LED bulb adapters

YoshiSato

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Oct 5, 2007
Messages
7
I have some cheap 2AA and 2DD flashlights(by cheap I'm meaning the ones you pick up at Walmart for less than a buck) I'd like to convert to LED.

Is there any type of adapter I could use to plug in a 3V 5mm emitter into and just replace the incon bulb?
 

Marduke

Flashaholic
Joined
Jun 19, 2007
Messages
10,110
Location
Huntsville, AL
The SMJLED and the NiteIze PR dropin are two of the cheapest you can buy. Both are rather dim, but would probably be better than the stock incan bulb, and will run forever on 2D's. They just sip battery current.

If you have a soldering iron, you can do some simple mods to make your own. These are best suited for 3-6 cell lights however, with an appropriate resistor.
http://www.flashlightreviews.com/mods/prbulbs.html
 

LEDninja

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Jun 15, 2005
Messages
4,896
Location
Hamilton Canada
+1
Keep in mind most 5mm LEDs are 3.6V and will NOT work in 2AA/2D torches unless there is a boost circuit.
The few exceptions are the MJLED/SMJLED. You can use a TerralUX BA-1 PR-Type bulb adapter. Careful trimming of the LED wires so the LED die is at the same position as the filament in a incan bulb is required otherwise you get a donut/halo kind of beam.

SMJLED $5.25+shiping
BA1 $5+ seperate shipping
(and you need expensive L91 primary lithium batteries)

Compare to
SMJLED PR $6.99
(which works with NiMH, alkaline or el cheapo carbon zinc batteries)

Unless you want to experiment go with the drop in bulb.
The only torch I have the SMJLED/BA1 combo is a reverse polarity Energizer 2 in 1 area/flashlight.
 
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