maglite alternatives

[woz]

hi, is there any viable alternatives to either a 4d or 6d maglite....i like maglites for quality of construction.. the size and weight are great as a work torch but have always struggled with the rubbish beam..i was given a cheap alternative to a 4d maglite but it didnt last very long and the beam was even worse than my standard maglite..

 

[sween1911]

hi, is there any viable alternatives to either a 4d or 6d maglite....i like maglites for quality of construction.. the size and weight are great as a work torch but have always struggled with the rubbish beam..i was given a cheap alternative to a 4d maglite but it didnt last very long and the beam was even worse than my standard maglite..

Welcome to CPF! Great to have you here!

Your question is a pretty broad one. You mention using it for work. The ideal light for you is dependant on the purpose and usage. In your case, it would depend on what work you do. Are you a police officer? Electrician? You might need a good headlamp, or a long running, light weight, handheld light that can take some rough usage. Feel free to browse around the various forums and get a feel for what other people in your situation may choose.

 

[woz]

hi. im a dog handler and i mainly work nights at high risk sites......i like the size and weigt of the maglite 4 and 6d its the beam that always seems to let the mag down though....

 

[flashmenow]

Greets. This thread may spark a interest :

http://www.cpfmarketplace.com/mp/showthread.php?252542-Pre-Order-New-Fenix-TK60-Coming-ASAP

Fenix TK60 a 4 D size 800Lm torch.

 

[FBsLights]

If you are happy with the run time and output level of the mag then I suggest that you "sputter" the stock reflector.

Another option would be to use an etch to "frost" the stock bulbs. Use the search for "sputter" and "etch". I've done both with mag parts and it is easy. Either will improve the beam and not cost too much.
I recommend you try the "sputter" approach. Try a search. You should be able to find plenty of "how to" information.

You've also come to the right place if you want more output (much, much more!). More output is really only available if you switch to rechargeable batteries.

FB

 

[tx101]

Like FBsLights posted ... you need to switch to rechargeables.

There is life still left in Mags, for sheer output and throw, incans still take some beating

Aside from the cost of rechargeable batts, read up on the ROP (Roar of the Pelican)
It is probably the cheapest way to mod a Mag with some decent output

 

[mat_the_cat]

read up on the ROP (Roar of the Pelican)
It is probably the cheapest way to mod a Mag with some decent output

Especially with a 6D Mag - all you need to do for a significant increase in output is put in the Pelican 3854 low bulb. The stock reflector stands up to that fine, but with the high bulb will start to smoke after about 10 minutes!

 

[Lost in Kansas]

Some months ago I posed about the same question here only about a MagLite 5D. Several members gave good advice, the easiest it seemed was to replace the stock bulb with a 5D Xenon Magnum Star. Problem was there were no 5D Xenon bulbs in this city or one not far away. They had 4D and 6D. No 5D's. So I bought a 4D and ran it with one dead cell. I was happy with that, then the 5D Xenon cell arrived from ebay and I was happier. The light (IMO) was whiter and threw a nice spot a little short of a hundred yards. The Xenon bulbs do not take kindly to overloading. Not even a little bit.

 

[samgab]

Another vote here for the Fenix TK60. I've got a Maglite 4D LED, but the TK60 is so much better on so many levels...

 

[M@elstrom]

hi, is there any viable alternatives to either a 4d or 6d maglite....i like maglites for quality of construction.. the size and weight are great as a work torch but have always struggled with the rubbish beam..i was given a cheap alternative to a 4d maglite but it didnt last very long and the beam was even worse than my standard maglite..

The Maglites are still favoured around the world by flashlight enthusiasts but primarily as a host to modified internal components (we appreciate the Maglite build quality too) ;)

Should you wish to retain your existing Maglite, your options (in addition to going with rechargeable cells) could include...

• Switching to a Xenon bulb (as already suggested)
• Switch to a Pelican high wattage PR-flange bulb (as already suggested)
• Locate a FiveMega brass bi-pin adaptor (to allow you to fit halogen bi-pins into an existing stock Maglite)
• Upgrade to an LED emitter (significantly more than output/runtime than stock)
• Opt for the radical solution of building your own halogen bi-pin beast 10w~100w (runtime alters according to output)

Moving away from modified lighting solutions, Streamlight make quite a range of lights (Incandescent, LED & rechargeable) with their SL-20X & UltraStinger incandescent products coming immediately to mind as having a similar length to a stock Maglite... Maglight's Mag-charger is also a worthy upgrade choice ;)

 

[Chrontius]

Woz, I have one important question. Do you already own a Mag of both 4d and 6d sizes?

A middling-important one:
How long do you need your light to run per night?

The less-important questions:
Are you trying to blind someone up close, or light them up from afar? How far?
What's your budget?
Do you mind switching to rechargeable batteries?

The suggestion: build a 6d ROP. "ROP" is short for "Roar of the Pelican", with six 1.2v NiMH cells overdriving a Pelican bulb. It makes either 400 or 1000 lumens, either 2-5 times as much light as a stock 6D Mag with the upgraded bulb. You need a metal reflector and a glass lens, plus the new bulb and batteries. It's one of the cheapest impressive upgrade options invented on CPF.

 

[elseis66]

As for as similar lights, i.e. large, metal/heavy aluminiun, C or D cell flashlights made by different manufacturers there does not seam tbe many still made. Brinkmann still makes metal C and D cell lights mut I don't know if there beam is any better than a maglites. All of the other campanies that made quality "police" style flashlights either stopped making them or folded in the 80's with the exception of Streamlight(wich no longer makes alkaline primary cell flashlights) and brinkmann. There was a similar type of flashlight that was marketed under the Smith & Wesson name a few years ago but I think those have beeen discontinued as well. Deal extreme sells some xenon D cell flashlights but I don't know anything about those either. I also prefer this type of light for around the house and dog walking duty and wish maglite made a better reflector so it's beam would be similar to a surefire incan like the G2. I have built an ROP and it is awesome but cost me a little over $100 to build and is a hassle to charge but it was worth it in my opinion even though I rarely use it. The Streamlight SL-20x is a very good option and has an excellent beam and plenty of power but is rechargeable wich I don't care for because they take a long to time to charge and I often forget to put mine on the charger I also have a magcharger but the beam on that light is no better than a regular mag and again a hasle to keep charged. The lights I use most now are a Mag 5C and a Mag 4C that I made sleeves for so they could run AAs, this makes them very light and able to use eneloops or alkaline AAs. I run a 4 cell krypton in the 5C and a 3 cell krypton in the 4C. Another easy build would be a 5D maglite running 6 eneloop AA's and either an ROP high or low. To get a nice beam(also for heat) you will need a metal reflector like the b--focal from I believe 5-mega or one of the orange peal metal refectors from kaidomain.com and an ROP lamp set wich you can buy at lighthound.com. I make my aa sleaves out of 3/4 schedule 80 pipe and just wrap electrical tape in two places to make the extra width to fit. I guess my best suggestion would be to get a 2,3 or 4 D cell MagLED and make an AA adapter for it so it will run cheaper AA alkalines. The MagLED lights are very nice, they are plenty bright enough and have an awesome beam pattern with great throw and no rings or artifacts and are still big enough to use as a weapon if you cannot or will not carry a concealed firearm. Sorry for the rant I just have been on a never ending quest for a factory made incan C or D cell flashlight with a nice beam and 200+ lumens.