What to do with incan 4D mag lite?

[alpg88]

turns out Matt from lumencraft sells mag tower spring with low resistance, silver plated beryllium copper, no need to mess with braids and soldering.

 

[ChrisGarrett]

Good afternoon,

been a while since I've been on here, but yesterday I had a great thrift day, picked up both a 4D Mag-Lite a Dazor desk lamp (gonna post another thread about that one) as well as some unrelated stuff, a couple great books, an Amprobe clamp meter with all probes for $4, etc.

So the question. I already have a very old LED Mag that I bought new back when they first came out. The one I just picked up appears exactly the same except has an incandescent bulb in it instead of the LED module. I'm sure there are better options now than the old Mag LED module, but what should I buy? I'm a sucker for high CRI so if anyone makes something with a Nichia 219 or similar I'd be all over it. I've just been out of the flashlight "scene" for quite a while.

I found a 74 lumen Nite Ize drop in that I assume I have because there was a twofer deal when I bought them for some much older flashlights to turn them into practical emergency lights. It says that it will work in 2 to 6 cell lights and is working but I'm just curious if there is something out there significantly better.

Years ago, I put TerraLux NightStar Vs (IIRC) in my two 6D MLs.

For $36, it was better than throwing them away.

Output is about the same 120LM, but there's greater efficiency in the LED modules and they don't burn out.

These are now either loaners, or melee weapons.

Chris

 

[knucklegary]

That's amazing. Oh, well I've got forty bucks in this thing and it will run on 4 alkalines and I've been using it every night for a while now. That"s still amazing though.

Plus that ol' 4D has a thump quality

 

[hsa]

Yes it does.

 

[Monocrom]

Another vote for the Malkoff upgrade.
Fantastic drop-in.

 

[hsa]

Which one did you get? The M91t has 20k cd.

 

[JustAnOldFashionedLEDGuy]

Perhaps the best thing to "do" is recycle it for the metal. I am all for repurposing and reusing, but at some point, the cost, effort, and even the environmental damage from multiple shipments for parts coupled with handicapped performance does not justify the end if you are just looking for a functional light at the end of it all. Sometimes it is best to just let those old things go. Get some replacement incan bulbs and keep it as is for nostalgia. Spend the money you save on a new purpose built light.

 

[bykfixer]

I keep 2 4D Maglites at my house stock in case the bomb gets dropped and I need a long running incan light.
I bought lots of bulbs a few years back when the incandecent bulbs were being sidelined. Mag bulbs were like $2 back then. And eBay was still littered with Brinkmann kryptons.

Some of my other big Mags have TerraLux or NiteIze drop LED bulb replacements. They're a little brighter than stock and have great runtime potential.

 

[ButchW]

Sometimes it is best to just let those old things go.

They said that about me a long time ago... But I'm still here..
Butch

 

[hsa]

This is a flashlight forum populated by flashaholics. We have no common sense. We don't need to justify fixing up an old flashlight even if we make a flower pot out of it. Well, maybe not that last thing.

 

[Monocrom]

Only if said flower pot is still capable of producing light.

 

[bridgman]

800 Lumen Firefly LED Conversion for Maglite 3-6 D cell, Luminus SST40 Emitter | eBay

Luminus SST-40 LED Emitter Cool White. Screw the head of the Maglite back on to the body until it is "snug". FIREFLY 800 INSTALLATION.

www.ebay.com

Or this one

I am running one of those Firefly upgrades in my Mag 4D (with EBL NiMH cells) and am quite happy with it. Low is good for indoors, medium for outdoors, high is there if you need it and it has a very long runtime on low.

Having said that, I'm staring at a 2C Mag with a couple of 18500's and wondering if the Firefly mod would fit in there.

EDIT - nope, I forgot that the 2C reflector housing has a higher shoulder inside to support the C-sized thread.

 

[hsa]

Firefly 800 will not but maybe the bigger one. Check this out at 2:50.

 

[chillinn]

I don't mean to annoy, but I thought I should share what I (re)discovered today on LuxLuthor's Destructive Incan Bulb Tests post. This lamp will do about 5000Lm on 4x hi amp Li-ion cells (14.8V) and should have a decent long life at that actually low voltage. Though the picture in the next link is wrong and purchase minimum is 50 cells, 30A 32600 cells exist that will fit 4 in a 4D. I've been bothering fivemega and bykfixer about Mag build ideas, and I think I am taking another route to G6.35 halogens, but I thought I should share that gem (that 150W 10A lamp), since OP's 4D will do this with fivemega's socket, Al reflector (couple on eBay now), glass lens and decent cells. Though those 3000mAh cells might only provide 10-15 minutes at 10A, high amp higher capacity 26650 cells exist, also there's a number of 32600 cells on Alibaba, but I can't see amp ratings there. Worth the investigation and follow through because 5000 incan lumens is way brighter than 5000 LED lumens. It's almost enough you'd have to lean into it to stop from falling over backwards.

 

[alpg88]

10 amps is too much for stock maglite switch, one weak point is tower spring, but that you can replace with low resistance one from lumencraft, or bypass it with a copper braid, but the switch ring itself becomes an issue at 10A. you need to replace switch core. there was a thread a while ago how it is done, i can not remember who posted it, all i remember is he modified 6d with extension, and used iirc 7 or 8 26500 cells and overdriven a 24v bipin bulb,

 

[chillinn]

Thank you, alpg88, for averting certain disaster, should someone follow my suggestion.

 

[sambob223]

I'm not the kind to see how hard I can push a poor old Maglite I have 1 4D and 2 3D cell all have been switched to an LED bulb and rechargeable AAs In adapters, my goal was a brighter(200 Lumens) and longer runtime and no more leaking batteries..or bulbs dying at the worst possible time. (old photo missing the other 3cell)

 

[greenpondmike]

If you want to go led check out the torch site uk. They have a drop in for 3 to 6d maglites that will get you 300 lumens at 5000k color temp. It has a good wide, bright spill and the hotspot is decent. Good price and uses a xp-g2. I also got obe for my 2d that has a high, low and flashing. Good stuff IMHO. They have all kinds of leds for maglites including parts.