Pelican M6 converted to LED, Help please!!

Hi there this is my first post. I am a owner of a machine shop and curious about making a few lights.

To get me started I thought that I would learn to convert an old Pelican M6 to an LED such as the Cree or something. I am not up to date with the new LED flashlights, but have owned a few of the older ones.

I was wanting to see if someone could give me a hand converting this light. Here are some pictures.





This flashlight uses two CR123A's and burns through them in about an hour, so I was hoping to gain run time and output.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
Greebe

I've never owned a Pelican M6, so I don't know what the internals look like. But, I think a good way to start might be to machine a pill with the same threads as the current lamb assembly, instead of the spring area, machine a insert for the LED driver, and for the bulb area, a pedestal for the LED to be at the right focal point. Am I completely off with that suggestion, or relatively close?

After that, you'll need the LED and a buck driver.

:welcome:

Thanks for the response. Bear with me as I know very little about this.:duh2:

So basically I need to buy a LED and a driver? Is that all I need for the parts to change to LED, minus the part that I machine? Is the driver the chip that controls output and regulates battery life? Also I noticed that you said a buck driver. Is that a brand name?

The pill that you refer to is that the assemble that holds the current light bulb? Does the LED usually stay stationary to the reflector or can it be like the current configuration that allows you to go from flood to spot? Do you think that the current reflector will work with the LED.

Any recommendations for what kind of LED for this light and where to buy them? Drivers?

Thanks,
Greebe

Here is a picture of all the internals:


Greebe

Ok, thanks for the pic!

The pill is the part that holds the LED and usually the driver. A driver is the circuit that controls the voltage and current to the LED. A buck driver is a driver that lowers the voltage from the input, a boost driver is a driver that raises the voltage from the input, and a buck/boost driver can do both. All three are types of drivers, and many different companies and people make them.

Usually the LED stays stationary in respect to the reflector. This ensures a good beam pattern because if a reflectored light is defocused to "flood" then rings and sometimes other artifacts appear and creates a messy beampattern. Some optics can give both a good spot and good flood beam depending when the LED is moved for focus (look at LED Lenser lights and lights with lenses) but then there is no spill, just a hotspot.

The current reflector will work fine if you can get the LED at the focal point.

I'm not sure how big the bulb is, because the LED and wires have to be able to fit through the hole in the reflector to get to the focal point.

IIRC, some P60 type drop-ins will fit the M6 (in place of the reflector and lamp assembly). I don't have a M6 or P60 to test, so I don't know if it actually works. A cheap P60 module, like this, isn't too expensive though, and it contains a LED, driver, pill, and reflector (but they might not fit).

The P60 drop in sounds like it might be the ticket.

Now if I could just find out which one will fit a threaded Pelican M6.

Thanks
Greeb

All P60 drop-ins are all similar in size. I remember reading somewhere that a P60 drop-in fits right into the LED M6 without problems. I also vaguely remember someone taking a P60 drop-in, and then changing the shape a bit and got it to work in the M6.

Thanks,

Are the D26 the P60 the same? I have seen several threads talking about using a D26 as well for the Pelican M6. If so is one a better design?

If it takes a little fitting I am not too worried about that as I have the "tools to make thinks fit"!

One other question. I was wanting to replace my switch on this light. I pulled it all apart and it is just a contact when pushed type. I hear that these do not work with the LED's. Do you know of a place that has replacement switches. I was trying to find them on the DealExtreme site but had no luck.

Thanks again for all your help,
Greebe

I'm not sure of the differences between the D26 and P60 since I have only handled a few P60 type modules. From what I read, it seems like most of them are similar enough to be interchangeable.

Switches are switches. They complete a circuit. Any switch that completes a circuit should work with the module. You should be fine with the switch you have.

Glad to be of help!