Maglite issues

XtremeRevolution

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I wanted to post about a couple of issues I have with two maglite flashlights I have. I know they have a lifetime warranty, but I'd rather fix it if it's easy than have to drive to a facility that will take my flashlight and send it to Maglite. Time is money.

The two I have are one large 4-D LED, and one small 3-AA LED. They don't always turn on, and they flicker at times. It's an issue with the connection when you adjust the beam focus. Sometimes, smacking it will turn it back on. Kind of a nuisance.

Is there an easy fix, or to I need to send them to MagLite for warrwnty work?

As a side note, a battery MAY have corroded in there at some point as I see some residue on the inner walls, but it isn't the battery closest to the head of the flashlight.

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P_A_S_1

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Does this happen with fresh batteries? My mini-mag LED would flicker when the batteries got low.
 

XtremeRevolution

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Does this happen with fresh batteries? My mini-mag LED would flicker when the batteries got low.

Yep. Fresh batteries. Its a connection problem because it I smack the side of the head of the flashlight with the butt of my palm, it will flicker. It will also flicker as I'm adjusting the beam.

I had a flicker problem with a 2aa Led minimag i just streched the spring a bit and the problem went away :)

I may try that. I don't suppose these units can be disassembled for cleaning can they?

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Diesel Pro

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Maglites are dirt simple. Check the spring including where it contacts the cap as well as the contact at the head/bulb. Also the threaded connections of the tailcap and the head assembly need to make connection to complete the circuit. I would screw these off and apply a light coat of dielectric grease to the threads and the orings.
 
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XtremeRevolution

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Well it turns out the 3AA just needed some cleaning from an exploded battery. Works fine now. I am not impressed with the output though. My wife's 2AAA LED maglite is 10x brighter. Anything I can do about that?

The 4D LED had some contact issues. Turns out the LED was loose. I mangled some metal around the contacts and JB welded it back into the capsule and put it back in and it works. Looks like they discontinued this lamp however as the only replacement available is the Xenon lamp or one of the aftermarket LED ones on Amazon or elsewhere. Oh well, it works for now.

Any idea what I can do to make my 3AA brighter? It's a bit sad when my wife's new 2AAA can light up a heck of a much bigger area.

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Diesel Pro

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Get a Malkoff XP-G2 dropin for your 4D and blow your mind!


Thanks for the heads up. I ordered 2 or the 2D dropins to freshen up a pair that I have. The 3-4D units are out of stock at present but I have some of those to retrofit as well if like what I see.
 

WarHawk-AVG

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I found some very good replacement LED bulbs for Mag lights

http://www.superbrightleds.com/cat/b-series/

I put 1 watters in my 3-D cell and some .5watters in my 4 C cells...haven't had to change out the batteries and they are adequate brightness for utility work around the yard or to have enough light in emergencies (not glare blind you like a Cree but they will get the job done) most importantly the DON'T eat batteries!

There is a collar under the head of the unit, just take out the weak incandescent bulb, put this one in, gently tighten down the collar..viola

Make sure you get the correct voltage, 1.5vdcxeach cell stacked

Even works in my 18vdc Porter Cable utility light that came in the "tool kit"
 
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Diesel Pro

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StorminMatt

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So this one should work on a 4 D unit? Is this a "night and day" type upgrade?

http://www.superbrightleds.com/moreinfo/b-series/1-watt-flashlight-bulb/372/

Or better yet:

http://www.superbrightleds.com/moreinfo/b-series/3-watt-flashlight-bulb-pr2-3whp-x/638/


Of course the voltage range in my case would need to cover 6v.

Looking to upgrade Dad's old 4 cell so Ma has something reliable around the house.

None of these drop-ins is going to be 'night and day' compared to the original incandescent bulbs. Even the 3W drop-in is only 180 lumens. And since it is not well heatsinked, it can't easily dissipate heat to the body of the light. So it may have to step down after a while. I have one of the original Mag 3W Luxeon drop-ins. And it looks like these drop-ins are much like that one. They will give you a little more output. But the main benefit is going to be improved battery life vs the incandescent bulbs.

If you want more of a 'night vs day' difference in brightness, I recommend a Malkoff drop-in. They are certainly MUCH more expensive. But unlike these drop-ins, you get an actual XLamp LED that is properly heatsinked. If you want a drop-in that is going to be reliable and give you the output of a modern light, Malkoff is THE way to go.
 

Lightwriter

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Malkoffs are the best for Mags. I have both the $39 XPG and $69 XML versions and they are awesome. www.malkoffdevices.com

Terralux has some decent drop-ins. The 1W LED posted above looks similar to the Terralux TLE-1F. It's ok, maybe on par with the original MagLED Luxeon III. http://www.terraluxportable.com/product/ministar1/

The Mag only Terralux drop-ins use Rebel LEDs (I read somewhere they now use XP-Es, but the ones I bought have Rebels) and are on par with the 2nd generation MagLED flashlights that also use the Rebel.
http://www.terraluxportable.com/product/tle-6ex-cnc/

I have the older version of this Terralux 3-LED unit. It was about $69 when I bought mine on Amazon. A bit more floody but you can't adjust the beam unlike the previous units I posted.
http://www.terraluxportable.com/product/tle-310-m-ex/

Amazon is a good place to buy these.
 

tjhabak

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The Malkoff drop-ins are awesome. Malkoff is a great company to deal with too. With them you retain the Mag focusability. Member Venture of Blood is currently selling some great drop-ins as well. They are pre focused and set, but the reflector he uses gives a great combination of flood and throw. It leans slightly toward flood. You can order cool white, neutral white, or warm white high cri tints. They're also on sale for 30% off! I just ordered a couple of the warm D cell modules.
 
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