12 XPG mag
Had an old 3D mag laying around and decided to do a little tweaking on it. I used 4 3x xpg stars from led supply with tight optics, 3 26650 lifepo4 from batterystation, and 2 inch copper for the heatsink. Light is direct drive with the 4 stars(series) wired in parallel. Do not know if this fits the word budget, but here is a build on a mag I did a few months ago.
I machined the top part of the heatsink form 2 inch copper round stock and the lower part from aluminum.
Then I test fitted the leds on the heatsink and attached the lower part of the heatsink to the upper with arctic alumina.
I used 20 gauge wire to each individual star and 12 gauge from the switch to the 4 wires from the stars. Was getting late and I did not take pics of this, but its the same way as most of you do up the mag switch.
Pic of the head before it was wired up above, light wired with optics below.
Light pulled 3.4 amps when I first fired it up, took it out to try it, and the light out put was awsome. All flood even though they are the tight optics, but still has some throw because of the massive output.
I pulled it apart today, and ran a copper braid through the tailcap spring, and did some resistance fixes on the switch and it is now holding 4 amps at the tail. Light should be north of 4000 lumens at 1 amp per led. I have a few things im gonna do to get the resistance down more, and it should add a little more output. Takes about 8 minutes before the head starts getting really warm, and amp draw was still a little over 4 amps at the tail after the run.
Ill put some beamshots up when I get a chance. Feel free to post comments and questions.
Did some more resistance mods and light is now pulling 4.2 to 4.3 amps after several minutes of runtime.
Edited by: sb56637 on 08/26/2014 - 17:29
Very cool .
What I do
Thanks! Light cost about 100 bucks to build not counting batteries.
Nice!
Got any field beamshots with similar lights?
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Id say thats a fantastic use of an old mag. I assume that this is direct drive? About how much run time do you get on a full charge? Nothing beats the mass of a huge chunk of copper when it comes to heat sinking. Thanks for taking the pics. All this custom fabrication is starting to make me VERY JEALOUS!!! I really need to get a lathe and find the room for it... must resist, must resist.
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Yes direct drive. Have not measured the runtime, but have used it a lot playing around-at least 20 mins and still looked as bright as when I started. Even after the batteries have sagged it still kills a triple xml mag at 2.8 amps per emitter.
I am on vacation in a week and a half, and plan to do a bunch of beamshots of a lot of my lights, including a woleyes superstorm, xml mag at 2.8a with rebel reflector, the wifes c mag xpg, a der wichtel triple xml, a homebuilt triple xpg in a solarforce, and a bunch more.
Nicely done! I too would like to see some A-B beamshots. I'm going to do something with my Mag at some point myself.
love these mag mods , cant wait for the shots
where do you source you copper chunks from ??
Holy cow. I would love to see what 4k+ lumens actually looks like.
Great work! And it's also a "budget" light considering it's a 12 XML light made with $100
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I'd be in for one of those heatsinks if you could make one for me. I'm one of the losers with no machining access.
Rich
"I am the flashlight king! I can light anything!"
Nice light.
I get the copper from speedymetals. I can make you a heatsink, but mags are inconsistent in dimensions a lot more than I realized. You almost have to make a custom sink for each one to fit perfect. I think the thickness of the anodizing has something to do with it. The depth on this heatsink is very critical because of the space from the optics to the lens. The diameter is not as hard to correct adding some copper tape, or a little sanding will take care of it. Worst case is the head wont screw on all the way or you will have a little gap between the optics and the lens. I just hate to make you something that the fit is less than perfect on, but it would prob work fine.
I would love to see the comparison shots between this build and the triple der wichtel xml.
Will get beamshots next week sometime. Even with the leds being driven at just over 1 amp the output is insane! May regulate it in the future at 1.4 amps per led. That should give me over 1200 more lumens at a minimum should be well over 5000 lumens total.
That'd be fine... I can always sand it down and I do have access to a bench grinder. Can you get in touch with me at:
?
Where are you in Jersey? Born and raised in Boonton in Morris County.
Thanks!
Rich
"I am the flashlight king! I can light anything!"
Ill get in touch soon. Been workin a lot and have not had much time.
Would you still be interested in one of the heatsinks? I will have some time in the next couple of weeks and could do one up for you out of either copper or aluminum. If you are using the same stars and optics, I can make it the same thickness as the one I used so it should fit. Lemme if you are still interested.
I'm new here but I've had a flashlight fetish for years. I am an anodizer in my other life and I am familiar with the anodize film on Maglites. The thickness of the anodize will typically be nearly a mil and will have to be more than half a mil to accept enough dye. Black will require at least 0.7-0.8 mil and other factors will limit the film to about a mil. But be aware that anodize is aluminum oxide and so it consumes some aluminum to make the anodize. The rule of thumb is that a mil of anodize will grow the dimension by 0.5 mil.
I am also familiar enough with Maglite (how do you like the %$#&*! snap rings?) to know that they make minor variations all the time.
And having cut many heads in half I know there is a lot of meat at the base of the head where you could machine groves to dissipate the heat. Also heat sink compound will help a great deal if you apply it to all metal to metal junctions including the threads.
Also, my I ask what you are doing to improve contact resistance?
So is it just my old eyes, or does the Maglite now have no reflector?
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Welcome , beaker
What I do
This mod does not. It has individual optics on the emitters.
Yeah I have modded a ton of mags, and they all seem to be a little different in one way or another. There is a ton of meat to machine grooves if you wanted-it would help dissipate heat. As for improving resistance, I have ran a copper wire through the tailcap spring so the wire is the path to ground, cleaned everything with deoxit, and everything I could to the switch. All added up it made a pretty big difference, prob because it was n old well used mag with a dirty switch to begin with.
Wow, very cool U, thanks for the nice writeup! Impressive, tidy piece of work here. And 4000 lumens!!! I would also love to see a comparison with one of the 3 * XM-L beasts. Do you own one to compare it with?
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I have a derwichtel triple XML that is driven at 2.8 amps per emitter to compare it with. I wanted to do a bunch of beamshots of lights thatI have, both modded and stock, but between work, all the rain we have had, and trying to prepare for the hurricane coming, I have not had time. I will be building a triple XML for a friend, and will take shots of that also. If all goes well I will be able to take at least some shots the end of next week and will post them asap. I can tell you that it looks much brighter than my triple xml, much more of a difference than I thought it would be.
I will be posting beamshots tonight after I take them. Will shoot my Derwichtel triple, and a P60 XML drop in for reference.
that is one wicked light! can't wait for some beamshots!
Beam shots posted in general led lights.
Waiting to hear from you on a price for the heatsink... now your beamshot thread got me all inspired!
Rich
"I am the flashlight king! I can light anything!"
I will price the metal and let you know. If I make it out of aluminum prob be about 8 to 10 bucks plus shipping.
Cool! Doesn't have to be copper. My monthly gets deposited on the 2nd Wed. of each month so that's when to hit me up. I definitely want one. I'm gonna power it with 4 Shiningbeam drivers and use neutral stars.
Rich
"I am the flashlight king! I can light anything!"
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