plug and the same as I used on the bigger light (I had to trim down the inside of the plug to fit cause it just barely does. There was no trimming needed on the pot.

Here are the parts:

The Pot is one of these:

http://www.mouser.com/catalog/634/682.pdf
P16NP472MAB15

The plugs are by Switchcraft and they work pretty well. They have a twist lock and a rubber boot on the female end and a cover for the male panel connector (I always put the male end on the light so there are no nasty prongs sticking out from the battery cable). I think the covers are sold separately. These are the connectors I used, got 'em at Mouser along with the enclosure:

502-EN3C3F16
3C FEMALE CORD W/#16

502-EN3P3M16
3C MALE PANEL W/#16


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## johnmyster99 (Mar 2, 2004)

Huffy,

Do you consider the linear taper pot to have good control of the puck, or would you consider an audio taper to be a better solution?

Thanks

Also, Mouser stocks an IP rated Hammond cord feedthrough for $1.50, of use for me since I plan to have a pigtail on the box.


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## HuffyPuffy (Jun 9, 2008)

Hi, the audio taper pot would not work well for this (it is logarithmic), a 5K linear taper pot is what is recommended IIRC. The 4.7k ohm pot works well too. You can also use a switch and create a hi/lo/off control using resistors which would work well (maybe better since I normally use it all on or low). Waterproof switches are also cheaper usually.

I was thinking of using a cable gland as well, but found that the one which fit my battery cable (a salvaged computer power cable) would not fit the case since it was too big. If you are using the same case that may be an issue for the Hammond cable gland as well. In general, the cable gland's are a much better (cheaper) way to go than expensive connectors though (and the ones I used were almost too big as well).


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## johnmyster99 (Mar 2, 2004)

My story may change once I make all this happen, but thanks for your input. I plan to use the same case, all the cateye gadgets, polymer optics, three cree R2s and a buck puck. Since Mouser has a great price on the box, I'm looking there for other pieces.

I found a $11 pot/knob combo that looks nice and is IP64 rated. I am debating switch implementation as well. 

They actually don't have the Hammond glands in stock, but they have Heyco cordgrips with good dimensions.

Once I get ready for night riding, it should be nice and cold here.


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## HuffyPuffy (Jun 9, 2008)

Sounds cool, the R2's should be nice as well, if you can get them on a small board it will help fitting them - I had to file a bit from the top and bottom of the boards I used and I think they were the smallest I could get at DX. If you find a good water resistant pot, please share the link, I am thinking of building another of these and would like to make some improvements to in design and price. Thanks!


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## johnmyster99 (Mar 2, 2004)

I plan to file down the R2 boards. A 20mm circle is only 2.5mm too big in either direction. With some 120 grit on the polishing wheel at work it'll be pretty easy. Especially if they don't mind getting wet temporarily...

After hours spent in the Mouser catalogue...

My water resistant pot and chic knob:
http://www.mouser.com/Search/Produc...irtualkey65210000virtualkey652-51AAA-B24-D13L
http://www.mouser.com/Search/ProductDetail.aspx?R=450-7031virtualkey56100000virtualkey450-7031

However, I actually decided to use a rotary switch and found one that should work nicely with a few resistors. Only a few exist that will fit inside the box. However, this one can be dialed down to how ever many detents you desire (from 6 or 12 depending on model.) I figure I'd only ever need four settings: HIGH, LOW, OFF, and FLASHLIGHT (get dressed, fix a flat, read a book while camping, etc.) Once I dial in the resistors it'll be far easier to deal with at night, wearing gloves, on top of my helmet, while riding. That is, compared to an infinite knob. I figure a few hard clicks will be better than an infinite adjustment or multiple toggle switches.

http://www.mouser.com/Search/ProductDetail.aspx?R=MRA206-A-ROvirtualkey63300000virtualkey633-MRA206A

Price for either setup is about the same. Both are reasonably sealed switches and should be sturdy enough for the job.

I am planning to order supplies soon. Should I gather an extra batch while I'm at it? It's the least I could do in return for the guidance offered by this board. I'm actually thinking about gathering enough for 5 or 10 boxes and doing them as kits. If anyone was interested, my ballpark is that quantity breaks and combined shipping should knock 15% off per kit. Should make it easy for the other newcomers to the game.

3 Cree R2 emitters
3 Polymer Optics Lenses
Hammond box
1000mA Buck Puck
Watertight Cordgrip
Dimmer Pot or Rotary Switch with resistors
Cateye helmet and bar mounting hardware
Perhaps even battery/charger kits from www.batteryspace.com (some deals on 13.2V NiMH kits.)

I think I even have the resources to machine down some stock for the LED mounting block and the front lens. It's not much more work for me to punch 10 out while I'm doing one. That'd reduce the work to drilling, wiring, gluing, etc...

If I went that route, I'd take pics and throw some instructions/diagrams onto a personal website for those wanting some guidance.

Any interest? jneil82 @ gmail . com is the direct line.


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## johnmyster99 (Mar 2, 2004)

Also, since Huffy is the expert, what is your opinion on optics selection? I was considering a pair of 10 degree (actually they're called 6 degree diffusers) and a single 6x25 degree to get some spread. 

I just remember that my niterider HID always felt too focused and that much of my nightime bike riding balance reflexes were peripheral vision dependant.


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## HuffyPuffy (Jun 9, 2008)

Hi John, thanks for the compliment, but I am no expert  The Optics I used were the the 6deg in the center and 2 25 deg on the sides. I like the pattern and there is enough spill for my liking (will try to post a beamshot), but the next one I build will have 2 6deg and one 25deg in the center since I like to have some more throw (and it will most likely find a home on the helmet). I have not used the 6x25 optic. One other thing to note design-wise is that the optics are different heights, the 6deg optic stands a bit taller than the wide ones and so I had to superglue the optics to the stars, I am sure there is a better way to hold them in there though. 

I checked out that switch and I can see a potential problem with it, and I hope I am wrong because it looks cool - it says the MRA models are 16mm diameter, however that case is only 15.25mm.

And I would be very interested in a kit, the parts you have chosen are pretty much the same as what I was looking to build for a second light, and if you have the tools to machine the heatsink that would save me a good deal of work (I used a bench grinder and drill press to fit the heatsink). I like the rotary switch idea since it would allow the resistance values to be dialed in better and may even allow a flashing circuit to be added. I would probably still want to go with the water resistant pot I used before, and the switchcraft connectors, since they are sealed, and I and know they can take some rain.


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## johnmyster99 (Mar 2, 2004)

Yeah, it was getting pretty late so I guess I didn't check closely enough on the switch dimensions. I'd really rather have a switch than a dimmer, so I'll probably take the effort to make it fit. If not, I'll probably just go to individual toggle switches - a single on/off and a three position for multiple settings. Although, a dimmer knob would sure be easier.

In other news, all my plans of yesterday were thrown to the wind. At this point, parts ordered to move forward as follows:

I wanted to use a lower voltage battery pack for forward compatibility with any boosted MR-E systems that I may experiment with. 14.8V just rides the edge between boosting and bucking on most system configs that I'd likely be interested in. As such, I elected to use a 12V NiMH 3800mAh pack. It's nice and small (4/3 A cells) and cheap ($40) for its capacity. As such...

That entailed the decision to make a boosted system and the price/size/features are right on the Blue Shark controller. Again, it'll allow me to use smaller packs in the future (small 6V or 7.2V packs for commuting use) and use this pack with other lights that I may own. A 12V pack will be nice and efficient for this controller. More importantly...

The decision to go 12V boosted rather than 13.8 or 14.8 bucked goes along with the decision to use FOUR Cree R2 emitters. With the Polymer Optics I figure I can easily fit FOUR of them in the front of our nice, flask size case. Why? Four at 750mA will consume the same power as three at 1000mA, only at about 12% higher efficiency. If heat isn't a problem then I can go higher, but even if not, 750mA on four should be ballpark 700+ lumens. 2 spot lenses and 2 rectangles should do nicely.

Even with conversion losses, I calculate 4.5 hours at 750 mA. 4 hours should be easy.

That's the plan. Battery stuff and LEDs and Blue Shark ordered. That's enough for me to do a benchtop build on the piece of aluminum that I'll plan to insert into the case. Then, once I build and experiment with resistor values for brigness settings (or use small pots for this) then I'll order the case and small bits from Mouser with the required switching plan.

That just leaves the optics, not needed until the final buildup. We'll see what Cutter can do.

Thanks all. Hoefully a light comparable to any HID on the market, with longer runtime, less battery mass, and far less cost.


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## johnmyster99 (Mar 2, 2004)

Further, as far as options go, do you have an affordable weather resist toggle switch in mind if the rotary doesn't work out? I couldn't find much in the Mouser book but my computer/online connection is testy. Radio Shack wasn't much help either.


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## joebreez (Sep 10, 2005)

I don't mean to hijack this thread but I recently built a mini triple light much like the light posted here but using 1"x2" tubing. Great job HuffyPuffy on your very professional looking light!
I find that the polymer optics are a great option but they don't seem to have the same 'punch' down the trail as the Ledil Real Spot CRS series. 
The Polymer Optics are a nicer beam on my mini triple, but I actually find that my double Cree helmet light has more punch down range than my mini triple light. The double Cree has a RS and a SS CRS lens.
I'm thinking of making the mini triple into a nice handlebar light and installing a 6x25 lens for some fill on the sides. I felt I needed to add the heatsink to the unit to keep the temps down.It may be overkill but it was getting warm quickly running @1000ma. I can turn it down to 750ma if needed. 
Is Cutter the only supplier of the Polymer Optics line?

Eric S


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## johnmyster99 (Mar 2, 2004)

Oh wow, when I figured I could fit four, I was accounting for the dimension of the optic and not the holder. I can't really use just three on a 12V pack unless I use a boost/buck controller. Thus, I'll have to fit all four in there or just get a bigger box.

I will be getting creative with the files to take the corners off of the holders. Pictorals will be given. This is going to be fun.

If I make these for friends later, I can see myself going for a 3 Cree setup instead.


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## HuffyPuffy (Jun 9, 2008)

Wow, 4 LED's! I hope you post build pics, that sounds awesome if you can pull it off - I will need to re-measure, but I thought I was pushing it with 3. There is some slack room there though so it sounds like it can be made to work - possibly using just the emitters would be simper for a 4x design (not star mounted).

My battery solution was to use a Makita 18V battery with one of these:

http://theledguy.chainreactionweb.com/product_info.php?products_id=1115

It ia a bit heavy, but after building some packs I decided this was simpler and I can trust the Makita batteries (they are built pretty tough). The batteries also work with tools which in turn I can use to build more lights - it's a vicious cycle.


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## johnmyster99 (Mar 2, 2004)

It appears there may be a Cree and Polymer Optics supplier in the US...

http://ledlightingsupply.com/ledlightingsupply/Homepage.htm

Perhaps worth a call.


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## joebreez (Sep 10, 2005)

I tried to send them an email yesterday inquiring about the Polymer Optics and I got an error message-"unknown-invalid address".
I'll try again but so far it seems weird, are they still in business?

Eric S


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## johnmyster99 (Mar 2, 2004)

They do list a phone number. Would be worth a shot during EST business hours.


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## Jim Z in VT (Sep 9, 2007)

johnmyster99 said:


> It appears there may be a Cree and Polymer Optics supplier in the US...
> 
> http://ledlightingsupply.com/ledlightingsupply/Homepage.htm
> 
> Perhaps worth a call.


I'm getting a "service unavailable" error from that link

Also, somewhere above, someone mentioned using superglue (a.k.a. "CA" adhesive) to secure optics. I've read in a couple places that this can cause permanent fogging of the optic. No personal experience, just thought I'd pass that on.

JZ


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## HuffyPuffy (Jun 9, 2008)

joebreez: Sorry, when I said the beam from my ledil optics was not as nice as the one from the polymer optics, I should have qualified it by saying that I have an med-smoothspot-med optics setup in that light. I was steered away from rs by the supplier who suggested the combo I went with, in hindsight I think I should have gone with rs to get a bit more punch. I think the 6 deg Polymer Optic is probably similar to the rs, since I do notice more throw even with just the one in my smaller light, and I can tell it is very focused since the beam is square-ish. I would really like to see somebody cram 4 LED's into the small Hammond case since I could do a 25-6-6-25 and get the best of both worlds. 

As for heat, I have run it for many hours now and it has not been a problem - there is a pretty big chunk of aluminum backing the LED's and it fits tight to the case so I guess the surface area and mass are working together to keep it cool - I also tend to turn it down when I don't need it on full blast to save my battery.

JimZinVT: I mentioned using superglue, but I used it very sparingly - for the very reason you mentioned. Fortunately a little goes a long way. Also good ventilation helps, I think I had a light breeze on the optics at the time, they did not seem to haze up - though it was only applied to the holders and not the actual optics.

I hope to post some beamshots tomorrow (has been a bit busy this week).


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## johnmyster99 (Mar 2, 2004)

I'll have to sand the corners off of the holders and do some pretty significant star reduction, but I don't see any issue with fitting four in there...yet.

Made my backing plate last night. Wow, this case is tiny. I suppose seeing pictures of fabbed lights just doesn't give any sense of perspective.


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## HuffyPuffy (Jun 9, 2008)

Here are a couple beamshots, they were taken at f2.8, ISO100 and 1second exposure:

Triple Ledil Optics (this pic turned out better IMO, but in actuality, I tend to like the Polymer Optic light more since it seems to have more throw):










Triple Polymer Optics light:










I forgot to put something in the pic to show distance, I may re-do these later.


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## HuffyPuffy (Jun 9, 2008)

I just edited the drawings for the faceplates using Google Sketchup - to include what I assume johnmyster99's 4 Cree setup would need to use. My drawings are untested since I have just used the dimensions from the manufacturer and some educated guesses about where things will go. However, I saw that Big Blue Saw is set to have a sale so I think I will take a small risk on this and get some faceplates waterjet cut in 6061 aluminum 0.125" for $4-5 a piece, if they do not work out, no big deal.










Edit - the above still needs work, the screw holes are about 4mm and they should be about 3mm.


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## johnmyster99 (Mar 2, 2004)

As a former waterjet operator, I'd try to avoid doing the screw holes on the jet. Small holes are difficult since you don't have much room to initiate the jet.

Based on the holder dimensions, my first attempt will be to orient the optics with the points running north-south. If you planned to make them out of thin sheet, I'd commit to buying a blank pair of ends since the ones supplied are plastic. I could drill/dremel on my own.


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## HuffyPuffy (Jun 9, 2008)

Thanks, I am going to see if I can re-orient the optics, which should keep them separated better. If you would like the dxf or skp files to tweak, analyze or use, I can post them up somewhere for download. I would really like to have the screw holes cut by the jet, even if they are just starter holes. I checked the Big Blue Saw site and they say they normally use a 0.040" nozzle for the jet, but I did not see anything about holes. I think I will update my drawing to round the inside corners to at least 0.020 radius so they don't get nasty points cut into them. Once I have the drawings done I am going to take advantage of their pre-Thanksgiving sale and order a set of plates.

EDIT:
Here is the revised layout in blue with the old one in red:










With the vertical orientation however I don't think that the 6x25 optics will work, but the 6 or 25 should.


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## Jim Z in VT (Sep 9, 2007)

johnmyster99 said:


> It appears there may be a Cree and Polymer Optics supplier in the US...
> 
> http://ledlightingsupply.com/ledlightingsupply/Homepage.htm


Finally accessed their website tonight. They appear to be a wholesale operation. They state the minimum order must be $100, but they don't list prices for optics or leds anywhere on the site (that I could find). Maybe useful for a group buy, but the site is not really user-friendly for us small-quantity DIY purchasers.


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## HuffyPuffy (Jun 9, 2008)

I bit the bullet and ordered the waterjet parts, will have to see how they come out. The total for the seven parts (6061 aluminum 0.125") was about $45 shipped which seems worth it considering what a pain it was to make something similar by hand (my first attempt at the light I built had hex cutouts, but they just were not right so I went with circles). I will post up some pics when I get em.










(the horizontal and vertical lines are just guides)


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## johnmyster99 (Mar 2, 2004)

Well, having ordered rectangular optics, I guess I'll have to make the "points horizontal" fit in there.

Even if they use a small jet, they have to "start" the jet somewhere. Punching the starter hole isn't very precise, so you always start the jet somewhere in waste material and then taper into the perimeter (outside cut) or out to the perimeter (inside cut). Thus, the operator always designates the "waste" and "keeper" material, since the jet always has to stay on one side of the line or the other. For thin material, they may be able to start in the center of the hole and then move out to the perimeter. We used to cut 32mm aluminum plate, and we actually had to start outside of the plate and then run across it.

Even if the jet bore is only 0.040, the slot will be slightly wider (due to the abrasive nature of the jet) and it will also flare (get wider) as it goes through the sheet or plate. As such, in thick material, the edges get undercut, so you have to come back with a milling machine and square them up.

So, Huffy planning to make a quad too?

EDIT: Looking at the data sheet for the optics, the 25x6 degree optics will need "points vertical." SCORE!


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## wkumtrider (Dec 27, 2007)

What LEDs are you using HuffyPuffy and where did you get them?

Thanks!


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## HuffyPuffy (Jun 9, 2008)

johnmyster99 said:


> So, Huffy planning to make a quad too?


Thanks to your idea, I am 

I am thinking I should have ordered the parts without screw holes as you noted, but will have to see. The holes are 3mm in 1/8" aluminum so maybe they will be OK. The big blue saw site has some projects with small holes so I am hopeful. I did not know you were going with the square optics, the only ones that I can think of which will fit are the Carlco XP 10mm optics. If those are the ones you have chosen, were you able to find one that has a spot beam - I did not see any at Cutter?

As for LED's, my usual source is DealExtreme. I am thinking of mixing some R2 in the spots and Q5's for the wide optics. I have never mixed them, but can't see it being too big a deal. I am not sure if I will either get just the emitters (or remove them from the stars) or just shave down a 14mm board since the spacing will be very close. Since I will need to get some polymer optics too, I may try getting the emitters from cutter as well (and if so, go with all R2's).

I know that this may be just pure insanity, but how about a 3 optic light using the 10 deg Polymer Optic for MC-E in the center, flanked by Q5/R2's?

http://www.cutter.com.au/proddetail.php?prod=cut850&cat=47

It may be doable with a boost driver and my current 18V pack - though I would be very concerned about heat considering what I have read about the MC-E - I think I will save that idea for later.

EDIT, one thing to note about the DX R2 emitters is that they are WG tint (which I believe is green-ish), for that reason a few dollar premium for different tints from Cutter may be money well spent. EDIT again, after checking prices at cutter and getting the bins I wanted I found they are more than 2x the price at DX, and IMHO, not worth it.


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## HuffyPuffy (Jun 9, 2008)

After checking Cutter again, I realized that their prices are in Australian dollars (yea I am not that bright ) and therefore the premium for the LED bins I wanted was only about 3-4 bucks. One thing about their checkout which I did not notice last time was that they never convert the currency to local, they let paypal do that. I was also able to get the optics, LED's and 2 buck drivers for $120 shipped. Here is what I ended up with:

2 25 deg and 2 6 deg polymer optics
2 R2 WD and 2 R2 WH optics, will use the WH for the wide and the WD for the spots
2 3023-D-E-1000 Wired Buckpucks (got a spare in case I build another)

There is no way this will be a cheap build (however I think it will be worth it when done), I still need to get the switch/pot and case from Mouser.


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## HuffyPuffy (Jun 9, 2008)

I found a free file host so I uploaded the Google Sketchup file (you will need the latest version 7). I also posted the .dxf file required for BigClueSaw (which is having a sale until 11/25 where they give a quantity discount for small orders - EDIT: for ONLY a few select materials). Note that I did my best on these drawings, but there could be problems which I did not foresee, in other words, use at your own risk:

.skp
http://www.filedropper.com/quadalpartstake7x1-chamfered

.dxf
http://www.filedropper.com/quadalpartstake7x1-chamfered_1


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## johnmyster99 (Mar 2, 2004)

Deal extreme marked my R2s as shipped - took less than a week, so that's a good sign. If only I could get some confirmation from Cutter on the optics.

Batteries and connectors came in. Sweet. Plus, I've been robbing used Li-Ion laptop packs from work and may experiment with those as well, but will need to get a special charger for them. 

The Blue Shark controller came in yesterday. IT'S SO SMALL. Literally, the size of a dime. I attached leads for input and output. Once I get the LEDs in, modified, and mounted up, I'll wire it up for experimentation and decide what resistor values I need. Then, I'll place the Mouser order for the rotary switch, case, and resistor stack.

Now, off to the cateye site...


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## wkumtrider (Dec 27, 2007)

Let us know how it goes with the order from Deal Extreme. I want to get some R2s and a driver from them. Plan on building this exact "easy diy" light. 

I looked on cateye and could not find that helmet mount. If you find it please let me know.

Thanks!


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## johnmyster99 (Mar 2, 2004)

Helmet and bar mounts:

http://www.cateye.com/store/parts.php?cid=2_97

Spacer to go on the light case itself:

http://www.cateye.com/store/parts.php?cid=2_25


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## HuffyPuffy (Jun 9, 2008)

That is good news, I got a shipped notice from Cutter about a day or two after I ordered, but I expect a 2 week transit time. Hopefully I will get the water jet parts soon (have not heard from them yet).


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## wkumtrider (Dec 27, 2007)

Huffy,

What battery connector and cable are you using on your light? 

Thanks!


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## HuffyPuffy (Jun 9, 2008)

wkumtrider said:


> Huffy,
> 
> What battery connector and cable are you using on your light?
> 
> Thanks!


Hi, they are made by switchcraft and are a bit on the expensive side:

Mouser part #'s:

502-EN3C3F16
3C FEMALE CORD W/#16

502-EN3P3M16
3C MALE PANEL W/#16


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## kgardnez (Jan 31, 2004)

I love the idea of the quad, if these parts work out for you I might have to steal your patterns...


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## HuffyPuffy (Jun 9, 2008)

I did not even think four would fit when I built the first one, but I love the idea of it as well (thanks John!). I should have the waterjet cut parts in the next few days, however I will need to wait for the optics and cases to make sure things fit (I don't want to tear apart the first one). I will post some pics when I get something to show.


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## HuffyPuffy (Jun 9, 2008)

I received (some) of the parts today from BigBlueSaw, however they made a couple errors and did not send all the parts I ordered. One of the blank parts is also a bit messed up on one of the corners, though it's twin is fine. Unfortunately the parts that they did not send are the ones I really need (the ones with the optics aligned with the points at the top and bottom. They for some reason sent me some extras of the quad design which looks like teeth, but unfortunately I probably will not be using those. Sent them an email tonight to see if we can get this straightened out, hopefully soon.

Other than the errors and the problem with one of the plates, I think the overall fit seems good (on the parts which were not defective). I cannot test fit the optics until I get them, and also get the correct parts (which I ordered) back from BigBlueSaw.

UPDATE, I just received an email from BigBlueSaw, they are going to send a new set of parts out :thumbsup: I will post pics when I get them (hopefully with the optics). 

UPDATE 2, I received the replacement parts today and they look great! They shipped em really fast and I have no complaints. I will post some pics when I get the optics from Cutter.


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## riggsy (Jul 2, 2008)

that looks awesome HuffyPuffy.... make me one LOL


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## HuffyPuffy (Jun 9, 2008)

Thanks Riggsy, I will post some pics up of the parts from BigBlueSaw soon. They turned out very nice and have a cool looking rough edge from the jet (and the service seems very good, considering it was such a small order). I think they will need some sanding on the faces to get a nice brushed finish, but hopefully getting the parts done will be a huge time saver compared to the last light.


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## mdsjack (Oct 26, 2007)

hey huffypuffy, what bar mount is that? i like it because it seems like you can point the light to any direction right? is it solid?

from your experience, would that setup be cooled enough if the leds were glued to a L-shaped Al profile 1.5mm thick, fixed to the bottom?


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## HuffyPuffy (Jun 9, 2008)

Hi Mdsjack, the mounts are from the cateye spare parts store, I used a H-31 Oversize Bracket and spacer. On my cross bike the mount is not the best due to the taper of the bars where I have them mounted, however on my mountain bike they are solid, and the bracket allows some left to right adjustment. They seem to be a good cheap low-profile mount, but if your going to mount to a tapered bar (near the center is where mine is tapered) I would get something that has more clamping force.

I am not sure about L-bar. I am paranoid about heat and so I go overboard, but I think L bar and this small case may not be sufficient - if you try it, and find that it is, please let me know. For my triple the 1" chunk of aluminum I used was overkill which is why I am pretty sure I can go to 4 emitters using the same heatink setup. Building a heatsink out of a chunk of aluminum is the hardest part for me though.


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## ocean breathes salty (Oct 1, 2006)

HuffyPuffy said:


> Thanks Riggsy, I will post some pics up of the parts from BigBlueSaw soon. They turned out very nice and have a cool looking rough edge from the jet (and the service seems very good, considering it was such a small order). I think they will need some sanding on the faces to get a nice brushed finish, but hopefully getting the parts done will be a huge time saver compared to the last light.


Come on Huffy, where are these big blue saw parts??? :incazzato:

I can't wait to see what they look like! Pics Pics Pics!!!


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## HuffyPuffy (Jun 9, 2008)

ocean breathes salty said:


> Come on Huffy, where are these big blue saw parts??? :incazzato:
> 
> I can't wait to see what they look like! Pics Pics Pics!!!


Here you go :thumbsup:














































Several of the parts have a small notch or protrusion which you can see here on the left side - I just noticed this, but it does not seem to be too deep. The other 2 notches are supposed to be there (on both sides). It looks like that is where they started or ended the cut:


















This is going to need some trimming, but it will fit. I planned it so the hole for the connector would have an index which fits pretty well, should keep it from turning in the hole:









I have more of these than I think I will be able to use (I am not planning to use any of them right now), though I have yet to get the optics to sort it all out:










There it is, the optics will not be here for some time. After waiting 3 weeks I found out that they just shipped them Monday :madman: If anyone has any good sources for polymer optics I would love to hear of them.


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## ocean breathes salty (Oct 1, 2006)

one word... Awesome!

Thanks for the update huffy! It is going to be a killer build!


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## HuffyPuffy (Jun 9, 2008)

Thanks! I just had an idea to add some small 3mm LED's and build a small and simple battery gauge (something like Green/Amber/Red) which would give some idea of how my pack was doing. I found a design that I think will work well, but it has been a while since I have messed around with this stuff. Here is what I am talking about:

http://www.evconvert.com/article/led-bargraph-battery-monitor

If there are any electronics gurus surfing this post, can you comment if this is the simplest way to do this? The part is about $3 on ebay (LM3914).

Thinking about this some more I think it may be a lot simpler and I don't need the LED array driver since I am not going to use that many LED's, unless I make a gauge on the pack - I need to get some sleep


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## znomit (Dec 27, 2007)

Good idea Huffy. 
I looked at that briefly last year but couldn't figure out where on the light/battery I'd mount it. 
The little LED bar modules are nice. Like this but red/green/orange.

Of course now I run dynamos so who cares about batteries


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## HuffyPuffy (Jun 9, 2008)

Yep, those LED arrays are what sparked my interest in doing a battery monitor, but there is not enough room to put something that big, so I am thinking of using some 3mm LEDs (3 of them).


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## Jim Z in VT (Sep 9, 2007)

Huffy, I'd be interested in seeing your circuit once you get it sorted out and functioning. I've always thought it would be nice to have a visual reminder of battery level (other than my light suddenly getting very dim 

It may be doable with a single multi-color led. I've seen leds capable of emitting either red, yellow or green. A quick look on the Radio Shack website didn't turn up anything, but there was this one, a blinking 7-color led. No idea how you tell it what color you want, but it's cheap enough that I might have to see it they have any at either of the two Radio Shack stores in town, just to mess around with.

JZ


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## Jim Z in VT (Sep 9, 2007)

Thanks Huffy.No hurry here.....it's ski season; there won't be much riding to be had for a while. I'm also gathering parts and supplies for some bike light projects over the winter. 

JZ


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## HuffyPuffy (Jun 9, 2008)

Hi Jim, I picked up a bunch of multicolor (individual) leds and have some resistors and pots for the fine tuning. I think it will be pretty simple with the LEDs in parallel with the driver. Once I have something I will post some pics (will be a while since I am waiting on the LED's.


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## znomit (Dec 27, 2007)

:thumbsup: 
I used a red/green/blue on my bflex light as a combined status/power on.


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## HuffyPuffy (Jun 9, 2008)

The single LED is a cool idea, but I think I it would not be as simple to hook up since the ground looks common to the three LED's. I am sure there would be a way (and I would love to use something like that, I just don't have the skills to do it without some logic involved, but am learning bit by bit.


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## HuffyPuffy (Jun 9, 2008)

Opps, double post


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## znomit (Dec 27, 2007)

HuffyPuffy said:


> The single LED is a cool idea, but I think I it would not be as simple to hook up since the ground looks common to the three LED's.


They have two sorts, common anode and common cathode so you can go both ways.

Huffy could you please hit quote when replying, this is a fantastic thread but difficult to follow. :crazy: Cheers.


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## HuffyPuffy (Jun 9, 2008)

znomit said:


> They have two sorts, common anode and common cathode so you can go both ways.
> 
> Huffy could you please hit quote when replying, this is a fantastic thread but difficult to follow. :crazy: Cheers.


Thanks for the tip, I think I am viewing in linear mode so I never noticed the issue. After a second thought, I think that the LED you linked may be just the ticket, but I think I am gonna wait to get my LEDs and then do some testing before I buy one of the multi color ones since I don't wanna blow it.

EDIT: I just found this project which looks like it can be modified pretty easily for my battery (18v). As a bonus I can use a single LED like Znomit linked to. I am going to have to figure out the resistor values and try to get the parts. This project should be a good way for me to try and remember the basic electronics stuff I learned years ago and can hardly recall now


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## HuffyPuffy (Jun 9, 2008)

I just got the optics and LED's from Cutter today! I fitted them in the parts and the fit is tight, I think that due to the way the water jet cuts, the cuts are slightly angled, so they only fit in one side (I will finish the faces to a brushed aluminum finish most likely). I am thinking of removing the optics holders since they fit really well with a press fit into the aluminum parts. Here are some pics:


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## kgardnez (Jan 31, 2004)

That's top notch stuff!


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## ocean breathes salty (Oct 1, 2006)

This is going to be on sweet looking build!


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## johnmyster99 (Mar 2, 2004)

Cool huffy.

I'm still waiting on optics from Cutter, but all other parts have been on deck for three weeks now. I got tired of waiting and wired up the blue shark and the LEDs and am quite impressed. Have cateye and everything else, but am waiting on Cutter.

One thing I found out. My 12v NiMH battery is too strong at full charge for the blue shark (booster) and four Cree R2 LEDs. (Can we fit five in that box?) At 1000 mA, my meter measures 12.5 for driving voltage on the four. Apparently the R2s got a bump in efficiency. My battery at full charge is 12.8 so that's a problem. I had a 8.4 Li-ion pack handy and experimented with it as well. I'll probably just cut one cell out of the NiMH pack and use it. I had hoped the blue shark would be "less efficient."

I also figured out what resistance levels to use with my rotary switch as well. For me, approx 1.5 kohm is a good "flashlight" level of about 150 mA. 9500 ohms is a good "very bright" level corresponding to about 670 mA, and 15.5 kohms is full blast.

If you've gotten your stuff from Cutter, I hope I'll find mine when I return from vacation next week. Heatsink is ready. Plexiglass in hand. Ready to go.


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## kgardnez (Jan 31, 2004)

Huffy Puffy.

1. Did you have the heatsink done on the waterjet as well?
2. Would bluesaw have a reduced price for additional sets?


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## Pitto (Sep 26, 2005)

so, you done yet?? where the finished item


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## p97z (Dec 19, 2006)

more pictures... please!

Looks good so far!


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## HuffyPuffy (Jun 9, 2008)

johnmyster99 said:


> Cool huffy.
> 
> I'm still waiting on optics from Cutter, but all other parts have been on deck for three weeks now. I got tired of waiting and wired up the blue shark and the LEDs and am quite impressed. Have cateye and everything else, but am waiting on Cutter.
> 
> ...


Are you using the Carlco 10mm optics? If so, I think you could get 5 of them in there (inside width is 57.5mm). It would probably look like the rear end of the Millennium Falcon going into "hyper drive" or whatever they called it 

The Blue Shark looks cool, I have used the "shark" before and aside from the soldering on the small pads, it was really a nice driver to use, and then they improved it! 12.5V with 1amp though them does seem low for 4 of these though, I have never used the R2's however. The datasheet for XP-E's shows that the forward voltage should be >3.4v when running more than 700ma though em (it stops at 700ma, but it looks to me like you should be seeing 3.5v or more from each of them at 1amp). Have you measured them using a lower current such as 350ma or 700ma - then you could check those readings against the graph in the datasheet to see if something is amiss (XP-E datasheet

If you have not already, an email to Ben at Cutter may help your order along. I sent him an email about 3 weeks in and then it took a couple more days and he had it shipped. Then it took another week to get to the US, which seems like a good transit time.

Would you mind posting a shot of the heatsink you built and dimensions for the thickness, I need to make one for mine Also have you done any bench testing with the heatsink to see how long it takes to get warm/hot? I am thinking of trimming my sink down for this one (seems counter-intuitive) since I need more space for a small battery monitor circuit.

BTW, I sent you a PM a while back regarding the case backs, did you see it?


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## HuffyPuffy (Jun 9, 2008)

kgardnez said:


> Huffy Puffy.
> 
> 1. Did you have the heatsink done on the waterjet as well?
> 2. Would bluesaw have a reduced price for additional sets?


1. No, the heatsink would have been mucho dinero since it would be much thicker (or a stack of thinner sheets). I am planning on using some 1" aluminum bar stock and grinding it down again for this light - though sooner or later I will get some real tools to do it right.

2. It seems that 10 is a magic number with BlueSaw. When I got my parts they had a sale going so that I could get the same price per part for one as I would pay if I ordered 10 of them. I posted the .dxf file I used which you can upload to BlueSaw to get a quote (I used 0.125" 6061 aluminum), their quote screen shows prices for various quantities, but the first break is at 10. You can also edit out any pieces from the .dxf file using google sketchup - just import the file, then when you are done, save it to .dxf (I think it is export or something like that).


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## HuffyPuffy (Jun 9, 2008)

Pitto said:


> so, you done yet?? where the finished item


With the holidays, I was hoping to get something done with this during my time off, but now all my time is being sucked up with wrapping this, putting that up, cleaning, everything but building this light. If only Santa's elves could build it for me, I would be set. I will be back at it soon hopefully


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## HuffyPuffy (Jun 9, 2008)

p97z said:


> more pictures... please!
> 
> Looks good so far!


Thanks, I will try and post some progress shots as I get stuff done - next will be the heatsink but that is going to be not so pretty if it turns out like the last one.


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## HuffyPuffy (Jun 9, 2008)

kgardnez said:


> That's top notch stuff!





ocean breathes salty said:


> This is going to be on sweet looking build!


Thanks for the encouragement, and have a great holiday!


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## HuffyPuffy (Jun 9, 2008)

I just filed, sanded and polished the faceplate. The cuts on the waterjet have a slight angle which resulted in the dimensions of the optics holes being about .1mm smaller on the less finished side, so that took some careful filing to fit the optics, now they go all the way in and I am gong to try using no holders for the optics (this may turn out to be a bad idea, but we will see). I am thinking that if this works, I can just seal/glue the optics in the faceplate and will not need to add a clear cover (again, not sure about the soundness of that idea).





































I had to trim the SwitchCraft connector to fit inside the case:









Now I need to get working on my heatsink. I am checking into getting it machined, I really don't want to hack one up again on the grinder


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## johnmyster99 (Mar 2, 2004)

Sorry, I don't make a habit of checking PMs.

Got my cutter optices (Polymer Optics) but they messed up the order. Supposedly the fix is in the mail.

I have a piece of aluminum "L" channel that I cut to width and then sanded down to dimension to fit inside the box. We have 1200 grit wheels at work that do a nice job. It's very lightweight, but I don't think it'll have an issue staying cool. My bench sink is larger but doesn't get warm at all over time. If my LEDs are working as efficiently as they seem, there shouldn't bee too much heat to deal with. Actually, thermal mass between the LEDs and the sink surface doesn't really matter unless it helps the conductivity between the two. I'm just going to keep it light and count on airflow. Ultimately the "sink" (the surface of the box) will be the same no matter what you put inside, so at steady-state it should reach the same temperature profile.

Looks great. Glad someone was able to take my idea and run, even if I'm still waiting on parts.


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## troutie-mtb (Sep 20, 2007)

That is looking very sophisticated and slick there Huffy 
been good watching it progress 

Have a hunt for the post about putting stuff on the optics where Znomit posted some 
good stuff about not doing it .
before gluing them in .

looking at the holders they only contact the optic minimaly on the corners.


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## HuffyPuffy (Jun 9, 2008)

johnmyster99 said:


> Sorry, I don't make a habit of checking PMs.
> 
> Got my cutter optices (Polymer Optics) but they messed up the order. Supposedly the fix is in the mail.
> 
> ...


I am just glad you shared your idea, otherwise I would probably not have even considered fitting 4LED's into the case. Sorry to hear about the problem with Cutter, with all the waiting just to get stuff it is a wonder any lights get built. I would like to hear how your heatsink works once you get stuff set up with it. I am pretty committed to using a big chunk of aluminum (thinking this time it will be 20mm deep instead of the full 1 inch. The heatsink gives a good place for the mount to screw into as well, and I like the heft (I usually ride with about 15lbs of stuff including water, so weight is not my primary concern  ).


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## }SkOrPn--7 (Aug 15, 2008)

Very slick and really neat job.


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## HuffyPuffy (Jun 9, 2008)

troutie-mtb said:


> That is looking very sophisticated and slick there Huffy
> been good watching it progress
> 
> Have a hunt for the post about putting stuff on the optics where Znomit posted some
> ...


Thanks, I will look for that one, but I am pretty well stuck with this now as the holders are no longer going to be holding anything if you know what I mean  If I do go with a glue or sealant, it will be used as sparingly as possible, and only at the top of the optics where they contact the aluminum faceplate, so hopefully that will help - they have a pretty good press fit at the moment.


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## HuffyPuffy (Jun 9, 2008)

}SkOrPn--7 said:


> Very slick and really neat job.


Thanks!


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## ocean breathes salty (Oct 1, 2006)

HuffyPuffy said:


> (I usually ride with about 15lbs of stuff including water, so weight is not my primary concern  ).


No wonder you are out of breathe on the climbs!!


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## Jim Z in VT (Sep 9, 2007)

> Have a hunt for the post about putting stuff on the optics where Znomit posted some
> good stuff about not doing it .
> before gluing them in .


My impression (and results of some much cruder tests than Znomit's) is that you don't want glue/silicone on the rear conical part of optics, but a small amount around the front edge will have minimal effects, if any. I think if you keep it on those flats near the front of the Polymer Optics you'd be OK.

That's going to be a fine looking light!

JZ


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## HuffyPuffy (Jun 9, 2008)

ocean breathes salty said:


> No wonder you are out of breathe on the climbs!!


No doubt about that . More than half the weight I carry is water (I like to carry too much), plus it lets me simulate being more overweight than I am, which is incentive enough not to stack on more pounds.


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## HuffyPuffy (Jun 9, 2008)

I made some progress on my battery monitor this morning - I still need to tweak the resistor values (but waiting on some parts to arrive before I can dial it in) - ideally it will be:

Red <=16.0v
Yellow (Red + Green) from 16-16.5v
Green > 16.5v

My battery is an 18v Makita L-ion.

Here are some pics of it in action (I had to use a while LED while I am waiting for parts, but it will be red once I get everything):





































I basically just slightly modified this project which is for a 12v monitor, using different resistor values. It has been too long since I have messed with this stuff though, so it took a lot longer than expected (that and I made an incorrect assumption on how the op-amp worked - the little part in the middle, and a bad voltage regulator - the little back pencil eraser shaped thing).


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## ocean breathes salty (Oct 1, 2006)

This is looking like a really promising project. Being completely electronically inept, Getting someone else to do the hard yards and then posting a how to sounds just about right to me  

Thanks Huffy and keep up the good work!


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## HuffyPuffy (Jun 9, 2008)

ocean breathes salty said:


> This is looking like a really promising project. Being completely electronically inept, Getting someone else to do the hard yards and then posting a how to sounds just about right to me
> 
> Thanks Huffy and keep up the good work!


I feel the same way about electronics, that is why I borrowed another design that was already out there and am just modifying it to work with my larger battery. The hardest part (aside from waiting on stuff) is going to be actually building the battery monitor small enough to fit in the case with the rest of the components, and making it reasonably tidy. I may have to learn a bit about making a circuit board now.

Thanks,
Mike


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## HuffyPuffy (Jun 9, 2008)

I spent some time this morning leaning a program called Eagle which is used to design a circuit board layout. I finally have something that will fit in the case with the buckpuck, it should be 15x33mm. However I am going to have to get some surface mount resistors and an op-amp component to make it work:









(the blue parts are on the back side of the board, the red ones are on the front and the white ones are also going on the front, the LED will not be mounted to the board directly since it will be stuck in the back of the case)

If anyone has a place that will make a double sided board, cheap, please let me know :thumbsup:


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## Jim Z in VT (Sep 9, 2007)

That's pretty impressive Huffy. I messed around with that software a few years ago (a staging timer circuit for an overly-complicated model rocketry project) but never did anything with it. 

Not sure what circuit board manufacturing might cost; maybe ask over on CPF. You might have to do a small run to make it cost effective. I bet you could sell a few though, especially if you packaged them with the components, as a kit. I know where you might sell a couple, anyway  

JZ


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## HuffyPuffy (Jun 9, 2008)

Thanks Jim, the place which was the cheapest and seems well regarded is batchpcb.com (I think they are tied in with Sparkfun). I would have made these myself, but they are so small and double sided so I think this is money well spent. I finally got my design as small as I could and added another board to the order for something which may or may not work (if it does I will post it). I ordered some extras in case I mess em up or make some more lights, if I have some extras I will offer em up (but only when I know they work). I also have some SMD resistors and other parts on order, it has been some time since I messed with those so it is good thing I am getting some spares. I can post up the gerber files or the eagle files if anyone wants them. I am pretty new to this stuff, but having a lot of fun learning


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## Boyonabyke (Sep 5, 2007)

Elegantly Awesome there Huffy Puffy. You are one resourceful light builder.


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## HuffyPuffy (Jun 9, 2008)

RandyBoy said:


> Elegantly Awesome there Huffy Puffy. You are one resourceful light builder.


Thanks! Now I just need to get this thing built , though I am facing the same curse as before - waiting on parts (from China this time). Building these things is becoming a Zen like experience


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## Jim Z in VT (Sep 9, 2007)

Huffy, you've probably seen this....there's a simple little battery monitor circuit in this thread.

JZ


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## HuffyPuffy (Jun 9, 2008)

Thanks for the link. I had seen that thread before and and it is cool design, and a lot simpler way to do this. I like the idea of having the LED's give a small range though (green/yellow/red), however in practice this will be not much more useful. I already ordered the boards so I am going to stick with this setup for now. 

My project has morphed a bit and now I am trying to add a blinker circuit, with some other things, all under the control of the pot which is making is a bit more complicated. Hopefully when I am done I will have a board that will drive the ref pin on the buckpuck to make the photons come out the way I want them to. I am learning though, so it is still a fun challenge.


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## troutie-mtb (Sep 20, 2007)

This is excelent work Huffy puffy and I see why you want to do it 

But what about us electronic numptys who want to see the cool light progress 
or is it shelved waiting for your curcuits


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## HuffyPuffy (Jun 9, 2008)

Thanks Troutie! I am waiting on a heatsink for the light, and then should be able to get it going. I also have some more water get cut plates on the way to try. I am planning to get it put together in similar fashion to my prior light to test the basic setup, and then when I have figured out the control board I will add that in (basically it will work with the buckpuck to control the voltage on the reference pin to change the light). I am pretty sure that the battery monitor will work as intended as well, but I am not sure how practical it will be. I have a flashing circuit working too which gives me some hope, but I need to try it with the buckpuck and lights. I am a noob when it comes to electronics, but am slowly learning how to (hopefully) make this work. I know it would be simpler (probably) to just get a chip like a PICAxe or Atmel which I could program to do all the things I am trying to do with various components - but then I would need to learn how to do that too (baby steps).


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## joebreez (Sep 10, 2005)

Excellent work Huffy!
I was wondering how hot that thing gets while riding though. I was wondering if there was enough thermal mass to be running those things for lengthy periods.
Dissipating the heat in something that small may be difficult, you did mention a heat sink, so I guess I'll hang on and wait for the final build pics.
I would love to build something that compact but I'm afraid of of it being too small...


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## HuffyPuffy (Jun 9, 2008)

Thanks Joe, I am also concerned about heat. I can say that my triple Q5 light which is often driven at 1amp has not caused me any problems yet, however that has about an inch of aluminum backing up the LED's. The Quad however is not going to have as beefy of a heatsink, unless it needs it. One of the things I am trying to incorporate into my driver board is a temp sensor based on a Microchip TC622, which can be set to trip at a set point (am am new to the electronics stuff so I am hoping I made the right choice with this part). I think that a triple is a safe bet, though a quad emitter light in this case is going to be a challenge in several ways, but I think it will work - they will definitely fit in there so why not try


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## johnmyster99 (Mar 2, 2004)

My initial thought with suggesting the quad, was that if a triple works well at 1 amp, then you could get more light and less heat with a quad at 0.75 amps (the same input power).

I never counted on being able to drive mine wide open for very long, nor providing the batteries to do so. Initial tests reveal little additional light gain between 0.75 and 1 amp drive current anyhow.


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## HuffyPuffy (Jun 9, 2008)

johnmyster99 said:


> My initial thought with suggesting the quad, was that if a triple works well at 1 amp, then you could get more light and less heat with a quad at 0.75 amps (the same input power).
> 
> I never counted on being able to drive mine wide open for very long, nor providing the batteries to do so. Initial tests reveal little additional light gain between 0.75 and 1 amp drive current anyhow.


I am glad you suggested it too (it should be a neat light when it is done) :thumbsup:! What you suggested is pretty reasonable, though I do like to get that extra punch (though small) by cranking up my triple cree light to the full 1000mA. I am not sure if running them all the time at an amp will be good for their health, but I am confident that the heatsinking abilities of this case, with some help from the heatsink inside are enough to do the job. I have a few ideas running around in my head of ways to improve it even more without sacrificing looks if necessary.

I have received another batch waterjet cut quad optic cover plates and some for the back ( I am planning on making a couple of these once I have everything working ).




























I think I am making some progress with the circuit, but since I am a noob at this it is taking a while. Thankfully the Internet is full of helpful people so I am hopeful that either I can glean enough info to get this running, or get some help to do so. It feels like I just hit a patch of sand and am still going uphill right now, but I am still going forward.


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## HuffyPuffy (Jun 9, 2008)

After seeing Cloggy's triple MC-E light and driver, I decided that the circuit I had put together would be better implemented using a PIC (programmable microcontroller). I ordered what is called a PICAXE and am now impatiently waiting for it, but in the mean time I have put together a program for it which at least in simulation seems to work, it will have a low/med/high and flashing mode, a over temp alarm which will toggle it down to low, and a low battery warning with a shutoff if it crosses a certain level (on my 18v Li-ion it will shut down at 14v).

I am really impressed by these PICAXE chips though I have yet to get my hands on them. I am very much a newbie to microcontrollers and have not done any programming for many years (and even then, very basic stuff) but these things really seem beginner friendly. They were apparently developed for schools and hobbyists so the docs did not blow my mind either.

A couple other ideas I have floating around are to put in a light sensor that will dim it down if there is a car approaching, and to add a small USB charging jack for my phone/mp3/gps or whatever - since I need to get 5v for the circuit, I may as well tap a few mA off in case I need some power for my stuff. I still have a lot to do, but I think this just got a whole lot easier - no more ripping up circuits, I can do it in software


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## HuffyPuffy (Jun 9, 2008)

I received my PIC yesterday and fortunately ordered two, since I thing the first vict...err PIC is blown. I have been able to get a couple things working though, such as the dimming and switching modes. The PICAXE has a built in PWM output which can control the buckpuck similarly to a potentiometer, so I can have the LED's gradually increase in brightness from mode to mode, which looks cool. I am having a bit of a power problem though (I think) because I have a 18v battery and am trying to drive a 5v circuit (heating up my 5v regulator quite a bit), I am still making progress though.

Here are some pics of the awesome heatsink that was made for me by another forum member (not sure if he wants me to post his nickname here). These fit in the Hammond case perfectly and provide a good deal of contact area to the case too:


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## HuffyPuffy (Jun 9, 2008)

*It's ALIVE! It's ALIIIIVE! - well almost*

My driver is alive, and it's about time too! I finally worked out the hardware issues and tweaked the software. I have yet to test the temp cutout, but everything else seems to work. The board does the following:

* Low - Med - High - Boost (with gradual dimming between each level) and Flash
* Low Battery cutout
* High Temp cutout (goes to low mode unless it is off, or in Flash mode), flashes a blue LED for now - reverts to last state once the temp alarm clears. Also dims from the current mode to the low mode if it is on Med, High or Boost modes.
*Battery monitor, Red - Yellow (R+G) - Green LED's illuminate depending on voltage of the 18V battery.

I have yet to add a light sensor (for dimming the light when oncoming vehicles approach at night), though I am not sure how well that will work, and I am still debating which light sensor to use.



















I also made this tiny SMD LED's. I am planning to re-do these with UV LEDs which I will use to use to illuminate my shift indicators, they will also be controlled by the driver (on/off and possibly dimming if I add a light sensor).


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## mdsjack (Oct 26, 2007)

cool! keep it up


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## gillestugan (Nov 12, 2008)

HuffyPuffy said:


> I already ordered the boards so I am going to stick with this setup for now.


Good work. How much did you pay for the boards?


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## HuffyPuffy (Jun 9, 2008)

gillestugan said:


> Good work. How much did you pay for the boards?


Thanks! The boards are about $5 each (830 holes), I put two of them together in the pic. They are invaluable for anything like this. I also purchased a box of the jumper wires online some time ago, which saves a lot of hassle. I usually pick up a breadboard with my orders of other components, and since this project which has changed since I started, I have a few now.

I am still amazed by how great these PICAXE chips are, a novice like me can pick one up and have something working in a reasonable time - it is the tweaking of the hardware and software which took the most time.


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## p97z (Dec 19, 2006)

Looking good! Keep us posted!


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## gillestugan (Nov 12, 2008)

Sorry, I should have been more specific. I wonder how much you paid for the printed circuit boards you ordered from batchpcb.com?


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## ocean breathes salty (Oct 1, 2006)

So let me get this straight... your next light is going to have a battery fuel guage, shift indicator lights, and dimming based on ambient light? Wow!


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## HuffyPuffy (Jun 9, 2008)

gillestugan said:


> Sorry, I should have been more specific. I wonder how much you paid for the printed circuit boards you ordered from batchpcb.com?


I think the first battery monitor boards were about $4-5 a piece, however the latest board using the design on the breadboard is $7.50 plus a flat $12 shipping and handling. They seem to be very cheap, but very slow too.

Here is a cool link to get an idea of prices:
http://www.ladyada.net/library/pcb/costcalc.html


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## gillestugan (Nov 12, 2008)

Great link. Thanks a lot!


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## HuffyPuffy (Jun 9, 2008)

ocean breathes salty said:


> So let me get this straight... your next light is going to have a battery fuel guage, shift indicator lights, and dimming based on ambient light? Wow!


Thanks Ocean, I am happy you posted this - I had a PCB all designed and uploaded to batchpcb, but thanks to your post I went back to check how the shift lights were set up and realized that I left them unconnected (tied to ground through a resistor). I have yet to figure how I will connect them to outside the case, and keep it waterproof. I also do not have a phototransistor yet so I am not sure if I will use one or not. I can see that setting something like that up will be a lot of trial and error (getting it so it does not dim at the slightest reflection, etc, so I may save it for later - though that was set up for future use on the PCB. I am going to get one with my next order though. Based on past experience with batchpcb, I will have a month or more to wait before I will have the PCB's which will give me some time to decide if the light sensor will work or not.


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## HuffyPuffy (Jun 9, 2008)

I made some more progress (still waiting on my PCB so I can complete the light). I built one shift indicator light and I think it turned out well. The LED's are SMD UV LED's I got off Ebay, they are wired in parallel and getting about 5mA each. I used hot glue to surround them and then mounted them in the shifter the same way. They are possibly a bit too bright, but they provide a diffused backlight which seems to work with the indicator since it is bright orange (and UV reactive apparently).

Here are the build pics:























































Now to make the other one


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## gillestugan (Nov 12, 2008)

Ooo, thats really sweet! I very seldom look at the indicators, but it really looks nice. Great idea!


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## HuffyPuffy (Jun 9, 2008)

gillestugan said:


> Ooo, thats really sweet! I very seldom look at the indicators, but it really looks nice. Great idea!


Thanks! I agree though that this was a bit overkill, though there are times when going from a downhill to an uphill that I still like to see where I am.

I just got the second one done, which went really fast compared to the first one. Now I need to think about getting them hooked up to the driver - I made a port on the driver for these, and can set them up to dim based on various things, but I may just hook them up to a separate battery.


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## mdsjack (Oct 26, 2007)

LOL. "The Fast and the Furious 4 - Alpine Chase" !!!


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## HuffyPuffy (Jun 9, 2008)

mdsjack said:


> LOL. "The Fast and the Furious 4 - Alpine Chase" !!!


No, more like "The Slow and the Agro II - Huffy's Revenge" :thumbsup:

Usually the sound of the sprockets grinding on the chain is enough to tell me to shift, but sometimes I need more "help" :crazy:


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## HuffyPuffy (Jun 9, 2008)

I have made some more progress on this light, since I received my PCB's earlier this week from BatchPCB (they have great service by the way). I used a skillet to reflow the tiny SMD parts, using some DealExtreme solder paste - it worked like magic, but I did have a few spots that needed re-working. I also realized I made one small error on the board, but fixed it, and it works great so far:


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## Jim Z in VT (Sep 9, 2007)

Huffy - very nice. I dig the shift indicator lights (although I have to admit that even during the daytime I have a hard time taking my eyes off the trail long enough to read the indicators 

On the auto-dimming idea: You can aim your sensor out of a small tube, so it's detecting light from only one direction. It will probably take some trial/error to find the right length/diameter tube to make it work.

JZ


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## HuffyPuffy (Jun 9, 2008)

Thanks Jim, I am finding that the shift indicators are very much for show rather than being useful, but they don't draw much power. 

I have played with the cheap CDS photocell type sensors, but they do not seem very sensitive, even without an enclosure. I have a cart full of stuff at Mouser which includes an ambient light sensor I was planning to try, but I have yet to hit order since I am always finding something else I need. Seems like the light sensor may be more trouble than it's worth though, and probably will not make it into this light, but maybe the next one.


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## HuffyPuffy (Jun 9, 2008)

I finally got the first one together, this one was put together to see how everything works, which is just OK. My driver needs some tweaking to get the switch de-bounce set right but all the functions are correct (have not yet tested the temp cutoff since I just started playing with it), and I need to find some better screws for the front and back plates, as well as make a gasket for them. I compared the output to my triple Q5 using DX leds and driven at an amp and that one is considerably brighter, though the LED's in this light are only driven at about 750ma max. I am using WD and WH R2's in this one so possibly it is the difference in tints as well.



















Things I am going to do differently on the next one are:
1. Use cheaper and possibly brighter Q5's from DX
2. Will use a better pushbutton switch from ITW (series 48 or 47)
3. Going to try the Hirose HR30 connectors which are currently backordered at Mouser.

I am too tired to post beamshots right now, but I don't think they will be very impressive based on initial testing. This light will probably find a home on my road bike since it has a nifty blink function.


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## HuffyPuffy (Jun 9, 2008)

*V2 of the Hammond Quad*

I just completed the 2nd version of the quad cree light. I was able to make good on the improvements I had in mind after the first one, using Hirose HR30 connector and cheap DX cree Q5's which actually are a big improvement over the last light. I went for the cheap toggle since I have found it works well enough and I can hit it up or down to switch modes, just seems easier to target the switch than using a button. It also has a much better beam this time around, using the Polymer Optics 6deg (120/147) and 25deg (124/147), which are the same as the last one, but with much better alignment of the optics.

I re-programmed the buckpuck driver circuit so now it has low-med-high-boost (1amp) and two blink modes. It will also dim the LEDs at 14.2v and will go off at 13.7v (I use an 18v Makita battery). It steps the current down when the temp alarm goes off. I still have not worked out the light sensor, but just got a 600nm phototransistor to try out with my last remaining driver board (maybe in the v3 ).

I reworked the battery/temp warning LED as well. On the last version the LED can be overpowering so I muted it a bit and now it illuminates a doughnut hole area and is much less of an eyesore, I added some glow powder in there so it has a nice blue ring when I shut it off. I also worked on the program, so it does not blink between levels as much.

The one thing that probably made the biggest improvement was using the holders for the Polymer Optics. On the last light I ran without them and I think the alignment suffered so the beam is not that great. On this light the beams are really well aligned and there is nice hotspot which the prior light did not really have. The only thing I have yet to do is re-seal the covers with some more RTV sealant since I can see some gaps in it with the light on. I am going to test it out tomorrow if all goes well.


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## Pitto (Sep 26, 2005)

nice, i like it.


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## HuffyPuffy (Jun 9, 2008)

*Finally a Beamshot*

This is not the best beamshot in the world and I screwed up the MTBR settings a bit (only 5 sec exposure instead of 6 esconds). I think the pics look pretty close to what it looks like, but I could have aimed it better. There is a noticeable hot spot which is nice because it gives it some throw in addition to the flood. Pardon the Blur, no tripod.


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## sergio_pt (Jan 29, 2007)

its a nice beam. good work.

The backlight on the shifter is a very good idea for the night riders. Too bad the XTR shifters do not have indicators or I could do the same.


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## HuffyPuffy (Jun 9, 2008)

Thanks, my new ride does not have the mod'ed shifters - they are SRAM x.7's and I am not sure if they will backlight well. I may just move my Deore's over since I know they work and I keep hitting the shifters with my thumb on the x.7's when going down bumpy sections. Now that I have a neat helmet light though, shift indicators are less useful.

I have seen some inline shift indicators for the XTR shifters, but they look difficult to mod since they look small:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Shimano-XTR-Shifter-Cable-Gear-Indicator-Inline-9-Spd--_W0QQitemZ280337624852QQcmdZViewItemQQimsxZ20090424?IMSfp=TL090424204009r23117


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## Vancbiker (May 25, 2005)

HuffyPuffy said:


> Thanks, my new ride does not have the mod'ed shifters - they are SRAM x.7's and I am not sure if they will backlight well. I may just move my Deore's over since I know they work and I keep hitting the shifters with my thumb on the x.7's when going down bumpy sections. Now that I have a neat helmet light though, shift indicators are less useful.
> 
> I have seen some inline shift indicators for the XTR shifters, but they look difficult to mod since they look small:


A little off topic, but your Deore shifters will not work with an SRAM derailleur. Also, do you guys really use shifter indicators? I never have, maybe I am missing something ( I actually remove them from the Shimano shifters and cover the hole with some tape).


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## HuffyPuffy (Jun 9, 2008)

Vancbiker said:


> A little off topic, but your Deore shifters will not work with an SRAM derailleur. Also, do you guys really use shifter indicators? I never have, maybe I am missing something ( I actually remove them from the Shimano shifters and cover the hole with some tape).


Thanks, I will have to read up on the compatibility. I recall that there are some rear der's that need to pull more cable or something like that.

I just use my indicators sometimes, especially when I am having shifting issues, or am approaching a steep climb and have a quick mental recall of what gear I am in on the front, but can easily get by without them.

Why do you remove the indicators, the don't weigh much and probably keep things a bit more dust free with them in place?


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## Vancbiker (May 25, 2005)

HuffyPuffy said:


> Thanks, I will have to read up on the compatibility. I recall that there are some rear der's that need to pull more cable or something like that.
> 
> I just use my indicators sometimes, especially when I am having shifting issues, or am approaching a steep climb and have a quick mental recall of what gear I am in on the front, but can easily get by without them.
> 
> Why do you remove the indicators, the don't weigh much and probably keep things a bit more dust free with them in place?


SRAM uses a longer cable pull than Shimano.

I remove the indicators because I think they add to the clutter on the bars, are just another thing to break and I found I never looked at them. Covering the hole with a piece of good electrical tape has worked for years and may actually seal the opening better than the indicator did since it had no seal on it.


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## yetibetty (Dec 24, 2007)

SRAM Rocket shifters work with Shimano derailers other than that there is no compatibility between the two. EDIT: they've gone and changed the name to ATTACK
http://www.sram.com/en/srammountain/compatibleshifters/attack/triggershifter.php


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## HuffyPuffy (Jun 9, 2008)

Thanks for the info, I have a SRAM rear der so it looks like I need to use SRAM shifters. No biggie, I like the SRAM stuff anyway, though I am not sure if I can mod them to add the backlights. It is not high on the to-do list, but if I can, pics will be posted


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