E1320s Maglite SOLITAIRE saviour LED mod

Flashlight Modding and DIY Parts
1

OK first off I cant' take credit for inventing this mod, I saw it many years ago, but unable to find a link I figured a budget redue was in order.

If any of you are like me you have an antique Solitaire kicking around unused kept simply for sentimental value. This particular Solitaire has dangled from my motorcycle key chain for over 400,000 miles, if only it could talk actually it's probably a good thing it can't.

First things first order this pack of LEDs from KD about a month before you plan on doing this mod, you get 10 for $1.92 so if you mess a couple up no big deal.

http://kaidomain.com/Product/Details.S001105

You are also going to need an unprotected 10440 to power this, so once again KD to the rescue.

http://kaidomain.com/product/details.S000974

Necessary tools: File, scissors, and a needle nose or some hemostats.

Here is the old girl ready to start her second life as an LED key chain dangler.


Let's get started here is a mess of tools and parts on the counter, don't let your wife see this.

Hardest part of this mod removing the reflector, they can be a bugger to get out. I grabbed mine with some hemostats and it pulled right out.

Next comes the time consuming part of the mod, filing lots of filing. The first thing you want to do is file the bottom of the LED. You want it to almost come to a point were the power wires come out the bottom because the LED is going to sit inside of the reflector.

More filing this time we are trying to shorten the LED and give it a flat top. When you are done you want it to be even with the top of the reflector.

The final mod to the LED is trimming the power leads. You want to save this step for last because the power leads are very useful for holding onto the LED while filing it.

This is what the LED is going to look like when it's finished. Notice the bottom is angled inward and the top is now flat.

Here is the LED in its new home you want the top of the LED to be flat and flush with the top of the reflector.

Here you can see the LED does not stick out at all past the top of the reflector. This is key because you don't want it pushing a hole through the plastic lens when you shut it off.

Once it's all trimmed and filed insert your 10440 battery and give it a test run. If it doesn't turn on try spinning it a 180 degrees since the power leads are directional.

Here is the finished product in all it's glory ready for another 400,000 miles of dangling in the breeze.

I hope you all enjoy this mod and can breath some new life into some much loved but neglected Solitaire.

2

Thanks, E. Makes me want to go out and buy a Solitaire.

3

Thank so much for taking the time to post this E1320. Very clever. Maybe I've got a solitaire bouncing around here somewhere. What I do have is several AA minis which shouldn't require as much filing if I decide to try this for fun. Thanks again. Hope you had a great memorial day.

4

Thanks for that tip. I had done the same in a 2aaa maglite but never considered using a lion and a solitaire. :)

5

Wow! That looks like something I might even be able to do.

Thanks E!

6

Very nice, E! How bright is it? Have you popped it on the IS yet?

7

It's about a million times brighter than a stock Solitare which is not saying much. It is all flood, very useful for a key chain light.

8

Cool mod .

9

With that mod, you can save yourself about $40 and not buy an Arc AAA. Very cool.

10

I have at least a dozen of these LED's left over from another project. I'll have to pick up a Solitaire just so I can do this mod. Who wouldn't want a tiny light like this with 2,000,000 lumens!?!?!?!?!?!?

11

Hi,

Old thread, but I have this week off, and am getting bored already, so I’m looking for something to do :)…

I have an old Solitaire, still working, but with the original bulb, it’s almost uselessly dim,. so am looking at doing this.

I think I read that the LEDs from a 9-LED light can be used, and I have one of those, but can’t figure how to get the plastic “lens” out to get to the LEDs. Does anyone know? Do I have to cut through the lens?

12

Got the LEDs out… Had to drill a small hole in the plastic “lens”, then popped the lens out.

There’s a kind of a “cup” inside, holding the 9 LEDs. The 9 LEDs each have one leg going through one hole, with the legs of all 9 LEDs soldered together. This is the positive contact for the battery older. The other leg is folded over the side of the “cup”, so when the cup is installed in the aluminum tube, that provides the negative contact to the body.

So, I now have 9 of these presumably “white” LEDs :). Will test one of them with a 10440 to see if it works, or blows the LED.

13

Cool I am glad someone besides me is actually trying this simple mod. If you can’t get the cheap 9LEDs to work send me a PM and I will mail you one of the KD LEDs. They are much brighter than the generic 9LED ones and the wires are thicker so they make a better connection if you get a flicker with the 9 LED ones.

14

Hi,

I’m glad to see you posting, and hope that you’re feeling better :).

I was actually looking at posting to this thread as a “homage” to you :)!!

Seriously…

FYI, I got the LEDs out of that 9-LED light, and I’ve tested one of the LEDs with a 10440, and it lights, so now I have to do the filing thing.

I saw that you did the filing, but I’m probably a bit lazier than you, plus I have 9 of the LEDs now, so do you think using a Dremel with a sanding drum would work ok?

How important was how smooth/rough the sanded surface of the LED was, if you remember?

Thanks for the mod by the way!

Later,
Jim

15

I can’t remember but a Dremel should work fine mine was buried in my tool box when I was doing this mod. I finally broke it out and do all my filing with it now because it’s so much quicker and easier.

16

Hi,

Ok, thanks.

Looking at the pic where you have the original bulb and the filed-down LED, it looks like the filed-down LED is wider (diameter) than the original bulb. The hole in the reflector is really tiny…just about the diameter of the original bulb.

So, did you have to reduce the diameter of the LED more than what was depicted in that pic that had both the original bulb and the filed-down LED? If not, how’d you get that larger-diameter filed-down LED through the reflector hole?

Thanks,
Jim

17

one of the oldest mods i have never got round to doing ><

a question: have you compared the output from simply drilling the reflector to your led mod?

also, measured the current from this (i don’t spot a resistor…)?

18

I ran one of the LEDs from that 9-LED light from a 10440, without a resistor, and it worked. I’ll try to check the current and post back in a bit.

Edit:

Just tried with a couple of 10440s:

Ultrafire 10440 (unprotected) at 4.08V: 0.11 amps

Efest 10440 (IMR) at 4.15V: 0.14 amps

Edit 2:

islisis, it looks like the “reflector” is actually a TIR or TIR-like lens, so I think that drilling it would not be a good idea - would change the optical characteristics. Plus, doing that would be irreversible, since the opening would then be too big for the original incan bulb.

19

I did not drill the reflector that is why I filed a taper on the bottom of the LED. Just push the wires through the front of the reflector and taper the bottom of the LED with a file.

20

thanks for that info

more than likely, that is seriously overdriving your 5mm led. most are rated for 20-30mA. it will die after a few hours. i’d consult a led resistor chart to get an idea for a resistor to use

a problem is where to include it. my idea was to replace the tailcap spring with a creatively wound resistor, that way you could change it for different emitters. whether it would provide enough pressure for proper contact is an issue however, but could probably come up with something

you are mistaking e1320’s photo for a TIR because he cut the led flat, it does indeed resemble one :stuck_out_tongue:
maglites use normal plastic reflectors