Radio Shack XPR103 bulb in Mag 3D

paulr · Dec 22, 2003

Not sure if this is a "review" but I just put an XPR103 bulb (3.6 volt 800 mA) from Radio Shack into my 3D Mag. It's a lot better than the regular Mag bulb. It's noticably brighter (not like the proverbial night and day of course) and more importantly the beam doesn't have that annoying hole in the middle. The hotspot has interesting and not exactly ugly concentric bands, close together like ripples in a pond, not like what we usually think of as rings in a flashlight beam. The spill beam is ripple free. Visible artifacts appear to be from crap on the lens. I'll clean it and/or get a UCL lens.

I haven't tried the Magnum Star bulb but this bulb is about as good as I think I can hope for from a 3D bulb at normal current levels. It was $1.99 at RS vs. quite a bit more for the Magnum Star.

I also tried a KPR102 in a 2-cell light but the difference was nowhere as near as much as this XPR bulb. So I think I want to find some xenon 2-cell bulbs (RS doesn't have them). Oh well.

Sway · Dec 22, 2003

Hi Paulr,

The Mag-num Star bulb has a lens formed into the end of it and throws a shadow of the filament I think it has been called the grin? something or other effect, I would stay away from it.

Later
Sway /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/santa.gif

pedalinbob · Dec 22, 2003

i found some rayovac XPR 102's at Lowe's here in Michigan.

had been looking all over for them for about 3 months.

$1.98 for two.

Bob

Ledean · Dec 22, 2003

Xenon bulbs for 2 cell and 3 cells are available in home depot.
I am using the 3 cell bulb in a 4 d maglite with amazing brightness. So far the bulb has not blown out after about 20 hours of intermittent use. Driving it from 3 alkaline batteries at 4.5 v.