Mag623 vs Mag625

[mrQQ]

Hello,

I've been reading around about these show-off lights. I'm curious, are the bulbs between these two interchangable? they both seem to be 12v, with 625 seeming to be a bit more efficient?

I'm asking because I really want to buy a pre-made one of those (have no guts and skill to try to make my own), but not really sure which one to want..

And another question.. these mods seem to use a combination of AA cells.. is it possible to use lithiums for them, to improve runtime up to 30min at least?

Thank you for any info!

 

[rayman]

Yes they are interchangable the 625 is a little bit brighter and the current is a little bit higher. So with the same battery combination the runtime of the 625 would be a little bit shorter. Just look at these test of the 625 and 623 from
LuxLuthor. Here are all of LuxLuthor's bulb tests.

I don't think that using LiIons would be useful because the runtime would be very short.

I want to build a hotwire mod too. I first thought of building it with the 64625 but I'll first try it with the 64610 bulb and later upgrade to the 64625 bulb. I'll use a 4D Maglite. As the battery combination I'll use 10 AA's and two dummy cells in a 12AA>4D adapter.

rayman

 

[monkeyboy]

If you plan on running them at spec (12V) then they are interchangeable but 623 can handle more voltage. You would want to run the 623 on at least 12 (NiMh) cells (14.4V nominal) which would fry the 625.

625 - easily handles 10 cells but can be pushed to 11

623 - easily handles 12 cells but can be pushed to 13

When I say "pushed", I mean that the pack needs to be rested for 2 hours after charging and sometimes needs to be drained slightly to prevent instaflashing. The output is significantly higher though.

 

[rayman]

Just compared the 64625 driven at 13.2V with the 64623 driven at 14.5V using LuxLuthor's charts:

64625
applied volts: 13.2V
measured amps: 9.60A
predicted lumens: 4502lumen
measured temp: 191°F
calculated runtime with 11 x 2000mAh AAs: about 12,5min

64623
applied volts: 14.5V
measured amps: 9.90A
predicted lumens: 4639lumen
measured temp: 165°F
calculated runtime with 12 x 2000mAh AAs: about 12min

So runtime is nearly the same. The ouput of the 64623 at 14.4V is about 100lumen higher (should be no visible difference) and the current is only slightly higher. But the measured temperature is about 30°F higher. So I think I'll take the 64623 and power it with 12 AAs.

rayman

 

[mrQQ]

Hmm, judging from these calculations, 623 seems to be a better choice..

 

[rayman]

But I think that you also have to wait for some time to let the voltage drop a little bit when you power the 64623 with 12 AAs. A fresh out of the charger AAs can have up to 1.5V. 1.5V x 12 = 18V. And LuxLuthor flash the 64623 in his tests at 16.9V. You can also use Eneloops. Silverfox tested them in his NiMh Battery Shoot Out and he tested the Eneloops with 1.558Ah at 10.0A. So the calculated runtime would be 9,5min.

rayman

 

[mudman cj]

For starting fires, the 623 is the better choice. But most that have seen both bulbs in the same reflector prefer the beam of the 625. Differences in the filament shape seem to account for the beam differences.

 

[monkeyboy]

Rayman, you're confusing open circuit voltage with voltage under load. The 623 can handle 12 cells without resting (although resting is a good idea). It's been tried and tested by CPF members (including myself). I find that 13 cells needs resting and needs to be drained slightly to prevent instaflash. Another alternative to AA cells are the 2/3A packs that Luxluthor makes. This allows more voltage in a smaller m@g host. e.g. you can get 13 cells in a tri-bored 2D m@g host with the tail spring removed. This is the configuration that I'm running.

 

[mrQQ]

hm, i'm confused again

i don't think i'm going to try to make a mod myself. i dont have needed skill, neither do i have all the parts i need, and shipping to Lithuania is expensive. I'm hoping I can find someone who can make one for me. Size up to 4D is fine by me. Too bad I can't freelly change between 623 and 625 in same configuration. I was hoping I could, so then I could decide on my own which bulb I like better.

 

[monkeyboy]

You can also look out for one in the custom B/S/T section as they do appear from time to time. If small size is what you're looking for then you can't beat Mac's "torch". It's a cut down m@g with high current tail switch using 12 cell 2/3A pack and 623 bulb.

 

[mrQQ]

I'm looking. Nothing atm though.

Sizie is not "that" important - I can even accept 4D, though 3D would be nicer, and 2D would be "omg"ish

 

[mudman cj]

For a show off light you might as well go 2D. 5 mins of runtime is plenty for some short bursts, and the size is very manageable. If you can have some patience, a 623 build will show up on B/S/T. It is only a matter of time before you will be able to buy one for less than what it costs to build one. Building your own is a waiting game in itself too. It takes weeks to find all of the parts you need and get them shipped to you. Anyway, I hope you find just what you are looking for.

 

[mrQQ]

Yeah, I'm weighing my options now. Lurking B/S/T threads both here and on CPF MarketPlace. A tad difficult, since 90% there are surefire/led sales. Reading bout HIDs now. When you talk yourself to 400usd range, you get some options.. Hopefully something emerges.