I just got off my dead A$$ and...

... took the Energizer 2100MaH batts I got at Walmart along with a piece of heavy duty Aluminum Foil I also got and a 3.6V Krypton bulb into my TEC 40. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/twakfl.gif

The NimHs have been through two discharge/charge cycles on my C Crane and were holding 1.49 on trickle.

Initially I put in a 3.6V Xenon bulb which PROMPTLY flashed. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/eek.gif

Anyhow, without a light meter nor two TEC 40s to try side by side... I am NOT convinced it is any brighter than with 4 Alkalines and a M*g Xenon Star 4.8V bulb. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon15.gif

In addition, the M*g Xenon bulb makes a cleaner beam that is a smidgen or two tighter. The edges with the 3.6V (and I tried three different bulbs) are somewhat strewn with little tails and such... not terrible, but there. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon3.gif

Hmmm, he says... "me thought this should be better somehow". /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif Maybe this M*g Xenon thing is worth something.... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thinking.gif

I encourage all my Flashaholic friends (especially them with light meters and such) to try this for themselves! :biggrin:

UPDATE:

I found (and I knew this from YEARS ago /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/twakfl.gif ) that if I tweak on the rim of a PR bulb, I can change the focus.

Up to a point, by backing the bulb out a bit from the reflector, I can tighten up the beam by some.

That also goes a LONG way to explain why the M*g Xenon 4 cell bulb is as seemingly bright as it is, since it has both a smaller and closer to the rim filament.

Some sort of spacer would likely work as well.

It still doesn't SEEM as bright or as nice of beam as the M*g Xenon 4cell on 4 Alkalines, and absolutely not as bright as the fairly short lived KPR103 on 4 alkalines.

But it is a far cry better than what I started with!

Anyone have comments?

I have a Carley bulb that came with little washers to use as spacers for different reflectors. Maybe try some thin washers?

-Mike

Joe,

You mean this as it applies to non-focusing torches, right?

Wilkey

Of course Wilkey!

My Dad has a crummy 3D light in his truck. It wouldn't come on. He put three new batts in and flashed the bulb (which was 2.4V). All I could dig up at his house was a 4.8V bulb. Initially it was so defocused as to be useless. With some flange tweaking I got a pretty darn good beam out of it.

I think I understand what I'm seeing as far as artifacts go on this TEC 40. They would be horrid rings in a smooth reflector!!!

Mods are fun!

Howdy PBJS,

You never really rest, do you? A man after mine own heart!!!

I often get as much as 7 hours of sleep!

I think about this stuff all the time. I made an Energizer floating 4D lantern better by tweaking the flange last night... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon15.gif

Hmm.. Interesting idea. Do you bend the flange backwards or fowards? I wish I got more than 3-4hours sleep a night.. ugh. It catches up with you after 4 months....

[ QUOTE ]
Xrunner said:
I have a Carley bulb that came with little washers to use as spacers for different reflectors. Maybe try some thin washers?

-Mike

[/ QUOTE ]

Do you have any extra of those washers that came with your Carley bulbs? If not, do you know a size or part number so I can get some from an Ace Hardware or something? thanks.

Playboy, I've had my eye on one of those Energizer floating lanterns for a long time. Do you like it? Also, what did tweaking the flange do for that light? I can't picture how it could benefit because it doesn't really put out a hotspot like a normal flashlight. Am I missing something? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thinking.gif

It is a pretty neat size. It feels good in the hand.

Initially it had a tight! hot spot that had a little hole in it out at say 25 feet.

By tweaking it, I got the spot to stay tight out a long ways.

And you are wrong. This is not a normal lantern. This has a tight spot, with a slighlty dark ring, then a decent sized fairly bright corona,then a big dim corona.

Have you actually looked at the reflector?

You know something? I bet this 'lantern' might benefit from a M*g Xenon Star <runs to test the theory>...

BONZAI! An even TIGHTER, and much smoother spot.

As a rule, I HATE tight spots. But in this case YEEHAA!