What Green LED Mod for 4D Maglite?

[sysadmn]

I've been bitten.
Thought I could just browse the forums, ogle the purty bodies, and move on.
Nope. First you're walking through the flashlight sections of hardware stores, then you're eyeing the clearance lights, reading LED specs, learning about joule thieves...

I'd like to mod a 4D Maglite. I have three goals - learn something, have something a little unique, and not spend too much on a light I paid $12 for.

I think I want a green led. I don't want to scorch paint, but 1W or better seems the way to go. I could be talked into an ultrabright 3, 5, or 8 MM or custom assembly if it meets the goals above.

I can build a custom buck/boost, buy a Madmax/Wiz2 or similar, or get an all-in-1 TeraLux and mod it.

So - for a budget of (say) $25 - $30, with a little elbow grease, what do you recommend for the most fun for the investment. (Already a flashaholic - I'm saying "investment" rather than "spend". That's ok, my wife has a fortune "invested" in Longaberger baskets.)


And, of course, you can't stop at just one mod... Is it worth replacing the lens with something from Lighthound or similar? $5-7 seems reasonable, but how much of the Mag's crappy pattern is the glass?

 

[cratz2]

If you are up for the soldering and whatnot, then by all means the way to go is to get a T3JG emitter, an O-sink and your choice of board. The T3JG run direct on either 3 D cells on on an LiIon cell is deafeningly loud. Yes, it is actually so bright and so intense that it will affect your hearing.

If you aren't looking for crazy brightness, then even 400mA will be very bright. I have mine in a QIII right now, but if I were to build one specifically for seeking game, I'd probably go with either a 400, or something like the Flupic or nFlex but the nFlex would require the switch to be modified.

On down the road, the G2GH red/orange Lux IIIs are pretty sweet to play with as well. Even MORE intense than the brightest green though I don't know of any actual use for them.

Edit - clarified the nFlex needs switch modification.

 

[Norm]

Why would you need to modify the switch for a flupic? just use the momentary to select the level and click on with your last click.
Norm

 

[Handlobraesing]

You can get a Green EverLED drop-in or you can get a Mag LED drop-in and replace the LED.

 

[sysadmn]

Re: What Green LED Mod for 4D Mag lite?

You can get a Green EverLED drop-in or you can get a Mag LED drop-in and replace the LED.

Yes, I'm looking into that. That would run ~$20US + price of the LED. I think I'd have to use a mild LED, since neither drop in ups the heat dissipation.

For ~$9 - 12 I could get a micro-puck; add an LED for ~$10, and figure out the heat sinking. I'll measure tonight to see how much room I have to play with.

Which 1W Green LEDs are easy to work with? Given the donor is a mag lite, should I be looking for a side emitter or pair of side emitters?

 

[Handlobraesing]

Re: What Green LED Mod for 4D Mag lite?

Yes, I'm looking into that. That would run ~$20US + price of the LED. I think I'd have to use a mild LED, since neither drop in ups the heat dissipation.

For ~$9 - 12 I could get a micro-puck; add an LED for ~$10, and figure out the heat sinking. I'll measure tonight to see how much room I have to play with.

Which 1W Green LEDs are easy to work with? Given the donor is a mag lite, should I be looking for a side emitter or pair of side emitters?

If you want smooth flood beam, go side. If you want the projection throw Mag is known for, go lambert. Luxeon I or III is the easiest to work with.

 

[ROVER]

$10 -heatsink (or make your own out of scrap)
$7 - green Lux III from photonfanatic
-maybe a couple bucks if you don't have a resistor
-maybe a couple bucks if you don't have AA epoxy

Just remove the emitter from the star, thermal epoxy the emitter to the heatsink, cut the cam off the reflector, cut the bulb holder assembly off of the switch, solder wires from the switch to the led, and press the heatsink into the light.

You will have enough heatsink to safely experience the full 3W of green from your maglight. Also, the stock mag reflector will throw that color quite well.

 

[cratz2]

Why would you need to modify the switch for a flupic? just use the momentary to select the level and click on with your last click.
Norm

Dangling participle... The nFlex requires the switch to be modified for momentary.

 

[sysadmn]

$10 -heatsink (or make your own out of scrap)
$7 - green Lux III from photonfanatic
-maybe a couple bucks if you don't have a resistor
-maybe a couple bucks if you don't have AA epoxy
...
You will have enough heatsink to safely experience the full 3W of green from your maglight. Also, the stock mag reflector will throw that color quite well.

Thanks - I'll look into this. A resistor seems so inelegant . Maybe I can find a simple buck circuit to hide in the heatsink.

This linear chip looked interesting but it's qfn. My soldering skills (and eyesight!) aren't near that good. Time to search CPF archives - no sense re-inventing the wheel.

 

[cratz2]

There are plenty of decent drivers from which to choose.

Here's The Shoppe's page on drivers.

I'd go for a Downboy in a 4D. If you get a good LED just as the T3JG (I think that's about the best green LUX III), even a Downboy 400 would be very, very bright. They also have 500mA, 750mA and 1000mA. With a floodier reflector, I could see using a brighter driver, but honestly, the Mag reflector is so throw oriented that even 400 would be very bright and would give crazy long runtimes.

As far as the heatsink, there's no need to dig. Just get an O-sink. That's what most Lux Mag modders have used. They are only about $10 and are a 100% fit. If you make one yourself, there are a LOT of factors to keep in mind. You need two holes in exactly the right place, it needs to put the emitter at exactly the right height or else it wont focus properly with the reflector. And they have a need little divit thingy (technical term) so you are assured of getting your emitter perfectly centered.