Integrated torch bodies for home builds
- some bloke
- NON EMMET
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- Joined: 27 Jan 2012, 16:14
- Location: Leicester mostly but DEEP S.West sometimes
Integrated torch bodies for home builds
I'm retiring from building night vision devices soon and have some surplus bespoke items to thin out that will simplify home builds for anyone not equipped with machine tooling etc. First off are machined single battery EVO torch tubes.
For a quick fit integrated torch add-on module like this:
I can turn down an EVO torch front tube to just accomodate a scope mount and still allow the torch head to have enough focus adjustment, internally thread the rear end to accept the brass bush seen in the photo's and machine off the cooling fins - incorporating a machined shim/ridge to lift the torch beam slightly above center in the monitor. It's to be clamped inside a substantial quick release 30mm scope mount so you don't see the now bare alloy cooling rings that will become marked with pipe grips while fitting. The alloy quick release scope mount acts as a much better thermal heat sink than the cooling fins that have been machined down to 30mm diameter. This allows the torch tube to very robustly carry the monitor and battery box, in fact THIS robustly:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwpf-tVs2po
This allows the torch to be located very close to other internal components, minimising the box size required. Note: twin anti-rotation screws used
For a spotter build
I can leave the cooling fins intact on a slightly shorter tube because it doesn't need to fit into a rifle scope mount, as used in this completely cordless wifi car roof mag mount spotter.
The fitted and wired integrated torch installation would be as seen here - occupying minimal space inside a project box and can be fitted in very close proximity to other internal components. Note I prefer twin anti-rotation screws, one here is in fact a grub screw.
How to fix them:
Buyer files a half round groove into at least one spanner flat and threads of the brass bush using a 3mm or 4mm needle file - this will help with a later stage. (I prefer to make two slots in case one goes wrong and I break a drill or tap in it) Drill a 20mm hole through the box. Fit and tighten up the torch body through it with the bush using a 21mm socket and pipe grips. Using the 3mm filed slot as a drill guide, drill and tap it for at least one anti-rotation screw passing through the box into the torch body sidewall. This will double up to screw a neutral cable eye for the illuminator earth cable. The positive cable for the pill can be soldered to its coil spring.
The price for either machined torch tube with the brass bush is £25 posted RMSD.
For a quick fit integrated torch add-on module like this:
I can turn down an EVO torch front tube to just accomodate a scope mount and still allow the torch head to have enough focus adjustment, internally thread the rear end to accept the brass bush seen in the photo's and machine off the cooling fins - incorporating a machined shim/ridge to lift the torch beam slightly above center in the monitor. It's to be clamped inside a substantial quick release 30mm scope mount so you don't see the now bare alloy cooling rings that will become marked with pipe grips while fitting. The alloy quick release scope mount acts as a much better thermal heat sink than the cooling fins that have been machined down to 30mm diameter. This allows the torch tube to very robustly carry the monitor and battery box, in fact THIS robustly:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwpf-tVs2po
This allows the torch to be located very close to other internal components, minimising the box size required. Note: twin anti-rotation screws used
For a spotter build
I can leave the cooling fins intact on a slightly shorter tube because it doesn't need to fit into a rifle scope mount, as used in this completely cordless wifi car roof mag mount spotter.
The fitted and wired integrated torch installation would be as seen here - occupying minimal space inside a project box and can be fitted in very close proximity to other internal components. Note I prefer twin anti-rotation screws, one here is in fact a grub screw.
How to fix them:
Buyer files a half round groove into at least one spanner flat and threads of the brass bush using a 3mm or 4mm needle file - this will help with a later stage. (I prefer to make two slots in case one goes wrong and I break a drill or tap in it) Drill a 20mm hole through the box. Fit and tighten up the torch body through it with the bush using a 21mm socket and pipe grips. Using the 3mm filed slot as a drill guide, drill and tap it for at least one anti-rotation screw passing through the box into the torch body sidewall. This will double up to screw a neutral cable eye for the illuminator earth cable. The positive cable for the pill can be soldered to its coil spring.
The price for either machined torch tube with the brass bush is £25 posted RMSD.
Last edited by some bloke on 05 Nov 2018, 16:53, edited 6 times in total.
- some bloke
- NON EMMET
- Posts: 9432
- Joined: 27 Jan 2012, 16:14
- Location: Leicester mostly but DEEP S.West sometimes
Re: Integrated torch bodies for home builds
Bumped with more photos and better fitting information that might be better viewed on a desktop PC rather than a mobile due to being more photo heavy.
Re: Integrated torch bodies for home builds
exploited? ahhh, why not. lol.
plus fun shopping and looking, innit?
PS - I thought I did see some "fooji-wooji" style lenses in the pictures on builds? so I can use almost anything, it seems.
my buddies asked what I am "calling myself"? when I repeated my NAME like threy are retards, they meant a business name? I laughed and said I have code named my hobby "SEDstar optics nd instrumentation"
they said it sounded "boring".
I said it was either "SEDstar optics and instrumentation" or else the other choice was "$H!Tf!RE optics"
as beer was slightly involved? half liked optics and instrumentation, and the othe3r half thought "$H!TF!RE optics" was just marvelous.
plus fun shopping and looking, innit?
PS - I thought I did see some "fooji-wooji" style lenses in the pictures on builds? so I can use almost anything, it seems.
my buddies asked what I am "calling myself"? when I repeated my NAME like threy are retards, they meant a business name? I laughed and said I have code named my hobby "SEDstar optics nd instrumentation"
they said it sounded "boring".
I said it was either "SEDstar optics and instrumentation" or else the other choice was "$H!Tf!RE optics"
as beer was slightly involved? half liked optics and instrumentation, and the othe3r half thought "$H!TF!RE optics" was just marvelous.
Well, I understand that, boys... but see, my CAT gets the silly idea you're making fun of HIM... then he gets, *really* mean...
Re: Integrated torch bodies for home builds
Sorry to hijack Dave.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v695/ ... 431ra5.jpg
Camera is 12v and torch 3.7 v isn't it?????
How have you wired it up????
Is it 2x18650 to torch and then 3x18650 in series to camera and screen??
I'm doing a lot of reading on various builds but one issue with all the reading at the moment is that there is soooo much info on here and I'm sure the answer is buried somewhere but digging it out is taking ages. Also a lot of the old helpful pictures are no longer on site due the previous hosting.
Thanks Dave
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v695/ ... 431ra5.jpg
Camera is 12v and torch 3.7 v isn't it?????
How have you wired it up????
Is it 2x18650 to torch and then 3x18650 in series to camera and screen??
I'm doing a lot of reading on various builds but one issue with all the reading at the moment is that there is soooo much info on here and I'm sure the answer is buried somewhere but digging it out is taking ages. Also a lot of the old helpful pictures are no longer on site due the previous hosting.
Thanks Dave
Last edited by dm800 on 04 Nov 2018, 11:25, edited 3 times in total.
Re: Integrated torch bodies for home builds
Sorry couldn't work out how to get picture in previous post.
- some bloke
- NON EMMET
- Posts: 9432
- Joined: 27 Jan 2012, 16:14
- Location: Leicester mostly but DEEP S.West sometimes
Re: Integrated torch bodies for home builds
No worries, I too got hung up on 12 volts for quite a while in the early days but I was mostly using a separate complete torch then.
Through somebody else's input on here, it became known some time ago that E700 cameras and most car reversing monitors would run from about 7 volts to about 16 volts. After Bruce clarified it for me I was able to use 2 18650 cells for the 'optics' - and one for the single battery torch pill.
Most others use a single 12 volts rechargeable battery pack for both and some method of both dropping the volts for the torch + a device to stop the torch driver from interfering with the optics.
No matter what I tried I still got fine line interference from the torch driver. I subsequently found that totally different circuits completely solved the interference issue which allowed me to make them available without batteries. It was also much simpler for my brain to fathom.
Having read about the silly things some people do with rechargable batteries I didnt want to be exposing myself to any potential no win no fee insurance claims so the buyer would buy fit and charge his own batteries and charger, and I could sleep at night without worry about some muppet doing something stoopit and holding me responsible.
The wiring circuits are:
Optics: Twin cells live to one switch, live from the switch to both camera and monitor, signal from camera to monitor, join the three respective neutrals together.
Illuminator: Single cell live to the other switch, live from the switch to the torch, neutral from an eyelet screwed to the torch body with one of the torch/bush anti-rotation screws returns to the single battery.
Through somebody else's input on here, it became known some time ago that E700 cameras and most car reversing monitors would run from about 7 volts to about 16 volts. After Bruce clarified it for me I was able to use 2 18650 cells for the 'optics' - and one for the single battery torch pill.
Most others use a single 12 volts rechargeable battery pack for both and some method of both dropping the volts for the torch + a device to stop the torch driver from interfering with the optics.
No matter what I tried I still got fine line interference from the torch driver. I subsequently found that totally different circuits completely solved the interference issue which allowed me to make them available without batteries. It was also much simpler for my brain to fathom.
Having read about the silly things some people do with rechargable batteries I didnt want to be exposing myself to any potential no win no fee insurance claims so the buyer would buy fit and charge his own batteries and charger, and I could sleep at night without worry about some muppet doing something stoopit and holding me responsible.
The wiring circuits are:
Optics: Twin cells live to one switch, live from the switch to both camera and monitor, signal from camera to monitor, join the three respective neutrals together.
Illuminator: Single cell live to the other switch, live from the switch to the torch, neutral from an eyelet screwed to the torch body with one of the torch/bush anti-rotation screws returns to the single battery.
Last edited by some bloke on 04 Nov 2018, 11:55, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Integrated torch bodies for home builds
Cheers Dave. Separate circuits it is then.
- some bloke
- NON EMMET
- Posts: 9432
- Joined: 27 Jan 2012, 16:14
- Location: Leicester mostly but DEEP S.West sometimes
Re: Integrated torch bodies for home builds
Good for you, you posted while I was adding the circuits detail so maybe nip back and read that. Also note I added another image to the first post explaining how the torch beam is shimmed slightly high in an add on build.
I use adjustable lens mounts to raise the beam for spotters.
Re: Integrated torch bodies for home builds
Hi there just my luck having read your fantastic threads on these superb addon units, to now find I am too late & you are quitting the night vision builds . Have you sold all the part's that you had left for addon rifle scope unit's if you do have any bit's left can you please tell me the prices you are wanting for them, all the best Graham.
p.s hope the last one you built and are keeping for your use is the best one you have made.
p.s hope the last one you built and are keeping for your use is the best one you have made.
- some bloke
- NON EMMET
- Posts: 9432
- Joined: 27 Jan 2012, 16:14
- Location: Leicester mostly but DEEP S.West sometimes
Re: Integrated torch bodies for home builds
The surplus torch bodies are gone, I have kept back a couple to use up some other parts in 'oddment' builds.