Versabrite SMJLED mod

bfg9000

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Jan 7, 2005
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I've always liked the form-factor of the 2AA clip-on lights. It's like a Minimag you can clip to a pocket and aim, or a headlamp you don't have to wear on your head. Of course, the ugly incan beam had to go--SMJLED to the rescue!

The left one has the SMJLED mounted in place of the stock xenon bulb
SMJLEDversa.jpg

Both lights are running store-bought Lithium L91s, not surplus
SMJLEDversa_on.jpg

The beam of the SMJLED is really only slightly violet, not the deep blue the camera saw. I set the focus on flood because these will be 20-hour map reading lights for the car. Yes, the incan really is that artifacty-those are dark spots being projected, not the wall
SMJLEDversa_beam.jpg


Only the bulbs were modified so this mod is fully reversible. As a bonus, I salvaged the xenon bulbs with some difficulty and plugged them into Mini-Mags. They are a lot brighter than the Mag bulbs!
 

Lunal_Tic

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Jul 29, 2004
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Pretty slick, is this the cut SMJLED? I'd thought about getting a Versibrite a couple of time but didn't because of the incan, guess I'll have to revisit this.

-LT
 

bfg9000

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Yep, I used the cut one because I retained the original reflector, which actually focuses the stock incan down to a pretty small spot. The hardest part of the mod is disassembling the xenon out of the lamp assembly without damaging the reflector.
 

vortechs

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Feb 11, 2006
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Tucson, AZ
bfg9000 said:
Only the bulbs were modified so this mod is fully reversible. As a bonus, I salvaged the xenon bulbs with some difficulty and plugged them into Mini-Mags. They are a lot brighter than the Mag bulbs!

Thanks for posting this. I'm glad to hear that the Pelican VersaBrite can be modded and that the VertaBrite's bulb will make a Mini-Mag brighter.

It sounds like the VersaBrite reflector does not need to be modified for the SMJLED, unlike installing a SMJLED into a Mini-Mag which requires either a new reflector or drilling out the stock one.

Does the stock Mini-Mag reflector need to be drilled out in order to use the VersaBrite bulb?

I'd be interested in any advice you have about removing the VersaBrite's stock bulb without damaging either the bulb or reflector.
 

bfg9000

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The reflector does need to be drilled; the xenon lamp is exactly the same size as a MiniMag bulb. I used a punch to drive the bulbs out, fully expecting they'd be destroyed in the process, but they weren't.
 
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