Any potential for these vintage lights?

[bimemrboy318]

As hi-tech as some of you are, I'm a bit short on funds and even shorter on knowledge. Although I can see myself making a large purchase later on, I think I'd better practice first.

So, I bought a lot of 5 "vintage" lights off Ebay. I'd like to keep these using CR123 cells or alkaline cells. I'm not expecting to break any brightness records... just some usable lights.

I was thinking some bulb swaps and/or battery swaps. Maybe even try a 4xCR123 with an appropriate bulb... but which one?

Here's a link to what I got...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...MEWA%3AIT&rd=1

[ohiocopper]

Wow, that copper light takes the cake!

I am sure some of the veterans on here will chime in very soon with some awesome advice.
I was thinking Magled, or the 1W Sears toollight pr based led would make a nice quick fix, but as for Incand, you could probably make one heck of a light out of those.

Good luck!

[bimemrboy318]

Wow, that copper light takes the cake!

I am sure some of the veterans on here will chime in very soon with some awesome advice.
I was thinking Magled, or the 1W Sears toollight pr based led would make a nice quick fix, but as for Incand, you could probably make one heck of a light out of those.

Good luck!

Now that PR based LEDs have been brought up... what's up with the Nite Ize conversion. The LED says it will work with 2-6 cell lights? More cells the brighter or what? Also, compared to a Mag 2C with 5-cell Krypton Whtie Star and 3xCR123s... how less bright will an LED be? Bu then again I guess I can try!

[thunderlight]

Hi Bimemrboy318,

Before you mod them, you might want to make sure that they all work. The really old ones may use screw base bulbs, MB-14 is the designation I believe. These are available at Fry's Electronics, Ace Hardware, etc. If they don't work initially, you may simply need to clean off the contacts. With the simple switches that use a copper wire strip, make sure that the strip makes contact with the base plate below the reflector, if they have this sort of setup. Many Evereadys and Rayovacs have this mechanism.

Lubricate the threads! To retain their antique value [if this is important], dust them off, but don't mess with the patina. Also do reversible mods, once again, if this is important.

You might be able to get an extra C battery into the flashlight and use a 3 cell bulb with 4 batteries, fairly simple fix repeated frequently on the forums. This might be easier if the spring is removable and can be flipped over.

Also, contemporary cheap plastic flashlights from major players such as Eveready still use similar mechanisms, so you may be able to get parts by cannibalizing cheap current flashlights.

All of this, then the real mods can begin ...

[choppers]

looks cool

[LumenHound]

I was thinking some bulb swaps and/or battery swaps. Maybe even try a 4xCR123 with an appropriate bulb... but which one?

You will find that 4 CR123A primarys end to end is very close to 5½ inches in length so that may be too long for any of those flashlights. The low cost but bright PR based bulb to use with 4 primarys would be the krypton filled KPR118. The KPR118 is not so easy to find.

If you go with the 3 X CR123A on a 5 cell krypton Mag bulb setup but have trouble locating the Mag bulb you could always use a krypton filled KPR112 from Radio Shack.

Don't be surprised if someone picks up your converted flashlight and thinks there are no batteries in it. My brother did exactly that the first time he picked up a plastic 2 D Rayovac flashlight that I had switched over to 3 li-ion primarys and a 5 cell bulb.