Flashlight Mod advice

[xogul]

First of all my apologies for creating another topic about flashlight mods.

After my 3 year old son tested this against the floor yesterday, when I looked at it I didn't see a dismantled flashlight ...

I have bought two of them from FocalPrice some months ago before I started to vape, one silver and another black. There are also red and blue.
New 1W Mini Keychain Flashlight Torch (Silver) - Focalprice.com

The body is aluminium, 9,8 x 1,9 (cm) in size, powered by 1xAA 1,5v battery, 1 Watt Luxeon LED, on/off button at the end tail.

As I'm a complete noob regarding electrical stuff, I've searched this forum for Flashlight Mods and read them all this morning. But I still have questions and hope to get some help from the experts here. The less soldering the better but if I have to...

I want to keep the on/off button at the end tail and intend to use a Li-Ion 14500 3,7v protected, it fits nice. The atomizer will be from a 901.
The top cover will be metal (for connector negative) or other non-metallic material, translucid if I decided to use/add a led.

As I see it, using a metal top cover, I can solder the positive from the original battery connector to the red wire in the board and thats it. But the led will be always on (I think) and I want it to act like an automatic e-cigarette standard battery, On when I puff.

Questions:
1. How do I know if the switch, board and led support the voltage without burn all of this?
2. How can I connect all of it (the connector part I know) to utilize all the pieces?
3. If I can't use the pieces, what is the best and simple method? I've seen the Bulldog mod and the 'connection' to the battery by the screw is perfect for my skills
4. What kind of wire should I use? (something around the house, please)
5. Is a momentary push button needed?

Resuming what is the best aproach to mod this?




from left to right:
on/off button - body - spring - board/led - plastic thing to reflect light - plastic lens


(battery positive side contact in the middle, red wire)




(led on the other side of board)

Thanks in advance

P.S.: It would be nice to have a sticky for all the mods made so far. In my search, it returned 6 pages... and some of them, the oldest, don't have the pictures anymore. The positive side is that I've learned a lot, but not all of it.

 

[Bella Chic]

That's pretty cool. I have no answers for you but it would be really cool if someone would do a step by step tutorial on how to make a flashlight mod. I think it would be fun to learn how to do that personally and I don't have the first clue as to how to accomplish making one.

Gina

 

[FlipnOut]

I'm not aware of an auto switch that would make it like smoking a regular auto e-cig. Simple solution would be to cut the red and black wires before they go into the board. Drill a hole in the side of the flashlight to fit a momentary switch (Right above where the red wire comes out of the battery section), one of the micro switches from RS will work. Take the red wire to the switch, then from the other side of the switch to the center conductor of a RS M or N connector (for a 901 or cartos only). By using a metal plate to mount the connector, you should be able to solder to the metal plate for ground. Done.

By leaving the switch in place at the bottom, you've got a push on/push off switch in the loop for when you want to carry it in your pocket. That is... if the switch can stand the current. Know that if it stops working, it's likely that switch that has given out.

 

[j0ker]

To make it auto it would require using some type of vacuum activated switch. I'm not sure where you might find one or even if they are available. If you wire it as described, when you press the on/off switch on the bottom, the atty will remain powered until you press the on/off switch again. I would take FlipnOut's suggestion and add a momentary switch before the atty. If you do find a vacuum switch, I would like to know.

Good Luck!

 

[xogul]

Hi. Thank you for the replies.
So, I can't make it to work like a standard automatic battery.

Just rebuild it at lunch time and it worked well with the 14500 3,7v. A turn on/off test. It didn't burn so I'll assume that it will work with the original boards.

I see, after reading the replies, that I will need (must use) a momentary switch. I have all the references and pictures from all the other mods and will hunt for one (don't have RadioShack here in Portugal so, yes it will be a hunt).

Just need to know which is the smallest and reliable to use in this small flashlight (?), don't want a big and protruding one.

I made the scheme below, could someone please check if it's ok.



If I don't use a metallic top/cover I will need to ground the battery connector. Can I do it to the same spot on the existing board (the first one from the battery side), black/ground wire on the exterior metallic contact? Or it's better to do it directly on the flashlight body?

And the wires. Can I use telephone/network wires?

@ FlipnOut, in your 'scheme' I don't use the board with the led/electric 'stuff', right?

Thank you.

 

[FlipnOut]

Correct, there's a voltage reg of some sort on that board (at least from what I can tell in the pics). Probably brings down the power from the batts to 2.7 or less, based on it being an LED light. Get rid of the board, and hunt for a switch.

 

[ethirty]

I will be creating a flashlight mod as soon as my parts arrive and will post up an pictorial walkthrough of my project. It looks like you are on the right track so far.