# 16 full length AA in Mag 3D w/o extension = 200W superbulb stealth light (beamshots!)



## Techjunkie (Mar 11, 2008)

As always for me, this is a poor man's project so most of the parts are home made, with the exception of the KD reflector and glass lens, and the Kiu high temp socket. (I have plans and parts for a home made one of those but it will not debut in this project.) If you've seen my first hotwire, you'll recognize that the host and basic idea have been recycled here, but significantly improved upon.

This as-yet-to-be-named (suggestions welcome) torch I've built is not easily identifiable as anything other than a stock Mag 3D from the outside, but on the inside, it packs 16 Duracell Pre-Charged AA batteries and an Osram Halostar Starlite bulb, 64458-S.

That bulb is pretty high up on Lux's Most Powerful list (currently #4 - the DeathBlaster), and according to Lux's incandescant bulb tests, cranks out over 8000 Lumens (11,000 theoretical) when driven as it is here, to >200 Watts. Props to Lux for all his hard work. I'd probably have lost interest in different hotwire possibilities by now, if not for his charts.

The batteries have only been stripped and re-wrapped because their original shrink wrap was so badly damaged by threaded rods in an un-bored host. They're also a bit dented/crushed from a previous experiment which ended badly. I wonder if the tailcap wouldn't screw on all the way if I bought new batteries. --edit: no longer a concern since adding the foam as a spring :--

To make room for the width of the 16 rechargeable AA batteries in a 4x4 stack, the host has been honed out, not bored. To make room for the length (the real challenge), the base of the bulb/switch assembly has been trimmed within one or two mm of the switch contact and the whole switch assembly sits a few mm higher than usual with the switch button off center, a few mm north of usual. I had to trim the top side and length of the button somewhat, to keep the rubber boot from forcing the switch into the momentary-on position. (Almost burned my fingers figuring that one out.) The tailcap has also been trimmed (sanded) to reduce how far it extends into the flashlight.

There is not a single contact spring throughout the entire flashlight (there's no room). All the contacts are constructed of rivets and sheet metal, and the flashlight body is not part of the circuit. The pos and negative termination points of the battery "pack" are embedded in the base of the switch/bulb assembly.

I'll let the captions in the pictures do the rest of the explaining rather than run on here.
































































For my next project, I'll be running a 24V super-bulb in a stock-looking 4D host on 20 AA batteries. The shame of it is, unless I discard the 150W bulb I've got ready for that project, it wont be brighter than this 3D, but it will run longer. (Maybe I'll try a 250W bulb instead.)

Now to name them...


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## Jarl (Mar 11, 2008)

*Re: 16 full length AA in Mag 3D w/o extension = super-bulb stealth light*

Very nice. There's a lot of thought gone into that


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## K-T (Mar 11, 2008)

*Re: 16 full length AA in Mag 3D w/o extension = super-bulb stealth light*

The batteries look ruined/crushed - I would not feel save stressing them out with too much load.

Still a good project. :thumbsup:


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## Techjunkie (Mar 11, 2008)

*Re: 16 full length AA in Mag 3D w/o extension = super-bulb stealth light*

K-T, that's precisely why I don't use lithiums . I have to say that if I had not already completely shorted out a few of these (which I've since discarded after their skin boiled off and top caps melted, but no explosion) and crushed a few others far worse (also disposed of), I would have thrown these out already.

The batteries shown loaded in the tail end are actually the worst of the bunch, and the camera flash made the dents look worse than they really are. I've depleted them and charged them for several cycles since they've sustained this damage, and so far, perform no worse for the wear. I inspect them carefully every time I unload/recharge/reload.

*Safety is VERY important though and by no means do I recommend anyone to use batteries known to be damaged. That goes double for anything with Lithium chemistry* (although I have seen video of NiMH batteries exploding).

These are, in my opinion, a very powerful and very safe brand of battery. based on my experiences. (If you had any idea how accident prone I am, you would know exactly what a big endorsement that is.) If Eneloops ever become affordable again (missed all the good deals), I look forward to (safety) testing some of those too.


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## tebore (Mar 11, 2008)

*Re: 16 full length AA in Mag 3D w/o extension = super-bulb stealth light*

This is one of the grungiest mods I've even seen. But I applaud it. This is in the classical spirit of CPF, cramming as many batteries and the biggest baddest bulb in to a stock looking light. It wasn't that long ago that we didn't have Mac, lux or FM making custom bodies, parts and battery parts for pretty much simple drop ins.


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## Gunner12 (Mar 11, 2008)

*Re: 16 full length AA in Mag 3D w/o extension = super-bulb stealth light*

Nice mod!

I wonder how well it burns paper...


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## clg0159 (Mar 11, 2008)

*Re: 16 full length AA in Mag 3D w/o extension = super-bulb stealth light*

I think you left something out................BEAMSHOTS!


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## Techjunkie (Mar 11, 2008)

*Re: 16 full length AA in Mag 3D w/o extension = super-bulb stealth light*

Ask and ye shall receive...

All beam shots taken with the same settings. The camera settings actually make the shots look darker than the scenes appear to the eye in reality. For example, look how dim the room looks fully lit with the hi-hat lights on full. (Then compare that to the last shot!):

30 feet away
200 ISO
F5.6
1/4 sec.
Exp. comp. 0
WB = Tungsten
fixed focus
24mm focal length
Canon Digital Rebel XTi

...and oh yeah, the newspaper lit almost instantly 

Reference shot, lights on:





Reference shot, darkness:





Reference 2D supermarket flashlight (Garrity):





High Pressure P60 equivalent:





High Pressure P90 equivalent:





WF-500 Replacment bulb overdriven on 8AA in a Mag 2D (not showcased on CPF yet):





My as-yet-to-be-named DeathBlaster equivalent:





By the way, I do like the grunge-mod description


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## Greg G (Mar 11, 2008)

*Re: 16 full length AA in Mag 3D w/o extension = super-bulb stealth light*

:duck: I need sunglasses for that last beamshot. 

Cool light. :naughty:


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## Kremer (Mar 11, 2008)

*Re: 16 full length AA in Mag 3D w/o extension = super-bulb stealth light*

:huh:   :bow:

Wow... stock switch at ~10amps?

I happen to have a 3D here that I was going to mag85, but something like this seems much more fun.
~Dougk


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## jugg2 (Mar 11, 2008)

*Re: 16 full length AA in Mag 3D w/o extension = super-bulb stealth light*

Wow, that is an amazing light! I might have to look into building one of these things. What is the runtime?


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## Techjunkie (Mar 12, 2008)

*Re: 16 full length AA in Mag 3D w/o extension = super-bulb stealth light*



jugg2 said:


> Wow, that is an amazing light! I might have to look into building one of these things. What is the runtime?


 
About 10 minutes to flat, but I only run it in 30 second bursts. If I want more runtime without completely reconfiguring the light, I switch the bulb with a Hikari 12V 35W G4 bulbs that crank out about 3500 lumen when overdriven using this config.


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## tebore (Mar 12, 2008)

*Re: 16 full length AA in Mag 3D w/o extension = super-bulb stealth light*



Kremer said:


> :huh:   :bow:
> 
> Wow... stock switch at ~10amps?
> 
> ...



If you can even call that switch stock.


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## jugg2 (Mar 12, 2008)

*Re: 16 full length AA in Mag 3D w/o extension = super-bulb stealth light*



Techjunkie said:


> About 10 minutes to flat, but I only run it in 30 second bursts. If I want more runtime without completely reconfiguring the light, I switch the bulb with a Hikari 12V 35W G4 bulbs that crank out about 3500 lumen when overdriven using this config.


 
Thanks for the info! Sounds like a nice setup.


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## Kremer (Mar 12, 2008)

*Re: 16 full length AA in Mag 3D w/o extension = super-bulb stealth light*



tebore said:


> If you can even call that switch stock.



yeah, I meant stock switch contacts, not the whole slug


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## Techjunkie (Mar 12, 2008)

*Re: 16 full length AA in Mag 3D w/o extension = super-bulb stealth light*



Kremer said:


> yeah, I meant stock switch contacts, not the whole slug


 
I considered replacing the switch with something else, but grew impatient looking for something else with the same action. Maybe I'll do the FET mod eventually.


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## Kremer (Mar 12, 2008)

*Re: 16 full length AA in Mag 3D w/o extension = super-bulb stealth light*



Techjunkie said:


> I considered replacing the switch with something else, but grew impatient looking for something else with the same action. Maybe I'll do the FET mod eventually.



I'm thinking something like this might do nicely, similar to USL:


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## clg0159 (Mar 12, 2008)

*Re: 16 full length AA in Mag 3D w/o extension = super-bulb stealth light*



Greg G said:


> :duck: I need sunglasses for that last beamshot.
> 
> Cool light. :naughty:


Right.......Imagine blasting an intruder in the face with that, I think you might scorch his retinas!


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## Techjunkie (Mar 13, 2008)

*Re: 16 full length AA in Mag 3D w/o extension = super-bulb stealth light*



Kremer said:


> I'm thinking something like this might do nicely, similar to USL:


 
That's a pretty cool switch, but I'm looking for something that will keep the momentary-on (forward clickie) action.


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## Techjunkie (Mar 16, 2008)

I slipped an Osram 64633 15V 150W bulb in this torch on batteries that were already somewhat stressed from about a minute of use from the 64658-S bulb. I began with 14 batteries and worked back up to all 16. I'm pretty sure I'd pop the 15v 50hr bulb which is much less tolerant to overdriving than the 12v 4000hr bulb if the batteries were fresh off the charger, but putting that aside, wow! I estimate that under this load, the batteries are sagging to somewhere between 1.1 and 1.0 volts, or between 17.5 to 16v total. Lux charted this bulb, and at that voltage, puts the measured lumen count about the same as the 65658-S on fresh batteries, but the lux measurement almost doubles.

This bulb's transverse filament results in a more defined hotspot than the 64458-S's tall axial filament, which spreads the light out more uniformly. The result is a hotter hotspot and more throw. I think it's whiter too.

Beamshots:

Reference shot - room lights on:





Osram 64458-S (original)





Osram 64633 (new)





Not sure which bulb I'll keep in it.  I'll let the batteries decide.


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## TheGreyEminence (Mar 16, 2008)

Would you sell this 200W Monster? 
What would be the price? :wave:

Regards...


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## Techjunkie (Mar 17, 2008)

TheGreyEminence said:


> Would you sell this 200W Monster?
> What would be the price? :wave:
> 
> Regards...


 
I actually would consider selling this one-of-a-kind flashlight (with both bulbs, just in case the 15v 50hr bulb blows with better batteries), but not with the batteries. I wouldn't feel comfortable even giving batteries away to someone else once I know they've been damaged.

The buyer would have to accept that the parts are very home-made in appearance though. As someone aptly noted, this is totally a grunge-mod. It is by no means up to the quality of appearance stanard of the production-quality items produced by some of the true artists here at CPF. In other words, I'd be selling my personal flashlight project, not something that was manufactured for sale.

All that being said, I'd part with it only to fund another flashlight project, but not for peanuts either.

What do you think it's worth (without the batteries)?


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## Techjunkie (Mar 19, 2008)

I just can't stop messing around with this torch - will it ever be done?

Here's what I cooked up tonight to keep from blowing the 15v bulb on freshly charged batteries - a contact board that's interchangeable with the original one, but this one has two NTC inrush thermistors in it to provide soft start and some resistance:







Also, I grabbed some beamshots with my "energy saver" Hikari 12v35wg4 bulb, which overdrives to over 20v nicely:

With KD MOP 15mm opening reflector (same one used with the other bulbs):





With KD MOP 8mm opening reflector (which Kai recommends with his KD773U bulbs). This reflector is why I was excited to find these T3 sized G4 base bulbs that crank out over four times the lumen of the Kai bulbs at this over drive:






The hotspot is definitely hotter with the older reflector, but the Hikari bulb and the newer V2 reflector, which besides having smaller opening also has more orange peel texture, makes this weaker bulb have the powerful flood effect of the hotter bulbs, in my opinion. There are less lumens, no doubt, but the overall effect is the same.

Swapping between the Hikari and the Osram bulbs provides a nice balance between brightness and runtime, without having to reconfigure the batteries.


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## Illum (Mar 19, 2008)

I think you should be the first to coin the name Mag458:huh:
this is...:wow:


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## Sunjunky (Mar 22, 2008)

May I ask where you purchased that KD aluminum reflector? I'm having a bit of a hard time finding one that size for a Maglite 3D myself.:mecry:


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## Techjunkie (Mar 23, 2008)

Sunjunky said:


> May I ask where you purchased that KD aluminum reflector? I'm having a bit of a hard time finding one that size for a Maglite 3D myself.:mecry:


 
I got it at KaiDomain (KD). They have an SMO (smooth, mirror finish) version too, but I prefer the MOP (medium orange peel) for taking the rings out of the beam pattern.


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## Techjunkie (Mar 23, 2008)

Well, I never named the 3D, but I've just completed a 4D and it's a little bit more refined (no pics yet). It holds 20AA batteries and uses a 24v bulb (currently 150W Osram64640). Instead of making the contact board out of masonite, I used 35mm nylon washers, and I think the end result looks much more refined. The length of the 4D afforded a little more room, so the tail cap didn't need any trimming and in fact, there's even a spring in the tailcap to provide force against a blank nylon washer which pushes down on the nylon contact board. In this case, the contact board is held in place by the rods, so there's no need for the U-bar.

All in all, I'm quite satisfied with the results of the 20AA 4D, enough so that I'm giving it a name, *"The Bruiser"*. The name came to me when I realized how heavy it is fully loaded.

Pics and beamshots to follow, or maybe I'll give it its own thread. Keep watching this spot.


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## Techjunkie (Mar 24, 2008)

Note: The Bruiser never earned a thread of it's own, so I'm keeping post 28 in this thread up to date with any changes

*The Bruiser*: Mag4D, 20AA, Osram 64640 24V 150W bulb*

*Update: Preferred bulb is now Osram 64440 IRC 50W axial filament bulb overdriven to 100-125W by 20 Titanium PowerMax 1800 AA, producing 4000-6000L with a much tighter hotspot.
















*Updated tail assembly to one piece with instructions:





Video demostrating installation of cells and a bit of explaining its construction, plus an outdoor beamshot video demo at the end:




(OLD) Beamshot at 50-75% of original brightness (~5 min runtime in short bursts before this pic):





*Stopped down beamshot with new 64440 bulb, demonstrating hotspot:





Why do I like this 150W 4D better than the 200W 3D?... Runtime. 25% less Watts and 25% more batteries = more runtime between recharges. Also, 150W/24V = 6.25A... less amps for the batteries and switch to have to put up with.
*Update rested, slightly used cells at ~80% capacity measured 5A draw using the 64440S bulb.


Not sure about actual runtime, but I think about 16 minutes sounds right.

(20 batteries x 2AH each x 1.2V ea. = 48 Watt hours. 48WH / 150 Watt bulb = .32H or 19.2 min. Arbitrarily reducing by 15% for loss due to resistance and other factors = ~16 min. expected runtime.)


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## Sunjunky (Apr 22, 2008)

Good job, I dig the new runtime. I have one question. Where on earth can i get a bi-pin switch for a mag? I have looked all over. Keep up the good work!


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## jasonck08 (Apr 23, 2008)

Nice powerful grunge modded lights...


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## smopoim86 (Apr 24, 2008)

Very nice. I'm wanting to do something similar, but I'll prolly spend much more money. I'll also be waiting a few months for the money.


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## Flash Harry (Apr 25, 2008)

*Re: 16 full length AA in Mag 3D w/o extension = super-bulb stealth light*



tebore said:


> This is one of the grungiest mods I've even seen. But I applaud it. This is in the classical spirit of CPF, cramming as many batteries and the biggest baddest bulb in to a stock looking light. It wasn't that long ago that we didn't have Mac, lux or FM making custom bodies, parts and battery parts for pretty much simple drop ins.


 
I could not agree more. A true flashaholic doing it the old way. This thread has shamed me into commencing a mod I've been thinking about for a while rather than waiting for someone else to build it for me to buy.


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## LuxLuthor (Apr 26, 2008)

Congrats for representing the true spirit that CPF and Flashaholism is rooted in. The most important thing is to have as much fun as a kid in a candy shop....which I can see you are doing. :thumbsup:


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## Swagg (Jun 5, 2008)

Hey Techjunkie, I just found this thread and I love this build! Good work. Have you had any problems with your KD reflector? I thought I read where the KD's couldn't handle the heat of the super bulbs but if you're running it then I'll pick one up for my light.


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## Techjunkie (Jun 7, 2008)

Swagg said:


> Hey Techjunkie, I just found this thread and I love this build! Good work. Have you had any problems with your KD reflector? I thought I read where the KD's couldn't handle the heat of the super bulbs but if you're running it then I'll pick one up for my light.


 
No complaints so far. I will say this though, the coating is far better on the newer one that I have which came with the smaller hole. Both are MOP. The newer one with the 8mm opening has a brighter, thicker coating with more texture. I had to ream it out to use it with the superbulb but can clearly see the improvement over the older one with 15mm opening. I think the older one has always been dull though, and not because of heat intolerance.


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## Techjunkie (Jun 8, 2008)

I hadn't thought about this thread (or forum) in a while, and when replying to the previous post I realized I should have left a last update.

I bought 20 Titanium PowerMax 1800 AA batteries and have to say I'm fully impressed. I've tried them in the Bruiser and the Bully (16AA 15V 150W Osram) and they noticibly outperform the Duracell Precharged AAs. Their self-discharge rate seems fairly low as well.

Now I can keep both flashlights fully loaded and ready to go. The Bruiser is noticibly brighter and has longer runtime than the Bully, at the small cost of being longer and heavier. I tried a 250W Osram bulb in it, but couldn't focus it to my liking with the stock Mag head and couldn't see the value in such short battery life, so, it's back to the 24V 150W bulb for me.

I think building the Bruiser has cured me of my flashlight addiction. Anything bigger would be impractical. :naughty:


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## ktafil (Jan 31, 2009)

Very interesting MOD to read about.
I wonder how much amps for a AA cell is still ok to handle...
Can they ?


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## Daekar (Jan 31, 2009)

What tool did you use to hone out the ID of the maglite? I've been trying to find a variable-diameter hone for use on a drill like the one we have at work but I'm turning up nothing. Any tips? Do you know where to get something like that?


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## Techjunkie (Feb 1, 2009)

Daekar said:


> What tool did you use to hone out the ID of the maglite? I've been trying to find a variable-diameter hone for use on a drill like the one we have at work but I'm turning up nothing. Any tips? Do you know where to get something like that?


 
On the 3D, I used a cheap brake cylander hone. I think I might have got it on Amazon. After the stones wore out, I wrapped it in sandpaper and it seemed to work just as well, but either way, the hone takes a really long time. The body heats up a lot while honing, so either use a vise or some welding gloves to hold the body.

On the 4D, much, much, much faster than the hone, I used another trick someone here at CPF had posted and honestly, I don't know why more people don't do it. I used a 35mm cup saw (hole saw) and attached a very long (12 or 15" ?, I forget) bit extender to the sharp end of the drill bit in the auger and pulled the hole saw toward me through the body of the Maglite, frequently lubricating the inside with WD40. (Set drill to reverse.) You start at the threaded end and work your way to the top, stopping just at (in my case after) the hole for the switch. Spin the bit first to make sure it's balanced/centered properly and try to pull in a straight line with the body in a vise. Clear out the gobs of aluminum "wool" and relubricate frequently. Protect the outside of the body by wrapping it in something before putting it in the vise. I used some sub-floor foam I had laying around from a wood laminate floor project. Newspaper or cardboard or correctly shaped wood blocks would probably also do.

If you don't like the rough finish left by the hole saw you can try to smoothen it out with the hone, but if your drill vibrates or you change course, you can create some nasty grooves. Good luck!


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## TheInvader (Dec 1, 2009)

I'm thinking of building this (have a 3D and can get precharged duracells).
How much throw does it put out? I want a somewhat useful light if it puts out over 8K lumens, so I'd want at least 100 feet.


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## Techjunkie (Dec 1, 2009)

TheInvader said:


> I'm thinking of building this (have a 3D and can get precharged duracells).
> How much throw does it put out? I want a somewhat useful light if it puts out over 8K lumens, so I'd want at least 100 feet.


 
Ha! I think the bare bulb without a reflector probably throws 100 feet. Yes, 100 feet is no problem, even though the filament is too large to be focused into a nice tight hotspot by a standard sized reflector.

In the latest incarnation of this light, I'm using an Osram 64440s 50W axial filament bulb and a WF-500 reflector that I modified, and I've found a very nice balance between power and runtime and whiteness of beam and throw. I really prefer this 50W bulb overdriven to ~125W for ~6000L, to the 90W bulb overdriven to 200W. The cells need to be conditioned or "half-charged" to avoid


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## PlayboyJoeShmoe (Dec 1, 2009)

WOW... just WOW!!!

Back when I first got multiple AA holders and bi-pin adapters I put something like 12 AA against a 50W MR16. It was impressive but impractical.

I don't much use anything over 6AA as charging gets to be a bother.

I salute you however!!!


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## TheInvader (Dec 1, 2009)

I'm looking at LL's destructive incan tests, and the 64440 is a nice 5,000L build with 20-30 minute runtime at 20v and only *5amps*. That's amazing for such a huge outputting bulb.
A 64447 puts out 5500L at 18v and 5.5 amps. 440 is more efficent
..
Woah! I just reread your post, that's amazing! I'm building a 458 now.


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## TheInvader (Dec 10, 2009)

Parts ordered and on the way, expect some build pics and beamshots from me after Christmas.

I'm going to be building this exact build, but I'm hoping for more throw that techjunkie's. I'm using a FiveMega Bi-Focal reflector that has two parabolas to even and throw the beam like a Fm2.5 head.

I'm thinking a red or blue host. Anyone vouch for red? I like it because this baby will scream just like Techjunkie's.

Also I'm going to build a 12aa battery pack seperate so I can run 1185 bulbs as a "low" (lol). i'll have 4AA's connected in parallel to the other 8, so i'll have approximately a 2500mAh pack from 2000mAh batteries. Should provide a 1+ hour runtime at roughly 1,000 t-lumens.


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## T0RN4D0 (Dec 10, 2009)

Now thats a mod i like. Just put the stuff you have laying around and get the most out of it :twothumbs


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## TheInvader (Dec 10, 2009)

And that's why I'm replicating it 
Now I just need a 14.4v and 19.2v nimh smart charger that charges at 1.5 amps.


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## Benson (Dec 11, 2009)

TheInvader said:


> Also I'm going to build a 12aa battery pack seperate so I can run 1185 bulbs as a "low" (lol). i'll have 4AA's connected in parallel to the other 8, so i'll have approximately a 2500mAh pack from 2000mAh batteries. Should provide a 1+ hour runtime at roughly 1,000 t-lumens.


I really don't understand what you're proposing there -- you can't parallel a 4s stack with an 8s stack without ruining the batteries in one or the other.


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## moviles (Dec 11, 2009)

nice output :thumbsup:


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## Techjunkie (Dec 12, 2009)

Hey, TheInvader, I just realized I might have misled you when I replied above about the bulb I'm currently using in "this light"...



Techjunkie said:


> ...
> In the latest incarnation of this light, I'm using an Osram 64440s 50W axial filament bulb and a WF-500 reflector that I modified, and I've found a very nice balance between power and runtime and whiteness of beam and throw. I really prefer this 50W bulb overdriven to ~125W for ~6000L, to the 90W bulb overdriven to 200W. The cells need to be conditioned or "half-charged" to avoid


 
...when I said the latest incarnation, I was referring to the 4D version with 20AA Titanium 1800s from post #28: I keep forgetting that this thread was started with the 3D with 16AA (even though that's the title) 

The 3D version has since become the LED USL, a 3000 lumen LED light. The tail cap contact is much easier on the eyes now:







You can still use the 64440s with only 16AA, but unlike the 20AA, you don't have to worry about popping the bulb on a fresh charge. I prefer the conditioned 20 batteries to the hot 16 batteries because the total runtime is longer and maximum brightness is maintained for most of the discharge cycle with 20, whereas with 16 it dims quickly. If you're sticking to a 16AA config, you might want to consider a smaller 12V bulb that would give you some more runtime, and be pushed closer to its max under 16V. In other words, a 12V bulb rated for 4000hr can probably go to a 20V overdrive whereas 500-1000-2000 hour bulbs cannot be over driven as far without popping.

Good luck with the build! (Let's see some pics.)


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## LumenHound (Dec 13, 2009)




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## TheInvader (Dec 13, 2009)

I've ordered two 64458 bulbs and two Hikari JC-5043 bulbs.
The 5043's only draw 5.7 amps when pushed to 20v, and produce a nice 4,000 bulb estimated lumens from Lux's graphs. I chose 50w bulbs as it will be a nice doubling or so of runtime. Rerated my 5043 bulbs are ~104w.


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## HarryN (Dec 13, 2009)

I love these builds. I missed the thread originally, and reading it this morning just made me laugh with delight.

I am sort of moving away from the uber perfectionist miniature lights back up to the bigger guns - kind of fun.


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## TheInvader (Dec 17, 2009)

Good to hear. Build will start on Christmas day, build pics and beamshots to come hopefully the 26-27th.
I'm most excited about the 5043 bulb, as I will have the same runtime as a Mag85 in the same package, just a few more batteries and a doubling of the lumen output.


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## jcvjcvjcvjcv (Jan 12, 2010)

You used a 64440 with 20 AA's? :green:

That surely sounds nice. How do you 'condition' the cells to not poof the bulb? Discharge for a few minutes in the charger? Or keeping them idle for a certain time?


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## Techjunkie (Jan 13, 2010)

jcvjcvjcvjcv said:


> You used a 64440 with 20 AA's? :green:
> 
> That surely sounds nice. How do you 'condition' the cells to not poof the bulb? Discharge for a few minutes in the charger? Or keeping them idle for a certain time?


 
I charge them each to ~1.25V open, after resting ~1hr from being pulled from my Energizer chargers at 3/4 charge on the displays. I know that's 25V open pack, but under the draw of the inrush current, V bulb is nicely below the 22V poof point. It's a bit of a pain to have to condition them that way, but in my mind, it's better to do that and have max brightness last longer than to have max brightness only last for a minute when the batteries are hot off the charger. If I actually used this torch for more than the occasional short show-off burst, then I'd invest in a hotwire regulator.


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## jcvjcvjcvjcv (Jan 13, 2010)

Yeah, I also took a look at a regulator, but for these show-offs... 16 Eneloops is expensive enough for a show-off item. IMO

Most people are already amazed when they see a Fenix L1T with 94 Lumen :huh:


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## Techjunkie (Jan 14, 2010)

jcvjcvjcvjcv said:


> Yeah, I also took a look at a regulator, but for these show-offs... 16 Eneloops is expensive enough for a show-off item. IMO
> 
> Most people are already amazed when they see a Fenix L1T with 94 Lumen :huh:


 
I guess my problem is that I'm not satisfied with my torches just amazing "most people". I want them to amaze flashaholics too


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## jcvjcvjcvjcv (Jan 14, 2010)

Yeah ok, but where I live I don't see any


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## Sebastianzon (Jul 15, 2011)

Techjunkie said:


> As always for me, this is a poor man's project so most of the parts are home made, with the exception of the KD reflector and glass lens, and the Kiu high temp socket. (I have plans and parts for a home made one of those but it will not debut in this project.) If you've seen my first hotwire, you'll recognize that the host and basic idea have been recycled here, but significantly improved upon.
> 
> This as-yet-to-be-named (suggestions welcome) torch I've built is not easily identifiable as anything other than a stock Mag 3D from the outside, but on the inside, it packs 16 Duracell Pre-Charged AA batteries and an Osram Halostar Starlite bulb, 64458-S.....



Can this build start a fire like the mag623 mod?


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## Techjunkie (Jul 15, 2011)

Sebastianzon said:


> Can this build start a fire like the mag623 mod?



It used to. Now it's "The LED USL" (check my signature).


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