# 6D ROP Maglite - further mods



## crewsy (May 8, 2010)

hey guys,
still new to all of this, I have a 6D maglite and have just put a borofloat lens, pelican 3853 high beam bulb, MOP metal reflector and 6 x 10 000mah NiMH rechargeable batteries in it. I know its currently running 7.2V and perfect for this bulb, but I have just ordered a 2D extension pack + 2 more batteries on the way as well, will the 3853 bulb still be able to withstand the extra voltage? I've seen people talk about drivers... what do they do? or does anyone have any recommendations as to what to do next to make it reliable/make it more powerful?
Thanks in advance!


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## IlluminatedOne (May 11, 2010)

With 8D size batteries you are looking at 9.6v+ which may be the limit of the 3853H bulb but may work based on these charts which are done to show the limits of the bulbs

https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/179748

A few other bulbs that may be of interest too you are the:

Welch Allen 1185 30w
Which at 9.6v volts should make about 800bulb lumens with a bulb life of about 50hours

JC5607 Hikari 20w ($1-$2) 
which at 9.6 volts should be making somewhere near 1800lumens but with a bulb life of about 8 hours or so. 

Five Mega FM-1909 63w (custom made bulb for FM) ($16)
Which at 9.6v you would be looking at 1200lumens+ and a bulb life of 96hours.

But to use the above bulbs you would need to get a Bi Pin Adaptor from Five Mega
https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/179891

Also the drivers allow you to have a few modes of brightness rather than just high output so makes the light more useful as you can have a lower mode for general work and still have a blazing high mode, it also feature a soft start which can prolong the bulb life.
https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/177316
This one comes with a bi pin socket as it replaces the whole switch mechanism in the D sized maglite. So you would not have to purchase FM Bi pin adaptor as one is already included in the drop-in.


Hope that helps you out.


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## mrartillery (May 11, 2010)

Wow 8 D! That will be a beast! :green:

Anyway, back to the point at hand. The thing you must remember is that 9.6v is *nominal* voltage, meaning that 8 fully charged NiMh's could reach up to 15v which will flash a 1185, 3853, 3854, 5607 etc. The 10,000 mAh wont drain off the excess voltage very quickly either, these are made for some long run times! My suggestion would be to go with a 1909, It would be perfect for your voltage range, however they are pretty expensive, around $15 each, and you will have to upgrade to some form or bi pin adapter, either the FM or the KIU. You also will need to get yourself a bulb such as Osram 64440 for example to bleed off some excess voltage before plugging in your 1909 or you will get a lovely .


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## crewsy (May 11, 2010)

IlluminatedOne said:


> With 8D size batteries you are looking at 9.6v+ which may be the limit of the 3853H bulb but may work based on these charts which are done to show the limits of the bulbs
> 
> https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/179748
> 
> ...



Nice man, thanks heaps for all that info! I will report back on how the 3853H bulb goes with the extra voltage running through it. I'll definately look into a bi pin bulb setup... been looking at the KIU and that looks pretty neat. That mag incan driver with bi pin setup from AW looks awesome!! pitty it says sold out... is there a way to get hold of one of those still? unless theres another similar option


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## gswitter (May 11, 2010)

crewsy said:


> That mag incan driver with bi pin setup from AW looks awesome!! pitty it says sold out... is there a way to get hold of one of those still?


PM me. I've got a spare that I've never used.

There's also Alan B's regulated incan driver, but I think there's still a fairly long wait list.


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## crewsy (May 12, 2010)

mrartillery said:


> Wow 8 D! That will be a beast! :green:
> 
> Anyway, back to the point at hand. The thing you must remember is that 9.6v is *nominal* voltage, meaning that 8 fully charged NiMh's could reach up to 15v which will flash a 1185, 3853, 3854, 5607 etc. The 10,000 mAh wont drain off the excess voltage very quickly either, these are made for some long run times! My suggestion would be to go with a 1909, It would be perfect for your voltage range, however they are pretty expensive, around $15 each, and you will have to upgrade to some form or bi pin adapter, either the FM or the KIU. You also will need to get yourself a bulb such as Osram 64440 for example to bleed off some excess voltage before plugging in your 1909 or you will get a lovely .



thanks mate, yeah should be a real beast 
looking for a bright alternative that will be reliable too though so I reckon a bi pin bulb setup may be the way to go!


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## crewsy (May 12, 2010)

ok just got the extension and chucked it on... you were right mrartillery, it just went  hahaha. Is there any type of single pin bulb that will be able to handle 9.6 volts??

edit - I've done some research on the destructive incan bulb thread with all those tables... do you think the Osram 64623 (100W) bulb would do the trick?
link to it here: http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h75/pike444/bulbs/64623.jpg
This bulb can handle 15volts which mine probably has at full charge, plus is really bright and has a good life span...
If I get a bi pin socket, can I just stick one of these bad boys in?
also, is it entirely necessary to get a ceramic slug? or will the standard one hold up with this?


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## mrartillery (May 12, 2010)

crewsy said:


> ok just got the extension and chucked it on... you were right mrartillery, it just went  hahaha. Is there any type of single pin bulb that will be able to handle 9.6 volts??
> 
> edit - I've done some research on the destructive incan bulb thread with all those tables... do you think the Osram 64623 (100W) bulb would do the trick?
> link to it here: http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h75/pike444/bulbs/64623.jpg
> ...



This is because like I previously posted, 9.6v is your *nominal* voltage, which is 1.2v each. Hot off the charger 8 NiMh's could be up to 1.5v each, hence the  The 64623 you're talking about using will run off of 15v nicely, your problem being is that this is voltage is not going to stay at 15v, it will fall off when it has the 9.5A from the 623 applied to it. Not only that but this is a 12v bulb and when your voltage sags below 12v the bulb is going to become very yellow and will lose its appeal rather quickly. Not only this but stock mag switch isn't going to hold up long under that kind of heat and amperage, you'll end up either melting the stock mag tower or the switches internal contacts, KIU is the way to fly with a 623. My suggestion once again, go with the FM1909, its a 10v bulb that will handle around 13, use another bulb to drain off the over voltage and you'll be good to go.


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## crewsy (May 13, 2010)

mrartillery said:


> This is because like I previously posted, 9.6v is your *nominal* voltage, which is 1.2v each. Hot off the charger 8 NiMh's could be up to 1.5v each, hence the  The 64623 you're talking about using will run off of 15v nicely, your problem being is that this is voltage is not going to stay at 15v, it will fall off when it has the 9.5A from the 623 applied to it. Not only that but this is a 12v bulb and when your voltage sags below 12v the bulb is going to become very yellow and will lose its appeal rather quickly. Not only this but stock mag switch isn't going to hold up long under that kind of heat and amperage, you'll end up either melting the stock mag tower or the switches internal contacts, KIU is the way to fly with a 623. My suggestion once again, go with the FM1909, its a 10v bulb that will handle around 13, use another bulb to drain off the over voltage and you'll be good to go.



alright well i'll scrap that idea... until I buy another 2D cell extension + new switch and run 12volts 
I'm thinking of just getting the poor mans FM and just getting the Hikari JC5607, at $2.50 you can't go wrong... so we will see if that one goes  first haha... if it does, I would like to find the best solution to have a bright *and* reliable mag


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## mrartillery (May 13, 2010)

crewsy said:


> alright well i'll scrap that idea... until I buy another 2D cell extension + new switch and run 12volts
> I'm thinking of just getting the poor mans FM and just getting the Hikari JC5607, at $2.50 you can't go wrong... so we will see if that one goes  first haha... if it does, I would like to find the best solution to have a bright *and* reliable mag



The 5607 will be a good choice, but just remember to bleed your over voltage off first, I've pushed mine to 12.3v before without any . I would'nt try much more than that especially with those 10,000 mAh batteries, those wont sag very quickly.


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## crewsy (May 14, 2010)

having some trouble finding a company that will post Hikari bulbs to Australia. If anyone knows of a store or someone who will, please let me know. Thanks!


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## mrartillery (May 15, 2010)

This is where I bought mine, if you deal on ebay you might want to ask him about international shipping. I got 10 of them for $12.


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## alpg88 (May 15, 2010)

crewsy said:


> alright well i'll scrap that idea... until I buy another 2D cell extension + new switch and run 12volts


wait, you mean you'll have 10d light????

if you going with 10 cells, you might as well get FM par36 head, and use cheap par36 bulbs, (there are 6v, and 12v available, 6v in case you'll wanna stick with 6 cells) no worries about socket, drivers..ect. plus the throw on 4,5in reflector will be mad long. (par 36 used as aircraft landing light) bright and reliable. and decent runtime, 100w running on 10 D cells will give you about an hour.


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## crewsy (May 16, 2010)

alpg88 said:


> wait, you mean you'll have 10d light????
> 
> if you going with 10 cells, you might as well get FM par36 head, and use cheap par36 bulbs, (there are 6v, and 12v available, 6v in case you'll wanna stick with 6 cells) no worries about socket, drivers..ect. plus the throw on 4,5in reflector will be mad long. (par 36 used as aircraft landing light) bright and reliable. and decent runtime, 100w running on 10 D cells will give you about an hour.



those are damn expensive... I guess you get what you pay for though. Might look into it in the future, but for now I think I'm gonna follow the write up that Mrartillery has on the rocker switch + KIU bi pin setup


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## mrartillery (May 16, 2010)

crewsy said:


> those are damn expensive... I guess you get what you pay for though. Might look into it in the future, but for now I think I'm gonna follow the write up that Mrartillery has on the rocker switch + KIU bi pin setup



Sounds like a good combo, hopefully you can get your bulbs! If that one source I gave you wont ship internationally let me know and I'll send you some other sources. :thumbsup:


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## crewsy (May 24, 2010)

Just thought I would give a bit of an update, got myself a 15amp rocker switch, cut the tower off my switch housing and have soldered the wires onto the new switch. Just waiting on the bi pin socket and bulbs now and then will widen the metal reflector I already have to accommodate the new bulb. Will post up some progress pics in the next couple of days


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## mrartillery (May 24, 2010)

Have you found a source for 5607's to ship internationally to you yet?


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## crewsy (May 25, 2010)

mrartillery said:


> Have you found a source for 5607's to ship internationally to you yet?



yeh mate, I used that link you sent me and bought them off ebay so they should be on their way now, cheers


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## mrartillery (May 25, 2010)

Excellent, glad to hear! :thumbsup:


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## crewsy (May 25, 2010)

ok some progress pics... excuse the lack of quality as its off my phone camera

My new rocker switch half done, just waiting on the bi pin socket






Just a picture of the mag at the moment as an 8D


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## mrartillery (May 26, 2010)

Looks like you're well on your way. I just completed another switch today, got another to do as well, lol. One thing I didn't put in my thread and something you will need to do is make sure you set your KIU slightly off center when mounting it, not much, just enough so you have to tap in down the bore with a large socket and a rubber mallet, this will ensure a good ground. Also, get yourself one of these, to take the ano off the inside of the tube, this will also ensure a good ground. 

Also; I find it easier (more room to work) if you take the cut off tool of your dremel and cut that small section of plastic out of the top of the switch where negative strip was, in other words open the hole up from the hole where your wires are coming though all the way to the edge of the switch, kind of hard to explain, but I can explain better if this is not clear enough.


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## crewsy (May 26, 2010)

mrartillery said:


> Looks like you're well on your way. I just completed another switch today, got another to do as well, lol. One thing I didn't put in my thread and something you will need to do is make sure you set your KIU slightly off center when mounting it, not much, just enough so you have to tap in down the bore with a large socket and a rubber mallet, this will ensure a good ground. Also, get yourself one of these, to take the ano off the inside of the tube, this will also ensure a good ground.
> 
> Also; I find it easier (more room to work) if you take the cut off tool of your dremel and cut that small section of plastic out of the top of the switch where negative strip was, in other words open the hole up from the hole where your wires are coming though all the way to the edge of the switch, kind of hard to explain, but I can explain better if this is not clear enough.



Thanks for the tips mate, I'll make sure to mount it slightly off centre so that its a snug fit. I have cut away to make a bigger hole on top of the switch, probably not as much as you reckon, but when I get the kiu I'll just cut away a bit more so that I have room to work then. When taking off some of the ano, does it only need to be up the top of the tube where the kiu touches??


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## mrartillery (May 26, 2010)

crewsy said:


> Thanks for the tips mate, I'll make sure to mount it slightly off centre so that its a snug fit. I have cut away to make a bigger hole on top of the switch, probably not as much as you reckon, but when I get the kiu I'll just cut away a bit more so that I have room to work then. When taking off some of the ano, does it only need to be up the top of the tube where the kiu touches??



Yes, I only take off about a inch of ano above the switch hole.


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## crewsy (May 30, 2010)

Alright cool, I'll take some ano off there . My Hikari G4 bulbs arrived yesterday and I took one out to test whether it would fit through my metal reflector... I've got an 8.3mm wide opening on the reflector and it seems to only just touch. Is it ok if its touching? or does there have to be some room around the bulb? I can easily just bore it out a bit more with the dremel...


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## mrartillery (May 31, 2010)

Shouldn't hurt if its touching, but I'm suprised it will fit in the 8.3, I have mine in a Litho reflector which is 9.5mm and its pretty tight, especially down toward the base of the bulb. As for enlarging it, I wouldn't use a dremel, you can cause permanent, irreversable damage to your reflector. If it must be enlarged, its suppose to be done with a slow speed drill and a step bit, even then I would be afraid of destroying it.


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## crewsy (Jun 7, 2010)

ohh so I'm guessing the flat base bit of the bulb also needs to poke through as well? I've got my kiu socket and its all wired up and running now so I'll take some good pics and post them up too


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## mrartillery (Jun 8, 2010)

For optimal focus in my litho reflector for the 5607 the flat base you're speaking of just barely protrudes the hole, this gave me the best hotspot. Oh, and BTW I finally got my 6d finished, give it a look and see what you think.


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## crewsy (Jun 8, 2010)

mrartillery said:


> For optimal focus in my litho reflector for the 5607 the flat base you're speaking of just barely protrudes the hole, this gave me the best hotspot. Oh, and BTW I finally got my 6d finished, give it a look and see what you think.



Yeh see the flat base on mine will not fit through, so I'm going to have to carefully modify my reflector to be able to fit it... see how we go . I'll try and get it poking through just a little bit then. Was so excited the other day I put it all together and forgot to take photos haha. When I do the reflector, I'll take the switch assembly/socket out and take some good photos.. and also get beam shots at the end too. Your new 6D is amazing mrartillery! well done with it mate.. maybe mine will end up like that one day


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## mrartillery (Jun 9, 2010)

Excellent, I'm glad you got it all together! But like i said, just use caution when enlarging your reflector as to not damage it. Thanks, yes I'm rather proud of the way it turned out.


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## crewsy (Jun 12, 2010)

alright all done, I managed to make the hole bigger on my reflector quite easily. It was an 8.3mm opening, so I just used drill bits and started off with an 8.5, then 9, then 9.5 and finally has a perfect gap after I used the 10mm drill bit. Managed not to damage the reflector at all with a bit of patience. I have some photos which I will post up shortly


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## mrartillery (Jun 12, 2010)

Let there be light! :candle:


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## crewsy (Jun 13, 2010)

here we go 





with the reflector drilled out




my hi temp socket... it has since been raised and the socket is sitting higher up




the 15amp rocker switch




my rocker switch wiring




the JC5607 poking through... excuse the really bad quality haha





Also, I'll get some good beam shots when the batteries are fully charged and see how it goes


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## mrartillery (Jun 13, 2010)

All looks well, I think youll be pleased when you start it up! :devil:


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