# Best 6V lanterns, mods and batteries?



## GarageBoy (Jun 17, 2009)

I'm growing very fond of this format. Any good lights, lamps, LED drop ins and batteries for these? Thanks


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## alpg88 (Jun 17, 2009)

iI was too, until I actually modified dorcy 6v lantern. 
I choose that light cuz out of all 6v lanterns it is most durable design, plus it is waterproof and floating.
problem is (in my case anyhow) at 6v you need to drive all leds in parallel, with voltage drop out of 6v batt, there isn’t enough voltage left for regulator (I tried both lm 350, and 117) to run at 3.6v, with fresh batt, max voltage I could get was 3.3v, so I said screw it, and I used resistors for each set of leds, (I have 76 5mm. and 45 10mm), I also ended up opening a 6v batt, removing 4 cells and putting 10 cells sub c NiCad batts, this set up has lower voltage drop, but it basically canceled my goal of having easy to get, disposable batt.
When I build my light my goal was not a 5 mile thrower, or fire starter, I wanted to have a good all around light for my camping, fishing...trips. that would have few modes, a bright, very bright, and low with long runtime, also I wanted to make it waterproof, floating, (before I put in 35w hid car kit into a 12 w halogen searchlight, was pretty good light with long runtime and excellent brightness, but it fell overboard, and now it is somewhere on the bottom of the ocean).
I can’t say my build is a failure, it is still pretty good light, but it taught me most important lesson, how not to build a light.

i'd post a pic, but can't just yet, may be my post count is low, idk


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## SilentK (Jun 17, 2009)

i put a 6v SLA into one before and it worked pretty well. the SLA was the exact size as the normal battery. i just used it as a long runing incan.


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## GarageBoy (Jun 19, 2009)

Any nice lamps ?


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## MiniLux (Jun 19, 2009)

GarageBoy said:


> Any nice lamps ?


 
You may want to take a look at the Rayovac Sportsman Xtreme 300 Lumen Lantern (3xD Batteries):

https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/206456

MiniLux


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## GarageBoy (Jun 19, 2009)

Err, not the format I was looking for, thanks


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## Light Sabre (Jun 19, 2009)

The Energizer 6V lantern batteries I have have the polarity reversed for a LED dropin. The center contact is minus while the outer contact is positive. I bought a 4D cell to 6V lantern battery adapter and installed the D cells backwards to get the correct polarity to the LED. Not sure if the 6V lantern battery polarity is a standard or varies from brand to brand, since the lantern flashlight has been around forever it seams, that used incandescent bulbs which are not polarity sensitive. Reversed polarity dropin LED's are not very common at all.


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## alpg88 (Jun 19, 2009)

all 6v batt, that i used have negative in the center


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## lctorana (Jun 19, 2009)

The MkV Dolphin Rechargeable has a 6V SLA powering a Philips HPR71.

I have converted a coulple of standard Dolphins to this format, and the results are really worthwhile.

Substituting the HPR71 for the Pelican 3854L, we can dip a toe into the hotwire world, by putting six or even seven rechargeable cells into a dead 4F battery shell. The Roar of the Dolphin is awesome, particularly the recent models with the huge reflector.

Same goes for any 6V lantern, I suppose, but to an Australian, the Dolphin has the edge in quality over any other competitor. And image, if I'm honest.


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## DM51 (Jun 20, 2009)

We have a separate sub-forum especially for lanterns, so I'm moving this there.


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## GarageBoy (Jun 20, 2009)

Whoops,
I considered 6V Lanterns more of flashlights than area lighting lanterns, so I posted there


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## DM51 (Jun 20, 2009)

It was a little hard to tell from your description, so I may have got it wrong... does the thing you have in mind have a rectangular base, a solid carrying handle on the top and a reflector to throw a beam, or is it more like a Coleman-type lantern to light a circular area beneath it?


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## GarageBoy (Jun 22, 2009)

Rectangular base, solid carrying handle on top and a huge reflector, takes the 6v 4F cell battery. Looking around on this forum, seems like a lot of people consider those flashlights "Lanterns"


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## lctorana (Jun 22, 2009)

In addition to my suggestion above, I also had some success with the Halos - about half-way between the RoP-High and RoP-Low.


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## DM51 (Jun 22, 2009)

GarageBoy said:


> Rectangular base, solid carrying handle on top and a huge reflector, takes the 6v 4F cell battery. Looking around on this forum, seems like a lot of people consider those flashlights "Lanterns"


OK, fair enough - there's some confusion possible with the terminology. The "Lanterns" forum is for the other type, i.e. area lights, not the sort you are referring to. 

I'm moving the thread to Spotlight & HID, where there's more discussion about these. Actually, it could fit in a number of forums (General Flashlight, LED Flashlights, H&M) depending on what you are going to do with it, but let's put it there for now.


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## Vinniec5 (Jun 23, 2009)

Even streamlight refers to the litebox as a lantern, I guess it has something to do with size/portability and type of lighting too
Wikipedia says A *lantern* is a portable lighting device used to illuminate broad areas. Lanterns may be used for signaling, or as general light sources for camping. Makes sense as the lightbox and others like it are meant to light a fire/work/accident scene (broad lighting) oh and for the wiseguys Broad lighting is not lighting the girls at the local Jiggly Room LOL


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## broadgage (Jun 24, 2009)

GarageBoy said:


> Rectangular base, solid carrying handle on top and a huge reflector, takes the 6v 4F cell battery. Looking around on this forum, seems like a lot of people consider those flashlights "Lanterns"


 
Such products were normally called lanterns in the UK, and many suppliers still refer to the 6 volt dry cell batteries with coiled springs as "lantern batteries"

Here in the UK lantern batteries are very expensive and of poor performance. Most are zinc carbon and cost at least £5 ($8) for a capacity of about 6 A/H. Four zinc carbon D cells would cost only £2 for similar performance.

Alkaline lantern batteries can be obtained but not normally from high street stores. They cost about £12 and are only 13 A/H. Four alkaline D cells would only cost about £4 and would have a greater run time since they are about 18A/H.

Since an alkaline lantern battery should contain 4 F cells I would expect a greater capacity than the 18 A/H of D cells, but in fact it is less.

A simple mod for a lantern intended for two 6 volt lantern batteries is to use 6 D cells in series in a suitable holder, and an everled.
This gives a run time of over 100 hours.

Another simple mod is 6 D cells in two strings of three, driving a 3 cell bulb.
This very slightly overuns the bulb since two sets of cells in parralel gives a slightly higher on load voltage.
With a 0.5 amp bulb, the run time should be about 70 hours on alkaline cells, and even zinc carbon cells should give about 20 hours.


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## lctorana (Jun 24, 2009)

That's really odd.

Our F cells have WAY more capacity than our D cells, and a zinc-carbon F-cell lantern battery can last up to eight years where the equivalent D cell one would be lucky to last 2.

Our figures:

Standard-duty F cell: 7Ah (e.g. Eveready 409)
Heavy-duty F cell: 8Ah (e.g. Eveready 509)
Super-heavy-duty F cell: 11Ah (e.g. Eveready 1209)
Alkaline F cell: 26Ah (e.g. Energizer 529)

Double those figures for 8F parallel batteries

Source: data.energizer.com

_Oh, and 4F lantern batteries are sold EVERYWHERE here, partly because Australia's #1 selling torch, by a mile, is the Eveready Dolphin, which uses them._


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## broadgage (Sep 3, 2009)

Looks like we get done here in the UK then !

This supplier refers to alkaline lantern batteries as only being 13 A/H

http://www.rapidonline.com/netalogue/specs/18-0272.pdf

Though at least they are a bit cheaper than most UK suppliers.
Does anyone know of a UK supplier of full capacity, 26 A/H lantern batteries.

The battery linked to above would give much less run time than 4 D cells, and at a greater price.


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## nitesky (Sep 6, 2009)

An old thread, but here is some experience. I have, had, a large Energizer 6v lantern sitting around. I modded it with the HPX53 lamp and 6 nimh cells. It had lots of throw, and melting plastic around the bulb housing. It worked fine at 6v with a big lead acid battery. Another body from Rayovac had no problems with the heat. One could just buy such a complete unit but where is the fun in that?


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## TorchBoy (Sep 7, 2009)

What happens to the beam pattern if the light source (LED) is a little behind the normal bulb position/focal point?


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## jefflrrp (Sep 22, 2009)

I just spent $6. On an Eveready 6v floating lantern (i.e. the cheapie they sell at Lowes) along with 2 Mag brand 3 cell krypton bulbs. For $6, the little lantern outhrows every light I own (and I own a LOT of Mags, Surefires and Fenixes (Fenii??) ). Great little light for $6. But Ive probably way killed the bulb life, beings as Im driving a 4.5v bulb at 6v. Its very bright and white though, whiter than my SF g2's. Not as white as my G3, though. A little less bright than my P60 LA lights. But again, not bad for $6. Im going to start gifting the modded ones away to friends and family.


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## angelofwar (Sep 23, 2009)

Yeah, the easiest upgrade is to get a 3 cell bulb and overdrive. The maglite "whitestar" xenon bulbs seem to be the best for this. Go to lowes or a local hardware store and find a 3-D Whitestar xenon bulb. For an LED drop-in, I find the nite-ize 1 watt's the best to handle the voltage with-out over-heating...something the craftsman drop-ins are bad at.


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