Muddy Funker Posted November 6, 2013 Report Share Posted November 6, 2013 (edited) That's a little disappointing then, Yes I was hoping to get around 100 yards out of the set up I'm putting together. I guess I can hold out for more expensive parts but I thought I'd get around 100 metres out of a fairly cheap set up. I don't have the part number to hand, was it the KRC230 camera that will see out to around 100 metres? Using the ahorton lens with oslon led? I'd even settle for around 60-70 metres to be honest, just usable rimfire range is what I'm after. At the moment a photon is well out of budget, even though its great value. Is it tricky fitting the led to the brass pill? Don't suppose you have a link to any how too vids? Many thanks!!! Edited November 6, 2013 by Muddy Funker Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mick miller Posted November 7, 2013 Report Share Posted November 7, 2013 Fitting the led to the brass pill is child's play, but you need the following: Artic Silver or Fujik thermal adhesive. Wire like 28awg or anything capable of handling 1.5 amp (allowing a little for headroom). Soldering iron. You'll also need an insulating washer unless your reflector has been drilled out, so the wires don't make contact with the reflector. Just make sure the star you get is the right size (13mm) as grinding a 20mm star to fit ain't fun. By the way chaps, to save your eyes, just use the camera on your phone to test whether an IR led is working! My top tip of the day (this also works for tv remotes when your not sure if it's working any longer or the batteries are flat). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave-G Posted November 7, 2013 Author Report Share Posted November 7, 2013 (edited) That's a little disappointing then, Yes I was hoping to get around 100 yards out of the set up I'm putting together. I guess I can hold out for more expensive parts but I thought I'd get around 100 metres out of a fairly cheap set up. I don't have the part number to hand, was it the KRC230 camera that will see out to around 100 metres? Using the ahorton lens with oslon led? I'd even settle for around 60-70 metres to be honest, just usable rimfire range is what I'm after. At the moment a photon is well out of budget, even though its great value. Is it tricky fitting the led to the brass pill? Don't suppose you have a link to any how too vids? Many thanks!!! The Ahorton and Oslon Black will approximately double what you can get with the ebay 1W and DX lens. I think you probably mean the EJ 230? The Oslon/Ahorton set should do with that for maybe 90~ 100 yards OK if you are only interested in shooting rather than recording it too. By the time you have bought all the electrical bits from a stockist in singles or pairs to allow for screw-ups + brass pill and had them shipped, then deal with the occasional set back in your learning curve, thermal glue, trial and error learning how to solder the driver etc you would probably find it cheaper to buy one ready fitted to a pill for you. The person who wrote this supplies it ready made for £17. See photo in post no. 543. Edited November 7, 2013 by Dave-G Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muddy Funker Posted November 7, 2013 Report Share Posted November 7, 2013 Cheers Mick and Dave, I knew this would happen lol. Dave you have pm!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave-G Posted November 7, 2013 Author Report Share Posted November 7, 2013 (edited) Cheers Mick and Dave, I knew this would happen lol. Dave you have pm!!! It's not the end of the world mate - as per my PM reply to you - but for the benefit of others that might be doing similar projects: I'd say give it a go with yours first TBH being as you already have it. I suspect you will find it doesn't punch far enough but, but i've not used that camera/combination and it might just make it - with a later upgrade that can be posted the day after you get to find out if it doesn't. Edited November 7, 2013 by Dave-G Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muddy Funker Posted November 7, 2013 Report Share Posted November 7, 2013 Legend! Pm replied to, thanks Dave. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mick miller Posted November 8, 2013 Report Share Posted November 8, 2013 It's actually Dave and Dave but that would just be confusing. Unless you plan on tinkering lots buying all the kit, as one of the Daves points out, is a waste of that most precious resource, cash! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mr_magicfingers Posted November 9, 2013 Report Share Posted November 9, 2013 I've just had the lens and reflector arrive from DX. The reflector appears to be identical to the one already in the WF-501B I bought from ebay and that was linked in this thread. I'm guessing the springs and adhesive patch are for repairing or modifying a broken lamp. Once I"ve sanded down the lens to fit inside the housing, I take it I just sand and paint the reflector black and use it in place of the shiny one I already have? This is just using the standard red led the torch came with for my first go at lamping. once I've got round to building a night vision rig, I'll replace it with one of Dave's IR dropins and an ahorton lens. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave-G Posted November 10, 2013 Author Report Share Posted November 10, 2013 I've just had the lens and reflector arrive from DX. The reflector appears to be identical to the one already in the WF-501B I bought from ebay and that was linked in this thread. I'm guessing the springs and adhesive patch are for repairing or modifying a broken lamp. Once I"ve sanded down the lens to fit inside the housing, I take it I just sand and paint the reflector black and use it in place of the shiny one I already have? This is just using the standard red led the torch came with for my first go at lamping. once I've got round to building a night vision rig, I'll replace it with one of Dave's IR dropins and an ahorton lens. Thanks. yep - thats right my 'ansome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nicholiath Posted November 10, 2013 Report Share Posted November 10, 2013 Once you have soldered a driver to an led star through a pill are they secured to the pill in any way? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mr_magicfingers Posted November 10, 2013 Report Share Posted November 10, 2013 yep - thats right my 'ansome. Thanks Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave-G Posted November 10, 2013 Author Report Share Posted November 10, 2013 Once you have soldered a driver to an led star through a pill are they secured to the pill in any way? They are generally soldered to the brass pill - which takes a bit of heating up because it's such a big lump of metal that sucks the heat out ya soldering iron. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nicholiath Posted November 10, 2013 Report Share Posted November 10, 2013 Thanks Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave-G Posted November 10, 2013 Author Report Share Posted November 10, 2013 Like this - borrowed off another forum: https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-tgremUj_kTQ/Tkmm1YcQxKI/AAAAAAAAFGc/i1VpoyVgsoM/s800/DSCN5444.JPG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nicholiath Posted November 10, 2013 Report Share Posted November 10, 2013 Thanks Dave is the led star also soldered to the front of the pill? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave-G Posted November 10, 2013 Author Report Share Posted November 10, 2013 Thanks Dave is the led star also soldered to the front of the pill? Aluminium doesn't solder. (For the benefit of others reading this - if the base comes adrift from the brass pill the LED gets toasted very quickly) Thermal paste can be used if you are using the base of the standard reflector to keep it pressed against the brass pill to help the cooling path. The better/closer fitting Ahorton lens and shorter focal length spacer has superior light gathering - and better focusing performance because the adjustment range is increased due to the spacer not having a flat base that effectively acts as a restrictive focus stopper. Thermal adhesive is required for that. I use arctic silver. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nicholiath Posted November 10, 2013 Report Share Posted November 10, 2013 Thanks again Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mick miller Posted November 11, 2013 Report Share Posted November 11, 2013 (edited) Make sure you get the Arctic silver adhesive, which is two part, rather than the thermal grease as the grease doesn't bond. An alternative, which can be bought from dx.com, is Fujik, this has the benefit of letting you dot over the wires above the star to insulate the contacts, and you can add it to the threads of your reflector too. Fujik will set in an hour but will allow you to separate parts, with some effort, at a later date. Oh, and you only need a tiny amount underneath the star between the star and the pill, less is definitely more where this is concerned, I've seen some scary home builds with enough adhesive to sink a battleship oozing out the sides! Edited November 11, 2013 by mick miller Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave-G Posted November 11, 2013 Author Report Share Posted November 11, 2013 Make sure you get the Arctic silver adhesive, which is two part, rather than the thermal grease as the grease doesn't bond. An alternative, which can be bought from dx.com, is Fujik, this has the benefit of letting you dot over the wires above the star to insulate the contacts, and you can add it to the threads of your reflector too. Fujik will set in an hour but will allow you to separate parts, with some effort, at a later date. Oh, and you only need a tiny amount underneath the star between the star and the pill, less is definitely more where this is concerned, I've seen some scary home builds with enough adhesive to sink a battleship oozing out the sides! Haha, depends how it's done IMO. Machining tools can leave a slight high spot in the central are of the front face which can be in direct contact with the LED star. I'd like to know all air has been evacuated from between the base and the pill - and I'd rather thermal adhesive takes up any gaps around the edges so it's a better thermal path than fresh air. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boo Posted November 11, 2013 Report Share Posted November 11, 2013 Dave ,found the same so just use a drill to counter bore the center a little,problem solved,also handy if directly soldering to pill,act as a little solder resavoir... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave-G Posted November 11, 2013 Author Report Share Posted November 11, 2013 Dave ,found the same so just use a drill to counter bore the center a little,problem solved,also handy if directly soldering to pill,act as a little solder resavoir... Yep - did you ever find out if the 501B pill fits straight into an nm800 ali collar? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mick miller Posted November 12, 2013 Report Share Posted November 12, 2013 Dave, I know it does, that's what I've done with several led's. Although, there are now two styles of NM drop-in, some don't have the ally collar... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deiseboy Posted November 12, 2013 Report Share Posted November 12, 2013 Got my first fox the weekend with the 501b and the DX lens with the hmr at about 60 yards. He didnt even look up once at the red light and continued eating away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nicholiath Posted November 13, 2013 Report Share Posted November 13, 2013 I got this thermal glue http://www.specialtech.co.uk/spshop/customer/Phobya-2-Component-Thermal-Glue-pid-14162.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mick miller Posted November 13, 2013 Report Share Posted November 13, 2013 It's no bad that stuff, can take a good 12 to 14 hours to properly go off though so don't be in a hurry to try your new toy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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