I’ve got an old one lying around that never gets any use, mainly because I spend too much time here reading about these cheap, super bad ass lights that you guys keep talking about and making me purchase. These cheap little flashlights vastly outperform the larger one, so I might as well experiment with it and see if I can put it back into action. What can I do to it to make it brighter? Are there some drop in parts or replacement heads or something? I’m not concerned at all about keeping the adjustable part of the beam, but I do need something simple because I have never modded a flashlight before. Are there any articles or tutorials that show how to go about it step by step? I would rather not do any soldering, mostly because I never have.
So give it to me, let’s make it easy, bright and hopefully cheap.
A 3D mag has many possibilities. Also, there are numerous tutorials around the web (search "Maglite Mod" or "Mag Mod"). I did a DX XM-L drop-in into a 2D Maglite running 2 18650's (or 26650's) in series. The DX drop-in won't run on alkalines or even NiMh's though since it's rated 5.8v minimum. There are some direct drive mods too. I believe you can direct drive and even run alkalines.
The 3D has got to be the easiest Mag to mod. I’ve done the following:
DX 5xr2 drop in with 5 NI-mh sub c cells.
Single XML/XRE/XPG2(basically any single led you can choose) and as many AMC 7135 as you feel neccessary.
Triple XML with 9 series AA’s and a 2.8A 7135 board using the Download Multi-lux wiring method.
Now if you want to get crazy I’ve been toying with the idea of 12aa’s in series in a 3d mag with an MKR and the DX 15 watt driver.
Well, I’ve been looking around and reading about some modifications, and it seems like all of them are going to cost at least 25 or $30 and from what I’ve read, it’s not going to throw very well. That doesn’t seem to be worth it to me, especially when you can go buy one of those defiant 3 c cell flashlights for 15 or $20 and it’s going to be a lot brighter. Or am I missing something here?
So easy even I could do it. The mod does NOTHING to change the Mag in any way that you couldn’t put it back to it’s original, stock form if you should ever want to do that.
Or do this: https://budgetlightforum.com/t/-/16430
You don't have to use a LED conversion bulb as the base, it can be done better by piecing together various size copper tubing and a little solder and/or JB Weld. Both XM-L & XP-G run fine in a setup like that with no driver, either from plain alkalines or even NiMh.
Alex, does an LED bulb just pop right in, even if it is an incandescent flashlight to start with? And how many lumens would it put out?
dchomak, I don’t understand the mods you did to the switch on that mag light. I don’t suppose you have any pictures of it do you? I’ve never looked under the rubber switch cover on a mag light. And on that soldering that you did, would liquid solder work also? I’m not even sure if I have a soldering gun. I’m pretty mechanically inclined, but I’ve never messed with flashlights before. I’m not even sure I know the difference in what a driver, emitter, a board and all of those other things do.
The Maglite is probably the most modded light of all time. There are so many different battery, led, driver configurations that can be used. Most are going to run well over 50 bucks though. I have sold several custom mags for well over a 100 bucks with batteries and charger included. With a 3D Maglite you can run 4C Nimh’s and a DX sku 35241 for one bright Maglite. It may work off of 3 Nimh’s but not sure, never tried it. The cells alone are going to cost more than 30 bucks though.
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There’s really not many mods you can do besides the ones suggested in the above post that are going to be cheap ($30 range). I consider the dx drop-in one of the best for the money spent and lumens output, just my opinion. Then there is always a simple drop-in and this.
My most recent one was an empty drop-in from FT filled with XM-L2 T6 1C and 2.1A QLite in a 3D Mag. Had to maintain 3D support for a police officer (they get free alkalines, and CR123As too).
Now that he has it, I’ll probably have a few more to build after he shows it off.
You could always just get this and call it a day. It’s certainly not the cheapest option out there. But in alot of ways, it’s one of the best. It’s easy to drop in there. It’s bright. It’s reliable. And if you get yourself some NiMH D cells, you’ll have a nice bright light that can run around five hours on a charge! Not bad for an old beater light, eh?
I don’t understand it. Maglite company is still stuck in the 90’ (like their website).
If they would use Cree LED in their lamp, something like “super high power LED maglite serie”, given they are already famous from ignorant people, with a good ad campaign it would be a best seller ! And for a low price since they would still using the same metal body with minor differences.
They do. But because they insist on keeping the cammed focusing system, the LED cannot be properly heatsinked (despite having the best body possible to dissipate heat). This means that Mag has to stick with low power chips (like the XP-E). And even with a low power LED, they can’t drive it very hard. That’s why, when it comes to LED Mags, you’re stuck with 131 lumen 3D lights (when Defiant has a 600 lumen XM-L in their 3D light).
