Notes on LED upgrades for flashlights

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wecsoger
Senior Levergunner
Posts: 1244
Joined: Sun Jun 08, 2008 8:40 am

Notes on LED upgrades for flashlights

Post by wecsoger »

New LED flashlights that are everywhere now are generally awesome; good ones are almost indestructible and intensely bright.

But every one of us has older lights around, from the 2 "D" cells cans to different work lights.

You can upgrade those. May cost a couple more bucks but in the long run it's worth it for both the brightness and convenience.

LED replacement modules are beyond bright and rarely, rarely go bad. They survive knocks and falls a lot better than the old school incandescent bulbs.

If you're not familiar with these folks, here's a web link

https://www.superbrightleds.com/

I have no association with them other than buying a lot from them over the years.

I've replaced bulbs with LED modules from them for motorcycles, appliances, flashlights, cars, and other odds 'n ends of technical gear.

Benefits to LED's?

Your usual flashlight uses what's called a PR2 bulb. 2.38V at 500 milliamps. 15 rated hours and 10 Lumens output

I pulled one of my angle head surplus military lights and with so-so "D" cells in it, checked on my multimeter and got a current draw of 640 milliAmps.

From the LED folks, dropped in their PR2-1WHP-9V module. It draws 340 milliAmps. That's with a light output of 100 Lumens. Almost half the current draw for ten times the light output.

You may balk a little at getting a $11 module (that will probably never break), for a cheap flashlight.

For $5, I got a PR2-W1-WVR module. Put that in my test light with a measured draw of 55 milliamps. Much, much kinder on the batteries. A tenth of the current draw with an advertised output of 21 Lumens, which is double the incandescent lamp.

Since I was on a roll with my multimeter, I pulled out a 18 Dewalt trouble light. Have no idea what the bulb is in it, it's a specialty one because of the higher voltage. I measured the current draw on it at 620 milliAmps. Pretty bright. Put in a PR2-1WHP-30V module, and measured a current draw of 72 milliamps. It's just as bright at 100 Lumens and at almost a tenth of the current draw. Odds are it will never burn out or break from getting knocked around.

Not saying this is something you should do, but if you already have the light, to me it's worth it to upgrade. Got a couple Maglites as worklights that I've converted. I am incredibly hard on worklights. Generally have to replace the batteries because they've got the dimples beaten down, rather than the battery has run down. So far, not had a problem with any of them.
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Grizz
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Joined: Fri Aug 31, 2007 7:15 pm

Re: Notes on LED upgrades for flashlights

Post by Grizz »

thanks for the info. I have a mini maglight that I was going to toss, hope they have a fix for it, sure would be handy to have that thing back online.
wecsoger
Senior Levergunner
Posts: 1244
Joined: Sun Jun 08, 2008 8:40 am

Re: Notes on LED upgrades for flashlights

Post by wecsoger »

Oddly enough, the superbrite people don't have anything for the mini-maglites

Another company, Night Ize does make a drop in adapter module, and it works well.

Here's one of theirs that's 30 Lumens and around $10

http://www.niteize.com/product/LED-Upgrade-Kit-II.asp

For Night Ize, don't buy one of their combo kits, their tail switch for the mini-mag is mostly junk

I've swapped couple of mine and never had any problems - the batteries corrode, I lose them or they get run over by a fork lift before the module dies.
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Grizz
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Re: Notes on LED upgrades for flashlights

Post by Grizz »

thank you so much, that's good info, and saved a flashlight

it's the one I wear around my neck on deck. better in many ways than the head lamps because they don't interfere as much with night vision, they point at your feet so you can watch where you are going, and they light up the shackles when you're making up gear, and they don't blind everyone else on deck.
gcs
Levergunner 3.0
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Joined: Thu Sep 13, 2007 12:42 pm

Re: Notes on LED upgrades for flashlights

Post by gcs »

So these are straight replacement lamps, no wiring or fooling with them?
wecsoger
Senior Levergunner
Posts: 1244
Joined: Sun Jun 08, 2008 8:40 am

Re: Notes on LED upgrades for flashlights

Post by wecsoger »

As easy as changing a lightbulb.

The one module for the mini-mag light is slightly fussy, since it's a bi-pin bulb. If you plug it in one way and it doesn't work, pull it out, flip it around and plug it back in.
Bullard4075
Senior Levergunner
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Joined: Thu Sep 06, 2007 11:14 pm
Location: Billings, Montana

Re: Notes on LED upgrades for flashlights

Post by Bullard4075 »

Something to try.
"Any man who covers his face and packs a gun is a legitimate target for any decent citizen"
Jeff Cooper
Larkbill
Levergunner 3.0
Posts: 704
Joined: Wed Feb 17, 2010 4:31 pm
Location: St Peters, Mo.

Re: Notes on LED upgrades for flashlights

Post by Larkbill »

That's so cool. Have driven by that place dozens of times and had no idea they had things like this. Looks like I might be able to get one to fit my antique Winchester flashlight.
___________________________________________________________________
I'm not paranoid because I carry a gun. Why should I be paranoid. I've got a gun.
fatboy
Levergunner 1.0
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Joined: Wed Mar 30, 2016 4:46 pm

Re: Notes on LED upgrades for flashlights

Post by fatboy »

I've converted all my MagLites, including Mini's, with LED's bought at my local WallyWorld.
bob
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