# Just got Ultrafire WF-500, what upgrades can I make to it?



## lcluvinlife (Oct 6, 2009)

Just got this flashlight and wow does it light up the night! Anyway to upgrade this light to crank out a little more? it comes with 1 spacer, could I get another spacer, put an extra battery, change the bulb and make it brighter? if not what other upgrades can I do to it?
Thanks!


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## Outdoors Fanatic (Oct 7, 2009)

lcluvinlife said:


> Just got this flashlight and wow does it light up the night! Anyway to upgrade this light to crank out a little more? it comes with 1 spacer, could I get another spacer, put an extra battery, change the bulb and make it brighter? if not what other upgrades can I do to it?
> Thanks!


Get two *AW 2600 mAh Li-Ion* batteries and a *Lumens Factory HO-R5* Lamp Assembly.

http://www.lighthound.com/AW-18650-...able-Lithium-Battery--New-Version_p_3125.html

http://www.lighthound.com/Lumens-Fa...amp-Assembly-for-Ultrafire-WF-500_p_1029.html

Have fun!


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## jutwicis (Oct 7, 2009)

Great little topic.
And Nice work--thank you for sharing- for me this makes perfect sense though.

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## Dioni (Oct 7, 2009)

Outdoors Fanatic said:


> Get two *AW 2600 mAh Li-Ion* batteries and a *Lumens Factory HO-R5* Lamp Assembly.
> 
> http://www.lighthound.com/AW-18650-...able-Lithium-Battery--New-Version_p_3125.html
> 
> ...


 
+1 :thumbsup:


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## Phaserburn (Oct 8, 2009)

I also have a UCL Mag D size lens in mine.


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## Dioni (Oct 8, 2009)

Soon I'll be trying a WA1164 in WF500. 

if work I'll post a thread in Homemade and Modfidied lights or here.


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## Mjolnir (Oct 8, 2009)

How many amps does that Lumens Factory bulb draw?


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## Outdoors Fanatic (Oct 8, 2009)

Mjolnir said:


> How many amps does that Lumens Factory bulb draw?


3 amps.


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## Dioni (Oct 8, 2009)

Mjolnir said:


> How many amps does that Lumens Factory bulb draw?


 
Around 2.7 - 2.9 amps. 

My LF HO-R5 is a half-life bulb and it is drawing 2.62A


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## [email protected] (Oct 8, 2009)

Great... this is the kind of thread that causes me to go out an uncontrollably purchase yet another flashlight 


Congrat's to the OP on thier entry into the realm of high output flashlights! :thumbsup:


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## Dioni (Oct 8, 2009)

[email protected] said:


> Great... this is the kind of thread that causes me to go out an uncontrollably purchase yet another flashlight
> 
> Congrat's to the OP on thier entry into the realm of high output flashlights! :thumbsup:


 
Oh, Yep! :welcome:


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## gallagho (Oct 9, 2009)

This combo is very good value for money, the torch itself can require a bit of TLC (strip down, lube etc) when it arrives, but then it rocks...


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## Hrvoje (Oct 9, 2009)

Philips Focusline halogen lamp from DX (sku. 12126) is also a good improvement.

Hrvoje


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## Mjolnir (Oct 9, 2009)

How much brighter is that bulb than the stock bulb? Does it have more throw?


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## Outdoors Fanatic (Oct 12, 2009)

Mjolnir said:


> How much brighter is that bulb than the stock bulb? Does it have more throw?


About 30% better.


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## Jay611j (Oct 12, 2009)

Originally Posted by *Outdoors Fanatic* 

 
Get two *AW 2600 mAh Li-Ion* batteries and a *Lumens Factory HO-R5* Lamp Assembly.

http://www.lighthound.com/AW-18650-P...on_p_3125.html

http://www.lighthound.com/Lumens-Fac...00_p_1029.html

Will those 18650's work in the WF-500? They don't look like they have the button top. I know I got some LG's that were flat top and they didn't work in mine.


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## Dioni (Oct 12, 2009)

Jay611j said:


> Will those 18650's work in the WF-500? They don't look like they have the button top. I know I got some LG's that were flat top and they didn't work in mine.


 
Since the 2600 batteries work in series and make contact nicely, the problem would be the torch!

But, the WF500 bulb and tailcap have springs to make right contact with batteries.


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## Jay611j (Oct 12, 2009)

Dioni said:


> Since the 2600 batteries work in series and make contact nicely, the problem would be the torch!
> 
> But, the WF500 bulb and tailcap have springs to make right contact with batteries.


 The tailcap does have a spring, but the head does not. The bulb makes contact to the battery tube not the battery itself. When I take the batteries out and look down the tube towards the head, all I see is round flat contact. Is my WF-500 different than other ones?


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## Dioni (Oct 12, 2009)

Jay611j said:


> The tailcap does have a spring, but the head does not. The bulb makes contact to the battery tube not the battery itself. When I take the batteries out and look down the tube towards the head, all I see is round flat contact. Is my WF-500 different than other ones?


 
This is wrong! Maybe not your wf500, but its bulb.
The WF500 bulb must have two springs, one that makes contact with the battery tube and other, at center of the lamp assembly, with the batteries itself. 

What bulb are you using?

This is the stock bulb of WF-500:
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.3144

As you can see, it has two springs.


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## Jay611j (Oct 12, 2009)

Dioni said:


> This is wrong! Maybe not your wf500, but its bulb.
> The WF500 bulb must have two springs, one that makes contact with the battery tube and other, at center of the lamp assembly, with the batteries itself.
> 
> What bulb are you using?
> ...



Yes, that is exactly the same bulb. My WF-500 is completely stock with no modifications and will only work with button top 18650's. There must be different WF-500's where the bulb spring makes contact with the battery itself. See the end of the battery tube in the picture? This is what mine looks like.


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## Dioni (Oct 12, 2009)

Jay611j said:


> Yes, that is exactly the same bulb. My WF-500 is completely stock with no modifications and will only work with button top 18650's. There must be different WF-500's where the bulb spring makes contact with the battery itself. See the end of the battery tube in the picture? This is what mine looks like.


 

Actually it has some differences

Based on the bulb that appears in the pic, it is a philips and maybe your model could be the wf600, but you deleted the logo. 

You can even have problems in the same way other lights that have flat contact.


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## Jay611j (Oct 12, 2009)

Dioni said:


> Actually it has some differences
> 
> Based on the bulb that appears in the pic, it is a philips and maybe your model could be the wf600, but you deleted the logo.
> 
> You can even have problems in the same way other lights that have flat contact.


 Pic is for reference only (not my light), BUT the battery tube IS the same as mine is hence why it is circled. I'm just simply asking if the AW 18650's mentioned here would work in my light. Thank you for your replies and help!


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## Dioni (Oct 12, 2009)

Jay611j said:


> Pic is for reference only (not my light), BUT the battery tube IS the same as mine is hence why it is circled. I'm just simply asking if the AW 18650's mentioned here would work in my light. Thank you for your replies and help!


 
Ok :thumbsup:

No drop-in springs + Flat top batteries = no contact. Unfortunately.


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## Jay611j (Oct 12, 2009)

Dioni said:


> Ok :thumbsup:
> 
> No drop-in springs + Flat top batteries = no contact. Unfortunately.


 It's always something. Any good recommendations for batteries then?


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## Dioni (Oct 13, 2009)

Jay611j said:


> It's always something. Any good recommendations for batteries then?


 
You can use the AW 2200mah also, or, if you want more output, the IMR18650 :devil:

Both have the magnet nipple on top.


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## Jay611j (Oct 13, 2009)

Dioni said:


> You can use the AW 2200mah also, or, if you want more output, the IMR18650 :devil:
> 
> Both have the magnet nipple on top.


Great, thanks Dioni for the help! :twothumbs


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## chewy78 (Feb 5, 2012)

Thinking about getting this light with these and use it with the trustfire flame 18650s
http://www.lighthound.com/Lumens-Factory-HO-R5-9-volt-630-Lumens-Lamp-Assembly-for-Ultrafire-WF-500_p_1029.html


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## Richie086 (Feb 5, 2012)

chewy78 said:


> Thinking about getting this light with these and use it with the trustfire flame 3000 18650s




Hi Chewy,

If you want an amazing wall of light, this is the drop-in I put in my WF-500. It's really an amazing upgrade.

http://www.dealextreme.com/p/5-cree...drop-in-led-module-52-7mm-42mm-8-4v-max-35241


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## chewy78 (Feb 6, 2012)

I might think about it, maybe I will also put that in my shopping cart along with some bulbs at dx :twothumbs


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## Richie086 (Feb 6, 2012)

chewy78 said:


> I might think about it, maybe I will also put that in my shopping cart along with some bulbs at dx :twothumbs




It'll blow the doors off the Lumens Factory HO-R5 9 volt 630 Lumens Lamp.


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## chewy78 (Feb 6, 2012)

lol i


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## chewy78 (Feb 6, 2012)

i want the warmer light of an incan  i already have a fenix tk41.


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## Nightman (Feb 7, 2012)

I can really recommend you to get the Lumens Factory bulb, it's noticeable brighter than the original bulb but have the same hotspot.
The Philips 7388 bulb from DX on the other hand has a MUCH wider hotspot, almost no throw, but the brightness is up there with the LF bulb. The problem with the Philips bulb is the bad QC, I've got more than a few that's assembled in a way that makes it hard to get a decent beam. If you're lucky and get a good one it's a really great bulb.

On a side note I'm actually surprised that the Philips 7388 bulb never got the love it deserved from the incan people. Really bright and have no problem being driven on two lithium batteries, It's almost as it's made to be used in such a way. Great stuff.


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