I previously posted about mods for vintage Maglites as well as some awesome lithium ion Adventure Sport Maglite conversions but what if you really want to take it a step further and build a great, bright, rechargeable Maglite yourself? (I also wrote another post about custom lithium ion LED lights too.)
The idea behind the light is to use lithum ion batteries as a power source. Lithium ion batteries are nominally rated for 3.7 volts but actually put out around 4 volts. An alkaline cell puts out about 1.7 volts on a good day. What you're getting is more than twice the volts out of a rechargeable cell of a comparable size. It's a win-win. The trick here is sizing a bulb or LED that matches up with a larger number of alkaline cells and then substituting a lesser number of lithium cells at the same voltage. The most common mod is 2 lithium ion cells powering a 7D or 6D bulb.
7D and 6D PR based bulbs are nominally rated for 6.3 and 7.5 volts and put out more than double the amount of lumens vs. a 2 or 3 cell bulb. 6D batteries actually put out 10.7 (1.7 *6) volts and 7Ds put out 11.9 (1.7*7) volts so these bulbs are actually rated for more than what they are labelled. These bulbs can easily be installed and run in a 2 cell light with 2 lithium ion batteries for more than double the brightness out of a smaller package.
The most common platform is a 2C Maglite. The C lends itself well because most lithium ion batteries have a smaller diameter than alkaline. 2 C cells are also the exact same length as 2 - 18500 lithium ion cells. The D cell lights aren't as lucky. None match up with lithium ion cells and all D cells require either modification to the end cap or barrel or the use of a not so easily found spacer. The 18mm diameter of the 18500 cells (18mm diameter by 500mm length) is a little narrower than a C cell (26 mm diameter by 500mm length) but this is easily remedied with a small length of 3/4" PVC Pipe that acts a spacer as shown below. As a side note make sure you order button top cells so they will work in series. Flat tops will not work in series and the light will not power. A protected or safe chemistry cell is highly recommended. Also, there are 26mm lithium ion cells but they all measure greater than a 26mm diameter and will not fit in a C cell Maglite so I stick with the 18mm lithium ion cells.
Drop in the 6D or 7D bulb of your choosing and you have a nice little thrower!!
I went a step further and picked up a TAD Customs bi-pin setup. These bi-pin setups are pricey but there are a lot more bulb choices. (i.e. brighter) The bulbs are commonly used in track lighting and as such come in a large range of wattages and voltages. The bulbs do put out a bit more heat though so you'll want to switch to an aluminum reflector, like the one from KAI Domain, and glass lens so you don't melt the stock plastic reflector and lens.
I also added a FiveMega recessed tail cap that allows me to use a slightly longer 18650 battery for more capacity and to dress it up a little I added a FiveMega scalloped bezel. You can also machine out the standard "Store-A-Bulb" end Cap to recess the spring and accomplish the same thing. Shown below is this very powerful 2C along with a beam shot. It easily lights up my neighbors tree at 100yds away and will likely throw much further. The warm white tint is easy on the eyes. too. It's not an overpowering light up close.
I can't take credit for this mod, it's been kicking around the various hobbyist message boards in one form or another for at least the last 10 years. As my fellow hobbyists say: "It's a 7D Maglite in a smaller package". So, how about a 7C in a smaller package? Shown below with my very rare and newly restored 7C.
As always I'm looking to buy Vari-Beams and Vintage/Rare Mags. Please let me know if you have any, top dollar paid.
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