On the TerraLUX TLE-300M-EX LED

[Rusty Joe]

Feedback on using and installing this Mag led...

http://www.led-replacement.com/tle-300m-ex.html

How about the quality...durability...and how easy is it to install?

 

[Locoboy5150]

I have one in my 4 D cell Maglite. There are some photos of it installed here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/locoboy5150/4331208321/in/set-72157623355387676/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/locoboy5150/4331211391/in/set-72157623355387676/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/locoboy5150/4495680684/in/set-72157623355387676/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/locoboy5150/4495686320/in/set-72157623355387676/

Note that the TLE-300M-EX is cheaper here at these two dealers:

http://www.aexpertsecurity.com/index.php?item=1105

http://www.batteryjunction.com/tle-300m-ex.html

The drop in is simple to install. If you know how to change a stock Maglite bulb and if you can read and follow the simple Terralux instructions, it will be a piece of cake. It took me about 10 minutes total to make the conversion.

I did make one change to the standard Terralux installation though. I covered the top of the Maglite body tube and the flat portion of the head, both parts that the TLE-300M-EX rests against when installed properly, with Arctic Silver 5 thermal compound. Then I screwed in the TLE-300m-EX. I added the Arctic Silver 5 to transfer the LEDs' heat to the aluminum flashlight body and head to keep them cooler. Poor heat dissipation is a known problem with these Terralux (and most other brands as well) Maglite drop-in upgrades. The Arctic Silver 5 works great and the top of my Maglite gets nice and warm, as it should during use.

I don't really know about the durability of the Terralux drop in because I have never beaten up my Maglite. I do like the quality of it though. It is built well and I have not had any problems with it. The beam pattern is strange though because it uses optics on the LEDs and not reflectors. The individual LEDs each project a square beam pattern due to the optics, just like what you see from an LED light with an aspheric lens. When you have three of those square beam patterns put together, then you get an unusual star shaped beam pattern with sharp points. It's really hard to describe.

I'm not much of a white wall hunter when it comes to flashlights, so the unusual beam pattern doesn't bother me at all. When I use the TLE-300M-EX outside, the beam pattern is perfectly fine. It does not have any spill though. It just has one extremely wide star shaped hot spot. It is very good at illuminating a very wide area with an extremely bright light. See Big Chelis' light measurements thread in the LED forum for lumens readings of my TLE-300M-EX. It is very bright, no doubt about that. It is noticeably brighter than my Fenix TK40.

My honest advice is don't buy the TLE-300M-EX if:

- You love looking at pretty beam patterns on white walls.

- You need to throw a beam of light a far distance.

- You don't know how to change a stock Maglite bulb and don't want to even attempt it.

If you do a search for Terralux, you'll find many other CPF reviews and opinions on the TLE-300M-EX, including my own.

 

[smokeychris]

I was thinking of buying this drop-inn but i think its now a bit outofdate because there are much better things out there. Such as tripple p7!:thumbsup:

 

[Rusty Joe]

Thanks. I am rebuilding my trusty 4 D Mag. Several batteries popped and the acid cleaner I used to mop up the acid ruined the bezel. I need to replace that. But tell me, is there a way for this drop-in to be used with a 2 D?

 

[Locoboy5150]

You're welcome.

If you want to stick to using 2 D cell batteries in your Maglite then no, the TLE-300M-EX won't work. Two D cells just don't provide enough voltage for the three XR-E LEDs to light up properly.

You can buy an AA cell battery carrier for your 2 D cell Maglite though. The TLE-300M-EX needs 4 to 6 D cells to operate properly so any AA cell battery carrier that holds 4 to 6 AA batteries will work fine for your project. I'm not positive but I think that you can stuff up to 8 AA batteries in a 2 D cell Maglite body. All you'd have to do is buy AA dummy cells to bring the total number of AA batteries down to 6 and you're good to go with the TLE-300M-EX.

Several CPF members make AA battery carriers specifically for various sized D cell Maglites. Look around in this forum for their threads asking for buyers.

 

[houtex]

I running the TLE-300 in a 2D with 4 cr123's. Cut the tail spring,use some pvc or foam to keep the batteries from rattling and there you go. I have two 2D Mags like this.

 

[Bullzeyebill]

I running the TLE-300 in a 2D with 4 cr123's. Cut the tail spring,use some pvc or foam to keep the batteries from rattling and there you go. I have two 2D Mags like this.

or, run two 18650's with a sleeve and cut down the spring.

Bill

 

[Barrie]

i run one the older 600lumen 300m on 3 18500s with no problems

 

[daf3m]

My honest advice is don't buy the TLE-300M-EX if:


- You need to throw a beam of light a far distance.

:thumbsup:
Could you make an estimation for the useful distance ?How is the the flood at this distance?

Thank you, daf3m

 

[Locoboy5150]

:thumbsup:Could you make an estimation for the useful distance ?How is the the flood at this distance?

Hmmmm...the best that I can do is take some rough measurements off of Google Earth when looking down at the nearby park where I test most of my lights at night.

Distance: 450 feet.

Beam width at 450 feet: 120 feet.

Please keep mind that these are approximations based on the distance to a line of trees on top of a hill in the park that I use as targets so I cannot guarantee the above numbers.

 

[daf3m]

:thumbsup:Hmm ,quite interesting..that makes us ~135 meters / ~36meters !Not bad at all
Thank you

 

[Chodes]

I like the way you can just put one in a Mag and go.
They look OK too.
I don't like the zero satisfaction factor that anyone can fit one.

I had one of the older TLE300 - 600 L. I preferred a P7 at the time.
Advantage was I could use different reflectors with the P7.
The P7 seemed obviously brighter at 2.8A. The TLE drew about 2A , but with 2 cells so that seemed obviously inefficient.

I was not impressed with the heat management (or lack of) of the TLE either.

So overall a fairly low score from me. (Old version remember...)

 

[Locoboy5150]

I was not impressed with the heat management (or lack of) of the TLE either.

Arctic Silver 5 works wonders for the heat dissipation of the TLE-300M-EX or at least it does with my two.

 

[SimpleMods]

Can you upload some pictures of were you put your thermal paste for me please? I've ordered a TLE-300m EX and don't know were to put the thermal paste or where to buy it from, Please help.

 

[LilKevin715]

Can you upload some pictures of were you put your thermal paste for me please? I've ordered a TLE-300m EX and don't know were to put the thermal paste or where to buy it from, Please help.

I already replied to your original thread and sent you a PM, I don't know how much more detailed my instructions can be. The way these dropins are assembled combined with themal paste applied makes it a hassle to dissasemble just to take pictures.

As for purchasing thermal paste, pretty much any computer store that sells parts/components will sell thermal paste.

 

[David D.]

I just ordered one of these Terralux TLE300s. I should have checked here first... Now I am thinking I need something brighter and I didn't even get this in the mail yet, lol.

 

[StarHalo]

I just ordered one of these Terralux TLE300s. I should have checked here first... Now I am thinking I need something brighter and I didn't even get this in the mail yet, lol.

600 lumens packed into a single spot is quite bright, enough so that you can't really use it indoors. Once you get your TLE300, wait until night time to try it outdoors, you'll find it's pretty much a handheld car headlight..

 

[richpalm]

Uses Cree XRE's... gad, how do you define outdated??

 

[StarHalo]

I become a lot less interested in the newness of a light design once it passes a certain dollar-per-lumen threshold..

 

[ebow86]

I'm really on the fence right now in regards to buying one of these for my 6D cell maglite. A popular retailer just dropped the price considerably, but I'm skeptical on how well one of these might run on normal alkalines. I'm not going to go out and buy a Nimh charger with 6 expensive Nimh D cell batteries just to run a $55 drop in.

Another member advised me that his actually run's well on 4 D cell alkaline, if that's the case then I can only imagine that 6D cells would run even better. I don't know, I have to give this some thought.....