I really wish more people made Maglite drop ins like these. These would be EXCELLENT gifts for friend and family, who aren’t flashlight savvy, but need a good light. Everyone and their brother has an old 2-3 D lying around. Does anyone know of some sources where I can find these?? Would any of you be willing to make them?
Having a brain fart, but we have a custom builder in this forum, but I can’t remember right now…
I’ll take one…
If it's just direct drive it won't work with the 2D, it'd need a tiny little microscopic boost driver. 3D works OK, runs about 1.8-2A from fresh alkalines. 3x NiMh are a definite no-go, too much current (around 4A) and heat to survive in the stock plastic bulb holder.
Do you have one to tear down? I’ve never seen one. Is it direct drive or regulated? More photos? Beam shots? With an incan Maglite reflector, it should look very ugly.
Hate to say it Comfy, but your wrong… I just built one (well, a shitty rendition). However, its PURE direct drive, working off 2 have used D cells. Not sure of voltages, or current at this time, but I would put it at about 350-400 lumens. Gonna swap the bulb socket, and xml over to a 3 cell, and see how that fairs. Pics incoming…
edit: Pics
XML2 direct drive from 2x D alkalines will only do 300-350mA. Sorry but that's not good enough.
Hang on, I’ll measure.
Edit: Ya pretty close. I was getting .40a at the cap with 2 fresh cells, and right around 1.8a with 3. But, believe it or not, not everyone needs a 1000lumen light. off of 2 D’s it’s WORLDS brighter than a stock incan. And to some, a stock incan is all they know. 
2D alkaline:
2.98v open circuit
2.80v loaded
.31a
-
3D:
4.40v open circuit
3.17v loaded
1.90a
-
4D:
5.80v open circuit
3.34v loaded
3.15a (falls rapidly)
That's too much of a spread between 2D and 3D to really be called workable in both versions. On 3Ds it's good. 2D would need a boost driver. That means either two different bulbs, one using a driver and the other not, or the driver not being used if it's installed in a 3D light. Or, a boost/buck, which would work for 2/3/4 alkalines or NiMh, but these things are tiny and before long you end up spending more in parts than what it costs for the already commercially available versions.
What about heat sinking? Since there is no thermal path between the emitter and flashlight body, I see a HUGE overheating problem here. This is why drop-ins such as Malkoff have large aluminum heat sinks that make direct contact with the body of the light. And the absence of heatsinking is why Mag LEDs from the factory have to step down after a time. Using a powerful emitter like the XM-L series is only going to make things worse. I just don’t see a non heat sinked XM-L drop-in as viable.
3D alkalines + direct drive XML in the stock plastic tower does get very very hot, but it works and nothing melts and the LED doesn't slide off the star.
I understand where your coming from. I agree, probably not practical with only 2 cells, not only because of low output, but run time as well. I would imagine, as soon as it dropped below 2.8ish volts, it’d be over. I will keep it in the 3 cell. Mine has a brass tower also.
I’m just here to have fun man. There a foot of snow outside, I have NOTHING to do, and got bored. Not everything has to be top of the line, 100%, at least for me anyway. I think you should lighten up a little.
Also, XML2 is better in the 3D than XML, the higher Vf keeps the current/heat in check better. It's very close to that line between working and not working, but it falls just barely on the works side.
'Lighten up a little'? Facts can't get angry, I'm just telling you stuff I already went through. Do you want me to be nice and tell you to go try something I know isn't going to work, like a nice warm bowl of chicken soup? :p
Ha, you told me something wouldn’t work, and it does. That’s not facts. Direct drive off 2 cells WORKS. However insignificant it may be, it works. Just because it’s not up to YOUR standards doesn’t make it wrong.
I have seen your post MANY times. I know your kind of people. Always got try to be right, and spew facts like an encyclopedia. Well, I proved you wrong, so now what?
300mA with 2 cells and 2A with 3 doesn't give you a part that's compatible with both 2D & 3D lights. Maybe we have different definitions of 'works'. Yours is apparently just 'some light comes out'.
once u guys are thru bickering, I have a (3) D cell Maglite. Don’t know why they call it a Maglite cuz there is hardly any light at all! I can get that one drop in bulb for about $16, don’t recall the name … but I thought you smart guys were gunna come up with something better for me than 140 lumens? I think the market is huge for something. What’s that you say, a Convoy C8 for $16 and change?
I personally was never worried about compatibility between 2&3 D lights. I just found the drop in interesting, as I have never seen one like it, and decided to spend some of my free time, doing something fun.
Yeah, when I mod something, from crap lying around especially, and ‘some light comes out’, I do get excited. I’m not shy about that. I guess I’m too light hearted, and not SERIOUS enough to be modding lights, or participating in this forum. I thought this place was ‘where frugal meets with flashlight’? Boy was I mistaken…