I was browsing Lighthound the other day looking for stuff to make the $75 threshold for free shipping, and saw the Wolf Eyes 6MX incan drop-ins on clearance for $2.99 a piece. I'm not much of a low-power incan guy, but at that price, it seemed worth a try -- if I can make them fit in something, and I like the result, I can always go for an LED drop-in later.
So I started taking my collection of (mostly "budget") lights apart, looking at bezel and head sizes. (Incidentally, the Ultrafire WF-008 was a near-perfect fit, but I liked the existing LED/recoil reflector much better.) Turns out that a Northern Industrial 2C I had about is quite a nice fit. (Notice in the second picture that the bezel's just a bit oversize -- with the lens removed, the drop-in would barely rest on the lip.)
Now with a 6V bulb, that 2C body wasn't exactly a perfect fit -- way oversize for 2 CR123s or 2 AAs (whether lithium primaries or LiFe), and not quite big enough for 2 A123 26650s even if I had them. So that body's on hold till I get a 9V module for 2 25500s. (Yes, I know ultralife makes C-size 3V primaries. I've no clue where to get them, or how much they cost, but I'm not a big primaries guy anyway, and I'm sure they're much too expensive for my taste...)
But I also had some previous experimentation with comparing threads on random flashlights in hopes that something useful would fit. I know that an Ultrafire C308 has the same head threads as the Northie, but the C308 (originally an 18650/3xAAA light) has the pill in the body, whereas the Northie has it in the head. With the pill removed,the body's long enough for 2x 18500s -- of course, again, we run into the voltage problem, but this time it's a close enough fit that I was able to get it together and running on 2 IFR14500s from Walmart. White, bright, and usable enough. But that reverse clicky, and the insanely oversized body for only 1.28 Wh of battery... :sigh:
Enter the SacredFire NF-007. Despite the bizarre brand, it started life as a very handy AA/AAA/CR123/17500 light. The bezel and pocket clip got lost somewhere along the way; it was just sitting in the parts bin. I'd already made the discovery that a McClickie fits perfectly in the tailcap, though, and it has the same threads as the C308's pill. Remove the C308 body while leaving the pill/head adapter...
And add the NF-007 body and McClickified tailcap. That little 17500 body, plus the extension given by the C308 piece, holds 2 CR123s, making a perfect 6V. (After the whiteness off 2 LiFe cells, this is actually a bit disappointingly yellow. Reminds me of everything I don't like about incans for <1000lm builds.)
But it's cute, fits in any pocket that any D36 host could fit in, and has a lovely forward clicky. I may wind up pruning the bezel a bit, but I can see this with a 17670 (and appropriate LED drop-in) moving to my jacket pocket for good.
And in case anyone was wondering about those exposed threads...
Yes, the C 308 body will screw down over the NF-007. In lieu of a lockout tailcap, or to tailstand, but mainly because I was curious if it would.
So I started taking my collection of (mostly "budget") lights apart, looking at bezel and head sizes. (Incidentally, the Ultrafire WF-008 was a near-perfect fit, but I liked the existing LED/recoil reflector much better.) Turns out that a Northern Industrial 2C I had about is quite a nice fit. (Notice in the second picture that the bezel's just a bit oversize -- with the lens removed, the drop-in would barely rest on the lip.)
Now with a 6V bulb, that 2C body wasn't exactly a perfect fit -- way oversize for 2 CR123s or 2 AAs (whether lithium primaries or LiFe), and not quite big enough for 2 A123 26650s even if I had them. So that body's on hold till I get a 9V module for 2 25500s. (Yes, I know ultralife makes C-size 3V primaries. I've no clue where to get them, or how much they cost, but I'm not a big primaries guy anyway, and I'm sure they're much too expensive for my taste...)
But I also had some previous experimentation with comparing threads on random flashlights in hopes that something useful would fit. I know that an Ultrafire C308 has the same head threads as the Northie, but the C308 (originally an 18650/3xAAA light) has the pill in the body, whereas the Northie has it in the head. With the pill removed,the body's long enough for 2x 18500s -- of course, again, we run into the voltage problem, but this time it's a close enough fit that I was able to get it together and running on 2 IFR14500s from Walmart. White, bright, and usable enough. But that reverse clicky, and the insanely oversized body for only 1.28 Wh of battery... :sigh:
Enter the SacredFire NF-007. Despite the bizarre brand, it started life as a very handy AA/AAA/CR123/17500 light. The bezel and pocket clip got lost somewhere along the way; it was just sitting in the parts bin. I'd already made the discovery that a McClickie fits perfectly in the tailcap, though, and it has the same threads as the C308's pill. Remove the C308 body while leaving the pill/head adapter...
And add the NF-007 body and McClickified tailcap. That little 17500 body, plus the extension given by the C308 piece, holds 2 CR123s, making a perfect 6V. (After the whiteness off 2 LiFe cells, this is actually a bit disappointingly yellow. Reminds me of everything I don't like about incans for <1000lm builds.)
But it's cute, fits in any pocket that any D36 host could fit in, and has a lovely forward clicky. I may wind up pruning the bezel a bit, but I can see this with a 17670 (and appropriate LED drop-in) moving to my jacket pocket for good.
And in case anyone was wondering about those exposed threads...
Yes, the C 308 body will screw down over the NF-007. In lieu of a lockout tailcap, or to tailstand, but mainly because I was curious if it would.
