Formerly retired lights back in use?

I used to have an Inova X5 that was pretty much retired, due to me not finding it's long term purpose. Now I use it as a back up to my Surefire L4 when I'm at work. I was looking for a way to carry a spare set of batteries for the L4, when I found a holster that holds 2 lights at Cabelas. I figured that a spares carrier that lights up (X5) makes more sense than just 2 spare batteries on their own, so now I carry the X5. It works out well.

And thanks to finding a new lens for my Nightcutter P20, I'm trying to put it back in regular use as well.

Have you brought any of your lights out of retirement? (Due to finding a new use for them, or a new mod?)

I had a BOG Drop in that I couldn't get to stop flickering in a Cabela's 6P clone, so I pulled out my first "high quality" light and put it in there. Now I have "240 lumen" LED Brinkman Maxfire LX. (I still chuckle a little when I think about having a $50 LED into a $19 host)

I had bought a Kel-Lite 4 D small head back in 1976, which was great for a long time, but was put aside for a long time. as the reflector and lens were worn out, then gave it to one of my sons for a few years.

I decided to give him a Mag 3 C with a MagLED module and took back the K-L. I have since had it cut down by 120 mm, swapped out the original reflector for one from a Bright Star Koehler 3 D, found an acrylic watch crystal to use as a lens, installed a WA 1331 bulb, an 8AA to 2D adaptor and run it on 8 AA eneloops.

It fits well in my winter coat pocket and will use it as a main duty light this weekend while on 20:00 - 06:00.

I took a 2D magLED module and reamed out the bulb holder on my 2D rayovac roughneck and installed it in there and put it back in service. Low profiile flashlights make the best battery holders. I have a uk2AAA led that I was considering taking out of my pocket when I got a LD01 SS for my keychain but now it has lithiums in it for spares so I have over 24 hours of runtime on me if I get stuck in an elevator lol.

Big_Ed said:

I was looking for a way to carry a spare set of batteries for the L4, when I found a holster that holds 2 lights at Cabelas.

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Ahem.

I thought I retired the Microstream, but it's easy to conseal for those times you actually don't carry a light!

I recently found my old Surefire 8x and decided to see if any of the battery packs would still hold a charge. Surprisingly, the first pack I tried did, so I've been using it to see how much runtime I'll get. If I can find one more good battery out of the five or so I have I'll probably keep the light in use around the house.

I had a few Arc AAA-P lights sitting in a drawer and just installed one in a new Nite-Ize headband to use as a head lamp.

Installed LED upgrades in a 20+ year old Maglite 2D and 3D and use them sometimes to see what critters are in my field when putting the dog outside.

I have a MXDL Cree (pretty sure I can post the link since they haven't been selling it for years) that hasn't seen any use at all since I got better lights (briefly used a MTE Rebel, then NDI and L-Mini). The light is good, but the single-mode operation kills it for me.
However, I should get some two-mode driver boards soon. I plan on refitting the light with one such board, at which point it should become much more useful. I won't be using it as an EDC anymore (having sworn off the CR123 format for EDC purposes), but it should do just fine in my toolbox with a RCR in it.

Want to get a LED for my 2AA MiniMag for about half a year now but ever time I need the money for another mod or flashlight :huh:. Maybe next year.

mfg rayman

GPB said:

I had a BOG Drop in that I couldn't get to stop flickering in a Cabela's 6P clone, so I pulled out my first "high quality" light and put it in there. Now I have "240 lumen" LED Brinkman Maxfire LX. (I still chuckle a little when I think about having a $50 LED into a $19 host)

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Hey, some people put $8000 in wheels/tires on $1000 cars.. your approach makes a whole lot more sense!

I had sort of retired a MagLED 3xAA, but it found use as my car flashlight with a set of E2 Lithiums.

Yep my old 15(?) year old SF 9P is back in action with the addition of a BOG Cree drop-in.

I bring my lights out of storage all the time! Its like getting a new light. My KL3, L2, and E2e get the luv every once in a while. The KL3 gets mounted on a 9P tube with a beam diffuser. Nice soft area lighting and a pretty decent thrower when it goes topless. That coupled with a 7 hour runtime make this a very useful trail light. The E2e with a twisty switch and MN02 LA is my overseas vacation light of choice. The L2 gets camping duty.

I have too many choices and it drives me crazy!!!

kelmo said:

I bring my lights out of storage all the time! Its like getting a new light. My KL3, L2, and E2e get the luv every once in a while. The KL3 gets mounted on a 9P tube with a beam diffuser. Nice soft area lighting and a pretty decent thrower when it goes topless. That coupled with a 7 hour runtime make this a very useful trail light. The E2e with a twisty switch and MN02 LA is my overseas vacation light of choice. The L2 gets camping duty.

I have too many choices and it drives me crazy!!!

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LMAO My lights do come out of storage once in a while too (Like my old R/C toys) so I can definitely identify with that!

Rebirthing?... yes modding breathes new life into old faithfuls currently 4D Hotwire & 3D P7 LED in Maglite hosts, I'd really love to put a multimode driver in my 3AAA Dorcy but I guess that'll be when time permits (it still gets used as a back up light) :thumbsup:


Lynx_Arc - MagLEDs have a way of making lesser (or older) PRbulb based lights get up and 'boogy' again (please excuse the Disco analogy) don't they?

Surefire C3 stock (P90 and 3 X CR123s) I have come to realize I change flashlights more than I do batteries.

Yes, my second quality light, an E2e. It lay around unloved for a long time after I started getting into LEDs and realised the cost of running an incan. One day I read a thread here and discovered I could bore it out to take a 17670. Joy. I could stick a power hungry KL4 on it and not worry about the cost. Then I really began to discover the heat issues as I used it a lot. Wonderful beam pattern but what use it a light that's too hot to hold? Couple that with the sensitivities of Li-ions, and I started to worry that I might have a potential pipe-bomb in my hand. Gradually I used it less and less until a 120P made it redundant. Back in the drawer it went. Shame, because I really loved the form factor and general feel of the E2e. What I really wanted was an LED drop-in but I couldn't afford another SF head, and couldn't justify it with the number of LEDs I now had.
Then I found the flashlight magician that is Fivemega. :bow:

I had already bought a 2x 18650 body and bi-pin drop-in kit from him to give me a huge number of combinations for my 9P. I noticed a thread about his drop in bi-pin socket for the E2e. Suddenly the answer was so simple - go back to incan, the way God intended this light to be run, but use dirt cheap Strion bulbs and the already bored out body and a single Li-ion. It's great. Now I carry this nice small incan with its huge spill and not care about the cost. I even bought an LF EO-E2R to run on two RCR123s when I fancy a change. Now my E2e is loved and cared for once again, and living in my coat pocket. :kiss: