Long Runtime Incandescents

DayofReckoning · Jan 23, 2020

With the rise of LED's, a long runtime Incandescent is a bit of a niche catagory in our hobby. Nonetheless, I love the idea of obtaining long runtimes in Incandescent lights. Does anyone else here as well?

I purpose built a light for this specific purpose, and thought I would share a few pics and details here. It's a Fivemega 26650 E-Series body, Tad's Bi Pin Adapter with 3712 bulb (1.2A), Vapcell 5500mah cell, and most importantly, the guts of a Lightsaver Miser Tailcap installed, which allows me to run the light at 25% brightness.

So not accounting for resistance, lost battery capacity, etc, how much runtime am I looking at here on the 25% brightness setting? FWIW, HKJ just tested these cells and they actually rated at above 5700mah. :grin2:

And the 25% setting is still very useful at night for tasks.

What's the longest runtime incandescent setup you guys have seen, or own here on CPF? I have some other Tad's bulbs that I could underdrive and get some insane runtimes with.

novice · Jan 23, 2020

I think your set-up would be hard to beat.

It would be nice if Tad produced a bi-pin bulb adapter to fit in a regular SF Z44 bezel. Perhaps it could be a 2-piece fixed focal-length arrangement - with a central shaft to slide in and out of place, to avoid getting fingerprints on the reflector. Focal-lengths could possibly be moot if it was for his series of proprietary A2 bulbs. Hopefully it would be different enough from Fivemega's long-discontinued magnificent threaded adjustable bi-pin adapter design, that no one would think that there was any infringement going on.

DayofReckoning · Jan 23, 2020

Very good idea, and something I would definitely like to see Tad's produce. I'm sure it would sell.

Grijon · Jan 24, 2020

I'll estimate 14+ hours, and interested to hear the real results

Yes, this is cool.

DayofReckoning · Jan 24, 2020

Grijon said:
I'll estimate 14+ hours, and interested to hear the real results

Yes, this is cool.

Thanks! Only thing I'd worry about with a runtime test is the Vapcell 26650 doesn't have a protection circuit, so I'd have to keep a close eye on it and not overdischarge it. Though I do have a protected Keeppower 26650 but with less capacity (5200mah) I could try.

I own a 1X26650 cell extender for it as well, but the only available bulb from Tad's for 2XLi-ion is the 7212 (1.2A)

I wish I could find a bi-pin bulb for 7.2V that draws less than 1.2A and fits correctly in the Tad's socket. Seeing as though non-surefire type bulbs like this, generally speaking, have a lifespan of around 20 hours, give or take, we could possibly be looking at a situation where the battery life is longer than the bulb life!

RobertMM · Jan 25, 2020

After seeing TAD'S Customs Mag2 and 3C builds for sale at the bay using G4 halogen bulbs and recently acquiring a Solarforce L600(20watt G4 halogen bulb), the thought of going the opposite direction dawned unto me.
I am thinking a Mag3C, with a 6-cell Magnumstar bipin and two 21700 cells if the highest capacity I can find.

Problem is that the old 3C Mags are hard to find, I haven't acquired one til now. 😅

fivemega · Jan 25, 2020

DayofReckoning said:
I wish I could find a bi-pin bulb for 7.2V that draws less than 1.2A

Streamlight TL-3 bulb is 7.5V, 1.2A

DayofReckoning · Jan 26, 2020

fivemega said:
Streamlight TL-3 bulb is 7.5V, 1.2A

Thanks for pointing that out FiveMega. Good bulb, but they are very expensive

At least compared to the bi-pins I get from Tad's

ampdude · Jan 27, 2020

I'm okay with the Surefire MN02. It runs 2.5hr at 25 lumens on two CR123A's. I think on fresh batteries it starts out at more like 40 lumens. I couldn't find my carry light the other day, so I slipped an E2e with one in my coat pockets. Didn't feel "underarmed."

Lumen83 · Jan 27, 2020

I haven't tested the total time yet, but I use a surefire 6p host with a 16650 and a 6 volt xenon lamp and it just runs forever it seems.

Grijon · Jan 27, 2020

Lumen83 said:
I haven't tested the total time yet, but I use a surefire 6p host with a 16650 and a 6 volt xenon lamp and it just runs forever it seems.

May not be as long as you think

I use a stock Surefire 6P with a 16650 quite a bit, and after 2 hours the battery is pretty well done.

ma tumba · Jan 27, 2020

My fav incand setup is either the fivemega 2x18350 or 2x18500 hosts with adjustable head plus a sf tail with either miser guts or aw three stage switch.

Great thing about the shorter host is its flexibility: you can use the fivemega's t2 bulbs with 2x18350, if you need lumens, 5/6D mag replacement bulbs if you want more runtime, or 3D bulb with an 18650 if you want even more runtime

DayofReckoning · Jan 27, 2020

There's one thing I've learned since owning this light. People, including my past self, truly don't realize how weak, anemic and lacking the 16340/18350/16650/18650 cells are until you've run 26650 cells of this caliber. At least when it comes to driving incandescent bulbs, where shifts in brightness and whitness is very noticeable. Especially these Vapcell 26650's, which according to the charts on HKJ's fine battery comparator, pretty much blows away everything else. The performance under load is insane.

For example, the brightness seems to almost double swapping from a Keeppower 16650 over to the 26650, with whiteness improving as well. Even swapping from a Keeppower 35000mah 18650 to 26650 shows an noticeable increase in brightness. Of course, I do expect bulb life to be reduced as a result.

Lumen83 · Jan 27, 2020

Grijon said:
May not be as long as you think
I use a stock Surefire 6P with a 16650 quite a bit, and after 2 hours the battery is pretty well done.

Thats long! I guess perception is everything. But 2 hours out of a 6p incan is forever to me. I also have one bored for 18650s that I used to run that bulb in and that was even longer. It was starting to be boring, it got such long run times. So I put it back over the 16650 which is still crazy long in my book.

RobertMM · Jan 31, 2020

A 3.7V P60 mated to a 21700 or 26650 would be awesome.

Grijon · Jan 31, 2020

Lumen83 said:
Thats long! I guess perception is everything. But 2 hours out of a 6p incan is forever to me. I also have one bored for 18650s that I used to run that bulb in and that was even longer. It was starting to be boring, it got such long run times. So I put it back over the 16650 which is still crazy long in my book.

Perception is everything!

From a Surefire perspective 2 hours is pretty crazy - from a 4D Maglite perspective not so much - from a 14+ hour custom incan setup like I think the OP has...

DayofReckoning · Jan 31, 2020

RobertMM said:
A 3.7V P60 mated to a 21700 or 26650 would be awesome.

That's essentially what I'm running in my light, the Tad's 3712 is very similar to P60 output, maybe even greater when driven by a 26650.

They do sell a 3.7 P60 style xenon module on the big auction site. I've never ran one though.

I just remembered that Lumens Factory sells their HO-E1R lamp. With a current draw of 0.8A, I think the runtime would enter the category of "That's just [FONT=Verdana,Arial,Tahoma,Calibri,Geneva,sans-serif]ridiculous" :laughing: [/FONT]

RobertMM · Feb 7, 2020

DayofReckoning said:
That's essentially what I'm running in my light, the Tad's 3712 is very similar to P60 output, maybe even greater when driven by a 26650.

They do sell a 3.7 P60 style xenon module on the big auction site. I've never ran one though.

I just remembered that Lumens Factory sells their HO-E1R lamp. With a current draw of 0.8A, I think the runtime would enter the category of "That's just [FONT=Verdana,Arial,Tahoma,Calibri,Geneva,sans-serif]ridiculous" :laughing: [/FONT]

A minimum of 3 to 4 hours off aa 4000mAh 21700 on thaat Lumens Factory lamp would make me happy.

I think I'll go ahead and give those 3.7V P60s a try. They are inexpensive anyway.

broadgage · Feb 7, 2020

A standard 2D flashlight with a 2.7 volt 150ma bulb will give over 100 hours service on alkaline cells.
A lantern with a 5 volt 90ma bulb and a 6 volt zinc carbon battery will also give about 100 hours service.

DayofReckoning · Feb 7, 2020

RobertMM said:
A minimum of 3 to 4 hours off aa 4000mAh 21700 on thaat Lumens Factory lamp would make me happy.

I think I'll go ahead and give those 3.7V P60s a try. They are inexpensive anyway.

Something you may want to note. On Kaidomain, they have 2 versions available, a 12W and 15W. Many of the big auction site listings don't specify what they are, even though they all look identical.

Long Runtime Incandescents

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