Maglite 3d vs 2d

Sheriff420

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I had the older style 3d LED Maglite for a couple years and loved it. It was my light that I always had in the truck. One day I set it on the back bumper and thought to myself "I won't forget that before I leave." Well, I did forget that light and it was never seen again. That was about 6 months ago and I finally decided that I missed my Mag enough to replace it. While in the store I was about to get another 3d Maglite but the package said that it throws 364 meters at 131 lumens and the 2d version next to it says it throws 388 meters at 134 lumens. I was scratching my head because they both use the same bulb and the light that uses one less battery puts out more light. I bought the 2d light and I'm happy with it. It's definitely brighter than my old 3d Mag. I was shining it across some fields on the way home with it and lit up the tree line on the other side quite nicely. I couldn't believe the throw on this thing.
I put it up against my Surefire LX2 Lumamax when I got home and it's brighter but not my much. The mag has a tighter spot while the Surefire has a lot more spill.
I didn't even want to put it up against my LED Lenser T7 because the Surefire is a good bit brighter than it is so I know the Mag would blow it away. That would make me feel bad that a $33 light was so much brighter than a $70 light.

So back to my question, why is the 2d Maglite brigher than the 3d Maglite?
 

alpg88

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it is brighter on paper, in real world you wont see the difference, but 5+x runtime you will sure notice,
 

peterharvey73

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it is brighter on paper, in real world you wont see the difference, but 5+x runtime you will sure notice,

+1
3 cells in series means the voltage will be 1.5 times higher, however the electronics will modify the final voltage and current delivered to the emitter.
In this case, the 2d is only driven a fraction harder in current, so it's only a fraction brighter.
You can't tell the difference between 131 versus 134 lumens.
At a brightness of just 0.25 lumens, you'll hardly be able to tell the difference at 364 meters versus 388 meters.
However, the 3 cell has considerably more run time...
 

Kokopelli

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My Magled 2d has a Rebel led while my 3d has a Cree XPE. The ratings seem to have changed a bit. My 2d has lower lumen rating and throw than 3d but now it has a longer runtime than the previous 2d's, ~9 hrs vs ~8 hrs. 3d still should have ~20 hrs runtime. The 3 cell setup is just perfect for a white LEDs forward voltage.
 

berry580

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it is brighter on paper, in real world you wont see the difference, but 5+x runtime you will sure notice,
+1

As a general rule according to inverse square law. To get twice the actual throw, you need four times the light output. Due to way of how our eyes/mind works, we need more than twice the actual throw before we would perceive it to be so.

So unless you're holding the light like 1m away from a white wall, it would be pretty damn hard to even notice any difference in output at all. Let alone perceiving the difference in throw between the two lights.
 
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PCC

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My Magled 2d has a Rebel led while my 3d has a Cree XPE. The ratings seem to have changed a bit. My 2d has lower lumen rating and throw than 3d but now it has a longer runtime than the previous 2d's, ~9 hrs vs ~8 hrs. 3d still should have ~20 hrs runtime. The 3 cell setup is just perfect for a white LEDs forward voltage.
The Cree LED is more efficient so they can lower the current to it for about the same output to extend the run times.
 

alpg88

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The Cree LED is more efficient so they can lower the current to it for about the same output to extend the run times.
the runtime and output are almost the same in both cree and rebel versions, i,m sure the change to cree was made for different reason.
 

Kokopelli

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I guess Cree was picked for being inexpensive and maybe a bit throwier. The Rebel definitely has a better tint. Can't see any difference in beams or brightness other than the difference in tints. Cree has a bluer tint.
 

Sheriff420

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I'm not sure which bulb the new one has but I do know that the dome part of the bulb is 1/4 the size of the old 3w LED that came out in the first LED Maglites.
The package claims 8hr run time, If I can get 6 then I'll be happy. I know my old 3D had the same batteries in it for over a year and I used it a lot during that time.
Speaking of Mags, I have one of the old 3 watt upgrade bulbs and it says that it's for 3 cell lights, do y'all think I would fry it if I threw it in a 4d Maglite?
 

Lightwriter

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Yes. I accidentally put a 3-cell in a 4D. I only used it seconds at a time and nothing happened. Then when I had it on for about two minutes the light turned really purple. I turned it off and smelled an "electric burning" type smell. I turned it on again and it went purple to blue to green in the span of 1 or 2 seconds before it turned off/burnt out.
 

Sheriff420

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It's a good thing I didn't try it. The spacer is one thing I didn't even think of. I actually just saw one of those for the first time a couple days ago on Battery junctions site. Man, reading threads on here makes me realize how little I know about flashlights.
 
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AnAppleSnail

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It's a good thing I didn't try it. The spacer is one thing I didn't even think of. I actually just saw one of those for the first time a couple days ago on Battery junctions site. Man, reading threads on here makes me realize how little I know about flashlights.
Anything that's conductive on the ends and insulated on the sides will work as a spacer. You could use a stiff spring wrapped in tape, or a long mechanic's socket wrapped in tape. There's all kinds of things to learn, and it'll come in good time. The 4 cells on a 3 cell LED would work for a few seconds at a time, though.
 

rasmasyean

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+1
3 cells in series means the voltage will be 1.5 times higher, however the electronics will modify the final voltage and current delivered to the emitter.
In this case, the 2d is only driven a fraction harder in current, so it's only a fraction brighter.
You can't tell the difference between 131 versus 134 lumens.
At a brightness of just 0.25 lumens, you'll hardly be able to tell the difference at 364 meters versus 388 meters.
However, the 3 cell has considerably more run time...

So if the 3D/C makes the flashlight run 5x longer, what does 4/5/6 cells do?

Does it also lower the lumens slightly and reduce current at each step?
 

DBCstm

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4,5,6 cells makes it a lethal weapon! My son took a blow to the head on a Halloween night some years back that felled him like a tree....but he was a very tough tree and got up, walked up the steps to the house he was in front of, and got the police called. The boy that hit him did time for assault with a deadly weapon with bodily injury. Chad was about 12 at the time, and already 6' tall.
 

Kokopelli

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So if the 3D/C makes the flashlight run 5x longer, what does 4/5/6 cells do?

Does it also lower the lumens slightly and reduce current at each step?

Well, 3D and 2D differs in need of a different driver. 2D makes a total voltage of 2.4-2.8V which is too low to drive an XPE led, at least fully. So 2D uses a booster circuit to increase the voltage passing to the LED, to around 3.3V-3.4V. 3D on the other hand has a total voltage of 3.4 - 4V already and can drive the LED directly via a current limiter or may use a step-down circuit which is most of the time more efficient than a booster. 4D-6D lights should definitely have a step-down circuit which takes 6V-9V input and convert it to LED voltage at 3.3-3.4V. So, for a step down circuit you get something like 300mA from 6V and 550mA to the LED, 200mA from 9V and again 550mA to the LED, etc. As long as there is a step-down circuit a 6D light should give double the run time of a 3D light. There shouldn't be a huge gap between 4D-6D setups, while we see a huge difference between 2D and 3D lights in runtime.
 

rasmasyean

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Well, 3D and 2D differs in need of a different driver. 2D makes a total voltage of 2.4-2.8V which is too low to drive an XPE led, at least fully. So 2D uses a booster circuit to increase the voltage passing to the LED, to around 3.3V-3.4V. 3D on the other hand has a total voltage of 3.4 - 4V already and can drive the LED directly via a current limiter or may use a step-down circuit which is most of the time more efficient than a booster. 4D-6D lights should definitely have a step-down circuit which takes 6V-9V input and convert it to LED voltage at 3.3-3.4V. So, for a step down circuit you get something like 300mA from 6V and 550mA to the LED, 200mA from 9V and again 550mA to the LED, etc. As long as there is a step-down circuit a 6D light should give double the run time of a 3D light. There shouldn't be a huge gap between 4D-6D setups, while we see a huge difference between 2D and 3D lights in runtime.

So do all drop-ins also use the same driver/XPE LED? Or does it vary with brand/model? Are some more "efficient" than others?

I take it there is a possibility that if you go higher on the cells, there's a chance that the LED will be much dimmer than the original incandescent.
 

Kokopelli

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I don't know if they use the same driver or not but for 3D a linear current limiter can work better than a step-down circuit at those times cell voltage gets almost the level your LED's forward voltage.

Incan bulbs usually have different wattages even for the same voltage levels. I don't know if Maglite Incan lights have higher wattage bulbs parallel to their cell sizes but this is a reasonable expectation that a larger light would should give more light. So LED models may be kept at a level for better runtimes. But this also means an Incan light would have a much lower runtime than its LED sibling at a competitive brightness.
 

rasmasyean

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Well, 3D and 2D differs in need of a different driver. 2D makes a total voltage of 2.4-2.8V which is too low to drive an XPE led, at least fully. So 2D uses a booster circuit to increase the voltage passing to the LED, to around 3.3V-3.4V. 3D on the other hand has a total voltage of 3.4 - 4V already and can drive the LED directly via a current limiter or may use a step-down circuit which is most of the time more efficient than a booster. 4D-6D lights should definitely have a step-down circuit which takes 6V-9V input and convert it to LED voltage at 3.3-3.4V. So, for a step down circuit you get something like 300mA from 6V and 550mA to the LED, 200mA from 9V and again 550mA to the LED, etc. As long as there is a step-down circuit a 6D light should give double the run time of a 3D light. There shouldn't be a huge gap between 4D-6D setups, while we see a huge difference between 2D and 3D lights in runtime.

Which LED is this btw? Is it a stock MagLite LED? It's 1.8 Watts?
 
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