Need help building a MAG

[big vin]

I am looking to convert my 2d maglite into something that actually produces light
what would be the way to go and what would i need?


my interest goes out to the ssc-p7 led, and d-sized li-ions. Is there a more powerfull option(led if possible)?

I would need a driver to control the LED?
Ifso, what driver should i use? Are there drivers that you can program in what mode to start, because i REALLY want the light to startup in 100% mode.

can i still use the standard reflector and lense?

what type of heatsink do i need?

what would i need to do to my mag to make it work?


I know, those are a lot of questions, sorry
Thanx a lot!
Vincent

 

[tx101]

The emitter of choice is the P7 or M-CE
If your using two Li-ion cells you will need a buck convertor
something like the bFlex from Taskled
You can buy a heatsink from right here in the BST section
look for sales thread by Britelumens or HA22 both have
anodized heatsinks suitable for the P7 (Britelumens has one for the M-CE as well)
Or if you prefer to use an e-tailer, try 4sevens.com

You can use the stock Mag reflector but personally I think the beam
looks better with an "after-market" metal OP reflector.
To get the best results, get yourself a UCL or Borofloat lens.

I used THIS photo tutorial by CPFer Wquiles to build my first P7 Mag, all the information you need
is in that thread

 

[Scattergun]

If you want to go the Lithiumway you can use the buck circuit from CPFer Der Wichtel, I have used his driver for P7´s driven from both 6AA-NiMh batteries in series, and two lithium ion batteries in series. The driver itself is adjustable for output, and it has only one mode. Just be careful when adjusting the driver as it is rather sensitive... one millimeter adjustment can equal one Volt or more.

As for the original reflector, you can use it but it produces a horrible beam. You could sputter it with some clear coating to even out the artifacts in the beam, or go with a orange peel aluminium reflector from Litho123 or FiveMega.
KaiDomain may have a suitable reflector but I´d advise against buying from them as their waitingperiod before delivery may be longer than a normal human lifespan.