# Drop-in for Maglite 3D? No Malkoff, no Terralux.



## veleno (Aug 25, 2010)

I'm looking for a reliable drop-in for my father's Maglite 3D. I simply want to have an improvement over the old bulb.

I read a lot of bad things about Terralux and I can't afford the Malkoff drop-in (104 dollars with shipping are too much for a Maglite).

So which is the best alternative?


----------



## Ozgeardo (Aug 25, 2010)

If you can not afford $104 then you need to be considering Terralux.
I have about a dozen different Maglites from Mini-mag to 6D nearly all with various Terralux drop ins. Only problem ever was from a breakage due to excessive force being applied. For the dollars Terralux is worth considering.


----------



## CarpentryHero (Aug 25, 2010)

The fusion 36 led drop in for maglite, looks good, all flood but it's got 400 lumens I think


----------



## march.brown (Aug 25, 2010)

CarpentryHero said:


> The fusion 36 led drop in for maglite, looks good, all flood but it's got 400 lumens I think


 I second this ... Mine is in a 2C Maglite and is amazing ... All flood , but bright.

Even with two C cells it is about 400 lumens ... With three D cells it will be slightly more ... With 9 volts it is about 600 lumens apparently.

I have two 18500 Li-Ions in mine and it is great ... It would be even better running on two 18650 Li-Ions with even longer runtime ... There is a thread on on CPF on this dropin.
.


----------



## bigchelis (Aug 25, 2010)

Get the Mac Customs SST-50 Mag Drop-in here:

https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/287161

wait in line I am sure its worth it.


----------



## don.gwapo (Aug 25, 2010)

Try the nite ize 1 watt led upgrade. Less than $20 bucks. I have it on my 2D oveready oops eveready I should say. Your dad gonna love it coz its a warm white led.


----------



## PCC (Aug 25, 2010)

The Nite Ize 1-Watt drop-in (with the smaller globe) will give the discontinued 3-cell MagLED a good run for the money. The MagLED would be brighter initially, but would dim down in a few minutes as the module heats up and then be less bright than the Nite Ize drop-in. The Nite Ize drop-in would then provide more light for a longer time than the MagLED module would. Both of these modules would be far brighter than any incandescent bulb that MagLite sells for this light and is even brighter than some non-Mag bulbs that would work here but you gain about 3 times the battery life by converting to LED.

The old MagLED module has one advantage over the Nite Ize module, though: someone with a soldering iron can do an LED swap and make it more than twice as bright than the original version for the cost of an LED and about an hour of assembly time. An XP-G mounted to an 8mm board will fit. You just need to wire it up.


----------



## HarryN (Aug 25, 2010)

Hi, for around $ 50-60 you can buy your father a nice, new, smaller, brighter light.


----------



## MrGman (Aug 25, 2010)

veleno said:


> I'm looking for a reliable drop-in for my father's Maglite 3D. I simply want to have an improvement over the old bulb.
> 
> I read a lot of bad things about Terralux and I can't afford the Malkoff drop-in (104 dollars with shipping are too much for a Maglite).
> 
> So which is the best alternative?


 

If I was your father and I heard that I wasn't worth enough for you to get me a Malkoff module for my maglite I would cut you out of the will. Buy him one good Malkoff module for the Maglite and know that you did good by your ole man so he can be proud of you and you won't have to start all over again.


----------



## RedForest UK (Aug 25, 2010)

HarryN said:


> Hi, for around $ 50-60 you can buy your father a nice, new, smaller, brighter light.



+1, get him a TK20. He'll be blown away :thumbsup:


----------



## ma_sha1 (Aug 25, 2010)

How about the DX 5xR2 drop-in for WF500?

$35 + a little grinding & soldering, 1200 lumens/5 modes.


----------



## alpg88 (Aug 25, 2010)

well, if you would like to keep alkaline cells, you don't have many options, you can try dx drop ins, but it will run bright for minutes that it will began to fade fast. those 2-4-5 cree, or mc-e, p7 drop ins are great for the money, but need more power than alkaline cells can provide.
you will have more luck if you run 4c cells in your 3d mag (rechargeable cells, like nimh 1,2v cells).

btw i use terralux drop in for years (tle 300, 600lm) no problems, it worth every penny, thou you'd need min 6v for it,


----------



## TMedina (Aug 25, 2010)

Your father is still using an incan bulb? The Maglite LED conversion module does just fine - it'll still be miles above the incan performance.

-Trevor


----------



## dosmun (Aug 25, 2010)

Another vote for the Fusion 36. For $23 it can't be beat. I have a TerraLUX TLE-6EXB in one of my 2D mags and against the Fusion it's no contest. I own 2 of the fusions and just purchased a Fushion 48 for my 18v Makita.


----------



## Jash (Aug 25, 2010)

I've got both the Fusion 36 and Mac's SST-50 drop-in. No guesses as to which one is the best, but the Fusion 36 is still a ripper of a drop-in that will transform any old mag light into a super flooder for $23 delivered. Mac's SST-50 ended up costing a little over $110 with shipping, but so very worth it.

For the money, the Fusion 36 won't disappoint.


----------



## Mr Floppy (Aug 25, 2010)

Ozgeardo said:


> If you can not afford $104 then you need to be considering Terralux.
> I have about a dozen different Maglites from Mini-mag to 6D nearly all with various Terralux drop ins. Only problem ever was from a breakage due to excessive force being applied. For the dollars Terralux is worth considering.


I have to agree to some extent. The TLE-6EXB is bright but heating may be a problem. Mine puts out a blueish light when it does. You can mod it by cutting off the base of the reflector and add some of your own heat sinking. 

Mind you, the new one uses a Luxeon Rebel and I have the one prior to this, and it wasn't the K2 either! It's the SSC P4 U bin. 

The TLE-1F doesn't suffer the heating issues but isn't that bright. It's ok but it's around the same as the Nite Ize upgrade. 

The malkoff dropin is worth every cent in my opinion. Biggest problem is trying to get one.


----------



## Locoboy5150 (Aug 25, 2010)

The TLE-300M-EX is the only drop-in from Terralux that I like for D cell Maglites. It can be used in a 3D Maglite if you use some of the AA battery holders from CPF member Fivemega. They are listed for sale in the modified lights buy/sell/trade forum.

I bought one of his 6 AA to 2 D Maglite battery holders for my latest Maglite projects with a TLE-300M-EX and it works great! I *really* wanted to use one of the Malkoff Devices drop-ins for that project, but there were none to be bought.


----------



## jacktheclipper (Aug 25, 2010)

CarpentryHero said:


> The fusion 36 led drop in for maglite, looks good, all flood but it's got 400 lumens I think


 
+1
Check the thread about this drop -in
Absolutely great bang for the buck


----------



## LilKevin715 (Aug 26, 2010)

Velano:

What kind of budget are your working with? 

The bad comments you have heard about the terralux dropins were mostly based on the older discontinued model that used a SSC P4. The newer models use a Luxeon Rebel that doesn't have the color-shift related overheating problems. I have both the TLE-6EXB (2-3 cell model, rebel emitter, 100 OTF lumens) and the TLE-300M-EX (4-6 cell tri-xre, 600 OTF lumens) and I have been very satisfied with them both. The TLE-300M-EX would be the brightest mass-produced "drop-in" and can be used in a 3D mag with either 4 C cells or 5 1/2 D cells. The TLE-6EXB can be run fine on 3 D cells.

If you absolutely insist on not buying a Terralux dropin you can also consider the already mentioned Nite Ize 1 watt dropin for around $12. If your willing to wait signup to be on the wait list for Mac's SST-50 as mentioned before.


----------



## ama230 (Aug 26, 2010)

Jash said:


> I've got both the Fusion 36 and Mac's SST-50 drop-in. No guesses as to which one is the best, but the Fusion 36 is still a ripper of a drop-in that will transform any old mag light into a super flooder for $23 delivered. Mac's SST-50 ended up costing a little over $110 with shipping, but so very worth it.
> 
> For the money, the Fusion 36 won't disappoint.



Im going to +5 on this fusion as its not going to get hot.

Also jash is there any way you could get some picks of your sst 50 as it would be awesome as you take great picks. Dont have the money but would like to stare and dream.


----------



## Jash (Aug 26, 2010)

ama230 said:


> Also jash is there any way you could get some picks of your sst 50 as it would be awesome as you take great picks. Dont have the money but would like to stare and dream.



Have a look at this thread. And if you think that's bad, now he's thinking about making a 3300 lumen drop-in that will cost $275 if he makes it.


----------



## Swedpat (Aug 26, 2010)

Locoboy5150 said:


> I bought one of his 6 AA to 2 D Maglite battery holders for my latest Maglite projects with a TLE-300M-EX and it works great! I *really* wanted to use one of the Malkoff Devices drop-ins for that project, but there were none to be bought.



I have a 6AA to 2D adapter in my new purple 2D, and with a Malkoff P7 dropin. These dropins are unfortunately discontinued since some year.


----------



## tx101 (Aug 26, 2010)

Build him a dropin :thumbsup:

H22A heatsink available here on the forum
XPG on a 14mm board, AMC7135 multi mode 
board, glass lens and metal OP reflector available from KD

I think your Dad will be more impressed if you built him a dropin


----------



## Black Rose (Aug 26, 2010)

LilKevin715 said:


> The newer models use a Luxeon Rebel that doesn't have the color-shift related overheating problems. I have both the TLE-6EXB (2-3 cell model, rebel emitter, 100 OTF lumens) and the TLE-300M-EX (4-6 cell tri-xre, 600 OTF lumens) and I have been very satisfied with them both.


I really like the 2D Rebel Mag that I have - any issues with the beam produced by the TLE-6EX-B?


----------



## veleno (Aug 27, 2010)

don.gwapo said:


> Try the nite ize 1 watt led upgrade. Less than $20 bucks. I have it on my 2D oveready oops eveready I should say. Your dad gonna love it coz its a warm white led.



This sounds good!



CarpentryHero said:


> The fusion 36 led drop in for maglite, looks good, all flood but it's got 400 lumens I think



I prefer avoid a blue tint. :thinking:



HarryN said:


> Hi, for around $ 50-60 you can buy your father a nice, new, smaller, brighter light.



True. In fact I don't want to spend a lot of money for a Maglite, but since my father still has it in car I thought to update it with a not too expensive led.

I already gave him an Arc AAA-P and an Inova T1-MP.



MrGman said:


> If I was your father and I heard that I wasn't worth enough for you to get me a Malkoff module for my maglite I would cut you out of the will.



Nah... he knows I love him. 

As HarryN said, I prefer to buy a new flashlight rather than spending a lot of money for a Maglite. 



RedForest UK said:


> +1, get him a TK20. He'll be blown away



I'm considering the new LD25 too.

The most important thing is a simple interface without SOS/strobe and with 2 or maximum 3 levels. A warm light is also very desirable.



LilKevin715 said:


> What kind of budget are your working with?



I thought about 50 dollars (international shipping included). 
The Mac Customs SST-50 is too expensive, it costs more than Malkoff!



> the TLE-6EXB (2-3 cell model, rebel emitter, 100 OTF lumens)


I was very interested, but I found bad comments even about this, so I thought to avoid Terralux. I don't want to have problems due to the heat.



tx101 said:


> I think your Dad will be more impressed if you built him a dropin



I would be impressed too if I built a drop-in. :laughing:



Thank you very much for all your suggestions, now I read again the thread and then I take a decision.


----------



## Locoboy5150 (Aug 27, 2010)

veleno said:


> I was very interested, but I found bad comments even about this, so I thought to avoid Terralux. I don't want to have problems due to the heat.



Honestly, based on Bigchelis' light output tests done on my own and others lights, almost all Maglite drop-ins have problems with bad heat dissipation. Maglites were originally designed for incandescent bulbs and nothing else and their design has changed little over the years, if at all. Some drop-ins are better than others, but they all show diminishing light output as the LEDs heat up. Yes, this includes the very highly regarded Malkoff Devices ones too.

That's why I usually don't recommend modifying or upgrading Maglites if ultimate light performance is one's goal. Modifying Maglites is very fun for me because I get a personal feeling of self satisfaction knowing that the Maglite in my hand is *my* light that I built to my own specifications and needs. However, if I want ultimate light performance in terms of constant output even as the LEDs get warm, I reach for one of my ready made and same as everyone else's light.

I just thought that I'd let you know that though drop in upgrades are a lot of fun, they all have their limitations to some extent, especially when it comes to heat dissipation. Thus, don't expect them to perform as consistently well as a regular production light from a well known company.


----------



## dougie (Aug 28, 2010)

I'm surprised by your comments about Gene Malkoff's Maglite LED drop-ins. I've never heard anyone else complain about any of his drop-ins having colour shift even after prolonged run times. I've got one of his creations and have never experienced this phenomenon. In addition Gene was very careful to ensure his creations kept within the manufacturers design specs for temperature disappation. When I compare the amount of heatsink Gene's modules provide against some commercial products it appears to me to have more than enough mass l to prevent potential issues? Could I ask you to let me know why your drop-in experienced a colour shift?


----------



## recDNA (Aug 28, 2010)

How do you install the fusion d36? I don't consider the malkoff a "drop in" because you have to mess with the reflector. I also agree that $105 is too much to spend on a maglite. I'd rathee toss the mag and buy a fenix. If $23 gets me 400 lumens with ez installation then I'm in.




Jash said:


> I've got both the Fusion 36 and Mac's SST-50 drop-in. No guesses as to which one is the best, but the Fusion 36 is still a ripper of a drop-in that will transform any old mag light into a super flooder for $23 delivered. Mac's SST-50 ended up costing a little over $110 with shipping, but so very worth it.
> 
> For the money, the Fusion 36 won't disappoint.


----------



## Jash (Aug 28, 2010)

recDNA said:


> How do you install the fusion d36? I don't consider the malkoff a "drop in" because you have to mess with the reflector. I also agree that $105 is too much to spend on a maglite. I'd rathee toss the mag and buy a fenix. If $23 gets me 400 lumens with ez installation then I'm in.



Unscrew the bezel and remove lens, pull out the reflector and lamp (toss it) and pop in the Fusion 36 light engine and then replace the lens and bezel, turn it on and go "Wow, this only cost me $23!"


----------



## recDNA (Aug 28, 2010)

Jash said:


> Unscrew the bezel and remove lens, pull out the reflector and lamp (toss it) and pop in the Fusion 36 light engine and then replace the lens and bezel, turn it on and go "Wow, this only cost me $23!"


 

Pop in how? Where? Doesn't the maglite stock bulb _*screw*_ in?

Doesn't seem to matter. Ebay doesn't sell them any more.


----------



## Jash (Aug 28, 2010)

recDNA said:


> Pop in how? Where? Doesn't the maglite stock bulb _*screw*_ in?
> 
> Doesn't seem to matter. Ebay doesn't sell them any more.


You don't need the collar that screws in to keep the bulb in place. The lens is what holds the module in place and it really does just pop in. It's easier than replacing a stock bulb.


----------



## recDNA (Aug 29, 2010)

Jash said:


> You don't need the collar that screws in to keep the bulb in place. The lens is what holds the module in place and it really does just pop in. It's easier than replacing a stock bulb.


 

And where can you buy one? If you have a link please pm me because mods will delete sales links. The old one at Ebay is dead and I searched Ebay and the net to no avail. Wish they sold them at Home Depot.


----------



## ZMZ67 (Aug 29, 2010)

I would also suggest reconsidering the TerraLUX TLE-6EXB.The design of the Maglite is going to be a limiting factor for any drop-in replacement as the bulb tower is isolated with no way to dissipate the heat.The Malkoff replaces the bulb tower but most inexpensive drop-ins will still use it.I have two of the new Rebel TLE-6EXBs and have not had problems with them.Not sure what the TLE-6EXB cost will be in Italy but they are a decent value here in the U.S. IMO.


----------



## ama230 (Aug 29, 2010)

recDNA said:


> And where can you buy one? If you have a link please pm me because mods will delete sales links. The old one at Ebay is dead and I searched Ebay and the net to no avail. Wish they sold them at Home Depot.



He will put 10 more on there in a couple of days... They are selling fast now that we got some cpfers on here including myself to buy these.

They are worth the wait and if anything email the guy. 

Search: " sinounionechnologyld "

These would be huge at home depot.... and lowes....


----------



## veleno (Aug 29, 2010)

In the end I ordered the Nite Ize 1 Watt led.
My father already uses the Inova T1-MP as primary flashlight, so I just wanted to replace the ugly old bulb of the Maglite with a nicer led. I'm also considering to buy another flashlight for him (a Fenix 2xAA maybe).

The fusion 36 led drop-in would been very interesting, but I can't find one.


Thanks again!


----------



## spydie fanatic (Aug 30, 2010)

ama230 said:


> He will put 10 more on there in a couple of days... They are selling fast now that we got some cpfers on here including myself to buy these.
> 
> They are worth the wait and if anything email the guy.
> 
> ...



Here's a link to his eBay store if you want the fusion 36, this way if they're not up for auction, you can contact him or keep an eye on it:

http://myworld.ebay.com/sinounionechnologyld/


Only problem I had installing mine was a flickering issue due to a bad connection, which I solved by doing this:

1st, take the head off the [email protected] Disassemble and reassemble the head again by itself with the fusion 36. Make sure you screw the head pieces back together tightly; now screw the complete head back on the body of the [email protected] Why do it this way? I have noticed if you try to just drop the F36 into a assembled [email protected], when you screw the top piece which holds the lens down, you sometime can't screw it down all the way and you have a gap; doing it this way ensures you get the head piece assembled fully and you get the perfect fit/connection when you screw the head onto the body...even if there's a minute/slight variance in mag or F36.

I hope this helps if anyone else has a flicker issue...


----------



## spydie fanatic (Aug 30, 2010)

Or how about this one? Looks close to the F36...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ULTRA-Bright-So...7012960?pt=US_Flashlights&hash=item2309b99660

I haven't tried it but makes me wonder?


----------



## Locoboy5150 (Aug 31, 2010)

dougie said:


> Could I ask you to let me know why your drop-in experienced a colour shift?



I personally don't own a Malkoff Maglite drop-in. The published test results from Bigchelis that I was referring to are stuck at the top of this forum though. I doubt that the color of the LED changed during the test but the light output did decrease with time though, which is an indication that the drop-in was not dissipating heat as well as other lights whose output remain steady with use.

If you look at his results for other drop-ins, they all experience a decrease in light output with elapsed time, some more than others. Now, whether that decrease is actually noticeable to the user is debatable but it is measurable with test equipment.


----------



## ama230 (Aug 31, 2010)

spydie fanatic said:


> Or how about this one? Looks close to the F36...
> 
> http://cgi.ebay.com/ULTRA-Bright-So...7012960?pt=US_Flashlights&hash=item2309b99660
> 
> I haven't tried it but makes me wonder?



Looks interesting as would like to try it out. As for the claim in lumens is way off. You cant squeeze 40lumens out of a single 5mm for very long as it would kill it in a few minutes. A nichia gs will deliver 10 lumens at 20mA and 20 lumens at 40mA but as for higher current it will handle it but lifetime will suffer.

Then the unit claims 100mA per led as this is very high for a 5mm. 
In fact too high. Either the lumens are off or its really over driven. As for the claim in runtime its way off as it will not run for 32 hours, more like a 5 hour max or less. 

All in all I would like to see it in action as if driven at 20mA each the light would still produce 200 lumens which is still very bright. Very interesting and great find. Kudos, another great player at the table.:twothumbs

Also it looks like nichia outer leds but the inner one are ? I am intrigued!!!


----------



## jsr (Aug 31, 2010)

Can someone post a link to the Fusion D36 thread or ordering info? I did several searches and can't find a thread on it. Thanks.


----------



## ama230 (Aug 31, 2010)

jsr said:


> Can someone post a link to the Fusion D36 thread or ordering info? I did several searches and can't find a thread on it. Thanks.



heres the link for the thread:
https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/277748&page=9

Also he will have more listed in a few days as they have been selling like hot cakes and cant keep up with demand. Just have to wait. They are super cheap and worth every penny.

Also for the flickering issue. When you have a little rattle in the head it will flicker as to solve this, i would take off the head and take off the bezel then tighten all the way then put the head on as tight as possible and do not try to adjust as this does not focus and will continue to bend the aluminum housing the led array and will not get a good seat when re-tightening. So keep the head turning to a minimum, remember "set and forget" as you could also put dielectric grease in it when tightening and this will help. I had have had one module not work in a light to it wobbling in one maglite and just swapped it in another it it was fine. This seems to certain maglites having looser springs in the bulb thingy. 

This thing rocks in a maglite 2c with 2 tenergy aa lsd's or 2 eneloop aa's in the eneloop aa to c adaptors and have gotten more than an 1hr30min with this configuration. 

Also this is a 3w module as for the other ebay module being 9w which is no where near efficient. This fusion module is super efficient and it seems to be the most lumens per watt you can get. No other light out there can give 400+ lumens with 2aa's for 1hr30min. Keep this in mind. Also there are two modules warm and cool so specify which one you would like. Think old fenix e01(cool) vs the new photon freedom gs(warm).

Hope this helps...
eric


----------



## alpg88 (Aug 31, 2010)

ama230 said:


> _You cant squeeze 40lumens_ out of a single 5mm for very long as it would kill it in a few minutes. A nichia gs will deliver 10 lumens at 20mA and 20 lumens at 40mA but as for higher current it will handle it but lifetime will suffer.
> 
> _Then the unit claims 100mA per led as this is very high for a 5mm._
> In fact too high. Either the lumens are off or its really over driven. As for the claim in runtime its way off as it will not run for 32 hours, more like a 5 hour max or less.
> ...


it is 5 chips .5w leds 100ma is their normal current, and 40cd is not something i can't belive, i've used those 5 chip leds.
afaik nichia doesn't make 5 chip leds, so you can't compare it with nichia.

would it would work reliably after 5 min without dies shutting on and off due to over heat is a different story.
but i found a way to keep those cool, so pbly that guy did too.


----------



## Narcosynthesis (Aug 31, 2010)

I will have to say I am actually pretty happy with my Terralux TLE-6EX dropin for my 3d Mag - for £15 it doesn't break the bank, is pretty bright and with the Mag's focussing can swap between a fair amount of flood and a nice tight spot.

Sure with it being a dropin, ultimately it won't be as efficient as a light built as a dedicated as an LED host, but for an upgrade I am damn happy with mine... For occasional use or for use by a non flashaholic, I would say go for it...


----------



## mvyrmnd (Aug 31, 2010)

spydie fanatic said:


> Or how about this one? Looks close to the F36...
> 
> http://cgi.ebay.com/ULTRA-Bright-So...7012960?pt=US_Flashlights&hash=item2309b99660
> 
> I haven't tried it but makes me wonder?


I'd be happy to buy this and see, but the sellers shipping rates are a complete ripoff.


----------



## LEDAdd1ct (Aug 31, 2010)

ama230 said:


> Also there are two modules warm and cool so specify which one you would like. Think old fenix e01(cool) vs the new photon freedom gs(warm).
> 
> Hope this helps...
> eric




I messaged the seller, and he said there was no warm white version available. :thinking:


----------



## spydie fanatic (Aug 31, 2010)

LEDAdd1ct said:


> I messaged the seller, and he said there was no warm white version available. :thinking:




When I bought my F36, I never noticed there was a cool or warm version listed in the description, etc. Mine actually has a purple tint, but for $23 to your door you just can't argue.


----------



## recDNA (Aug 31, 2010)

Please post here or pm me if more become available.
thanks!


----------



## ama230 (Aug 31, 2010)

LEDAdd1ct said:


> I messaged the seller, and he said there was no warm white version available. :thinking:



He has been saying that but I have seen there are two versions:

1) the all silver version which has the silver shield around the leds, this is to help with reflecting the light out. Its more of a natural finish aluminum. This is the warm led version, which is the newest nichia gs k1 binn that the photon freedom uses.

2) Then there is the black which has a black aluminum shield which has reflective aluminum tape around the leds to help with reflection. This is the cool version that the old photon freedom uses.

They are both awesome as I love both equally but this is just to inform the ones who are tint picky...

Also I wast no aware that 5mm led have multiple dies on them except for the sandwich shoppes leds that are for the minimag. Then again these are no where near as bright as a nichia. Im sure its like 200 lumen but not 720 lumen he states. There is no 5mm led that can out shine a nichia no matter the current. For 9w you might as well use a 3xpg setup and you will have better output and longer runtimes. 

Also its pointless to use pwm to keep heat down in a 5mm as they are meant for a specific current for a reason and they will dissipate the heat quite efficiently.


----------



## spydie fanatic (Sep 3, 2010)

My fusion 36 mysteriously died yesterday...I had it on for about 40 minutes and it went out; I tried everything I could think of but nothing worked, even putting the F36 in my other mag/battery set up.

Contacted the seller yesterday, have to wait and see what he says. From his discription it doesn't mention overheating and it definitely never made it past a low stage of warm. :mecry:


----------



## ama230 (Sep 3, 2010)

that sucks and thanks for putting this up because this is something that you have to watch out for on the imports. I have a few and they all work with no problems.

Make sure the ting does no wobble in the head as it will not make contact to turn on. 

Also whats your battery setup?


----------



## Nasty (Sep 4, 2010)

I had contacted him earlier today and he said then that he would have more out in the next two weeks. just checked eprey randomly tonight and saw he had at least a couple available.

Mine's already been posted.


----------



## funkymonkey1111 (Sep 6, 2010)

where do you get this fusion drop in?


----------



## Nasty (Sep 6, 2010)

Eprey


----------



## ama230 (Sep 7, 2010)

funkymonkey1111 said:


> where do you get this fusion drop in?



He has more listed and now states that there is a warm module now, go figure as they were probable moving old stock and getting rid of those first. 

http://cgi.ebay.com/FUSION-36-LED-P...2912929?pt=US_Flashlights&hash=item19bf4157a1

Get em while they are hot and they are all going to be the warm modules for the these twenty. So the tint picky can have their way,

Also he has now upped the price to 25 instead of the original 23 but that shipped and you can get 400lumes for over an hour off of two eneloops in the aa to c or aa to d, which ever maglite you have.


----------



## vickers214 (Sep 7, 2010)

I know everyone is saying Terralux, but i have to agree.
I researched them on here before i bought and in a way you are right they DID have problems but they changed the drop in for 2-3D mags about a year ago (they used to look like the 4-6D ones still do) but they are now great value for money.

I had a 2AA terralux drop in and it was rubbish, not very bright and BLUE:shakehead light.
The TLE-6EXB is fantastic, nice white light, good run times, and runs great on 3 cells, i did the 3C cells mod after contacting Terralux and they told me it would 'regulate' itself higher on 3 cells and it did!
Also a UCL lens made a big difference, but if its a work horse then just get a new polycarbonate lens as they are more durable,

Here is a link so you can see the different drop ins,UCL's etc, and although a great site for mag mods i am not pushing the site 

http://www.thetorchsite.co.uk/TerraLUX_TLE-6EXB.html


----------



## alpg88 (Sep 8, 2010)

spydie fanatic said:


> Or how about this one? Looks close to the F36...
> 
> http://cgi.ebay.com/ULTRA-Bright-So...7012960?pt=US_Flashlights&hash=item2309b99660
> 
> I haven't tried it but makes me wonder?


actually i bought this one, have not tested it fully yet, need to buy 3d mag first, but i took it apart, there is a resistor for every led, so i think my plan of running it of 6 (3s2p) lithium AA should work ok. 1800ma draw is too much for alkaline D, may be ok first minute, but in the long run, not too good
i'll report back when i have anything to report.


----------



## ama230 (Sep 8, 2010)

alpg88 said:


> actually i bought this one, have not tested it fully yet, need to buy 3d mag first, but i took it apart, there is a resistor for every led, so i think my plan of running it of 6 (3s2p) lithium AA should work ok. 1800ma draw is too much for alkaline D, may be ok first minute, but in the long run, not too good
> i'll report back when i have anything to report.




please do as we need some options as anything brighter than the fusion would be great.

Also could you post some pics with your thoughts.

Thanks:thumbsup:


----------



## 22hornet (Sep 8, 2010)

don.gwapo said:


> Try the nite ize 1 watt led upgrade. Less than $20 bucks. I have it on my 2D oveready oops eveready I should say. Your dad gonna love it coz its a warm white led.


 +1
Plus you get good regulation and long runtime.
(If 20 lumens is enough and runtimeof paramount importance, get the NiteIze 10mm dropin.)


----------



## peal (Sep 13, 2010)

So as a complete newbie, I'm comparing the TLE-6EXB and the Fusion 36 to upgrade my old 3D Maglite. How do they compare on battery drain and light output (colour & brightness)? What are some good online stores to check prices?


----------



## vickers214 (Sep 13, 2010)

Hi peal and welcome,

To sum it up from what i am reading (i do have the Terralux but not the fusion) the fusion gives a hell of a lot of light in flood but no distance, and could possibly have a violet tint.

The Terralux behaves like a 'normal' Mag, only on steroids and is a lot more powerfull, if anything it has a slight Blue tint.

The run times on both, and this is a total guess by the way, would be a minimum of 8 hours, but im sure there is a CPFer who could give you a more accurate run time based on facts


----------



## Nasty (Sep 13, 2010)

FWIW, my Fusion36 arrived today. It took 9 days to get from HK to Ohio, and that include both a 3 day *and* a 2 day weekend. The vendor ships quickly.

I'm running it on 5 Duracell cs in a PVC tube.

Looking forward to seeing it outside tonight.


----------



## Wiseguyzz_Inc_ (Sep 13, 2010)

I have a 3D Mag using a terraflux drop in.... no issues.... got it for $20


----------



## [email protected] (Sep 13, 2010)

Wiseguyzz_Inc_ said:


> I have a 3D Mag using a terraflux drop in.... no issues.... got it for $20



I had a TLE-6EXB drop in from TerraLux it was better than the stock incandescent & MagLED of the day and retained the focusability the Maglite is renowned for unfortunately I had to re-affix the emitter (after a hard life), with both the Fusion36 & TLE-300 say goodbye to the Mag's focus feature.

Bang-for-buck... the Fusion36 wipes the floor with anything from TerraLux etc. :thumbsup:


----------



## Nasty (Sep 13, 2010)

I'm sorry that I don't have a camera suitable for beam shots...but this thing is *awesome* for what it cost. I have some of the cheap 3AA to D holders coming and as soon as I see for myself how the setup does in a M*g2D, I will probably be ordering another one.

It makes a great yard light...you don't have to aim it, just point it in the general direction and the entire yard is visible.

BTW, I read about how "This thing likes to be screwed down tight." It's interesting that even though you take out the standard PR bulb, they tell you to reinstall the PR retaining ring. This difference was enough in mine to make or break solid contact.

As I said...I see myself ordering another.


----------



## alpg88 (Sep 17, 2010)

alpg88 said:


> actually i bought this one, have not tested it fully yet, i'll report back when i have anything to report.


 
ok, tested it, in short, stay away.
a bit more details.
it is rated 700lm at 1800ma.
loaded with 3 fresh d cells, it only pulls 900ma, each led gets about half the current, well i thought different batteries will change the draw, not at all, i tried 3x lithium's AA (can supply 2 amps cont.) nothing changed same ballpark 870-900ma. than i thought ok, may be battery holders that i used with lithium's were to blame, so i tries 4x sub c capable of 10 amps, well nothing changed again, this time it was even less draw, 800ma.
those leds rated at 100ma,, i used those before they will happily pull more if you allow, i suspect there is a internal design flaw of the drop in itself, like i said before it has a resistor for each led, but negative contact in between 2 pcb's looks like a thin wire, pbly as thin as paper staple, pushing on soldered line as 2 pcbs screwed together, i suspect it is the place where resistance wont let more current being pulled, i'll try to fix it, and report back.

also it has 12 cool white leds, and 6 warm white, builder idea is that it will give you neutral white, but no, it doesn't, it is still cool white, if it was 12 warm and 6 cool whites it might look more like neutral.

i don't have fusion 36 on hand to compare, but i suspect it is not as bright,
according to reviews on f36, ppl go wow as the put it on, this one made me think of only WTF. it doesn't look like much over 100lm, if at all.


----------



## qqqqqqqman (Oct 20, 2010)

My first attempt at a drop-in on a Mag 3D....so I went to Ebay and bought the Fusion 36 that is mentioned in these threads, with the warmer tint. Figured I had nothing to lose as the original Maglite was so crappy it spent the last 5-8 years in the drawer. The drop-in was very simple to install in case you are hesitant about these things, like I was. 


Bottom line....a smooth, quite floody beam that sort of lessens my quest to find a high powered, floody light. Well, almost . I still like the idea of a stronger 500+ lumen light such as the Lumapower VX Ultra, Eagletac M3C4, Sunwayled M40C, and Olight M30. I will still explore those options.


Still using the 3D alkalines, but the light is much better than the original incandescent, crappy light. I doubt it's the 400 lumens some mention....seems nearer to my Quark AA2's 206 lumens. But still happy with the Fusion as the original light was hardly useable.


The tint does have the slight purplish center, with the "warmer" part spreading out beyond that. As a general purpose light, I can live with it. Not bad for a $25 mod.


I have another Mag3D lying around that I might try a better upgrade....or maybe not. Not sure I want to always have to carry these big lights around when newer lights are so compact.

**


----------



## mrpeter105 (Oct 21, 2010)

Hi:

Dorcy has a new led bulb out for 3/4 cell lights. It goes for about $4. More info in the following thread.

https://www.candlepowerforums.com/posts/3554869

It's good cheap mod.


----------



## Lynx_Arc (Oct 21, 2010)

ama230 said:


> Looks interesting as would like to try it out. As for the claim in lumens is way off. You cant squeeze 40lumens out of a single 5mm for very long as it would kill it in a few minutes. A nichia gs will deliver 10 lumens at 20mA and 20 lumens at 40mA but as for higher current it will handle it but lifetime will suffer.
> 
> Then the unit claims 100mA per led as this is very high for a 5mm.
> In fact too high. Either the lumens are off or its really over driven. As for the claim in runtime its way off as it will not run for 32 hours, more like a 5 hour max or less.
> ...


it says 0.5watts on the LEDs they are half watt 5mm LEDs instead of standard ones.


----------



## Lynx_Arc (Oct 21, 2010)

For the price of many of these dropins you can buy a 2D plastic LED light about ~80 lumens for $13 at lowes that should do as well as the sub $20 dropins if not outright spank them.


----------



## Richwouldnt (May 28, 2014)

Revived this one as still LOTS of old Maglites out there and even the latest LED ones are only about 270 Lumens max. The Fusion 36 drop-in mentioned in this thread is still available on eBay from HK for $26 each I found via a Google search. Depending on the light and number of batteries they claim 400 to 900 Lumens output, all flood beam as this multi LED array replaces the reflector. I believe that it is only for the C or D serial numbered C and D cell incandescent Maglites, two to 6 cell models. The Terralux three output level drop-in for 4 thru 6 D cell Maglites is also still made too and available for about half of list price with a bit of searching. IMO Maglites are still very solid well made lights even if their technology is getting to be antediluvian in nature compared to makes like Olight, Fenix and others. They can still be readily boosted to much higher output levels than original. For head bashing still probably about the solidest flashlight ever made.


----------

