Best LuxIII vF for 2C and 3C mag conversion?

I have a 3C and a 2C mag I want to mod with LEDs. I am however having a hard time determining the best vF to use in them.

I plan to use only alkalines in the 3C and probably 3 123's in the 2C.

Would someone that has a handle on this point me in the right direction? Also I assume that I will need to use some kind of resistor or driver but again I'm in need of help there too.

Thanks!

anybody?

Hello Mirage Man

How many Led's you want to build in?
To use only with Alkalines is not effective. Better are nimh's or LiIon's.

Try the search function with: Trilux, Mag Mod. and so on. There you can read a lot of ideas.

Best regards

_____
Tom

Long John said:

Hello Mirage Man

How many Led's you want to build in?
To use only with Alkalines is not effective. Better are nimh's or LiIon's.

Try the search function with: Trilux, Mag Mod. and so on. There you can read a lot of ideas.

Best regards

_____
Tom

Click to expand...

Thanks Tom.

Thing is I already built a Tri-Lux. I'm just after a light to use in the event of power outages. I am in hurricane country you know. A light that can run on Alks is a must you see. Maximum brightness is not the issue really, it's runtime off alks. Hence the single LED in a M@G body.

Mirage_Man said:

I have a 3C and a 2C mag I want to mod with LEDs. I am however having a hard time determining the best vF to use in them.

I plan to use only alkalines in the 3C and probably 3 123's in the 2C.

Would someone that has a handle on this point me in the right direction? Also I assume that I will need to use some kind of resistor or driver but again I'm in need of help there too.

Thanks!

Click to expand...

The 3C or D Would do well with a TVIL, TWOK, TWOL, or TVIK. Three of Those @ 1.5v.= 4.5v. My direct drive 3D Magmod does fine with a TVIL.

BUT! 3 123s @ 3v.( is that right, 3v?) = 9v., which will FRY the LED. Somebody has a thread showing how to make something called the Space Needle from a C light, using c123s. Try to find that, or the Flashlight Refineries or Mr. Bulk's sites will give info on how to avoid the dreaded (and expen$ive) instaflash effect. Good luck!

Mirage_Man,

While I am by NO means a modding guru, though most individuals are on CPF, I will attempt to provide something. First it depends on whether or not you are going for direct drive (running the LuxIII straight off the batts) or ciruit boosted power. Second it he extras (like UCL, reflector if needed, o-sink or hotlips sink, and battery adapters if needed.) Third, is well work....

1)
Direct Drive
If you are going for a direct drive approach, then the lesser the Vf the better, keep in mind that some of the best Vf on a LuxIII I have seen for sale on CPF was a H bin (which has a Vf of 3.03V - 3.27V). Here is a good page for further info, and is where the above info was retrieved from...

http://home.comcast.net/~theledguy/bin_codes/index.htm

Keep in mind there will most likely be a voltage sag/drop by the point it reaches the LED due to the internal resistances of the Maglight components (switch, spring, and housing). So even if you are using a alk batt, you will not be at the minimum Vf of the H bin LuxIII, including or excluding the internal resistances. It is quite the same for a NiMH batt since they top out around 1.2 - 1.4. Now others here, I am sure, have seen lower Vf binned LuxIII but I have not.

Circuit Boosted
If you are going for a circuit boosted approach, then many of the sandwiches at the sandwich shoppe or at TaskLED would help. Keep in mind a 2C is just a bigger minimag with longer runtime (due to C instead of AA). Once you have a circuit picked out then you still want the lowest Vf you can get (for the best light with the least amount of power needed... which will yeild a longer runtime.) Due to the K2 coming out and LEDs are becoming more competitive, you can get T??J and U??J for a great price and both give great results. Keep in mind the first letter is the flux or amount of light emitted

2)
Extras

UCL
Reflector
Heatsink
Batterys and Battery Adapters


3)
Work

Soldering
Assembly
Tweaking

Hope this helps, if nothing else maybe someone will come by to flame me for incorrect info and then post the correct info (just kidding everyone

Seriously though, CPF and everyone here will be glad to provide any and all input. They've helped me mod a few things without a second thought and without flaw or failure. (Thanks again everyone)

Sincerely,

Shaman

Oops, sorry if I posted the same info. That's what I get for taking so long to post.

Sincerely,

Shaman

The absolutely best run-time for 2 alkaline C is Direct Drive. you will get almost 100% output when they are new, and will work until they are almost completely depleted.

Builder said:

The absolutely best run-time for 2 alkaline C is Direct Drive. you will get almost 100% output when they are new, and will work until they are almost completely depleted.

Click to expand...

So no resister will be needed? Just drop in the LED on the O-Sink and wire the switch and away you go?

Mirage_Man said:

So no resister will be needed? Just drop in the LED on the O-Sink and wire the switch and away you go?

Click to expand...

For an ???H bin, I believe would be it would be correct.

Sincerely,

Shaman

I suggest to use the MadMax+ WO for the 2C and the Wiz2 for the 3C.
In both cases you will be able to use Alkalines or NiMH's.

Yeah an "H" bin is what I meant.

In case you want to use 3xCR123's in the Mag2C (or 3xR123's) then you need a DownBoy.
Did I mention I don't like DD lights? :devil:

Icarus said:

Did I mention I don't like DD lights? :devil:

Click to expand...

Yeah, on paper DD seems so pedestrian - but try it first! It is quite amazing what 2 alkalines directly connected to the LED can do!

There is no chance of overdriving the LEDs,and of course it's 100% energy efficient!

3C:

I have one of these made by 3rdshift, and I'm pretty sure it is direct drive. So I think you pick a Lux3 with Vf just below 4.5v and go for it. I have a spare 2D mag and I've been considering loading it with 3C's and installing a Diamond Lux conversion, which is a bit cheaper than an Osink + Lux.

2C:

These are made into the spaceneedle clones, using Lux5's. I think some people build them direct drive, while other people put in a small resistor to be a little kinder to the Lux. I've been wanting to build one of these myself but haven't gotten around to finding an osink and appropriate Lux5. It seems that an appropriate Lux5 is relatively expensive.

What size resistor?

bjn70 said:

3C:

I have one of these made by 3rdshift, and I'm pretty sure it is direct drive. So I think you pick a Lux3 with Vf just below 4.5v and go for it. I have a spare 2D mag and I've been considering loading it with 3C's and installing a Diamond Lux conversion, which is a bit cheaper than an Osink + Lux.

2C:

These are made into the spaceneedle clones, using Lux5's. I think some people build them direct drive, while other people put in a small resistor to be a little kinder to the Lux. I've been wanting to build one of these myself but haven't gotten around to finding an osink and appropriate Lux5. It seems that an appropriate Lux5 is relatively expensive.

Click to expand...

You can build a 3C with a flupic and a UWOJ and use 3 alkaline.

Or use a spacer and 3xAA lithiums.

Thats what cmacclel is building for me.

The easiest direct drive light to build might be 3c, or 3D one with a hotlips and a K2 emitter.
Just wire power (with correct polarity) direct to the led that is arctic alumina'ed to the heatsink and away you go.

I think Litemania has the hotlips and a UXOL binned K2 that ought to :rock:

Good luck.