Wanted,Stenlight upgrade cable please.

oggy

New member
Thank you Roy,looking forward to getting out of the dark again, and getting one of your cables when you get some made.Thank you,will have a read of your new thread
 

royfellows

Well-known member
Just to keep you up to speed. The 5mm IGUS Chainflex cable has just arrived, so will be looking at putting a cable together.

Phil, I will return you sample together with a new cable for you to evaluate.
 

pwhole

Well-known member
Nice one Roy, thanks. My battery pack has the large XP connector if you're using both sizes :)
 

royfellows

Well-known member
pwhole said:
Nice one Roy, thanks. My battery pack has the large XP connector if you're using both sizes :)

Yellow XT60 connector, for my battery packs?
Can fit that if you want.
 

royfellows

Well-known member
Sorry, me again. Phil, did you actually buy a replacement cable or cables from Karst?
I note in the photo on their website they have covered the end.

The pins looked a challenge, but soon realised that they are just ordinary PCB header pins. Found an old floppy drive and removed about 10 pairs of them. The mini Deans pins are too thick. As long as you get the polarity right nothing to stop you soldering the pins direct to the wire ends and then sealing the cable in with silicone compound. Good cable is needed though, I think thats the main consideration.

I did have an old knackered lamp with a PCB from Wormster, but ended up throwing it away. The pins will need to enter the PCB OK without any strain an anything.
 

pwhole

Well-known member
If you remember, the aqua sports outfit in Wales who were distributors for them (can' t remember the name) announced they were selling off all their remaining spares, so I bought a spare lamp cable, two new screens, etc. etc. then. The spare cable you converted for me to use with your battery pack, which is the one I'm using now.
 

royfellows

Well-known member
Yes now I remember, its was Simon Lowe's friend Vanoord, something Aqua Marine?
Pity we dont have everyone on our mines forum here.

Do what I can with the cable and get back, still considering best way to go with the tiny PCB at the end.
 

royfellows

Well-known member
Yes, nice bloke.

Anyway, i have something together using the header pins, a strip board cutout, and a length of the chainflex cable. I would say the cable is a definite improvement. Its going to appear on one of my lamps  -soon.

It will look better when its covered with the shrink tube.

 

Attachments

  • plug.jpg
    plug.jpg
    325.3 KB · Views: 107

royfellows

Well-known member
Right, I will get a few together and send them to you. See how you get on. The only possible issues are:

1/ I want the pins to go into the PCB without tension, so I have filed down the little PCB to allow some movement. Final sealing may need something else, a bit of silicone or some plumber tape or whatever. I dont have a PCB here to experiment with.
2/ The chainflex cable looks to stand about 1mm high of the lamp body where it goes in. I am wondering if the cover plate will tighten down enough to compress it.

I think this is a worthwhile job as a lot of people out there love their Stenlights. Frankly I think my Dragon casts a better beam.
If this works out, I think I will do better offering it as a service rather than a DIY replacement as I can ensure correct fitting.
 

pwhole

Well-known member
I use the Dragon if I know I'll need a longer beam or for large stuff like Titan etc., and the Stenlight for small caves/mines or bolting, as it just has no edge at all, and the low brightness settings are perfect for close-up work. I was wondering about the extra diameter of the cable but we'll just have to see how it goes. I did have the back nearly fall off once on a trip, long before your upgrade, so I've always been careful to check the little allen screws regularly now.
 

royfellows

Well-known member
I have just discovered that the Chainflex cable will compress with a pair of pliers, so have done this and shrink tubed it. It looks OK in the Sten body. I think the screws are No4 UNC and I dont have any.

I am wondering about length. Do you want it to go through your helmet?
Beware of stress on my rubber battery cable if it passes over an edge.
Or do you want the length as normal Stenlight?

I will also make up a spare with the Sten Tamiya connector for you.

One thing I think I need to reveal is that I am designing a new version of the Dragon.
This is down scaled a bit from the EX. I will be using the chainflex cable to probably XT 30 connectors which are smaller. The cable will be designed to go through the helmet as most people prefer with these small lamps.
Other changes are a return to multi mode, dumping of the bracket in favour of GoPro same as my other lamps. Downlighters will be set into tiny optics mounted in the top of the reflectors, and gone is the substantial side mounting in favour of something a lot smaller.

Weight should be down to about 100 grams.

Probably well into the new year. Will need to test for reliability and reasonable maximum power output.
 

pwhole

Well-known member
It would be best for me to be the same length as a normal Stenlight cable, as the helmet it's on doesn't have holes, and the battery cable is zip tied in place for security, so not much room for adjustment.
 

royfellows

Well-known member
Phil, the cable you sent me appears to be broken inside.
I need to open it up so as to ascertain polarity re the little plug. Is this OK?
I can fit a new cable to it and return with the new XT60 modded one.
 

pwhole

Well-known member
Hi Roy, yes, it was definitely dead, though now I know why! So feel free to do whatever it takes :)
 

royfellows

Well-known member
OK, will do.

For the benefit of all reading this we are talking about an internal break of the copper wire caused by metal fatigue.
I have had this on odd cables with my own lamps and is usually the result of poor routing.
Taking the cable over edges on a tension will cause failure. Tensioning the cable so that its on a stretch against a gland will cause failure. I hear of Scurion cables, now Stenlight, my own, and possible others.

I think that if people wired their lamps around their helmets with the same considerations that they would use to rig an SRT pitch, this might end.
I am just trying to save people having problems here.

Having said all of this, that Chainflex cable is seriously tough, but under tension, I think in time it would also fail. Just take longer.
 

royfellows

Well-known member
Both done.
Phil, will return both to you after the postal rush. Need to see ease of assembly etc before offering this as a service.
 
Top