Mag3C Mods
- Thread starter wooniris
- Start date
Help Support Candle Power Flashlight Forum
Three of AW's Lithium Ion cells and his extender? I'm still trying to decide the best bulb to run on this combination myself. But I'd like to do it.
mudman cj
Flashlight Enthusiast
Three of AW's Lithium-ion C cells are a perfect match for the Welch Allyn 01185 to make a Mag85 with about one hour of runtime. You will need an extender as ampdude mentioned.
Icebreak
Flashlight Enthusiast
Not the advanced performer a Mag85 3C Li-Ion would be...
Here's one: My ROP 1400. About $70.00 in parts and host. Even though I don't have any yet I would recommend the Elite 1500s now. Also, I've switched this to a WA 1111 with LOP reflector.
Recipe:
The host is a Mag 3C
Deanodize the tailcap with lye drain cleaner, wirebrush dremmel bit to clean it up good then a squirt of contact cleaner and a quick wipe to condition the surface. Pro-Gold it if you have some.
Reshape the spring with a pair of vise grip needle nose pliers and another pair of needle nose pliers so that the bottom spirals are small enough to allow the spring to drop all the way into tailcap. Bend the end of the top spiral so that it intersects its diameter. This is to insure contact with the cathod (-) end of the last battery.
6 Intellect IB1400 2/3 A from CheapBatteryPacks.
Sleeve them in 5/8" ID X 7/8" OD acrylic tube from Home Depot. Split the tube. Just load it up after charging individually. Charging as a pack will require a clamp.
Pelican PE3854 Hi "Big D" 6V SLA bulb (Roar of the Pelican) from brightguy or Lumenhound. Install it.
UCL or borofloat lens. Replace the original lens.
PerfectMagReflector LOP or lightly stippled Aluminum reflector. Replace the original reflector.
A Mag 3C is 1 7/8" longer than a 2C but 3Cs are a very nice form factor.
4.30A and 8.09V at start.
4.28A and 7.93V at 10 seconds.
4.15A and 7.85V at 30 seconds.
4.12A and 7.73V at 1 minute and settled down.
That's 1.28V per cell, 31.8476W and 20.38 minutes calculated runtime.
Some good things about a ROP 1400:
1) NiMh chargers. You might already own one. If your location is other than home and your light needs a charge; it's more likely to find a NiMh charger than a Li-Ion charger
2) Easy build.
3) Safe operation. Safe charging. No fear of fiery outgassing.
4) Flexibility. You can run all the 2C 3X123 and 6cell HotWire solution lamps in it, CA1499, CA1057, WA1111, Pelican Big D 6V SLA, Krypton 5C, etc., etc.
5) Expected small initial sag but after that a nice, non-sagging run. IOWs, a fairly flat output.
6) No battery holder. A length of acrylic tube. So, ZIP added resistance from power source.
7) Very nice white temperature color of beam.
***Edit***
Additional charging information:
A while back I got 3 Vanson Speedy Chargers. They are 4 bay, 4 channel chargers that have adjustable contacts for AAA to D cells. A pack charger would be simpler but these charge the cells individually. This way I can somewhat monitor the health of the cells as well as know they are optimized. For odd cells like these IB 1400s I use spacers.
#10-32 x 1-1/4" machine bolts stuffed into little vinyl tube sections. The vinyl tube is 1/2" OD x 3/8" ID. I top them off with rare earth magnets which are probably not necessary. Really any spacer an inch or so long should work.
Here is a quick and good discussion where Silver Fox and BullseyeBill explain the operation and solve a problem I was having with CB1650s.
Vanson Speedy Charger discussion.
*EDIT*
Charge the batteries before use. Don't rely on the charge they came with. I believe this is true for all NiMh cells.
Here is a scan of a charging spacer apart and together, the re-bent spring, the deanodized tail cap and the vinyl tube with cells in it.
Here's one: My ROP 1400. About $70.00 in parts and host. Even though I don't have any yet I would recommend the Elite 1500s now. Also, I've switched this to a WA 1111 with LOP reflector.
Recipe:
The host is a Mag 3C
Deanodize the tailcap with lye drain cleaner, wirebrush dremmel bit to clean it up good then a squirt of contact cleaner and a quick wipe to condition the surface. Pro-Gold it if you have some.
Reshape the spring with a pair of vise grip needle nose pliers and another pair of needle nose pliers so that the bottom spirals are small enough to allow the spring to drop all the way into tailcap. Bend the end of the top spiral so that it intersects its diameter. This is to insure contact with the cathod (-) end of the last battery.
6 Intellect IB1400 2/3 A from CheapBatteryPacks.
Sleeve them in 5/8" ID X 7/8" OD acrylic tube from Home Depot. Split the tube. Just load it up after charging individually. Charging as a pack will require a clamp.
Pelican PE3854 Hi "Big D" 6V SLA bulb (Roar of the Pelican) from brightguy or Lumenhound. Install it.
UCL or borofloat lens. Replace the original lens.
PerfectMagReflector LOP or lightly stippled Aluminum reflector. Replace the original reflector.
A Mag 3C is 1 7/8" longer than a 2C but 3Cs are a very nice form factor.
4.30A and 8.09V at start.
4.28A and 7.93V at 10 seconds.
4.15A and 7.85V at 30 seconds.
4.12A and 7.73V at 1 minute and settled down.
That's 1.28V per cell, 31.8476W and 20.38 minutes calculated runtime.
Some good things about a ROP 1400:
1) NiMh chargers. You might already own one. If your location is other than home and your light needs a charge; it's more likely to find a NiMh charger than a Li-Ion charger
2) Easy build.
3) Safe operation. Safe charging. No fear of fiery outgassing.
4) Flexibility. You can run all the 2C 3X123 and 6cell HotWire solution lamps in it, CA1499, CA1057, WA1111, Pelican Big D 6V SLA, Krypton 5C, etc., etc.
5) Expected small initial sag but after that a nice, non-sagging run. IOWs, a fairly flat output.
6) No battery holder. A length of acrylic tube. So, ZIP added resistance from power source.
7) Very nice white temperature color of beam.
***Edit***
Additional charging information:
A while back I got 3 Vanson Speedy Chargers. They are 4 bay, 4 channel chargers that have adjustable contacts for AAA to D cells. A pack charger would be simpler but these charge the cells individually. This way I can somewhat monitor the health of the cells as well as know they are optimized. For odd cells like these IB 1400s I use spacers.
#10-32 x 1-1/4" machine bolts stuffed into little vinyl tube sections. The vinyl tube is 1/2" OD x 3/8" ID. I top them off with rare earth magnets which are probably not necessary. Really any spacer an inch or so long should work.
Here is a quick and good discussion where Silver Fox and BullseyeBill explain the operation and solve a problem I was having with CB1650s.
Vanson Speedy Charger discussion.
*EDIT*
Charge the batteries before use. Don't rely on the charge they came with. I believe this is true for all NiMh cells.
Here is a scan of a charging spacer apart and together, the re-bent spring, the deanodized tail cap and the vinyl tube with cells in it.
KevinL
Flashlight Enthusiast
wooniris said:
Over 1000 bulb lumens on NiMH fresh batteries with the high (as much as 1150), maybe 350-400 on the low.
Icebreak
Flashlight Enthusiast
wooniris said:
Using my ROP 1400 recipe:
600 lumens to start
(7.73V / 6.0V) = 1.28
1.28 ^ 3.3 = 2.25
2.25 x 600 = 1350 bulb lumens
A massive 42.39 lu/W
1350 x .65 = 877 torch lumens
That's if Pelican is factual about 600 lumens. Looks right to me.
That's if the power of 3.3 is correct for rerating. Sounds right to me.
That's if 35% loss is incurred with the reflector and the window. Never have totally agreed with that but apparently an Integrated Sphere was used by CPFers to prove it.
The Pelican Big D low is claimed to start out at 290 lumens.
652 bulb lumens rerated
424 out the front
KevinL
Flashlight Enthusiast
Wow.. looks like my numbers are conservative. That is M6-grade power.. 
Actually.. you are giving me some good ideas. I want a smaller-sized NIMH powered ROP with high-current cells to combat the voltage sag of lithium ion. Getting this level of output from it would be absolutely awesome. I might adopt a 3C sometime my 4D is getting a little big, although the power output is AWESOME.
Nice quote in your sig about the old timers too
Actually.. you are giving me some good ideas. I want a smaller-sized NIMH powered ROP with high-current cells to combat the voltage sag of lithium ion. Getting this level of output from it would be absolutely awesome. I might adopt a 3C sometime
my 4D is getting a little big, although the power output is AWESOME.Nice quote in your sig about the old timers too
Minjin
Flashlight Enthusiast
I've been running an unconventional setup that works well: WA 1274 on 4x123As
Not sure how many lumens but its obviously very bright and very white. And yes, I've run a few sets of batteries through it.
Not sure how many lumens but its obviously very bright and very white. And yes, I've run a few sets of batteries through it.
Now that the IMR C's are soon to be available, I'm seriously thinking of an 1185 based setup, but I'm worried it will flash since the IMR's have higher current capability, which seems to suggest a higher voltage under load than the lithium-cobalt cells produce.
A couple emolis (26700) should run a ROP quite well. Remove the outer casing and wrap them in Kapton tape so they'll fit. Just remember to load them backwards!
Really? Are you saying the the 3C Mag85 isn't a good performer? Maybe I'm misunderstanding.
I think the 3C85 is the best 85 ever. The runtime is awesome and it's outputting around 1600 lumens. I would say it's my favorite 3C mod.
I think you are misunderstanding - he is saying the combo he suggests is not as good a performer as a 3C 85.
I think.
