Cheap Hacks!

Hi Guys,

Well I've browsed here for some time, mainly admiring the more expensive mods done around this place, but just last night I became interested in some of the really cheap flashlight hacks after watching a video.

A friend showed me the video of the $10 Eveready hack on Youtube, where a 5/8" bit hollows out the body, three CR123 lithiums are dropped in, and a krypton 6V lamp from RS is swapped in.

I almost went out and bought the stuff a few minutes ago, but decided I wanted to kick it up a notch. :devil:

I was going to purchase two of those lights, hack a longer rear section off one, and epoxy them back together so that four CR123s could be used instead of three. Then I believe I would need to get a 12V lamp, as the 6V would probably burn up, but Radioshack does not have a 12V krypton version available.

So being somewhat halted at that point, I decided to see what shortcuts anyone here could recommend, to keep from having to order parts off the web. lovecpf

Is there some other 12V bulb size I could get locally, which would give the performance I seek? Maybe some bulb size from Autozone or the like I was thinking.

Really, I'd like to hear about any cheap, powerful light mods you could suggest, where I could likely find the stuff locally and build it tonight. Other light bodies and batt combinations that may work better would be great to hear about.

So let's hear your thoughts!

not exactly what you're looking for, but here is the very first mod i ever attempted some years ago.

a cheap 2xAA light, bored out to accepts 3xCR123A. bulb is a MagLite 6D (9V) MagnumStar bulb which fits right in.

now, being all plastic (reflector and all), and being smaller than a 6D Mag, i don't run it more than 5 minutes or so just in case it might melt something (though, in all honesty, i'm NOT sure if that is a real danger - i just don't want to find out the hard way).

Do you know what major retail stores carry those 6D bulbs?

Academy Sports + Outdoors sell mag 6d bulb.

3x cr123 + Magnum star 6D bulb = 126 lumens

To make this mod as explosive and insane as possible you use two IMR 18500 cells and a ROP high bulb = 1000+ lumens, guarantied to melt the light in under 45 seconds:devil:! But this is not for beginners.

half-watt said:

not exactly what you're looking for, but here is the very first mod i ever attempted some years ago.

a cheap 2xAA light, bored out to accepts 3xCR123A. bulb is a MagLite 6D (9V) MagnumStar bulb which fits right in.

now, being all plastic (reflector and all), and being smaller than a 6D Mag, i don't run it more than 5 minutes or so just in case it might melt something (though, in all honesty, i'm NOT sure if that is a real danger - i just don't want to find out the hard way).

Click to expand...

For the record, yes it is a real danger. I have melted two of these lights trying first a more powerful bulb (ROP low IIRC) and the second time with the 6 cell MagnumStar bulb. Both the reflector and lens melt sometime after 5 minutes (why didn't I time it?). When the internals get nice and hot, the spring that keeps the PR bulb pushed forward causes the plastic to give way and soon the electrical circuit is broken (along with the light). Yet another example of you get what you pay for. :welcome:

I'm going to try it! :twothumbs

Are there any cheap aluminum bodies and reflectors which can be used for this, even if I have to order them? I want to try the 1000 lumen light in something that won't flash into a fiery ball of flames. :candle:

Are there any cheap aluminum bodies and reflectors which can be used for this, even if I have to order them? I want to try the 1000 lumen light in something that won't flash into a fiery ball of flames.

Click to expand...

Last I checked you can get a 2C Maglight at Home Depot for about 14 bucks. They make a pretty good host.

To the experts, how reliable would this mod be?

2-C mag host
2x26500 (AW-IMR)
MAG 6D PR bulb
Glass lens

Will it instaflash the PR lamp?
Will it melt the OEM reflector?

:thinking:

dw51 said:

Last I checked you can get a 2C Maglight at Home Depot for about 14 bucks. They make a pretty good host.

Click to expand...

If it's a 2C body, what do I use for upgraded batteries instead of the IMR 18500 cells?

Also, I believe it is the Pelican 3854 bulb I need to order. Can someone please recommend a place I can order this bulb from? I'm having a tough time finding it without a second 11W bulb paired together with it online.

Edit: I posted while kramer was posting...I am interested too in what he is asking.

matt304 said:

If it's a 2C body, what do I use for upgraded batteries instead of the IMR 18500 cells?

Click to expand...

You could just use those and fashion a sleeve for them out of some tubing/PVC pipe.

https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/216710

That's a thread where I got really bored in the winter time and started to mod lanterns found in Dollar stores. If you got enough junk laying around you can do just slap it together.

kramer5150 said:

To the experts, how reliable would this mod be?

2-C mag host
2x26500 (AW-IMR)
MAG 6D PR bulb
Glass lens

Will it instaflash the PR lamp?
Will it melt the OEM reflector?

:thinking:

Click to expand...

I am not sure about instaflash, but my guess is no. That bulb will not melt the stock lens or reflector. The rule to avoid melting them is to stay below 10W, and the 6D is about 5W.

I built the $10 Everyready hack from the video about 3 weeks ago and it's held up pretty well so far. Granted, I read all the feedback about parts melting and have kept runtime down to a couple minutes at a shot. I don't know why I want to keep messing with it but I can't help but wonder if there isn't a way to help it shed the heat better? I'd been toying with the idea of adding some heat sink compound to the area where the bulb's base contacts the metal ring at the base of the reflector but I don't know how much that would help. I've also kicked around the idea of drilling some vent holes in the end of the bezel to allow some airflow behind the reflector. Probably just wasting my time with it, but it is a fun little light and does a good job at surprising people when they see high-end output from a cheap plastic light. It would be nice to turn it from a novelty into something useful though.

Oh, something else, for anybody else building one of these, the tailcap can be used as a sort of safety lockout. Loosening it 1/4 turn (on the one I got anyway) is enough to ensure that the light can't accidently be switched on. I mention this because it could prevent a possible vent w/flame scenario from the light bouncing around in the glovebox of a car or falling off a nightstand or whatever and being switched on unattended.

Tony

As far as I know, I was the one who came up with this mod. https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/18833

The problem with it is that the plastic reflector distorts at the 2 minute mark with fresh batteries and a Radio Shack KPR112 bulb. Then the contact ring moves away from switch contact, shutting off the light (though your meltdown may vary). I tried things like reinforcing the reflector with JB Weld, but it didn't help much. It just needs a metal reflector. Just limit the run time and it works fine. A 2C Maglite is a better host for this setup, but not as much fun!

My favorite mod for the Energizer is a Surefire P91 lamp. There are details in the link above. It's really easy to do, though it does cost more.

Thanks Tony for bringing up the tailcap lockout. That's something I didn't figure out for a while when I first started playing with these.

Double

kz1000s1 said:

As far as I know, I was the one who came up with this mod. https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/18833

The problem with it is that the plastic reflector distorts at the 2 minute mark with fresh batteries and a Radio Shack KPR112 bulb. Then the contact ring moves away from switch contact, shutting off the light (though your meltdown may vary). I tried things like reinforcing the reflector with JB Weld, but it didn't help much. It just needs a metal reflector. Just limit the run time and it works fine. A 2C Maglite is a better host for this setup, but not as much fun!

My favorite mod for the Energizer is a Surefire P91 lamp. There are details in the link above. It's really easy to do, though it does cost more.

Thanks Tony for bringing up the tailcap lockout. That's something I didn't figure out for a while when I first started playing with these.

Click to expand...

Dave,

Thanks for that! I had been wondering if the Surefire style lamps would fit but don't own one to try it out. Would I be correct in assuming that a lamp for a Surefire clone (Ultrafire) would also work? If so, then the lamps can be had for various voltages for around $6 on Ebay. If that would work, I can't see why one of the led drop-ins wouldn't work as well.
A 12v lamp is also available that should work with the OP's extended body + 4x CR123 idea too.
Good stuff.:thumbsup:

Tony

Holy crap I'm extremely bored!
Mod a larger maglite with 3x cells (whatever you want to use) but make a custom passaround spacer for the cells to leave some room above them.

Modify a 5v 25mm fan above the cells to cool a custom finned reflector...

/random thought

Heres a diagram:

Absolutely none of this is to scale, I know it can be done (what can't?) but I do not know common cell sizes or the general dimensions of a maglight or anything else.

Not to mention I'm sure comparing that pic to a real maglight would make you say "WTF!?".


Thoughts?

other than... "Make your own thread!"



EDIT:
Aha!

I did a forum search for "fan cooled" and this idea of mine is a lot less weird than I thought.

Bummer...

I don't see why it wouldn't work. You'd have to do something different with the Mag switch/socket to make room for the fan (custom tailcap with clicky and a socket made to attach to the reflector maybe?).

I think where a cooling fan would really shine (pardon the pun) would be a high powered LED setup where the extra cooling would help keep the brightness from falling off due to heat and also prolong the life of the LEDs. Also, if you ran smaller diameter cells in a larger host, you could rework your inlet to draw cool air in from the tail to keep the cells and body tube nice and cool also.:thumbsup:

Andrewr05 said:

Holy crap I'm extremely bored!
Mod a larger maglite with 3x cells (whatever you want to use) but make a custom passaround spacer for the cells to leave some room above them.

Modify a 5v 25mm fan above the cells to cool a custom finned reflector...

/random thought

Heres a diagram:

Absolutely none of this is to scale, I know it can be done (what can't?) but I do not know common cell sizes or the general dimensions of a maglight or anything else.

Not to mention I'm sure comparing that pic to a real maglight would make you say "WTF!?".


Thoughts?

other than... "Make your own thread!"



EDIT:
Aha!

I did a forum search for "fan cooled" and this idea of mine is a lot less weird than I thought.

Bummer...

Click to expand...

A fan would be better in the tailcap blowing through the tube towards the head.