Any way to create a Useful Mag 623 or 85

I'm considering making a Mag 623 or 85. Not sure which one yet. But is there any way I can drop another bulb to make the flashlight actually have some useful runtime. 10 minutes just isn't enough ya know?

Use one of AW's multi-level, soft-start switches.

Mag 4C, 3x18650, WA1185: 40min of bright light. Is that useful enough for you?

Drop in a osram IRC 20w Bulb . Can be used with the same battery pack.Over 1 hour run time depending on battery

A generic 12v 10w halogen with pins bent for the 623 and a Carley 809 for the 85.

Or just a backpack full of batteries.

How I do it:
I have a bunch of Maglites including a Mag623 & a Mag458 with very short run times. For a good bright torch that is useful I use a Mag 2D with 2 x Kaidomain 32600 cells and a ROP bulb - plenty of light and the ROP low gets around 2 hours of run time. Even the ROP high can run for around an hour.

For Mag85:
2D , 3 x AW IMR 26500 , JimmyM regulated driver.
About 40 minutes run time.
For longer run time use 3D and either 4 x IMR26500 or 3 x BatterSpace 26550 cells.
By using JimmyM driver , any of above 3 combinations could be used fro many other bulbs - ROP High or Low , WA1331, Philips 5761, etc

So , yes , it can be done. With availability of regulated drivers , it can be done very easily.

I have a 3C Mag85 using 3x AW C Li-ions for about an hour of runtime on high. I'm using an AW 3 mode switch for lots of additional runtime when needed.

brightness and runtime don't complement each other, without having a backpack looking like the "old painless" its very difficult to have the best of both worlds.

Mag623 is a concept light, not really something created for practicality. as for the mag85, if you need that intensity of light for longer than 20 minutes, consider buying yourself a dedicated spotlight that runs on a car battery or something bigger than those 6AH bricks in the hand held varieties

A regulated driver and lots of IMR 18650s will give you a long running 623. A Modamag Colossus will run 8 cells 4s2p for 15-20 minutes.

An 1185 runs 30 minutes or so in 'standard' 9xAA format. I am using AlanB's regulated driver with 12xAA for 40ish minutes on high.

RichS said:

I have a 3C Mag85 using 3x AW C Li-ions for about an hour of runtime on high. I'm using an AW 3 mode switch for lots of additional runtime when needed.

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I used the same combo but in a 2.25D Mag. Great light.

Beaver_2 said:

I'm considering making a Mag 623 or 85. Not sure which one yet. But is there any way I can drop another bulb to make the flashlight actually have some useful runtime. 10 minutes just isn't enough ya know?

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4S/4P protected 18500 will give you about 35 minutes run time with 623

You can use same set up with regulated 610 or 611 for well over 85 minutes.

Regulated 610 or 611 also will work with 16AA in bored out 4D with reasonable and practical run time.

fivemega said:

4S/4P protected 18500 will give you about 35 minutes run time with 623

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But would it be practical to use a 623 for 35 minutes? I would think that there would be a bit too much heat building up. Even 5 minutes continuous running will heat up a Mag623 a LOT.

KiwiMark said:

But would it be practical to use a 623 for 35 minutes? I would think that there would be a bit too much heat building up. Even 5 minutes continuous running will heat up a Mag623 a LOT.

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Yes, it would be practical to use a 623 for 35 minutes of total run time.
I didn't say continuous 35 minutes.

gswitter said:

Use one of AW's multi-level, soft-start switches.

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With my Thor 10 MCP spotlight, when I turn it on low it gets dim and really yellow. I know switches work well for LEDs, but doesn't it make all incandaescent lights yellow and dim when running low?

R@ndom said:

A generic 12v 10w halogen with pins bent for the 623 and a Carley 809 for the 85.

Or just a backpack full of batteries.

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Illum said:

brightness and runtime don't complement each other, without having a backpack looking like the "old painless" its very difficult to have the best of both worlds.

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I understand that, but I know on a lot of setups, like with 6P, you can get MCE LED that runs for a bit, and then drop in an 3 watt LED for run time. I was hoping I could do something similar here.

fivemega said:

4S/4P protected 18500 will give you about 35 minutes run time with 623

You can use same set up with regulated 610 or 611 for well over 85 minutes.

Regulated 610 or 611 also will work with 16AA in bored out 4D with reasonable and practical run time.

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Please excuse my ignorance, but what is a 4s/4p protected 18500. I think I'm familar with the battery but I've never heard a 4s/4p before.

Okay guys, I'm essentially looking for a bright flashlight, thats fairly easy to bring camping(Mag 4D size at the largest). Now I saw this video which made just say, "I've got to have that!"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79Aw8nH9IrM
Here was my idea of a build for it:

$55 + shipping for Tri-bore mag from CPF member
$8.50 for 150watt 64633 bulb
$15 for Mag C/D High Temp Socket kits from Kia
$68 for 15.6V (13 cells)
$25 charger
Wasn't long before I was looking at $180ish for a flashlight that works for just a few minutes. So I figured I would ask you guys if there were a drop in or something that would make it more useful(At least an hour of burn time)

I had no idea there were so many variations of different builds for it. All of yall have suggested so many different builds.
What I need is something:
THat can burn paper
Optional drop in bulb that is still bright that burns for an hour at least.
And Preferably under $150.

Any ideas?

THanks guys again, you've already been so helpful. Sorry for not being clear about my needs.

Just a point to note, the stock mag switch woulden be able to handle 10 amps of current. You need to do some resistance fix to that switch or oither go for aw's soft start or jimmyM regulator.


Like i have said before you could always switch the Bulb for someting like a 20w IRC when you need more runtime, it would also be plenty bright.

That is hysterical that Mac's Torch video now has almost half a million hits!!!

Beaver, there are many battery combinations to get up to desired voltage to run an Osram 64623 bulb. There are pro's and con's to various combinations & chemistries.

4s4p means 4 cells in series (think 3 alkaline D cells put in series in your 3D Maglite). The "p" means in parallel. So you would have 4 stacks of 4 (16 cells total). This FiveMega light is an example of 3s3p.

If you "direct drive" an incand bulb, it takes the delivered voltage from the batteries directly to the bulb, and the light output wanes as the batteries drain.

A regulated light (JimmyM & AlanB's regulators) keeps the voltage at a set level, unless the ending battery output falls below voltage setting...then it would also become a direct drive.

So you don't want to use matches camping? Go to the Market Place and look around. Sounds like what you want is way over your budget for a new light. I have a USL and it can start fires, but am not really interested in having that powerful of a light set up to run for 1 hour. There are lower watt lights that would be just fine and still have good output and runtime, like an 1185 with the proper battery setup, even without a regulator.

Bill

Beaver_2 said:

Any way to create a Useful Mag 623 or 85

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First, you need to make this clear.
What is Useful?
If you are looking for an hour run time of M*g623 under $150, I don't know of any.
Cheapest way to make a M*g623 is:
4D M*g $22
Battery spacer $10
Socket $15
Bulb $10
Reflector $10
Borofloat lens $8
4 IMR 18650 $42
Charger $15
-----------
Total $132
And run time of 8 minutes.
The only way to get target of an hour is custom made body with 4Serial/4Parallel protected AW's 18650 which will be way over $150

fivemega said:

First, you need to make this clear.
What is Useful?
If you are looking for an hour run time of M*g623 under $150, I don't know of any.
Cheapest way to make a M*g623 is:
4D M*g $22
Battery spacer $10
Socket $15
Bulb $10
Reflector $10
Borofloat lens $8
4 IMR 18650 $42
Charger $15
-----------
Total $132
And run time of 8 minutes.
The only way to get target of an hour is custom made body with 4Serial/4Parallel protected AW's 18650 which will be way over $150

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Well there is one way.... Take old BIG car battery (free from dump), solder the the pins to the battery terminal and a switch and glue on an old spotlight reflector. Then again that won't be a mag.