TLE-300M 4-6?

[toadman]

Got a TLE-300M Maglite drop in. It says it's good for D cell flashlights from
4 - 6 batteries. Question is, is there any difference in brightness from a 4 cell to a 6 cell flashlight. Or is it regulated so it's the same.

 

[bigchelis]

Got a TLE-300M Maglite drop in. It says it's good for D cell flashlights from
4 - 6 batteries. Question is, is there any difference in brightness from a 4 cell to a 6 cell flashlight. Or is it regulated so it's the same.

If it is regulated it will not make a difference. It will be like the Malkoff P7 drop-in; which at higher voltage applies less mA draw.

I would go with the 2D Maglight and some Lio-on D size rechargeables sold at KD. then it will be 8.4v and 5000mAh. More runtime. Also, look at the magbuild thread recently started. I too was tempted to purchase the less expensive TLE-300M, but the heatsinking has to be 2nd to none and I haven't read enough to determine that. I would trust the Malkoff P7 drop-in took care of that or any of the custom builds in the custom section. If the heatsinking is not A++++, you are not getting all the potential lumens of the drop-in.

 

[StarHalo]

I run mine with a 2D/6AA config, and have used both NiMH (7.2 volts) and L91 (9.6 volts) sources; if there is a difference it's very tiny. I went ahead and spent the $7 for a UCL lens which makes a guaranteed tiny difference (and gives the appearance that there's no lens at all..)

 

[pulstar]

Yup, UCL lens really makes a difference, not huge, but big enough to notice it. With UCL you can actually see a hotspot in the midlle of that "wall of light" that 300M produces...
Regarding heatsinking: try to use some thermal grease (not epoxi) on "switch tower" where dropin touches (it doesn't, but it should!) flashlight body. I used it on mine and i can feel alot better thermal conduction, because dropin is finally connected to a a body...