flashlight mods/overclocking/bulbs

I have a Dorcy Boss (Rubber 4AA) that I replaced the standard bulb with one from a 3D Maglight.

I don't know how long the bulb will last (about 1/2 hour on it so far) but it is equally bright as a Surefire E2 with a somewhat wider beam. VERY close to a PT Surge in performance, although the Surge has a little bit longer "throw" due to a tighter hotspot.

The Boss is a little hard to find sometimes, but it has a really nice faceted reflector.

This should work in any 4AA light that uses a PR base bulb. Simple to do, cheap and the bulb is easy to find.

I took out the LED from my Cool Blue and swapped it with the bulb that came with the 3C aluminum Radio Shack $3.00 special (see this thread for poop on that light 3C-$3 thread. The Cool Blue now is Hot White! and the 3c is a LONG batt life cool blue.

Since my Brinkmann LX is back at Brinkmann for a warranty replacement (flakey tail cap switch) I can't compare side by side. But it is bright. So far I'm up to about a 1/2 hour, too. We'll see on the bulb life.

Pat

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Silviron:
I have a Dorcy Boss (Rubber 4AA) that I replaced the standard bulb with one from a 3D Maglight.

I don't know how long the bulb will last (about 1/2 hour on it so far) but it is equally bright as a Surefire E2 with a somewhat wider beam. VERY close to a PT Surge in performance, although the Surge has a little bit longer "throw" due to a tighter hotspot.

The Boss is a little hard to find sometimes, but it has a really nice faceted reflector.

This should work in any 4AA light that uses a PR base bulb. Simple to do, cheap and the bulb is easy to find.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Is the Dorcy Boss the same body as the Dorcy Cool Blue?

Anyway, cool! Thanks for the tip!!

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by patg:
I took out the LED from my Cool Blue and swapped it with the bulb that came with the 3C aluminum Radio Shack $3.00 special (see this thread for poop on that light 3C-$3 thread. The Cool Blue now is Hot White! and the 3c is a LONG batt life cool blue.

Since my Brinkmann LX is back at Brinkmann for a warranty replacement (flakey tail cap switch) I can't compare side by side. But it is bright. So far I'm up to about a 1/2 hour, too. We'll see on the bulb life.

Pat<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Is the 3C w/the Cool Blue LED bulb focusable?

Have you tried the 3D maglite type bulb in the Cool Blue?

Thanks for the tip. I look forward to any others you have.

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by ChrisM:
Is the Dorcy Boss the same body as the Dorcy Cool Blue? ...<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Pretty close- dimensions are mostly the same, most of the parts are interchangable. I prefer the Boss reflector which is completely faceted to the Cool Blue's smooth one.

The Boss is rubber coated compared to the bare yellow plastic of the cool blue... I understand that there is an aluminum cool blue too, although I've never seen one "in person".

I ran a Carley 3.7 V 1.7 Krypton star for about 10 minutes in a Dorcy Boss and distorted the reflector. I now have a tamer 4.0W 1.0 A halogen in it.

It currently makes a very wide flood with a hole in the center. It currently lives in my kitchen power failure response drawer.

This is also a nice platform for one of John Bechtold's 4 LED PR bulbs. Use 3 alkalines or lithiums and a dummy, 4 NiMHs, or 4 alkalines that are putting out < 1.2 V each without load.

Is the 3C w/the Cool Blue LED bulb focusable?

Have you tried the 3D maglite type bulb in the Cool Blue?


ChrisM,

The RS 3C with LED is pretty focusable.

The only bulb I put into the Cool Blue was the KPR103 (3.6v 750mA) that came from the 3c. The beam looks pretty good for just a mirrored reflector!

Pat

Thought I'd try posting this here since I didn't have any luck last time ...

I came across this on an old post:
Mag 4D silver (rs bulb xrp113) big improv.
Mag 3D red (Dorcy xenon bulb) big improv.
Mag 2AA red blue(2) black(2) (nextstar)

I've also read about using 3 AA and 2 N batteries in a Dorcy Cool Blue with an upgraded bulb (can't remember the kind).

So, it got me to thinking...what flashlights have you modified with other incandescant bulbs to improve the brightness? Be as specific as possible and tell us where you bought the bulbs so we can all try it out!

I have 2 Dorcy Boss lights. One was my first conversion to a 3led light....it's been going for a year and a half. It's probably the most used flashlight in the house.

Just a few days ago, I found another one at a discount store...complete with alkaline batteries. Got home and switched her on. Surprise! This sucker was near as bright as the Brinkman LX. Looking inside, this light had a xenon bulb as standard equipment!

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by lemlux:
I ran a Carley 3.7 V 1.7 Krypton star for about 10 minutes in a Dorcy Boss and distorted the reflector. I now have a tamer 4.0W 1.0 A halogen in it.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Where did you get the halogen bulb? why only a 4.0W? Don't 4 AA batteries produce @ 4.8W? Would Xenon be brighter than Halogen?

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>This is also a nice platform for one of John Bechtold's 4 LED PR bulbs. Use 3 alkalines or lithiums and a dummy, 4 NiMHs, or 4 alkalines that are putting out < 1.2 V each without load.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Where do I contact him to see info and prices on those bulbs? Where can I get a dummy AA cell? What do you mean "without load"? Sorry about all the questions; just trying to clarify and learn at the same time!

I posted a month ago or so about running my Cool Blue on a Maglite 4D bulb and 3AA and 2 N. Works great and is easily equal to my E2 in brightness and beam quality now that I added two layers of writeright to it. Also been running a Minimag with a 5mm white LED and 2 AAA and 1 N with very good results.

I tried the Cool Blue blub in a 4C Maglite, but was not thrilled about the beam. It would focus some, but the hotspot was very tight and the corona was very dim.

I bought a LED PR base 2-cell bulb from Techass.com and like it a lot. Makes my MAg 2C actually very handy and usefull. Focuses ok, and when tight throws easily 50-60 feet.

Chris:

Halogen PR bulbs aren't available at many different voltages. I haven't seen any between 4.0 V and 4.8 v. I would have preferred to use bulbs with design voltage of 4.2 V to 4.4 with 4AA NiMH's if available.

I have a bunch of 4.0V 1.0 A halogen lamps that I bought from Topbulb.com for about $2.67 @. The only other interesting (to me) bulb they sell is is a 3.85 V 1.2 A Krypton bulb for about $1.67.

At 1.0A 4AA's deliver something less than 4.8 V -- probably 4.6 or 4.7 when freshly charged.

A halogen bulb will generate 30% more light at a cost of losing 2/3 of its life when a 10% overvoltage is applied.

I'm overdriving by more than 10% but haven't had to change bulbs yet on this infrequently used configuration. I find the brightness vs. expected bulb cost tradeoff attractive for this particular application. My guess is that expected life is somewhere between 3 to 4 hours in this application.

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by lemlux:
Chris:

Halogen PR bulbs aren't available at many different voltages. I haven't seen any between 4.0 V and 4.8 v. I would have preferred to use bulbs with design voltage of 4.2 V to 4.4 with 4AA NiMH's if available.

I have a bunch of 4.0V 1.0 A halogen lamps that I bought from Topbulb.com for about $2.67 @. The only other interesting (to me) bulb they sell is is a 3.85 V 1.2 A Krypton bulb for about $1.67.

At 1.0A 4AA's deliver something less than 4.8 V -- probably 4.6 or 4.7 when freshly charged.

A halogen bulb will generate 30% more light at a cost of losing 2/3 of its life when a 10% overvoltage is applied.

I'm overdriving by more than 10% but haven't had to change bulbs yet on this infrequently used configuration. I find the brightness vs. expected bulb cost tradeoff attractive for this particular application. My guess is that expected life is somewhere between 3 to 4 hours in this application.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

So, are halogens brighter than Xenon?

Do you find NiMH batteries as powerful as standard Energizer or Duracell batteries? How expensive are they to start using?

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by revolvergeek:
I posted a month ago or so about running my Cool Blue on a Maglite 4D bulb and 3AA and 2 N. Works great and is easily equal to my E2 in brightness and beam quality now that I added two layers of writeright to it.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Is the writeright prone to stick or melt when used with flashlights, especially brighter flashlights?

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Also been running a Minimag with a 5mm white LED and 2 AAA and 1 N with very good results.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Is that the 2AA or 2AAA mini mag? How tight of a fit is the 2AAA & 1 N? Did you have to do the LED yourself or did you use one premade?

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>I bought a LED PR base 2-cell bulb from Techass.com and like it a lot. Makes my MAg 2C actually very handy and usefull. Focuses ok, and when tight throws easily 50-60 feet.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Is that the bulb for like $12.99? Have you tried any of the 1 or 2 or 3 LED bulbs in a PR2 bulb base?

Just wanted to compile my list I've accumulated so far:

Dorcy Boss 3D Maglite/KPR103 or
6v Halogen (R.S.) w/4 Li AA's

Dorcy Cool Blue 3C Maglite/KPR103 or
4D Maglite w/3AA & 2 N

Maglite 4D R.S. XPR113

Hi Beam 250 KPR103

Arc White XPR113 or
Princeton Tec Tec40 bulb

Tec40 XPR113 or KPR103

Pelican L1 PAL Gold lens from the led light

Anyone have anything else to contribute?

Chris:

I recently discovered that my 4.0V 1.0 A halogen HPR044 is rated at 300 hours and that it's rated efficiency isn't particularly high at 54 Lumen. I am now more comfortable that overdriving it shouldn't shorten it's life excessively. It should provide 70 L and 100 hours at 4.4 V and approximate 90 L and 35 hours at 4.8 V.

Chrism,


No, I have had no problem with the writeright melting or sticking on anything so far. I have put it on a Legend LX, a Maglite 6d, the hotrodded Cool Blue, a Surefire E1 and my LED converted Minimag light.

The Minimag is a 2AA model. The led came from the whiteled.com guy. I had to cut the leads down and then filed them thinner until they would plug in just like a regular bulb. The reflector took me a few minutes to open up with a drill bit and a small file, but that was no big deal. The batt.s are a little loose with minor side to side rattle, but length seems just about perfect. If I was carrying this light around much or using it hard I might wrap a strip of duct tape around the batteries to snug the fit andreduce rattle.

I just the batt.s them for the first time, and the n cels were showing 1.46v each and the AAA was at 1.49v. This is after about maybe a month and a halfs use; just a few minutes ever night or every other night. I added a RAM rear tailcap switch (had to buy 3 of them to find one that fit right) and the writeright and it is my wander-down-the-stair-at-2am light. I tired it on some lithium AAs and it seemed almost as bright, but the combo of Ns and AAA is a little cheaper to buy. (Those lithiums tested at 1.79 volts!!!!)

Yes, the Techass bulb is the $12.99 bulb. I think that it would really need to faceted reflector to work its best (the focus is pretty tight) but the light output is fine and it doesn't seem to drink enough current to worry about.

Sorry to take so long to answer.

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by lemlux:
Chris:

I recently discovered that my 4.0V 1.0 A halogen HPR044 is rated at 300 hours and that it's rated efficiency isn't particularly high at 54 Lumen. I am now more comfortable that overdriving it shouldn't shorten it's life excessively. It should provide 70 L and 100 hours at 4.4 V and approximate 90 L and 35 hours at 4.8 V.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Do you know where I can get that bulb? I am also looking for a 6v Halogen bulb. Know where I can get one of those?

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by revolvergeek:
Chrism,

No, I have had no problem with the writeright melting or sticking on anything so far. I have put it on a Legend LX, a Maglite 6d, the hotrodded Cool Blue, a Surefire E1 and my LED converted Minimag light.

The Minimag is a 2AA model. The led came from the whiteled.com guy. I had to cut the leads down and then filed them thinner until they would plug in just like a regular bulb. The reflector took me a few minutes to open up with a drill bit and a small file, but that was no big deal. The batt.s are a little loose with minor side to side rattle, but length seems just about perfect. If I was carrying this light around much or using it hard I might wrap a strip of duct tape around the batteries to snug the fit andreduce rattle.

I just the batt.s them for the first time, and the n cels were showing 1.46v each and the AAA was at 1.49v. This is after about maybe a month and a halfs use; just a few minutes ever night or every other night. I added a RAM rear tailcap switch (had to buy 3 of them to find one that fit right) and the writeright and it is my wander-down-the-stair-at-2am light. I tired it on some lithium AAs and it seemed almost as bright, but the combo of Ns and AAA is a little cheaper to buy. (Those lithiums tested at 1.79 volts!!!!)

Yes, the Techass bulb is the $12.99 bulb. I think that it would really need to faceted reflector to work its best (the focus is pretty tight) but the light output is fine and it doesn't seem to drink enough current to worry about.

Sorry to take so long to answer.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Why was it necessary to file down the LED for your minimag? I'm thinking about purchasing some LED's of various color to try my own minimag mod. So, all the help and instruction would be most appreciated so I can know what I'm doing (at least somewhat)

ChrisM

You can buy HPR44's and 3.85V 1.2 A (Some sites claim it's 1.32 A) KPR139's from WWW.TopBulb.com The KPR is cheaper, hotter and brignter. The HPR is probably kinder on plastic reflectors.