ANOTHER CRAZY MAG MOD QUESTION??

I want to build a 2d mag light. I got all the info from litho123 to build it myself but I have a few questions.
1) If I have a 6aa to 2d holder what would the voltage and amperage be if I were to use Energizer 2100 batteries in it.
2) I have to choose between 2 Welch Allen potted bulbs. The 1185 and the 1166. Which one?? The 1185 is rated @ 9.6 volts,3.15amps,and 30.24 amps. The 1166 is rated @ 11.6 volts,1.97amps,and 22.85 watts. The 1185 has alot more bulb throw.

Im attempting to do this on my own so any help on the technical stuff will help.
Thanx Jason

Voltage will depend on your batteries. If your batteries are nimh, you will probably get 1.4V peak and 1.2V per cell at midpoint run voltage. Have a look in the electronics forum for more info on this (and suggestions about batteries)! So for 6 cells figure 1.2x6=8.4V - assuming you have cells which will be able to hold their voltage well under high discharge conditions. Amperage (current draw) will be determined by the bulb.

You won't be able to run the 1185 bulb. You need at least 8 nimh cells to do this. (1.2x6=8.4V - no cigar) Same deal with the 1166, you won't be able to run it on the 6 nimh cell setup either.

Hope that helps. Use the search, there's heaps of info on 2d mags and the bulb possibilities.

I meant 8 batteries. Would the 1185 be a good bet if the batteries equal 9.6 and the bulb equals 9.6?

You're right about trying to match up the voltages but you have to remember a) overdrive and b) voltage "sag" under load.

In the classical mag85 setup, 9 consumer (ordinary) nimh batteries are used to give 10.8V. This overdrives the bulb resulting in vastly increased light output. 8 batteries will light up the bulb for sure but won't give you quite as much light.

If you want to use 8 batteries, it's best to use high-current nimh batteries - cheapbatterypacks.com 1650mah AAs are often reccommended for this application. They sag (lose voltage) less under load and so are better suited to this role. Normal (consumer off-the-shelf) nimh batteries tend to sag quite a bit and so you won't be getting 9.6 volts - in fact it's likely that the voltage will be quite a bit under that figure.

What if I were to use 2100mah or 2500mah energizer nimh batteries would the sag still affect the output or would it be allright?? These mag mods are darn near rocket science. Figuring out what you need is the hardest part not the actually building of the light. Is the 1185 potted or bi-pin bulb?? Do you know

Energizers should be fine but you'd be best off trying to use 9 of them. Almost all nimh batteries are considered consumer from the perspective of mods. Have a look over in the battery forum for reccommendations.

Have a read of these threads:
https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/92309&
https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/96365&

Just whip the search till your fingers bleed - the information is here but it's pretty scattered!

edit: the 1185 comes in both bi-pin and potted varients. It's probably better to use the bi-pin version for reliability's sakes. Also the bi-pin holder allows you to use a great variety of other bulbs as well. Have a look at light-edge.com

If you wanted to retain the 8aa 2d form factor with a 1185 bulb, your best bet would be to try buying the CBP (cheapbatterypacks) 1650 nimh cells. As far as I know that's the only possibility but there may be others I'm not aware of. I'm not sure if the CBP cells fit in the 8aa holder though...

I believe the 2500mah will actually sag a little more than the 2100. The wa1185 can be found in either bi-pin or potted. The best choice for maximum brightness using 8 cells in a 8aa-2d adapter is the Fivemega 7.2v Axial bulb. Make sure you let the batteries rest for a few hours or overnight before powering up the flashlight as there the danger of blowing the bulb with cells that are hot of the charger. He has these bulbs in both potted and bi-pin.

Another option is to locate a dummy AA cell and use 7AA's and 1 dummy to power a wa1274.

Just a reminder! If your flashlight is not bored out then the 2500mah & cbp1650 will not fit 4. Just tried & even Titanium 2400mah are really tight.
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