3D Mag Mod

[z_T44AAC]

Hi,



I am hoping to get some help with a mod I am planning to do. This is my first post so please be gentle :)



I am in the UK and work as a Police Officer in general patrol duties. I have a 3D Mag which currently has a Terralux TLE-6EXB drop in. According to specs this is a lowly 140 Lumens. For Xmas I am getting a Led Lenser P7 which is spec'd at 200 Lumens. I am not happy that the large Mag will put out less light than the my newbie so plan on modding it.



I have done some searching and think I have found the perfect and relatively easy mod........... the Mag85!



What I want is a good amount of throw, a nice tight spot and if possible still be focusable to get a flood if needed. It will mainly be used for searching for missing people, criminals trying to evade arrest and the search of buildings for burglars etc. At work we have a few Dragon Delta Searchlights but these are either never charged or run out within minutes of being switched on.



Would the Mag85 mod fit my requirements?



I think this is what I need but need some help of where to get it from (either UK or US):

WA1185 Bulb

Bi-pin adaptor

9AA/3D adaptor

Alu reflector

Glass lens



Does the famous FM do all these?



Would it be best to use potted bulbs or not? Which Bi-pin adaptor? I am fairly confident with soldering etc but would still like it to focus and be easy to do. Which reflector would fit my needs? Are the Eneloops still the best choice tpo power this mod?



I'm sure these questions get asked all the time but any help would be appreciated :thumbsup:



Thanks.

 

[HotWire]

Most or all of these things are available in the MarketPlace.

 

[DreamScape]

Hi there,

Welcome to CPF z_T44AAC


I hope you have been warned of the side effects of joining CPF. The more you read the more you spend!! :thumbsup:

Where abouts in the UK are you? I might be able to help you out with a turnkey.

You may not be able to PM yet so email me on ( Just Noticed the date! )
Col.

 

[alpg88]

yes FM does sell all parts you need.
no potted bulbs, they don't focus right.
yuou need g4 bipin adapter, the best reflector for mag85 is FM deep reflector (however only few that are left have gold color outside, so you'll have glod stripe between the bezel and the head), or FM bifocal reflector, eneloops are exelent choice for that mod.

my favorite hotwire mod is mag85, i use 4c host with deep reflector on 3x26650 li ion with soft start, my mag shoots easy 200-300yrds, with perfect beam in shape and color. i also have rop with bifocal reflector, i did swap reflectors once just to see the difference, deep reflector outthrows bifocal, but bifocal has a bit more spill and a bit more floody

 

[retino]

alpg88, could you comment on a mag85 in a 3D host with 3x26650 as per length/spring mod ? I have ordered the parts for this mod with the assumption that it will all fit together. Thanks for your patience with newbies.

 

[alpg88]

alpg88, could you comment on a mag85 in a 3D host with 3x26650 as per length/spring mod ? I have ordered the parts for this mod with the assumption that it will all fit together. Thanks for your patience with newbies.

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?255089-Easy-Tailcap-Mods-!-Featuring-26650-cells..
also if you use orange 26650 from battery space or lighthound, you might wanna consider soft start, (these are 4,2v fully charged, other cells, like kd, dx, or a123, are lower voltage, and wont need soft start). you might flash the bulb when batteries fresh off charger, it also helps with spikes of current during start ups, prolonging bulb life,
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?288152-mag-85-soft-start-Q.

 

[retino]

That was just what I was looking for, thanks a bunch. Now I'm thinking of 3 orange IMR26650s, a 1909 bulb in a 5mega G4 socket, no resistance mods, with 5mega bifocal reflector. From what I've been reading this should NOT go:poof: if I don't use the batteries hot off the charger. Anybody have any experience with this combo?

 

[alpg88]

it wont flash from 3 cell, you don't even need soft start, however i doubt it'll be long before you melt plastic bulbtower, 1909 is not 1185.

 

[Justin Case]

It is often a roll of the dice regarding instaflashing of an 1185 when driven by 3xIMR (whether 26500 or 26650). Depends on how much parasitic resistance you have in your host Mag. Some folks don't encounter any problems, others will flash every bulb unless they take preventive measures.

The problem I see with a 3D loaded with 3xIMR26650 is that there will be very little room in the tailcap since the 26650 cells will be overlong and require a very short tail spring mod (see for example, the Allburger tail cap mod for sale on the B/S/T forum). Typically, the simplest mod to prevent instaflashing is to install a resistor in the tailcap. See for example, post #5 in this thread. Or you could use an NTC thermistor instead of the resistor (I prefer the resistor). This thread has an example of an NTC thermistor.

But with 3xIMR26650, I think you might have greater difficulty fitting a resistor or thermistor in the tailcap. I'd probably go with 3xIMR26500, which requires only simple de-anodizing of the tail cap (use sodium hydroxide-based drain cleaner) and shortening of the tail spring, and leaves plenty of room for a resistor or thermistor.

With an 1185 or 1909, you can use the FM brass heat sink and ceramic socket kit. That solves any thermal issues. However, with that setup compared to using an FM PR/bi-pin socket adapter, you will eliminate parasitic resistance from the Mag switch tower spring as well as contact resistance between the adapter and the Mag PR bulb socket. I would say that you will definitely need some sort of instaflash solution if you use that FM product.

 

[retino]

Once again I find that technical problems have technical solutions (if the money doesn't run out). I see my new friends @ Lighthound offer an "AW Mag D Incandescent Driver with Soft Start & Multi-Brightness for D Cell Maglight". This little unit is rather pricey so I have another question. Does the light go yellow when operated at the lower modes?

 

[alpg88]

Once again I find that technical problems have technical solutions (if the money doesn't run out). I see my new friends @ Lighthound offer an "AW Mag D Incandescent Driver with Soft Start & Multi-Brightness for D Cell Maglight". This little unit is rather pricey so I have another question. Does the light go yellow when operated at the lower modes?

i have one of those AW Mag D Incandescent Driver with Soft Start & Multi-Brightness for D Cell Maglight". love it, awesome product, and yes light does get yellow on low mode.

 

[retino]

Thanks again alpg88, you have convinced me to give those Lighthound guys even more of my money. Explain why I have this urge to leave the stock unit in until it starts to melt. What use is a box full of stock maglite parts?

 

[357mag1]

Stock Maglite parts make great back up parts. I find the voltage drop across AWs switch is slightly more than the voltage drop across a Mag switch using the KIU kit. I'm no longer interested in running the bulbs that draw over 5 amps of current. It wears out the batteries much quicker and runtime is too limited.
If you are wanting to run the big bulbs the AW switch is definitely the ticket.

 

[alpg88]

. Explain why I have this urge to leave the stock unit in until it starts to melt. What use is a box full of stock maglite parts?

why??? lack of patience, urge to see the light.... sounds like a simptoms for flashoholism, you getting infected like all of us here, lol

btw stock D mag switch core (that blue\black cylinder) works great as tailswitch for C maglite.

 

[Xuen7]

it is quite hard to find a mag mod for sale these days... i can never understand why are there to many mag host in everything... are they that flexibLE? or is it just because of the interchanging colours

 

[devon stalker]

Hi,



I am hoping to get some help with a mod I am planning to do. This is my first post so please be gentle :)



I am in the UK and work as a Police Officer in general patrol duties. I have a 3D Mag which currently has a Terralux TLE-6EXB drop in. According to specs this is a lowly 140 Lumens. For Xmas I am getting a Led Lenser P7 which is spec'd at 200 Lumens. I am not happy that the large Mag will put out less light than the my newbie so plan on modding it.



I have done some searching and think I have found the perfect and relatively easy mod........... the Mag85!



What I want is a good amount of throw, a nice tight spot and if possible still be focusable to get a flood if needed. It will mainly be used for searching for missing people, criminals trying to evade arrest and the search of buildings for burglars etc. At work we have a few Dragon Delta Searchlights but these are either never charged or run out within minutes of being switched on.



Would the Mag85 mod fit my requirements?



I think this is what I need but need some help of where to get it from (either UK or US):

WA1185 Bulb

Bi-pin adaptor

9AA/3D adaptor

Alu reflector

Glass lens



Does the famous FM do all these?



Would it be best to use potted bulbs or not? Which Bi-pin adaptor? I am fairly confident with soldering etc but would still like it to focus and be easy to do. Which reflector would fit my needs? Are the Eneloops still the best choice tpo power this mod?



I'm sure these questions get asked all the time but any help would be appreciated :thumbsup:



Thanks.

HI THERE
did you get your conversion done ? if so how is it ?i am looking for something similar myself ,i have decided on the rop with a 2d as a start but have a spare 3d that i would like to try something else with . there are loads of mag 85 links but i cant find the idiots guide to constructing them ! but they seem to be highly rated
ALL THE BEST
DEVON STALKER