# Mag100 & Mag35W - very bright [email protected] Regulated!!



## NikolaTesla (Sep 17, 2005)

Here are 2 versions of the modded [email protected] brighter than Mag85 fairly easy to cook up with parts availible on CPF from Various sources.

Required parts for both:

MagLite Flashlight 3D & 2D
Flashlight Lens UCL glass lens
Aluminum Reflectors
KIU high tempature bipin sockets

Don't try it with out these parts: These babies get hot and WILL melt stock parts in seconds.

Power solutions: Five Mega 6AA to 2D & Modamag 8/4 AA cell holders.

Mag35W is a 2D build that runs 49 watts- brighter than Mag85 using WestingHouse 35 watt 6 volt #04424 bulb. $4 cost. 2000 hours at 6 volts
I run this at 7.2 volts 7 amps:





And the battery pack: 6 CPB 1650 cells:





Next is the Mag100. This has 11 CPB1650 cells in Modamag holders. The bulb is a Osram HLX 62138 same as the USL. The Mag body is 4 bored by FiveMega so the 4 across cells fit in it.






Both these offer increased brightness over Mag85 and appear to be running stable. I had to add foam to the Modamag holders to increase spring tension and small magnets on cells to also make good connections. Run time on the 100 is about 13-15 minutes and about 20 on the Mag35W. All these parts are around but not at one location so far. I offer this for anyone to build as I am not planning on mass marketing these lights. Litho123 did a group deal on the FiveMega Mag tubes and is considering it again. I don't have Lux readings and may do some beam shots. I consider the actually not to relavent because I have several Mag85's and can see both the these lights are obviously stronger. The large filaments don't focus as tight so you do get a flood and a lot of nice white coverage. The 100 can cook marshmellows too.

Stay tuned for another improvement on the Mag35W I have in mind. I will post specs and pix soon. Have fun building...


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## powernoodle (Sep 17, 2005)

*Re: Mag100 & Mag35W - very bright [email protected]*



(Sorry, just fantasizing!)


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## Lurveleven (Sep 17, 2005)

*Re: Mag100 & Mag35W - very bright [email protected]*

Any plans on trying out Osram 64265/64275 instead of the WestingHouse bulb?

Does the Mag switch handle these kind of currents?

Sigbjoern


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## 270winchester (Sep 17, 2005)

*Re: Mag100 & Mag35W - very bright [email protected]*

Hey NT:

You might as well ditch the stock switch. Modamag did a test recently and found that the stock mag switch and tail cap puts a 30-40 percent reduction in efficiency of a high-powered light, and my experience agrees.

NIck


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## NikolaTesla (Sep 17, 2005)

*Re: Mag100 & Mag35W - very bright [email protected]*

We did a test and found about .15 ohms total resistance in a new switch running several amps (3) thru it and checking voltage drop. Putting some contact enhancer in there helps. There does seem to be a variation on how well they work and 7 to 8 amps I admit is a big push on that switch. I think an MOSFET transistor would be better in parallel operated by the stock switch. That will not be to hard to try with the KIU kit installed. Both units have been operating well so far and have not melted the switch but I will pull it out after a few more cycles on the cells and inspect the inards for heat damage.


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## NikolaTesla (Sep 17, 2005)

*Re: Mag100 & Mag35W - very bright [email protected]*

Sounds like a good idea. Do you know of a good source for those that sells in small quanity?





Lurveleven said:


> Any plans on trying out Osram 64265/64275 instead of the WestingHouse bulb?
> 
> Does the Mag switch handle these kind of currents?
> 
> Sigbjoern


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## Lurveleven (Sep 17, 2005)

*Re: Mag100 & Mag35W - very bright [email protected]*

Nick, do you know of an easy replacement for the stock switch that doesn't require machining to the body? I have been thinking about using the stock switch to control a mosfet, as an alternative to replacing it.

Sigbjoern


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## Lurveleven (Sep 17, 2005)

*Re: Mag100 & Mag35W - very bright [email protected]*



NikolaTesla said:


> Sounds like a good idea. Do you know of a good source for those that sells in small quanity?



They have them listed here, but I have not ordered anything from them yet so I can't guarantee satisfaction.

Sigbjoern


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## NikolaTesla (Sep 17, 2005)

*Re: Mag100 & Mag35W - very bright [email protected]*

AWR and I were talking about that while we were tinkering with the Mag100. I do think it will not be to hard to fit the device in the space around the socket.
I seen some posts of others that tried that as well. They also achieved a soft start that way but those big bulbs I have draw so much I don't think the cells can provide much overcurrent. A transistor, resistor and a capacitor don't cost much or take up much room.




Lurveleven said:


> Nick, do you know of an easy replacement for the stock switch that doesn't require machining to the body? I have been thinking about using the stock switch to control a mosfet, as an alternative to replacing it.
> 
> Sigbjoern


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## paulr (Sep 17, 2005)

*Re: Mag100 & Mag35W - very bright [email protected]*

I didn't realize you could get mosfets with such low resistance. Hmm, if you're gonna put a mosfet in there, why not a pwm controller? That would give you lots more battery flexibility.

I'm not keen on needing bored-out tubes for 4aa/D adapters. I wonder if we could persuade 5mega to make some 12aa-to-4d's? That would allow using 11 cells and having a slot left over for electronics in an AA-sized holder.


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## NikolaTesla (Sep 17, 2005)

*Re: Mag100 & Mag35W - very bright [email protected]*

CPB1650's don't fit unless 4 bored unfortunately they are 5 thousands to big.





paulr said:


> I didn't realize you could get mosfets with such low resistance. Hmm, if you're gonna put a mosfet in there, why not a pwm controller? That would give you lots more battery flexibility.
> 
> I'm not keen on needing bored-out tubes for 4aa/D adapters. I wonder if we could persuade 5mega to make some 12aa-to-4d's? That would allow using 11 cells and having a slot left over for electronics in an AA-sized holder.


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## NikolaTesla (Sep 17, 2005)

*Re: Mag100 & Mag35W - very bright [email protected]*

That looks to be a very interesting bulb fot $7 each. I think I will try some. The filament looks smaller which means tighter beam than WestingHouse.



Lurveleven said:


> They have them listed here, but I have not ordered anything from them yet so I can't guarantee satisfaction.
> 
> Sigbjoern


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## Alin10123 (Sep 17, 2005)

*Re: Mag100 & Mag35W - very bright [email protected]*

Now this is interesting. Let me confirm...
3 AA cells x 6 in a 2D light... and brighter than the Mag 85? hmm...

About how much would this mod cost? and is it easy?

Also... when you were talking about switches melting... was that the mag 100? Or the mag 35?

thanks


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## NikolaTesla (Sep 18, 2005)

*Re: Mag100 & Mag35W - very bright [email protected]*

Both lights pull pretty high current- about 7 or 8 amps. Haven't had any switch problems yet. They cost is not more than a first class bipin Mag85. Same parts except cell holders and # of cells.


Another bulb that works extremely well in the 2D is the 6 volt WA1111 . I can't really see any difference between it and a 1185 in the 3D with 9 cells. 
Its nice to have a smaller 2D light that bright.


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## KevinL (Sep 18, 2005)

*Re: Mag100 & Mag35W - very bright [email protected]*

I too am looking for a GOOD 35W 6V bulb - if you guys have a source or anything, let me know. The Osrams look great.


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## ABTOMAT (Sep 18, 2005)

*Re: Mag100 & Mag35W - very bright [email protected]*

This is really cool, but I gotta ask: Is there any purpose to a light like this other than impressing guys on flashlight websites? If I was doing anything with a flashlight it would need to run longer than 15 minutes.


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## Grox (Sep 18, 2005)

*Re: Mag100 & Mag35W - very bright [email protected]*

The Mag35 in particular looks like a very interesting customer  Well done NT! I'm amazed at your creativity and resourcefulness in finding these new bulbs.


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## litho123 (Sep 18, 2005)

*Re: Mag100 & Mag35W - very bright [email protected]*

The 2D Mag35w will be a fun upgrade with Fivemega's 6AA-2D holder and CBP1650's. At 5.8+ amps, that's as high as I will go for the time being using the mag switch.

The following "safety" commentary is mostly directed at those folks not familiar with hotwire mods. 

With the 3D Mag100w pulling well over 8.3+ amps, I just want to interject a strong word of caution here. We all laugh at the USL roasting marshmallows, ooooh and aaaaah over the phone book pages burning inside of 15 seconds, but there are potential hazards when working mods up this level. Having been a field tester for the USL project, I can attest first hand what an awesome light 100watts puts out. It's kind of scary too and because of that, I keep it secured where no one can get hurt. 

Yes, NT made this 100w light happen, but he had some unexpected things happen that he kind of glossed over. They should be shared so others can learn and avoid having those same problems.

We've seen hotwire mods going up to 30+w with the Mag85 using the stock Mag switch...at a higher current level most mods replace it with something better.

The Polaris modded the Mag switch but IIRC cautioned not to exceed using 50w bulbs. I know of some folks trying 75w or higher bulbs in it and am waiting to hear their results.
The USL replaced the Mag switch entirely...and added a secondary safety as another precaution.
- Reducing resistance is of paramount importance with building a light at this level. Are the aluminum dumdum AA's OK @ 8+amps in the Mag100w? From what I'm hearing, I don't think so. 
- a magnet slipped & shorted modamag's holders with some of the folks who aquired the Polaris. A workaround solution was found, but unless someone is aware of these workarounds, the danger remains for the uninformed to possibly be injured.

Please take a look at the Polaris and USL threads and note the cautions mentioned in them. The Mag100w is going into an area where folks need to be extra careful. I don't want to hear of anyone getting hurt.

 I'll get off my "safety" soapbox now.


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## KevinL (Sep 18, 2005)

*Re: Mag100 & Mag35W - very bright [email protected]*

No, it's not beating the dead horse, this is fairly important info.

Just to add a couple of things - such power levels are unforgiving. I have seen what happens when folks use lines that are not capable of handling the power - I've seen meltdowns happen in the 100W range. Myself, I use 240V/15A rated lines for 12V/8A applications. 

Always ensure SOMETHING is between your face and the bulb and even more so when lighting the bulb for the first time. "High pressure halogen" means exactly that - a bulb failure could turn the thing into a tiny little grenade. Been there, seen it, glad I had a quarter inch of aluminium between me and the bulb. 

I wouldn't push a Mag switch over 50W, my ROP is only 30W+. 

Enjoy responsibly


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## andrewwynn (Sep 18, 2005)

*Re: Mag100 & Mag35W - very bright [email protected]*

15 minutes is a lot of time actually.. if you need light longer you need a different light.. this is not that light.. most needs of a light of this type would be searching for something outside at night or surveying something again at night outside (i.e. surveying damage if a tree just fell at night).. this does not take more than 15 minutes... or at the least.. you can get the most figured out that quick... to figure out the assessment and if you need to go back in and get the X990 for cutting it up or whatever.. and instant-on light with as much HP as this light has some uses no other light can provide. 





Mag85





Mag100- Flood





Mag100- Spot

That tree is 160ft away from my window. you can do a slideshow here

two more pictures:





Mag 85






It is approximately 40 feet to the grader. 

Notice how completely FULL the light is... if you want to pull out a light and have it light up everything and 'right now' (opposed to the 1 minute startup of the X990).. the Mag100 is nigh unbeatable.

I will second the notion of the switch problem and I was working with NT on this mod (including soldering a jumper of solid silver to eliminate one of the cells).. we had to re-do the whole battery pack to get the contacts working properly because they just aren't made (the springs) to handle that kind of current.

In addition we did in-fact calculate and estimated SEVEN WATTS lost on the switch.. that will cause problems long-term... caution is of due note that's for sure... If i was ground-up building this light i would replace the switch with an FET (which NT and I discussed doing with this light asap).. and I actually am satisfied with the battery holders as they stand.. we have pro gold on every single contact point (1.2 jigawatts worth)... and put a spacer magnet 1/16th thick on top of each cell.. the missing cell is now a direct short with a piece of solid silver equivalent to about a 12ga copper wire. 

In addition under each spring in the holder we have some foam that about triples the spring rate.. in concert with the magnet making the bat longer there is some SERIOUS force on each cell.. maybe more than 5#.. a LOT. 

So.. biggest need to solve is the switch.. 7 watts will likely corrode and or melt things.. not sure how much of that has a heat-path to something not plastic... and why waste 7W on the switch if a decent FET will be more like 0.045ohm or 2.2W (which will def. need to be heatsinked). 

Outside in the boonies.. this light is stunning.. 'feels' like using the X990 quite a lot... doesn't have quite the full fill of the X990 but whoa it is absolutely stunning.

NT and I discussed 'the purpose' of this light at depth.. and it is harder to justify than such a 'gimmie' as the 1185 solution in a mag3D.. and the Mag35w as he's calling it is i believe going to be a stunner... my calculations put it at a little less light than the Mag85 because it has lower efficiency but 6 vs 9 cells and 2D vs 3D host... it will def. light up the area 'just like' a Mag85. 

I have 2 or 4 other sneaky hotwire options in the works... including this one:





Mag85 vs "Mag66".

That beam on the right.. is coming from a FiveMega ONE D light.. it is 60% the size of the "Mag85" 3D host sporting the beam on the left.. it also is in a stock mag reflector and plastic lens.... needless to say.. a short run test lest i start making melted lens for supper.

That being said.. I guess it's safe to say I like hotwire and LED now.... I have several really awesome solutions in the works.. and the price to performance ratio of hotwires makes them very appealing! 

The fact that the BAM! is designed to work with universal battery solutions means that you can have two heads for the same body if you have PR based bulbs for a hotwire light.. and in just a few seconds can switch them... Imagine having a 400/200/40 lumen LED light one minute and 2 minutes later having a 900 lumen or even (well top-secret) lumen hotwire.. the 'top secret' is because we don't know how much overdrive we can get away with but... let's just say it will be adjustable for reliability on one side and 'holy cow!' on the other side. 

-awr


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## KevinL (Sep 18, 2005)

*Re: Mag100 & Mag35W - very bright [email protected]*

Not to turn this into a "this vs that" thread (love my Mag2HID's amazing efficiency), but this is one of the reasons why I like my incandescents, because of their instant-strike capabilities. There just so happen to be some difficult days where yes, even a civilian needs instant-strike.

HID's nice when you need long running light.


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## Ginseng (Sep 18, 2005)

*Re: Mag100 & Mag35W - very bright [email protected]*

Nice project and prudent admonitions. Good thread.

Wilkey


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## Lurveleven (Sep 18, 2005)

*Re: Mag100 & Mag35W - very bright [email protected]*

Andrew, is your 1D Mag66 a WA1166 bulb running on 4 unprotected 14500 lions? IMO +2A is much more than what 14500 cells handles well.

Sigbjoern


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## NikolaTesla (Sep 18, 2005)

*Re: Mag100 & Mag35W - very bright [email protected]*

Litho123 is correct about being careful at this power with this type of mod. The aluminum dummy cell as you can see it missing in the pictures did not cut it and melted the contacts in seconds. AWR had a chunk of silver handy so it went bye-bye making the one holder a 3 cell only now. There is a slight potontial if you are not careful or really bash the light hard one of the magnets could dislodge and short a cell. The cells a really tight now though in the 100. The FiveMega holders don't have any of these probems- they cost more and you always get what you pay for. We have a Li-ion battery solution for the 2D we are going to test today and compare output to NiMh. I still believe further improvements can make these lights more practical. Nothing ever seems to work perfect at first. Look at the Mag85. Without the KIU socket, everyone was trying different fixes for the heat/melting of the plastic MagCharger socket or using potted 1185 bulbs. Both of those solutions were not ideal. Now a Mag85 is as reliable as a stock Mag. (Runtime not counting). The goal is to get their with the higher power units and still have them not be exotic or very difficult for CPFers to build if they want one. I don't think we will ever see these lights for sale at Target. Having that kind of bright on hand with a flick of a switch in a compact light is something we always look for being obtainable. The USL is the best example but is limited edition and somewhat pricey (It's worth it for that performance). These mods also will keep the same appearance of the stock Maglite switch. The rocker on the USL is subject to accidental activation if not locked out where as the Mag is not. Also quite a bit more is involved in creating a USL than a Mag100. I don't yet envision a 2D 100 watt stock appearing Mag but that is for the Future. As long as we can easily build a safe version at 3D size, I will be satisfied.


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## NikolaTesla (Sep 19, 2005)

*Re: Mag100 & Mag35W - very bright [email protected]*

I was able to use the 8 cell holder to drive the 35 watt bulb harder. This made up for the 1 volt drop in the stock switch/contacts of the mag. Current measured at 5.7 amps and 8.65 volts at bulb for 49.5 watts. It was 70% more output than with 6 cells. The 6 cell configuration only drives the bulb near rated power (35 Watts) due to switch loss. The long life bulb seemed to be happy- no instaflashing. Much nicer very white light like WA bulbs now.
The 8 AA holder , 35w bulb and CPB1650's is a real eyepopper now and very easy to recreate for less than $110 for all of the parts including the MagLite 2D host. Same size as USL, 1/4 the price and 1/2 the power. A bargin!

We also tried 6 Li-ions in series parallel for power. It pretty much gave same voltage/current as the 6 cell Nimh but has greater run time.

Next thing is upgrade the switch in the 100 with the FET.


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## BullPar (Sep 20, 2005)

*Re: Mag100 & Mag35W - very bright [email protected]*

Where do we get parts to create the mag35? I guess Im looking for a how to write-up on the mag35. I have a 2d mag just iching to get modded.


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## twentysixtwo (Sep 20, 2005)

*Re: Mag100 & Mag35W - very bright [email protected]*

Question - what is the correct Lumens rating and Power rating for a MAG85 driven off of 9 NIMH? I think it's about 540 lumens and 30 watts, but I could be way off.


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## Lurveleven (Sep 20, 2005)

*Re: Mag100 & Mag35W - very bright [email protected]*



twentysixtwo said:


> Question - what is the correct Lumens rating and Power rating for a MAG85 driven off of 9 NIMH? I think it's about 540 lumens and 30 watts, but I could be way off.



It depends a lot on what batteries you are using. Assuming you are using the best (i.e. CBP1650) then I get the following numbers:

MPV=10.8V, Bulb lumens=1233, Torch lumens=801, Runtime=27 minutes, Bulb life=12 hours

Sigbjoern


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## js (Sep 20, 2005)

*Re: Mag100 & Mag35W - very bright [email protected]*

NT,

Good stuff, and good work.

Litho mentioned the safety stuff, so I will just say LISTEN TO WHAT HE SAID!

Next, I just wanted to point out that we can see the extra resistance in more ways than just measuring the resistance of the stock switch. We can see it in the increased runtime of the Mag100 over the USL. The USL will run for 12 minutes straight, whereas the figure quoted here was 15 minutes. Why? Same lamp, same battery configuration, right? Well, the answer is that the lost voltage means less voltage delivered to the lamp, means less current draw, means a longer runtime. This is sort of counter intuitive, but it's what happens, and is one of the reasons why most flashlight manufacturers use mediocre batteries with less than great internal resistance: longer runtime, but at the expense of brightness and longevity.

The USL was designed specifically to reduce resistance to an absolute minimum. The battery pack is direct end-to-end soldered, and then everything is direct connected via solder joints, from pack contacts to low resistance high current rocker switch to GY6.35 socket and back.

I don't say this to put down the mag100, but to point out, once again, to BE CAREFUL AND VIGILANT! 7 watts lost in the mag switch is a BIG DEAL! It's significant. Know what you're about. This sort of stuff worries me.

Don't stop having fun, of course! Just be careful.

Oh, and BTW, the USL switch can not easily be accidentally activated with tvodrd's elegant and excellent switch guard, even without the locking pin installed.


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## wquiles (Sep 20, 2005)

*Re: Mag100 & Mag35W - very bright [email protected]*

Once somebody figures out the correct FET to use (part # would be great to have), please post it here so that we can work on upgrading our hotwires 

Will


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## js (Sep 20, 2005)

*Re: Mag100 & Mag35W - very bright [email protected]*

I was thinking about it and there is no way that the mag switch itself is dropping 7 watts. It would melt in short order at that level of heat dissipation. I would guess that it is the whole setup--battery holder, spring contact, threads, body, etc.--that is dropping that much. Few realize how significant is the accumulated resistance through springs, threads, and so on. That is another reason why I dislike battery holders. Even really good ones, such as FM 9AA to 3D, still make contact through the mag top and bottom springs, and from there through threads and through the body. Plus the mag switch itself makes contact with the body ground return path only via a conical set-screw into the bare aluminum, at one single point. While this is adequate for low current draws, it is totally outrageous for 8 amps! This is why a Snoopy type FET switch, where the mag switch is only used to open or close the gate of the FET, is such a good idea. Or an LVR type regulator, where the mag switch is only used to apply or remove power to the LVR, which only draws some miniscule amount of current for its own power.

Also, wanted to mention that there is one other option for solving the heat issue in mag mods, or at least there used to be until I stopped offering it (I could re-offer it at any time), and that is to use ring-potted lamps in a 1940 and direct connect molex connectorized wires to the mag switch core, a la a Polaris style set-up. JimH has one of these setups.

And, IIRC, Ginseng had discovered a simple but effective way to heat-proof a MC bi-pin socket--NOT the mica shield way, but something newer and better. Perhaps he will be unveiling that at some point, if he didn't already. (I may have missed it).


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## BullPar (Sep 20, 2005)

*Re: Mag100 & Mag35W - very bright [email protected]*

what kind of socket do we use for the WestingHouse 35 watt 6 volt #04424 bulb?


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## js (Sep 20, 2005)

*Re: Mag100 & Mag35W - very bright [email protected]*



Lurveleven said:


> Any plans on trying out Osram 64265/64275 instead of the WestingHouse bulb?
> 
> Does the Mag switch handle these kind of currents?
> 
> Sigbjoern



These are the same lamps that we used in the X5D, and I'm here to tell you that they aren't worth considering. Not nearly efficient enough and won't take any kind of push over 6 volts. As I recall, S4MadMan said that the *35 watt* Osram was not that much brighter than the *20 watt* 1160 run at 6.0 volts.

Plus, the transverse one (64265???) has a filament that was wound around a square form! This is very bad for a flashlight application.

Forget these lamps. They suck. Ginseng will back me up on this I suspect, more or less.

Now this Westinghouse 35W 6 volt 2000 hour lamp is perhaps another story! It sounds pretty good run at 7.2 volts, although I question whether or not the 1650's can hold 1.2 volts/cell against 7 amps. I highly doubt they can. In fact, I know they can't. But still, even at 6.8 or 7.0 volts, this lamp would have to be putting out some serious lumens. The only question is how efficient it is. At 7 amps and 7 volts, we're looking at something like 49 watts. It should CRUSH a Mag85, but judging from the pictures, it isn't obvious to me that it does that. Is it possible that this lamp is not as efficient as it should be?

NT, what is your take on this? Is it as efficient as the Welch Allyn lamps are, or roughly as efficient?


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## NikolaTesla (Sep 20, 2005)

*Re: Mag100 & Mag35W - very bright [email protected]*

JS, I do not think that it is but close. I think the wattage being higher when I ran on 8 cells pushed it up quite a bit higher. Thus the out put is greater but at a cost of 5.7 amps draw. So I would say watt for watt, 1185 is more efficient. The Lumens went up 70% on the 35W when the 8 cells was used.A 2000 hour rated bulb can take some push without instaflash.

Bull Par mentioned the socket. Its the KIU kit ceramic socket with mica heat shield. The pins on the T4 bulbs , GY6.35 spec bulbs fit as well as MR-16 and WA bipin. Like universal almost.







Thanks for the warning about the Osram. I like the $4 4424.
As far as total system resistance loss being distributed thru the whole light, not just switch, I also agree. We had to beef up the spring tension in the holders and use contact enhancer. This is probably at the limits for the Mag switch anyway. Next step will be FET switch. At least the socket is soldered to the ground tab on the ground side.


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## andrewwynn (Sep 20, 2005)

*Re: Mag100 & Mag35W - very bright [email protected]*

we found out that it's more important that the switch resistance is acting to hold down the voltage the bulb sees as being more important than losses of heat on the bulb.. on the 100W model we are losing over a volt! We will be putting in some FET switches very soon. 

The CPB batteries held up to 5.7A w/o much problem.. i think the Vbat mesured like 7.14V might have even been 7.2... problem is that with 5.7A losing 0.912V on the switch.. so the bulb only sees 6.2V.. which explains why it only was barely over 35W the first time we tried it.. it was much happier when we did 8 cells, 'felt' like a mag85 in a 2D (but more flood) and wasn't quite as much light.. the bulb is nowhere near as efficient as the 1185.

we will be testing some higher-power bulbs soon like the 1154 and using FET and a regulator to attempt running a 1160 bulb from 7.2V source.. that way we can 'set' the voltage and get constant output the whole life of the cells. 

-awr


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## innerlight (Nov 17, 2005)

*Re: Mag100 & Mag35W - very bright [email protected]*

Hi,

I was wondering how the switch upgrade came out.
What FET was finally used and uh.........
Sorry for being retarded, but could someone post specific instructions about how to connect the FET to the switch?

Thanks


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## andrewwynn (Nov 17, 2005)

*Re: Mag100 & Mag35W - very bright [email protected]*

never had a chance to take pictures of the switch.. i think somebody has a schematic how to wire a simple fet switch (and if so.. add in a capacitor and resistor to the gate to make it 'turn on slowly').. 

I'm developing a driver, not just a basic switch.. http://hotdriver.rouse.com 

-awr


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## innerlight (Nov 17, 2005)

*Re: Mag100 & Mag35W - very bright [email protected]*

Great project you've got going there, I'm definitely in for one.

I have two more questions:
Can you run the [email protected] with fivemegas reflectors or not? If so, then for how long?

What was the difference between the [email protected] flood and the [email protected] spot?
Were those different bulbs or something? Did you tighten up the beam THAT much just by adjusting the height of the bulb?

Thanks for the responses previously and in the future. I am thinking of a 6D mod and these forums are FANTASTIC. I sure am glad I found this place.


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## NikolaTesla (Nov 18, 2005)

*Re: Mag100 & Mag35W - very bright [email protected]*

The 100 watt bulbs are fairly large and do not focus anywhere near as tight as a Mag85 for instance. They do put out more light thow. I did have a FM reflector have some bubbling/melting of the coating occur (I posted pix of this in an older thread). I had good luck with Modamag and Light-edge reflectors. The 100 watt puts out enouch heat to burn marshmellows and start fires up close. I just today got new 12AA to 3D holders in from Modamag so we will be doing more testing/evaluating very soon. We are going to try an onboard electronic regulator too.


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## innerlight (Nov 18, 2005)

*Re: Mag100 & Mag35W - very bright [email protected]*

Thanks again.
One more question:

Can you give me a specific reccomendation for a 12v 50W(ish) bi-pin bulb that will give me a nice tight spot? Or at least the tightest possible for that power range? Anyone?


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## Lightedge (Nov 18, 2005)

*Re: Mag100 & Mag35W - very bright [email protected]*

I just bought some Westinghouse 35W bulbs and magnets for my CPB1650's. The 35 watter intrigues me.


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## PGP (Nov 18, 2005)

*Re: Mag100 & Mag35W - very bright [email protected]*

It took like 2 to 3 weeks for me to get my 3 35w Westinghouse bulbs. I am running it with 8 AA holder & CPB1650's. This thing really puts out the light. The only thing I noticed is that it does not have very good throw and I think it may have something to do with the size of the bulb. I dont think it is my reflector not giving me a good spot because I am pretty sure I have a smooth one in there, will have to check again and maybe swap a few in.

The way it is now, I can light up a huge area with a wall of light a lot better than my mag 85 on flood. Just cant out throw my mag 85. :wow: 

Thanks for the info NikolaTesla, maybe I will try the mag100 next. just have to get the Osram HLX 62138 & a 3D bored mag. :goodjob: 

:thanks: 
Patrick


----------



## innerlight (Nov 19, 2005)

*Re: Mag100 & Mag35W - very bright [email protected]*

Thanks again everybody.
Great thread.


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## Lightedge (Nov 19, 2005)

*Re: Mag100 & Mag35W - very bright [email protected]*

PGP,

Hopefully my luck with bulb delivery will be better than yours. I ordered 5 and received an email yesterday saying they had been shipped. I'm going to slow charge my CBP's a couple of times while waiting for my new goodies. I have everything else I need to make this puppy run.

I kinda like the flood with these hot bulbs. I never have that much need for throw and the super lights are so bright that they cover sufficient distance for me.

I'll let you know what I think when I get this thing running.


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## NikolaTesla (Nov 20, 2005)

*Re: Mag100 & Mag35W - very bright [email protected]*

During the the testing, the first time around, I had several failures of the springs in the modamag holders. We rebuilt them with foam under the springs to increase tension. I ordered new a new holder for 12 cells to 3D from Modamag for the 100 watt unit. I had high hopes this would be the answer to my problems with excess resistance and heating. Anyway We installed the 12 CPB1650 cells in the new holder and proceeded to test with a 90 watt Sylvania bulb- I did not want to blow my only Osram 100. The hole thing worked for about 1 minite before it died. I quickly pulled the holder out and found it was smoking hot by the springs. 2 had overheated and collapsed. Andrew came up with a brainstorm to use a copper strap with a silver contact to bypass the spring.



















This modification was then tried again. No further problem occured. Light was bright and stable. Those springs sure did not like all that current. The silver did not mind at all. I now am happy this is a viable project. I have my poor mans USL now and it works good.


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## js (Nov 20, 2005)

*Re: Mag100 & Mag35W - very bright [email protected]*

NT and AWR,

Nice idea! Great idea, actually! By-pass the current away from the higher-resistance springs, but keep them for their mechanical properties. I like it. Good work.

BTW, one of you should really learn to end-to-end solder. It's a very useful skill, and I have absolutely no doubt that one or both of you is up to the task of mastering it. Then you can make up all sorts of packs at the drop of a hat. No need to get a battery holder. And there is no lower-resistance joint than an end-to-end solder joint. Each one is probably about 8 mm^2 at least, and made up of pure solder. 30 amps? Yup!

But of course, a battery hold like you have is superior in that when or if a battery dies, you don't have to replace the whole darned pack. You can just find the bad cell and replace it individually.

Anyway, great work on that battery holder.


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## andrewwynn (Nov 20, 2005)

*Re: Mag100 & Mag35W - very bright [email protected]*

if you look closely at the third picture.. you will notice that the bottom two pcbs are almost touching.. that's a special version of the 12AA->D holder for FiveMega's 2 1/2D light... I was most happy with the over all appearance of the 75W bulb.. we tried the 90 but it was too yellow and even for my tastse too 'flood'.. the 75W bulb 'felt' like 1185 color but gadzooks brighter.. pretty much just like turning on a 100W 120V flood lamp.. lit up the entire back yard.. and still had a lot of throw ... it was kinda the difference betweeen using a mag85 for spotting and an x990 for filling an area with light... now.. didn't have quite as much light as X990 or the focus with the 3-4x as big reflector.. but the general 'feel' of the 75W bulb was that you just turned on an outdoor 120V powered spot/floodlight... quite stunning. 

I should learn the end-to-end soldering.. i did replace a couple cells from a 24V bosch drill battery recently.. the original cells were spot welded together with steel straps.. it wasn't a 'breeze' to solder to them. 

I have a really neat solder station that uses high-current low-voltage AC and a carbon rod to locally heat virtually instantly and been hoping i can use that for the likes of soldering cells together.. just need to make sure i'm not putting the current through the cells.. it can heat metal cherry red in 1/4 second easily.. if soldering a wire to a copper pcb for example.. it will do a perfect solder joint from room temp in less than 1/5th of a second. 

I think NT had a stippled reflector in the tester last night.. i should be able to get a tester going with a smooth reflector to compare soon.

-awr


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## NikolaTesla (Nov 20, 2005)

*Re: Mag100 & Mag35W - very bright [email protected] info*

The reflector was a MOP. No real need for stipple on that bulb- Filament is pretty big- artifacts were not noticeable. I tried it again later after a recharge and worked perfectly, Very bright. No melt downs or further issues. The real power of the bulb would be higher since its rated for 12 volts and we ran 14.4 volts- closer to 90 watts. Run time is about 15 to 16 minites.


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## Icebreak (Nov 20, 2005)

*Re: Mag100 & Mag35W - very bright [email protected] info*

In the old EL V1 3toDs I would by-pass the springs by soldering multi-strand wire between all the contact points with the wire coming up through the springs. It worked well but I think they would likely fail in a 100W application.

Your modification to the holder is simply elegant. Really guys, that's beautiful.

I'm wondering if the new CBP 2500s can handle the current. They spec that way but I haven't tried them so I couldn't say.


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## andrewwynn (Nov 20, 2005)

*Re: Mag100 & Mag35W - very bright [email protected] info*

CPB 2500 with current capability of the 1650s would be pretty incredible. I also would love to have a charger that can charge 12-up... i can do it manually with my bench supply which is current limiting and goes to 30 volts.. but the smart chargers are way more elegant. 

calculated values: 
Vbulb: 14.06-14.19 volts
Vdrop: .34-.21 volts (lost on switch etc)
Current: 6.82-6.85 amp
Power: 96-97W
BulbLumen: 2480-2585
Efficacy: 25.9-26.4
Life: 300-266 hrs

will get a test lead at some point figured out that i can get live bulb voltage measurements.. like wire-wrap wire around the posts of the bulb, etc.. but those are probably fairly accurate estimates. 

-awr


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## ROVER (Nov 23, 2005)

*Re: Mag100 & Mag35W - very bright [email protected] info*

I was just wondering--over in the homemade/custom mods section, there is a guy making mag D tailcap switches that are rated at 14V 10A. If someone got that, and then just used good wires to bypass the stock mag switch completely, would that make these high power incandescent mods safer and brighter?


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## andrewwynn (Nov 23, 2005)

*Re: Mag100 & Mag35W - very bright [email protected] info*

the switch is good.. probably for 10A.. but what you describe should be lower resistance.. the problem with resistance in a mag mod is the sliding cam-action and the spring inside mostly... however the switch (stock) is in-fact two series switches that switch at the same time.. i don't know why they designed it that way other than at normal drive currents it's a moot point so they never considered the implications of trying to drive 9A through it!

-awr


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## Nereus (Nov 24, 2005)

*Re: Mag100 & Mag35W - very bright [email protected] info*

You guys are looking for a proper mosfet? I suggest IRLI3705, see this datasheet: http://pdf.alldatasheet.com/datasheet-pdf/view/89023/IRF/IRLI3705.html

IRLI3705 has only 0,01 ohm on-resistance. At 10 amps that makes 0,1 volt drop across mosfet, which means 1 watt power loss. That's nothing compared to 100 watt power drain of the bulb itself. Depending on your application, IRLI3705 might work even without heat sinking. The junction-to-ambient thermal resistance is 65 C/W, meaning that with 1 watt power loss in the mosfet it would run 65 C hotter than the environment. Assuming 40C ambient temperature, that's 105C junction temp - well within recommended working temp. Of course it's way better to heat sink the mosfet if only possible.

With a mosfet you can easily get a smooth start-up for your bulb, too. Let's say that you want roughly one second start-up transient. Add e.g. a 1uF capacitor across mosfet's gate and source. Then drive the mosfet gate with a 1Mohm resistor. With the resistor and capacitor in series you get roughly 1 second RC constant time for the start-up. This should make your bulb last longer, since the high initial voltage of the batteries would sag gradually during the start-up. Remember to add a resistor (e.g. 10 Mohm) across the capacitor, otherwise you won't be able to turn the maglite off...

-Nereus


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## NikolaTesla (Nov 25, 2005)

*Re: Mag100 & Mag35W - very bright [email protected] info*

The regulator is a done deal. It works like a swiss watch. Installed, Tested, Working beyond our expectations. See the details here:

http://flashlight-forums.com/index.php?topic=1121.0

This project has really come full circle now. I meant to make the Killer of all MagLite mods a reallity for everyone to have and with AndrewWynn's creation and realization of the requlator it can be done. The circuit is being made public and kits will be availible very soon. There are plenty of the redesigned KIU kits in hand to build the reguators into in our hands righ now (Needed more room inside). The Regulator and modified switch body elimate 95% of the internal losses and compensate for the rest. Its a perfect plateform for a truely Super-Powered bulb in a stock appearing MagLite. The performance is exactly like the USL in light output which also is well documented on CPF. With constant voltage on the Osram 100 watt bulb, The light output and color temp hold up till the light self protects and shuts off at 1 volt per cell.





I am one VERY happy camper after some of the problems and failures. It was definitely worth it now


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## andrewwynn (Nov 25, 2005)

*Re: Mag100 & Mag35W - very bright [email protected] info*

The FET i'm using has a 0.004ohm resistance :-D I love IR. 

The Mag100R has a full regulator.. it holds the voltage constant 'til the Vbat drops to Vbulb.. at which point.. even with 8.75A of the osram bulb inside there.. I'm looking 35 mV to the FET.. 0.035V drop on the FET = 0.306W lost on the FET.

the W lost on the FET is insignificant.. but the .065 V difference means 4579 v below 4500 lumens... well admittedly not a 'significant' difference.. 80 lumens.. the FET you found it not bad by any means.. 

Major thanks to Litho 123 and KIU for redesigning the KIU socket to fit the driver! beyond extremely helpful. 

The bang-for-buck leader i think has got to be the Mag100R.. 

Beamshots comparing to a Mag85 and Mag66 are HERE

teaser images:








(That is a Mag85 with 1200-1300 bulb lumen on the left.. the Mag100R on the right).

-awr


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## cognitivefun (Nov 25, 2005)

*Re: Mag100 & Mag35W - very bright [email protected] info*

astonishing...really incredible, the beamshots...


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## PGP (Nov 26, 2005)

Great job! :wow:  

Will you be selling kits to make the lights or just the whole flashlight. Paypal ready!


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## wquiles (Nov 26, 2005)

Simply outstanding - great job guys !!!

Will


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## andrewwynn (Nov 26, 2005)

kits is the plan.

-awr


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## Phreeq (Nov 26, 2005)

Absolutely amazing.
Got to have one of these... Paypal ready.


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## Dukester (Nov 26, 2005)

This would be fantastic, can hardly wait


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## NextLight (Nov 27, 2005)

Gotta have at least a couple of these regulated hi-temp sockets!


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## J_Oei (Nov 27, 2005)

Put me on the list, too.


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## Starlight (Nov 27, 2005)

Me too, Me too.


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## bryguy42 (Nov 27, 2005)

I thought it would NEVER happen... I actually want to get rid of my mag85's... (After reading this thread of course...) lol

Would it be difficult to "upgrade" my 2 mag-85's to Regulated Mag100's????

I have the very simple EL 3toD (v2) adapters, the non-cammed carley reflectors bought from litho123 from his famous group-buy,potted 1185's,and a UCL.

What "old" parts (including the 3D maglite itself)from the mag85 can be re-used in the mag100 if any???
Or does one need to start completely from scratch???

Also I have nexcell 1800mah batteries... Can these be used in the mag100???

The only thing I'm sure of is that I NEEEEEEEEED this light. (and guidance in what to buy and how to build it) lol
:buddies: 3 Cheers for the MAG100 and it's Founders!!!!!!!!!!


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## NikolaTesla (Nov 27, 2005)

bryguy42 said:


> I thought it would NEVER happen... I actually want to get rid of my mag85's... (After reading this thread of course...) lol
> 
> Would it be difficult to "upgrade" my 2 mag-85's to Regulated Mag100's????
> 
> ...


 
The MAG100R uses a new upgraded version of the KIU kit at its core. The circuitry is designed to fit inside it. Also a 12 cell holder and CBP1650 cells are required. I do not know of any other cells at this point that can do 8.75 amps.

Things you will still need are reflector and glass lens. A lot of people already have 9 cells in Mag85 so it's not a complete loss by any means to upgrade.


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## Sway (Nov 27, 2005)

Not to wander too far off topic here, I’m really interested in what kind of run time you could get using 8 cells in a 2D with the 1160 or 1111. I’m a run time nut  but the 2D looks to be a sweet spot for a brighter than normal light with a useable runtime past 20 minutes. 

I’m very interested.

Later
Kelly


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## litho123 (Nov 27, 2005)

Sway said:


> Not to wander too far off topic here, I’m really interested in what kind of run time you could get using 8 cells in a 2D with the 1160 or 1111. I’m a run time nut  but the 2D looks to be a sweet spot for a brighter than normal light with a useable runtime past 20 minutes.
> 
> I’m very interested.
> 
> ...


 
Hi Kelly - 

A regulated 1160 would work great with FM's 6AA holder in a stock 2D body.
A regulated 1111 would work great in a bored out 2D body using 7AA nimh and a dumdum. 
A regualted 1274 would work great on 8AA's in a bored out 2D body.

RE: runtime, the key factor will be the capacity of the batteries you choose. Maximum AA nimh capacity is currently advertised at 2500 or 2600 mah. You can use Li-Ion batts in a Fivemege bored light with 3x150s 3.7v holders and increase your capacity to 3000 mah (1000 mah per battery x 3 = 3000 mah)

Greg


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## cue003 (Nov 27, 2005)

I want 4 kits for "D" sized lights and 2 kits for "C" sized lights.

Curtis


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## andrewwynn (Nov 27, 2005)

Sway said:


> Not to wander too far off topic here, I’m really interested in what kind of run time you could get using 8 cells in a 2D with the 1160 or 1111. I’m a run time nut  but the 2D looks to be a sweet spot for a brighter than normal light with a useable runtime past 20 minutes.
> 
> I’m very interested.
> 
> ...



not sure if you can pull FOUR amps out of those high capacity (2500) batteries.. but assume with 2AH you'd get 30 minutes runtime with the 1160.. with the 1111.. i think that pulls more like 3.4A.. not on the computer with the spreadsheet.. take that back.. gotta love macs and personal file sharing.. grabbing the file from home and at my bro's house:

Ok.. the 1111 from 7.2V: 
CBP 1650s.. 27 minutes.. 2500MAH=41 minutes.. using 6x17500 in a Litho123 2D-3bore will get you 49 minutes (my preference) the 6x17670s in a 2 1/2D or 3D will get you 79 minutes.. and with 4x14500 in a 1D.. 23 minutes. (that is about an 800/500 lumen solution)

the 1160 looks like this:
24 min with the CBP, 38 with 2500MAH (not sure if they can take the current though).. 45 with 6x17500.. and 21 with the 4x14500. 

(note: i do not recommend the 1D solutions for real use.. it's pushing the batteries way harder than recommended.. i will let you know in a month or three how well they are dealing with the abuse.. the 1166 in a 1D is my most favored light right now.. even have two battery packs for it so it's really easy to have a spare on me). 

'more' cells does not extend runtime with an LDO.. it just wastes more energy on the FET.. in the case of the 1160 bulb the light will be in regulation for 96% of the runtime.. just the last few seconds it'll dim 25% before shutting off.. that is going to be my next regulated light. 

by far the most versatile light is the Litho123 2D-3.. there are about 5 or 6 different possibilities for battery packs in that light. 

I really want to try the 1274 with 8xNiMH.. actually i think that'll be my next light... 950/620 lumen.. because of the voltage difference (overhead) like the 1160, it will be in regulation the entire time.. with an average efficiency of about 88%.

about 3W means that 33 minutes runtime on the CBP 1650s and 50 minutes runtime with 2500 MAH.

That looks like quite a winner.. and killer amazing output.. similar to the 7cell solution with fresh batteries but constant output... the extra cell is consumed by the FET.. you won't extend runtime just brightness.

Looks like the color temp is a real winner on the 1274 pushed that hard, but that is very hard.. 6.3hr bulb life.. might want to hold that back to 900L.. 

LOL.. oops.. i haven't even approached the idea of putting the regulator into C-size lights yet! the KIU socket (original) does not have the space to fit the regulator.. we have a 'next generation' model that was modified to fit my regulator (maaaajor kudos/thanks to Greg (litho123) and KIU for making the modification which makes this possible!) Thanks for pointing out the oversight on the C-size i will get on that. 

a 'heads up' on the costs.. the components going into this are not inexpensive.. for example the potentiometer will be about $4.. the controller chip cost over $5.. etc.. these aren't going to be $10 or $20.. but fortunately for the buyer.. a MAJOR improvement in assembly difficultly was overcome recently which will take $20 or more off the total cost in the end. I always try to make things as cost effective as possible but this is also my job, so i am trying to turn a profit, but a fair one.. there can be no doubt the regulator will be worth the price.. just hang-ten on how much that'll be just now.. 

Realize that we plan to offer an absolutely complete kit.. including the 5/64th allen wrench to install it... i can probably work with greg to even supply the bulb you want for example.. set you up with a 6.5V set regulator and 1160 bulb as a package deal.. etc.

-awr


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## andrewwynn (Nov 27, 2005)

i missed a line of questioning.. 

a typical mag85 is not bored out so it won't fit the 12 cell battery pack.. in addition as NT mentioned.. the KIU socket is a different size.. though i bet a spacer could be used to solve that problem (to use an old KIU with the regulator).. so the reality.. pretty much the entire light would have to be new.. i would not try to run the Mag100 on less than CBP batteries, though there are the new models that are rated for 10A that might take it.. i just don't know what kind of voltage sag they will have at 8.75A.. it's truly amazing.. my bench supply can not even test the regulator full power i have to use batteries! 

I would recommend recycling at least one of your mag85s to use the 1331 bulb... which is really easy to flash direct-drive but with the regulator no problem and you'll get 800 lumens for 50 minutes. (96 minutes in the FM 3D-3 or 2 1/2D-3.. with nine 17500). 

-awr


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## cue003 (Nov 27, 2005)

andrewwynn said:


> Ok.. the 1111 from 7.2V:
> CBP 1650s.. 27 minutes.. 2500MAH=41 minutes.. using 6x17500 in a Litho123 2D-3bore will get you 49 minutes (my preference) the 6x17670s in a 2 1/2D or 3D will get you 79 minutes.. and with 4x14500 in a 1D.. 23 minutes. (that is about an 800/500 lumen solution)
> 
> the 1160 looks like this:
> ...



Excellent news indeed on the complete kits. I am still in for 4 complete kits when these are ready to go. 

Too bad about the "C" option not being available. Oh well, I will have to deal with the "D" sized lights.

Also thanks for giving approx runtimes etc using the non NiMH/CDP batteries. Good to know that the CDP/NiMH battery configurations are not mandatory. All the mags I have are FM mags with 3 bore to accept "Pila" type batteries.

Curtis


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## Sway (Nov 27, 2005)

Four amps out of high capacity (2500) cells would be a no go, I have tried the 2500 Sanyo's (my fav) and the CBP1650 provide a higher color temp to the eye changing back and forth using the 1111 and 1160 lamps.

Eh' Li-Ion is looking promising and has a nice storage time over NiMH :thinking:

Later
Kelly


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## andrewwynn (Nov 27, 2005)

the 3 bore lights are very helpful for options especially using LiON combinations.

LiON is useful in a lot of solutions but can't handle very high current, so they need to be parallel stack to get any bulb over 15W to run. The higher capacity lower current bulbs could probably used to run the 1160 or 1166 with the regulator since capacity is more important if they can put out the current that is.. 3.4 to 4.0 A is just a LOOOT of current. 

8AA LiON series-parallel is also a good possibility to get 1166 to run in a 2D-3 (or 2D-4) light. 

-awr


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## k-2 (Nov 28, 2005)

AWR, NT, and any of you other smart experienced guys (and gals) out there, I have a question for you. I have a Fivemega mod coming which uses two stacks of 3xPila 168A battery holders in parallel. In other words, 7.4v and 5400mAh. I also have on order a few 35 watt, 6v G4 bi-pins. My question is, can this Pila battery set-up handle the 6amp draw of the bulb? I assume that each parallel battery holder acts as one big protected 3.7v, 5400mAh Pila. Thus, the current draw is 1.1C, and each individual cell should only be asked to deliver 2amps. Is this correct in theory? Will it work in practice?



Or will this set-up go



?


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## andrewwynn (Nov 28, 2005)

Oh that bulb is a WHOLE LOTTA fun.. is it the westinghouse 6V 35W bulb? 04424? 
1000 bulb lumens is what i calculate at 7.2V host.. with KIU socket.. 

168A (big guns)? not the S? only 1.8AH huh? 

if the individual batteries are 1.8AH.. than you have a 5.4AH battery.. so 6.35A/5.4 = 1.17C.. the only problem is if the cells can handle the turn on surge... which is quite severe... i've been doing testing on 4A 6V bulbs and i get 10-14A turn on spikes. 

You have the concept down exactly how the batteries work.. you absolutely need to use the KIU socket not a PR base with adapter with so much current draw... but it sounds like a helova light.. 

BTW... the 1.17C is because at 7.4V battery.. you'll get about 7.0V to the bulb, and at that voltage the bulb should draw 6.35A..

sounds like fun post some pictures of the light and beams shots.

-awr


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## k-2 (Nov 28, 2005)

AWR 
Thank you for your reply.
The bulb is here: http://www.replacementlightbulbs.com/lamp64275.html.
The turn on amp spike that you quote is a helluva lot. Don't know if I want to risk the expensive ($30 per) Pilas. I do have CBP2500A's that are the same size as Pila 150S's, and I think that I can rig up an FM mod to run 6 of them in series. Those cells will handle the amp draw no problem, but runtime will be nothing to write home about. That's why I wanted to try the Pilas.
Anyway, just some ideas that you and NT brought up with your fantastic mod



. Sorry,not trying to hijack your thread



.
k-2
P.S. Pictures? Beamshots? You mean digital camera?




I might try one of those one day (









).


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## andrewwynn (Nov 28, 2005)

I don't think you have to worry about risking hurting the PILAs.. it's just a matter of if the cutout protection will kick in and it just won't light up. 

looks like you found a hellova bulb there.. it'll be fairly wide beam with the axial filament.. however.. 1300-1400 bulb lumens at the 6.95-7.1V you'll likely get to the bulb.. good show on finding that bulb it should be an excellent bulb in that host.. 

If you used 18670RAW cells you could see a solid hour+ of runtime. 

I would absolutely use a regulator.. with a calculated bulb life of about 7-8 hrs means you are well within instaflash territory.. but it should be a sweet bulb if you hold the voltage back to 7 or 7.1V. 

-awr


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## andrewwynn (Nov 28, 2005)

update: ok.. thanks for reminding me about that 35W bulb.. it actually is higher output than the 1185.. considerably more in-fact. 

So.. i just had an estimated 1100 lumen (torch) 2D light operational.. quite a sight to see.. of course seeing 3000 lumen from a 3D size light tempers the excitement just a little bit. 

-awr


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## winny (Nov 29, 2005)

andrewwynn,

Exactly what FET did you end up with?


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## paulr (Nov 29, 2005)

I'm confused by this. You're using the FET as the pass transistor for a linear regulator? That .004 ohm resistance doesn't mean much if you're dropping a cell's worth of voltage across the past. At 8 amps that's around 10 watts of heat! You need a large package and heat sink for that. You REALLY want this to be a PWM regulator like Willie Hunt's regulator. Am I missing something?


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## Starlight (Nov 29, 2005)

*Re: Mag100 & Mag35W - very bright [email protected]*

Andrew, this is from a previous post and should answer k-2's question.



js said:


> These are the same lamps that we used in the X5D, and I'm here to tell you that they aren't worth considering. Not nearly efficient enough and won't take any kind of push over 6 volts. As I recall, S4MadMan said that the *35 watt* Osram was not that much brighter than the *20 watt* 1160 run at 6.0 volts.
> 
> Plus, the transverse one (64265???) has a filament that was wound around a square form! This is very bad for a flashlight application.
> 
> ...


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## andrewwynn (Nov 29, 2005)

I'd have to look up the exact transistor.. i switched a couple times.. I just used IR's website to find the FETs sorted by least on resistance.. and started plugging the numbers into digikey 'til i found one that wasn't $5.7 each but had a resistance i could tolerate.. more than tolerate actually.. i had a 4mohm model.. i wanted to upgrade to some that are 3.0 but digikey doesn't stock them.. so i found a different model that is 3.7. 

If doing a one-off this one IRLR7843 is the one i'd probably use.. it's a DPAK.. about 1/2 the size of the D2PAK i'm using in my hotdriver (i need the bigger one to fit in.. has to be tall enough to touch the heatsink).. 

Originally and all the current prototypes use: IRL3716S 

I've since upgraded to IRF1404ZS it's 3.7 vs 4.0.. why not? it's 15 cents more.. like $1.70 vs $1.55. 

I did find one that i might consider using instead in any 100W lights i might make.. it's like 1.7 mohm.. but it's like $5.. it's neat.. rather than using a single pin for the source.. it uses FIVE pins.. the gate uses 1 pin.. and the drain uses the tab as usual. 

It is a bit confusing re: why bother with extremely low on resistance.. the answer is extension of regulation and the highest output once regulation is out.. basically.. i wanted a circuit that once Vbat=Vbulb.. looks like WIRE to the bulb.. 4.0mohm is the resistance of 8 inches of 18ga wire.. and.. since i only have like 3 inches of wire in the whole ckt.. means that a substantial amount of the ckt resistance still is the FET even if 4mohm. 

It would probably take an FET with more than 20-30mohm before it really started affecting the performance but it only takes milvolts difference to make fairly big numerical (100-200 Lumen) difference.. it is admittedly a small percentage when talking about 4700 bulb lumens! 

You are totally correct about the dropping of the excess... the reality is.. that at 8.75A.. the battery pack drops most of that cells worth inside the cells and in the battery holder.. which is probably close to 50-100mohm. 

I really prefer LDO for most solutions.. the 100W solution is definitely an exteme example.. but even in that case.. the FET is really probably only dropping on the order or 100-200mV.. the main point of the regulator with the 100W solution is 1) limit starting voltage and 2) become a 'wire' asap as the batteries loose voltage.

I would like to make a PWM version some time but it's faaar more complicated and i've not been able to find one that gives me the 99.5%+ efficiency when Vbat = Vbulb.... like i said with Jarhead.. v2 of the hotdriver will probably be PWM. 

I think i mighta missed 'k2's question'.. 

I did put the W35W into an 8cell light yesterday and using a ceiling bounce estimated over 1000-1100 torch lumen.. it is absoutely stunningly bright.. blows away the mag85.. and to boot.. 8 cells fits in a 2D host.. so a 2D light with more light than mag85.. it's axial filament which made for a very nice big spot that didn't blind even at 10-15'.. just fills the whole room with light.. 'felt' like a mini Mag100R.. (1/3 the light.. made enough sense. 35W vs 100w bulb).. although it was pushing 58W through that bulb at the time!

The 1650s can hold like 1.15V at that current level, at least if they are hot.. they are stunning in that regard.. 1.1V/cell at 8.75A.. 

Running the W35 bulb at 8.3V it calculates to 1800/1200 L.. which is not far off from my estmated 1100 measured... it really is mind-blowing bright.

It is a 2000hr bulb so very tough filament.. that is 65% overdrive!

33 lumen/W.. and very very VERY white.. it really looks like a nice combination.. just have to see how many hrs the bulb can take at that drive level.. 14 minute runtime estimated.. 

I wouldn't try to run the 35W from a 7.2V host.. it won't knock anybodys socks off... the 1111 is far better in that host.

I'd rather stuff 12 cells in a 2 1/2D and run the 100W bulb with triple the output for 10 minutes, but there is a charm to a 2D host with over 1000 torch lumen.. i can defintiely see why people like the USL. 

-awr


----------



## andrewwynn (Dec 5, 2005)

*Re: Mag100 & Mag35W - very bright [email protected]*



js said:


> NT and AWR,
> 
> Nice idea! Great idea, actually! By-pass the current away from the higher-resistance springs, but keep them for their mechanical properties. I like it. Good work.
> 
> ...



I want to learn to do that.. I'd need a higher power soldering iron. I have yet to do the full analysis on the battery pack but with 13 contacts between batteries that has got to be at least 5 to 8 mohm per.. or 65 to 96mohm in the battery pack.. .57 to .84v dropped on the battery resistance.

It is a calculated choice to keep the pack individual.. the cells i'll be using in the Mag100 hold 1.15V for about 1600 mAH.. so even with with .62V drop on the battery resistance.. I have enough overhead to run in regulation for 11minutes... it's a trade off of how easy to maintain the battery and build it vs using up that extra cell as overhead which i have to put the heat someplace.. why not let the batteries soak up some of it vs all on the FET.. kinda like MrB would use just the right amt of resistance in his wires to run direct-drive LED lights.. same idea.

Nonetheless.. i'd still like to learn end-to-end soldering. Even if i just do the 4 cells in a row and use the battery adapter for the bridging.. that would eliminate NINE contacts.. or maybe 45 to 72 mohm.. that could get me another minute of regulation perhaps.. it will be worth making up one pack that is end-to-end to compare with.

The next mod to the Mag100R will be adding on a port where i can monitor battery and bulb voltage while it's running. 

-awr

ps.. I started a clean thread just for the Mag100R.. http://Mag100.rouse.com


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## js (Dec 5, 2005)

paulr said:


> I'm confused by this. You're using the FET as the pass transistor for a linear regulator? That .004 ohm resistance doesn't mean much if you're dropping a cell's worth of voltage across the past. At 8 amps that's around 10 watts of heat! You need a large package and heat sink for that. You REALLY want this to be a PWM regulator like Willie Hunt's regulator. Am I missing something?



No. You're really NOT. You're right on the money. Trying to drop any significant power through the FET will cause major heat sinking problems. If that is done to the flashlight body

1. It won't transmit heat well, and so the FET junction temp will get high

and

2. It will burn the hell out of whoever or whatever is unlucky enough to touch the spot directly above the FET.

and

3. What a huge waste of battery power!


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## NikolaTesla (Dec 5, 2005)

Actually the KIU socket sinks to the flashlight body quite well. The regulator transfers the heat to the top of the flashlight. I did a total run on the 100 watt Osram and it was quite warm by the end but did not damage any components or melt reflector or burn wires. It was warmer than I would recomend putting your bare hand on the head after that but I bet the USL gets pretty hot too.


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## andrewwynn (Dec 5, 2005)

The heating on the FET is a non-issue in reality.. there is probably less than 5-6W dropped on the FET which is less than 5-6% of the power getting to the bulb.. not a tragedy at all. 

As NT mentioned.. the FET is well heat-sinked.. it's AA'd to the KIU metal and that has about 3 square inches of contact with the inside of the body. 

You can 'feel' the heat from the FET but far more heat comes from the head. 

No 'huge waste' at all.. 1 extra cell to cover the overhead.. in the same space as 11 cells you can have 12.. the Mag100 uses 12 vs 11.. and 'spends' the 1 cell keeping the light constant brightness... sounds like free lumens (costs less than a penny to recharge all 12 batteries) well spent... no throwaway batteries here.. it does only run like 7-8 minutes so it might cost 2-3cents/hour to operate, that's not a tragedy. 

-awr


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## js (Dec 7, 2005)

OK, Andrew. These are some good points. If you can indeed dissipate that much heat to the flashlight body, more power to you (literally).

Good luck on the Mag100 L. Sorry I was abrasive. I will edit my post if you wish me to.


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## andrewwynn (Dec 7, 2005)

no need at all to edit the post.. we're all good friends here. 

I knew from the experience of dumping over 16W of power into my 1.5D light that it would not be a problem to dump on the order of 10 in the Mag100.. turns out based on the working model, that was correct. 

We are going to put some thermocouples on and do a runtime test soon, probably tomorrow.. at the same time get a single cell and full battery pack voltage, and an FET voltage so we can calculate all the important power and voltage drops, etc. 

It is definitely 'pushing the envelope' to have a hand-held 115W flashlight but it's quite exciting. 

-awr


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## js (Dec 7, 2005)

andrewwynn said:


> no need at all to edit the post.. we're all good friends here.
> 
> -awr



Andrew, this is very gracious of you. Thank you! (But did I mention that you're INSANE? :devil: LOL!)

Take care Andrew, and really, thanks for being cool about my obnoxiousness.


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## andrewwynn (Dec 8, 2005)

I get that a lot .. thanks for i appreciate both the realistic concern for me pushing the limits too far, and the good-natured and not undeserved necessarily rib-poking. I tell people won't know who your friends are 'til you can insult them or be insulted by them and 'get over it'. 

I can't wait to actually do the tests which will be tonight sometime when N.T. brings the Mag100R back to the shop for some under-the-hood testing with thermocouples and wired in probes to test the battery pack under load to figure out where the voltage drops are, etc. 

I think that being under a microscope, especially Newbie's will keep me on my toes and help me from making too big of goofs.. 

I'm very pleased with the preliminary results of the project.. the lower power lights really are above reproach in their operation.. Litho123 ran his tester through 4 or 5 full length runtimes and it's been working exactly as designed.. he has one more test to do before resetting the voltage and trying with different bulb/battery combinations.. but look at the amazing avenues opened here.. 

First he's been using this:

14.4V host for the 1166 @ 12.5V.. 

now he'll try:

12V host for the 1185 @ 11.1V.. 

than on-deck:

9.6V host for the 1274 @ 8.3 (man i did that one it's aweseome!)

1111 doeesn't really need regulation but the gentle start and low volt cutout is wonderful.. you can set it to 7.2 just to keep the output constant initially.. it will go out of regulation for the last 1/2 or so of the run.. 

7.2V host for 1160 @ 6.5.. 

One really awesome thing about this 'magic bean':

you can set the regulator to 7.2V.. and use either a six pack of 17500s or a nine-pack of primary 123s.. and get 880/572L out of a 2D host with rechargeable OR primary cells w/o changing a thing other than the battery pack! 

-awr


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## andrewwynn (Dec 8, 2005)

*Re: Mag100 & Mag35W - very bright [email protected]*



Lurveleven said:


> Nick, do you know of an easy replacement for the stock switch that doesn't require machining to the body? I have been thinking about using the stock switch to control a mosfet, as an alternative to replacing it.
> 
> Sigbjoern



not sure if you've seen the thread: http://prfix.rouse.com shows how to get a stock switch down to 28 mohm.. good as an ok mosfet. 

-awr


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## andrewwynn (Dec 8, 2005)

*Re: Mag100 & Mag35W - very bright [email protected]*



Starlight said:


> Andrew, this is from a previous post and should answer k-2's question.
> 
> 
> js said:
> ...



We don't run a '7V' lamp from 7.2V source anymore.. i don't know about the 64265 but we did try the 64275 the other night and it was tremendous.. 

I tried to run it at 7.2V and it was none to happy we melted it after a few minutes.. but at 7.0V.. it calculates to 1338/870L and though a bigger spot than the mag85, it was 'on-par' with the performance but from a 2D host.. 44.4W compared to the mag85 solution i had with me that was about 38W at the time.. and 1359/883L.. 

The color temp was beautiful and the lamp re-rates to 7.9 hrs life.. not far off from the 8-9hr life of the mag85 and 1166 pushed hard.. it could work out to be a hell of a nice bulb.. especially with the small edge of having that 2/10ths overhead to let the regulator do its thing. there is only a 13mV overhead on the FET when out of regulation. I think i might just go set my six-pack up to handle this solution right now. 28 calculated minutes runtime (i always assume i'll get 90% at most but calculate based on the ratings 'til i can do a runtime test). 'mag 85' class output from a 2D host.. 22-25 minutes runtime.. it's a helova nice thing. 

-awr


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## andrewwynn (Dec 8, 2005)

*Re: Mag100 & Mag35W - very bright [email protected]*

Ok.. some important beamshots online here













That is the Mag 85, the SF M6 and the Mag35 .. all the same exposure. 

The Mag35 has a heavy stipple reflector.. but initially i tested it against a Mag 85 with LOP and it had an LOP.. it would have been very difficult to distinguish the two bulbs.. 

The Mag85 right now has the 64275 lamp and is absolutely fantastic.. i have the voltage set to 7.0 since in the first test we blew the bulb at 7.2.. it will of course need some further testing to establish if it's a reasonable lamp, but so far it is absolutely beautiful.. and a bonus.. event though it doesn't look it.. it will fit in the carley stippled reflector! quite an amazing sight to see mag85 performance in a 2D light! 

Oh.. calculates to 1338/870L which seems quite in alignment with the observed data.. look at the bounce on the ceiling in the picture compared to the 1360/880L Mag85.. 

When using the Westinghouse bulb and pushing it to 7.2V (which it doesn't give a rass asp about)... it still only outputs 1058/688L.. so the Osram kicks it's butt.. the 1185 still bested it. next 'big test' will be to put 9xR123 in the same host and see if the voltage will hold well enough to make it shine.. calculations put the 1185 at about... 1181/768L in such a host... 38 minutes runtime and only 1.6C.. sounds pretty viable to me. Should actually run sans regulator, especially with the higher resistance of R123s.. but i think i'm done running lights (other than the 1111) w/o regulation.. it really smarts to pop a bulb when you know good an well if it was in the hotdriver it would not have blown. 

-awr


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## cue003 (Dec 8, 2005)

*Re: Mag100 & Mag35W - very bright [email protected]*

So in the pictures on your site, the Mag85 (11.2v source) has the LOP and the Mag35 (64275 with a 7.2v source) has the heavy stipple reflector?

I am curious to see how the runtime numbers pan out for Mag85 on 9x17500 vs Mag35 on 6x17670. Output would be very similiar as you stated but the Mag35 would take less batteries.

Curtis


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## Lurveleven (Dec 8, 2005)

*Re: Mag100 & Mag35W - very bright [email protected]*



andrewwynn said:


> not sure if you've seen the thread: http://prfix.rouse.com shows how to get a stock switch down to 28 mohm.. good as an ok mosfet.
> 
> -awr



I still don't think pushing 12A through it will be a good idea.

Sigbjoern


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## k-2 (Dec 8, 2005)

> Originally posted by AWR:
> 
> _We don't run a '7V' lamp from 7.2V source anymore.. i don't know about the 64265 but we did try the 64275 the other night and it was tremendous.. _
> 
> ...


 
AWR
Glad to hear that the Osram 64275 is working out. I thought that it would, given its high amp draw and axial filament. I am however disappointed that it melted at 7.2v



. I am still waiting for my bulbs to arrive. I was going to drive it with 6 CBP2500A's in a FM three bored Mag 2D, and these batteries will not sag under the 6-8 amp draw. I guess that I will just have to wait for your switch



.
k-2


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## js (Dec 8, 2005)

Even pushed hard, the 64275 is less efficient than it should be. I'm guessing that the operating pressure is on the low side. It's a 6 volt lamp that is unimpressive on 5 Ni cells and which can't take 6 of them. So, yes, it's begging for some kind of voltage control, and an axial filament obviously has its advantages.

But consider (as I mentioned before) the fact that the 35 watt 275 at 6 volts is only marginally brighter than the 24 watt 1160, but even so, will not take even a one extra cell over-drive. I still maintain that this lamp is not efficient enough to be a good choice. Add to that the fact that your hold-back circuit will be dissipating energy as well when using 6 NiMH or 2 Li-ion, and it just doesn't make any sense.

The whole idea behind regulating an incan is to keep it operating at its most efficient. At least that is MY take on the matter, FWIW. So using an inefficient lamp, combined with an inefficient regulator, equals, what? Not sure I get it. But if you like to tote around the extra weight and size, so be it. We all make choices and have priorities. And they are all, in general, different. YMMV.


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## andrewwynn (Dec 8, 2005)

the 64275 has tested beyond excellent at 7.0V.. actually the fact it does NOT take 7.2 is excellent because than you can use a six-cell solution.. 

Doing a ceiling bounce, the output is on-par with an 1185 running at 11.1V (1360 bulb lumen).. and it is white white white.. quite an excellent 2D light. 

Running a 7V bulb from 7.2V battery means 97.2% efficiency.. that is not by any stretch 'inefficient'.. the bulb is only like 30 lumen/watt.. but pumping 44W into it does make for lots of lumens... basically.. it is virtually indistinguishable in output .. the 'Mag35' and the "Mag85". 

runtime calculates to about 28min with 6x17500 but i would not expect more than 90% of that.. for a 2D host that is pretty fantastic.. considering my 3D CBP 1650 mag85 is a 3D host that is not as bright and doesn't run as long.. so much for 'tote extra weight, size'.. i think you are missing part of the puzzle here. 

My next test will be the 1185 in the same host.. the 2D 3-bore.. pretty much the most universal host... the bulb is much more efficient and the numbers are coming in at 38 minutes runtime. 

as far as comparing 1160 to the 64275? 

1338/870L from a 2D host with the 64275
863/561L from the same 2D host with the same batteries with the 1160. 

28 vs 45 minutes calculated runtime. (assume 90% of that IRL). 

The next test (batteries on the charger) is the 1185 bulb in the same host.. once again, will probably take the prize it really is hard as hell to beat that bulb! 

The lamp might not have the bulb life to make it worth using.. and compared to the 1185 might not cut the mustard.. but you can use 2500mAH NiMH 'A' cells in series in the 2D-3 host, don't need to use LiON. 

Lumen/Watt is not fantastic.. but it was quite a nice bulb and from a 7.2V source it's wonderful because just enough overhead to keep regulation and not enough to make it inefficient at all! 

It is a bit tricky getting 6.5A moving through a regulator that shuts of with 8% drop.. the batteries will drop enough to kick in the shutdown ckt with 1/2 empty cells.. all things lean toward the 1185 will win this match, but the round with the 64275 was not unimpressive, it is quite a nice lamp, especially put in what N.T. will call the stippled 'super reflector'.. the beam is absolutely marvelous! 

-awr


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## andrewwynn (Dec 8, 2005)

Well i think i may have really hit a magic combination.. I have the 1185 bulb in a 2D host with 9 R123s.. output was set little lower than intended by accident.. 10.6 vs 10.7.. so 751L out the front.. doing a full-run to see how many minutes it'll run.. at 10 minutes in it's only 104F on the bezel.. 99.5 on the head and 91.5F at the switch. Output is noticeably less than when i have it set to 11.1V, but it is no slouch, and 2D host is just wonderful. Of course it doesn't hold a candlepower to the 2D sized USL, but quite a 'gimmie' for a host.. it should run w/o regulation.. back 'inside the box' for a cpf solution.. using LiON vs NiMH.. 

Ok.. 20 minutes in.. and the bezel is 122, the head is 118.. 107 at the switch.. the light is just tail standing on my desk.. makes a very nice room light! 

25 min. in.. it's officially toasty warm.. 133 -128 -117F.. even the tailcap is 97F. 

Guess no working around laws of physics.. smaller light.. gonna be warm.. not tragic though.. 

28 minutes later.. 'blink' it's off.. 132-127-120F.. 

So.. the so-called 700mAH cells managed to eek out about 3.33A x 28/60 hr = 518 mAH.. i think i'll try the other brand i have handy.. that was the very first run through any light after the very first charge.. i'll have to try again after a few cycles. 

The batteries were an average of about 110F after the test.. not terrible by any means. 

A little disappointed in the 74% of rated capacity on the cells but it was still more light than my 3D Mag85 for more time so not going to complain. Very nice solution I love it. 

Oh.. tried a new trick in that light.. i have an LOP reflector.. but we used acid to etch the bulb and it's a frosted bulb ala SF bulbs.. makes a HUGE difference in the quality of the beam! 

I will have to do a full-run now with the Mag35 setup.. because if only 75% of rated capacity i can get out of the R123s.. the six pack of 17500s just might beat it.. they are charging now. 

-awr


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## andrewwynn (Dec 8, 2005)

I used the mag100 tonight to light the walk for my dad when he was snowblowing.. it was like he had a full power car headlight on his 21" snowblower.. stunning. He managed to finish the job before the cells ran out.. and even though it was like 10F outside.. body still gets pretty toasty warm on the light. 

-awr


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## NikolaTesla (Dec 9, 2005)

What was real neat was trying some frosty light bulbs in the same light, same cells, same every thing. All different voltages. So what. Just turn the Pot , set the voltage and presto testo any parameters you want. Batteries die, Light goes poink and turns off. Next refit is in light recharging- jack on bottom. Then the shrink ray. At least all the cells recharge in the holder at this point with out problems. I still like the Osram 100 the best.


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## cue003 (Dec 9, 2005)

How does the "frosty" bulbs affect the throw vs. say using the stipple reflector? Is it better to use the frosty bulb and smooth reflector vs. regular bulb and stipple?

Curtis


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## AtomicX (Dec 9, 2005)

OK...one question , been reading and unless i missed this, it hasn't been clarified. I am wondering if when "building" the 2D mag using the WA 1111 bulb and Fivemega's 6AA>3D holder...is replacing the switch with a magcharger switch (will fit, right?) and Mica heat sheilds a suitable idea? _Is there a better/wiser bulb choice? Thanks in advance !! :help:_


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## andrewwynn (Dec 9, 2005)

I've heard of using the magcharger switch components inside the PR switch, i don't think the whole switch is a swappable part.. so.. since using the PR switch there is no change in the space constraints. absolutely us the mica shield if you have plastic in the bi-pin holder (ala magcharger socket).. 

sans regulator i know of no better combination than either 6NiMH in series or 6 Lion in 2x3 configuration and the 1111 bulb... it is an absolutely drop-dead-gorgeous light and a no-brainer.. in a 2D host and especially with frosted bulb and/or stippled reflector it would be my light of choice for most things (since most of what i want a light for is closer than 10-20 feet). The solution you mention is such a 'gimmie' because you don't need anything special (regulator, boring, ceramic socket).. you will need a metal reflector and glass lens if you want to use it more than a couple minutes at a time, evidenced by the growing pile of melted mag reflectors here. 

-awr


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## NikolaTesla (Dec 9, 2005)

I think the #6 Medium stipple and regular 1185 or now the 35Watt Osram 6 volt bulb are the best. The Frosty is cool if you have just a standard reflector. Better? no. Reflector better, safer, use off the shelf bulb. Good? yes frosty does work good.
I tell you what. I am not making any more with out a fume suction system. My sinus system had major fits this morning after fiddling with that stuff. I had googles and gloves and forcepts. I do have a gas mask and will use that next time. You can not be careful enough with HydroFlouric acid. The label warnings are not strong enough. I was a chemistry major years ago and should have remembered my lab proceedure better. Neat effect. Major nasty chemical.











cue003 said:


> How does the "frosty" bulbs affect the throw vs. say using the stipple reflector? Is it better to use the frosty bulb and smooth reflector vs. regular bulb and stipple?
> 
> Curtis


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## wallyrulz (Dec 10, 2005)

NikolaTesla said:


> I think the #6 Medium stipple and regular 1185 or now the 35Watt Osram 6 volt bulb are the best. The Frosty is cool if you have just a standard reflector. Better? no. Reflector better, safer, use off the shelf bulb. Good? yes frosty does work good.
> I tell you what. I am not making any more with out a fume suction system. My sinus system had major fits this morning after fiddling with that stuff. I had googles and gloves and forcepts. I do have a gas mask and will use that next time. You can not be careful enough with HydroFlouric acid. The label warnings are not strong enough. I was a chemistry major years ago and should have remembered my lab proceedure better. Neat effect. Major nasty chemical.



:wow:

Be VERY careful with HF. VERY careful. That is not something to mess with lightly.


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## andrewwynn (Dec 10, 2005)

What he said.. i was wearing chemical goggles 10' away just in-case.. N.T. had rubber gloves and goggles on the entire time.. obviously a chemical that eats through not just glass but the suspected quartz glass of WA lamps.. will really make a mess of skin/eyes/humans/shoes etc.. 

Fortunately for safety sake.. the HF we were using was a paste, not a liquid.. orders of magnitude safer.. doesn't splash or vaporize or mist, those very ugly things.. but.. for pete's sake.. if you were to copy this procedure.. take absolutely every precaution!

-awr


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## smurf_boi (Dec 10, 2005)

could the 35w be possibly made to run in a 6D cell maglite for longer runtime??


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## andrewwynn (Dec 10, 2005)

using 6 NiMH yes bumping the runtime up from maybe 15-25 minutes in a 2D host.. up to NINTY minutes in a 6D host!

-awr


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## BVH (Jan 7, 2006)

OK, Andrew, where are these little gems? You've been "baiting" us long enough! I think you have a mighty hungy audience out here!


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## andrewwynn (Jan 7, 2006)

which little gems? (only have like six in the works).

Sadly been very slow to make progress since mid dec.. been just sick as a dawg it sucks... soo cold, damp, dreary (i literally can't remember the last time i saw the sun).. has not been easy to recover. 

In any event the 'mark v' regulator is in 'sea trials'. and progress is being made on the regulators for mass-production.

-awr


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## daBear (Jan 8, 2006)

Thanks, I am one of the many ones waiting in the wings. Keep it going, please.


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## js (Jan 12, 2006)

andrewwynn said:


> What he said.. i was wearing chemical goggles 10' away just in-case.. N.T. had rubber gloves and goggles on the entire time.. obviously a chemical that eats through not just glass but the suspected quartz glass of WA lamps.. will really make a mess of skin/eyes/humans/shoes etc..
> 
> Fortunately for safety sake.. the HF we were using was a paste, not a liquid.. orders of magnitude safer.. doesn't splash or vaporize or mist, those very ugly things.. but.. for pete's sake.. if you were to copy this procedure.. take absolutely every precaution!
> 
> -awr



WA lamps don't use quartz glass. The Osram lamps use quartz glass. The WA lamps use what is called "hard" glass. You can tell a quartz glass envelope by the wide, thin, molybdenum ribbons. Hard glass envelopes just have a straight shot of round molybdenum wire. The difference is due to the near zero coefficient of thermal expansion of quartz glass.

Just some info. Either way, HF is very potent stuff. Glad to hear you're being careful.


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## andrewwynn (Jan 13, 2006)

thanks for the technical lesson.. i just knew it was harder than reg. glass so i presumed it was quartz.. it is very hard. stunning how tough it is. I will check for ribbons on the lamps in the future .. interesting.

-awr


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## Cutler (Feb 2, 2006)

I have been lurking for sometime and trying to learn a little bit about this home-brew "hot wire" flashlight modification stuff. To be quite honest, most of the information is over my head but most of that may be not yet knowing the lingo.

Anyway...I have decided to attempt the Mag35W mod. Mostly because of the comments of "stable" and "long bulb life". I am trying to follow the instructions carefully, along with using some ohm reduction tricks posted elsewhere, with one exception...the cells. 

I have some NiMh 2300mAh cells. Will these work in the Mag35W? How will they differ from the specified CBP1650s?

What does the prefix CBP mean?

I am thinking that a 4D cell extension would provide an interesting option to use 6D cells for some big run time when size is not a concern. Does anybody build extension tubes?

Thanks.


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## andrewwynn (Feb 2, 2006)

CBP stands for 'http://cheapbatterypacks.com' they have very good high-power high current batteries at a very low price. You will not be able to use 2300mAH cells with the Mag35 .. they draw like 6-7A.. way more than a normal NiMH can handle. 

People do build extension tubes.. i think fivemega used to for one. 

If you make a 6C light i think it could run the Mag35 from C sized NiMH no problem. the only problem is what lamp you can get away with.. the westinghouse lamp can easily handle it.. with the Osram 35W you need to use a regulator. 

'regulator' goes hand-in-hand with stable and long-life (for the bulb).

-awr


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## Alin10123 (Feb 11, 2006)

So... updates? When will we be able to buy a regulated Mag85 hehehe.


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## andrewwynn (Feb 11, 2006)

I suspect "already can order" i never checked out the litho123 sales thread.. he's got dozens of hotdrivers in the queue for making lights of all sizes and voltages. 

I recently built the M85 a Mag85 in a 2D host that is 15% brighter than a normal 3D Mag85.. of course the hotdriver is a requirement but it's a stunning light! It's the only way to go IMHO for the 1185 bulb.. well one other really nice option.. 9x17500 cells in a 2.5D.. nearly 1hr runtime! 

-awr


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## Alin10123 (Feb 11, 2006)

andrewwynn said:


> I suspect "already can order" i never checked out the litho123 sales thread.. he's got dozens of hotdrivers in the queue for making lights of all sizes and voltages.
> 
> I recently built the M85 a Mag85 in a 2D host that is 15% brighter than a normal 3D Mag85.. of course the hotdriver is a requirement but it's a stunning light! It's the only way to go IMHO for the 1185 bulb.. well one other really nice option.. 9x17500 cells in a 2.5D.. nearly 1hr runtime!
> 
> -awr



Link? I did a quick search for posts under his username but didn't find anything like that.


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## andrewwynn (Feb 11, 2006)

ironically i dont know the link.. look in BST or HMM BST.. or do a search for threads started by litho123 in the past month. 


-awr


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## Bright Scouter (Feb 17, 2006)

If anyone were ever to put together a kit of the custom parts needed to do this, I would think it would sell like wildfire. Any thoughts to doing that?


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## wayne21 (Feb 11, 2009)

The rechargeable AA batteries {NiMH }are 1.2 volt.Primary AA's are 1.5 volt. What are the CPB1650 Batteries? are they just a name brand ? or are they something differnt then the normal AA rechargeable NiMH batteries? I have been trying to find something out about them, since everyone seems to be using them.. Also I wish to thank all you good people out there on CPF for all the help you have given me.


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## wayne21 (Feb 11, 2009)

I have been reading a lot about the 2-D maglites. Can anyone tell me how or where to get a battery holder that will give me the voltage needed to get the results ,it seems that everyone else is getting ? The best I have been able to get is out of an old Maglite that will hold a cheap 8-AA battery holder that gives me 9.5 volts and using the ROP-H- bulb it is a good flashlight. It has never blown a bulb yet, and I have already run down 4 set's of batteries. Now all I want to use is Fm products because the quality is unbeatable.If I use FM's 9-AA in a 3-D maglite will I be able to use the 1185, the Phillips 5761 and other bulbs,and to be able to push them a little for more lumens? This is a bit off from mag-mods but I have a Browning XCO that uses 3-RCr123 3.7 volt batteries.I was just fooling around and tried the ROP bulbs in it. The ROP-L- worked unbelieveable as did the ROP-H- but it sucked the batteries dry within 20 Min. but was so bright, that at certian times it may be usefull. For a $43.00 Flashlight it came with a Aluminum bulb holder, Al,reflector and a glass lens. For just a bulb swap It was something to see. I Thank all of you out there, For your help .I will wait to see if anyone can tell me anything before posting anything else .


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## BSBG (Feb 11, 2009)

The last post in this thread was 3 years ago, but most of it is still relevant.

A Modamag 8xAA will usually fit in a current 2D Mag - you can still order them from the Sandwich Shoppe I believe.

CBP = Cheap Battery Packs - online dealer of cells and packs. Google will turn up the address.


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## LuxLuthor (Feb 11, 2009)

The CBP 1650mAh batteries were an older version of high current output NiMH AA cells that have been replaced by the Elite 1700mAh AA cells shown on this page.

Basically, you can use a quality NiMH cell like the Sanyo Eneloop AA to provide about 7A output. Beyond that amp demand by a bulb (see destructive tests in my sig), you then need to go to "high current" NiMH cells.

Regarding your other question posted in my destructive testing thread, 9 x AA's provides 12.87V hot charged (9 x 1.43V) down to 10.8V "nominal," and will work for an 1185...BUT, you must have some resistance in your setup, or let batteries sit for enough time to 'self-discharge' & drop their voltage, or use a "soft starter" switch (member *AW *sells one currently). Otherwise the freshly charged 12.87V can "insta-flash" (aka: "kill") your bulb. The best strategy is to look at the voltage on my destructive chart for a particular bulb, and see at what point it flashed. Many "stock maglite" setups will have enough resistance in their switch parts & springs to drop the bulb voltage 1-2V (depending on the current bulb needs) which gives you a buffer from flashing.

Using a setup like you are talking about is what we call a "direct drive" light. In other words, the light is driven in direct proportion to the battery voltage. In constrast, *AWR *(& a few others) had developed a regulated drive, which takes a higher battery voltage and steps it down to an ideal lower voltage delivered to the bulb. *AlanB *(& others) are currently working on a new, better, & more elaborate regulated driver.


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## wayne21 (Feb 11, 2009)

I tried to place an order for ONE 9-AA to 3-D 
ONE 6-AA to 2- D And TWO 1185 bulbs. I was ready To send the funds through Pay-Pal, but was not sure if FM would have known who and what it was for.. can anyone tell me how to place an order from this site to FM ? and make it clear what you are ordering. most of all make sure FM get's the funds.I tried to IM FM while he was on line with no response..Being busy I waited all day for a reply.,and was ready to transfer the funds. If anyone else has or wants to sell any of the above items feel free to contact me. . If not No big deal,I have a 2800 LUMEN HID on it's way. so I will not have to kiss *** to anyone for info. Mdocod and Luxluthor are some very fine people. too bad there was not more people like them I am new to these threads, that is why I asked for help. . those of you who have helped or tried have my thanks BEST WISHES TO ALL OF YOU NICE PEOPLE. Hobbies sometimes bring out the best in a lot of good people. this I learned on CPF. I must go. BEST WISHES AND ALSO THE BEST OF LUVK TO ALL gone


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## sid2 (Feb 12, 2009)

What was _that_ all about!!??


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## BSBG (Feb 12, 2009)

wayne21 said:


> I tried to place an order for ONE 9-AA to 3-D
> ONE 6-AA to 2- D And TWO 1185 bulbs. I was ready To send the funds through Pay-Pal, but was not sure if FM would have known who and what it was for.. can anyone tell me how to place an order from this site to FM ? and make it clear what you are ordering. most of all make sure FM get's the funds.



FM provides clear instruction in each and every one of his sale threads - follow that to the letter and your items show up in a few days.

See: https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/182370


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## DM51 (Feb 23, 2009)

Wayne21, a number of your posts have been removed above. Off-topic political comment is _*not allowed*_ here, and you are asked to confine yourself strictly to the topic of the thread.


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