Mods for a Mag 4C ?

Some points id like considered for this mod:
- Maintain spot/flood adjustability
- Runtime of 2-3 hours atleast
- Brighter than stock 4C, but not such that i can only use it for a couple seconds at a time. Id like to turn it on and only worry about the batteries eventually dying, not worry about having something burn or melt.
- Use readily available parts. (No specialty bulbs, ie. WA)
- Keep stock reflector. (Since the other reflectors arent readily available, unless there are other suggestions for that)

Shoot any ideas you've got my way! Im assuming Mag doesnt make any bulbs for lights with more than 6 cells (9v). Are there any other readily available high volt PR bulbs that can be put right in? The reason for the 4C is id like the length and weight as a deterent at night, other than just a flashlight. Maybe a 3C can serve that purpose just as well?

Damn! I was all set to get you a BRIGHT light! (Think in terms of 21 unloaded volts driving a 12V bulb to INSANE brightness...)

Oh well, I guess you could try a 3.6V bulb. I have a couple 3D lights with 4Cs in them. But you will want Writeright or an Acrylite lense!!!

I'm with Joe,

With the constraints you've placed, an overdriven 3-cell Krypton Star bulb is your best bet.

In a 3C, you can run a 2-cell bulb but it won't last long. Your better configuration in the 3C is a RadioShack KPR-112 6V bulb driven on 3x123. You won't get 3 hours, probably not even 2 but it'll be quite bright.

Wilkey

Hey Wilkey!

Have you gotten any Acrylite yet? That stuff is AWESOME!!!

And a I ditto the suggeston of 3x123 and a KPR112 (or M*G Whitestar Krypton 5 cell bulb) for a a 3C M*g!

KPR103 (3 cell bulb) works pretty well for me in a 4D cell Mag. Nice and bright. You might want to change bulbs every time you change batteries though.

3x123 will leave a lot of space to be filled in a mag 4c wont it? Are there any PR bulbs that can be run with 4x123 or 5x123? Maybe a way to run 6x123's (2 banks of 3 in parallel) to increase runtime? I figure if you can fit 3x123 in a 2 cell mag, why not 6x123 in a 4 cell?

PBJoe,

I haven't taken the Acrylite plunge yet. I don't need it in my Super 3D Mag because I use a SF FM24 Diffuser for a wide beam. I thought it might not be too effective with the WA01318. But you think it works pretty well with that bulb, right? For all my KPR mods, I acid etch the bulbs for diffusing. Hey, I spent $9 on a jar of acid, might as well use it up, right? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

DG,
The 103 is nice in the 4-cell. You might also want to try the RadioShack xenon bulb X3B3A 3.6V, 0.8A. It's pretty good on 3-cells so it'll probably be quite nice on 4. Only issue is it's almost $4 versus under $2 for the KPRs. I think the HPR53 5.3V halogen should also work and be pretty bright.

MTF,
The 4C will accomodate 6x123 IIRC. I run 4x123+1AA in mine with an extra length of spring to make up the length. BTW, you can't run 2 banks of anything in a 2-body. Well, AAAs will double up, but why bother. I don't think CR2s will double up but I'm not sure. Here's what I recommended to another CPFer. The cells are 1.2V units.
9-cell equivalent: Carley 7-cell xenon, any 8.5-10.5V bulb
7-cell equivalent: Mag Krypton Star 6-cell, Radio Shack KPR-118, Mag XenonStar 6-cell
5-cell equivalent: Mag Krypton Star 4-cell, Mag K or X Star 5-cell, any 5.2-6V bulb

Wilkey

You mean you don't have at least 7 M*gs??? With at least three of them modded with 123s and some sort of super bulb???

Granted, the MR mod doesn't need anything like that...

I'm trying to learn how to double up 123s myself. It would be easy to actually insert them. But what about connections tying the two stacks together???

At last count, I have 7 functioning Mags and 2 partially parted out /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif I like the KPR112 in the 2C on my nightstand. But I don't use it for much more than poking about the house. Next to the WA01318 or 1185, it looks positively sick. A couple are just empty because frankly the 3D on NIMHs and my L4 serve for just about everything I need a light to do.

I think PaulW and Soloco are most experienced in the matter of doubling up 123s. The basic approach as I understand it is to fab some endplates out of non-conductive material (like acrylic window sheets), some aluminum or copper flashing for conductors and dowels screwed into the endplates to keep the stack in line. Unfortunately, CR2s wil not double stack in a C-body so that limits the energy density you can pack into a C. They will triple stack into a D-body though. I normally wouldn't even consider this except that Batterystation is going to be bringing them in at $1.25 each.

Wilkey

MTFD17, I'm using 5 123s in my 3C mag. I ground out the anodizing in the end of the tailcap and inserted a spring to fit down in there. I use O rings around a 1/2" hot water PVC pipe to keep it from rattling & center the batteries.
5 123s will fit in a 3D or 4C without messing with the tail cap.

I haven't found a really good bulb for this yet. I've tried a Carley 10.5v bulb that I don't recall the number of, a 10w halogen bi-pin bulb (in a Carley PR adapter base) from Home Depot, and a 12v DeWalt power tool bulb. All of these have distorted spots because of the long filiments & difficulty in getting the filament in the focus. I want to try one of Otokoyama's orange peel reflectors for this. And then there's that 20w halagen bulb.............
RussH