Will a potted WA1185 overheat a stndard Mag switch

Lightwave

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I'm collecting the parts to build a Mag 85, and just ordered a PR based WA1185 bulb from flashlightlens.com ($10 for the bulb plus a borofloat lens.) Then I started to wonder if it will create too much heat in the standard Mag switch and bulb holder assembly. Has anyone tried this, and what were the results?

If it is a problem, any thoughts on how to solve it?

Tim
 
If you plan to run the light intermitently in burst of 5 minutes or so, you should not have any problems.
The amount of heat that this light produced when run without stopping is amazing, I have hear of bulbs melting the solder blob.
And in the Bi-Pin smoking the interior of the bi-pin which is a kind of fiberglass.
This light is meant to be used in short burst of no more than 7 minutes, this way you also get longer run time for your batteries.
All this is in IMHO.
Juan C.
 
Oh, I forget about the switch question, No in my experience, the Mag switch is a good one.
But we have people here with more experience than mine with these switches, so I defer to them.
Juan C.
 
The solder blob melts occasionally, but the light still works fine. Just leave it in until the lamp burns out and then pop it out. (sometimes you must gently use a screwdriver.)

The switch is fine. I've run mine for long runs, continually replacing batteries and had the solder melt only once.

Bill
 
Re: Will a potted WA1185 overheat a stndard Mag sw

Which is better or more reliable:

1) PR based WA1185
2) Bi-Pin WA1185
3) Potted WA1185

sorry to hijack your thread, but I'm curious and confused

Thanks
 
Re: Will a potted WA1185 overheat a stndard Mag sw

Switch cores (which include the bulb pedestal) are field replaceable parts and I think they should be available for <$10. So even if all else fails, a very unlikely occurrence, replacing the switch is but a small price to pay for the continued use of a great light /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
Re: Will a potted WA1185 overheat a stndard Mag sw

Thanks for all your input. It sounds like though it gets hot, its not a major problem. I was trying to think of some way to heatsink the top part of the bulb pedestal, but the neck of the reflector covers that area. If you used a camless reflector, some sort of heatsink could be used ... but then you lose out on the focusing capability that the cam provides.

CPFMan, I used the terms potted and PR based interchangeably - didn't mean to be confusing. In terms of reliability, my guess is that a good bi-pin socket will give you the best reliability. The PR based method has the limitations discussed here (too much heat can cause the solder on the PR base to melt.) As mentioned by Juancho above, as well as on other threads, heat can also degrade the bi-pin drop-in from the Magcharger switch. If a ceramic-based bi-pin socket were available, that would handle the heat better.
 
I've run my Mag85 for about 15 minutes constantly, and I haven't noticed any sort of melting of the stock switch. I'm using the switch assembly out of a 6D, but I think they're all the same. It seems to be a very high temperature plastic.

I'm using a Fivemega G4 socket, so I don't know about problems specific to potted 1185s, but the swich has been fine.
 
I ve never had a problem,I have the exact set up you describe,I have run extended time,ex 30 min dog walks.
 
I can run down my Mag85 (9AA 2700 mAh) in one run and nothing will bad will happen. Yeah, just don't touch it after 30 minutes running. But the switch will be fine :twothumbs
 
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