Maglite - worth it?????

[U_U]

i'm planning on buying a rechargeable maglite system along with a D mag. i want to use the colored lense with the D maglite which you can't with the rechargeable. the rechargeable is much brighter, however. which D cell mag would you recommend? any recommandations for the 3D mag?

 

[fivemega]

Depends what kind of brightness you need. I use 3D with Nimh batteries and Stinger bulb soldered on PR base. This combination is not as bright as M*gCharger but much brighter than any standard 3D size.

 

[pyro]

why do You want to use the colored lens?
the coloured lenses waste alot of light, and the 3D Mag
is quite weak even without one.

if You want to use coloured light exclisively,
a mod with a coloured Luxeon emitter would be brighter, more efficient and much less fragile.

 

[Techmedic]

I would never buy another 3D mag. It is NOT a performer!!
I can remember attending to a patient (as a paramedic) some time ago in a parking lot that was lit well enough to walk in, and using the 3D mag to assess the patient, even close up it was not much better. Perhaps in the black of the night it might be useful...
I do like the mod done by fivemega, I think i will try it!! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/naughty.gif

 

[Harrkev]

If you really want color, maybe you should look into a colored LED light... Taking a white light and throwing away everything that you don't need (which is a lot) is a waste. Sort of like the old joke about the blonde working in the M&M factory throwing out all of the "W&W's." Depending upon the quality of your filter, you could discard over 75% of the photons being produced. And these photons wind up as heat in the filter itself.

Much more efficient to make only the light that you want in the first place. Which colors do you need?

 

[14C]

Try this: http://www.leddynamics.com/EverLED/

 

[U_U]

i guess i'll get a red everled.

it is also for a 3D cell maglite, right?

 

[JasonC8301]

I wouldn't clunk around with a 3D mag just for navigating the night to go use the washroom. If there was a bump in the night, Tigerlight with OC (going to purcahse one in a month or two.)

A colored LED like the Inova X5T with red LED's seems nice. There are a lot more choices out there for dim, long run time, small size, and waterproofness.

 

[U_U]

i guess there's no real need for a D maglite anyway. i will get a rechargeable maglite and a 2AA maglite with NewBeam LED and just use a colored lense with that.

 

[Mattman]

If you're considering the minimag, you might want to look at a sandwich from the sandwich shoppe if you want more light. Any of the sandwiches will give you more light than a newbeam and the lower powered ones will even give you pretty good runtime. Just another option for you...

 

[LightScene]

You can get an Inretech red Luxeon drop-in for the MiniMag. You can even buy the whole thing, from them, already assembled.

 

[PlayboyJoeShmoe]

You will probably want to get a red sandwich if that is the size and type of light you want.

Maybe an X5 in red?

I have an old MiniM*g with a red filter on it. I got it this way from the estate of a dead US Army Ranger so I haven't changed it.

It is too tight of beam to be usefull to me. If it is defocused it gets too dim.

I have a headlamp with two white LEDs and one Red LED, and the Red is decently bright and wide of beam.

Also the Brinkmann Rebel 2AA 1LED plastic flashlight comes with filters, and isn't too bad with a red filter on it. Of course, I took the focusing lense out to get more of a flood.

I think if I were in your shoes, I'd look hard at Inretech!!!

 

[Phaserburn]

A red Everled in a PT Tec 40 is a great red combo. Small, bright, compact 4AA size. Very nice beam. A red led will be much nicer than a red lensed incandescent.

The Magcharger is a great light. Take a look around here about using it with a Welch Allyn 01160 replacement bulb. It more than doubles an already quite respectable output.

 

[philc5b]

If you want a really bright non regchargeable maglite 3D is not the way to go. Try finding a 6D and put 5D Xenon bulb in it. I tried this and it is one of the brightest lights around for under $30.

 

[greenLED]

Absolutely! I recommend the 4D maglite. I've had the same 4D maglite for over 10 years now. High light output, ability to focus, size just-about-right, decent battery life, and waterproof! I had my light fall off the back of my pick-up and into a deep pothole full of water. I did not realize I had lost the light until a couple of hours later. I didn't even dry it before using again! Still runs like a charm. Highly recommended! I'm considering replacing the bulb with a Terralux MaxStar2, though. Has anybody reviewed these?
Migs

 

[chamenos]

i think the general consensus is that maglites are well-designed and well-built flashlights that are cheap and last a long time, but they're outdated and outgunned by most other flashlights we know of. they're good as hosts for mods though /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[PlayboyJoeShmoe]

Yes, they are best as mod hosts, no question about it.

But they respond well to ghetto mods. Stuff an extra C cell in a D, or drive a one step lower bulb IE: 4.8V by 5 cells etc.

Don't forget to either get an Acrylite lense, or get some Writeright PDA Film at an Office Supply store to clean up the beam. With the above lense treatments, ultimate tight focus may be compromised, but the overall effect is quite good!

A 3D with 4C is one of my favorite "big" lights.

 

[chamenos]

my favourite mag-hosted mod is my space needle II /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[PlayboyJoeShmoe]

Sure Cham! SNII is the S**t!

But cheapy ghetto modded M*gs really are okay.

I don't know what kind of light my Starlux was made from (it favors the Lumipro lights that WW Graingers sells). But it looks similar to a M*g.

THAT is my favorite modded 3D!!!

But I have 5 or 6 3D lights with 4C in them.

 

[chamenos]

i'm going to have to do the 3x123 incandescent hotrod to a 2C mag one of these days just for the heck of it /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif