How can I turn my 2D maglite into a luxeon throw monster?

I want to use a luxeon led and nimh AA batteries. I also want to retain the origanal focusing device on the maglite. I don't want to cut/solder/change anything on the maglite itself, I just want to drop in the bulb and the batteries and go.

Runtime isn't an issue and I want alot of lumens with alot of throw..

Any considerations will be appreciated.

Thanks

Scott

hm... no changing and soldering.... how about giving me the luxeon led and nimh cells

and then go to the b/s/t forum and find an everled?

yes it is that cruel. but if you can change and solder a little, you can make a space needle!

first you will need to find a hotlip for your 2D(a heat sink) from: http://www.flashlightlens.com/products.htm

then, follow the instruction at : http://darkgear.com/mrbulk/sn2build.htm

why bother with nimh AA ....

if your led is a luxeon V you can go ahead and follow everything at the above link

if your is a lux I or lux III then you will need a convertor board from: http://theledguy.chainreactionweb.com/index.php

Never tried this so don't know if it will work. No soldering required.

Bright option:
The rightmost option. of this page:
http://www.led-replacement.com/2_maglite.html
Get 2 3AA to D serial adapters which will give you a 6 cell light. Try Electrolumens if LED_replacement does not have them..
http://elektrolumens.com/Blaster_Jr/Blaster-Jr.html
Then get a 5W drop in.
http://www.led-replacement.com/6_maglite.html

Cheap option:
The leftmost option. of this page:
http://www.led-replacement.com/2_maglite.html
Get 2 2AA to D parallel battery holder. You can stay with 2 D cells if you wish.
http://emilionworkshop.com:3072/osc...d=194&osCsid=e4ae3737a144ad98bca679421dbf0f08
Get the least expensive 3V 1W Luxeon drop in.
http://www.led-replacement.com/lpr-2.html

I never had any of the Diamond products, but the EverLED on three cells isn't as bright as a direct driven Lux III on three cells. The potential problem with the EverLEDs and Diamonds is heat. If you go the custom built route, there is a thing called an OSink or Hotlips both of which do a great job of transmitting the heat out to the body of the light rather than keeping it right at the bulb holder. I'm not saying the EverLED and Diamond products aren't properly heatsinked, but I don't see how they can last as long as one that uses an OSink or Hotlips.

On 2D Mags on a relative budget, I usually like to use a TV1L Lux III emitter and three C cells and you should get close to 4 hours of good brightness on the 3 C cells.

Of course, the even cheaper route would be just to get the LEDBeam 3C light. Nearly as much throw (probably 80% or 90%) as a Lux III-modded Mag for only $25 shipped which is less than the EverLED. If you insist on rechargeable cells, just invest in some good high mAh C cells (not the crappy 2500 mAh Energizers) rather than using the AAs.

You could do this:

get a garden variety TWOJ emitter, heat sink, and get a madmax/nexgen board from the sandwiche shop. the madmax gives a good balance between output and runtime(or if you got the cash get a nexgen500) and the board is easy to use as long as you keep the wiring in sound seperation. I have a 2D with an over achieving TWOH emitter and the thing runs regulated for 8-9 hours before a noticible drop in brightness. ALl on common D-cells

fire-stick said:

I don't want to cut/solder/change anything on the maglite itself, I just want to drop in the bulb and the batteries and go.

Runtime isn't an issue and I want alot of lumens with alot of throw..

Any considerations will be appreciated.

Click to expand...

than stay away from led´s!

buy
-2 3AA instead of 1D adapter
-put 6 AA NiMh in
-buy the biggest Maglite bulb.
this will outthrow most led torchs available today

Yup, you're pretty limited in LED options if you want to keep the stock Mag setup including the focusability. For high power, you need the heatsink. I'm a big fan of the heatsinked Luxeon III mods, but those require major surgery, and you'll lose most of the focusing adjustability except for a bit of fine tuning to get the focus as tight as possible.

My next Mag mod will use a 5-cell or 6-cell incandescent lamp in a 2C Mag body, with 3x123A cells as the power source. I'll also be able to make good use of a lightly stippled aluminum reflector that I had originally ordered for a Luxeon mod (it turned out to be too shallow).

That TerraLux 5 looks like it would be bright. Anyone ever tried one?