OMG so many mag options

Wow I cant believe how many options there are for a mag build, its just crazy!!! I dont know were to start. Ive heard of the ROP and the Mag623 build but I dont know if they are the best builds. I want to keep it simple, because I am not a great electrition (or speller) and my buget is around 120$. Are 6cell mags better than, lets say 3 cell. With upgraded bulbs and reflectors, is the head still focusable?

Try a Magcharger 5761. You can get one around $80 or $90 dollars off of Amazon.com including shipping. The bulbs are like $5 to $7 apiece. Do a search for Mag5761 you won't be dissapointed.

I would stay away from the Mag Charger platform--parts are not interchangeable with more common Maglite platform....so Mag Charger limits your options. Click the link in my sig to get some ideas.

try to think of mag modifications much like you might thing of home lighting:

At home, you can just have standard screw base bulbs and run 60W incans all over house and nothing to think about, this would be like buying your standard 2D mag and just using it.

but you know that for your home, you can also buy 100W bulbs, 40W bulbs, different light fixtures with different size bulb bases, track lighting fixtures that take a wide variety of halogen loaded track lighting lamp assemblies, florescent in all shapes and sizes: CFLs, T8s, T12s, etc... rheostatic switches, clappers, electrostatic, remote control. and on and on.

For a home owner, the concept of all these different lighting options sets in pretty quickly because you can walk down to a home depot and see all the standard pieces and parts and how they look and how they fit together and all the confusion is gone because you get to SEE it. visual learning.

For mag modifications, it's the same type of scenario, you're just matching parts together that are compatible, and picking out the most optimal configurations.

Why am I rambling on an on about this? Just to say, that there isn't really a "best" configuration out there, they all have compromises. there are probably hundreds of bulbs that would make good potential candidates for maglite modifications. Different configurations of possible batteries, bulb base adapters, reflectors, and or switch-replacement assemblies may be required to run certain bulbs. Every "popular" build is popular for a good reason, but that doesn't mean that there aren't more options out there that are equally ludicrously bright that aren't "mainstream" with the popular builds.

You can pretty much guarantee, that as you go to higher powered builds, the complexity and expense will increase as well. There are minor exceptions but this rule holds true on the larger spectrum pretty solid.

Eric

Hubbytuby, what Mdocod said hits the nail on the head. You can spend hours here wondering what would be the best.

I am going out on a limb and going to give you two choices, both featuring the original M@g mod that reallys started them all off.....AND is still a wonderful flashlight to use impressing neighbors or actually to use to find something at night.

Introducing the ROP. You have two choices, a 2 D or a 6 D.

For the 2 D, most people would get an aluminum reflector (FiveMega's is premium but there are others too that are fine), a borofloat lense (search for that here too), a 6xAA battery holder FM's again...premium), and some good AA rechargeable batteries (recommend Eneloop..again, do a search). Ops, ROP bulb.

For the 6 D, the reflector, lense, same bulb this time with 6 rechargeable D batteries (I recommend AccuPower Evolution LSD's for max runtime).

The unfortunate problem is rechargeable batteries. If you are going to get into this hobby, then go ahead and get a really good charger now and do not waste money on some cheap crap charger only to throw that out and get a really good one later. It is worth the money to do AND there is nobody on this forum who will tell you that paying good money for a good battery charger has NOT aided in their flashaholic pleasures. Go to the Batteries forum and search around there for ideas for a good charger. Think NiMH for now, there are Li-ion (and clones) batteries too, you just don't need to play with them yet.....stick with the basics for now.

Hopefully, that is as simple as it gets. Once you get into the higher power incans.....get AW's replacement switch. It soft starts, and has three levels....again, premium equipement for beautiful flashlights that you (we) build ourselves.

Bob E.