Dorcy 4d, any suggestions?

[DieselDave]

A friend of mine gave me this light today. It's a 4d with spot to flood. I don't see myself ever using it without some type of mod., LED or more power, any suggestions?

Thanks,
David

I hope this pic. didn't hurt your eyes

 

[radellaf]

It's one of the few lights that can take the heat of running a HPR 52 (the one RS carries), that's a bit brighter.

I switched to a 500mA (Tec 40) halogen to take it easy on the alkalines.

How about build a custom LED "tree" with 5mm? Kinda like the CK-120 lantern on http://www.nuwai.com.tw/ ? (has beams out the side of the PR config, not just out the top.

 

[lemlux]

I have one of these that sits in a room because the slide switch turns itself on too easily when moved. (Of course, it needs to have the garish Dorcy paper label removed to be allowed to sit in a room) BTW, DieselDave -- What a pathetic attempt to remove your label! (Well, I admit it was a PITA to get it all off...)

As it's an emergency area light I've moved to using the same PT40 bulb that radellaf uses. (It's a challenge to use the good PT40 bulb when driving something brighter in the PT40.)

The spot isn't impressive. Yes, it will not only handle the HPR52 but it handled the 50% brighter Ikelight 5.0 V 1.25 HPR bulb as well. In the end, this is one of my few lights where I let run-time concerns win.

 

[DieselDave]

Originally posted by lemlux:

DieselDave:

What a pathetic attempt to get the sticky Dorcy paper label removed! (It was a PITA to get it all off)

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Actually it came that way. I think he has had it for a while. My tag removing is limited to mattresses.

 

[lemlux]

Diesel Dave:

You've removed mattress tags and you're still on this side of the bars?

(How many LEO's in CPF have raided houses to sweep for removal of "do not remove" tags?)

 

[EMPOWERTORCH]

Surely this is an application for a side emitting luxeon, as it is a lantern rather than a torch.
The 5mm LED tree will give a patchy light unless you use reasonably wide angled LED's (30 degree beam angles). Better still, get some high flux milky cased LED's.
I have a couple of lanterns myself including a very old vintage lantern, which, providing I can keep it original as possible I may update to LED using a screw in converted MES bulb base. I have other lanterns which are designed to look like gas lanterns and are a safe alternative for camping; these have fresnelled bulbs to give an even distribution of light. The 2AA supply limits me somewhat, but I might see about changing the battery configuration to take either 4AAA's in a battery cage or a PP3. There's quite a lot of room inside this lantern base to add extra circuitry!

 

[DieselDave]

Thanks guys. This may be my first attempt at a real mod. I like the idea of low power with super long run time for this one. On the other hand I could get some anchor chain and hang it around my neck for a really full size EDC. I like the first idea better. I tried a HPR50 in it tonight, couldn't find a HPR52 and it was a little brighter but not appreciably. I will look into the LED idea or PT40. I don't want to risk an LS or 2 or 10 on my first mod.

Thanks again,
David

 

[txwest]

D.D.,
I had one of these in a AA version. I installed the LED from a Dorcey Cool Bule & gave it to my daughter for a power outage light. I would highly recomend buying a LED conversion lamp from JB in a 6V, 3 or 4 LED version, and useing it for a very good, really long run lantern. TX

 

[DieselDave]

txwest,
Sounds good, who is JB?

 

[radellaf]

It's one of the few lights that can take the heat of running a HPR 52 (the one RS carries), that's a bit brighter.

I switched to a 500mA (Tec 40) halogen to take it easy on the alkalines.

How about build a custom LED "tree" with 5mm? Kinda like the CK-120 lantern on http://www.nuwai.com.tw/ ? (has beams out the side of the PR config, not just out the top.

 

[lemlux]

DieselDave:

Do a CPF search on John Bechtold. He's a San Diego County member that makes 3 and 4 Nichia PR bulbs optimized for yor choice of 4.5, 4.8, or 6.0 V input. You won't be sorry. I have 3 of his 4.5 V 4 LED lights and really like them.

The relative spot configuration of my jb bulbs makes them a less than perfect choice for the 4D Dorcy in my opinion. They are great in a PT40 body with either 4 NiMHs or 4 partially spent alkalines.

 

[txwest]

I seem to have lost JB's email address. If someone out there has John B's address, the one that makes the great PR based LED's, let us know. TX

 

[lemlux]

The most current address I have for jb is [email protected]

 

[AR15Fan]

Does this Dorcy lantern have the correct polarity for a EverLED?

 

[jtice]

I have the same light. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
I also have a 4AA mini version of it.

I cant really deside what to do with it yet.
At first I was thinking a 5W mod. Not sure though.
Getting a decent beam out of it will probably be a challenge.

The good thing is,, theres lots of room in it to do basically what ever you want.

Let us know what you come up with, I will do the same, if and when I decide what I'm doing with it.

 

[danielo_d]

I am still relatively a newbie. I did a few mods, and one of them is a PR-Bulb one. It's handy in that I can drop it into any one of my 3 6V hosts that use PR-Bulbs.

Here's the link.

It was a single LED, but I upgraded it to a 3 LED one.

Hope this is of some use or give you some ideas. Enjoy!

Danno