# brightest 6d maglite bulb?



## jasonsmaglites (Sep 16, 2007)

i've got a 6 cell maglite i'm hooking up for a friend. 
what are my best bulb options.
i have a bunch of 6cell magnum star xenon already.
i know about the 5cell bulb working in a 6cell light. 
that might work for my friend, but is there anything brighter, or more reliable. 
something designed for 6 cells but draws more amps. 
like the rop low bulb, but maybe a touch less power so we don't melt the reflector. 
thanks, jason


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## 3rd_shift (Sep 16, 2007)

No need to let the reflector slow ya down. 
Get a metal one and go for the ROP option. :rock:


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## jasonsmaglites (Sep 16, 2007)

i personally have two reflectors. 
both medium stipple, nice flood lights. 
however, my friend does not want $60 into a flashlight. 
he just wants to pay $25 for the 6d light and maybe 5 bucks for extra bulbs and upgrades. 
so i'm wondering do i hunt down some 5 cell xenon or something from radio shack or better yet something ALMOST as bright as the rop low but with long bulb life too!
i heard of radio shacks kpr112 and 118 but i forget which they go to.
SOMEONE GET ME A GOOD 6D MAGLITE UPGRADE CHEAP!!!


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## lctorana (Sep 16, 2007)

I know, I know!

You want a PR bulb that is slightly less than the RoP-low?

The bulb you want is the Philips HPR71 (made by Philips Germany)

Philips claims 210 lumens at a rated 6v, 10w.

Pelican claims 290 lumens at 6v, 11w for the 3854L.

The HPR71 is standard equipment in Australia's Rechargeable Dolphin.


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## jimjones3630 (Sep 16, 2007)

I ran rop low with plastic mag reflector, few min. at a time, after couple recharges of the batt. still no melting noted.


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## Robatman (Sep 17, 2007)

lctorana said:


> The HPR71 is standard equipment in Australia's Rechargeable Dolphin.


 
Any idea where you can get this in Aus? Are they available online or even a store in Sydney?

Robert


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## lctorana (Sep 17, 2007)

Bunnings Warehouse.

Sold, as I said, as the globe for the "Dolphin Rechargeable".

You're in for a treat. Easily doubles the output of an overdriven KPR113.


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## Robatman (Sep 17, 2007)

lctorana said:


> Bunnings Warehouse.


 
Thanks lctorana
Didnt think it would be that simple!!


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## gratewhitehuntr (Sep 17, 2007)

DX ( I think DX, maybe kaidomain.com though) sells an aluminum reflector for $10.
free shipping

Only in smooth though


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## jasonsmaglites (Sep 19, 2007)

doesn't seem as efficent. 
what do you think. 
is there anything else?
can i get a link?


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## Meduza (Sep 19, 2007)

https://www.kaidomain.com/WEBUI/ProductDetail.aspx?TranID=3068


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## FILIPPO (Sep 19, 2007)

what about 7 C cells in a mag 6D overdriving mag 6D bulb?


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## lctorana (Sep 19, 2007)

FILIPPO said:


> what about 7 C cells in a mag 6D overdriving mag 6D bulb?


Good idea, and worth a try, but the HPR71 with the existing 6D batteries would give more than double the brightness.


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## jasonsmaglites (Sep 20, 2007)

lctorana said:


> I know, I know!
> 
> You want a PR bulb that is slightly less than the RoP-low?
> 
> ...


 
hmmm... is it just me or wouldn't i rather have the extra one watt and the much higher lumens. 
i just found out dx sells a $10 reflector that can handle the heat. 
does that make our old fivemega reflectors obsolete?


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## lctorana (Sep 20, 2007)

Jason,

My recommendation was a response to your original request for a bulb "_like the rop low bulb, but maybe a touch less power_" in post #1.

The HPR71 is *exactly* that - like the RoP low, but a touch less power.
I answered the exact question you posed.

If you want to change reflector and lens, then RoP low or even RoP high can be used.


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## jasonsmaglites (Sep 20, 2007)

i do appreciate your post. 
i especially appreciate the link someone gave me to the $9.99 reflector that can handle the heat. 

what i was trying to say, is it would be awesome to have something more like 5-8 watts, that had the same lumens per watt as the rop low. 

the bulb you mentioned SEEMS to be less lumens per watt. 
so i'm pulling the same power but getting less lumens. 
the reasons i was looking for less than 11 watt bulb was not for less brightness, but
1. longer runtimes
2. capable to use with alkalines
3. won't melt stock reflector

that bulb didn't really meet those needs, BUT it was because i wasn't making myself clear. 
i may just upgrade him to that $10 reflector and keep the rop low. 
what do you guys think?

by the way, how much are those bulbs you were referring to vs the rop low bulbs?


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## jasonsmaglites (Sep 20, 2007)

does anyone know how to stipple our mag reflectors while giving them heat protection at the same time?

like stippling with heat resistant paint?


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## lctorana (Sep 20, 2007)

Jason,

One thingyou must understand about incandescent bulbs is that, all other things being equal, efficiency improves with higher wattage.

The classic example is: which is brighter? Eight 25w bulbs, or one single 200w bulb? Answer - the single 200w bulb - by far.

As you go down in power, the lumens per watt decreases.

Yes, Philips DO make a 6v 6w bulb (the HPR73, 110 lumens) is in the catalogue, but the lumens/watt is even lower.

That said, IMHO the HPR71 to the naked eye is a match for the RoP low bulb - it physically resembles the RoP-high bulb, and matches some reflectors better.

And - at 10w, it is as high as you can go with the plastic reflector. Remember, when you overdrive it to 7.2v, you are pumping out over 300 lumens, which is enough to put even a Malkoff down. It is the ultimate bulb-swap-only mod you can do.

Take it or leave it.


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## OzzieDoc (Sep 20, 2007)

We are talking about a 6D configuration with alkalines aren't we? Will the Dolphin HPR71 bulb handle 9V.


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## lctorana (Sep 20, 2007)

Lol!
Show me alkalines that will deliver 1.5v into a 2A load, and I will be the first to buy them!

But Jason has moved on since the start of this thread. Since Kai sell aluminium reflectors and 52mm glass lenses cheaply, he now has the freedom to put in the RoP low or even the RoP high at a reasonable cost.

The HPR71 discussion is really only academic now.


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## OzzieDoc (Sep 20, 2007)

Well 1.67A assuming Philips is more accurately labelled than many of the others. Good luck getting the reflector and lenses from Kai any time soon. I ordered when they were first released and the account still shows "collecting from suppliers". The rest of my order was delivered some time ago.
Anyone actually got theirs yet.


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## lctorana (Sep 21, 2007)

Closer to 2A when overdriven to 7.2v


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## jasonsmaglites (Sep 21, 2007)

maybe by the time i get my reflector it will be worth $30 cause of being a collectors item. 

no sleeper lights out there between 5-9 watt range that we don't know about are there?

(lol, well jason, if we don't know about them...)


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## 3rd_shift (Sep 21, 2007)

Might also want to consider led mods.
There are plenty of led's in the near 100 lumen per watt category.
Just a matter of time before there is a simple drop-in with one in it that can top 150 lumens at under 2 watts with no major flashlight surgery needed.
We are very close to that now if not already there.

Edit:
Almost forgot, if he is ok with a flood light, painting the reflector with high temp white flat paint may help.
I did that to a small lamp shade so that the lamp could take a hotter bulb without melting the shade.

Try this on an older scratched up reflector (if you can find one) 1st and see what happens.


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## jasonsmaglites (Sep 22, 2007)

that high temp white paint is a good idea. 

does anyone know what the average lumens per watt of the rop low bulb or regular maglite 6cell is.


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## lctorana (Sep 22, 2007)

RoP-low 290 lumens (I swear I already said that)
Mag 6-cell Krypton 162.5 lumens
Mag 6-cell Xenon 233.5 lumens

So you can see how, even if Maglite's claims are on the money, how RoP-low can easily give well over double the brightness after resistance fixes.

Only thing, it may not do that for very long on alkalines.

I still, even after all that has been said, recommend the HPR71.


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## 3rd_shift (Sep 22, 2007)

One of the main issues with the Maglite reflector is this;
Some of the bulb lumens are lost to the rear down the reflector's apex instead of making it out the front at tightest beam focus.
I discovered this with a Mag85.
It was noticeably brighter overall, with the head removed than with the head on. :huh2:
Maximum overall, room lighting, lumen performance with the head on was when the bulb was as far up out of the reflector as possible for a bright flood output. 

This may also help keep the stock reflector from getting too hot, while getting as much out of the bulb and out the front of the flashlight as possible.


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## jasonsmaglites (Sep 22, 2007)

lctorana said:


> RoP-low 290 lumens (I swear I already said that)
> Mag 6-cell Krypton 162.5 lumens
> Mag 6-cell Xenon 233.5 lumens
> 
> ...


 


i was asking if you knew lumens per watt, not just lumens. 
i've been taking in all your numbers i promise. 
i'm trying to put an efficent bulb in there for my friend. 
is the rop low 290 lumens when overdriven like we do, or is it actually more than 290 lumens in our 6d lights. 

also do you guys know the amp draw of the rop low or the 6 cell xenon, so i can figure his runtime and put something with a good brightness to runtime ratio.


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## jasonsmaglites (Sep 22, 2007)

3rd_shift said:


> One of the main issues with the Maglite reflector is this;
> Some of the bulb lumens are lost to the rear down the reflector's apex instead of making it out the front at tightest beam focus.
> I discovered this with a Mag85.
> It was noticeably brighter overall, with the head removed than with the head on. :huh2:
> ...


 
yea i like the more lumens on flood setting but hate the black circle in the middle. how much will stippling the reflector prevent this awful maglite focusing effect?


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## 3rd_shift (Sep 22, 2007)

The white paint will make that all go away if a flood is desired.

If focussability is still desired, There were a few reads on softening the Maglite beam, but I forgot where they were. :thinking:
A search on that may bear fruit.


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