Mini Maglite with G4 Halogen Bulb — Any better ideas?

[Goofy_Goober]

Last year I made a variation of the Mag 623 which, besides being larger than modern lights, functions pretty well. A few week ago I had the idea for a similar modification with a AA Mini Maglite. I'd replace the socket with a ceramic G4 socket, use a tailcap switch, metal reflector, glass lens, and 14500s. That with a 35 watt bulb should give some impressive output, right?

Well, I ran into some problems pretty quickly. The biggest was the barrel length: the damn thing just wasn't long enough. I could hardly fit the socket, driver, 14500s and still secure the tail cap. Not only that, the bulb was also too long, and would hit the lens before the head met the threads. I'll include a picture below. I also "burned out" a tail cap switch very quickly, had to get a replacement. The design I envisioned probably isn't going to work out. At the very least, the FET driver I used seemed to work fine with the halogen bulb.

Now I'm wondering: Is there anything similar I could make/buy? I'm looking for a 14500 (or even 18650) light that takes G4 bulbs and could be fitted with a driver. 2 cells and a 6 volt bulb would be ideal. If anyone has any ideas/suggestions, I'd appreciate it.

 

[swampgator]

I think it was Ginseng (I could be wrong though) who came up with Aurora many, many moons ago (2003?).
It was a similar concept as yours.

Dona search and see what how he did it.

 

[ebuchner]

From the hip I don't dislike what you got going on here. If you fit a McClicky in the tailcap you'd be good up to 6 amps or so, and dealing with the additional bulb length could be handled with an extension collar that could probably be made for a few tens of dollars.

May I ask just what driver you're using/how you got it?

I'm also not sure if your cells are protected or not, so you might be able to squeeze some extra margin by switching to unprotected IMR/INR 14500s, which also might be a better fit electrically for most of the available 6V 20+ watt lamps out their. In fact, a 64275 *might* be safe to run on IMR cells that small. The 64275 is a prone-to-instaflash 6V 35W lamp with a rated 25 hour life (that's harshly driven even at spec) and vertical filament, but with small enough IMR cells it may be direct driveable.

Fivemega also has these, which are shortened 2D mags that are internally milled to accept 2X18650 in a side-by-side configuration:

Sold/Expired - Dual Bored 2P 18650 M*g 1.25D

Dual Bored 2P 18650 M*g 1.25D & 2S/2P 2.5D (AVAILABLE) Please allow 7 days to ship Please note: I will not send email or PM to individuals regarding payment confirmation and shipping status. All these information will be next to your CPF handle in this post. All 50 States shipping will...

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[ebuchner]

Not only that, the bulb was also too long, and would hit the lens before the head met the threads.

I'm curious about what high temperature lens/reflector/head setup you're using. Pics/description?

 

[Goofy_Goober]

From the hip I don't dislike what you got going on here. If you fit a McClicky in the tailcap you'd be good up to 6 amps or so, and dealing with the additional bulb length could be handled with an extension collar that could probably be made for a few tens of dollars.

May I ask just what driver you're using/how you got it?

I'm also not sure if your cells are protected or not, so you might be able to squeeze some extra margin by switching to unprotected IMR/INR 14500s, which also might be a better fit electrically for most of the available 6V 20+ watt lamps out their. In fact, a 64275 *might* be safe to run on IMR cells that small. The 64275 is a prone-to-instaflash 6V 35W lamp with a rated 25 hour life (that's harshly driven even at spec) and vertical filament, but with small enough IMR cells it may be direct driveable.

Fivemega also has these, which are shortened 2D mags that are internally milled to accept 2X18650 in a side-by-side configuration:

Sold/Expired - Dual Bored 2P 18650 M*g 1.25D

Dual Bored 2P 18650 M*g 1.25D & 2S/2P 2.5D (AVAILABLE) Please allow 7 days to ship Please note: I will not send email or PM to individuals regarding payment confirmation and shipping status. All these information will be next to your CPF handle in this post. All 50 States shipping will...

www.candlepowerforums.com

I'm using a 14mm FET driver from Mountain Electronics, ordered it maybe a month ago. No problems with it so far.

The batteries are unprotected Vapcell H10s, max continuous current of 10 amps, so more than I'll need in any case. The bulb I'm using is actually an Osram 64275. It didn't flash when I cycled through full power, I was banking on the internal resistances absorbing some of the voltage. I wouldn't want to run it for a long time though. I can probably check the bulb voltage at full power some time.

 

[Goofy_Goober]

I'm curious about what high temperature lens/reflector/head setup you're using. Pics/description?

The head itself is just the standard aluminum head. The lens is a Litt Industries lexan lens, I think it'll withstand the temperatures but haven't tested it. The reflector is aluminum, also from Litt Industries. I couldn't buy it individually, so I had to but it along with an led module. The hole was too small, so I had to drill it out a bit. I know I'll lose some light, but it should work.

 

[ebuchner]

That driver approach is really interesting. Does it offer some sort of soft starting functionality? I would assume not since it's designed for LEDs, but I guess you could just get a custom multi-mode one and manually cycle it from lowest to highest in quick succession. That's reminiscent of what AW offered as a multi-mode tailcap soft start back in the day except his offered default soft starting.

I think a lexan lens paired with a 64275 is pretty risky but tenable for very short bursts. Even 15~20 watt halogen lamps have been documented to totally fry lexan lenses if left on for more than a few minutes without supervision. I have roughly the same perspectives regarding the reflector. See vicv's experience 😬:

Protected 16340s for M6 MB20

Please don't push me for Convoy L7. I'm now seeing it on AliExpress... It was much brighter than I needed and have it to my brother. But you’ll love it. There are no words for an sbt-90. And with 2 cells and a 20A Buck driver, it has no peer

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For a 2X18650 or 2X18500 system, you could get a 6P clone from the internet at-large or fivemega and use that. A19 extender clones are also available, so you could easily size it up by a cell size if you needed extra space for your driver/socket combo. Aluminum reflectors and borofloat UCL optics are also readily available for P60/D26 hosts. High current tailcaps are also still pretty easy to come by for those systems.
Lumensfactory definitely makes some really chunky looking, all copper internals, momentary tailcaps that might offer more durability over a Z41 or clone with a McClicky.

 

[LEDphile]

The lens is a Litt Industries lexan lens, I think it'll withstand the temperatures but haven't tested it.

Lexan (polycarbonate) typically has a maximum working temperature of less than 150C. Acrylic (the other common clear plastic) typically has a max working temperature of between 85C and 160C depending on the specific resin used. For a hotwire mod, I think using a plastic lens is risky.

 

[Goofy_Goober]

Lexan (polycarbonate) typically has a maximum working temperature of less than 150C. Acrylic (the other common clear plastic) typically has a max working temperature of between 85C and 160C depending on the specific resin used. For a hotwire mod, I think using a plastic lens is risky.

Yeah, I didn't read the description closely when I bought it, I assumed it was glass lol.

 

[Goofy_Goober]

That driver approach is really interesting. Does it offer some sort of soft starting functionality? I would assume not since it's designed for LEDs, but I guess you could just get a custom multi-mode one and manually cycle it from lowest to highest in quick succession. That's reminiscent of what AW offered as a multi-mode tailcap soft start back in the day except his offered default soft starting.

I think a lexan lens paired with a 64275 is pretty risky but tenable for very short bursts. Even 15~20 watt halogen lamps have been documented to totally fry lexan lenses if left on for more than a few minutes without supervision. I have roughly the same perspectives regarding the reflector. See vicv's experience 😬:

Protected 16340s for M6 MB20

Please don't push me for Convoy L7. I'm now seeing it on AliExpress... It was much brighter than I needed and have it to my brother. But you’ll love it. There are no words for an sbt-90. And with 2 cells and a 20A Buck driver, it has no peer

www.candlepowerforums.com

For a 2X18650 or 2X18500 system, you could get a 6P clone from the internet at-large or fivemega and use that. A19 extender clones are also available, so you could easily size it up by a cell size if you needed extra space for your driver/socket combo. Aluminum reflectors and borofloat UCL optics are also readily available for P60/D26 hosts. High current tailcaps are also still pretty easy to come by for those systems.
Lumensfactory definitely makes some really chunky looking, all copper internals, momentary tailcaps that might offer more durability over a Z41 or clone with a McClicky.

Thanks for the advice, I'll look into those.

 

[ebuchner]

Yeah, I didn't read the description closely when I bought it, I assumed it was glass lol.

Also, flashlightlens.com totally offers a Borofloat lens option and a UCL coated plain glass lens option for AA mini mags. Borofloat offers the best heat resistance, especially across a steep thermal gradient and the UCL option offers 5-7% more light transmission but with less resistance the thermal shock

 

[terawatt]

I'd replace the socket with a ceramic G4 socket, use a tailcap switch, metal reflector, glass lens, and 14500s.

Where'd you find a G4 socket? Homemade?

 

[skillet]

From back in the day it was the AuroraLite kit.. had a ceramic bulb socket and an aluminum reflector.. used a TL3 bulb.. it was an awesome sleeper light.. search the forum for that for some good information

 

[ebuchner]

Where'd you find a G4 socket? Homemade?

Those are actually pretty widely available. You can get really skinny G4-only sockets that are barely larger in diameter than 7 or 8mm and also the vast majority of G6.35 ceramic sockets are also fully compatible with G4 bases.

My only complaint regarding the really small G4 specific sockets (at least the one I have) is that running them for too long above 20W or so will cook them. I learned from experience that it can occur in just a couple of minutes with a Philips 5761 driven on 2X18650. The contacts oxidize and the electrical connections become unreliable. The chunky G6.35 bases handle heat much much better.

I don't wanna plaster the forums with a bunch of links that may be altered or dead some time from now, but just searching "G4 ceramic socket" in a search engine brought me at least 10 relevant results. Usually they're sold in a 10 pack for $10 to $5. Just be aware that the black colored ones are in fact Nylon and *not* ceramic, unlike the white porcelain ones.

 

[terawatt]

Those are actually pretty widely available. You can get really skinny G4-only sockets that are barely larger in diameter than 7 or 8mm and also the vast majority of G6.35 ceramic sockets are also fully compatible with G4 bases.

My only complaint regarding the really small G4 specific sockets (at least the one I have) is that running them for too long above 20W or so will cook them. I learned from experience that it can occur in just a couple of minutes with a Philips 5761 driven on 2X18650. The contacts oxidize and the electrical connections become unreliable. The chunky G6.35 bases handle heat much much better.

I don't wanna plaster the forums with a bunch of links that may be altered or dead some time from now, but just searching "G4 ceramic socket" in a search engine brought me at least 10 relevant results. Usually they're sold in a 10 pack for $10 to $5. Just be aware that the black colored ones are in fact Nylon and *not* ceramic, unlike the white porcelain ones.

I guess my question was more about how to get a socket that fits into a maglite. I know the sockets you're talking about; I actually bought a pack recently. I'm just curious the best way to mod them in. I could mount one on a PR bulb base but I'm not sure if the bulb socket in the mag can handle that much heat. What was your approach?

 

[fivemega]

Now I'm wondering: Is there anything similar I could make/buy? I'm looking for a 14500 (or even 18650)

I do have a complete 2x14500 mini Mag with G2 (hard to find) socket, 36mm finned Turbo head, hard to find H1499 bulb, aluminum reflector, glass lens, tail clickie switch, fine grooved body, completely reanodized to gun metal gray, Very clean, ready to use, for sale in one peace if anyone interested please PM

I also have 2x18650 TL-3 incand for longer run time. Comes with aluminum reflector and glass lens.

Megatinger 2x18500 and 2x18650 available with TL3 bulb. Comes with aluminum reflector and glass lens.

 

[ebuchner]

I guess my question was more about how to get a socket that fits into a maglite. I know the sockets you're talking about; I actually bought a pack recently. I'm just curious the best way to mod them in. I could mount one on a PR bulb base but I'm not sure if the bulb socket in the mag can handle that much heat. What was your approach?

Oooh. My experience with the little G4-only bases comes from one that I got from Tad Customs that was built into a Surefire-compatible MN base. Plastic mag parts are good to around 35 watts for limited time spent "on", otherwise the plastic will start to suffer the effects of the heat. Lots of early easy-to-do incandescent mods relied on halogen bulbs potted in PR bases, but that power level tended to be the upper limit of feasibility before purpose-made hardware was needed.

For higher powers, assuming you're thinking of a mag D host, then you could just get one of these kits from FM. You have to do a little sawing and soldering but that's par for the course for high power incan stuff if it isn't turnkey.

Sold/Expired - G6.35 ceramic socket by Fivemega (2)

(AVAILABLE) NOTE: Please allow 7 days to ship Continue from: here Please note: I will not send email or PM to individuals regarding payment confirmation and shipping status. All these information will be next to your CPF handle in this post. All 50 States shipping will come with tracking...

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[ebuchner]

I also have 2x18650 TL-3 incand for longer run time. Comes with aluminum reflector and glass lens.

What is the reflector diameter for the host mentioned above?

 

[fivemega]

What is the reflector diameter for the host mentioned above?

2x18650 TL-3 using Streamlight TL-3 head.

Megatinger 2x18500 and 2x18650 using incand Stinger head.

They all are 1.5" or 36mm diameter reflector.

 

[Goofy_Goober]

Where'd you find a G4 socket? Homemade?

I found skinny ones on Amazon, shortened one with a dremel (took longer than I thought).