newbie maglite question

sko

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Feb 27, 2005
Messages
1
was wondering if the reflector in my 4D maglite would be able to handle the heat from a '6V 1.7A 10W Halogen' bulb. And the batteries could deliver the current. I normally use alkaline.

Or if there are other 'cheap' alternatives.
 

bjn70

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Nov 25, 2004
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1,097
Location
DFW, TX
I'm not an expert but I don't think the batteries will provide that much current. I think under that load the voltage will drop quite a bit and instead of 10W you might get 8W or less. It is questionable if the reflector will handle that for extended run times. I'm guessing there is a reason that Mag puts more heat-resistant parts in the magcharger.
 

litho123

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Oct 13, 2003
Messages
654
Location
Chicago Suburbia, IL
Welcome to CPF sko -

Here is some general information about the standard Maglite that I've gleaned from CPF discussions...and why people are replacing stock parts with heat tolerant parts.


THE STOCK REFLECTOR -

10 WATT LIMIT.
The plastic reflector will handle up to almost 10 watts before starting to bubble/star/melt from the bulb hole outwards. The greater the wattage, the sooner that this meltdown will occur. Continuous use of the 30 watt WA1185 will severely melt the reflector in 3 minutes or less, my wife melted the reflector in 7-8 minutes with a 20 watt bulb during a power outage, and the 12 watt CL1057 will melt it as well, though it will take longer for it to occur. Just keep checking for signs of damage after use.

Watts = volts time amps ie 6.0v x 1.7a = 10.2 watts

For the superbulbs we need to replace plastic with metal…

ALUMINUM REFLECTOR
An aluminum reflector will not melt and will help absorb some of the heat generated by the super bulbs.

REFLECTOR FINISHES
The stock reflector is like a mirror finish. It shows all the ugly artifacts, rings and grins, uglies, bowties, etc. that Maglites are known for.
Aluminum reflectors come in assorted finishes.
SMOOTH, (undercoat & aluminize) - This finish mimics the stock Maglite reflector, uglies and all. Some feel that this gives the best throw in terms of distance.
The Orange Peel coatings vary from LIGHT, MEDIUM, to HEAVY coating.
LIGHT ORANGE PEEL (LOP) – Some smearing of the "uglies" The hotspot is a bit more uniform. Some feel there is a small loss in distance throw vs. the SMOOTH finish.
MEDIUM ORAGE PEEL (MOP) – More smearing of the "uglies" The hotspot is a bit more uniform/larger than the LOP. Some feel there is a small loss in distance throw vs. the LOP finish. Some feel that this is the best tradeoff and has that surefire even hotspot.
HEAVY ORANGE PEEL (HOP) – Further smearing of the "uglies" The hotspot is a bit more uniform/larger than the MOP. Some feel there is a small loss in distance throw vs. the MOP finish.
Sales in order of popularity: MOP (50%) LOP (25%) SMOOTH (15%) HOP (10%)


CAMMED (adjustable) vs. CAMLESS (fixed)

CAMMED OPERATION
The stock Maglite has a cammed reflector…as you rotate the head, your focus varies from flood to narrow to flood to narrow… The angled cam at the rear of the reflector is what is doing that. Otokayama and fivemega have made limited quantities of cammed aluminum reflectors to use with the superbulbs and sometimes are hard to find. They generally are more expensive than the camless reflectors.

CAMLESS OPERATION
The camless 1940 mod reflector does not have the cam. It has to be focused by other means. We have to use focusing shims to obtain the focus you want. Most people like a nice, narrow beam for maximum throw. We add focus shims until we have the desired focus. It is very easy. Once the light is focused and reassembled, the focus does not change despite rotating the head. Having operated both, I prefer not having the cam. You set it, then forget it until you change bulbs.

Note: The STOCK Carley 1940 reflector will not fit into a Maglite unless one puts in 1-3 hours of very PITA work.

PLASTIC LENS
Not sure of the (wattage) heat tolerances – but my wife melted the stock lens with a 20 watt bulb in 7-8 minutes! That's why it should be replaced with Flashlightlens.com glass UCL lens. There is also a Borofloat lens (like Pyrex) which tolerate the heat better at a small loss in light transmittance thru the lens. Either one will do the job.

regarding alkaline batteries, I know they are not good for high-drain applications. Perhaps someone else can chime in as to the limits for alkies and whether they would work for this 1.7a bulb.

Greg
 

baylisstic

Enlightened
Joined
Nov 23, 2004
Messages
278
Location
Long Beach, CA
Where can I get those "focusing shims"?

I have an FM MOP and cut off the cam so I can use it in my luxeon III light. It turned out that the stock reflector is better because the MOP takes too much throw out of led.
 
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