WA bulbs - Alternatives for the meantime...

There are a few threads about getting WA bulbs potted and into an at least semi-regular production item here on CPF.

In the meantime, I just wanted to point out that there are two stock PR bulbs that might be of interest to salivating hot-wire enthusiasts. They are the bulbs for the PR-based Pelican Big D rechargeable light. The bulbs come 2 per pack, a low and high output model. Specs from Pelican are:

Low: 6V, 1.5A, 9W, 290 lumens
High: 6V, 4A, 24W, 600 lumens

They are available from Brightguy for under $9/pack. These bulbs are meant for the SLA version of this light. I have the Nicad version, and overdrive the high bulb at 7.2V. Very nice output. For those using 5-6 cell Mag bulbs while waiting for a WA opportunity, you might want to consider these. They smoke the Mag bulbs hands down.

BTW, what is the formula for re-rating a bulb that is overdriven? I know it's somewhere on CPF, but I don't know where. As you probably do, could ya post it here? Thanks.

Feel free to post other stock PR bulb possibilities that might help ease the pain of waiting for the WA/Carley train to arrive at the station.

Ratio the overdriven to rated voltage. Then raise to the 3.5 power. Multiply the rated output by this factor.

Wilkey

Has anybody tried running the Pelican Big D-High on NiMH batteries stacked with Elektrolumens or fivemega adapters?

I've ordered a fivemega 8AA-to-2D adapter and an aluminum reflector, and I'd like to try out the PBD-H with that setup. I'm not sure the NiMH are up to the task, though.

Should I just stick with the PBD-L, overdriven with the 8AA-to-2D?

On Edit: I see the two-pack contains one of each type. I suppose I could just order a pack and see what happens if I load up the 24 watt bulb... Will the flashlight blow up or melt if the NiMHs can't handle the current load? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/str.gif Or will I just be disappointed at the sickly yellow beam of an underdriven bulb?

Phaserburn - thanks for the tip. I think I may have come across the ultimate sleeper. I have an older Bright Star 2d - one of the black and yellow plastic flashlights you see in industrial settings. It has a metal reflector, so no melting to be concerned with. 6 nicad or Nimh in some Electrolumens adapters and a 9 watt bulb would *just* about do it.....

Hooked,
The right nimh will have no problems with 4A draw. Standard AAs would just beyond their comfort zone. Anything from high-current land would be ok.
Wilkey

I am currently running the 7.2V high nicad version Big D bulb on 6 Nimh AA in 2 EL 3 to D holders in a Mag 2D. A nice stealth mod; 600 lumens from a garden variety Mag. BTW, I'm also using a Fivemega MOP AL reflector, and UCL lens.

Brightguy only stocks the SLA 6V versions currently. I don't know if he will be carrying the Nicad version and bulbs. Keep in mind these are 6V and that 8 cells might flash them. I know for a fact 6 cells are ok driving the 6V high bulb; that's what my Big D is doing now (6 Nicad D cells).

[ QUOTE ]
Ginseng said:
Ratio the overdriven to rated voltage. Then raise to the 3.5 power. Multiply the rated output by this factor.


[/ QUOTE ]

Thanks Ginseng. You're the one I had in mind when I posted the question. Let's see now...

Ok, my math skills are suspect, so how's this: 7.2V drive divided by 6V rated to get 1.2. 1.2 to the 3.5th power is..1.89. 1.89 x 600 lumens is...1136 lumens. Is that correct? If so - Whoa! That can't be right, can it? Where's my mistake? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif

Anybody have a clue if 2 Pilas would work, or would the whole thing just go up in smoke

This is one very exciting thread /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif

Phaserburn, that is an awesome idea. A source for readily-available (as opposed to semi-custom, which the potted WAs are) bulbs.. with some SERIOUS output.

I was looking at the Big D SLA, but it's big. This is a heck of a way to get the Big D's power in a smaller light.

Ginseng.. would Sanyo 2100s be considered standard AAs or is it a Bad Idea(tm) to try?

I found a source for replacement lamps for the Big D rechargeable and alkaline, but there are no specs on the website.

http://www.camping-hunting.com/product_detail-4904.asp?bhiw=1004&bhih=647&bhqs=1

http://www.camping-hunting.com/product_detail-4907.asp?bhiw=1004&bhih=647&bhqs=1

So the rechargeable lamps are rated for 7.2v, and the alkaline are for 6v? Is there a significant difference in output?

Hi Phase,

That's right. Output rises rapidly (within reason) with overdrive. Again, nice find! How's the spot with the bulb?

KevinL,

For an honest 4A, any commercial grade AA will be unhappy. The Sanyos and Mahas would be "standard" high quality cells. The CBP1650 high current AAs would be fine and comfy though. I've run Maha2000s at 4.8A for 6 minutes and it was enough to reshrink the heat shrink wrap on the cells. Surface temperature was around 150F IIRC. Extremely unhappy land.

Wilkey

Actually, it's kinda tricky. Pelican makes 3 versions of the Big D - 1. Alkaline 2. SLA 3. Nicad. The two rechargeable versions have different bulb sets, because the SLA is rated for 6V, and the Nicad is rated for 7.2V. You'd have to know which you're ordering. Both bulbs are stamped with the same ID numbers, so there's no way of telling other than seeing on the package that the bulb was meant for either the SLA or Nicad version. I don't think the Nicad version is widely released yet. I got mine as a one-off from a vendor who was viewing it on a trial basis from Pelican.

The alkaline bulb set is also rated at 6V, but it runs with much less current (and is therefore far less bright - more like a 6 cell Mag). A 4 amp draw like the rechargeable lamps have would bring alk cells to their knees in no time.

Ginseng,

The spot is a little bit lobey up close (as opposed to SF type spots, but way tighter than an MC60, for example), but really fairly tight; it is a significant thrower due to it's quite large and nicely orange peeled reflector. Outdoor use (using this indoors is way overkill, unless you are in fact a fireman and are trying to cut through smoke, the Big D's stated purpose) all but eliminates any notice of minor spot irregularity for a relatively filament bulb. The spill is large, very bright and also 99% artifact-free. Pelican did a good job. An axial filament bulb would be killer here.

The Big D is an interesting platform. It comes with an aluminum reflector and runs on 6 D Nicads, one could in theory load 18AA NimH for a whopping 21.6V. Obviously, NiMH Ds could be used as well for double+ runtime, but you'd lose the always on the charger-100% ready to go feature of the Nicads or SLA.

Phaserburn: thanks for the info. I found the specs on Pelican's website, and I'll post them here to save time and bandwidth:

Big D Alkaline:
7.2 volts, 1.1 amps, 8 watts, 200 lumens

Big D SLA:
Low: 6 volts, 1.5 amps, 11 watts, 290 lumens
High: 6 volts, 4 amps, 24 watts, 600 lumens

Big D NiCad:
Low: 7.2 volts, 1.5 amps, 11 watts, 290 lumens
High: 7.2 volts, 4 amps, 24 watts, 600 lumens

Why are the stated wattage/lumen specs for the SLA and NiCad lamps the same, despite the different voltage? Shouldn't the SLA low output lamp be rated at 9 watts, and the NiCad high be rated at ~29 watts? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif

For those who want to check out the info with their own two eyes, here you go:

Pelican Big D Alkaline specs (pdf file)

Pelican Big D Rechargeable specs - NiCad and SLA (pdf file)

Those high-output lamps compare quite favorably to the Welch-Allyn 01160 (5.0 volts, 3.45 amps, 17.25 watts, 326 lumens), and Welch-Allyn 01185 (9.6 volts, 3.15 amps, 30.24 watts, 816 lumens).

[ QUOTE ]
Ginseng said:
KevinL,

For an honest 4A, any commercial grade AA will be unhappy. The Sanyos and Mahas would be "standard" high quality cells. The CBP1650 high current AAs would be fine and comfy though. I've run Maha2000s at 4.8A for 6 minutes and it was enough to reshrink the heat shrink wrap on the cells. Surface temperature was around 150F IIRC. Extremely unhappy land.

Wilkey

[/ QUOTE ]

Thank you.. I'll stick to your awesome Mag85 mod. I got some good news about 1185s or something like that... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/huh.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I tried the Sanyos on the DMM, 14+ flash amps for a fraction of a second before I pulled the probes off to save the DMM, and 4+ amps driving the Osram Decostar 51, but that was only for less than 30 seconds.

No matter where we turn, it seems that it's really hard to outdo the 1185, although the Pelican comes close and it's got better availability.

I intend to get an 1185 as well. But the Pelican can be ordered as a stock item. I am running one in a 6AA Mag at 4A. I intend to run the "low" bulb in this config for the good brightness (290 lumens) and long runtime. Overdriving the low 6V bulb at 6 cells/7.2V should produce approx 550 lumens! That's MC60 lumens territory in a far smaller package and with far less current draw than the 4A "high" bulb.

Oh yeah, definitely - Pelican's availability is so much better. Didn't mean to downplay the significance of your finding, it is still a fantastic discovery, and if I'd known about it a month or so earlier, the credit card would have been whipped out straight away. I hear you get both bulbs in a module, so you can play with both. Sounds great to me!

Not only that, you can swap both bulbs, so you have the LOLA/HOLA combination, Surefire-style, in one light. In one module.

Actually, the low and high are two seperate bulbs that come together in a pack. You'd have to physically replace one for the other to go from high to low power.

The Big D has 2 (two) places internally to store extra bulbs besides the one it is currently using. Not bad. I've attached an Inova 24/7 to the back of my Big D for Pila-esque led functionality as well, as the Big D is comfortable to hold backwards.

I've been following this and other such threads with some interest /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

I've got a Mag 2D with electrolumen's 3AA to D adaptors in it and have been just waiting for something decent to put in there. The 4D magstar bulbs blow up instantly on new batteries and the 6D ones just don't seem as bright as they should. (and while I've heard tell of a mythical 5D mag bulb out there somewhere, I've never seen one /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif ) And while I've devoted some small amount of energy to sorting out the WA bulb numbers and almost joined group buys several times, I just can't seem to get it straight enough in my head what I want to spend the money yet.

so fill it up with NiMH batts and the pelican 7.2 volt bulb sounds perfect. I'll definitely be giving that a try, but as others have said, the websites aren't very clear so I'll need to do some research I suppose.

I can't find these on BrightGuy. I tried searching. Can someone tell me what to look for? Any other sources?

Thanks

Search Brightguy for "Big D".