Simple One hour build - Defiant $5 light, $5 led and a few minutes time.

Nice work!

i wish i could do this stuff :bigsmile: nice work

Nice. 8)

Ace, given me new inspiration, keep up the good work. :slight_smile:

Nice build

what is that stock driver ?

safe to assume a 3s AAA carrier and direct drive?

It is not a driver. Just a contact plate. Just two wires a ground ring and a spring.

Yes, 3xAAA carrier and DD.

very nice mod!

You get a lot of cheap but nice flashlights suitable for modding over there in the states, unlike here in Europe. Lately I found some Varta lights with XRE's in them, might have a go at one of them, but they are just a bit pricy

awesome mod! Thanks for posting this, you inspired me to go through my old inexpensive lights and “pump them up”

Old Lumens I’ve been reading your mod posts and wonder how you choose your projects? I’m sure cost is involved but are you looking for metal bodies, battery size, reflector….

I bought the Defiant headlamps at Home Depot and your post made me wonder if they could be modified. Problem I see is that the headlamps are a plastic body which makes a mod less practical.

Good question!

Aluminum body first and foremost. After that, I just look it over. Is it appealing at all, does it seem like it would be worth the modded price, which is the original cost plus all the modding costs.

Battery size, for me, means mostly NiMH- AA, AAA, C, or D. Once in a while a Li-ion, if I feel I know it will resell.

Budget is the biggest thing. $10 or less is great $15 is ok, $20 or over? Not for me. Makes the end result way too high priced. Mod a $50 light and you have a $50 light, which someone just found for $30 somewhere else.

Maglites are my main stream because they are good modding lights and the prices for Incan hosts (so far) stay the same most all the time.

Nice Mod, whats the runtime (and current draw) on the lights with 3aaa, and did you use primaries or eneloops?

Hmm. . . I like! Might have to try a Nichia in one of these. Gotta stop by Home Depot soon and see if they still got these!

-Garry

where do you get the discs (brass) and how do you attach the LED (i.e., pill)? Told you I didn’t know anything. BTW, awesome photos and doable build (I hope).

Looks like a nice fun project. Those are my favorite kind!

Nice work!!!

Thank you Old-Lumens, I've always wanted to try something like this but I was never really clear on how to do it. I have no idea if this is going to work or not but I'm going to give it a shot. I just got back from Home Depot with two sets of these lights. I've had to order everything I'm going to need so I guess it's going to be a couple of weeks before everything gets here and I can give it a try. I'm old, blind without my trifocals and my hands shake but I'm determined to try it. I've read a lot of other "how to do it" posts but none as clear and as simple as this one. From the looks of your pictures I'm assuming you also upgraded the wiring, can you tell me what gauge wire you used?

22ga silver plated, teflon coated wire from ebay seller navships.

multi-stranded.

No idea. I don’t check amps and volts.

Runtime? left on, about an hour, but alkalines burn bright and then drop off fast, leaving lower output that lasts a good while. Alkaline - Duracell.