Upgrade Old Maglights (and others) To LED! Give Them New Life!

[Sergeant Bob]

http://www.batteryjunction.com/ledupgrades.html

I recently upgraded my old 2 cell Maglight with an LED conversion and it has been given a new life! It has not seen much use in the past few years, being so dim compared to modern flashlights (it is about 25 years old).

I bought the LED upgrade from Battery Junction and now it's at least 4 or 5 times brighter (in my estimation) and the beam is way more focus-able. It's as easy as simply changing the bulb!

My Mag has found a new life!

[Fly320s]

I did two of mine. One is a 4 D cell light. It is much nicer now.

Got them from Amazon.

[geronimotwo]

I found one for my 5d light at wally world.  it is easily twice as bright now.   

[Perd Hapley]

A local hardware store sells something similar to this, but at a lower price. I plan to give it a try sometime.

http://www.batteryjunction.com/tle-1f.html

I converted one of my 2xAA Maglights, but I wasn't too impressed with that one.

[Boomhauer]

The minimags are crap even upgraded but the big ones have potential.

[Ben]

Thanks for that tip, Bob! I have a 3 D cell that I've had forever just sitting and doing nothing (but standing by, ready to be a noggin clobber). I'll have to give this a go.

[Hawkmoon]

A local hardware store sells something similar to this, but at a lower price. I plan to give it a try sometime.

http://www.batteryjunction.com/tle-1f.html

I converted one of my 2xAA Maglights, but I wasn't too impressed with that one.

I tried this one in one of my Mag-Lites. Not impressed. They have another that's MUCH better, which I currently have in three Mag-Lites:

http://www.batteryjunction.com/tle-6k2.html

[roo_ster]

Bought a spanking new 2xAA LED minimaglight a month back.  Lasted all of 15 minutes before death. 

[Boomhauer]

Bought a spanking new 2xAA LED minimaglight a month back.  Lasted all of 15 minutes before death. 

Not surprised. The issue I always had with them was the head would loosen up and cause the light to go out intermittently.

And then there was the time I was on a camping trip and had four(!) minimags, two of them new, crap out and not due to dead batteries.

I gave up on minimags after that. Damned worthless things.

[Gewehr98]

I converted all my AA Mini-Mag Lights to Nite Ize 1 watt LEDs with the IQ tail cap switch.

I'm pleased as punch with the converted Mini-Mags = very bright, and very reliable.  The tail cap switch means you don't have to mess with bezel focus just to turn the light on or off.

http://www.mcmelectronics.com/product/29-6049

For my 2 and 3 D-Cell Mag Lights, I used the TerraLUX conversions.  They've been bright and strong for several years now, and I'm sure Cree has upgraded the output power since then.

http://www.amazon.com/TerraLUX-TLE-6EXB-MiniStar5-Conversion-MagLites/dp/B001I9TI4Q/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1386642136&sr=8-5&keywords=Cree+3+watt 

[K Frame]

I bought an LED for my circa 1930 Eveready 2 D cell flash light that had been my Grandfather's. I found it when I was cleaning the shed out. Unfortunately, it's longer than the original bulb, so I've been having problems getting the beam to focus. I need to cut a couple of rubber rings to go in the bezel to give the space I need.

[Sergeant Bob]

Thanks for that tip, Bob! I have a 3 D cell that I've had forever just sitting and doing nothing (but standing by, ready to be a noggin clobber). I'll have to give this a go.

I owed ya one!

For my 2 and 3 D-Cell Mag Lights, I used the TerraLUX conversions.  They've been bright and strong for several years now, and I'm sure Cree has upgraded the output power since then.

http://www.amazon.com/TerraLUX-TLE-6EXB-MiniStar5-Conversion-MagLites/dp/B001I9TI4Q/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1386642136&sr=8-5&keywords=Cree+3+watt 

Well crap! I didn't even think to try Amazon! I coulda saved 16¢!
Amazon sells just about everything!

The TerraLUX-TLE-6EXB is the one I got for my 2 cell.

[Harold Tuttle]

i bought a 500 lumin cree at walmart tonight for 20 bucks

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Ozark-Trail-20047-Ozark-Trail-500-Lumens-CREE-High-Powered-LED-Aluminum-Flashlight/27859983

[Perd Hapley]

Bought a spanking new 2xAA LED minimaglight a month back.  Lasted all of 15 minutes before death. 

I have one that I used pretty hard back when I spent my days spelunking through a cavernous, abandoned mall. It has always worked as designed. (I didn't like the way it switched between different modes, but that's how it was made to work.)

[Sergeant Bob]

http://www.batteryjunction.com/?utm_source=2013_12_10_winterWonderSale_shortGrid&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=body

Mash the above link for 15% off your purchase at Battery Junction! Wish I'd waited to buy my LED upgrade! Would have beaten Amazon by about a buck and a half.

Expires 12/12.

I did a quick check, and Amazon can't beat their price on cr123a batteries, even without the discount!

Bummer, I just went to purchase 25 batteries and they do hit you with shipping charges, so better to buy Amazon Prime for free shipping.

[Gewehr98]

Maybe somebody here knows, but I've got an older railroad brakeman's lantern with an incandescent bulb that I'd like to switch to LED.

The problem is that the polarity is wrong for all the 2/3/4 cell Mag Light conversion LED bulbs I've tried so far. 

This railroad lantern has a 6 volt lantern battery inside, two bulbs, and a switch for running either or both at the same time.  The top bulb is an incandescent flasher, under a red fresnel dome.

The bulb I want to replace is the main illumination/signal bulb, inside a huge reflector and clear lens.  Same thing here:



Perhaps I disassemble the LED conversion bulb and try to wire it in reverse if there's room?

[Firethorn]

Perhaps I disassemble the LED conversion bulb and try to wire it in reverse if there's room?

I can't help but think that it might be easier to switch the polarity of the lantern itself.  Are there two wires where the 6V lantern battery makes it's contacts?  Is it designed for the wires to be clipped/screwed on?

LED assemblies tend towards the tiny.

[Brad Johnson]

Try superbrightleds.com.  They have a couple of automotive-style 6v LED assemblies.

Brad

[Parker Dean]

i bought a 500 lumin cree at walmart tonight for 20 bucks

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Ozark-Trail-20047-Ozark-Trail-500-Lumens-CREE-High-Powered-LED-Aluminum-Flashlight/27859983

I have one of those for the truck. Bought it because it was in the price range I wanted at the time but with a CREE-style emitter (I'm sure it's a knock-off). It is bright but unfortunately it shows it was cheap by having a yellow patch right in the middle of the beam and I have to keep reminding myself that what I'm looking at isn't really stained or discolored. That's the gamble with cheap emitters, they may have a discoloration or they may be just fine.

[Chuck Dye]

I have had a TerraLux conversion unit in my Streamlight for a year now and like it.  The only issue I have had with it it is that the three step brightness control sometimes ceases to function as battery voltage drops, serving as an unreliable charge indicator.  This has not caused any problems.

[MillCreek]

http://www.costco.com/Duracell%C2%AE-Durabeam-Ultra%E2%84%A2-500-Lumen-Flashlight-4-pack.product.100084625.html

These are now my car and 'bump in the night' flashlights.  I can find them on the shelf at my local Costco for $ 30 for a two pack.

[Hawkmoon]

i bought a 500 lumin cree at walmart tonight for 20 bucks

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Ozark-Trail-20047-Ozark-Trail-500-Lumens-CREE-High-Powered-LED-Aluminum-Flashlight/27859983

Saw that one today. Looked nice -- except that it runs on six AA batteries, not even C-cells. What's the battery life?

[Cliffh]

Maybe somebody here knows, but I've got an older railroad brakeman's lantern with an incandescent bulb that I'd like to switch to LED.

The problem is that the polarity is wrong for all the 2/3/4 cell Mag Light conversion LED bulbs I've tried so far. 

This railroad lantern has a 6 volt lantern battery inside, two bulbs, and a switch for running either or both at the same time.  The top bulb is an incandescent flasher, under a red fresnel dome.

The bulb I want to replace is the main illumination/signal bulb, inside a huge reflector and clear lens.  Same thing here:



Perhaps I disassemble the LED conversion bulb and try to wire it in reverse if there's room?

I picked up a $5 6v LED flashlight at WalMart - it uses a 6v battery, not a series of 1.5v.  The light/reflector assembly has either 5 or 6 LED's in it (CRS* strikes again) - not sure if it could be modified to fit your use.

*Can't remember S**t

[Azrael256]

Pfft.

Three 5W LEDs will easily fit in a 6D.  Technically it's four diodes per package and three packages.  Convergence is a bit of a problem with three separate beams, but at about 900 lumens, nobody cares.  There's technically room for four, but I have enough trouble dissipating the heat from three.  That, and there's hardly room for a fourth resistor in there.  I call him Blinder III.  He has two older brothers, one of whom is actually kinda dangerous.

I picked up a $5 6v LED flashlight at WalMart - it uses a 6v battery, not a series of 1.5v

Lantern batteries are just a stack of F cells.

[Cliffh]

Lantern batteries are just a stack of F cells.

That's the one new thing learned for today.