Additional 3D M*glite Mods beyond the bulb..?

CPF Members,

I have already replaced the standard bulb of my 3D cell M*glite with the

following LED replacement, TerraLUX DB-3W

My question is are there any other mods that could increase the throw or "power" of this light? I use the light as a primary back-up to my SL-20X. The M*glite stays in the vehicle in both freezing and +98 degree temperatures. I replace the batteries every year whether they need it our not.

What I am curious about is are there any battery modifications that would yield greater output but would not require constant charging like my SL-20X? The nice thing about my current M*glite is that is zero maitanence.

1. Can I employe rechargeable batteries in this light and achieve greater results?

2. Assuming the light is used only rarely, will I need to recharge the batteries
in a charger frequently? Could I leave them sit for say six months in my
vehicle and expect them to work?

3. What benifits if any would I see providing"more power" at the LED bulb?
Are there any downsides to doing this?

4. Any other thoughts you might have regarding improving my light?

Last word on this subject, a good man knows his limitations. I am not very mechanically inclined. I read many of the threads here and am blown away by how many talented folks post to this board. I sadly am not one of them. :sweat: Buy this part, unscrew this bolt, replace this bulb are about the limits of my abilities.

Thanks in advance,
Gary

There isn't much to do, especially since you want it to be 100% reliable. Depending on what LED that dropin is using, you could try upgrading it to a higher BIN LED. But that would require some soldering and such.

Pick up 3 of the Aventrade 4AA to D adapters. Stuff them with 12 Lithium AA batteries. That will give you 15+ years of "shelf life", and reliable cold & hot weather performance. Lithium batteries are very light in weight, so if you plan on using your 3D Mag as a weapon, you are losing a bit of hitting power.

Would using 4 AA lithiums improve performance or just longevity?

Regards,
Gary

Since I'm not electrical engineer there's no way I can answer your question with authority. But here's my experience with the Lithiums in the 2AA Mini Maglite with the Terralux outfit.

Fresh out of the package and turning the newly "upgraded" Mini Maglite on with said LED replacement—IT BLEW! ! ! Ceased to work afterwards. May be the same with the DB-3W. I would not chance it. I think the Lithiums yield a higher voltage than what is stated as opposed to the Alkaline batteries.

Are you also planning on an adapter of some sort for your 3D MagLite modded DB-3W with said batteries?

A Heat sink, a Lux III and a converter board from the Sandwiche Shop. The'll dramativally increase the throw of the light, since the drop in ones typically have lower output bin and less efficient driver boards...

Nick

Just another interesting online dealer for flashlights you may want to check out.

http://shop.drumbalaya.com/s.nl/sc....eTaxeKbh0Te34Nch0Nb3mMbh10n6jAmljGr5XDqQLvpAe

Yes! Their specialty are drums. Funny they would be carrying these modified MagLites.

New AA Lithium batteries are slightly higher in voltage. A fresh one is around 1.75 volts in my experience. The advantages of lithium over alkaline AND NIMH are:

1. Reliability across a broad temperature range.
2. Lighter weight.
3. Fantastic Shelf Life (15 years lithium vs. around 7 years for Alkaline, and very little for NIMH).

Lithium batteries share one quality with NIMH - they tend to give you a more stable output over the life of the battery with a quicker dropoff at the end.

If you parallel 4 AA lithium batteries in a D adapter, you should have around 11,500 Mah in capacity, as opposed to a quality alkaline D cell which I believe should be around 18,000 MaH. So, you lose around 40% in overall runtime, but you gain IMMENSELY in shelf life.

I don't know what happened to CHC's led, or which LED drop-in module he was using.
Putting 2 lithium AA batts in a mini-mag would give you around 3.5V as opposed to 3.2V using new alkalines. Seems like a module designed for a 2AA minimag would be extremely poorly designed if it blew with a mere 10% increase in Vin.
In your case, using 3 AA to D (parallel)adapters full of new lithium batteries would give you around 5.3 to 5.4 Volts. The same setup using new Alkalines would be around 4.75 to 4.85 depending on manufacturer.

I own a Terralux DB-3W, but I haven't tried it with Lithium batts. I am currently using my lithium batteries to run a Mag 2D with a TLE-6N LED assembly. It is regulated and designed to be used in 2, 3, or 4 D Maglites, so voltage is not an issue in my case. I have been unable to find any literature quoting input voltage specs for the DB-3W. You might try sending an email to the manufacturer.

I had the TLE-5, and yes I was baffled myself too. It worked fine for about a month with the alkaline batteries. Then I decided to use Energizer AA Lithiums. Soon as I turned it on—quick flash then lights out! Has not worked since.

Maybe it was just this one-off module that I had. Anyways the DB-3W still works brightly fine.

Thanks for the info. I have a TLE-5 as well that I just stuck into a a modified Ray-O-Vac headlamp, and I was thinking about tossing in a couple of Lithium batteries. I believe I'll wait until I get a response from Terralux. I asked them about the safe voltage range for both the TLE-5 and the DB-3W.

That's a great Randyo! Keep us informed if would please. I'd like to know that too!

randyo said:

Thanks for the info. I have a TLE-5 as well that I just stuck into a a modified Ray-O-Vac headlamp, and I was thinking about tossing in a couple of Lithium batteries. I believe I'll wait until I get a response from Terralux. I asked them about the safe voltage range for both the TLE-5 and the DB-3W.

Click to expand...

Please let us all know what you find out. I am most interested in the DB-3W as that is the bulb I am currently using. I'd hate to make an "Opps" :huh: and fry a $30.00 bulb in a $19.00 light.

Regards,
Gary

Classical rechargeable batteries such as NiMH and NiCD discharge themselves (auto-discharge) very quickely: 3 to 4% per day, and 20 to 40% per month for NiMH, and a bit less for NiCD.

So: do not use NiMH batteries for a flashlight used very rarely. It won't be practical or cheap.

Classic alkaline batteries are better, but the very best in terms of duration are lithium batteries. They are common in AA size, but I suppose they are not so difficult to find in D size.

Take care!! The metallic body of Maglite (or of any other metallic flashlight) may involve short-circuits if the cell plastic protection has a bad quality (the cells get damaged in a few days or a few weeks...). So put good quality cells plus a plastic scotch around them, and leave a pack of new lithium cells in your glove compartment.

I received a quick reply from Terralux concerning lithium batteries for both the DB-3W and the TLE-5:
Quick summary: DB-3W - DON'T .... TLE-5 - No problemo

Here's the relevant Q&A from my email exchange swith Carl from Terralux:
*******************************************************
REGARDING DB-3W

QUESTION:
What is the safe operating voltage for the DB-3W ?

REPLY FROM TERRALUX:
4.5 volts plus or minus 5%. Lower voltate is NOT a problem – its just wont go on when its too low. Over voltage can over heat and destroy the unit. 6 volts/4 cells will burn it up for sure.

MY FOLLOWUP EMAIL:
Thanks for the information. So - it would not be a good idea to put 12 lithium batteries into 3 "AA to D" parallel adapters? New lithiums output 1.78 volts. 3 x 1.78 = 5.34V, which exceeds 5% of 4.5V. If you don't mind, I will post your reply on Candlepowerforums so that nobody attempt to run their DB-3W on lithium batteries.

TERRALUX REPLY:
Yes, we want to limit the voltage max to 3 x 1.5 volt cells.

*******************************************************
REGARDING TLE-5

My original question:
Can I safely use Energizer Lithium AA batteries with my TLE-5?

ANSWER:
Yes – in fact you can use NiCad or NiMd too – our regulator circuit makes the optimal match either way. That's the advantage of our PowerPush circuit in each TerraLUX LED Light Engine®.

It should also be a bit brighter with Lithium too – they can give more current.

My Followup Email:
Thanks for the quick reply. I needed to be sure because there was a thread on Candlepowerforums where one TLE-5 owner stated that his died as soon as he turned it on with Lithium batteries.
I was concerned because 2 fresh lithium batteries (Energizer L91) in series outputs approximately 3.56 volts.
If this is a safe input voltage, perhaps he just had a bad unit.


Reply From Terralux:
I have used Li batteries with no problem. We will replace the unit that died as you described under warranty.
********************************************************

CHC - I hope you still have your receipt. Sounds like you're due a warranty replacement.

Good Stuff....thanks for posting that info. Looks like you saved me from frying a $30.00 bulb!


Happy Holidays All.....

Gary

randyo said:

Reply From Terralux:
I have used Li batteries with no problem. We will replace the unit that died as you described under warranty.
********************************************************
CHC - I hope you still have your receipt. Sounds like you're due a warranty replacement.

Click to expand...

Thanks Randyo!

Appreciate you sharing TerraLux's response with us. Unfortunately I don't have the receipt. I'll keep looking though. Also, now that I think of it, hope I didn't throw the TLE-5 away after I replaced it with the NG750BB. . .