The Menards in Palatine had them at normal price $9.99; they went on sale for a week just before Christmas at $4.99. When I went in this past weekend they were not available, but that store is being closed and its inventory has been sketchy.
Sylvania/Osram Mini 4AA Lantern Upgrade
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The Menards in Palatine had them at normal price $9.99; they went on sale for a week just before Christmas at $4.99. When I went in this past weekend they were not available, but that store is being closed and its inventory has been sketchy.
NorCal707
Newly Enlightened
After I found the six I bought for $7.99 each at the Menards in Casper, WY, I called around to about 5 other stores in various states to try & order some more but they all wanted $9.99. The Casper store charged me less than $8 for FedEx shipping to California.
I'd keep looking if I was you as it looks to me like Sylvania has discontinued these. If you got the right manager and pushed the issue of the item being discontinued, you might be able to get them to give you a lower price if you bought 10 or something.+
If they can sell them for $4.99 on sale, you know they're still making money.
I'd keep looking if I was you as it looks to me like Sylvania has discontinued these. If you got the right manager and pushed the issue of the item being discontinued, you might be able to get them to give you a lower price if you bought 10 or something.+
If they can sell them for $4.99 on sale, you know they're still making money.
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if they offer to sell em for $5 each plus reasonable shipping I may be em all. These would make great gifts. I have considered modding the $5 walmart LED lanterns for a cree if I cannot get any of these at a decent enough price. I got to thinking about modding lanterns and decided I would have to be able to make a better lantern to even want to start on that path.
dom
Enlightened
Hi NorCalDave
I'll admit this thread is a total mess to get info out of - really my first post on a mod
so i'll forgive myself
I'll take a leaf out of StefanFS book next time i do one -as his mod threads are the most comprehensive i've seen.
So for the best optics to use and where to get them.
Ledil LC1-M for Cree
Either Cutter or Brum
http://www.cutter.com.au/proddetail.php?prod=cut789
http://www.cpfmarketplace.com/mp/showthread.php?t=175502
Seoul optic from Photonfanatic
(top one)
http://www.cpfmarketplace.com/mp/showpost.php?p=1866709&
postcount=1
Also see if you can get the optic holders as sometimes just sticking
the optic on the LED without it doesn't hold .
All the above sellers have LEDs for sale as well.
AA the LEDs down if you aren't too good with soldering -if it won't be likely you would upgrade again .
If you think you may upgrade the LED again in the future - just use thermal grease.
Cheers
Dom
I'll admit this thread is a total mess to get info out of - really my first post on a mod
so i'll forgive myself
I'll take a leaf out of StefanFS book next time i do one -as his mod threads are the most comprehensive i've seen.
So for the best optics to use and where to get them.
Ledil LC1-M for Cree
Either Cutter or Brum
http://www.cutter.com.au/proddetail.php?prod=cut789
http://www.cpfmarketplace.com/mp/showthread.php?t=175502
Seoul optic from Photonfanatic
(top one)
http://www.cpfmarketplace.com/mp/showpost.php?p=1866709&
postcount=1
Also see if you can get the optic holders as sometimes just sticking
the optic on the LED without it doesn't hold .
All the above sellers have LEDs for sale as well.
AA the LEDs down if you aren't too good with soldering -if it won't be likely you would upgrade again .
If you think you may upgrade the LED again in the future - just use thermal grease.
Cheers
Dom
bretti_kivi
Enlightened
... digging this thread back up..
I don't know why I saw this, but I did. I have an osram version of this, picked up a couple of years ago in Germany, for cheap; it contains (believe it or not) four 5mm white LEDs. High and Low modes worked by a momentary swtich on the side.
I feel a Q5 or MC-E with D2Flex coming on.. this should be very interesting.
Thanks for the heads-up!
Bret
I don't know why I saw this, but I did. I have an osram version of this, picked up a couple of years ago in Germany, for cheap; it contains (believe it or not) four 5mm white LEDs. High and Low modes worked by a momentary swtich on the side.
I feel a Q5 or MC-E with D2Flex coming on.. this should be very interesting.
Thanks for the heads-up!
Bret
The problems we saw with them was if you left them on too long they wouldn't shut off. You would need to pull the battery compartment and then turn it back on. We still sell some of them though.
Whineyweim
Newly Enlightened
- Joined
- Jan 4, 2009
- Messages
- 27
Anybody near a Menards?
The most recent flyer I got in the mail has these on sale for $4.99 again.
Just a heads up if you are still looking for some.
:thumbsup:
The most recent flyer I got in the mail has these on sale for $4.99 again.
Just a heads up if you are still looking for some.
:thumbsup:
Whineyweim
Newly Enlightened
- Joined
- Jan 4, 2009
- Messages
- 27
Note sure about mail order.
I'll have to cruise over there tomorrow and see if I can score a couple. Who knows how many are in stock.
I'll have to cruise over there tomorrow and see if I can score a couple. Who knows how many are in stock.
dilbert
Enlightened
Has anyone tried an optic like the Khatod KEPL120908 or KEPL121008 in these lanterns with a CREE emitter swap?
It seems like it may be a nice compromise between just using the stock diffuser dome and modifying the parts to fit a standard optic and holder. I think you may be able to use that optic and still keep the diffuser dome so everything looks stock. Plus, you wouldn't have to worry about the optic coming loose.
It seems like it may be a nice compromise between just using the stock diffuser dome and modifying the parts to fit a standard optic and holder. I think you may be able to use that optic and still keep the diffuser dome so everything looks stock. Plus, you wouldn't have to worry about the optic coming loose.
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Finally got my lanterns and tore one apart and upgraded the LED to a cree P4 but had a time trying to bridge the solder across so I cheated and used what I was taking the solder off with. I used solder with full of solder to bridge the gap and cut it off with a pair of cutters when it was soldered. It looks about 50% brighter but the tint is a little bluer I would say. I guess in desoldering the LED I pulled I zapped it as it only works in reverse on red now lol. I wonder if anyone has analyzed the circuitry to see if it is possible to change the output levels for a lower low after modding to extend runtime.
I was curious as to how much current the lanterns draw from batteries and found using new duracell alkalines the unmodded one was about 350ma/75ma while the modded one with a P4 cree was 450ma/75ma. If these have a buck circuit I wonder what level they are driving the LEDs at? I hope to get some Q5s and will check the current levels from the batteries on them. I guess the lower Vf of the cree is causing more power to be used by it.
that is odd I tested a third lantern and it draws 420ma on high from the same batteries. I am guessing that the Vf of the LEDs can vary. This is with the original LED. I found that if you jumper a 22 ohm resistor in parallel with R5 (top side of board it drops the high to about 1/2 and the low to about 10-20ma from batteries. I was unable to read the markings on the IC chip on the bottom of the circuit board. I was hoping a resistor on top could be changed to adjust the low mode. I would put in a better LED, set R5 to about 50-100 ohms and set low to about 40 ohms. It is possible if you were to remove R5 you could put in a 1k ohm and increase the output by perhaps 20% on high at the cost of runtime.
tebore
Flashlight Enthusiast
Why not have an external adjustable pot. I'm assuming there's not a lot current going through R5. Then you can have a fully adjustable brightness lantern.
I have considered that, and a separate switch for differing levels of reistance. The resistor appears to be a small SMD labeled E01. I also think I got the IC number looks like 501B 8S DC08HT. there is another small chip (3 legs) labeled J3Y. I wish I had a good digital camera so I could take a picture of it all.
I just figured out another way to adjust the high setting without bothering the low. I used a 39 ohm resistor and got a 10% boost in output or a 25% or 12% reduction in output. This is all on the high setting only so I think I can set up a lantern using two resistors one to lower both settings to get the low where I want it and the other to adjust the high up/down to where I want it.
tebore
Flashlight Enthusiast
That's Awesome I want to dim high a bit to extend runtime. Thanks to new emitters the brightness loss won't be huge.
not sure of how much resistance to use but on the bottom side of the circuit board there is a pad that it like a test pad. A B D and ground I think.
If you add resistance from A or B to ground it decreases output with I think A decreasing it less than B and adding resistance across D to ground increases output. I haven't done anything else on it as I had to put a new emitter in my streamlight lux jr to improve it over the green Q bin it had.. I think it now has an S bin in it.
another note..... avoid buying kodak precharged for these lanterns the fit is way too tight. Rayovac Hybrids are fine though just the kodaks seem larger in diameter for some reason. I had to whap the lantern hard to get the kodaks out of it and trying to tighten the bottom down had two problems it was scoring the batteries even though I filed the edges off at an angle to prevent cutting and I couldn't seem to get it to tighten down.
