2 C Cell Mini Maglite LED at Wal Mart

[bykfixer]

Yup...

I bought an LED to begin with...in case I didn't like the light (it would still be a good glove box light)...but my intention was to build a 3x123 with a 5 cell bulb with an IT model if I liked the light.

Well fivemega went and suggested a pair of 18500's and the TL 3 bulb. I had some 4 cell bulbs in stock. I used the kinder/gentler LifePo4 batteries for solar lights.

 

[Tribull]

Got one of these little guys at the big w today. I really like the size of it. I dropped it on the floor when the bag ripped, do you think it's ok? Seems to work fine.

 

[StarHalo]

Got one of these little guys at the big w today. I really like the size of it. I dropped it on the floor when the bag ripped, do you think it's ok? Seems to work fine.

As long as it's not the incan version, you're fine.

 

[FroggyTaco]

Did somebody say mod?

So... does the battery side of the incan & led tube look the same?

I'm noticing your incan tube has a white ring switch around the bulb base whereas the led version has a black ring switch.

 

[vestureofblood]

Ok, so I actually only heard about these like a week ago. Somebody sent me one to mod. I look inside the bottom and see a pair of holes in the base of the switch. So I'm thinking pronged tool like in the old old D/C mags where you removed the retaining ring from the top right....



Wrong. I torqued on it until the plastic shredded and the brass prongs on the tool bent LOL!




Turns out all you need is a hammer and a socket. That pill is just a pressed fit in there and the on/off is triggered by an internal part sliding up and down which makes contact with the battery + in the up position.

 

[bykfixer]

So... does the battery side of the incan & led tube look the same?

I'm noticing your incan tube has a white ring switch around the bulb base whereas the led version has a black ring switch.

Pretty much Travis..'cept for the color.



Now I went and did a bit of tweaking a couple of these.
First the incan. As shown before narrower cells are used. So I made a bit of an improvement using a 90¢ piece of 3/4" ID-25(+)mm OD PVC pipe. The inner port is slightly larger than the battery. But the OD was near ideal as it easily slides in/out but also fits very well.


^^ 2' piece was 90¢


^^ says "2x18500/C-size" "1 of ?"


^^ 1/4" shorter than the cells worked great.


^^ note the slight gap.
A $1 bill will fill the gap. But once the cap is on it was generally rattle free.

TL3 bulbs scheduled to arrive Thu.

Now the LED lights. I suppose folks have noticed these are round. Thus far not accessories have been named. Enter Streamlight Stinger anti-roll ring.


^^ $5-8 depending on the source.

Ok, so I did the reading on the 3C. I got 0.684 amp.


^^ this was the test on 3 fresh Rayovacs


^^ meter setup


^^ how I got the reading.

Note the genuine 1953 Masonite counter top with alluminum trim. Turns out I keep my electrical stop at my pops place where my son and I work on cars.

Put some IMEDION's in the black 2C to give it more feeling of heft of cops lights from long ago. Put some Eneloops with adapters in the pewter to give it more of a thin walled 2C Rayovac from days gone by.
Welp, that's it for now.

 

[bykfixer]

Ok, so I actually only heard about these like a week ago. Somebody sent me one to mod. I look inside the bottom and see a pair of holes in the base of the switch. So I'm thinking pronged tool like in the old old D/C mags where you removed the retaining ring from the top right....



Wrong. I torqued on it until the plastic shredded and the brass prongs on the tool bent LOL!




Turns out all you need is a hammer and a socket. That pill is just a pressed fit in there and the on/off is triggered by an internal part sliding up and down which makes contact with the battery + in the up position.

Cool and the gang.

Did you bang it out towards the head?

 

[FroggyTaco]

Ok, so I actually only heard about these like a week ago. Somebody sent me one to mod. I look inside the bottom and see a pair of holes in the base of the switch. So I'm thinking pronged tool like in the old old D/C mags where you removed the retaining ring from the top right....

Wrong. I torqued on it until the plastic shredded and the brass prongs on the tool bentLOL!

Turns out all you need is a hammer and a socket. That pill is just a pressed fit in there and the on/off is triggered by an internal part sliding up and down which makes contact with the battery + in the up position.

So in other words incredibly easy to mod!

Machine a pill & a lil arctic alumina adhesive & compact awesomeness.

 

[vestureofblood]

bykfixer,

You hit it from the top end and the switch drops out the bottom.

Froggy,

Very easy to get apart. Building a light engine that is single mode where the heat sink is the ground would be fairly easy. Adding a driver board to that mix will be more challenging because of the limited space, but still not as time consuming as many Surefires.

 

[bykfixer]

Thank you VoB

Btw: sig links no worky.


Edit:
Where'd ericjohn go? I wanted to thank him for starting this star studded thread.

 

[vestureofblood]

Thanks. Sigline should be working now

 

[StarHalo]

So let me know when the turnkey XHP70 is ready..

 

[bykfixer]

Worky now VoB.

Folks, flashlight lens .com just came out with some lens upgrades for these.
Hard coated (read anti scratch) and some anti reflective. Word is glass isn't far off.

I emailed them Saturday to request a couple of custom mades. The email respond indicated that they will have some soon. Today 3 different type of plastic upgrades are in the roster and it's reported that glass will be available asap.

 

[Bullzeyebill]

Got to thinking, wonder if they are using the same circuit for the 2 and 3C? Notice that the current draw at tailcap is lower with the 3C. Could be a buck/boost circuit? Way to find out is to run a LiIon in the 2C and see if current is lower than with 2C's.

Bill

 

[FRITZHID]

Got to thinking, wonder if they are using the same circuit for the 2 and 3C? Notice that the current draw at tailcap is lower with the 3C. Could be a buck/boost circuit? Way to find out is to run a LiIon in the 2C and see if current is lower than with 2C's.

Bill

& Hope it doesn't ::: POOF ::: ! Lol

 

[bykfixer]

I can say 2 18500 lifepo's didn't make the 2C LT any brighter. But they sure do make a difference in the 2 cell IT model.
I placed a pair in an LT next to an LT with rayovacs and turned them on briefly. If one was brighter I couldn't tell.

I was thinking 'buck' in the 3C since the emitter looks the same. But all that stuff is beyond my pay grade at this point.

 

[Bullzeyebill]

I can say 2 18500 lifepo's didn't make the 2C any brighter.

Did you read the current at the tail using the 18500's? Not brighter can be an indicator of a buck circuit, maintaining the same current to the LED as the 2C's.

Bill

 

[bykfixer]

No I didn't. At that point I didn't know how to.

I'll do it Friday when I drop by my dads. That's where my meter is.

 

[vestureofblood]

Its not a buck/boost. If it is is a buck with a very low over head voltage. I tested current and output in 3 setups just now. I did the output testing with the head off to avoid any discrepancies between the tests because of focus position.

On 2 nimh cells
1.02A at the tail
261 lumens

On 1 li-ion
.724A
241 lumens

On 2 li-ion
.660a
42 <-------Lumens. That's not a typo. Checked it twice. On the 3rd test it ed.

 

[bykfixer]

Its not a buck/boost. If it is is a buck with a very low over head voltage. I tested current and output in 3 setups just now. I did the output testing with the head off to avoid any discrepancies between the tests because of focus position.

On 2 nimh cells
1.02A at the tail
261 lumens

On 1 li-ion
.724A
241 lumens

On 2 li-ion
.660a
42 <-------Lumens. That's not a typo. Checked it twice. On the 3rd test it ed.

Were you wearing your "I void warranties" hat during the tests?

Any idea why 42 on test 3? Maybe tests 1&2 had begun the meltdown?