# "Sleeper" flashlights



## David18 (Jun 7, 2010)

There is a concept of cars called "Sleepers" which look ordinary on the outside but on the inside have a high performance engine, brakes and suspension etc..

Can anyone offer an example of a sleeper flashlight, either off-the-shelf or modded?

Regards,

David


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## tolkaze (Jun 7, 2010)

Any hotwire Maglite would be a good start... They would show the most bang for buck as a sleeper, but if you want something even more subtle, then you need something like an iTP A3 Eos... looks like a simple keychain light but puts out about 8 times more light compared to something you would pick up at a supermarket.

There are literally dozens of lights that fall into this category, depends on how stock you need it to appear, and what level of consumer you are aiming at.

For instance, if it was your typical Australian who still thinks Incan mags for $100 are the best light in the world, bar none! then a simple SF 6P incan will really impress, but if you are looking at someone who is aware of high efficiency LED's and maybe even owns something in the 100-200 Lumen category, then you will have to start looking at dropins or mods... for instance, I have an SST-90 in a 6P (600+ Lumens... possibly a lot brighter at turn on with LiFePO4 batteries, maybe upwards of 900+) which (for a short period of time) kicks the crap out of all my lights but looks like a standard light


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## vestureofblood (Jun 7, 2010)

HI David,

Here is one along the lines of what you said. In fact its literaly called "The Sleeper"

https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/206201


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## Monocrom (Jun 7, 2010)

Pretty much any light that MilkySpit gets his hands on is a Sleeper.

Other than the tape on the bezel that outlines what the light is capable of, they generally look stock.


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## HKJ (Jun 7, 2010)

Just about any AAA led light that is loaded with a LiIon cell. It is usual outside the specifications and might damage both the led and battery, but it is bright.


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## jimmy1970 (Jun 7, 2010)

Any Surefire 6P style light that has a modern drop in could be classed as a sleeper. Here are 2 of mine. The roundy has a Malkoff M61 - 260 lumens!
The newer 6P has a Malkoff M60 - 235 lumens!! - They look like 65 lumen stock lights but their beasts!!


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## Chauncey Gardner (Jun 7, 2010)

An ITP A3 & similar AAA lights that can handle lithium ion batteries are pretty shocking to non-flashaholics. They are shocking to me after owning Lummi a 200 lumen (Lummi rated) light.
Also shocking is the beam quality.

The older version of the D-Mini is also quite shocking for it's throw for a very nondescript looking light. The old D-mini with the Q5 3 mode digital pill is still nothing to be sneezed at & will embarrass most of the new R5 2x123 lights out there when it comes to throw.

The Quark Preon is supposed to be even more a screamer with a 10440 in it than the ITP/Maratac AAA's. Also starting to warm up to the body style.

Check Bigchelis thread with numbers from his IS, he is constantly adding more lights to it & some are quite surprising. In both rated output & actual, or potential for the lights that can handle lithium ion batteries (but not approved by manufacturer for heat reasons), it is an eyeopener.


This is all pretty much just reinforcement for the rest of the posts so far & experience with my own lights.
edit:
Also, any of the SF clones or p60 hosts can be turned into the most serious of sleepers by the custom fabbers here on cpf


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## Monocrom (Jun 7, 2010)

jimmy1970 said:


> Any Surefire 6P style light that has a modern drop in could be classed as a sleeper. Here are 2 of mine. The roundy has a Malkoff M61 - 260 lumens!
> 
> The newer 6P has a Malkoff M60 - 235 lumens!! - They look like 65 lumen stock lights but their beasts!!


 
I've got a stock 6P with one of Gene's M60W MC-E drop-ins in it. 

470 lumens in a 65-lumen form-factor. :twothumbs


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## jp2515 (Jun 7, 2010)

Depending on the size of light, a C/D Mag or a P60 light could be turned into a hand held flame thrower or pocket rocket. You might want to watch out for your wallet though...


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## Ozgeardo (Jun 7, 2010)

tolkaze said:


> For instance, if it was your typical Australian who still thinks Incan mags for $100 are the best light in the world, bar none! then a simple SF 6P incan will really impress


 
Do not go giving us Aussies too much credit, I still impress many Aussies with just a simple 1 watt LED conversion in a AA Mini-mag :sick2:

When I fire up a 5-6D Mag with a TLE300 conversion there are many that think I am the second coming :candle: and heaven forbid I should fire up my Olight M30. To most Aussies these are just "torches" so the sleeper factor is usually just down to size. Most Aussies still think a EverReady "Dolphin" is a great light and Mag D's are just for security/LE types (at great expense)

No offence taken  , illumination technology is starting to take hold down here in the antipodes but a long way to go. I (whilst not being overly techno minded) appear to be the local illumination guru with many of my colleagues slowly becoming "Flashaholics".


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## PCC (Jun 7, 2010)

At the recent SF Bay Area GTG I was told of a guy who brought a 2AA Mini-Mag to a previous GTG that was running two 14500s DD into an MCE. Run times, apparently, were measured in seconds. Either that or the thing would go thermal in a matter of seconds, not sure which. Either way, you had two or three seconds of 1000 lumens with this little light.


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## f22shift (Jun 7, 2010)

any maglite would be a nice sleeper for americans. i'm not sure about the surefires. 

i definitely agree about the aaa's. it's natural to perceive light strength with size so the smaller it is, the least lumens are expected.


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## Cataract (Jun 7, 2010)

I'd say, hide a 6P with a malkof drop in inside the oldest D sized battery flashlight you can find (you will need to remove all the innards), preferably something colorful and made for children (even better if it has dolphins on the side), stuff it with newspaper so the 6P won't move and use a remote switch hanging out the back... that should get you a reaction... just remember not to leave it on too long


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## jhc37013 (Jun 7, 2010)

Small bright light's like the Fenix PD10 or Zebralight SC50 on 14500 seem to bring the biggest wth is that response from friends and on lookers.


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## tolkaze (Jun 7, 2010)

Ozgeardo said:


> Do not go giving us Aussies too much credit, I still impress many Aussies with just a simple 1 watt LED conversion in a AA Mini-mag :sick2:
> 
> When I fire up a 5-6D Mag with a TLE300 conversion there are many that think I am the second coming :candle: and heaven forbid I should fire up my Olight M30. To most Aussies these are just "torches" so the sleeper factor is usually just down to size. Most Aussies still think a EverReady "Dolphin" is a great light and Mag D's are just for security/LE types (at great expense)
> 
> No offence taken  , illumination technology is starting to take hold down here in the antipodes but a long way to go. I (whilst not being overly techno minded) appear to be the local illumination guru with many of my colleagues slowly becoming "Flashaholics".




Well, as a fellow Aussie, I can see why maglites are so awesome to most people, and I agree on the dolphin torch... maybe I should chuck a big chunk of heatsinking into a dolphin and run an SST90 at spec... hmmmmm

My main problem with the Australian lighting scene is that the best lighting options I have seen in any store are mag's, led lensers, and the occasional 1 watt with an xp-c emitter. there are no gun shops, no surefires on display anywhere, nothing good at all.


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## ToNIX (Jun 7, 2010)

An old Maglite with a Malkoff drop-in


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## Bullzeyebill (Jun 7, 2010)

ToNIX said:


> An old Maglite with a Malkoff drop-in



+1. LOL


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## Chrontius (Jun 8, 2010)

PCC said:


> At the recent SF Bay Area GTG I was told of a guy who brought a 2AA Mini-Mag to a previous GTG that was running two 14500s DD into an MCE. Run times, apparently, were measured in seconds. Either that or the thing would go thermal in a matter of seconds, not sure which. Either way, you had two or three seconds of 1000 lumens with this little light.



dear sweet jesus, he's driving that at twice its rated voltage, and draining those cells at maybe 3 times their rated current. Enjoy your pipe bomb.


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## Hack On Wheels (Jun 8, 2010)

Chrontius said:


> dear sweet jesus, he's driving that at twice its rated voltage, and draining those cells at maybe 3 times their rated current. Enjoy your pipe bomb.



I believe it was 2S2P wired; however, it still must be draining the cells at more than 2C.

I have a Mini-Mag with an MC-E as well... wired 2S2P and driven by 2 unprotected 14500s. Mine has a driver though, which limits the current to 1000mA (approx 500mA per die). The aspheric (just for kicks) and the kroll switch give it away though...


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## ^^Nova^^ (Jun 8, 2010)

tolkaze said:


> Well, as a fellow Aussie, I can see why maglites are so awesome to most people, and I agree on the dolphin torch... maybe I should chuck a big chunk of heatsinking into a dolphin and run an SST90 at spec... hmmmmm
> 
> My main problem with the Australian lighting scene is that the best lighting options I have seen in any store are mag's, led lensers, and the occasional 1 watt with an xp-c emitter. there are no gun shops, no surefires on display anywhere, nothing good at all.


I saw a 6P and a G2 in King of Knives. The 6P was $200 (about $160US) and the G2 $150!!!! The G2 had a blown bulb and they still wouldn't sell it cheap.

Sleeper mags are the way to go. Anything with a few thousand lumens or more in a stock looking body is going to be a hit.

Cheers,
Nova


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## vali (Jun 8, 2010)

I think a Quark MiNi with li-ion is a good candidate.


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## 325addict (Jun 8, 2010)

I have a car that falls in this category, a BMW E36 four door(!) ///M3.
It just looks plain boring from the outside. No spoilers, no ///M badges, black metallic and just the original 17" Motorsport rims.
But... hit the accelerator and all 321 horses quickly come to life 

A sleeper in terms of flashlights, well, I know at least two:

Take some 1AAA LED flashlight, and put a 10440 Li-ion cell in it. IF it survives, it will be incredibly bright!

Take any MC-E light on 1X 18650. Put an IMR cell in it, to make sure voltage will stay OK and look how insanely bright that small light is. I own a Wolf eyes MC-E sniper, which is rated to 580 Lumens and is technically "old" already. Now, WE offers 700 Lumens in the same light...:twothumbs


Timmo.


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## Jash (Jun 8, 2010)

When camping over Easter, I gave a friend of mine a 3AA 120 lumen light I no longer use. He was over the moon and couldn't believe I would just 'give away' something so awesome.

Then I showed him the TK40. 

To the unenlightened, it's a sleeper that will get the same jaw dropping reaction everytime.


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## bigchelis (Jun 8, 2010)

I think the biggest sleeper by far would be the hardest to get:


Moddoo Tripple XP-G R5
in a 6P Hosts bored for 18mm
Powered by IMR 18650 cell
McClicky+brasss installed in stock switch
UCL lens with stock plastic retaining ring
1260 OTF lumens in a pocket sized 6P that looks stock, well untill you look down the barrel or see it in action:thumbsup:

The next would be any Mag build or Milky light with no tape.:twothumbs


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## Deputy T. (Jun 8, 2010)

Any Quark Mini makes for a good sleeper. My MiniCR2 never fails to catch people off guard. When some asks to borrow a light they're usually disappointed when I hand my keys to them. But even on the first level they say "wow it's actually pretty bright!" "Turn it off and on a couple times" I instruct them and they become speechless.

Or when ever one of my colleagues comes around toting their issued G2 (always with the nitrolon head still on) with an ebay drop in proudly saying "It's 295 lumens!" I reply "Really? This is what 190 looks likes," as I show them a beam that about as bright if not brighter coming from my keychain. I avoid be emasculating too much by not telling them that a cree XRE won't put out that much. Instead I offer them some advice that they'll may get more output and keep from burning out the module by switching to an aluminum head. The conversation almost always escalates to me pulling out my IMR-E2, and if available at the time, my 2d ROP.


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## Dude Dudeson (Jun 8, 2010)

I think the Malkoff MD3 Wildcat would have to qualify.

That's a pretty small light, and 750 OTF lumens?

Of course the price is no sleeper lol!


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## papajoe (Jun 9, 2010)

+1 on Deputy T. regarding the Quark MiNi CR2. It's sooooooo tiny and takes everyone by surprise ! :twothumbs


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## mitro (Jun 9, 2010)

I'd say that there's really two ways to go for a sleeper. You can either go with a tiny high output light like the MiNis OR you can go with a super output hotwire Mag. I find that my stock looking Mag458 will generally surprise just about anyone.  5000+ lumens out of a light that people associate with 100 lumens (even if they don't have a clue what a lumen is) tends to be noticeable.

I think that mostly the mid-sized lights that us CPFers use just wouldn't shock people as much because they know nothing about these lights anyway. That's the key to a sleeper: having a preconceived notion and then being blown away.


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## herbicide (Jun 9, 2010)

I can't believe no-one's mentioned the Minimag AA Aurora mod yet.


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## Kestrel (Jun 9, 2010)

herbicide said:


> I can't believe no-one's mentioned the Minimag AA Aurora mod yet.


I found these threads:
*Dummy Reference Guide to Minimag Modding(many pix)* by AuroraLite
*Lets see your Mini Mag mods* by Liberty1992
and the more recent (& very promising)
*Someone ever tried a 50W bulb in a MiniMag?* by tuelleric 

Any other links please? 

The *best part* is that AW is promising us an IMR 14500 very soon:


LiteShow said:


> Got a PM from AW saying that he will be releasing a 14500 IMR in a few weeks. It's rated for 8C (5A).


The mighty ROP-*High* (3853-H if not the 3854-H) should now be theoretically possible in a 2xAA Minimag! :thumbsup:

Edit: If anybody's curious, I just put in a suggestion for this in FM's 'What is Missing' thread.


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## Brigadier (Jun 9, 2010)

Most people are very impressed with my E2E-LF combo. They are very impressed that an incan, smaller than a Mini MagLight can be so bright.


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## nanomu (Jun 10, 2010)

I'm surprised no one has yet mentioned the Peak Eiger. At their brightest, ~100lumens in a _tiny_ head. Sure to surprise people, when they're expecting something very dim from that size.


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## LEDninja (Jun 10, 2010)

Just wave that Preon 2 WARMS around on low. 1.6 lumens. Everyone assumes you are using another crappy penlight with a 222 incan. bulb.
When someone suggest you get a proper flashlight, click click.

The Preon 2 NEUTRAL might be better at 29% brighter. (138 lumens vs. 112 lumens on high) Still not enough blue to give away it is a stealth light.

The regular Preon 2 might not be a good idea. While the lumens is still a lowly 2.2, the cool tint indicates a possible multimode LED torch.


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## swampgator (Jun 14, 2010)

Cataract said:


> I'd say, hide a 6P with a malkof drop in inside the oldest D sized battery flashlight you can find (you will need to remove all the innards), preferably something colorful and made for children (even better if it has dolphins on the side)


 
No need to go hiding lights inside of other lights:

Just get an old Eveready Captain or ROV Sportsman, they're everywhere. Try for an older version with metal reflector and glass lens. Slap in a ROP-LO bulb, make a 2 x 18650 battery holder, cut tailspring to fit.

Learn to say with a straight face, "it's just an flashlight I got from my grandpa."


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## UpChUcK (Jun 14, 2010)

A nailbender SST-90 drop-in in a Surefire 6P or SolarForce L2 host. A veritable "wall of light". :thumbsup:

Or the Quark Mini123. :thumbsup:


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## Cataract (Jun 15, 2010)

swampgator said:


> No need to go hiding lights inside of other lights:
> 
> Just get an old Eveready Captain or ROV Sportsman, they're everywhere. Try for an older version with metal reflector and glass lens. Slap in a ROP-LO bulb, make a 2 x 18650 battery holder, cut tailspring to fit.
> 
> Learn to say with a straight face, "it's just an flashlight I got from my grandpa."


 
.. and find a sobering answer to "SOooo ... what did your granpa do for a living?"


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## daimleramg (Jun 15, 2010)

Why would anyone want a sleeper?

Its like putting lamborghini's engine in the trunk and back seat of a honda civic hatchback.

I want my lights to look just as good as they perform, its not like you can not afford a light that looks good and performs well. If your mentality is to suprise a person because a light that looks normal can produce so much light. Isn't is better to show that person a gorgeous light that is also as bright?


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## JCD (Jun 15, 2010)

daimleramg said:


> Why would anyone want a sleeper?



The first reason that comes to mind is theft prevention. A "sleeper" light is more likely to be overlooked by thieves than "a gorgeous light that is also as bright."

Years ago, when I drove a Jeep Wrangler with a soft top, I was faced with the problem of being able to install decent quality speakers without having to worry about theft, since locking the vehicle was not a realistic option. The solution I found was to place speaker grills from cheap Walmart speakers over high quality speakers, making it appear that the speakers were not worth stealing. The strategy worked. While things would disappear from the Jeep from time to time, the speakers remained.

Also, some people prefer quality without the bling. They have no desire to have a "gorgeous" light. They want to spend their money on output, runtime, and suitable beam quality, not a fancy looking host.


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## daimleramg (Jun 15, 2010)

JCD said:


> They have no desire to have a "gorgeous" light. They want to spend their money on output, runtime, and suitable beam quality, not a fancy looking host.


 

Who says you can't have a gorgeous light without output, runtime, and suitable beam quality? It just costs more and no one here said they were on a tight budget. If you spend $800.00 on a custom light with all the bells and whistles the only way it will be stolen is if someone breaks into your house because if you take it out of your house you will hold onto it like gold. Its not like you will set it down on a park bench and walk away from it for half a day.

And your situation with your quality speakers with cheap grills seems like the theif was too dumb to pop the grill and actually look at the speaker behind it. Not all theives are dumb you just got lucky and with a dumb theif.


edit: Why would anyone choose a sleeper over these "GORGEOUS" lights...





bf1 said:


> *Mac Santa found his way...*


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## JCD (Jun 15, 2010)

daimleramg said:


> Who says you can't have a gorgeous light without output, runtime, and suitable beam quality?



No one said that. Nor did I imply that any did.



> It just costs more and no one here said they were on a tight budget.



Exactly, it costs more. One does not have to be on a budget to not place value on bling.



> If you spend $800.00 on a custom light with all the bells and whistles the only way it will be stolen is if someone breaks into your house because if you take it out of your house you will hold onto it like gold.



Yet, some people need quality lights that they don't need to pay $800 for or "hold onto like gold." They need to be able to leave it in a vehicle, or even unlocked and unattended for short periods of time. For some people, a flashlight is a tool, not a collector's item or an accessory.



> And your situation with your quality speakers with cheap grills seems like the theif was too dumb to pop the grill and actually look at the speaker behind it. Not all theives are dumb you just got lucky and with a dumb theif.



You're correct. Not all thieves are dumb. Some are smart enough not to increase their risk by taking the time to make sure everything is as it appears. The payoff:reward ratio tends to be very low, because the overwhelming majority of the time, there really are cheap speakers behind cheap speaker grills. Likewise, a flashlight designed to look nondescript is less likely to be perceived as an object of value to a thief.



> edit: Why would anyone choose a sleeper over these "GORGEOUS" lights...



Personally, those lights have no appeal to me. They might provide outstanding performance, but they're way too fancy for my taste. I'm sure others would love to own such lights, which is fine. Different strokes for different folks.


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## daimleramg (Jun 15, 2010)

JCD said:


> Personally, those lights have no appeal to me. They might provide outstanding performance, but they're way too fancy for my taste. I'm sure others would love to own such lights, which is fine. Different strokes for different folks.


 
Hey if you like sleepers then more power to you, go buy your sleeper light and sleeper jeep. I on the other hand will drive by you in a nice car(with lots of bling) and park in a nice secure garage that will not be broken into.


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## Sgt. LED (Jun 15, 2010)

Care to move this to PM's gentlemen? 
Maybe we can get the thread back to the lights instead of why or why not.


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## GarageBoy (Jun 16, 2010)

Sleepers are fun. I'd love to roll in a clapped out mid 1990s Lincoln Town Car with a Ford 427 or something like that dropped between the shock towers. Nothing like the feeling of getting smoked by a generic POS car. Same with lights.

I vote Mag 5761 with AWs 3 mode switch inside a tiny 2C Mag


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## tolkaze (Jun 17, 2010)

swampgator said:


> No need to go hiding lights inside of other lights:
> 
> Just get an old Eveready Captain or ROV Sportsman, they're everywhere. Try for an older version with metal reflector and glass lens. Slap in a ROP-LO bulb, make a 2 x 18650 battery holder, cut tailspring to fit.
> 
> Learn to say with a straight face, "it's just an flashlight I got from my grandpa."




I think i know what i'm doing with my eveready captain on the weekend!


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## hoongern (Jun 17, 2010)

Well, I recently completed my ~2000 lumen Mag mod - Mag2D with Kiu socket and FM-CL1909 bulb. It looks completely stock, except that it blasts out a crazy amount of light! I've had fun showing people my "simple Mag 2D" and then... BAM - light! Fun indeed!

The great part is that it's pretty easy & cheap to mod a mag!


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## NightKids (Jun 17, 2010)

hoongern said:


> Well, I recently completed my ~2000 lumen Mag mod - Mag2D with Kiu socket and FM-CL1909 bulb. It looks completely stock, except that it blasts out a crazy amount of light! I've had fun showing people my "simple Mag 2D" and then... BAM - light! Fun indeed!
> 
> The great part is that it's pretty easy & cheap to mod a mag!


 
So how much money did that set you back? I'm interested with a project like this...


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## Kestrel (Jun 17, 2010)

swampgator said:


> Just get an old Eveready Captain or ROV Sportsman, they're everywhere. Try for an older version with metal reflector and glass lens. Slap in a ROP-LO bulb, make a 2 x 18650 battery holder, cut tailspring to fit.


Around a month ago I helped clean out my parents garage & found an old ROV Sportsman. I'd like to turn it into a 'sleeper' (I'm pretty familiar with the 3753's & 3754's and have made a few ROP sleepers), but this one has the plastic reflector, bulb holder, & lens. I'm thinking that maybe a different path is to use one of those inexpensive reflectored-bulb MR16 assemblies with 4S or 5S IMR123 for 15v - 18.5v @ ~4.5 amps, considerably outperforming even the 3754-H. The only thing I can't really figure out is how to adapt the bi-pin MR16 for this configuration - I know of the FM mag adaptor for those, but since this ROV host has the cheapie plastic bulb holder and not the metal Mag bulb socket I don't really see how I could get it to work. :thinking:


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## treadmarks (Jun 18, 2010)

UpChUcK said:


> A nailbender SST-90 drop-in in a Surefire 6P or SolarForce L2 host. A veritable "wall of light". :thumbsup:
> 
> Or the Quark Mini123. :thumbsup:



+2, I love my Nailbender SST-90 SF P6. The flood is awesome, like one big hot spot.


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## hoongern (Jun 19, 2010)

NightKids said:


> So how much money did that set you back? I'm interested with a project like this...



Hmm, I acquired the Mag 2D from a friend for free. 

Then, it's Kiu socket ($15) [or an FM G4 bi-pin adapter], Reflector ($13), Lens ($6), and bulb. You can use a cheaper WA1185 ($5) - or a poor man's 1909 (The hikari JC5607). The FM1909 is $15.

If you don't already have 3xIMR26500 [for 1909] or 3xIMR18500 [for 1185], then those cost a fair amount (IMR26500 $15*3=$45 I think). You'll need some PVC pipe, some copper wire / braid and some lye drain cleaner for a tailcap mod.

You can look over in the incan forums for more information on these sort of builds.


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## chanjyj (Jun 20, 2010)

My personal experience shows that both ends of the extreme work:

My Fenix LD01 on 10440s
My Olight SR90

Inbetween, the reaction ain't that great.


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## swampgator (Jun 21, 2010)

Kestrel said:


> Around a month ago I helped clean out my parents garage & found an old ROV Sportsman. I'd like to turn it into a 'sleeper' (I'm pretty familiar with the 3753's & 3754's and have made a few ROP sleepers), but this one has the plastic reflector, bulb holder, & lens. I'm thinking that maybe a different path is to use one of those inexpensive reflectored-bulb MR16 assemblies with 4S or 5S IMR123 for 15v - 18.5v @ ~4.5 amps, considerably outperforming even the 3754-H. The only thing I can't really figure out is how to adapt the bi-pin MR16 for this configuration - I know of the FM mag adaptor for those, but since this ROV host has the cheapie plastic bulb holder and not the metal Mag bulb socket I don't really see how I could get it to work. :thinking:


 
Don't have an answer for you. That's really the problem with the older Captains and Sportmans. They were made for so long that while the started with metal reflectors and glass lenses, they ended production using plastic. I lucked out on my Captain. A buck or so plus shipping of the 'bay and it was an older one. My Sportsman I found in box at work that was going to be throw out. It has the magnet mount on it. 

I've got a 40's era Ranger that's going to get some type of upgrade in the future as well. Someone on here posted a ROP using an old ROV bullet light. 

While Mag modding is fun I really like making sleepers out of old lights.

edit: If the MR-16 bulb will be held in place by the bezel, couldn't you wire up a socket (like KIU uses on his tower) to a battery pack? The pack can be made pretty easy by adapting a battery holder already made.


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## don.gwapo (Jun 22, 2010)

I would say a solarforce L2 or surefire 6P with a quad xpg drop-in from vanisledsm is the most sleeper flashlight for me. A very bright output from an EDC flashlight. .


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## bouncer (Jul 18, 2010)

I love sleepers!!! I have a mag ROP low everyone who doesn't know me thinks it's a plain old mag. My milky roomsweeper well you know, What I need now is a brighter mag and I want an E2e with the IMR bulb.


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## jellydonut (Jul 18, 2010)

daimleramg said:


> Why would anyone want a sleeper?
> 
> Its like putting lamborghini's engine in the trunk and back seat of a honda civic hatchback.
> 
> I want my lights to look just as good as they perform, its not like you can not afford a light that looks good and performs well. If your mentality is to suprise a person because a light that looks normal can produce so much light. Isn't is better to show that person a gorgeous light that is also as bright?


Personally I find sleepers of any sort to have that special kind of cool, whether it's a car, a light, or a beige ugly old computer with new parts in it.. I guess the word is panache.

I'm looking to upgrade some old clunker Mags as soon as Gene puts out more dropins.. And they will NOT be refinished. They look like they've been through a garbage grinder.:naughty:


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## Locoboy5150 (Jul 19, 2010)

My vote for a sleeper light would be the iTP A3 EOS. It's a teeny, tiny 1 AAA powered light that I didn't think much of when I saw it for the first time. Then I turned it on and woah...all *that* light from just 1 "measly" AAA battery?!


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## subwoofer (Jul 22, 2010)

I've got some brighter lights, but the one that gets a gasp of surprise is the ITP A1 running on RCR123 which weighs so little and on high is very impressive.


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## GarageBoy (Jul 22, 2010)

LEDninja said:


> Just wave that Preon 2 WARMS around on low.



And let everyone know your light is PWMed?


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## swxb12 (Jul 22, 2010)

Apparently that single cell light that I holster everyday which my gf makes fun of was somewhat of a sleeper. I was walking her to her door when I lit up her path from behind her with a "turbo" mode. Stopped her dead in her tracks for about a second. She muttered something and continued to the door. Oh, good times.


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## kramer5150 (Jul 23, 2010)

Lambdalight MAG
AlanB MAG incan

Either of the above are crazy bright, from just a plain looking mag.

The ITP A3 with a 10440 cell is a lumen freak... ~200 Lumens from something the size of my pinky finger.


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## KiwiMark (Jul 23, 2010)

My LF2XT R2 running a 10440 is pretty bright for its size and is OK with up to 4.2V so it shouldn't be too likely to fail.

My Nitecore D10 R2 has pretty decent output for a 1 x AA light (running from a 14500). Not crazy bright output, but still surprises many people that think a $10 light is expensive.

My Mag 2D ROP high (2x32600, 3854-H bulb) looks close to stock, but with a longer head to accommodate the 2" deep reflector - that light has some decent output and great throw.

My Mag 3D looks pretty much stock, but the batteries inside are 3 x 32600 Li-ion and the bulb is a 35W 6V Osram 64430, the AlanB driver feeds a regulated 10V at 7.9A for 79W of bright white overdriven incan goodness!
The bulb puts out plenty of light: http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h75/pike444/bulbs/56580Tungsram.jpg the bulb has over 300% more measured lux at the 10V I run it than at the factory spec 6V.

My Mag 4D also looks stock but is running 5 x IMR26500 cells, an AW driver & a 64458 bulb. It can sure light up an area pretty darned good.


I really would like to meet up with someone while camping that happens to have a stock Maglite the same as one of mine so we can see how 2 flashlights that appear to be the same differ. Me = :devil: Other person =


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## scout24 (Jul 23, 2010)

Milky E1 Roomsweeper head on an Aleph 123 body, 2-stage tailcap with 60 ohm resistor. Twist or push, low for maybe 10-20 lumens, looks like a small, dim pocket light. Twist or push just a bit more, and the IMR 16340 direct drives the head, for 650+ lumens of goodness... it seems to have the same brightness as the 17670 body/ clicky it came with. A bit heavy towards the front with that big brass heatsink, but small, unassuming, and with a very usable "stealth" low mode.


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## PCC (Jul 23, 2010)

How many lumens would a Mini-Mag have to make before it is considered a sleeper? I just built a Mini-Mag for my daughter that measured 216 lumens on BC's sphere.


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## swampgator (Jul 23, 2010)

PCC said:


> How many lumens would a Mini-Mag have to make before it is considered a sleeper? I just built a Mini-Mag for my daughter that measured 216 lumens on BC's sphere.


That makes the cut, no problem what so ever.


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## kramer5150 (Jul 23, 2010)

PCC said:


> How many lumens would a Mini-Mag have to make before it is considered a sleeper? I just built a Mini-Mag for my daughter that measured 216 lumens on BC's sphere.



definite sleeper... I'll volunteer be your son any time.


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## PCC (Jul 23, 2010)

Really? So a 300 lumen Mini-Mag would definitely make this list, eh? Gotta order some more Sandwich Shop drivers...


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## rambo180 (Apr 14, 2012)

Ozgeardo said:


> Do not go giving us Aussies too much credit, I still impress many Aussies with just a simple 1 watt LED conversion in a AA Mini-mag :sick2:
> 
> When I fire up a 5-6D Mag with a TLE300 conversion there are many that think I am the second coming :candle: and heaven forbid I should fire up my Olight M30. To most Aussies these are just "torches" so the sleeper factor is usually just down to size. Most Aussies still think a EverReady "Dolphin" is a great light and Mag D's are just for security/LE types (at great expense)
> 
> No offence taken  , illumination technology is starting to take hold down here in the antipodes but a long way to go. I (whilst not being overly techno minded) appear to be the local illumination guru with many of my colleagues slowly becoming "Flashaholics".



HAHA i think aussies know that there are better lights out there than a $100 incan mag. But i agree, down under - Maglites are exclusive. Expensive and considered very very solid. 

AND DOLPHINS ARE GREAT LIGHTS (somebody implied they're not)!! $15, available everywhere, massive throw, easy UI, waterproof, floats, tough, easy to find. Good feel. I love mags and dolphins.


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## qwertyydude (Apr 15, 2012)

My sleeper is a pair of Uniquefire X8's custom modded with direct drive XM-L stars. I actually have to be careful what cells I put in. My genuine Samsung laptop scavenged cells push too much current, 6-7 amps on a fresh charge. So I run some cheaper Trustfire or Ultrafire cells in it. 4 amps so it'll get warm, I was very careful to use a copper star XM-L and used arctic silver thermal compound on any critical heat paths. I get only 20 minutes of run time before it starts tapering off and a total of 30 minutes of bright useable light, but they're only one mode and everyone is always blown away when I turn it on, especially at night. It's like a searchlight.

But really they're more like drag racers, they don't serve as too useful for every day use, continuous use can make them quite hot, and I don't like pushing them like that.


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## eh4 (Apr 15, 2012)

Malkoff Little Twisty is a nice little light, good size for back pocket. Kinda pricey unless you're already into Malkoff dropins maybe but it's such a nice, sturdy, and super simple light.
It's not a hot rod but it's the light I always wanted the old mini-mag to be.


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## davyro (Apr 15, 2012)

In the UK nearly everyone hasn't got a clue what types of light are available to buy,so if i show anyone any of my EDC lights(smaller sized lights)& i turn them on to a high setting they say how can something that small be as bright as that.
So here in the UK every small sized decent light is what you would call a sleeper.


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## jabe1 (Apr 15, 2012)

My favorite sleeper is an Energizer 1 watt I modded with a neutral XM-L and a three mode 2.8amp driver. 14500 only, but somewhere in the neighborhood of 500 OTF lumens.

I think that should qualify.


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## ico (Apr 16, 2012)

The deft EDC and EDC LR are definitely sleepers in terms of size to throw ratio. Add the fact that its host is just/looks like a skyray so some might think its just your ordinary china light then BAM! Instant light saber.

And the upcoming torpedo too


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## Richub (Apr 16, 2012)

My Fenix PD31 gets a load of "WoW!" responses as I turn it on on turbo, and the same goes for the TK35. 
It's just a matter of the ratio between size & brightness, IMHO.

But like Davyro already said, a lot of people here (Europe) don't know about high performance flashlights, so they are very easily impressed.


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## Tana (Apr 16, 2012)

OLD thread... 

Sleeper... MiniMag modded with Triple XPE driven at 2.8A with linear driver... IMR14500 battery and spacer... just to show people how WRONG they are stating that their "terralux extreme" upgrade to their MiniMag's is BRIGHT !!! :hahaha:

The only Mag I have now... but for that sole purpose...


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## rambo180 (Apr 16, 2012)

Tana said:


> OLD thread...
> 
> Sleeper... MiniMag modded with Triple XPE driven at 2.8A with linear driver... IMR14500 battery and spacer... just to show people how WRONG they are stating that their "terralux extreme" upgrade to their MiniMag's is BRIGHT !!! :hahaha:
> 
> The only Mag I have now... but for that sole purpose...



Terralux Ministar2 Extreme is still bright right? I'm waiting on one in the mail, don't make me feel bad already!


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## Tana (Apr 18, 2012)

Don't feel bad... that is still a nice upgrade for old incan models... and you keep "candle mode"...

I'm talking about extreme turnover by either very enthusiastic amateurs or pro's as it includes fair amount of machining and other good stuff... but the results are staggering...  I wouldn't call MiniMag with MiniStar2 Extreme a sleeper, though... it gives close to 100 OTF lumens so is comparable with a LOT of decent flashlights on the market now... we are in the LED era, after all...


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## LEDninja (Apr 18, 2012)

Wow. My last post in this thread was 06-10-2010.

My new sleeper is a STOCK 2AA MiniMag Pro LED Flashlight. It is a genuine unmodified MiniMag but outputs 226 lumens instead of 14 lumens.


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## Monocrom (Apr 18, 2012)

LEDninja said:


> Wow. My last post in this thread was 06-10-2010.
> 
> My new sleeper is a STOCK 2AA MiniMag Pro LED Flashlight. It is a genuine unmodified MiniMag but outputs 226 lumens instead of 14 lumens.





Details please.


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## Samy (Apr 18, 2012)

I would say a Sunwayman V10A XML with a 14500 would be an excellent sleeper 

cheers


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## edpmis02 (Apr 19, 2012)

QuarkX AA tactical head with a 123 body running RCR123. Both parts are completely unmarked. small, generic looking but mighty!


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## LEDninja (Apr 19, 2012)

Monocrom said:


> Details please.


New Mini Maglite Pro+ LED Flashlight
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?333051-New-Mini-Maglite-Pro-LED-Flashlight
Runtime graph does not look too hot (post#126).

The Mini Maglite Pro is 1 mode 226 lumens.
The Mini Maglite Pro+ is 2 mode 245 lumens or 25%. Point the light down when turn on > low. Point the light in any other direction on turn on > high. See video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-XJBjUURSqo
Available at zbattery and brightguy. Other CPF members got to both places and cleaned out the Pro+ before I got there.


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## Monocrom (Apr 20, 2012)

Ah, I missed the topic when it first came out. Thanks for the links.


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## 127.0.0.1 (Apr 20, 2012)

Fenix LD01 with an IMR 10440 inside is a good sleeper. pocket light cannon


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## ryukin2000 (Apr 20, 2012)

127.0.0.1 said:


> Fenix LD01 with an IMR 10440 inside is a good sleeper. pocket light cannon



I have an LD01 as well using an eneloop. i read the manual and the working voltage says up to 1.7. i googled 10440 and it says 3.7V. i am a battery noob so i am confused. how is it not fried? does the brightness/runtime gains increase by a lot with the IMR 10440? Thanks.


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## Kestrel (Apr 20, 2012)

ryukin2000 said:


> I have an LD01 as well using an eneloop. i read the manual and the working voltage says up to 1.7. i googled 10440 and it says 3.7V. i am a battery noob so i am confused. how is it not fried? does the brightness/runtime gains increase by a lot with the IMR 10440? Thanks.


There have been many many threads on this topic, please use the Google search function for 'LD01 10440' for that.
There is also a currently-running thread *here* on this. Thanks,


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## Cataract (Apr 24, 2012)

Wow, I didn't even remember I already wrote in this thread.

My 6P with a Malkoff MC-E neutral at 400 lumens definitely qualifies as a sleepers.

It would seem that most of today's good quality 1X123 flashlights can be considered a sleeper since they beat the heck out of anything store-bought.

The torpedo is definitely invented to be a sleeper light with a practical side.


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## tam17 (Apr 26, 2012)

It's not complete yet, but my new (yet already worn and bashed) mattte black L2 with a recessed bezel ring (a la classic 6P) with a single-mode XM-L T6 (circa 500lm) drop-in will surely qualify.


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