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Ultra Bright Nite Finder

How does 10000mcd sound?

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#1 Katachi

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Posted 27 June 2004 - 10:25 PM

Okay, so I picked one of these up at Toys R Us today to mess with, since I got my shipment of 10000 millicandela white LEDs last week and like finding stuff to put them in. It's bright. VERY bright. If you don't know how bright LEDs get, take a look at those pedestrian crossing lights at interesections or some of the tail lights on semis. Police cars use them too, and one police chief I talked to said you can see them from over a mile away! Of course, their light bars have lenses to make the brigter. But the Night Site does too! :huh:

I took the LED circuit board out of the NS. The LED itself isn't too bad, and if you can't get a hold of ultra brights, take those resistors out. All they're really there for is to take some of the voltage and heat off of the LED, which makes it dimmer. Some people say you need at least a 300 ohm resistor with LEDs or they burn out, but I've never had it happen. The current's the same since they're in series with the LED so it's not like there's going to be to much of a current draw since it would be the same with or without the resistors. Most LEDs max out and go into saturation at 3.4v or higher, so if you're only using two AA or AAA (1.5v each), you're only getting 3v so you still don't need to worry about keeping a resistor...

So now you can just desolder or cut that board off and solder the LED on. Just remember which lead's positive or you will have to put the batteries in backwards!

Now you'll notice that the original red LED had a black housing on it that kept it in place. Posted Image

Way in the back also. This made it so that a concentrated beam of light hit the lens and stayed small, as opposed to putting it right up close and shining a cone of light on it, which gives you more light. I cut a bic pen to the length of that light tube and put the LED at the front. Then I jammed the pen and LED in the tube and pushed it up so that the LED was like 1/4 inch away from the lens. This way, it puts out a nice wide beam.

So ummm.... that's basically it. Reassemble it like it used to be and now you have a bright flashlight instead of a wimpy red dot! I'll have pics as soon as the bondo on my gun dries!

Edited by Katachi, 29 June 2004 - 12:57 AM.

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"If I want something pretty, Ill paint a picuture. Courtesy of Shortshit" -THIRST

#2 Katachi

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Posted 27 June 2004 - 11:41 PM

Here's pics of my NF with the bondo applied and the first couple coats of drybrush silver painted on. I want it to look REAL worn. the shell is a very dark gunmetal.

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still needs some touch up painting... :huh:

Edited by Katachi, 28 June 2004 - 01:09 AM.

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"If I want something pretty, Ill paint a picuture. Courtesy of Shortshit" -THIRST

#3 Vintage

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Posted 27 June 2004 - 11:51 PM

Sounds neat. How bright is it compared to...oh...say a 2 AA maglight? And where did you find the superbright LEDs? I assume you had to buy in bulk and that's why you got 10,000, but I am wondering if someone sells them retail.

~Vintage
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#4 Katachi

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Posted 28 June 2004 - 12:00 AM

Sounds neat. How bright is it compared to...oh...say a 2 AA maglight? And where did you find the superbright LEDs? I assume you had to buy in bulk and that's why you got 10,000, but I am wondering if someone sells them retail.

~Vintage

Hell if I know. I haven't had a mini mag in a long time. Someone should compare the two sometime. 10k mcd LEDs are really freakin bright. I use one with a couple AA batteries for a flashlight. LEDs run FOREVER on batteries.

The LEDs I bought factory direct from Hong Kong off of an Ebay store. About 80 cents each after shipping.
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"If I want something pretty, Ill paint a picuture. Courtesy of Shortshit" -THIRST

#5 Hunter

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Posted 28 June 2004 - 12:09 AM

It's purty.
Seriously, awesome job with the light. Quite a good paint job, too. I suggest you enter this Paint Job contest.
2 AA maglite, Vintage. Come on, we aren't comparing to to... say... mine, now are we? :huh:
Good write up. Nerf has really got me into tinkering, but this is the first time I've tinkered with electronics. Pretty sweet job, Katachi.
Hunter

Edited by Hunter, 28 June 2004 - 12:09 AM.

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Hunter
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#6 Katachi

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Posted 28 June 2004 - 12:22 AM

It's purty.
Seriously, awesome job with the light. Quite a good paint job, too. I suggest you enter this Paint Job contest.
2 AA maglite, Vintage. Come on, we aren't comparing to to... say... mine, now are we? :huh:
Good write up. Nerf has really got me into tinkering, but this is the first time I've tinkered with electronics. Pretty sweet job, Katachi.
Hunter

bah. I don't have the right supplies for painting here. It's okay, and it's only half done :D I had paints left over from a different project and thought I'd play with them. I was really more concerened with the bondo and the LED on this gun.

I don't know about registering at that other forum tho. They seem less mature about things over there. Here, the people have seem to have their shit together better. Why aren't we having our own paint contest over here? Prizes could be... a kick in the junk, several ketchup packets from various fast food places, a picture of the winner getting kicked in the junk....


HERE:
http://az123.com/dar...shots_&_lux.htm
http://www.dansdata.com/raven.htm

This might help with figuring out which is brighter. However, LEDs are more durable and would hold up better in a nerf gun than the kind of bulb in a mini mag.

Edited by Katachi, 29 June 2004 - 12:54 AM.

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"If I want something pretty, Ill paint a picuture. Courtesy of Shortshit" -THIRST

#7 GeneralPrimevil

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Posted 28 June 2004 - 10:45 AM

Very nice work. I was thinking of putting a small RIS rail on mine and then using a SureFire light, but that sounds like more work than replacing the bulb.

A lightbulb and an LED don't compare. Not even if that bulb is a Halogen. I have used a 2 AA MagLite, and if I compared it to my triple LED 4.5 volt light , the LED flashlight will quite litterally blind you, which works very well for dark room clearing, it gives more of a "deer in the headlights" effect compared to a normal flashlight, while the MagLite is just, well everyone knows about MagLites. Hell, that LED light is brighter than my 2 D MagLite. That even has a Halogen bulb (my dad got board so he messed with it). Then again, the LED is good for short distances, but the MagLite works good for medium-long range.
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