Mag 2C to 3-123A Conversion. Anyone done this?

[davidra]

Is there a domestic source for this bulb?

http://www.reflectalite.com/halogenpage.html

You can pay with Paypal....very painless. I've made a ton of these. Great mod, easy, and the Reflectalite bulb outlasts the Radio Shack KPR112....I use some pvc pipe with tape wrapped around it, but hose works too. With a sputtered Fivemega reflector and a Borofloat lens, this will blow the doors off even the TL-3 because of the larger reflector. One sits in my boat as an emergency light and has been there for three years, still works when I need it.

 

[Brighteyez]

UPS's brokerage fees aren't really out of the ordinary brokerage fees, but it does come as a shock to individuals (many of whom have never even heard of a customs broker.) As a matter of fact, UPS's brokerage fees are generally about 1/2 of what you might pay to a broker (though people that use brokers on a regular basis are more likely to be dealing with million-dollar shipments of freight. You can broker incoming UPS shipments yourself to save on the fee if you want to devote the time to it or use your own customs broker rather than theirs, and as far as I know, the brokerage fee only applies to UPS parcels sent by UPS Standard between the US and Canada. There is no additional brokerage fee for parcels sent by the other classes of service that UPS offers.

In your case, it maybe helpful to have someone from south of the border relay (not smuggle) the goods to you via USPS-Canada Post, as it isn't really feasible for some of the more established merchants to use a shipping service that doesn't include active tracking these days.

Well, of the Web dealers I have checked out, either their S&H is crazy-high for shipping to The Great White North and/or they use UPS, and I will be ding-dong-darned if I am going to deal with UPS again and get stuck with a ridiculously high brokerage fee.

Your RS price on the KPR118 is, I believe, slightly lower than what I would end up paying per-bulb for a box of 10.

I do have another source for illumination tools that I will speak to about buying P 3854 and LMSA601 bulbs from.

Yeah, the smuggling part would NOT be a good thing!

 

[JTR]

Hey everybody, thanks for all the great info on the mod, I really appreciate it.

I'm still looking around locally for that elusive Mag 6D Krypton bulb, might just have to go online for it.

This mod seems so simple, effective and inexpensive compared to other lights made to be this bright. Is it reliable though? Something I can keep in the nightstand and not worry that my "hot rod" isn't going to perform on demand as expected. Like the hot rod I had in high school.

 

[davidra]

Like I said, I've got one in a boat dry box, exposed to high Florida heat for years and still works....but that is with the GH24 bulb. Certainly to try it, while you're looking for bulbs, pick up the RS KPR112.....the 118 will last longer but not be nearly as bright.

 

[PeteBroccolo]

UPS's brokerage fees aren't really out of the ordinary brokerage fees, but it does come as a shock to individuals (many of whom have never even heard of a customs broker.) As a matter of fact, UPS's brokerage fees are generally about 1/2 of what you might pay to a broker (though people that use brokers on a regular basis are more likely to be dealing with million-dollar shipments of freight. You can broker incoming UPS shipments yourself to save on the fee if you want to devote the time to it or use your own customs broker rather than theirs, and as far as I know, the brokerage fee only applies to UPS parcels sent by UPS Standard between the US and Canada. There is no additional brokerage fee for parcels sent by the other classes of service that UPS offers.

In your case, it maybe helpful to have someone from south of the border relay (not smuggle) the goods to you via USPS-Canada Post, as it isn't really feasible for some of the more established merchants to use a shipping service that doesn't include active tracking these days.

About half of the webtailers, all eBay-tailers and (so far) all CPF members use USPS or their country's (if outside of NA) national postal service, so I will just keep picking and choosing amongst those that do, and not deal with the others.

Some Canadians are having their USA dealers send their parcels to the closest US border port-of-entry, then they drive down, pick it up, carry it to the Canadian POE, declare the item, pay what is required and take it home. I figure the time and fuel is not worth it for me to do that.

If I had known about the brokerage fee, I might have hesitated, or even cancelled, buying the item that I did. Again, since UPS' brokerage fee was far more than I normally pay, I just cannot be bothered with UPS.

Did I ever mention that I do not like the dark AND I am cheap?!

 

[Niteowl]

Hey everybody, thanks for all the great info on the mod, I really appreciate it.

That's what we're here for!

I'm still looking around locally for that elusive Mag 6D Krypton bulb, might just have to go online for it.

If you can wait through the weekend, I'm pretty sure the local farm & barn has them and I'll send them to you at cost along with a tube and o-rings (no charge) if you want. PM me if so.

This mod seems so simple, effective and inexpensive compared to other lights made to be this bright. Is it reliable though? Something I can keep in the nightstand and not worry that my "hot rod" isn't going to perform on demand as expected. Like the hot rod I had in high school.

With the 6 cell bulb it should be fine. It makes for a great "stash light", something inexpensive, yet compact and bright.

 

[Abouna]

Anyone know if this can be done with a 3C?

 

[Brighteyez]

Use a smaller adapter hose or tube, and make a metal spacer for the batteries to make up for the extra length (about 48mm)

Anyone know if this can be done with a 3C?

 

[Brighteyez]

If you need the Pelican 3854 lights for ROP conversions, check out Lighthound. He does USPS shipping.

Did I ever mention that I do not like the dark AND I am cheap?!

 

[JubJub]

I just put one together.

Got a couple of 6 cell Mag Num Star bulbs from Pacific Instrument, one of the parts suppliers listed on the Maglite website, along with some switch caps and o-rings I needed for some nearly ancient D cell Mag lites that were around the house. New 2C light from Home Depot, a foot of 5/8" inside diameter heater hose from the local auto parts store, and the last of a box of Surefire CR123 cells. From what I read here, frosting the bulb sounded promising, so I picked up a small bottle of Armour-Etch from Hobby Lobby.

The bulbs arrived today, and I quickly put it together. Yowza! Beam was all full of the usual Maglite artifacts, but seriously bright.

I took the bulb back out and tried out the etching goop. My technique was to get some warm water running in the sink, then smear a generous coat of the etching cream on the bulb with a q-tip. I kept smearing it around for 15 seconds, then rinsed thoroughly. When the bulb is still wet from the rinse, it looks like nothing happened, but when it's dry, the bulb's appearance changes to a nice hazy surface. The difference in the beam is remarkable. The bright hot spot remains in the center, but it's smooth, as is the spill. Very LED like.

Maximum bang for the buck, from what I've seen so far.