# $20 mod really got me at least twice the...



## lukeeesteve (Sep 2, 2006)

Now that I'm starting to get more active on the forum, I figured it's time to 'payback' by contributing more:

It's satisfying when a tweak works out.

Goals:
1) Make the flashlight in the glove-box usable. I've always found the unit mostly useless due to the light output level.
2) Batteries in Mag-lights sitting in glove boxes tend to discharge because of the heat.
3) Peace of mind if I realize I need a flashlight (Since my car is usually close to where I am)

The rechargeable BMW light produces 3 volts (just what I needed). Spent more time trying to figure out the neatest way to do this. some soldering, a little cutting and that was it. Reflector was super glued on. This is a 1Watt Luxeon LED + reflector (white light) meant for a MINI Maglite conversion. This conversion is rated at up to 40 lumens (2 fresh AA batteries at 3.5 volts) so at 3 volts I'm hoping for 20 lumens

Cost: $20 (not the cheapest option) and I could have gotten a cheaper bulb.

What I got and why:

This is the bulb I used. http://www.batteryjunction.com/mikitwi1walu.html I found another place on the web where you can buy it for $15+ but for the life of me I can't find it now. - Note that they have additional bulb attachments for this bulb (adapters for the bigger maglights) that might work better. This particular kit came with the reflector. I prefer this bulb cause it's supposedly 10x brighter than your typical LED (hence up to 40 lumens for it's specs) while REGULAR older technology LEDs probably put out 3-4 lumens unregulated, possibly a bit more with the 5mm (bigger) LEDs. Like all LEDs, it's efficient with power usage. If you scavenger another bulb, look for one that works with 3 volts (that's what I was measuring with my volt meter).

Procedure:

Step 1: Dismantle (Pry the light open).

This LED (I suppose there is some circuitry in the disc) is polarity sensitive so you'll need to test to make sure you have the correct prong soldered to the correct metal fitting.

The only item I replaced was the bulb. The OEM bulb is screwed onto a metal plate (I will refer to this as the 'bulb holder plate' below) that will have a round hollow the size of the bulb. I unscrewed the bulb from the 'bulb holder plate' and reused it. Did a dry run to test to see which prong I needed to connect to which metal connector (polarity sensitive). I bent the prong that would connect to the switch (-ve(?)) side 90 degrees. (this will eventually be soldered to the 'bulb holder plate'.

The bulb holder plate originally sits in a small slot/slit of the plastic casing of the flashlight. I trimmed the slot (made it bigger) with a box cutter on the bulb side so that the LED assembly (that will be stacked on top of the bulb holder plate) will be nicely wedged in the enlarged slot. Remember that there are 2 sides to the flashlight casing that you will need to trim. With everything in place (but not soldered) I did a dry run***8230;.the negative and positive prongs touching the correct metal conductors***8230;turned on the switch and adjusted (bent) anything that needed adjustments. Once I was satisfied, I soldered the bent prong to the 'bulb holder plate', and the unbent prong to the +ve(?) plate directly below it.

Reflector: This came with the LED bulb I bought. I had to shave the underside of the reflector a little so that it would sit neatly in the flashlight. I super glued it in place and everything worked fine and seems sturdy enough.

No it's not waterproof (original wasn't). LED Run time:

Attachments: 
Pic 1: At 1 min,
Pic 2: At 45mins...(the OEM ran out of juice between 35mins and 45mins..I was out of the room when it started fading)
Pic 3: At 65 min..(The led mod shows signs of dimming, it loses power totally at 70 mins)
Pic 4: Another Side by side
Pic 5: Completed

Now if only getting more hp or torque from my car was that cheap/easy...sigh.


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## stash182 (Jul 12, 2004)

For $20 why didn't you just buy an LED flashlight that you could keep in your glove? Seems like less work and more versatile.


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## lukeeesteve (Sep 2, 2006)

I do have 4 other LED flash lights laying around at home
1) Had a mini-mag flash light in the car...battery was melted (probably from the heat)  and ruined it. I didn't want it to risk ruining any of my 'AA' LED flash lights.
2) Thought of putting my flash light with CR123 batteries but am a little paranoid about potential these batteries exploding as these aren't stored in ideal temperatures. 
3) I'm a little of a tinkering nut and wanted to make the OEM flashlight better, rather than having it sit in the glove box and no serve it's potential function.


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## Rich_Jenkins (Jul 12, 2003)

Aha! A fellow flashlight junkie...Excellent idea and post!

I too, am impressed with the light output and run time of these new 1W+ Luxeon LEDs -- putting one in the wimpy wimpy wimpy BMW OEM flashlight has not occured to me -- :thumbup:.

What's this about CR123's and temperature?

I have a Surefire G2 nitrolon in yellow in the door pocket for GP use, and a 3D Mag with a 1W Luxeon conversion in the trunk, for, ah, tactical, purposes. 

I also camp and have a Surefire E2O on a belt carry but am itching to get an E1L conversion head for it -- perhaps when the 25L bulb burns out.


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## lukeeesteve (Sep 2, 2006)

My 2 favorites are a EDC ultimate and a Jetbeam. I like the really small lights that fit in my pocket. I've read a few posts about CR123 exploding when 1) the freshness of batteries are mixed/stored in the heat. Not a common occurance, but I thought that I would not like to be part of that stat.


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## etc (Jul 15, 2008)

I got that new MiniMag LED, has several modes, for 10 FRNs, last 'Black Friday' sale.

It does something like 80/10 lumens and also SOS and flash modes. The runtime is 4 hours/ 30 hours respectively.

Whatever you get, put Lithium batteries in it. They work in both summer and winter well and don't discharge and get really good runtime.

but that was a creative solution.

Re Surefire

the baddest, brightest upgrade you can do is from Malkoff devices . com, have one and it's 230+ lumens. Like holding a car headlight in your hand.


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## rlabair (Jan 17, 2007)

Oh yeah, you guys like flashlights like I like knives. I wonder what else we all have in common? Boys will be boy's and ain't it great?!


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## Evilsizer (Apr 4, 2008)

thought i would share this in case someone else wanted to do it. the LUXEON led used here might be a different one then this one but for $5 you cant complain much. there is also Cree based leds they have as well a bit more but not much, only $6.50 more, here.

nice little mod, i didnt think about doing this till now. i just carried another flash light with me, lol.

if you dont want to try those two leds, might try these two, here and here. interesting thing is i havent seen this high a MCD LED till now, i meant with no kind of since. first led has a 265k MCD and the other is 200K rating, the second one might fit better for a light in the flash light. since it shows a 3v rating but with a yellowish color at that voltage. i have both of these LED OTW for messing around with along with some other LED's. i found this one to be rather neat, OTW as well.


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## Alexbenz (Apr 24, 2005)

Evilsizer said:


> thought i would share this in case someone else wanted to do it. the LUXEON led used here might be a different one then this one but for $5 you cant complain much. there is also Cree based leds they have as well a bit more but not much, only $6.50 more, here.
> 
> nice little mod, i didnt think about doing this till now. i just carried another flash light with me, lol.
> 
> if you dont want to try those two leds, might try these two, here and here. interesting thing is i havent seen this high a MCD LED till now, i meant with no kind of since. first led has a 265k MCD and the other is 200K rating, the second one might fit better for a light in the flash light. since it shows a 3v rating but with a yellowish color at that voltage. i have both of these LED OTW for messing around with along with some other LED's. i found this one to be rather neat, OTW as well.


the links in your post don't work....

also the shapes of some of those led's don't seem to fit in the flashlight housing.


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## Evilsizer (Apr 4, 2008)

hmm for some reason the last two have part of the URL taken out so here is the full non-shortened one. 
http://www******mine-elec-products.com/prodinfo.asp?number=G16642

ok the forum is doing something weird to the URL...
goldmine-elec.com and do a Search for G16642
if 10mm LED is to large for the flash light they do have some decent looking 8mm and 5mm LED's.


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## Missmodena310 (Oct 9, 2008)

awesome!!!!


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