I have a bunch of old non-LED flashlights around. I no longer use any of them anymore though most still work:
1xAAA grey maglite solitaire. 2 lumens! Focus adjustment from “spot” to “donut”.
2xAAA black mini maglite. A much more useful incan flashlight than the solitaire
2xAA blue mini maglite.
4xAA UKE dive light
4xC UKE dive light (quite well built actually. Was awesomely bright compared to what was available when I got it 20+ years ago).
Various other cheapie unknown brand plastic lights:
small fluorescent powered by I think 4xAA from Radio Shack.
3xC combo fluorescent with incandescent.
4xAAA combo fluorescent with incandescent from Sharper Image or Brookstone.
Is there any reason you couldn’t use a LED driver on an incan bulb? Assuming V and A were suitable and it it’s some kind of constant current rather than PWM?
I have an old 2 D MAG, i got when i did my UN service during the Balkan war, i rarly use it, but it is always by my bed ready for “service”. If i had the skills i would probaly give it a MT-G2 mod. But i am just up to that yet, just finished a JAX Mini C8, nothing fancy just a 7135*8 and a XM-L2 3C tint, 2.8 amps at the tailcap on max.
I was thinking of doing something like this with a 2C Mag-Lite. But, I was gonna just get a couple of 26500’s from RMM and then buy a 9v bulb. Should have plenty of light for most things, and excellent run-time!
Have 3 HID lights. One is a flashlight scored on Ebay for $40 and rebuilt the battery pack with dumpster dive laptop sanyo cells from one pack. Two are spotlights. Changed the 35w ballast to a 55w in the Titanium Innovations Mega Illuminator. Did a total conversion on a $12 clearance Tractor Supply halogen to HID with a voltage monitor and a homemade matched dumpster li-ion pack of 18650 4s3p with leads for my hobby charger.
I do have 2 or 3 incan lights and 1 halogen one.
Never use them, but it’s fun to have.
A while back I found my old supersize “searchlight” running of 6v lead acid battery. But the battery was completely ruined and the plastic was all sticky trying to clean it didn’t work so tossed that one.
Have smaller lights performing waaaaayy better.
I have a 2 cell Maglite and two mini Maglites. I am not sentimental towards them but they cost to much to just throw away and are not in my view worth upgrading. So they just hang around unloved.
I’m more a light user than collector and as long as it works I’ll keep it around or give it away. One xenon, several incans. Old lights are good for ‘dirty work’ where they may get banged up or lost, and a lost cheap incan isn’t much of a loss. I’ve got oil lamps here too.
Just because something is old or obsolete doesn’t mean it’s useless; otherwise I’d be in the trash can myself!
Every room in our home and each vehicle has a Maglite mounted on the wall/in the door, all with LEDs. However, all but three of them still have incandescent bulbs in the tails for emergencies (including “events” that will burn out semiconductors, e.g., LEDs).
The best lights (Fenix, Nitecore, etc.) are for fun and planned, quick response. The Mags are there just in case the power goes out (fixed positions).
I’m getting back into the vintage C and D cell incans. I just bought a 5 cell Winchester and a few others. One is all copper, Ravovac 3xD. Light that is not powerful but it is a really cool looking light.
To be honest, most the flashlight uses I have around the home do not need 500 lumens. These old incans are fun around the house. For serious use, I have my LEDs but sometimes it’s nice just to have a nice warm Incan light. Kind of feels nostalgic. I’m old enough to remember when a 2xD cell Energizer “was” a flashlight.