Makeover for Grandfather's Flashlight

[Bolster]

I would like to give Grandfather's flashlight a "makeover" and give it to my mom for Christmas. I don't have the skill or the knowledge to do this myself. Can you help me find a modder or builder to take on this project for pay?

It's a brass bodied 2 C-cell light with screw-in bulb and slider switch. It is functional (but very dim by today's standards). It has a polished aluminum reflector. The glass lens needs to be replaced (the current one is a "home made" replacement.) The socket is centered in some sort of cardboard-looking insulator material that will have to go.

I'd like to see it upgraded to modern standards, using the same 2C cell setup, but made bright and reliable as is reasonably possible on a reasonable budget. LED would be nice. I'd like 100+ lumens if possible, thinking that might be possible if one used a TerraLux bulb substitution or something. Of course I could be wrong, I'm out of my depth and looking for an expert to take over. I'm not expecting a fantastic beam given the reflector in place. Thanks for your help.

 

[datiLED]

PM sent. This looks like an interesting project.

 

[Scattergun]

The reflector looks a bit on the shallow side for a LED... might make one heck of a flooder with a Seoul though... Or just substitute the cells for AW´s 3,7Volts and put a 6V Potted bulb in there...With some resistance-fixing and a new switch it might produce somewhere around 600 lumen!!:twothumbs

 

[Scattergun]

I did this to my wifes uncles light... I installed a PR to Bipin adapter from Kaidomain, one of his 7,2Volt Xenonbulbs and put two RCR123 in the tube with some spacers. To get the right geometrics for the bulb I took a reflector off a G&P Xenonbulb and fitted it to the inside of the original reflector... I guess it´s in the 200 Lumen ballpark now!

 

[rhuck60]

I did this to my wifes uncles light... I installed a PR to Bipin adapter from Kaidomain, one of his 7,2Volt Xenonbulbs and put two RCR123 in the tube with some spacers. To get the right geometrics for the bulb I took a reflector off a G&P Xenonbulb and fitted it to the inside of the original reflector... I guess it´s in the 200 Lumen ballpark now!

I really like the look of this light and was hoping you had more pictures of it. Especially a closeup of the modified reflector.

Can you give me a source for the reflector you added? The reflector in the light I want to modify like this is just about shot. I was planning to see if I could find a replacement.

Is any part of this permanent or can it all go back orignal?

 

[Scattergun]

I used a reflector from a G&P xenonbulb...the one that looks like the P90 but is a tad smaller, I guess a G&P P90-clone would work as well since they are possible to dismount from the actual bulb... The added length of the bulb with the PR-Bipin-adapter makes the little bulb fokus perfect in the new reflector.
It´s all reversable and real easy to put together...
I´ll see if I can take som photos of it all tonight.

 

[Bolster]

Thanks for the responses, my friends.

DatiLED, I just responded to your PM...thank you!

 

[rhuck60]

Thanks for the responses, my friends.

DatiLED, I just responded to your PM...thank you!

I was wondering what could be done with the screw based bulb. Is he custom making you a screw based potted bulb adapter?

 

[Bolster]

I don't have the vocabulary to answer intelligently, since I don't speak Flashlish, but I think DatiLED's going to construct a custom copper heat sink, and use a MicroPuck with a 500mA current rating in combination with a Seoul USVOH LED. Aside from the Seoul LED part, I have no idea what I just relayed to you. (Ignorance is painful.)

We're expecting a floody beam somewhere in the neighborhood of 100 lumens.

DatiLED may post updates to this thread if he finds the time to do it. The flashlight is currently making the trip from CA to GA for its makeover. Exciting! Stay tuned.

 

[greenLED]

Too bad EverLED doesn't make screw-in drop ins.

 

[rhuck60]

Too bad EverLED doesn't make screw-in drop ins.

As far as I know NOBODY makes an adapter for these older screw based bulbs. And they are the dimmest by far compared to the PR based bulbs.

What we need is the screw base equivalent of this:

http://kaidomain.com/WEBUI/ProductDetail.aspx?TranID=3076

 

[snakebite]

i did up my 1919 daylo(eveready) with a rebased kpr141.
run on 2 d nimh its a big improvement and totally reversable.
not against modding but wont do anything permanent to an antique.

 

[lctorana]

The GH44 from Reflectalite is a bright MES bulb.

It pumps out 201 lumens from 10W @ 6V, so would propel you into RoP-low territory when overdriven.

Two of AW's C-lions or 2 3AAA battery carriers would do for power.

Just a thought.

 

[greenLED]

I prefer not to give non-CPF'ers "fancy" batteries. Li-ions are relatively safe once you're familiar with them, but a C-sized cell could go pretty loudly if you don't know what you're doing.

 

[rhuck60]

i did up my 1919 daylo(eveready) with a rebased kpr141.
run on 2 d nimh its a big improvement and totally reversable.
not against modding but wont do anything permanent to an antique.

it would be neat if you could post some pictures and give some of the details on this mod. It sounds great and I know pictures will add a good deal of interest in this modded lite.

Was it a screw based bulb also? Any details/pictures of the rebased KPR141 bulb. How did you do that?

 

[rhuck60]

The GH44 from Reflectalite is a bright MES bulb.

It pumps out 201 lumens from 10W @ 6V, so would propel you into RoP-low territory when overdriven.

Two of AW's C-lions or 2 3AAA battery carriers would do for power.

Just a thought.

Can you suggest a method of putting that GH44 into an older screw lamp based bulb?

 

[lctorana]

Just screw it in.

Warning: Jargon Content.

I stated that the GH44 is a "MES" bulb, I also could have referred to it as an "E10" bulb.

"MES" stands for "Miniature Edison Screw" and "E10" means "Edison Screw, 10mm diameter".

These nomenclatures are equivalent, and both refer to screw-in torch bulbs.

The Reflectalite GH44 I mentioned because it is the very brightest MES bulb I know, but if you want to use 6AAAs without overstressing them, there are 6V 5W bulbs from RS components that are still pretty darn bright when overdriven.

 

[rhuck60]

Just screw it in.

Warning: Jargon Content.

I stated that the GH44 is a "MES" bulb, I also could have referred to it as an "E10" bulb.

"MES" stands for "Miniature Edison Screw" and "E10" means "Edison Screw, 10mm diameter".

These nomenclatures are equivalent, and both refer to screw-in torch bulbs.

The Reflectalite GH44 I mentioned because it is the very brightest MES bulb I know, but if you want to use 6AAAs without overstressing them, there are 6V 5W bulbs from RS components that are still pretty darn bright when overdriven.

That is pretty neat. Do you know of a source in the CONUS? Or just cheaper than Reflectalite? They seem pretty high since its the same price for all the "GH" prefix bulbs. Also overseas shipping is fairly high.

 

[snakebite]

it would be neat if you could post some pictures and give some of the details on this mod. It sounds great and I know pictures will add a good deal of interest in this modded lite.

Was it a screw based bulb also? Any details/pictures of the rebased KPR141 bulb. How did you do that?

kpr141 is a 2v 1.2 a pr bulb.
i squirted some carb cleaner into its cap and dropped the dead #14 and the 141 in it.
disolved the cement nicely.
a dab of clear rtv secures the new assy.after you solder of course!

 

[snakebite]

remember most of these oldies have metal reflectors.i thought of making a brass or copper insert to mount some sort of power led on as a heatink and utilise the reflector too.again completely reversable.