# Mag Lite Conversion, 2 'D' Cell to 3 'C' Cell, with Luxeon Star



## ElektroLumens (Mar 3, 2002)

*Mag Lite Conversion, 2 \'D\' Cell to 3 \'C\' Cell, with Luxeon Star*

I modified a 2 'D' cell Mag Lite to 3 'C' cells, and put a Luxeon Star LED in it. I am using 2 ohms resistance. I use 2 1 ohm resistors in series. These SMD resistors are rated at 1 watt, so they can handle the current.

Here is a link to my web page of this conversion.

Luxeon Star / 3 'C' Mag Lite Conversion


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## txwest (Mar 3, 2002)

*Re: Mag Lite Conversion, 2 \'D\' Cell to 3 \'C\' Cell, with Luxeon Star*

EL,
Thanks for the post. I recently purchased a 3D Maglight from ebay & ordered a 2D (I believe) Brinkman from Bass Pro Shop. I've convered the 3D to 4C & it works great. Didn't even need to do any grinding on the tail cap & have had no problem with contact. Looking forward to getting the 2D. Also have a Luxeon W/O comming from ARC. Will be interested to see what I can make of all this stuff. TX


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## lambda (Mar 3, 2002)

*Re: Mag Lite Conversion, 2 \'D\' Cell to 3 \'C\' Cell, with Luxeon Star*

ElektroLumens,

Nice mod!

That red Mag is something we don't see around here. Real nice.

You should reduce the resistance some more, you should be direct driving for that "intoxicating brightness"; (to quote Lightspeed).

Sink the heat, drive hard. Road Rules......


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## ElektroLumens (Mar 3, 2002)

*Re: Mag Lite Conversion, 2 \'D\' Cell to 3 \'C\' Cell, with Luxeon Star*

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by lambda:
*ElektroLumens,

Nice mod!

That red Mag is something we don't see around here. Real nice.

You should reduce the resistance some more, you should be direct driving for that "intoxicating brightness"; (to quote Lightspeed).

Sink the heat, drive hard. Road Rules......*<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>


Regarding the red, they are just there, on the Walt Mart shelves. ? They also have blue 3 'D' cells. I like the blue, but it is not available in a 2 'D' cell, as far as I've read ??

I know I can go with no resistance, but I add resistance to lengthen the battery life. With 2 ohms, it is very very bright, anyhow.

The heat sink fits up snug and tight in the Mag, which has had the anodizing ground off, so it should disipate the heat just great. It doesn't even get warm!

These new Luxeon Stars with optics are great. The new optics seem to focus just a little bit tighter beam.

Wayne www.elektrolumens.com


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## txwest (Mar 3, 2002)

*Re: Mag Lite Conversion, 2 \'D\' Cell to 3 \'C\' Cell, with Luxeon Star*

The way I'm reading this Mod, I plan on running a Lexon on 3 NiCads. This would make 3.6 V. This should be right with no resister, correct? TX


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## Plinko (Mar 3, 2002)

*Re: Mag Lite Conversion, 2 \'D\' Cell to 3 \'C\' Cell, with Luxeon Star*

Wayne,

I'm planning on doing the same mod with th e2D to 3C Mag, using a luxeon emitter. Is there any particular reason that you used the Luxeon W/O vs. the bare emitter/mag reflector combination?

Cheers!


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## ElektroLumens (Mar 4, 2002)

*Re: Mag Lite Conversion, 2 \'D\' Cell to 3 \'C\' Cell, with Luxeon Star*

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by txwest:
*The way I'm reading this Mod, I plan on running a Lexon on 3 NiCads. This would make 3.6 V. This should be right with no resister, correct? TX*<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

As long as the heat sink is good, you should be okay, otherwise, you'll fry it!

Wayne


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## ElektroLumens (Mar 4, 2002)

*Re: Mag Lite Conversion, 2 \'D\' Cell to 3 \'C\' Cell, with Luxeon Star*

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Plinko:
*Wayne,

I'm planning on doing the same mod with th e2D to 3C Mag, using a luxeon emitter. Is there any particular reason that you used the Luxeon W/O vs. the bare emitter/mag reflector combination?

Cheers!*<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

The luxeon with optics costs me about $14 right now from ARC flashlights. A bare emitter from Future Electronics costs $11.50, and the collimator costs $5, for a total of $16.50. If you plan to use a bare emitter with a reflector, or have some optics from burned up Luxeons, than the bare emitter can save you money, otherwise, if you plan to use the collimator and the emitter, you'll be spending more.

Also, so far, the bare emitters have a funny greenish color to them, which a lot of people do not like. So I have only done a few mods with the bare emitter. If you like usefull light and don't care if the color is blue or green, the bare emitter works fine.

For the Mag Lite, the Luxeon w/o works great!


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## ElektroLumens (Mar 5, 2002)

*Re: Mag Lite Conversion, 2 \'D\' Cell to 3 \'C\' Cell, with Luxeon Star*



> Originally posted by ElektroLumens:
> [QB]I modified a 2 'D' cell Mag Lite to 3 'C' cells, and put a Luxeon Star LED in it. I am using 2 ohms resistance. I use 2 1 ohm resistors in series. These SMD resistors are rated at 1 watt, so they can handle the current.
> 
> 
> ...


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## ElektroLumens (Apr 15, 2002)

*Re: Mag Lite Conversion, 2 \'D\' Cell to 3 \'C\' Cell, with Luxeon Star*

I've done it again! Here's another one of these 2 'D' cell Mag Lite's using 3 'C' cells, and having a Luxeon Star mounted in it. I use only 1 ohm resistance, so it is super bright!

Here's the link to eBay:

Luxeon Star / Mag Lite on eBay.


Here's a link to my modified flashlight's page:

Flashlight Modifications

Wayne www.elektrolumens.com


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## signals (Apr 17, 2002)

*Re: Mag Lite Conversion, 2 \'D\' Cell to 3 \'C\' Cell, with Luxeon Star*

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR> Regarding the red, they are just there, on the Walt Mart shelves. ? They also have blue 3 'D' cells. I like the blue, but it is not available in a 2 'D' cell, as far as I've read ??
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

FYI, although it is rather old, I have a blue 2D maglite sitting on my coffee table right now. It's not "rare" or something is it? ;-)


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## ElektroLumens (Apr 17, 2002)

*Re: Mag Lite Conversion, 2 \'D\' Cell to 3 \'C\' Cell, with Luxeon Star*

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by signals:
*FYI, although it is rather old, I have a blue 2D maglite sitting on my coffee table right now. It's not "rare" or something is it? ;-)*<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

When looking at Mag Lite sources, the blue 2 'D' cell is never mentioned as an available color, only black or red. If you find a source of blue 2 'D' cells, let me know about it.

As far as I know, the 2 'D' cell is no longer available in blue, but I could be wrong about that.

Wayne


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## **DONOTDELETE** (Apr 17, 2002)

*Re: Mag Lite Conversion, 2 \'D\' Cell to 3 \'C\' Cell, with Luxeon Star*

What is the beam pattern like at 15-20"?


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## dat2zip (Apr 17, 2002)

*Re: Mag Lite Conversion, 2 \'D\' Cell to 3 \'C\' Cell, with Luxeon Star*

Elektrolumens,

After your posting that Target had them on sale I rushed over there and bought 5 or six of them. All 2D and one 5D. I got two aluminum, one blue, one black. There was red there too, but, I already had a red one.

They are all happily modifed with the LS/O. I am putting the different colors in them and playing around with them. All the colors are awesome. 

I just took one of the LS/O and removed the optics and them removed the plastic optic holder and bolted that into the Maglight and now it is a focusable version. Got a nice tight beam out of this one. Can't wait till it gets dark to go take a walk and compare the two side by side.


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## TCPilot (Apr 17, 2002)

*Re: Mag Lite Conversion, 2 \'D\' Cell to 3 \'C\' Cell, with Luxeon Star*

hey dat2zip,

If it turns out that your mods work well, you might have an enthusiastic (local!) customer here, should you be willing to part with one or two!

/TCP


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## ElektroLumens (Apr 17, 2002)

*Re: Mag Lite Conversion, 2 \'D\' Cell to 3 \'C\' Cell, with Luxeon Star*

dat2zip,

Ooooooooooh boy, look at all those colors. 

Wayne


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## The_LED_Museum (May 8, 2002)

*Re: Mag Lite Conversion, 2 \'D\' Cell to 3 \'C\' Cell, with Luxeon Star*

*MY EYES!!! MY EYES!!!!!!*
I just got your 2-D to 3-C Mag conversion and HOLY CRAP it just smokes every other LED light away!! It even blows the Trek 6000 EX60 away!











Sorry Lambda, but your Illuminator just got smoked - big time - by Elektrolumen's Mag Lite mod. And I didn't think it was even possible to get an LS to burn any brighter than the Illuminator.. boy was I wrong!!

Are you _SURE_ you didn't sneak one of those new 5-watt Luxeons in this light saber?!?!?


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## ElektroLumens (May 8, 2002)

*Re: Mag Lite Conversion, 2 \'D\' Cell to 3 \'C\' Cell, with Luxeon Star*

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by The LED Museum:
*MY EYES!!! MY EYES!!!!!!
I just got your 2-D to 3-C Mag conversion and HOLY CRAP it just smokes every other LED light away!! It even blows the Trek 6000 EX60 away!











Sorry Lambda, but your Illuminator just got smoked - big time - by Elektrolumen's Mag Lite mod. And I didn't think it was even possible to get an LS to burn any brighter than the Illuminator.. boy was I wrong!!

Are you SURE you didn't sneak one of those new 5-watt Luxeons in this light saber?!?!?*<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I need a better name for this mod. I keep calling it, 'The Luxeon Modified 2 'D' cell to 3 'C' cell Mag Lite'. Any suggestions?

Wayne www.elektrolumens.com


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## dat2zip (May 8, 2002)

*Re: Mag Lite Conversion, 2 \'D\' Cell to 3 \'C\' Cell, with Luxeon Star*

How about MAG2D3C mod?





or just R2D3, or C3PO for short. (Like star Wars R2D2).


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## lambda (May 8, 2002)

*Re: Mag Lite Conversion, 2 \'D\' Cell to 3 \'C\' Cell, with Luxeon Star*

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by The LED Museum:
*MY EYES!!! MY EYES!!!!!!
I just got your 2-D to 3-C Mag conversion and HOLY CRAP it just smokes every other LED light away!! It even blows the Trek 6000 EX60 away!











Sorry Lambda, but your Illuminator just got smoked - big time - by Elektrolumen's Mag Lite mod. And I didn't think it was even possible to get an LS to burn any brighter than the Illuminator.. boy was I wrong!!

Are you SURE you didn't sneak one of those new 5-watt Luxeons in this light saber?!?!?*<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>


OK, The title must be defended...

That means I'm going to have to send you the Lambda Ultra Illuminator.

Better watch your mail box telephony ..........


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## ElektroLumens (May 8, 2002)

*Re: Mag Lite Conversion, 2 \'D\' Cell to 3 \'C\' Cell, with Luxeon Star*

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by dat2zip:
*How about MAG2D3C mod?






or just R2D3, or C3PO for short. (Like star Wars R2D2).*<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>


Is 'Light Saber' or 'Photonic Blaster' taken? How about 'The ElektroLuminator' ?

Wayne www.elektrolumens.com


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## ElektroLumens (May 8, 2002)

*Re: Mag Lite Conversion, 2 \'D\' Cell to 3 \'C\' Cell, with Luxeon Star*






Uh oh! Where's this all going to go? The super duper ultra magnum infinity plasmic blaster?














Wayne


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## **DONOTDELETE** (May 8, 2002)

*Re: Mag Lite Conversion, 2 \'D\' Cell to 3 \'C\' Cell, with Luxeon Star*

All right! More reasons to spend even more money on flashlights! You guys are going to get me in trouble with my SO.


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## Slick (May 8, 2002)

*Re: Mag Lite Conversion, 2 \'D\' Cell to 3 \'C\' Cell, with Luxeon Star*

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by The LED Museum:
*MY EYES!!! MY EYES!!!!!!
I just got your 2-D to 3-C Mag conversion and HOLY CRAP it just smokes every other LED light away!! It even blows the Trek 6000 EX60 away!











Sorry Lambda, but your Illuminator just got smoked - big time - by Elektrolumen's Mag Lite mod. And I didn't think it was even possible to get an LS to burn any brighter than the Illuminator.. boy was I wrong!!

Are you SURE you didn't sneak one of those new 5-watt Luxeons in this light saber?!?!?*<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I'm curious if this light was set up using 1 or 2 ohms resistance?

I just ordered 4 LS/o's from ARC yesterday!! WooHoo! I just gots to build one a these


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## lambda (May 8, 2002)

*Re: Mag Lite Conversion, 2 \'D\' Cell to 3 \'C\' Cell, with Luxeon Star*

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by ElektroLumens:
*





Uh oh! Where's this all going to go? The super duper ultra magnum infinity plasmic blaster?








Wayne



*<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Oh, eventually we'll end up with nuclear powered plasma lights, but till then, these simple LED devices will have to entertain us.

And Wayne, I like the "ElektroLuminator" or perhaps "Elect3C2Dinator"??


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## **DONOTDELETE** (May 8, 2002)

*Re: Mag Lite Conversion, 2 \'D\' Cell to 3 \'C\' Cell, with Luxeon Star*

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by lambda:
*
the Lambda Ultra Illuminator.



*<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>


Uh, okay I'll take one a them Ultra Illuminators too, then...damn, in the pic it looks as bright-white as the LX! That a camera trick or sumthin'?


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## lambda (May 8, 2002)

*Re: Mag Lite Conversion, 2 \'D\' Cell to 3 \'C\' Cell, with Luxeon Star*

No tricks, order of magnitude brighter.

You might call it the first "tactical" LED flashlight. Stands up to the regular LX fairly well........

Edited: I'm sorry if you thought it was the AA light, it's the CR123 powered LX in this new picture; up against the regular incandescent LX.


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## **DONOTDELETE** (May 8, 2002)

*Re: Mag Lite Conversion, 2 \'D\' Cell to 3 \'C\' Cell, with Luxeon Star*

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by lambda:
*No tricks, order of magnitude brighter.

You might call it the first "tactical" LED flashlight. Stands up to the regular LX fairly well........*<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>


Well, I might as well post this since someone else is bound to --

1) temps?
2) runtime?
3) reliability?
4) WHEN???

(heh heh)


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## DonL (May 8, 2002)

*Re: Mag Lite Conversion, 2 \'D\' Cell to 3 \'C\' Cell, with Luxeon Star*

Wayne, I suggest calling them the "Elektro-Mag", and some moniker regarding the cell or resistance or some other such designation that can tell what the actual conversion is.

PS. I'll drop an e-mail tommorow concerning such a project.


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## The_LED_Museum (May 8, 2002)

*Re: Mag Lite Conversion, 2 \'D\' Cell to 3 \'C\' Cell, with Luxeon Star*

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by lambda:
*
OK, The title must be defended...

That means I'm going to have to send you the Lambda Ultra Illuminator.

Better watch your mail box telephony 
[/IMG]*<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Oh oh!!
This thing is bright too, looks like we're going to have a good old fashioned photonics war here pretty soon. :-O

Just out of curiosity, I took the "old style" lens off the Elektrolumens mod, and took apart my HD amber "Toylet" LS mod and tried its "new style" lens on this cannon. Interestingly enough, this DIMS the Elektrolumens mod even though it narrows the beam, and makes it fair competition for the Lambda Illuminator. But it DIMS!! Putting the "old style" lens back on brightens it up substantially. Apparently, the new lens is optimized only for the high dome parts, not the batwings.


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## ElektroLumens (May 8, 2002)

*Re: Mag Lite Conversion, 2 \'D\' Cell to 3 \'C\' Cell, with Luxeon Star*

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by The LED Museum:
*Oh oh!!
This thing is bright too, looks like we're going to have a good old fashioned photonics war here pretty soon. :-O

Just out of curiosity, I took the "old style" lens off the Elektrolumens mod, and took apart my HD amber "Toylet" LS mod and tried its "new style" lens on this cannon. Interestingly enough, this DIMS the Elektrolumens mod even though it narrows the beam, and makes it fair competition for the Lambda Illuminator. But it DIMS!! Putting the "old style" lens back on brightens it up substantially. Apparently, the new lens is optimized only for the high dome parts, not the batwings.









*<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Wow,



that's very interesting! Glad you did that test. I was going to ask you to try it.





Wayne


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## The_LED_Museum (May 8, 2002)

*Re: Mag Lite Conversion, 2 \'D\' Cell to 3 \'C\' Cell, with Luxeon Star*





Versus the Trek 6000 EX60.
Sorry about the misspelling. :-/





Versus the Arc-LS with 123 pack.





Versus the Lambda Illuminator.

The pee-green color in these pictures is badly exxagerated. My "spare" camera seems to have a thing for it.





I'll try to run it through the ProMetic later tonight. I can't take a "bare" measurement because I broke my ruler. The ProMetric can do the math for the longer test distance (the system is already mounted at 24"), I cannot.


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## yclo (May 8, 2002)

*Re: Mag Lite Conversion, 2 \'D\' Cell to 3 \'C\' Cell, with Luxeon Star*















All that from a single LS!?!?!?!?

Driven at what spec?

YC


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## The_LED_Museum (May 8, 2002)

*Re: Mag Lite Conversion, 2 \'D\' Cell to 3 \'C\' Cell, with Luxeon Star*

Something else I noticed about the Mag mod. You can feel HEAT in the beam of light!!
Anybody that has one of these, hold the business end close to - but not touching your lips, and turn it on and off. Fell that? I can't imagine the LED is actually radiating (through electron/hole recombination) at those wavelengths; so it must be radiant heat from the LED's chip itself.


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## BigHonu (May 8, 2002)

*Re: Mag Lite Conversion, 2 \'D\' Cell to 3 \'C\' Cell, with Luxeon Star*

WOW!!





Some damn impressive output from the LS!

To the gentlemen who put together these solid state mutants:

How long can the LS keep it up? Life must be shortened up a ton at that brightness.

Keep up the great work!!

Aloha


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## **DONOTDELETE** (May 8, 2002)

*Re: Mag Lite Conversion, 2 \'D\' Cell to 3 \'C\' Cell, with Luxeon Star*

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by BigHonu:
*WOW!!





Some damn impressive output from the LS!

To the gentlemen who put together these solid state mutants:

How long can the LS keep it up? Life must be shortened up a ton at that brightness.

Keep up the great work!!

Aloha*<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>


Hey BigH,

Wayne kindly made me one, and after 72 hours I could still walk around in the backyard with it, illuminate stuff outside to read (like a thermometer), and finally I just gave up and turned it off. Put new batteries in and man it's bright all over again!


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## BigHonu (May 9, 2002)

*Re: Mag Lite Conversion, 2 \'D\' Cell to 3 \'C\' Cell, with Luxeon Star*

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by MR Bulk™:
*
Hey BigH,

Wayne kindly made me one, and after 72 hours I could still walk around in the backyard with it, illuminate stuff outside to read (like a thermometer), and finally I just gave up and turned it off. Put new batteries in and man it's bright all over again!*<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Mr. Bulk,

Thanks for the rundown on the runtime. 72 hours...WOW! 

I should have phrased the question differently, but was trying to ask what the projected life of the LED would be when it is overdriven like that.

BTW, if you are still looking to pick up the lithium AAs, Longs has them in the camera department, and I THINK Walmart has them too. They run about $10 for 4. Not bad.

Hope your place is ok after all of the rain the past couple of days.

Aloha


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## **DONOTDELETE** (May 9, 2002)

*Re: Mag Lite Conversion, 2 \'D\' Cell to 3 \'C\' Cell, with Luxeon Star*

BigHonu,

Thanks for the tip about Longs, I rarely go into the camera section but I guess I have a good reason now. My place was okay after the rain, but I heard that work was hell (but I've been off the past three days!)...and I hope everything's alright with you after that deluge.


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## **DONOTDELETE** (May 9, 2002)

*Re: Mag Lite Conversion, 2 \'D\' Cell to 3 \'C\' Cell, with Luxeon Star*

Judging from Craig's pics, to see Wayne's ElektroLumen DD Blaster (DirectDrive) outshine the vaunted Arc-LS, Lambda Illuminator, and now even the 60-LED Trek 6000 EX60, is truly impressive -- and even a little frightening...

Where will this all end?

When the white 5-watt Luxeons become available, could this spell the end of the incandescent's tactical light dominance as we know it? The LS mods now are all based on just a single-watt unit!

We certainly are living in interesting times, and I for one feel truly blessed...


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## Mr. Blue (May 9, 2002)

*Re: Mag Lite Conversion, 2 \'D\' Cell to 3 \'C\' Cell, with Luxeon Star*

Craig...do you see the LED lead shadows in your Eletromag? I have one, it is a super light, but the lead shadows are there.


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## yclo (May 9, 2002)

*Re: Mag Lite Conversion, 2 \'D\' Cell to 3 \'C\' Cell, with Luxeon Star*

Craig,

Could you possibly do a beam comparasion with this versus the Surefire E2?

Only if you have time...






YC


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## The_LED_Museum (May 9, 2002)

*Re: Mag Lite Conversion, 2 \'D\' Cell to 3 \'C\' Cell, with Luxeon Star*

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Geoff in Philly:
*Craig...do you see the LED lead shadows in your Eletromag? I have one, it is a super light, but the lead shadows are there.*<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

They're visible as a pair of thin lines in the outer corona only; I do not consider them to be offensive this way. Your sense of aesthetics may vary, much like your gasoline mileage.


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## ElektroLumens (May 9, 2002)

*Re: Mag Lite Conversion, 2 \'D\' Cell to 3 \'C\' Cell, with Luxeon Star*

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by BigHonu:
*WOW!!





Some damn impressive output from the LS!

To the gentlemen who put together these solid state mutants:

How long can the LS keep it up? Life must be shortened up a ton at that brightness.

Keep up the great work!!

Aloha*<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

We are going where no man has gone before!!



We are doing what was said cannot be done! We don't know exactly how long the LS can keep it up. However, I would add that I detect only mild warming of the Luxeon Star, it does not appear to be getting hot, as amazing as that sounds. Overheating is the enemy of the Luxeon Star. I think that if it would last even one year at these levels, that would be good. It might go for years, or peter out after 2 months. We just have to wait and see.

I think I will run one up to the limit, until it blows, that's the only way to know for sure. I am going to mount one on a computer heat sink, a big one, with a fan, and go as high as it will go. I guess this is sort of like putting a brick on the throttle of a car and winding up the engine.





Regarding the heat Craig mentions can be felt. As this light is full spectrum, I assume it has some infrared light emissions. Infrared can be felt as heat. This might be the heat that is detected. I have some infrared LED's, which emit light that cannot be seen, but felt as heat, but the LED themselves do not get hot.

What if we do this with the 5 watt








Wayne www.elektrolumes


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## ElektroLumens (May 9, 2002)

*Re: Mag Lite Conversion, 2 \'D\' Cell to 3 \'C\' Cell, with Luxeon Star*

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by yclo:
*














All that from a single LS!?!?!?!?

Driven at what spec?

YC*<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>


Way overdriven at 4.5 volts direct from 3 'C' cells. Probably over 700mA ! I'll do a couple of tests on the amount current drawn, soon.

Wayne www.elektrolumens.com


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## Slick (May 9, 2002)

*Re: Mag Lite Conversion, 2 \'D\' Cell to 3 \'C\' Cell, with Luxeon Star*

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by ElektroLumens:
*
Way overdriven at 4.5 volts direct from 3 'C' cells. Probably over 700mA ! I'll do a couple of tests on the amount current drawn, soon.

Wayne www.elektrolumens.com*<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I'm curious (and am not an electical wiz of any sort), but would 3 "D" cells drive the Luxeon harder than 3 "C" cells, even they would both be 4.5 volts? Perhaps due to differences in internal resistance?



In the first post in this thread, you indicated that you used 2 1-ohm resistors in series, but the last post said "direct drive". Are these two different flashlights?

I have been scrounging around for some old spare CPU heatsinks to test for some LS mods and this mod sounds like a MUST HAVE for sure!



I've got four LS/o's on the way so my 3D mag light might have to be the first victim.


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## lambda (May 9, 2002)

*Re: Mag Lite Conversion, 2 \'D\' Cell to 3 \'C\' Cell, with Luxeon Star*

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Slick:
*I'm curious (and am not an electical wiz of any sort), but would 3 "D" cells drive the Luxeon harder than 3 "C" cells, even they would both be 4.5 volts? Perhaps due to differences in internal resistance?



In the first post in this thread, you indicated that you used 2 1-ohm resistors in series, but the last post said "direct drive". Are these two different flashlights?

I have been scrounging around for some old spare CPU heatsinks to test for some LS mods and this mod sounds like a MUST HAVE for sure!



I've got four LS/o's on the way so my 3D mag light might have to be the first victim.



*<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Might be slightly brighter, but with much longer run time. Check out LightSpeed's thread on his 3D Mag conversion: http://www.candlepowerforums.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=3&t=001677


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## ElektroLumens (May 9, 2002)

*Re: Mag Lite Conversion, 2 \'D\' Cell to 3 \'C\' Cell, with Luxeon Star*

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Slick:
*I'm curious (and am not an electical wiz of any sort), but would 3 "D" cells drive the Luxeon harder than 3 "C" cells, even they would both be 4.5 volts? Perhaps due to differences in internal resistance?



In the first post in this thread, you indicated that you used 2 1-ohm resistors in series, but the last post said "direct drive". Are these two different flashlights?

I have been scrounging around for some old spare CPU heatsinks to test for some LS mods and this mod sounds like a MUST HAVE for sure!



I've got four LS/o's on the way so my 3D mag light might have to be the first victim.



*<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>


I don't know how much internal resistance there would be with 3 'C' cells, as they can handle the current draw of a single Luxeon Star pretty well. It does makes sense that the 'C' cells initial current surge would be less than the 3 'D' cells. I think Lamda has done it with the 3 'D' cells okay. I haven't tried it, but it would probably work okay.

Lately, I have been using 1 ohm resistance, unless requested to do direct drive. In the past I've used 3 ohms, 2 ohms, and 1 ohms resistance. There is a slight difference in brightness, with each ohm of resistance. 

We do not know how far we can push the limits of this Luxeon Star. It seems that as long as there is adequate heat sink to keep it cool, it can be overdriven like crazy.







Wayne


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## Slick (May 9, 2002)

*Re: Mag Lite Conversion, 2 \'D\' Cell to 3 \'C\' Cell, with Luxeon Star*

Thanks guys, I think I'll play it safe and use 1 or 2 ohms resistance just to play it safe and boost the run time.


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## Spork (May 9, 2002)

*Re: Mag Lite Conversion, 2 \'D\' Cell to 3 \'C\' Cell, with Luxeon Star*

why doesn't someone let a well heat sinked luxeon run at 1 ohm for a few weeks and then check the brightness again?


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## ElektroLumens (May 9, 2002)

*Re: Mag Lite Conversion, 2 \'D\' Cell to 3 \'C\' Cell, with Luxeon Star*

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by mrchri5:
*why doesn't someone let a well heat sinked luxeon run at 1 ohm for a few weeks and then check the brightness again?*<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>


I had a 3 'D' cell Mag, with 3 ohms resistance, which I left on for 4 days. It was still usable light, but I got bored of the test and turned it off. Stayed at hight brightness for 48 hours. 

I figure if I can get 24 hours of good brightness, that's enough for me. Way better than only 2 hours, like with the incandescent or halogen flashlights.

Companies that sell batteries will not like the Luxeon Star!





Wayne


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## The_LED_Museum (May 10, 2002)

*Re: Mag Lite Conversion, 2 \'D\' Cell to 3 \'C\' Cell, with Luxeon Star*

I'm getting ready to run this thing through the ProMetric, we'll see what it has to say about this cannon. As soon as the camera gets down to -22°C, I'll get started.


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## The_LED_Museum (May 10, 2002)

*Re: Mag Lite Conversion, 2 \'D\' Cell to 3 \'C\' Cell, with Luxeon Star*

Ok, -200°C. Good enough for this kind of work.





Beam profile analysis.





Beam contour analysis.

This light from the ElektroCannon is so bright, I had to screw on the filter and use the calibration set I used for the Light Cannon and the Surefire E2 just so the CCD wouldn't overload & bloom.




The camera is basically insensitive to color temperature, so the labelling "incandescent" in the calibration name has no bearing on the outcome.

It looks like the Trek 6000 EX60 *does* beat it out after all, and apparently does so by two mechanisms.

1: The Trek's beam is wider, so the average cd value is spread out over a larger surface area; (18° vs. 12°) hence it will have a higher total flux than the Blaster. Only an integrating sphere can measure and confirm this, and nobody I know has one.

2: The ElektroBlaster has a distinct bluish tint, which makes it *appear* brighter to the eye and to some cameras, especially with its narrower primary beam.


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## lambda (May 10, 2002)

*Re: Mag Lite Conversion, 2 \'D\' Cell to 3 \'C\' Cell, with Luxeon Star*

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by The LED Museum:
*

It looks like the Trek 6000 EX60 *does* beat it out after all, and apparently does so by two mechanisms.

1: The Trek's beam is wider, so the average cd value is spread out over a larger surface area; (18° vs. 12°) hence it will have a higher total flux than the Blaster. Only an integrating sphere can measure and confirm this, and nobody I know has one.

2: The ElektroBlaster has a distinct bluish tint, which makes it *appear* brighter to the eye and to some cameras, especially with its narrower primary beam.*<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>


So, your saying it takes a $300 flashlight to just do slightly better........................


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## ElektroLumens (May 10, 2002)

*Re: Mag Lite Conversion, 2 \'D\' Cell to 3 \'C\' Cell, with Luxeon Star*

Hey Craig,

Nice work! I have no way to do the kind of analysis you do. Great job!

The Trek 6000 costs about $300, and I'm selling my 'ElektroBlaster' for 1/6 of that?? We would expect 6x's the performance for 6 x's the price, wouldn't we?

Well, I'm sure the Trek 6000 is an awesome flashlight.

Well, I wonder if the multiple LED flashlights will be able to survive against the 5 watt Luxeon? If we can get this light from the present Luxeon Star, what about the 5 watt Luxeon? Look out incandesents and multiple LED flashlights!








Wayne


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## Slick (May 10, 2002)

*Re: Mag Lite Conversion, 2 \'D\' Cell to 3 \'C\' Cell, with Luxeon Star*

Did the light that Craig just tested have any resistance? Direct drive or an ohm or two maybe? It would be interesting to see a side by side comparison of 4 LS's, running DD, along with 1,2,and 3 ohms.


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## BugLightGeek (May 10, 2002)

*Re: Mag Lite Conversion, 2 \'D\' Cell to 3 \'C\' Cell, with Luxeon Star*

OK. I've read through this entire thread and have some questions:
1. What different models of this mag lite mod are available?
2. What are the different specs of those models? brightness vs. run-time? etc...
3. Which is better, the 3C or the 3D mag lite? And, did I read correctly, that if I buy a mag lite and send it to Elektrolumens, he'll modify it to run the LS LED for $40? now I'm starting to drool...


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## dat2zip (May 10, 2002)

*Re: Mag Lite Conversion, 2 \'D\' Cell to 3 \'C\' Cell, with Luxeon Star*

Just some information,

I've got an LS on the bench at 950mA heat sinked well. LS voltage is 3.55V.

My mini mag is running 500-600mA and they look similar in brightness. I've seen more than a 2:1 variation in LS.

My 2D3C maglight on direct drive with fresh set of Energizer Industrial C alkaline is running the LS at 1.6A. For whatever reason the 2D3C Maglight is sooo much brighter. I can't explain how much difference there is.

The proper way to do this is to use the same LS for all the experiments.

Anyway, I just wanted to let you know i measured with my tektronics clamp on current probe the 1.6A.

My 2D3C maglight mods are using a aluminum slug .25" thick. That and the fact they are wedge into the barrel makes good thermal transfer. The whole assembly gets slightly warm after 10-15minutes running.

I've got one out for evaluation by the local PD and I haven't seen it back (been 2-3wks). I guess they must like it.


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## ElektroLumens (May 10, 2002)

*Re: Mag Lite Conversion, 2 \'D\' Cell to 3 \'C\' Cell, with Luxeon Star*

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Slick:
*Did the light that Craig just tested have any resistance? Direct drive or an ohm or two maybe? It would be interesting to see a side by side comparison of 4 LS's, running DD, along with 1,2,and 3 ohms.



*<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

The one Craig has is direct drive. I've used the different resistence you mentioned. Each ohm of resistance makes a slightly noticeable difference in brightness. Also, as dat2zip points out, each Luxeon Star is different. I have several direct drive flashlights right now ready to ship, and each one is slightly different in light output (each one is totally awesome, though). Craig must have gotten a real hum dinger!





Wayne www.elektrolumens.com


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## ElektroLumens (May 10, 2002)

*Re: Mag Lite Conversion, 2 \'D\' Cell to 3 \'C\' Cell, with Luxeon Star*

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by ChrisM:
*OK. I've read through this entire thread and have some questions:
1. What different models of this mag lite mod are available?
2. What are the different specs of those models? brightness vs. run-time? etc...
3. Which is better, the 3C or the 3D mag lite? And, did I read correctly, that if I buy a mag lite and send it to Elektrolumens, he'll modify it to run the LS LED for $40? now I'm starting to drool...



*<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>


You can get a 3 'D' cell, a 2 'D' cell modified with 3 'C' cells, and on special order, a 3 'C' cell. Colors available are blue, black, red, silver, and green.

It's all a matter of preference, as to whether you want the 3 'C' or 3 'D'. You'll probably get 24 hours of near full brightness with 3 'C' cells, and probably 48 with the 'D' cells, and more than that with intermittent use.

Yes, you can send me your Mag and I'll modify it, for $40. I'll probably make mention of this on my 'Flashlights For Sale' page. 

Here's the specs.
1. Overdrive
2. Super Overdrive,
3. Massive maximum direct overdrive, woooo hooooooo! Put the pedal to the metal!!!





Take your pick.

Wayne www.elektrolumens.com


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## BugLightGeek (May 10, 2002)

*Re: Mag Lite Conversion, 2 \'D\' Cell to 3 \'C\' Cell, with Luxeon Star*

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by ElektroLumens:
*
You can get a 3 'D' cell, a 2 'D' cell modified with 3 'C' cells, and on special order, a 3 'C' cell. Colors available are blue, black, red, silver, and green.

Here's the specs.
1. Overdrive
2. Super Overdrive,
3. Massive maximum direct overdrive, woooo hooooooo! Put the pedal to the metal!!!





Take your pick.

Wayne www.elektrolumens.com*<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

ALRIGHT! Sounds quite good. What are the prices for the various models and how long will it take you to modify them once you receive the check? 

Now then, could you go over the differences in the various overdriven models? Which one is the best balance of power and battery life? 

Also, I have read that due to the way the human eye percieves color, that a blue LED appears brighter than a white one. Is this true? What about turquoise? Is white the only color LED that preserves color vision while maintaining the best brightness? thanks and I can't wait for the spouse to OK my next purchase because it will be from you!


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## ElektroLumens (May 11, 2002)

*Re: Mag Lite Conversion, 2 \'D\' Cell to 3 \'C\' Cell, with Luxeon Star*

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by ChrisM:
*ALRIGHT! Sounds quite good. What are the prices for the various models and how long will it take you to modify them once you receive the check? 

Now then, could you go over the differences in the various overdriven models? Which one is the best balance of power and battery life? 

Also, I have read that due to the way the human eye percieves color, that a blue LED appears brighter than a white one. Is this true? What about turquoise? Is white the only color LED that preserves color vision while maintaining the best brightness? thanks and I can't wait for the spouse to OK my next purchase because it will be from you!*<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Hmmmm, go over it again, okay. You can get a 3 'D' cell, a 2 'D' cell with 3 'C' cell batteries, sometimes if I happen to be making an order for more flashlights (just did), and you catch me just before I make the order, you can get a 3 'C' cell (more work for me on this one).

You can get them direct drive, or you can have me add 1 ohm resistance. I'm sort of leaning to making them all direct drive as the battery life is still excellent. Seems like 24 hours of continuous brightness for the 3 'C' and 48 for the bigger 3 'D'. Mr Bulk got 71 hours continuous light and it still produced useable light.

As far as color goes, green is the color our eyes percieve the best. I have a green one, things look wierd, but it seems so bright, partly because my eyes pick up the gree so well. I prefer white myself, but green is pretty neat. I've heard we percieve blue quite well. 

For night vision, I think red is the best, but not sure. Green seems to be okay. Pilots I think use red, because it least affects night vision. Red is in the upper region of the light spectrum we see, and doesn't affect the way our pupils react to light.

For pricing check out my website, and go to the flashlights for sale page. I also have a product testimonials page, with some comments from those who have purchased products from me.

Wayne www.elektrolumens.com


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## BugLightGeek (May 13, 2002)

*Re: Mag Lite Conversion, 2 \'D\' Cell to 3 \'C\' Cell, with Luxeon Star*

Beam Comparisons
I was wondering if you've done any beam comparisons between your Mag Lite mod and the Inova X5, Night Buster 8x and a SureFire G2.

Does anyone else have any comparisons between these flashlights?


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## dat2zip (May 13, 2002)

*Re: Mag Lite Conversion, 2 \'D\' Cell to 3 \'C\' Cell, with Luxeon Star*

Here is a comparison I did earlier against my Inova X5.


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## BugLightGeek (May 14, 2002)

*Re: Mag Lite Conversion, 2 \'D\' Cell to 3 \'C\' Cell, with Luxeon Star*

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by dat2zip:
*Here is a comparison I did earlier against my Inova X5.*<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Which one is which? From how far away?


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## ElektroLumens (May 14, 2002)

*Re: Mag Lite Conversion, 2 \'D\' Cell to 3 \'C\' Cell, with Luxeon Star*

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by ChrisM:
*Which one is which? From how far away?*<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

The one on the left is the weaker Inova. The one on right is the Elektro Lumens 'Blaster'.

Wayne


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## dat2zip (May 14, 2002)

*Re: Mag Lite Conversion, 2 \'D\' Cell to 3 \'C\' Cell, with Luxeon Star*

According to Craigs review he measured peak light intensity at 1178 CD and Average 579 Cd over ~12 degrees.

Question: What is the conversion to Lumens from Cd or vise versa. I know I read this somewhere.

I'm not sure anyone has measured the light output VS current. I'm wondering if the "Blaster" running about 4 times the normal has 4 times the light output.

Just for grins the "Blaster" is running 3.6V @ 1.6A on the one unit I measured which means the LS on the one unit I have is running 5.76W. Do we already have a 5W equivalent light? I'm would think the 5W with the larger die would be more efficient.

Another thing I think should be mentioned is that as far as I can tell from what I've read is that the 5W emitter is identically the same size physically including the slug are on the bottom. So, the 5W and the 1W are nearly identical. That said, (IMHO) I would not be worried about overdrivng the 1W LS to 5W since the 5W is in the same package. As Elektrolumens and others have pointed out that properly heat sinked the emitter does not seem to get too warm if done correctly. So (IMHO) the 1W in overdrive should last quite some time unless there is some other failure mechanism I'm overlooking.


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## ElektroLumens (May 14, 2002)

*Re: Mag Lite Conversion, 2 \'D\' Cell to 3 \'C\' Cell, with Luxeon Star*

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by dat2zip:
*According to Craigs review he measured peak light intensity at 1178 CD and Average 579 Cd over ~12 degrees.

Question: What is the conversion to Lumens from Cd or vise versa. I know I read this somewhere.

I'm not sure anyone has measured the light output VS current. I'm wondering if the "Blaster" running about 4 times the normal has 4 times the light output.

Just for grins the "Blaster" is running 3.6V @ 1.6A on the one unit I measured which means the LS on the one unit I have is running 5.76W. Do we already have a 5W equivalent light? I'm would think the 5W with the larger die would be more efficient.

Another thing I think should be mentioned is that as far as I can tell from what I've read is that the 5W emitter is identically the same size physically including the slug are on the bottom. So, the 5W and the 1W are nearly identical. That said, (IMHO) I would not be worried about overdrivng the 1W LS to 5W since the 5W is in the same package. As Elektrolumens and others have pointed out that properly heat sinked the emitter does not seem to get too warm if done correctly. So (IMHO) the 1W in overdrive should last quite some time unless there is some other failure mechanism I'm overlooking.*<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>


Hello dat2zip,

I have read that it is really hard to compare Lumens to Candella. Lumens, if I remember correctly, is a measurement of total light being emitted, while candellas measures the hottest spot. A light with more lumens than another light might measure less in candella, because it has a hotter spot in the middle. (Wow, I hope I didn't get that backwards.)

You have a Luxeon that at 3.6 volts is taking 1.6 amps. If you measure another one, it might be 1.1, or even 750mA. As you know, they are inconsistent.

You might be correct at the wattage we're running. Volts X amperage = watts, right?

I wonder how much brighter the new 5 watter will be than the current maximumly overdiven Luxeon is? That is, until we overdrive the 5 watt to . . .

Wayne www.elektrolumens.com


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