My Hotwire MiniM*g experience

I agree with your hunch--finger oil on the TL3.

In case you haven't seen it, your Aurora Minimag hotwire kit has just been reviewed at Flashlight Reviews.

I just got the kit from Lighthound yesterday (excellent fast shipping, as always). Last night I got to assembling the sleeper MM and was impressed by the output. At least for a few minutes. Then I noticed that all of the sudden it started to dim. I figured it was the batteries, so I turned it off and disassembled everything for inspection. I noticed that the bulb was significantly blackened on the top, but would still light. I'm suspecting a compromised TL3 bulb. Any idea why this bulb would blacken inside? I made sure to swab it completely with rubbing alcohol after handling it, and let it dry before firing it up.

Any thoughts? Also, any other bulbs recommended to try in this configuration? TL3 bulbs will get spendy if they don't last long. I'm using the AW rechargeables 14500 (protected) sold as an option when ordering this mod on the LH website. I get the feeling that my first hyperhotwire mod may have been a semi-failure, but believe it should work, since others seem to comment highly on this mod.

Any feedback is appreciated!

Regards,
Mike

Sounds like a defective bulb.......

My TL-3 on 2 AW 17670's has lasted me for a year with moderate use.

I was wondering about a defective bulb. I was careful to clean it with alcohol and dry it before use, so I'm hoping it wasn't finger oils on the glass.

Paul--what does a bulb with finger oil end up like? Failure like I described, or a popped bulb? The bulb still works, but is MUCH dimmer than it was before "blacking up".

I suspect it might be a bad/damaged bulb, because it was out of its little holder in the package when I opened my shipment. Not sure if it got jostled during shipping.

I'll check back with Lighthound to see if anything can be done. I am excited about this light once I can get it to work.

Thanks for the feedback so far...

-M

Black inside or outside? Inside would be from the filament, outside could be from oil, but I'd think if the problem was oil on the glass it would pop..after you smelled something first.
Sounds like a defective bulb...wrong atmosphere inside...?

What you are describing sounds like a lamp with a microscopic, and likely unfindable, crack that has allowed atmospheric gas to exchange with the gases in the lamp.

Try another lamp.

Bill

It needs to be swapped for a CL1499 for yet a further hike in output !! :naughty:


Tim

I agree--if only I could get some of those 1499s!

Knight Lights said:

What you are describing sounds like a lamp with a microscopic, and likely unfindable, crack that has allowed atmospheric gas to exchange with the gases in the lamp.

Try another lamp.

Bill

Click to expand...

Thats what I was going to say.....sometimes when you bend the two "wires" on the bulb a little, this allows a gap for the above to happen....the more you handle the bulb or try and force it somewhere, this can happen.

You need to keep bulbs like this clean but you dont need to go overboard.....just use a clean tissue and dont bend the wires.....