TheGreatGazzoooo
Newly Enlightened
- Joined
- Nov 25, 2013
- Messages
- 11
I wanted to find a good flashlight for power outages and emergencies that would give me good room lighting for a long time and I ended up modding some of my incandescent Maglites with good results for very cheap. I used this 3w Cree P4 drop in module from DX and it produces a very wide beam and the batteries last a long time. In the 3C I get about 25 hours of usable ceiling bounce and the 3D I get about 40 hours. These numbers are with alkalines. If you have a newer Maglite 3D LED (Cree 131 lumen version) my mod is about 20 percent brighter than that to give you an idea. Still this mod is very good for walking around and lighting up the back yard or a trail in front of you, its just not a huge thrower.
http://dx.com/p/cree-p4-led-drop-in-module-for-ultrafire-wf-500-flashlights-7039
To do this you need some heat shrink tube to insulate the positive lead (spring) and to machine down the drop in module about 2mm less so it will fit into the Maglite head. You also need to cut and bend the negative lead (spring) at an approximate spot so it sits on the threads of the negative of the Maglite with some pressure. After than it just drops in and works. For $13 and some heat shrink tube it serves my purpose well!
To machine down the head there are a variety of methods and tools that can be used. For this one I taped off the inside of the LED reflector and used a belt sander with an 80 grit belt. My belt sander has a lock switch that can be engaged at full speed so I can flip it over and use it as a bench sander and use my hand to turn the side of the reflector round and round until I've eaten the material away and the drop in fits in the head. I will warn anyone that doing this method is only for skilled trades workers only so you don't loose or break your fingers and you should only do this outside and wear a mask that is rated to stop aluminum dust. Trust me you don't want to breath that in! Also the head will start to get warm as you sand it so you may have to take a break and let it cool and also it will have some razor sharp edges so you need to round that off with the belt sander so you do not cut yourself or anyone else.
http://dx.com/p/cree-p4-led-drop-in-module-for-ultrafire-wf-500-flashlights-7039
To do this you need some heat shrink tube to insulate the positive lead (spring) and to machine down the drop in module about 2mm less so it will fit into the Maglite head. You also need to cut and bend the negative lead (spring) at an approximate spot so it sits on the threads of the negative of the Maglite with some pressure. After than it just drops in and works. For $13 and some heat shrink tube it serves my purpose well!
To machine down the head there are a variety of methods and tools that can be used. For this one I taped off the inside of the LED reflector and used a belt sander with an 80 grit belt. My belt sander has a lock switch that can be engaged at full speed so I can flip it over and use it as a bench sander and use my hand to turn the side of the reflector round and round until I've eaten the material away and the drop in fits in the head. I will warn anyone that doing this method is only for skilled trades workers only so you don't loose or break your fingers and you should only do this outside and wear a mask that is rated to stop aluminum dust. Trust me you don't want to breath that in! Also the head will start to get warm as you sand it so you may have to take a break and let it cool and also it will have some razor sharp edges so you need to round that off with the belt sander so you do not cut yourself or anyone else.
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