Eveready 6D Vintage Light

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Chrontius

Chrontius

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Oct 11, 2007
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2,150
Location
Orlando, FL
Got a 6d Eveready I was given by my grandfather. It's got a cracked tailcap and a fogged reflector - and maybe a cracked lens - but it's really cool.

But it's pushing maybe 3-5 lumens with six fresh D cells.

Now, how can I turn this into an awe-inspiring hotwire like the Lava Landing mod (here, here, and here; source was here)

What can I do?
 
Well... I'm not sure I can help you but I can ask questions and make suggestions.

First... how vintage are we talking? Is it all metal or does it have plastic pieces? Is it a flange bulb or a screw-base bulb? If it's a flange-bulb, then the easiest thing would be to buy 6xNiMH D cells and a charger from Thomas Distributing (they even have LSD cells) and make it an ROP. Minimum effort, maximum return.

If it's a screw-base bulb... well... I can't help you. Actually, I have an old Eveready 3D from 1921 or before (it says Daylo on the tailcap!) which I'd like to turn into a vintage hotwire but I can't find any information on high-power screw-base bulbs... I have the batteries for a 9AA->3D conversion, I just need a bulb. Does anybody have any ideas? I wonder if there is a flange/screw base converter or a screw-base socket for bi-pins...

EDIT: Other things to consider... have you cleaned all the contact points in the light? 3-5 lumens sounds pretty low for a 6-cell light of almost any era, so perhaps you have some serious voltage-drops in your contacts. Maybe the switch? Deoxit works wonders of course, but if you have some serious buildup you might have to use a wire brush and vinegar or something. Also... what is the tailcap made of? If it's not copper then you could get some improvement by soldering a piece of wire onto like is usually done on Maglites. Also... have you cleaned the window and reflector? My light was filthy when I got it, I had to use Brasso on the reflector. It's not quite as good as modern reflectors now, but it's much much better and has a great beam pattern, especially considering the size of the spot... It's nice and wide and useful with no hole in the middle! Also... you might want to think of replacing the window with a anti-relfective model, or investigate the possibility of adding a coating to the existing window.
 
Last edited:
If it's screw-based (E10/MES), then you can't go past the GH44 from Reflectalite. 6V, 10W, 201 lumens - but a lot more than that overdriven to 7.2V

If it's a PR-based flange bulb, you can hotwire, using a Reflectalite GH24 or Philips HPR71 (6V 10W) or Pelican 3854L (6V 11W) or Philips HPR72 (6V 15W) or Pelican 3854H (6V 24W).

Or, without overdrive, there are the Pelican 3853L/3853H, bright at full bulb life.

All the above really need rechageables.

If primary cells are important, then you can buy 100-lumen 7.2V Krypton bulbs. RS Components sell these, for example.

Or Pelican sell an "Alkaline Big D" bulb, 3804, 7.2V 8W 200 lumens, which will also give full bulb life.

As for MES bulbs for 9-cell use, I am afraid you're out of luck. There are 6V & 12V high-output halogens out there, but I know of nothing in-between.
 
lctorana said:
As for MES bulbs for 9-cell use, I am afraid you're out of luck. There are 6V & 12V high-output halogens out there, but I know of nothing in-between.
Click to expand...

Well... I wonder how hard it is to take a bi-pin and graft it into an empty E10 base? I've been looking all over and can't seem to find empty bases anywhere, although Google turned up an old CPF post where someone refered to this kind of bulb "transplant."

It would be REALLY great if I could find an E10 equivalent of the brass-based bi-pin holder like FiveMega and Kaidomain sell. Does anybody know if it would be possible to take a Dremel to one of those and cut rudimentary threads? I'm not sure what the major diameter of the E10 threads are, and if that value is larger than the OD of the existing PR bi-pin holders...
 
Daekar said:
Well... I wonder how hard it is to take a bi-pin and graft it into an empty E10 base? I've been looking all over and can't seem to find empty bases anywhere...
It would be REALLY great if I could find an E10 equivalent of the brass-based bi-pin holder like FiveMega and Kaidomain sell...
Click to expand...

Funny you should mention this.

Here is a commercial photo of a typical high-power MES bulb.
http://img-asia.electrocomponents.com/largeimages/C577689-02.jpg
Doesn't it look like a bi-pin stuffed into an E10 base?

I am sure this same bulb envelope is fitted to an MES, MBC or PR base...

So what we are after must exist, at least in OEM-land...
 
Daekar said:
Well... I'm not sure I can help you but I can ask questions and make suggestions.

First... how vintage are we talking? Is it all metal or does it have plastic pieces? Is it a flange bulb or a screw-base bulb? If it's a flange-bulb, then the easiest thing would be to buy 6xNiMH D cells and a charger from Thomas Distributing (they even have LSD cells) and make it an ROP. Minimum effort, maximum return.

If it's a screw-base bulb... well... I can't help you. Actually, I have an old Eveready 3D from 1921 or before (it says Daylo on the tailcap!) which I'd like to turn into a vintage hotwire but I can't find any information on high-power screw-base bulbs... I have the batteries for a 9AA->3D conversion, I just need a bulb. Does anybody have any ideas? I wonder if there is a flange/screw base converter or a screw-base socket for bi-pins...

EDIT: Other things to consider... have you cleaned all the contact points in the light? 3-5 lumens sounds pretty low for a 6-cell light of almost any era, so perhaps you have some serious voltage-drops in your contacts. Maybe the switch? Deoxit works wonders of course, but if you have some serious buildup you might have to use a wire brush and vinegar or something. Also... what is the tailcap made of? If it's not copper then you could get some improvement by soldering a piece of wire onto like is usually done on Maglites. Also... have you cleaned the window and reflector? My light was filthy when I got it, I had to use Brasso on the reflector. It's not quite as good as modern reflectors now, but it's much much better and has a great beam pattern, especially considering the size of the spot... It's nice and wide and useful with no hole in the middle! Also... you might want to think of replacing the window with a anti-relfective model, or investigate the possibility of adding a coating to the existing window.
Click to expand...

Fortunately no plastic; the bulb socket seems seated in some red wood/fiber stuff though. Unfortunately it is screw-based. Was planning 6xD NiMH, using 10Ah D cells for runtime. Switch seems to be riveted together, and the tailcap's splitting so contact there sucks. The window is in three pieces and the reflector is fogged white. I intend to replace the window with UCL and have a go with Brasso at the reflector.

Switch is patented, patent number 1774722. Bulb is labeled MAZDA around the brass base and has that pretty blue marbled glass holding the wires apart.

So how bright is the GH44 driven at 7.2 volts?

Also, we should really make a thread with general info on vintage hotwires. Polishing reflectors, finding the right obscure bulbs, ensuring good electrical contact, important gotchas...
 
Last edited:
Chrontius said:
So how bright is the GH44 driven at 7.2 volts?
Click to expand...
Providing you can deliver 7.2V at the bulb, the AWR hotrater says...


347 lumens.

Definitely a worthwhile improvement on - hey, wait a minute! You haven't said what kind of bulb the torch takes yet! Is it screw or flange based?
 
Daekar said:
Well... I wonder how hard it is to take a bi-pin and graft it into an empty E10 base? I've been looking all over and can't seem to find empty bases anywhere, although Google turned up an old CPF post where someone refered to this kind of bulb "transplant."

It would be REALLY great if I could find an E10 equivalent of the brass-based bi-pin holder like FiveMega and Kaidomain sell.
Click to expand...

On this subject, have a look at the "Joule Thief" webpage, where, among other topics, gutting MES bulbs is shown...

http://www.emanator.demon.co.uk/bigclive/joule.htm
 
Daekar said:
...I have an old Eveready 3D from 1921 or before (it says Daylo on the tailcap!) which I'd like to turn into a vintage hotwire but I can't find any information on high-power screw-base bulbs... I have the batteries for a 9AA->3D conversion, I just need a bulb. Does anybody have any ideas?
Click to expand...
Actually, I've just found something really nice:
http://www.servicelighting.com/EiKo...-SCREW-T4-5-Miniature-Incandescent-Light-Bulb
75 lumens @ 9.8V, and screws straight in. I call that a result, Guv.
 
lctorana said:
And, from the same site, something truly specatcular for those vintage 6D and 7D lights that take screw-base bulbs:
http://www.servicelighting.com/EiKo-15210-Q75CL-28V-Photo-Projector-Incandescent-Light-Bulb
Feast your eyes.
1200 lumens at 28V - perfect for 7xIMR26500 cells.

Oh if ONLY I had a host for that!
Click to expand...

At, 2,000 hour life, you could overdrive that to around 5,000 lumens:thumbsup:! The one bad thing about this bulb is that it is extremely tall and would be way out of focus:shakehead. Actually 7x 3.6 volts is only 25.2 volts, just as MR16 bulbs with this much voltage can be ran at 18V vs. their specified 12V this bulb would be most efficient off of no less 9x 3.6 volt cells, since that is only 32.4 volts and it is rated at 28. Theoretically if you could overdrive this as much as an MR16 bulb you might have to hit it with about 42 volts:eek: to get the 5,000 lumens.
 
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