Maglite mod questions

[WHT_GE8]

Well I keep checking out the maglites over at walmart and it seems like I can buy one to mod it and sort of be a project flashlight. I think they have the 2D non-led version for about 15 bucks, and the 4D's for around the same price. I want to mod it to have at least 300 lumens and preferably keep it incan. Around how much would I be looking at total to get the maglite output that high? Also I have absolutely no skill so it would have to be mostly plug and play. Is this possible? Im a newbie to all this so please use laymens terms Ive just always liked the look and feel of a big heavy maglite. :nana: But the output is so weak in stock form...

 

[mdhammack]

Using a 2D Mag.....

Your easiest mod to get you close to your 300 lumen mark would be to use something like a 5D magstar bulb and drive it with 6AA's in a battery holder like this http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=223785 This is probably the absolutely easiest thing to do, just changing bulb and batteries. If you're not happy with it, the only money lost is the bulb cost because you will need the battery holder for the next one!

If you wanted even more output, try the Pelican 3854 lamps, commonly known as ROP bulbs. The thing you will run into here is more heat and you will need to upgrade your reflector to an aluminum one, forum member litho123 sells them, occasionally fivemega runs some nice ones. Right now he has a bifocal reflector and a couple of version 2 deep mag reflectors available. You can also find them at kaidomain.com or britelumens.com, but they will not be quite the quality of the others and they usually take a little longer to get. You should also consider a glass lens, borofloat or UCL (ultra clear lens) which is usually available from lighthound, also where you will find the bulbs. This setup will produce lots of light for about $100 bucks batteries, light, reflector, lens, bulbs, and holder all together. Of course, that price is an estimate depending on the exact components selected.

Good luck with your build!

 

[ANDREAS FERRARI]

Hey mdhammack-aren't you the guy who loaned your ROP to a female friend so she could blind some unsuspecting citizen!!! LOL-Just kidding.

But you are right-a ROP(Roar-Of-the-Pelican/I think sometimes we forget there are newbies lurking who don't understand the acronyms we are using!) is what WHT_GE8 might be looking for.Do a search using the Google Search box in the upper right hand corner with the keyword ROP and you will find out more on this build and where to get the parts.You will have to order from more than one place but waiting for each part to arrive is absolutely delicious.

If all your looking for is a big bright Maglite than a MagCharger might be all you need.200 lumens stock/700 lumens with a Phillips 5761 bulb installed.Search the keywords Magcharger5761 or Magcharger61.

 

[WHT_GE8]

Thanks guys. ive heard about the ROP before but never really did any research on it. $100 sounds good too me if I can get 700 incan lumens. The ROP will work in an incan 2D and 6AA magazine?

Making a checklist, correct me if im getting the wrong part.

Bulb: http://www.lighthound.com/Pelican-Big-D-Rechargeable-Lamp-Set-FL-3854_p_1506.html - I assume I use the high bulb from that pack?

Lens: http://www.lighthound.com/521mm-UCL-Lens-for-Mag-C-amp-D-Size-Flashlights_p_44.html

Battery Magazine: http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=223785

Reflector, not sure this is the right one? 15mm Metal MOP reflector? : http://britelumens.com/MagLiteParts.html

 

[mdhammack]

Looks like you got your list pretty well stocked. Only thing you are missing is a good set of rechargeable batteries, unless you already have some. Do yourself a favor and buy some Sanyo Eneloops for it. I just bought a batch from battery junction, if you buy three or more packs you get them for about 11.25 a pack....so for about 35 bucks you can have two sets of batteries. The great thing about them is they can be charged and sit on the shelf for a while and still be pretty hot when needed. They claim up to a year and still have a working capacity of around 80%. So bump up the price point just a bit for those, but not as much as having to buy another set cuz the ones you settled for were not up to the task. I ordered some of the same reflectors from britelumens and the only holdback is the time to get it here. The reflectors were pretty good tho, so no complaints there. If you want much faster shipping on the reflector, this is the one piece you will be WAITING for lol, get one of fivemega's pieces for a few bucks more. Check out this thread http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=247685 only a few left so decide quick! Here is a review thread on this piece http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=248153 Pics are of a Mag85, a slightly more powerful setup than the ROP, but you get the idea of beam quality achieved with it. So look at the one from britelumens for $15, take into consideration the 2-3 week shipping time, and then think for only $8 bucks more you could have that one in a couple days and no question about quality from Fivemega!!


BTW, Andreas, yeah that was me but it spurred the fella into getting a real light!


Oh, and use the rounded tipped bulb first...that is the low output one...if 300 lumens was a goal prepare to smash that with the low bulb! Then you can always play with the high bulb. And to answer your question, yet the ROP works with a 2D and 6AA magazine, very popular setup due to its lighter weight and use of AA's.

 

[WHT_GE8]

Why would I use the low one first? Just to see if its sufficient for me and have a longer runtime? Thanks for all your help. My walmart has 2D's for 10 bucks, on my way to get some. :twothumbs

 

[mdhammack]

Why would I use the low one first? Just to see if its sufficient for me and have a longer runtime? Thanks for all your help. My walmart has 2D's for 10 bucks, on my way to get some. :twothumbs

Yep....you will probably be pleasantly surprised. I wish our walmart had mags for 10 bucks. I can't ever find them around here for less than 15.

 

[^^Nova^^]

Try living in Australia then, from almost any shop that sells mags, the LED versions start around $100 ($90 US) and the 2D incans are about $50 ($45 US). Super expensive, I can buy one online and have it posted over here cheaper than buying one from a shop.

Back on topic, ROP all the way, you will love it.

Cheers,
Nova

 

[Mjolnir]

If you have the capability to recharge lithium ion cells, you might want to try an ROP with the 3853H bulb and some IMR cells, either 26500s or 26650s. You could also try a 3854H with 2 of AW's 18650s, which are advertised to be able to withstand loads of 5.2 amps, so they should supposedly be able to light up the 3854H bulb with a single "click" (if the protection circuit truly has a 5.2 amp limit and not a lower limit).
I personally think that this or the IMR option are a better way to go. Using 6 AA cells wastes a lot of space in the body of the light when compared with 4000 mah IMR cells, which both fit in a 2D maglite. Additionally, the IMR 26650s are only $13 each, so they are good for keeping the costs down.
If you are short on funds you might want to look at one of the aluminum maglite reflectors from Kaidomain. They are fairly good quality and inexpensive, but the shipping takes a long time.

The IMR 26650s should theoretically get about an hour of runtime with the 3853H bulb (which draws about 3.3 amps), and should be somewhere around 700 lumens (at least bulb lumens) if you do some cheap modifications to reduce resistance, which does lower the voltage a fair amount. The 384L bulb draws about 2 amps, so it should get at least an hour and a half of output; it should be 300+ lumens with fresh cells.

 

[WHT_GE8]

So I can run the rop with 2 18650's? I would prefer that since I already have a charger and spare 18650's. Where can I get that tray? And I won't have any problems with it right? I want this to be the simplest mod, so no soldering or wiring etc...

 

[mdhammack]

No tray needed, you can make a sleeve with pvc pipe to take up the extra diameter inside the barrel

 

[WHT_GE8]

I have no idea how to do that... Lol

 

[Mjolnir]

Just take a tube of 3/4 inch PVC pipe and cut it so it fits in the light. The inner diameter of this pipe is almost perfect for 18650s, but the outer diameter is thinner than a D maglite (so it won't stay in place). You can either put a piece of PVC coupling for 3/4 inch PVC pipe on either end of the adapter to stabilize it, or wrap it in duct tape until the outer diameter is wide enough so it doesn't move around.
You will also need to cut down the spring and bend it a little so it can make contact with the smaller negative terminal on the 18650s, but this isn't that hard to do.

 

[WHT_GE8]

Eh im sure it sounds simple to others, but I have zero experience doing anything likethis and dont want to mess anything up. I think ill just stick with the 6AA route.

 

[Mjolnir]

There isn't really anything to "mess up." PVC piping is dirt cheap, and all you do is cut it;then you just need to cut off some of the spring and bend it. If you mess up, you can always just bend it until it works, or buy a new spring.
This is probably the most basic modding that can be done with a maglite. I had zero experience doing anything like this before I did the same thing to my maglite, and I figured it out pretty quickly.

 

[smack2000]

I'm thinking about doing up one of these ROP lights, too -- glad I found this thread. I have a couple more questions...

Is there a way to charge the batteries without removing them from the adapters?

What are the options for protecting or locking the switch?

Is it possible to make one of these with a low setting somehow?

Thanks,
Scott

 

[bouncer]

A rop low should run on most 18650's but you will need AW 18650 2600's or 18650 IMR to use the 3854 high bulb as it's draw is too high for other 18650 batteries.

 

[mdhammack]

I'm thinking about doing up one of these ROP lights, too -- glad I found this thread. I have a couple more questions...

Is there a way to charge the batteries without removing them from the adapters?

What are the options for protecting or locking the switch?

Is it possible to make one of these with a low setting somehow?

Thanks,
Scott

See my first post, post number two there is a link to some battery holders there. When you purchase those, Eric includes a set of charging leads equipped with alligator clips. You can splice them into a charger plug and simply clip them on to charge the whole pack without removing batteries from the pack. As far as locking the switch, I don't know of anything. For a low setting you can use a 5D mag bulb for longer runtimes and the ROP bulbs for your higher output options.

 

[^^Nova^^]

The ones FM (FiveMega) sells come with a charging jack built into the end of the adapter and a plug to suit.

Cheers,
Nova

 

[smack2000]

Thanks for the tips!