Halogen Lamp in a 3D Maglite

[soloco]

Hi everyone! I just wanted to post my latest mod.
I was browsing lighting sites on the Internet and was looking at some Halogen lamps. Diameter 2 inches. The size and shape reminded me of the Maglite reflector, so I got a Sylvania 20MR16/NSP/RP (ESX)-12V and got to work.

Sylvania Halogen Specs: 20W, 12V, 8degree spot

I ended up with a 3D Maglite with a Halogen bulb (amazingly it fits almost exactly in the head assembly) and a custom battery of 10 123 batteries; 2 parallel rows of 5 123 batteries. I know the 15V is overdriving the light, but the light was very yellow with 4 123s in series. The resulting torch is very light (no alkalines) and puts out a beautiful, powerful light. The light has a 8 degree spot which I have found very useful for walking around at night. I don't know how many lumens or pbc, but it's pretty frickin' bright.

Aloha

 

[X-CalBR8]

I really enjoyed reading about your mod. That is an approach that I had not seriously considered because of the tremendous cost of feeding the thing. You might want to consider using 12 rechargeable AAs instead like I’m doing. The cost of running the mod will be dramatically decreased and you should get close to the same run-time as using the 10 lithium 123s.

Also, to get the best bang for the buck, you should really consider getting a more efficient MR16 also. Here is the thread that I started when I was trying to track down one of these very elusive bulbs: http://www.candlepowerforums.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=UBB14&Number=133030&page=0&view=collapsed&sb=5&o=&fpart=1

If you want the most efficient MR16 on the market, you really just have 2 choices. One is the Osram Decostar IRC and the other is the Phillips MasterLine ES IRC. The specs on the Phillips bulb can be found here: http://www.lighting.philips.com/nam/product_database/halogen/displayhalogen.php?id=223

The Phillips bulb is technically the better bulb, at least on paper. As far as I know, nobody here has done a real life test of it because it is so much more expensive than the Decostar and is only supposed to be a little bit better. The prices I found on it put it at about 2x-3x the cost of the Decostar. It was an adventure to even track down a place to buy either bulb in the USA, but after much perseverance, I finally found a place to buy both bulbs in the US, but you can read all about that in the link I posted above.

BTW, thanks for sharing your experience with using 123s for this mod. I’ve been curious as to how well they would work but just could not bring myself to sacrifice so many expensive, non-rechargeable, batteries to satisfy my curiosity.

 

[soloco]

X~
Thanks so much for the support. This was pretty much my first mod. Everything prior was just checking out drop-in PR bulbs for my Maglites.

That bulb is VERY hard to find. Ace-Lighting has it, but orders are by the case of 50?! I don't need that light that badly.

For the 12AAs, I'm assuming you mean using one of these nifty 3AA-D adapters I'm hearing about. So I would probably have to move up to a 4D to make it all fit. Not a bad idea after all.

 

[Klaus]

Soloco - how you fitted the MR16 to the bulb base ?

Klaus

 

[soloco]

I kinda fudged my first one just to get it up and running. The Maglite head centers the leads in the empty PR socket. All I did was use 2 crimps; one extended to the center of the bottom of the socket and one contacts the side of the socket.

 

[Klaus]

I was asking cause the MR16s are getting so hot on the backsite that there is a high risk of softening even solder

The new pics in my sig are 20 or 35W IRC MR16´s in a Mag2D

Klaus

 

[soloco]

Wow! The 35W one must get pretty hot. I haven't had any problems so far with the 20W MR16, but then again, I didn't use any solder; just creative crimping and bending with some needlenose pliers. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[MR Bulk]

Hey soloco! A Hawaii modder! Nice work -- you on Oahu? If so, we should get together sometime...

Regards,

 

[soloco]

COOL! I just checked out your mods. I am VERY impressed. Hey, if I order one at least I wouldn't have to pay for shipping.

 

[soloco]

About getting 12V from AA NiMH batteries: I have a bunch of 1/2 AAs that I use when I need to get a high voltage. They work great, but I fear in this mod they would last at MOST 15 minutes.