Bring back life to my Maglite 6 Cell D

I'm thinking of buying the "TERRALUX TLE-300M-EX EXTREME" for my 6 cell maglite as i never use it anymore because it not bright enough.

Has anyone done this conversion before? what are the results?
is it easy to install.

saw it on
http://www.batteryjunction.com/tle-300m-ex.html

all info on this will be much appreciated

thanks lovecpf

I have not done it with this dropin, but with a Malkoff of similar brightness. Yes, you will get a "new light", around 4 times brighter than the stock Mag6D. And the advantage is that you have 3 different brightness modes with it. It shall be easy to install. I am sure it will be a good investment.

Edit: now I see in your signature you have a TK40. It's about the same max brightness but with six D NiMh batteries of high capacity cells you can expect way better runtime.

Regards, Patric

I have a Terralux TLE-300M-EX in my 4 D Cell Maglite and it's great. I have some information in these threads:

https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/258079

https://www.candlepowerforums.com/posts/3182367

Before I bought mine, I read this thread on the predecessor, the Terralux TLE-300M:

https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/201059

That earlier model is similar but it doesn't put out as much light and it only has a high mode.

The reports there about the beam pattern apply to the -EX model too and my views are the same. The TLE-300M-EX does not have any spill. It just has a big, wide hot spot that is in a star shaped pattern. The hot spot is not round like what my TK40 produces. When you go "white wall hunting" with it, it is not a pretty beam pattern, but in actual use outside it doesn't really matter to me. If I want a drop dead gorgeous beam pattern, I reach for my TK40 and nothing else so the TLE-300M-EX's weird star shaped beam pattern doesn't bother me at all. It does get rid of the much despised (to me anyway) donut hole pattern of the stock Maglite. The beam pattern is devoid of rings, dark spots, and any other artifacts. It's best described by other CPF members as a "wall of light."

The TLE-300M-EX is very easy to install. The included instructions are easy to follow and if you can change the stock bulb in your Maglite, you can install the TLE-300M-EX. I added a layer of Arctic Silver 5 thermal compound to mine as I described in the above threads and it really helps dissipate the heat to the aluminum Maglite body. From what I've read, heat dissipation is one of the problems with this drop in upgrade. I never tried using mine without the Arctic Silver 5, but with it mine doesn't decrease in light output from overheating at all, even with extended use.

I should also add that you lose the focusing ability of the stock Maglite if you get the TLE-300M-EX, but the hot spot of the drop in's beam pattern is so wide, you won't miss that feature. I never used my stock Maglite on anything other than its tightest beam setting anyway, because the donut hole pattern always drove me nuts. (That applies to all Maglites and Mini-Maglites in my case.)

Note that the TLE-300M-EX is not a thrower. It's a flood pattern that can illuminate a very wide area with its fat hot spot. I see that you have a LED Lenser X21. If you're used to that massive light, you probably won't be too impressed with the TLE-300M-EX's performance. It's not really in the same category of light either though given how much less it is compared to the X21.

Locoboy5150 said:

Note that the TLE-300M-EX is not a thrower. It's a flood pattern that can illuminate a very wide area with its fat hot spot.

Click to expand...

I am searching for a dropin to my purple Maglite 2D with 6AA to 2D adapter. The question is if I will get a TLE-300M-EX or a Malkoff XP-G 4-6D dropin. The Malkoff will not provide really the same total output and have not different brightness modes, but instead a more estethic beam and way better throw...

According to your description is sounds that TLE-300M-EX beam is something like Malkoff Wildcat.

Regards, Patric

Guys thanks so much for the info!!!
:twothumbs

Swedpat said:

The question is if I will get a TLE-300M-EX or a Malkoff XP-G 4-6D dropin.

Click to expand...

The TLE-300M-EX is the only one of the two that is currently available. I was going through the same thought process as you - Terralux or Malkoff Devices? I got tired of waiting for several months for the Malkoff one to be available again so I got the TLE-300M-EX. When I started researching upgrades for my Maglite I signed up for the email list to be notified when (if?) the Malkoff Maglite drop ins would be in stock again and I still have not head anything. That was about six months ago.

If you want a Malkoff Devices Maglite drop in upgrade, you have to be *extremely* patient.

There also is some information on the Terralux 3 LED drop in upgrades in this thread:

https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/183679

It starts out with the original TLE-300M with the K2 LED emitters and only a high mode, but towards the last couple of pages the latest TLE-300M-EX is brought into the discussion. The Terralux 3 LED drop ins have gone through several updates throughout the product line's cycle. The latest one, the TLE-300M-EX, has three Cree XRE LEDs in it and three modes of light output.

Locoboy5150 said:

T
If you want a Malkoff Devices Maglite drop in upgrade, you have to be *extremely* patient.

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yip!!! would love one!! but wow what a wait!!

May I be the first to threadjack and suggest an incan mod? You can fit some mean stuff in a 6D tube. At minimum, a ROP-XR, with about two hours at 1000 lumens. On the other hand, with LiFePO4 and IMR cells, you can make something that runs like ... 5,000 lumens or so for a rather short but incredible run.

Locoboy5150 said:

............. If you want a Malkoff Devices Maglite drop in upgrade, you have to be *extremely* patient.

Click to expand...

So what's with that ? Guy works out of his shed on the w/ends only or ?

irlmarko said:

So what's with that ? Guy works out of his shed on the w/ends only or ?

Click to expand...

Hehe, I have no idea what Malkoff Devices is like, manufacturing/design-wise. All that I know is that the Maglite drop in upgrades have been listed on their website as "sold out" for an *extremely* long time.

I would have loved to buy one and I had my money all ready to go, but I guess that I'm too impatient. Oh well, I'm more than happy with my Terralux TLE-300M-EX.

I can always get another Maglite when/if the Malkoff Devices drop ins become available again. I'm almost certain that this, my first ever modified Maglite project, won't be my last because modifying Maglites is *so* much fun!

irlmarko said:

So what's with that ? Guy works out of his shed on the w/ends only or ?

Click to expand...

<fact on>
Eugene Malkoff does good work and his product is in demand.
<fact off>

<opinion on>
Personally, I don't think Sheds and weekends are a factor ; fulfilling commitments to existing customers & contracts are.
<opinion off>

that said, let's upgrade this f**ker and see what's what eh? I have a host waiting to see how y'all do!...

bogey out