Rayovac Value Bright Touch-up

[Rusty Joe]

Just got this dark blue cheap as heck Walmart Rayovac Value Bright 75 lumen 6-volt battery light (er, lantern?). Sure, it's big, it's clumsy, it's not very bright, but it's got a clear and large reflector and throws like a mo-fo.

I'm just starting to play with it (more tonight), and of course, don't expect much from it. I am, however, interested in lazily modding it a bit. It has a glass lens and metal reflector, so it should be good for it.

I want to start with either an incan that tops 100 or so lumens, or better yet, a led replacement for improved beam quality. Mainly, just anything drop-in at this point as I'm no tech-junkie or mechanically inclined.

I have heard of dropping in a 3 D Mag bulb, but that doesn't sound like much of an improvement from what I've got. Whatever it is, it would need to be drop-in. Is the much talked about Pelican a drop-in option? What would the lumage be?

Please elaborate.

 

[PCC]

...it's big, it's clumsy, it's not very bright...

Sounds like how my wife would describe me.

As far as LED upgrades are concerned, be careful of the polarity. Most 6V incandescent lanterns have their polarities reversed because polarity doesn't matter with incan bulbs. With LEDs, the polarity does matter The problem is that the available reversed polarity LED bulbs on the market are expensive and not very good. The best way to go about it is to have it custom-made or do it yourself, which is probably something that you didn't want to hear. The good thing is that the DIY option is probably a little bit more expensive than one of those pre-made bulbs but will outperform them handily.

 

[aramid]

I like those lanterns. I think it's an under-used form factor for high performance lights, but as cheap as they are at least they make decent modification platforms.

Are you sure it's got metal/glass optics? If you got the light I'm thinking of, which is usually under $4, both items are plastic aside from a small contact ring around the base of the bulb. The rest of the reflector is shiny plated plastic.

The 3D Mag bulb might work, but last time I tried that it died instantly. You can stop by a local hardware store and buy a replacement bulb. In my area, Ace Hardware has a pretty decent selection - their bulbs are labeled with voltage, current, and gas type. A pack of 4.8v, .9A Xenon bulbs (also labeled as 4D/6V) will cost a few bucks and push quite a bit more light than the stock bulb. Switching from the standard heavy duty battery to an alkaline 6v or an NiMH solution will boost your light output further.

I don't think you have much choice in LED replacements if you don't feel like soldering, unfortunately. Those lanterns are polarized backwards from typical flashlights, so most LED options won't light (or will fry).

The fancy Pelican bulb would take a bit more modification because it uses a bi-pin rather than a PR base. Also, unless you're absolutely sure about the parts being metal, and you're willing to set up rechargeable batteries, you'll probably be disappointed by the longevity of the light.

 

[Rusty Joe]

So my easiest drop-in is to head to Ace and grab a bulb of tolerable specs as you mention? What kind of lumens am I looking at now--and then when I upgrade? No other adjustments needed, right?

As of right now, how much time of usage does this 6v battery offer?

Oh, and uh, yes. I was wrong. It's plastic glass and reflector, not glass and metal like I thought.

 

[aramid]

The replacement bulb is definitely the easiest option. The claimed 75 lumens stock is almost certainly bulb lumens or a made-up number; I don't have the equipment to measure output but I'd guess it's closer to 50 lumens out the front. The 4-watt replacement bulb probably pushes that up to ~75 out the front.

With the standard zinc-carbon battery, you'll lose brightness by the minute; probably only an hour or so to half brightness, then usable light for a few more hours. Switching to an alkaline technically gives you twice the battery capacity, but into such a heavy load you'll probably only see an extra 50% on those numbers. Running some NiMH "D" cells in an adapter would give similar runtime but more consistent brightness.

 

[Rusty Joe]

Been playing with it outside. There is a huge dark spot in the middle even at great distances. That's what really bugs me.

 

[aramid]

Hooray for big filaments and smooth reflectors!

Changing the bulb will often change the beam pattern on this type of light, because quality control is so limited on them that the filament can end up a very different shape or in a very different position between samples. If that doesn't help, a quick CPF search for "sputtering" will give you all the guidance you need for using clear spray-paint on the reflector to substantially improve the beam.