2C 3x123 mod

Jace

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Jun 7, 2003
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Northern Vermont
Hi all, this is my first post, and my very first mod as well. I want to thank Ginseng (Wilkey) for inspiring me to get the 2C, some pvc, and some 123's. The KPR112 from the shack is holding up well. I had bought an 118 as well, but it's still in the package. Thank you Wilkey!

-I am now interested in trying to stuff (4) 123's in the Mag, and get an even 'hotter' bulb... Which bulb should I get, and where do I get it? I was hoping for a drop-in incandescent bulb... something xenon or halogen perhaps...?? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/help.gif

I just placed an order at SureFire for 2 boxes of SureFire 123's. I have the Streamlight M-6 Tactical Light/Laser and it takes these as well. So does my Brinkmann LX. At $1.25 per cell, you can't beat that. No more having to spend $6 each at wally world.

Thank guys - great site! -Jace-
 

Ginseng

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Feb 27, 2003
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Hi Jace,

Welcome to CPF! Enjoy yourself...there's a lot to learn. BTW, I can't take credit for the idea...the long timers have been doing this for a while. Did you take a look at the "285 Lumen Mag 2C" thread? There's some good stuff there. We just completed a group buy for several hundred dollars worth of bulbs from Carley...one of which, the 809 will pump out over 300 lumens from 4x123. Look for reviews in the next week.

Wilkey
 

Jace

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Jun 7, 2003
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Northern Vermont
Yes, I have been spending the last several hours reading the "mega thread". My terminal locked up , and I had to reboot, and now trying to find my place again.

I read that the 808 bulb flashed. You are all waiting to test out the "new" 809 bulb with 4 fresh 123's. I wish you my best. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

My next task will be looking for a key ring to fit the Mag endcap... unless for some mysterious ability that my 2C fits (4)123's nicely. I may disassemble an old 123 and see if I can't shorten it at all.

I am overall happy/impressed with my 3x123 & KPR112, but am interested in buying an 809 bulb for another one. I am afraid that if I call up Carley, they will not ship me just ONE or TWO bulb(s). (Can anyone sell one to this newbie?) I think it would be very cool to have a disgustingly bright 2C mag. Most people know that a stock 2C is really nothing to brag about. Just a heavy duty focusable rod of aluminum.

Good luck with your projects! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif -Jace-
 

Ginseng

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Feb 27, 2003
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Hi Jace,

Interesting way to describe the 2C. Other than its pitiful stock performance, it really is a pretty nice platform to mod. Witness MR Bulk's Space Needles. Stay tuned, maybe someone on the recent group buy would be willing to part with an extra 809. You might also check with Darkcobra. I think he just ran a small purchase of 716 or 717 bulbs. The 717 might work nicely overdriven 4x123.

Wilkey
 

PaulW

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Mar 23, 2003
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Laurel, Maryland
Hello Jace,

Glad to have you join us at CPF. I agree that what one can do with a Mag can be exciting. There are many threads about modding Mags. You'll eventually come across all of them, especially if you play with the search function here.

Last night I posted about my experiences with using a Tigerlight Lamp Assembly in a Mag. I got mine from flashlightlens.com. The thread is called Tigerlight LA in Mag mod.

Paul
 

NeonLights

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Jan 18, 2003
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Ohio
I've just done something similar (and still fairly cheap) with a 2-D Maglite. I've always hated the apearance of the "C" cell Mags, and have never owned one because of it. Before I found CPF, I'd owned just about every size AA, AAA, and D sized Mag, but never a C.

I saw the 3-123 to 2-D battery adapter on the Elektrolumens sight for only $6, and decided to get one. Put it in a 2-D Mag powering a standard 5-cell Mag bulb, and it is brighter than my 6-D cell Maglight. Not bad for about $10-12.

-Keith
 

Darkcobra

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Mar 12, 2003
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Pittsburg, California
Hello Jace,
I've yet to recieve my Carley order, but I did order a few extra lamps for myself(716's and 717's). If you want to try one of these bulbs, PM me as I may be willing to part with one bulb /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif
To order, you'll have to have a minimum order of at least $50.00. Great people (just a bit slow on shipping though, hehehe).
 

Kill-O-Zap

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Apr 14, 2002
Messages
298
Location
New Hampshire
Has anyone tried the Mag-num Star Xenon bulbs, specifically the 5 or 6 cell bulbs? How would this bulb compare w/ KPR112? I would think it would be brighter AND more efficient due to Xenon vs Krypton? And finally, where might I be able to find these bulbs? HomeDepot has them for 2,3 and 4 cells, but not 5 or 6.

Thanks!
 

Ginseng

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They might be a little brighter but at 3X the price, I'll stick with the KPR112.

If you had a 3C you could run the 7.2V KPR118 on 3x123+1AA. Now that might be interesting.

Wilkey
 

PaulW

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Wilkey,

The downside there is that while the KPR-112 is 0.75 A rated, the KPR-118 is 0.55 <font color="red">0.70</font> A. So the power for the 3x123 KPR-112 is 0.75A * 8.33v (calc) = 6.3 watts with 39% overdrive. The power for the 3.5(effective)x123 KPR-118 would be

0.55A * 9.93v (calc) = 5.5 watts with 38% overdrive.
<font color="red">0.70A * 9.77v (calc) = 6.8 watts with 36% overdrive.</font>

They would be about equally bright, but the KPR-118 configuration would run perhaps 50% <font color="red">5% to 10%</font> longer.

Gee, I hope that doesn't muddy the waters.

Paul

<font color="red">EDIT shown in red.
 

Kill-O-Zap

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New Hampshire
Paul,

The Radio Shack KPR112 I have has the following specs on the back label:

6.0V 650mA 5.46MSCP 15hr

and the KPR118:

7.2V 700mA 5.23MSCP 15hr

I'm not able to calculate what that actually means in terms of wattage on 3x123 but in any case I find that they put out about the same brightness (no instruments, and not viewed side by side)

Ginseng,

Mightn't the MagNum Star Xenons be significantly brighter than the KPR's? If the Maglite specs are to be believed, the 5 and 6Cell bulbs are rated at 91 and 114 lumens respectively; isn't that higher than the 5.23 and 5.46 MSCP of the KPR's? If the Xenons are noticeably brighter, then 3 times the price is ok by me, after all, we're talking three times just one dollar /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif Plus, if they're more efficient, you make up the extra cost in battery savings...

I just wish I could find these bulbs and then we'd know. But where to get them?
 

Ginseng

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Kill-O-Zap,
You might do a quick search for Xenon. I think PlayboyJoeShmo and a few others tried them. IIRC, they didn't wow anyone with their performance. I don't recall if they were lensed, but if they were, like the KryptonStars, that'd be another reason why I wouldn't use them. Yeah, if those MSCP are accurate and Maglite is not fudging, then they'd be pretty bright. They do sort of make sense...Carley's 716, the six cell bulb is rated at 7.6V, 0.77A and puts out 129 lumens on spec.

My RadioSack bulbs have the same information as what you typed above.

Wilkey
 

PaulW

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Mar 23, 2003
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Laurel, Maryland
Regarding the KPR-118,

I have 0.55A on a chart I made up, derived from "Don's Bulbs" site. I probably made a copying error. Sorry.

At a rating of 7.2v and 0.70A, the KPR-118 on 3.5 x 123 (3x123 plus aa AA lith) would settle in at about 9.77 volts, yielding 6.8 watts, an overdrive of 36%. That's close to the performance of the KPR-112 on 3x123.

Thanks Kill-O-Zap and Ginseng for pointing this out. I wish the magnitude of the error were larger so that I could report a higher estimated wattage.

Paul
 
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