3cell c/d mag reg'd lux3 drop-in (revised pics)

[turbodog]

3cell c/d mag reg\'d lux3 drop-in (revised pics)

Just finished with my project.

Made a drop-in mod for a stock 3 cell mag c/d light. It has a lux3 emitter and a badboy 500 regulator. Focusing works just like a mag also.

Pictures have been taken and will follow shortly.

No modifications to the existing light are required at all.

I made this as sort of a proof-of-theory. I would love for someone to follow up and make more. (dat2zip... hint hint)

 

[turbodog]

Re: 3 cell c/d mag regulated lux3 drop-in

Ok, here are pics.

We have the drop-in bulb assembly.

The regulator is built into a c cell converter. It is missing the ground wire in this photo.

No mods to the existing light were required.

Here's a list of parts:
lux3 emitter
badboy 500 regulator
mag screw down bulb collar
misc small wires
small length copper bar
blown pr bulb
jb weld epoxy
c cell battery adapter
top part of aa cell battery adapter

Time to make was approx 3 hours.

 

[udaman]

Re: 3 cell c/d mag regulated lux3 drop-in (LARGE pics)

1. Ummm, there's a lot of wasted space in the pics, if you like I can e-mail you cropped versions, compressed to minimum file size with Photoshop. It will save in download time on the images for dial-up users?

2. Looks good, simple, and inexpensive/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif---total cost is what?

3. Got any beamshot comparisons with standard Mag Xenon bulb, both flood and spot?

4. JB weld epoxy used exactly where, and could you post pic of ends on the C-cell adapter. This is just a plastic C-cell plug that you attached AA button to? Where did you do any soldering? Not sure exactly what you are saying here? More detail please.

5. You're then only using 2 cells of what type for this, rechargeable? With D-cell you could use 2 3toD AA adapter for higher voltage.

6. Only a BB500, why not drive with higher ma version? Does it get very hot, lose efficiency? I mean, that bit of copper there attached to the collar isn't really going to remove much heat is it?

7. Drop-in, but you need an extra collar, or you can't return it to original state, should you want to switch between LED and high output incandescent overdrive bulbs. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif

 

[turbodog]

Re: 3 cell c/d mag regulated lux3 drop-in (LARGE pics)

1. Ok, I have cropped the pics.

2. Cost... prob about $40 if memory serves me

3. Not yet. I will say this, spot is VERY tight if you want it that way. I figure spot is approx 1.5' diameter @ 50'. Of course you've got mag's wonderful focusing mechanism.

4. JB welded the emitter to the copper bar. The "battery" is a battery upsizer (do google search for this). I soldered the upsizer's neg terminal to the badboy's positive in lead. I soldered the upsizer's positive nipple to the badboy's led positive output. The badboy's negative is attached to a very thin wire that runs between the regular batteries and the body tube of the light to simply lay underneath the bottom cell. The upsizer/regulator goes in as the first cell.

5. 2 cells of your choice in a 3 cell light with this unit inserted first.

6. Seems plenty bright and does not get hot enough to have to use a hotlips/etc heatsink. Heat flows from the emitter to the copper to the brass collar to the metal post in the mag light. I am sure you could push this some further past bb500 though.

7. Well, what's a collar cost when you're buying all these other parts anyway.

My main goal was to build a(n):
adjustable focus
regulated output
lux3 (plenty bright)
can actually still use in candle mode

Think of it as an everled on steroids.

I got lucky on the soldering. The bulb collar is plated brass. A little sanding and it was ready to solder.

The donor bulb... broke the bulb and used a dremel with a grinding stone the finish cleaning out the innards of the bulb. Unsolder the positive lead, push a wire through the lead hole, flare all the strands outward, resolder it. The bulb is soldered to the bulb collar, then the copper bar was put in place.

Centering the emitter.... luck... I mean skill.

The battery upsizer's terminals also took solder really well.

The limiting factor in this whole thing is heat from the emitter. However, all other scenarios I have seen lose the ability to focus the light.

 

[lambda]

Re: 3 cell c/d mag regulated lux3 drop-in (LARGE pics)

[ QUOTE ]
turbodog said:
However, all other scenarios I have seen lose the ability to focus the light.

[/ QUOTE ]

It's possible to heatsink the emitter and focus the light.

All that is required is a raised boss for the emitter that will fit thru the reflector hole. Yes, you have to trim the switch housing, tail off the reflector, and loose the patented Mag quick focus, but you gain a nice fine focus adjustment from flood (complete with black hole) to ultra sharp focus.

I think the Hot Lips also has a raised boss on it which allows focusing too, so there are some existing options.

Yes, if we could just get Mag to make the bulb post out of copper, then screw in Luxeon bulbs could handle some power. As it is, things get pretty hot. Your 500ma mod is pretty amazing in that nothing has fried. That's quite a bit of power with little heatsinking. Keep us informed on how it survives in the future.

And nice work! That's a nice little copper heatsink on top that PR bulb base; good job! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif

 

[turbodog]

Re: 3 cell c/d mag regulated lux3 drop-in (LARGE pics)

I am wondering. Have I "categorized" myself when I said I used JB Weld to set the emitter. Should I have said I used a 2 part epoxy?

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[turbodog]

Re: 3 cell c/d mag regulated lux3 drop-in (LARGE pics)

Connected the ground wire today and ran it some. Works really nicely.

Measured steady state temp of collar assembly of 137F.

This seems fine to me as far as temp goes. At that rate, I might someday bump up the regulator to 600 or so.