PT Tec40 Mods?

[**DONOTDELETE**]

Hello everyone, I have been lurking here for over a year and only now have I had something to ask. Has anyone here modified a Tec40 with either an LS or multiple LEDs? I like the flashlight a lot and I would like it even more with longer runtime. I would appreciate any tips the denizens of CPF might have so that I could modify the light.

 

[Lux Luthor]

In my opinion, the Tec 40 is not that suitable for an LS mod, although it might be for multiple 5mm LEDs.

I have moded those Blast/Rage modules with an LS, and have used them in the Blast. The light is pretty good, but underdriven. So I next thought to put one in a Rage, and did some tests with the module hooked up to 4AAA NiMHs. The problem is you have to resistor it down a lot, and the resistor gets very hot and wastes power. If you resistor it down less, the LS gets too hot, because the plastic housing won't dissipate the heat well.

So my point here is that you have the same kind of problem with the Tec 40. I'm not saying it won't work, just that it's not the best way to go. Plus you would need to cut some sort of weird slits into the reflector.

So after doing all this, you would have a Tec 40 with an LS, but not as bright as an LS can be, along with wasted battery power, and with a head 3 times larger than it needs to be.

Edit: I looked at this again with a Tec40 and LS in hand. The situation is even worse than what I mentioned. The LS is too long to fit in the reflector. You would have to make the heat sink real small. You might be better off by putting an emitter in a PR base and cramming in a lens. I would go with multiple LEDs on this one.

 

[**DONOTDELETE**]

Thanks very much for the reply. I guess I'll check out my options on the 5mm side.

 

[lemlux]

PJM:

I run one of John Bechtold's 4 LED PR bulbs in a PT40. These are Nichia 6400 whites.

Here's how he tested it out.

"160 ma (40 ma per LED) with three 1.5v Alkaline AA's
192 ma (48 ma per LED) with three 1.5v Lithium AA's
10 ma (2.5 ma per LED) with three 3.6 volt Lithium AA's {still weird...1 ma (dim) with one cell, 5 ma with 2 cells and 14 ma with 4 cells, but a reasonable amount of light with 2, 3 or 4 cells}"

Four freshly charged NiMHs with a "surface charge" of 5.4 V pull 65 mA per Led for a total of 260 mA. 4 NiMH's that have self discharged for at least a couple of hours are still brighter than 3 Lithiums and a dummy. I guess they are in the 200 mA range.

I like both the Lithium and the NiMh output enough that the only 3-alkaline setup I currently have with one of these bulbs is in a 4D telescoping beer barrel-shaped Dorcy area light / lantern that I have set up as a power failure room light.

 

[txwest]

lemlux,
I have one of John's 3 LED bulbs in the 4.5V version. I've been thinking about getting the 4 LED. Have you tried any of his 6V lamps? The 6V, 4 LED lamp with 4 litheums might do really well in the Tec 40. TX

 

[lemlux]

Txwest:

4 lithiums may drive a 6.0 V version a little harder than 3 lithiums do a 4.5 V. version if the absolute overvoltage is more important than the percentage overvoltage. I don't know the answer. I would also guess that the more resistance is added to accomodate 6.0 V the more current is wasted. I don't mind wasting the 4th alkaline, but I'd rather be more careful with my lithiums.

John also makes a 4.8 V version for NiMH's that will run about as bright on 4 NiMH's as the 4.5 V version (which I have) does on 3 alkalines.

I chose the 4.5 V version because it gave me the flexibility to
(a)overdrive with 3 Lithiums or 4 NiMH's
(b) run at 40 mA per bulb with 3 Alkalines, or
(c) run with 4 partially spent alkalines putting out 1.2 V or less each and still burn brightly at an overdriven level down to a "3 fresh battery level" to a lower level.

I now have lots of dummy options, so Im happiest with this approach.

Edit: My Inova X5 currently has batteries that register 2.98 V with no load vs 3.27 new. John's 4 LED bulb and 4 NiMHs run brighter than the X5 on and slightly dimmer on 3 Lithiums.

 

[txwest]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by lemlux:
Edit: My Inova X5 currently has batteries that register 2.98 V with no load vs 3.27 new. John's 4 LED bulb and 4 NiMHs run brighter than the X5 on and slightly dimmer on 3 Lithiums.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>I've used John's 3 LED 4.5V bulb with 4 NiMHs & was very pleased with the output. John said he didn't feel it would overdrive the LEDs enough to hurt them. I'll probably get the 4.5V 4 LED version for the same reason as you...versatility. TX