new maglite bulb base doesnt focus properly

[sedstar]

follow this, will take a second to explain it.I was using my new 4d maglite XENON as an IR illuminator. Works GREAT, as xenon bulb makes a lot of IR as a byproduct (you just use a IR pass filter)it was just a tad too heavy, what with the body and 4D cells in there on the gun, naturally. I looked at my older 2c maglite? Hmmm... smaller lighter body, I can make a dummy battery for it easy... ru the wires from the dummy battery to remote D batteries... bang, 4d-mag IR ILLUMINATOR with very little weight up on the gun. Other than threads, of the HEADS, the reflector and everything is the same...MOD went perfect, except for ONE small detail... when i put the "new style" base that holds the 4d Xenon (the one that allows the bi-pin xenon to fit in regular bulb base) there a tiny problem... the HEIGHT of the base is a hair higher. This affects the cam focusing! The bi-pin base rides HIGHER, which wont lt the xenon bulb go in farf enough to make the tight hot spot i need... JUST as its about to focus up each turn? it cmes close and opens back up.seems silly to buy a brand new MAGLITE when i have one already. How to fix this? i tried "shimming" the brass nut that gets pushed down, but... that ruins the camming action.i thought these new bulb-2-bipin bases were specifically to retrofit older lights? Or is the new base i buy in the store different from the base they put in the new 4d xenon?that famous "focus and throw" is what makes the mag so great as an IR illuminator...

 

[FILIPPO]

Are you sure you pressed the bulb in it's base all the way down and you looked the bulb retaining ring tight?

 

[AnAppleSnail]

The glass should just about be 'inside' the little mouth of the new bulb holder.

 

[StudFreeman]

The bulb retaining collar is different from the old one. Make sure the one you had in the 4D is what you're using in the 2C?

 

[jkpq45]

I've taken a 4D mag bipin base and stuck it in a 2D body using 4 sub-C NiMH cells. Runs the bulb at the intended voltage, moves me to rechargeables and puts me in a smaller package.

I have some spare cells if you'd like to go this route.

 

[sedstar]

you simply cant press the plastic base down far enough into the switch's bulb holder. Both threaded bulb holders "bottom out"

the 2c is the older "spanner ring" type... the 4d is the newer "hex key switch only" remove... no spanner ring.

if you take a newer xenon bi-pin base out of a new 4d and put it in a 2c (older spanner style) youll see what i mean about focusing.

 

[FILIPPO]

I can't figure out what's going on ... Shouldn't these adapters be just retrofits for old style mags? In this case they MUST work and focus properly!

 

[AnAppleSnail]

I'll check on my 2C when I get home. However, I only have an old 2C, a 2-cell (new-style) mag bulb, and the adapter. I am using the adapter's ring.

 

[sedstar]

oh poop.

i just came home from work, and completely disassembled the switch assembly and everything else. When i say "complete disassembly", I mean complete.

I was looking, with a fresh eye, to see if i might fiddle. Perhaps file a slightly longer "path" for the metal nub the reflectorcams down, but no... it bottoms out. Feeling i failed, i put it all back together... and voila, I had tight focus again. Near as i can figure, you PUSH the conversion base down in, then a slight TWIST so you can push it down the rest of the way?

last assembly, i pushed the base in from the TOP after assembly, this time i did it while the switch assembly was in my HANDS, i could fiddle with it.

=========================================================================================

I feel like a class A idiot now, but, looking on the bright side (pun intended, *chortle*) i now know i can assemble and disassemblle completely a MAG switch assembly.

now, the final trick is to plop in a 6D mag new xenon bulb... since i am feeding an empty flashlight with wires instead of batteries? I can pick my bulb and voltage at will. It doesnt SEEM like much weight, in your hands... but on a rifle? Every pound gets MAGNIFIED when you hold it up for periods walking and looking. (with a night scope, i do a lot of looking and holding up)

an empty 2c is a LOT smaller and lighter than a 4d with batteries i it. (seems to be same exact size reflector assembly too)

the 4d with batteries was giving me 75+ yards... with the same size reflector, I aim to (pun intended again) have that the same with less weight now.

=======================================================================================

the FINAL mod i want to do, is get a good LED EMITTER PILL in a maglite head and put an aspherical lens on it. *shrugs*

 

[jkpq45]

sed, the Rayovac 4D LED dropin from Walmart for $4 is actually surprisingly bright. They have 2-cell emitters as well if you want to stick with C cells in your 2C.