# H3 Upgrade question



## booky (Nov 1, 2010)

Hello all,

First off, let me say that I am a newbie to these forums, and this is my very first post.When I say newbie, I really do mean it. I am not technically savvy, and know very little of the flashlight terminology. So I am sorry ahead of time if my question seems ridiculous or stupid.

So, I have an older Black % Decker spotlight that I got about 3 years ago. Here is the link with all the specs and description. http://www.blackanddeckerservicenet.com/Products/ProductDetails.aspx?pid=68215&tid=15950

I want to upgrade the stock bulb to an LED bulb, if that is possible at all. The stock bulb is an H3 6V 55W halogen bulb. I did an ebay search, and all I could find for LED were 12v or +/- 55w bulbs. 

If I were to utilize a 12v or different wattage bulb , what problems would this cause, if any?

Thank you in advance for any help!


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## Hamilton Felix (Nov 1, 2010)

Sorry. As is, it's a 6 volt light and has to have a 6 volt bulb. 

OK, I'm no expert either (though I'm a Journeyman Hydroelectric Operator and have been in the electrical industry for a few decades). But I've seen a few of these -- not this brand, but there are quite a few rechargeable handheld spots that use a 6V H3 bulb and a 6V 4.5 AH Sealed Lead Acid battery. I've had several of these and similar lights go bad. They usually don't last long. 

The simple fact is, a typical user will use the light as he needs it, and not pay any real attention to the ideal charge/discharge cycle of the SLA battery. And the supplied charger usually isn't very sophisticated (expensive). So the battery ends up as toast. 

My usual move is to throw out the battery and the 6V H3 bulb, install a power cord, lighter plug and a 12V H3 bulb (I've always got H3 bulbs floating around from my various past driving and fog lights). Then I have a usable spotlight, even if it is no longer cordless. 

I bugs the heck out of me, but I've never understood why the manufacturers don't build these with 12 volt bulbs and batteries, and offer a "run off the lighter socket" option, for when the battery is low. The 6 volt lights can only (slow) charge off of a lighter socket (or their AC charger). 

I think it's going to take quite an LED (or several) to put out equivalent light to the H3 bulb, and by the time you have LED's and drivers installed, you'll be out some serious dollars. But maybe you just enjoy tinkering, and this is more a hobby than a cost-effective effort to get a good usable light. ???

BTW, if you have a bad battery and decide to go with the 12V conversion I mentioned, there is a GOOD selection of 12V H3 bulbs available in the automotive world. Look at http://www.powerbulbs.com/ or http://candlepowerinc.com/ to get an idea. Red/Black zipcord is availble in 14, 12 and even 10 gauge - here is one place: http://www.dcpwr.com/shop/ In standard wattage, I believe the Philips Xtreme Power or the Osram Nightbreaker PLUS would be best. And there are plenty of higher wattage bulbs, too. 

For what you'd spend, I'd say look for a decent handheld HID spotlight. I've been following people's adventures with the Stanley HID, but I'll probably go with the Ryobi 18V HID because I have some Ryobi 18V tools. 

If LED is your thing, you could look at the Thor/Cyclops Sirius 9-Watt LED Spotlight. It seems fairly well thought of, though I doubt this 9 watt 3-LED spot will equal the performance of a 55 watt halogen spot. One reliable seller of the light is here: http://www.cabelas.com/fryprod-0/product--ThorCyclops-Sirius-9-Watt-LED-Spotlight--747292.uts.shtml
but there are certainly others. The various Thor/Cyclops lights have been discussed in this forum. 

Good Luck.


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