Modifying a Mag Charger with Nimh and bulb?

[Activate]

After someone stole my old Mag charger (it was 20 years old) from the pits from Monsterjam, I want to buy a new one.

I want to modified it a little so I have more light and maybe the battery want to keep burning a little longer.

I have read a lot on the site and I am thinking to put a Philips 5761 with the Mica insulator in and a 3500 Mah NiMh battery pack.

I only use the car charger from the Mag, can I use it for the NimH?

If there are better drop in packs just let me know( 7,2 V and longer burningtime)

I saw on Ebay an Great Power (brand) battery pack with 5000 Mah wil this be a better one then the one from Battery junction?

I have also thought about the Terralux upgrade but it could not be focused so that is not an option.

If someone have better ideas just let me know

Thanks and greetings,


Erik.

 

[bridgman]

I initially went with an 1160 + mica spacer and ordered a couple of NiMH sticks from (Australia ? details escaped me). Works fine, still my preferred light for seeing what is going on outside (as opposed to the Mag85 which has a HOP reflector and is great for scaring people away).

When I'm using the light around the house I actually prefer the NiCad stick because it is more tolerant of trickle-charging.

 

[Activate]

Thanks for the answer, I can get easier a Philips bulb here then a WA so that will be easier for me.....

 

[LIGHTSMAD]

yea i have the 5761phillips bulb & 3500mah batt pack rom BJ!

its a good set up!

standard MC 190lumens and with the bulb its about 400ish

not bad for a simple bulb upgrade!

i think with the 3500mah you get an increase runtime of about 30%

charging the battery when its empty 24hrs on the wall charger and about 16 for the standard nicd pack!

 

[Activate]

Thanks again for the answer,

Wil the 3500 Mh work with the stock car charger?

So with the 5761 and the 3500 battery the light will as long as with the stock bulb and the stock battery?


Thanks and greetings,


Erik.

 

[LIGHTSMAD]

as far as i know the car charger will work with the 3500mah, your only loosing 5-8mins runtime with the 3500mah and 5761! other than the stock batt and bulb!

 

[mooman]

as far as i know the car charger will work with the 3500mah, your only loosing 5-8mins runtime with the 3500mah and 5761! other than the stock batt and bulb!

I want to run a 5761 in my mag-charger too. Are you only using mica for heat shielding? I thought I read in a previous thread that this bulb will melt the plastic that holds the reflector. Did you do anything to the reflector? Also where did you get the mica? Thanks.

 

[LIGHTSMAD]

i purchased a ceramic slug from fivemega for the 5761 bulb..means taking the MC apart as showin in fivemegas thread...or i think he has stainless steel & brass sockets too!!!

i had to bore the reflector out a little to fit the 5761 bulb!

 

[FredM]

Can you slip these packs in a normal 3D maglite? They are 1/2D cells?

 

[Sabre]

I want to run a 5761 in my mag-charger too. Are you only using mica for heat shielding? I thought I read in a previous thread that this bulb will melt the plastic that holds the reflector. Did you do anything to the reflector? Also where did you get the mica? Thanks.

I have a 5761 in my Magcharger. I ran it for a while without the heat shielding. It began to melt the plastic in the socket away. I put some of the mica shields in, which were generously sent to me without charge by a member here. They worked but after some time they became so "used up" and brittle that they just flaked away.

I'm back with just the plastic socket, now. I try to use the light only in short bursts. I plan to get one of the ceramic sockets very soon. I think the ceramic socket is the best way to go with this very hot bulb.

The light output is amazing, though!!!