Mod idea - Who's willing to build one for me?

[MastiffMike]

[Sorry for the long windedness!]

OK, I just had an idea for a mod that I'd love to have, but I don't have the skills to do it. So... I thought I'd throw out the idea and maybe someone will think it's worthy of attempting (even if it's not for me )

We've all seen the Magnum Power and similar cheapo flashlight mods. Well I was thinking about tweaking that to be more pocket friendly and stealthy. So I'll try to explain what I'm thinking and you gurus can critique the idea as I'm not totally sure how one would go about building it!

Picture a standard cheapo flashlight, bottom switch modified to momentary (I can do this part but then it quickly go out of my league...). These flashlight (3 AAA) are about the right length for an 18500 BUT say it's modified to use an 18350, thus the extra space could hold the connector, recessed in as far as the short battery would allow (the shorter battery also makes up for the extra length that will be added on, without the thing looking like a damn lightsaber! Not that there's anything wrong with that, just that lightsabers aren't safely pocketable! Trust me, but don't ask me HOW I know!).

THEN, and here comes the trickest part, over that is a working AND removable 9LED flashlight cap (where the center LED is removed to allow a standard carto to poke through. I'm thinking the end of the carto would roughly be flush with the end of the LEDs. So with the "flashlight cap" on, the carto mouthpiece is covered/protected by the lens, and when the button is pressed it operates as an 8 LED flashlight (using the momentary switch). However, when the "cap" is removed, it then operates as a PV!

How's the power diverted from the connector to the LEDS? I'm not really sure (I haven't noodled the whole idea enough yet!) but maybe some sort of spring contact to the connector that the cap would disengage when the cap is on? Maybe if the cap is pushed on (or screwed on?) it would break the connection to the connector and instead would contact the LEDs.

Does this make ANY sense? I'm picturing what looks like a flashlight, but slightly (say 1/2"-3/4"?) longer, that operates AS a flashlight but when the led cap is removed it operates as a PV. Not only would it be pocketable (since if it fired in your pocket it'd just be turning on the LEDs and NOT the carto) but it's also prevent dust/dirt from getting to the carto (since it'd be enclosed behind the LED lense when in your pocket).


So, if you've read all of this, and can picture what I'm thinking, you probably could have already built me one! Get to work!

 

[asdaq]

Hey MM, long time no see, how've you been? The way you've described it it is all mechanical but for this part:

How's the power diverted from the connector to the LEDS? I'm not really sure (I haven't noodled the whole idea enough yet!) but maybe some sort of spring contact to the connector that the cap would disengage when the cap is on? Maybe if the cap is pushed on (or screwed on?) it would break the connection to the connector and instead would contact the LEDs.

how about a slide switch mounted on the side instead of a spring? It seems it is going to need some wiring to share the positive anyway.

 

[Pharein]

Hi MastiffMike

If you get no takers for this and want to consider alternatives the flashlight module at VaperMoon.com might be of interest.

Good Luck.

 

[MastiffMike]

Hey Asdaq!

Life has NOT been good but hey 2012 is gonna be a better year!

So what have you been up to? Any great mods I should be begging you to make one for me?

I'm thinking this idea would have to be all mechanical, with the power diversion handled some how so that when the cap is installed it breaks the contact with the connector and then when the cap is removed the contact is reestablished. Maybe the cap is pushed on with a half turn and that turn is what aligns the positive to either the cap or the connector?

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If time allows I should be able to finish up the mod I'm working on this week and while it's all mechanical and pocketable, it looks like a PV and therefore not very stealthy. A long time ago I attempted to build a mod with a retractable connector but never got around to finishing it (lack of skills and tools really puts a damper in the build process and the frustration, well it's enough to make a dog give up!)

The Darwin reminds me of Tinear's Sidewinder, with it's rotating connector. That would make a mod more pocketable but the Sidewinder (or the Fang, or any of Tinear's mods) was never available. The Darwin is out of my price range and while I like the shape, I doubt I'd like the size.

The flashlight idea was just me thinking what could be done that to a layperson wouldn't raise eyebrows as to what the item is (they'd just think it's a flashlight) yet would be small, pocketable, and easy to use. If a client walks into my office and my PV is on my desk in plain view, I would prefer sometimes not to get 20 questions.

 

[MastiffMike]

Hi MastiffMike

If you get no takers for this and want to consider alternatives the flashlight module at VaperMoon.com might be of interest.

Good Luck.

That's a nice backup plan, but does require removing the atty/carto in addition to attaching/detaching the cap. I was hoping for something where the atty/carto stays attached and just a simple twist-and-pull removes the cap for vaping. Then a push-and-twist and the PV is concealed, dustproof, and pocketable. Not to mention that there'd only be 1 piece to put on/take off. Having to unscrew the cap and THEN screw on a carto means I'm more likely to just leave the carto on and thus it's not stealthy (yes, I am THAT lazy!).

Thanks for the link, I don't recall having seen that before and while it's not everything I was hoping for, it does prove to me that the cap idea CAN work, just have to figure out how to power it with using the connector to do it!

 

[asdaq]

I see how you want to do it, but making it work is a bit tricky. In the end you'd like to vape it most of the time and just be a light for the odd every now and then that it needs to pass inspection, yes?

How about this: A 9-LED light with the battery and carto as you describe, but the carto comes up in place of the center LED and is flush with the top of the light cap. Sort of the hidden camera in the clock motif. to vape it you pop in a drip tip that actually sticks out some and to deactivate you unscrew the carto partially. The light ring would 'pop up and down' to be engaged or not. Another way is to turn the battery over so it can't fire the LED's, but it is more to mess with (but less to build).

There's room in there too for a carto tank, Asnider did one without the light and stealth mode, he'd be a good one to contact too.

 

[MastiffMike]

I see how you want to do it, but making it work is a bit tricky. In the end you'd like to vape it most of the time and just be a light for the odd every now and then that it needs to pass inspection, yes?

How about this: A 9-LED light with the battery and carto as you describe, but the carto comes up in place of the center LED and is flush with the top of the light cap. Sort of the hidden camera in the clock motif. to vape it you pop in a drip tip that actually sticks out some and to deactivate you unscrew the carto partially. The light ring would 'pop up and down' to be engaged or not. Another way is to turn the battery over so it can't fire the LED's, but it is more to mess with (but less to build).

There's room in there too for a carto tank, Asnider did one without the light and stealth mode, he'd be a good one to contact too.

Great suggestions! The more I think about it, the more I'm thinking maybe it wouldn't have to work as a flashlight, as long as it looked like one (I could always claim the batteries just ran out!). Then the issue would just be how to prevent the switch from firing in a pocket (I'm not sure unscrewing the carto partially is foolproof enough!) and how to not lose the tip (I'd hate to have to try to shove the whole end into my mouth to vape! )

I'll have to look up what Asnider did, I'm SOOOO out of the loop!