Modern-Day "Big Jim" replacement.

[big beam]

The big jim and big beam are .5A @ 4.8V.It is a PAR 36 lamp.There are a lot of PAR 36 lamps.The one i mentioned H 4546 is a halogen lamp.PAR 36's are made in 4.8V,6V,8V,12V,24V,28V and so on.The best place to search for these lamps and buy them is replacement lightbulbs.com.They tell the C.P.of the lamp,watts,volts and lamp life.Do a search for (big beam) and you will see the company that made these lights for energizer,rayovac and others.IIRC big beam also made some PAR 46 lights.I have been collecting big beam flashlights for 20 some odd years hence my CPF name.
DON

BTW if you use a energizer 529 6V battery in any of your lights they make a 6V SLA battery with spring connectors to replace it.That's what I use in my BB#166 light with a H4546 lamp(6W).In the 6V PAR 36 lamps you can get 3W,6W,10W,20W and maybe more regular sealed beam or halogen in either spot or flood.

 

[lctorana]

Thanks for the info, BB.
:thumbsup:
(Before I go on, is the "Big Beam" a 4F like an Eveready Dolphin?)

So the sealed beam units in the Big Jim are called PAR36 lamps.

As I've indicated in another thread, I am interested in hotting up a Big Jim, so I *will* take your advice.

 

[big beam]

I'm not sure what you mean by 4F. If you mean 6V battery with 4F cells in it ,yes.If your going to get a 6V h4546 lamp it draws 1.25A and that is a lot for a dry cell battery.You'll be better off using a SLA(sealed lead acid)6V battery because it can deliver more current.And you can recharge them(guilt free lumens).
DON

 

[paulr]

The Big Jim uses a larger 6v battery with 8 F cells in it.

 

[big beam]

I know the battery you're talking about.If it's 4S/2P then the H4546 lamp will be OK.You would only be drawing .62A from each seires(4F cell) pack.BUT I wouldn'y try to pull much more than that from this battery.6W would be about the max.
DON

 

[lctorana]

Just a correction for posterity:

The 4546 is 4.7v @ 0.5A
It is the 4547 that is 4.75v @ 1.25A

Had a horrible moment a couple of weeks ago - was hooking up a (very expensive) 4547 to my old Big Jim and

Oh, and "halogen" and "sealed beam" are not contradictory - GE make the H7550 which is 8W @6.0v, which is a perfect match for a 6V SLA hidden inside a 731 case!

Oh, and also for the record, I could buy more than ten Eveready Dolphins for the price of ONE MagLED, or Terraluxed Mag.

And, now I have compared Maglites and Dolphins side by side, I don't consider the Maglite to be an improvement. It's a beautiful piece of kit, and has a lovely beam, but the Dolphin is cheaper, simpler, lighter, runs on far cheaper batteries, throws further and has WAY more runtime.

According to my criteria, no-one has made ANY suggestion that matched my criteria.

Game Over. The Dolphin still reigns supreme, and the Big Jim, even after all these years, still hasn't been bettered.

(Oh, I've fixed the rear blinker, now!)

 

[Norm]

One set of 4 Lithiums will run about 6 hours.
Fill that afore-mentioned Pelican 1010 storage case
with 4 sets of spare cells, and yer' good for 24-30 hours of light,
even in sub-zero temps.

1 set of 4 lithium's $20 Australian
plus 4 sets of spare lithiums $80
Total $100 dollars.
EEEk!!!

Thanks for the info, BB.
:thumbsup:
(Before I go on, is the "Big Beam" a 4F like an Eveready Dolphin?)

8 F bruce.
Norm

 

[lctorana]

Actually, while we're correcting the record, "Big Beam"s were, and still are, made in 4F and 8F versions, with both bulbs and sealed beams.

The 4F versions have the battery in a tin box, like an upmarket version of ye olde Eveready "Lantern 61" of our childhood.

 

[Burgess]

This thread brings back lotsa' happy memories for me.


Thank you to everyone who contributed.

:twothumbs
_

 

[TorchBoy]

There's still a place for these things. I've been camping the last week and a generic brand lantern battery torch (not a Dolphin) in the net at the top of the tent lit it up quite well. Another similar torch was hung on a side wall to help keep the wall away from the fly, which was quite wet on the first night and leaked when it was in contact with the inner wall. So lantern battery torches are multi-use even now.

 

[dlrflyer]

I like lanterns too. However, in the USA, I like the 4 D cell versions better, just because the 6v lantern batteries seem to sit on the shelves for a long time, not nearly as fresh. In fact, the last time I saw one of the Big Jim style 6v batteries was at Ace Hardware about 2 mos ago. It was a Rayovac with about a 1/2" thick layer of dust on it. In fact it was yellow and blue, I don't think Rayovac has made yellow and blue color batteries in at least five years. Throw in the fact I think the price was about $25, I really can't recommend a light that uses these. The product turnover on D cells almost always guarantees fairly fresh cells. Even the smaller spring top 6v batts tend to sit, at least the good ones. When the Energizer alkaline 6v is $7 at Walmart, and right next to it is a new 6v lantern with el cheapo carbon-zinc batts included for $3.50, no wonder the 6v batts are old.

 

[Chrontius]

Only thing I'd suggest as better than the Dolphin at a similar price point is the Dolphin + MagnumStar 4-cell xenon bulb. Both brighter, whiter, and longer running than stock.

 

[jimmy1970]

Never buy the $69.99 dolphin rechargable torch. If you leave it on charge for more than 12 hours, it's wrecks the battery (the charger is just a power pack and doesn't turn off after charging is complete).

Standard dolphin torches are also rubbish! If you put a brand new Duracell 6V lantern battery ($12.00) in, after a few months, the torch will drain it completely (with no use). Poorly made torch and getting worse with every new model released - only a $15 torch but with $12 batteries, hardly good value.:thumbsdow

jr/

 

[Norm]

Standard dolphin torches are also rubbish! If you put a brand new Duracell 6V lantern battery ($12.00) in, after a few months, the torch will drain it completely (with no use).

That doesn't sound right, unless the torch is faulty in the first place. There is nothing to drain the battery when the light is switched off. Have you checked what the current draw is when the light is switched off? Should be 0mA.
Norm

 

[lctorana]

Only thing I'd suggest as better than the Dolphin at a similar price point is the Dolphin + MagnumStar 4-cell xenon bulb. Both brighter, whiter, and longer running than stock.

That was true-ish, up until March this year.

But the Mk6 now comes equipped with a Philips HPX40, which will comfotably outshine that MagStar Xenon LMSA401.

Oh, and Jimmy1970? I can't agree. Leaving a SLA on-charge for a few extra hours shoud not do any harm. I have a Dolphin Rechargeable, and honestly couldn't be happier with it. Hasn't given me the slightest hint of trouble.

But what WILL kill a SLA battery is draining it dead-flat. They just don't come up. I recommend recharging the D.R. after 45-60 minutes' use. If more runtime than that is needed, then the standard Dolphin, with 12-40 hours runtime, is a better choice.

Shop around for batteries. You should be able to find them WAY cheaper than $12, even for genuine 4F alkalines.

 

[insmart]

29 years on I still use and love my Big Jim torch.

One of the best gifts I have ever received. (from a gf too!!!)

About 20 years ago I converted it to run off 5 niCad A batteries which are still going but on their way out. Must have used over 600 hours from the bulb and wondering when it will blow.

Never have used the red flasher for anything other than entertaining children.

When the battery pack dies or the bulb goes I will probably upgrade rather than repair it.

Here's a pic of my old faithful.

http://www.insmart-delta.com/images/BigJim.jpg

Cheers

 

[Burgess]

Psssst --


Yer' image doesn't show !


From your description, i'd really like to see it.

:thumbsup:
_

 

[ironhorse]

Wow. I had totally forgotten about the Big Jim. Dad had one of those monsters.

 

[Ozgeardo]

I have a box full of "Dolphins" and "Big Jims" with a plethora of parts from all sorts of obsolete models.

I must say that as far a their use for lighting is concerned I recon I have single AAA's that put out more light for longer LOL

Really there are just so many better lights at my disposal I am really pressed to even spend the money on purchasing any 6v batts nowadays. But that said I also have a box full of "Fulton Angle Heads" that I thought I would never use again and now I have various mods happening on them so who knows what may become available for all those "Dolphins". The best feature about the "Dolphin" was its totally waterproof and almost idiot proof. I would have thought someone would have made a commercially available LED upgrade for the "Dolphin" by now.

As for the "Big Jims", I have modded a couple of them to run off various batt sources over the years but for the effort they put out limited light for an animal of their size (Great in there day but just nostalgia item today).

Unfortunatly here in Australia these are still the "torches" that many unenlightened measure others by.

 

[C.F.Burgess Battery]

The the old 8 cell , 6volt screw terminal lantern batteries are expensive and do seem to sit on the shelves a tad bit too long in some hardware stores . They do move alot faster in farm supply stores , though .

The 4 cell , 6 volt spring tops are much more plentiful , available at many gas stations , various 'marts and such and sell at a much larger volume . That is why we designed the battery box for our sealed beam lanterns .

The box is partitioned to hold either 1 or 2 6v spring top lantern batteries or 1 or 2 of the 4D replacement adapters

Of course , our "nostalgia items" also will run on the 6v screw terminal batteries , thus protecting the light itself from leaking batteries , just as Burgess intended , when we invented the separate lantern/battery concept in the early 50's ...

dave