I want to mod a maglite 3D flashlight to get it to about 100 lumens. I want to try to keep the cost under $30.00 and I want at least 1.5 hour of runtime. The other option I am looking at is a flashlight about the same size as the Maglite 3D, that is in the 100 - 150 lumen range which is around $50 ( rechargable or non rechargeable does not matter). Any suggestions with either option would be appreciated
How can I easily mod a Maglite 3D flashlight??
- Thread starter THETANK
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Former_Mag_User
Enlightened
- Joined
- Jun 4, 2004
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- 800
Re: How can I easily mod a Maglite 3D flashlight?
For the amount of lumens you want, your price seems a little low.
I don't know much about incandescet lights, so I'll focus on LED lights. If you know how to solder you can mod your 3D to use 3 Luxeon LED's. That would be around 200-240 lumens. You couls use a PVC pipe and put 4 'C' batteries in your 3D Mag. This setup would cost you about $80.
2D Mag using 3 C batteries in a 1" PVC pipe.
You can do that yourself or buy a Tri-Star Phazer from Elektrolumens. It is the exact setup as I mentioned, 4C batteries and 3x Luxeon LED's. The light costs $120.
http://elektrolumens.com/Tri_Star_Phazer/Tri-Star-Phazer.html
For the amount of lumens you want, your price seems a little low.
I don't know much about incandescet lights, so I'll focus on LED lights. If you know how to solder you can mod your 3D to use 3 Luxeon LED's. That would be around 200-240 lumens. You couls use a PVC pipe and put 4 'C' batteries in your 3D Mag. This setup would cost you about $80.
2D Mag using 3 C batteries in a 1" PVC pipe.
You can do that yourself or buy a Tri-Star Phazer from Elektrolumens. It is the exact setup as I mentioned, 4C batteries and 3x Luxeon LED's. The light costs $120.
http://elektrolumens.com/Tri_Star_Phazer/Tri-Star-Phazer.html
modamag
Flashlight Enthusiast
Re: How can I easily mod a Maglite 3D flashlight?
Here's the two solution that comes close to your price range.
=== LED Solution 180+ lumens ===
PTS-D ... $13 (S.Shop)
3xLuxIII unknown bin ... $27 (BST or Futures)
3xIMS SO20XA reflector ... $12 (S.Shop or Photonfanatic)
=== Incandescent 800+ lumens ===
9AA-3D ... $34 (FM)
Potted WA 1185 Lamp ... $8 (Flashlightlens | Lightedge)
Aluminum Reflector ... $20 (Modamag | FM | Lightedge)
If you can get away from the Mag3D host then here's another possibility.
=== Incandescent ===
Pelican Big-D rechargeable lamp ... $8 (brightguy)
Aluminum Reflector ... $20 (Modamag | FM | Lightedge)
Here's the two solution that comes close to your price range.
=== LED Solution 180+ lumens ===
PTS-D ... $13 (S.Shop)
3xLuxIII unknown bin ... $27 (BST or Futures)
3xIMS SO20XA reflector ... $12 (S.Shop or Photonfanatic)
=== Incandescent 800+ lumens ===
9AA-3D ... $34 (FM)
Potted WA 1185 Lamp ... $8 (Flashlightlens | Lightedge)
Aluminum Reflector ... $20 (Modamag | FM | Lightedge)
If you can get away from the Mag3D host then here's another possibility.
=== Incandescent ===
Pelican Big-D rechargeable lamp ... $8 (brightguy)
Aluminum Reflector ... $20 (Modamag | FM | Lightedge)
Lurveleven
Flashlight Enthusiast
Re: How can I easily mod a Maglite 3D flashlight?
Are the batteries included in the $30 budget? Rechargable batteries are expensive and will take most/all of the budget if they are included in it.
The easiest would be to buy a potted strion bulb from Fivemega and NiMH D cells (CTA 12000mAh recommended). That should give you 116 lumens (according to brightguy.com). Runtime will be 6 hours.
I think I paid $6 for the strion bulb, but be warned, it has a very thight hotspot.
Another option is to use 4 NiMH C cells and use a 4.8V bulb like the WA1319. Some work with the spring and endcap has to be done with this mod, and you need to make some tubing to hold the batteries in place. The problem with this mod is to get decent potted bulbs, so you may consider getting one of Kiu's bi-pin socket kit. However, you my try the Pelican Big-Ed rechargable bulb (this is potted), but the specifications are contradicting on it, I have seen it specified as 65, 78 and 163 lumens. After trying it and comparing it to other bulbs I had the feeling 163 was the correct spec. Using the Big-Ed bulb you should get 2.5 hours runtime with good cells.
There is also the option of using 9 AA NiMH batteries in 3 x Elektrolumens 3AA-D holders ($3.5 each) and use a WA1306 bulb togheter with the Kiu bi-pin socket kit. This setup should give you 350 lumens for 1.5 hour. I think this may be the most powerful setup you can use without melting the stock reflector and lens, but don't take my word for it since I have not tried it myself. Note that you should rest the batteries for an hour after charging when using this setup to avoid instantflashing the bulb. An alternative would be to use a dummy cell so you were only using 8 cells and ran the bulb at spec, but this will give you only 245 lumens, but the bulb will last longer.
Sigbjoern
Are the batteries included in the $30 budget? Rechargable batteries are expensive and will take most/all of the budget if they are included in it.
The easiest would be to buy a potted strion bulb from Fivemega and NiMH D cells (CTA 12000mAh recommended). That should give you 116 lumens (according to brightguy.com). Runtime will be 6 hours.
I think I paid $6 for the strion bulb, but be warned, it has a very thight hotspot.
Another option is to use 4 NiMH C cells and use a 4.8V bulb like the WA1319. Some work with the spring and endcap has to be done with this mod, and you need to make some tubing to hold the batteries in place. The problem with this mod is to get decent potted bulbs, so you may consider getting one of Kiu's bi-pin socket kit. However, you my try the Pelican Big-Ed rechargable bulb (this is potted), but the specifications are contradicting on it, I have seen it specified as 65, 78 and 163 lumens. After trying it and comparing it to other bulbs I had the feeling 163 was the correct spec. Using the Big-Ed bulb you should get 2.5 hours runtime with good cells.
There is also the option of using 9 AA NiMH batteries in 3 x Elektrolumens 3AA-D holders ($3.5 each) and use a WA1306 bulb togheter with the Kiu bi-pin socket kit. This setup should give you 350 lumens for 1.5 hour. I think this may be the most powerful setup you can use without melting the stock reflector and lens, but don't take my word for it since I have not tried it myself. Note that you should rest the batteries for an hour after charging when using this setup to avoid instantflashing the bulb. An alternative would be to use a dummy cell so you were only using 8 cells and ran the bulb at spec, but this will give you only 245 lumens, but the bulb will last longer.
Sigbjoern
wtraymond
Enlightened
Re: How can I easily mod a Maglite 3D flashlight?
Put a 2D bulb in that 3D Maglite and cross your fingers. It will be bright for a while /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinser2.gif
Put a 2D bulb in that 3D Maglite and cross your fingers. It will be bright for a while /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinser2.gif
Re: How can I easily mod a Maglite 3D flashlight?
[ QUOTE ]
wtraymond said:
Put a 2D bulb in that 3D Maglite and cross your fingers. It will be bright for a while /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinser2.gif
[/ QUOTE ]
Haw! Actually yeah, I have seen some that did last, and some that flashed right away (somewhat used batteries do help here).
For $30 it is kinda low, if you wanted to build a real Luxeon thrower (whether 100 lumens or not) that will outperform many 100-lumen light in long distance beam casting contests, you could start with a 3D Maglite and go something like this:
3D Mag - $20
Luxeon III emitter - $15
Pre-fab heatsink - $7 to $12 (unsure of price, also depends on which one as there are at least two versions)
Assorted misc. items like wire, Arctic Alumina/Silver epoxy, solder, etc. - $5 to $15 (depending on if you already have some of this lying around)
So for about ~$50 you could have one heck of a throwing light, and it runs strictly on regular (cheeep!) D-cell alkalines, or make the 2D version shown in the pic above and use a plastic pipe to sleeve it down for 3 C-cells.
Good luck!
[ QUOTE ]
wtraymond said:
Put a 2D bulb in that 3D Maglite and cross your fingers. It will be bright for a while /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinser2.gif
[/ QUOTE ]
Haw! Actually yeah, I have seen some that did last, and some that flashed right away (somewhat used batteries do help here).
For $30 it is kinda low, if you wanted to build a real Luxeon thrower (whether 100 lumens or not) that will outperform many 100-lumen light in long distance beam casting contests, you could start with a 3D Maglite and go something like this:
3D Mag - $20
Luxeon III emitter - $15
Pre-fab heatsink - $7 to $12 (unsure of price, also depends on which one as there are at least two versions)
Assorted misc. items like wire, Arctic Alumina/Silver epoxy, solder, etc. - $5 to $15 (depending on if you already have some of this lying around)
So for about ~$50 you could have one heck of a throwing light, and it runs strictly on regular (cheeep!) D-cell alkalines, or make the 2D version shown in the pic above and use a plastic pipe to sleeve it down for 3 C-cells.
Good luck!
sonofjesse
Newly Enlightened
Re: How can I easily mod a Maglite 3D flashlight?
I would also like to do this.
Where can you purchase the Luxeon III can I buy 3 and make a maglit tristar?
Where do you buythe pre-fab heatsink.
I have the paste and solder stuff already and the mag light
I would also like to do this.
Where can you purchase the Luxeon III can I buy 3 and make a maglit tristar?
Where do you buythe pre-fab heatsink.
I have the paste and solder stuff already and the mag light
.308
Enlightened
Re: How can I easily mod a Maglite 3D flashlight?
How about a 6D Maglite bulb ($3-5) and (8) AA batteries? You could buy three of the 3AA-D battery holders for ~$12. Sway told me about this mod. The bulb is rated at 108 lumens when using 6 batteries but you will be overdriving it /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif using 8. This is the least expensive bright easy to do mod that I know of.
Good Luck,
Chris
.308
How about a 6D Maglite bulb ($3-5) and (8) AA batteries? You could buy three of the 3AA-D battery holders for ~$12. Sway told me about this mod. The bulb is rated at 108 lumens when using 6 batteries but you will be overdriving it /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif using 8. This is the least expensive bright easy to do mod that I know of.
Good Luck,
Chris
.308
andrewwynn
Flashlight Enthusiast
Re: How can I easily mod a Maglite 3D flashlight?
$30 i presume means not including the light host... that's a very tough requirement, but for best bang-for-buck i would get a J vF single emitter lux3 and build an LDO driver http://ldo.rouse.com for about $2-3 in parts.. get that kick butt o-sink http://osink.com
you can play with resistance values to do a DD version but the ldo works very well with 4.5 to 3.6V input (alkaline or NiMH)... with 3 NiMH you can probably use straight direct drive with a Jbin.
-awr
$30 i presume means not including the light host... that's a very tough requirement, but for best bang-for-buck i would get a J vF single emitter lux3 and build an LDO driver http://ldo.rouse.com for about $2-3 in parts.. get that kick butt o-sink http://osink.com
you can play with resistance values to do a DD version but the ldo works very well with 4.5 to 3.6V input (alkaline or NiMH)... with 3 NiMH you can probably use straight direct drive with a Jbin.
-awr
