Replacement MC-E LED head for Canister Divelight ...

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wquiles

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Location
Texas, USA, Earth
Hi there folks!

I got contacted a couple of weeks ago by a diver in Canada to help him with an MR11 head that melted beyond repair due to turning ON while on the storage bag. He has seen some of my LED work at the CandlePowerForums and he sent me the whole assembly for me to replace it with a high power LED solution. By reading from my copy of Steve Lindblom's Divelight Companion, his particular setup seems like the typical DIY project as shown in Steve's book, so except for the melted/destroyed parts, everything looks pretty straight forward.

I am very experienced with making and modifying flashlights for the last 4-5 years, I am also a PADI diver (Advanced Open Water), and did a lot of diving during my college years in Puerto Rico where I went diving with my best friend about once a month for 5-6 months each year (warm waters from late Spring to early Fall), but I have not gone diving in 10 years, so I am looking at the experience and expertise of the folks here to help me along with this project.

My plan is to make him a new head with a single high-power MC-E LED running at spec (2.8 Amps) giving between 700-900 Lumens, with a new cord and cable glands which will mate to his existing 12V-based Canister. I will use an LED constant current regulator, and a textured metal reflector designed for the MC-E that I have recently used for another flashlight project that gives a great beam.

I would like to post photos and steps from the build here in this forum as I make progress, which will allow me to get feedback from you and others here in the forum.

Is this the right sub-forum for this type of project?

Will
 
A couple of questions.

Why MR11? Why not MR16?
With MR11 you are quite limited in what you can do. MR16 opens up a lot more options.
I have never seen a MR11 optic I was all that happy with. But then I never really looked that hard.
Also building a head from scratch sounds fun. But it will be hard work. A simple Mag head is easy, quick and cheap to do.

What optics will you be using?
What driver?
What conditions does the owner dive in?
How well will the choice of LED and optics work?
 
A couple of questions.

Why MR11? Why not MR16?
With MR11 you are quite limited in what you can do. MR16 opens up a lot more options.
I have never seen a MR11 optic I was all that happy with. But then I never really looked that hard.
Also building a head from scratch sounds fun. But it will be hard work. A simple Mag head is easy, quick and cheap to do.

What optics will you be using?
What driver?
What conditions does the owner dive in?
How well will the choice of LED and optics work?

What I meant is that he had an MR11 head before. Maybe it was an MR16 head to start with. I don't know for sure since it was melted and was cut off. Here is what he sent me:
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My apologies if it sounded I was going to try to fit an LED to an existing MR11/MR16 head. What I am doing is creating a new head, although not entirely from scratch. I will use the complete head, same hipCC LED driver from TaskLED Home, the same reflector, and the same MC-E LED as I used in this recent flashlight build for another diver:
Regulated Barbolight Host with neutral tint MC-E, hipCC, and AW C LiIon cells ... - CandlePowerForums


The diver for this project said he wanted a mix between spot and sidebeam, and after seeing the beamshots of the build above he said that type of beam would work for his use:
CandlePowerForums - View Single Post - Regulated Barbolight Host with neutral tint MC-E, hipCC, and AW C LiIon cells ...


I will be using brand new Agro cable glands on both sides, and a new cable (the diver said he would prefer something a little bit less stiff) that fits the Agro cable gland perfectly since I rather have good/new hardware for this build:
DSCF7139.JPG



I will keep posting pictures as I go along, so that you and others can guide me as I work on this project. I also want your opinion if there is any need to replace any other parts as well.

Thanks,
Will
 
OK, I have been able to spend a little bit more time on the project.

I initially purchased a replacement Delrin head from OxyCheck in Florida (along with the Agro Cable Glands), but I decided I would have better thermal path for the LED and the LED Driver with a metal head, so for this project, I will be using an Anodized Al head (below and right) for this LED project:
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The problem with the head is that it was designed to use 3x individual low-power emiters/reflectors, so it has a hole right in the middle for wires. For this application with the MC-E, the LED goes right in the area of the hole, so I have to plug this hole before I can use the head. Al is a great thermal conductor, but Copper is even better, so I am making a custom fitted Copper "plug":
DSCF7154.JPG



To clean and make flat the other side of the copper disk, I created a simple collet out of Delrin:
DSCF7155.JPG


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Once I got it on the lathe, I was able to clean it up pretty good, for a good thermal bond:
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Now I have to work on creating a matching pocket in the head (about 1.0" dia):
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And this is how the Copper disk fits in the pocket:
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I will post additional photos as I get more work done.

Will
 
I got the black Delrin on Friday, and the M16x1.5 tap (for the Agro Cable glands). Here is the tap:
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Here is the Delrin. On the left is the 2" and on the right the 1.5" Delrin:
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The idea is to make a new short body which would look like this:
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I hope to start the machining work soon.

Will
 
I am using 2-part thermal epoxy to glue the copper disk to the head:
DSCF7243.JPG



To ensure a thin layer, after squishing by hand, I then apply a couple of pounds of weight to get an even layer while it sets (about 5 minutes):
DSCF7244.JPG


DSCF7247.JPG



I am cutting the 2" Delrin to a smaller size:
DSCF7255.JPG



To start the threading operation I need to face the block and get the diameter to a target of 35mm:
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Since I am in the USA most of the time I am cutting TPI threads, so I had to re-configure my lathe to cut the M35 1.25 thread for the head (Metric threads since the head comes from Barbolight in Spain):
DSCF7260.JPG



Thread the head:
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Check for fit and adjust as necessary:
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This is how things are starting to look like:
DSCF7267.JPG
 
Now I need to reduce the diameter to something more manageable and bevel the edges so we don't have any sharp corners (we don't want to bleed underwater!):
DSCF7268.JPG


DSCF7269.JPG



When assembling the head I will apply clear silicon sealant in the threads and by the body to get a good seal:
DSCF7270.JPG



Now working on the other side to get the M16 x 1.5 thread for the Agro Cable Gland:
DSCF7271.JPG



Since I don't have a drill large enough (up to .5"), I then have to bore out until I can match the right dimension (37/64"):
DSCF7272.JPG



Then I tap the hole:
DSCF7273.JPG



and test fit the Agro Cable Gland:
DSCF7274.JPG



I made a recess to fit the cable gland 0.1" deeper inside the body, which when sealed with the silicone sealant, will give me a better water seal, while still making it easy to remove/replace if necessary:
DSCF7275.JPG


DSCF7276.JPG



I then bore out the other side - wires from the cable gland and from the driver will reside inside this cavity:
DSCF7277.JPG



Bevel the edge so that I can't pinch and cut a cable:
DSCF7278.JPG



Here is the almost finished Delrin body:
DSCF7279.JPG


DSCF7280.JPG



and here is how it looks like at the moment:
DSCF7281.JPG


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I will keep doing more updates as I get more time to work on this project.

Will
 
Last edited:
It's really coming together, Will. It will be a huge improvement over the original.

Packhorse: Will is doing this for me. As to my diving habits, I dive mostly in the St Lawrence River on wrecks, and some drifts along the bottom looking for bottles and other keepers. The visibility is generally in the 30 - 60 feet range, thanks to the zebra mussels. The canister that I've been using holds 2 @7ah 12v lead acid batteries, wired in parallel.
 
It's really coming together, Will. It will be a huge improvement over the original.
Thanks Grant. And it is getting closer and closer to being ready ...

Today I did a little bit of machining on the body:
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I first milled the flat area:
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Marked the centerline and approx. location for the holes:
DSCF7299.JPG



Used the laser edge finding to center the table to the drill's axis:
DSCF7302.JPG



Checked the threads on the original screws to try to duplicate them (I will of course buy brand new screws for the final assembly) - it was a 6-32 thread:
DSCF7300.JPG


DSCF7301.JPG
 
Drill and tap the two original hole locations:
DSCF7303.JPG


DSCF7304.JPG



Everything matched perfectly:
DSCF7305.JPG



To make an even stronger mount, I added a 3 screw location:
DSCF7306.JPG


DSCF7307.JPG



And except for the internal work, the mechanical part of the head is pretty much done:
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Will
 

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