Mag 2c/2d/Charger upgrades?

Hello all,

I have several mags just laying around and well I am wanting to upgrade them with ... something. And the mags are...

Mag 2C (old style)
Mag 2D
MagCharger (w/o charger or batts)

Currently I have a KPR upgrade in the 2C with some 123s and I like the output but hate having to use the 123s. I recently ordered about 8 3AA to D adapters ,which should be in tomorrow, for the 2D and MC.

Incand? vs. Luxeon?
Bi-pin? vs. Potted?
Single Lux? vs. Multi Lux?
DD? vs BB?

I have followed a few threads regarding the mag lineage but it seems that the posts are being updated or have been removed :-( so I am a bit at a loss. I also have read up on the osink/hotlips/tri/quad mags but the only thing I seem to come back to is that I don't have enough mags to mod .

Must...fight...urge...to...purchase...more...flashlights......

Seriously though, if any CPFers can help direct me it would be much appreciated. I didn't want to spend too much on a mod for any single mag (something like a tri-lux T-bin boost/buck would be ok price range). I am not partial to LED over Incand. I would like to stear away from primary 123s. I would like some good light, right not the 2C almost matches the output of the polystinger...

Thanks for any and all information.

Sincerely,

Shaman

Tri-LuxIII Mag2C and Quad-LuxIII Mag2D.
Right, I'm a led-guy! :laughing:

magcharger... a 'no brainer' upgrade is to swap the bulb for a 1160 WA bulb.. you need the 6V battery pack though... you get at least 456 lumens and 3339K color.. it's stunning to see.

9xAA alkalines would get you 13.5V.. taking a volt off for losses and a bit for overdrive.. you could use a 12V bulb but you'd want to keep the wattage reasonable becuase you'll melt things with 2x over drive from a stock 6W bulb..

for the 2D.. hard to say no to a nice LED mod like mentioned.. find the destructions how to put a PTS or PQS in.. you can find the directions complete at the sandwich shoppe with the listing for the PTS and PQS.

Foir the 2C old style.. tougher to find heatsinks to fit, but i've seen very neat mods.. a pair of 18650s fit nice in a 2C.. and finding a hotwire that fits in there nice is a real stunner.

-awr

Thanks for the replies Icarus and andrewwynn! I have actually read/followed several of your posts. Icarus your posts regarding the Tri/Quad mags is what really got part of this started . Realistically, I am still an infant when compared to other CPFers so I am a bit reluctant to jump into things without a little consultation

Icarus-
I really do like the FatMag configuration, specifically the Tri. I would love to stick that into my 2C but I don't have any of the Pila size batteries or the like (and I didn't want to use 123s). Would 2 Cs be enough to run a Tri configuration in Mag2C (with Fatman board)? I am not opposed to using a VIP on a single LuxIII on the 2C though (Do you sell the LED+VIP_BOARD+CAN?). In any event your Mods/Lights are clean, crisp, and are just a pleasure to look at even if they aren't lit up!

andrewwynn-
The 1160 I have been pondering for quite a while now, and I have heard nothing but good things regarding it. My view is that it is like the 1185+ without the enormous heat issues (and a little less light). Would I need to replace anything in the charger (add a modamag aluminum reflector or Kiu's ceramic bi-pin slug)?

I failed to mention I have 2 UCL lenses coming from flashlightlens.com. Also, I did receive my ten 3AA-to-1D adapters. If at all possible I would like to stick with AA/C/D NiMHs since this is what I have on hand or can get relatively easily (but would like to have Alkaline as a backup).

Thanks for the quick posts and direction. As I have said, I have followed many of your posts and the both of you (and others) are always freely giving help/experience/knowledge. I am glad I get to thank you for all of those posts and for your advice with my little dilema!

Sincerely,

Shaman

Ok.. i added a line to my hotwire spreadsheet for ya.. [email protected] battery..

Here is what it comes out:

6.0Vbat.. 5.46Vbulb.. 3.60A.. 19.7W.. 444 lumen.. 22.6 lum/W.. 3339K color 175hr life

magcharger uses a 2.4AH battery so at 3.6A means est. 40 minutes runtime.

The 1160 is a tough cookie to run at higher voltages than 6V.. you def. need a regulator but it can be pushed a lot higher (almost double the output) but you need softstart and voltage regulation... that's why i said that bang-for-buck can't beat just putting 1060 into a magcharger.

the stock magcharger bulb is about 6-8W.. the 1060 will be about 20W.. the reflector is plastic in the magcharger but it's pretty robust.. i wouldn't use the light hands-free continuously but believe if it's used intermittently or in mostion you won't have a problem melting the reflector and it comes with a glass lens so that's a bonus.

There is a thread about how to keep the heat of the bulb from damaging the socket, but most imporantly just make sure that the bulb doesn't touch the plastic of the socket.

You could find a bulb that will run at a higher voltage w/o quite as high of power .. with 3x AA->D in a magcharger you will have 10.8V if using rechargeables but with alkaline it would be more like 13.5V... which will likely melt a lot of the higher voltage bulbs (i.e. it's hard to find a bulb that is bright on NiMH but won't blow with alkaline.. although... you could use the likes of alkaline with one missing cell (called a dummy.. solid aluminum fake AA battery).. and that would probably work.

A neat possibility is if you use the 3x AA->d to get 10.8V with NiMH batts.. you could use the 1166 bulb.. i just tonight made a really neat solution out of a 2D light that was cut with three grooves.. made for 3x17670 solution (10.8v series).. but i bought it to use 6x17500 batts in series/parallel (7.2V).. however i decided to try an experiment.. i put 9xR123.. 3x3 for 10.8V.. and it works really nice!

at 10.5V the 1166 is under driven 14% but it's such an amazingly white light that it still is a wonderful light.. but at 20W or so you are going to have some heat issues with plastic reflector even though it's tough.. I don't know if there is a drop in metal reflector for the magcharger.

The best bang-for-watt at that voltage is the 1331.. it's noticably dimmer than the 1185 but the output at 2A and 10.5V (21.2W) is 730 lumen (34 lumen/watt).. it's stuning and mucho longer runtimes than the mag85.. the batteries are a LOT happier driving it too.. however.. it's a very fine filament and low hour lifespan.. (directly related to the odds of blowing it up with too fresh of battery charge as well)... they are mosnterously brighter than the 1166 at 10.8 or the 1160 at 5.5V.. but 'high-risk' of blowing the bulb.

the carley 1057 is a decent bulb run from 7.2V solution.. right in the ranks of the 1160 at 6.0V or the 1166 at 10.8V solution (they are all betwween about 400 and 500 lumen).

i think you might get away with the 1331 in the magcharger host esp. if you put a heat-shield on the top of the bulb holder, and using the plastic 3AA->D adapters enough resistance will be introduced to help reduce the odds of 'flashing' the bulb.

the Mac 2C.. i'd put a pair or 18650 cells and then you can run a carley 1057 or the 1111 which is my favorite on the chart.. i haven't gotten the bulb yet to test in-person.

-awr

The magcharger reflector is made out of AL or steel. It is not plastic.

PM sent.

oh yeah i forgot.. it's just the holder around the reflector that is plastic.. you might have problems over 20-25W but below that probably be ok.

-awr

Ok, here is the latest. I've been running through a few scenario's and came up with this...

I'll get a couple of carley 1057 potted bulbs and test it in the Mag2D. Since I have those 3AA to 1D adapters I'll put my 2300mAh AAs in them which should give me about 7.2v. Granted I'll loose some voltage in the mix, but I still should get an increase from the kpr bulb I have in there right now. Then after I get a visual, I'll go from there. I would still like the 3/4 Lux III in either the 2D or 2C, but it seemed that this was the cheapest way to go (while still getting a good light source).

Should I go ahead and get some aluminum reflectors from the shoppe or stick with my plastic 2D reflector??? I just don't know how hot that carley 1057 bulb gets...

Sincerely,

Shaman

I have the 1057 potted.. it's an ok bulb to be sure in the combo you describe... you will get about 350 lumen i would estimate.. you'll get over 400 if you patch the magswitch. I had no prolbem with heat in my 7.2V host/ 1057 solution.. but I did start to melt the reflector and lens when i put an 1166 in there (10.8V battery).

-awr

Thanks andrewwynn!

I did go ahead and get the aluminum reflector, I figured if I get a better bulb I'll need it anyways. How do you go about patching the magswitch?

Sincerely,

Shaman

I will be posting a step-by-step but i'll describe it here..

how i will fix any of my mag-switches that keep the PR base... you only need a 5/64th hex to take the switch out.. take off the rubber button and it goes right through the center.. the switch has to be in the 'on' position to smoothly drop out the tail of the light... takes a bit of shaking and that's usually it.

same hex key removes the rolling screw on the side that pushes the PR up and down.

I will be soldering directly to the upper tab on the switch.. it comes out so you won't melt plastic.. and feeding that braided wire back up through the PR... through the spring.. you won't need the bottom cap anymore... and the braided wire gets soldered directly to the upper PR contact (that is on top of the spring).. i solder to that by heating the snot out of the part while it is concave side up.. melt some solder into a puddle in the middle and solder some pre-tinned wire up inside there.

I will be removing the return sliding contact, probably by cutting it... i will solder another braided wire to that and plan to afix that to the part where the brass rolling screw is attached.. i might tap an addl hole in the bottom or might figure out if i can attach to the same screw w/o interferring witht he cam mechanism.. you can get away w/o fixing the sliding contact but make sure the braided wire behaves and stays within the spring lest you directly short your battery pack.. things will melt or start on fire.

A little easier patch on the postitive part is just to patch the spring.. and it's easy to still dissasemble and gets you 80% of the way to perfection... you take that spring mechanism out.. and solder the braided wire to both the bottom and top contact.. just doing that and putting some contact helper on the sliding ground return and each remaning contact will drop the reistance from 167 to 50 miliohms.. enough to do the trick.. 50 mohm is like a decent FET.. very reasonable losses... and virtually no expenses.. just some solderwick and a little time.

-awr

Thanks andrewwynn!

About 2-3 minutes after posting a response I found the post where you had the conversation and spoke of the fix... Thats what I get for posting first instead of researching first

I noticed that it was slightly brighter than my Polystinger (spot) and that was a bit surprising. I didn't mind it really, just adjusted my view. I had a gut feeling that something was hindering the volts but I didn't pursue it any further. I appreciate the verbal howto very much, I have 2 Mags that surgery will be performed on shortly. Plus when I try to do the quad lux, this should help out as well.

Sincerely,

Shaman

oh.. btw.. we did a 'really' easy quick fix.. we soldered the spring itslef w/o putting in the braided wire... and the switch resistance was a little higher.. more like 80 vs 50.. but down from 167 was less than 1/2.. but clearly a 24ga steel wire has a lot more resistance than an 18ga copper wire.

-awr