asaint
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 04/25/03
Posts: 2021
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Maglite Conversion Kit
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kkcomp
journeyman
Reged: 01/16/07
Posts: 7
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Thanks for a very useful review even better they will send a kit to the UK only $2.70 postage.
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Cantankerously
sage
Reged: 09/17/07
Posts: 234
Loc: Midwest
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Not a bad idea
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Home
Braidwood
10" GSO dob, 4.5" Celestron newt, 60mm Monolux refractor
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paul hart
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 06/01/04
Posts: 913
Loc: Lawn Guyland, New Yawk, Earth
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I've been looking for something like this. Thanks for the heads up!
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Paul
Long Island, New York
Orion Starmax 127 Mak
TScope 14" f/4.7 dob w/ F80 finder
10" f/4.8 dob
Orion 10x50 Ultraview Binoculars
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FarmerDave
sage
Reged: 09/07/07
Posts: 380
Loc: Northern Virginia
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Thanks for posting the review, I haven't found a red flashlight that I like - since I'm a maglite nut.
"Some people may find the LED lamp a little too bright for star charts. The kit has chrome colored reflector that can be toned down with a marking pen, which reduces some of the brightness."
FWIW, they also offer a switch replacement (the IQ Switch: http://www.niteize.com/productdetail.php?category_id=28&product_id=125 ) that appears to act as a dimmer, and apparently has a red led built in to aid finding the flashlight in the dark.
I've got one on order, and if I remember, I'll update this once I see how it works.
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Celestron C6/C9.25/CG-5GT Mount
Orion 80ED/EON 72/Supercharged Atlas EQ-G
Garrett Optical Signature Series 10x50
Canon XTi (soon to be modded)/Canon 40D (unmodded)
Meade DSI/Meade DSI Pro/Philips SPC900N
1944 Ford 2N/1948 Ford 8N
Bahtinov Mask Generator * AstroCataLink * 40DShutterCount
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Les
professor emeritus
Reged: 04/22/06
Posts: 666
Loc: Maryland
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I did this conversion when they first offered the adjustable intensity version for AA size Maglite. The idea was good but switch operation is a bit tricky. Perhaps mine is slightly defective. Also, even at lowest intensity, it is a bit bright for astro use IMO.
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Les
Canon 10x42L IS
Oberwerks BT80/45, Helix Hercules mount on Oberwerks Standard Tripod
Swift 8x44ED Ultralite
Questar 50th Anniversary Model, 501 head on Manfrotto 475 tripod
Stellarvue SV90T 90mm Fluorite refractor Bogen 3236/Televue Tele-Pod Head
Questar 7 Astro
Vixen GP-DX on Baader Surveyor Tripod
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Flukster
member
Reged: 09/22/07
Posts: 58
Loc: Dillsburg PA USA
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Here is an even easier way to do it. i have done this to about 4 mag lights now. including the 2AA and 2AAA models.
unscrew the cap and take off the reflector. it is usually blue with silver on the inside. you will now have the reflector in hand. grind the bottom of it down until a single LED can fit in it. You can use sand paper or a grinding wheel once the LED fits then just plug it into the holes that originally held the Mag light bulb. Once you get it facing the correct direction cut the LED legs down so that are about 3/4 of an inch ling and insert. Put everything back together and you are in business.
The LED i bough cost about 2 dollars at radio shack and are rated for 1.7-2.4 volts. a 2 cell Mag light puts out 3 volts but it shouldn't burn out the led. As the batteries die they will get closer to the rated power output and the led should actually get a little brighter. Mine have lasted several months now on the same batteries without issue.
If you dont want it as bright get one with a lower MCD
I use MCD: 3000 very bright but you could use MCD: 800 or less might need to add a resister to that though.
Here is the LED i used
Link 1
i have also used one of these
Link 2
Edited by Mike Loffland (10/25/07 05:50 PM)
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Dylan Gladstone
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 08/05/07
Posts: 955
Loc: Connecticut, USA
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I converted my AA Maglite with a piece of red plastic from red/blue 3D glasses. I just cut out a disc the right size and swapped it for the clear disc. It works pretty well.
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Orion SkyView Pro 127mm Maksutov
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Jim Rosenstock
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 07/14/05
Posts: 2402
Loc: MD, south of the DC Nebula
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>>There a lots of red colored flashlights in the astronomy store catalogs. Many of them are lightly constructed and unlikely to last very long. That is one reason the AA Size Mini-Maglite flashlight, of all varieties, are so popular. The Maglite is very popular and rugged style of metal flashlight used by the US military, police and emergency workers all over the world.>>
Errr....I bought an inexpensive red flashlight from Orion when I got into this hobby a decade ago. It's still going strong, after ten years of regular use. I *have* changed the batteries a couple of times, though.
The plastic flashlight is much easier on my teeth than a mag light when I hold it in my mouth, too! ;^)
Jim
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QUESTION AUTHORITY!
"errr....sez who??"
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George N
sage
Reged: 05/19/06
Posts: 311
Loc: Binghamton & Indian Lake NY
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I've used one for several months now. It is generally too bright for use while observing at a dark location, but it is great to use for set-up, or walking some distance away from the observing location, looking for stuff in the car, etc.
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George N
Obsession 20
Optical Guidance Systems 10" F/9 R-C Cass
6" F/5 & 8" F/8 home-made Newts
MI-250 mount
SBIG STL-1301E CCD
Member, International Dark-Sky Association
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rogerandgarf
super member
Reged: 06/01/05
Posts: 194
Loc: Arlington, Wa
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For those of the early american poverty persuasion I snatched a petal from one of Mom's Walmart red silk roses...works for me!
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Roger Johnson
12" upgraded Dob
TV Genesis/LXD75
5" Mak
ZAOIIs w/barlow
Denk II BVs/x switch
Swarovski 7x42, Leica 10x50,
Fuji 16x70, Obie 25x100 IF/Unimount
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drewp
sage
Reged: 05/19/07
Posts: 471
Loc: 41.5 deg north moline ill
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the little maglites once were packaged with colored lenses. though i like the conversion to led. i happend to have extra lenses for my halogen silver bullet lights(motorcycle) and i had amber and red, well they worked and fit perfectly on my D cell maglight. so i now have a d cell mag with the red lens. as well and i love these things that being the headband led lights.
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canon 20d
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WadeVC
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 12/02/05
Posts: 2799
Loc: Lodi, California,
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Rick,
Thanks for the article. It is always nice to have alternatives to choose from. Great job! 
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Orion XTi10 f/4.7
Orion XTi8 f/5.9
Meade NGC 70mm f/10
Orion UltraView 10x50 Wide-Angle Binoculars
My Sketch Gallery
My Astronomy Blog
A wise man can see more from the bottom of a well than a fool can from a mountain top.
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Time on my hands
sage
Reged: 07/07/06
Posts: 255
Loc: Central Oregon
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I found the LEDs a bit bright for my taste also, A small circle of wax paper dimmed the brightness and gave a very diffuse light making chart reading easier. I like it!
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Thomas
TMB 130 SS [Delivered 5/19, waiting for clear sky]
C6-R/Atlas [Favorite]
127 Mak/AT Voyager [Grab and Go]
NexStar 8 GPS XLT
Firstscope 80EQ
I LOVE hard work...I could watch it all day long!
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Jim Carpenter
sage
Reged: 04/24/03
Posts: 280
Loc: Colorado
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WalMart sells the white LED conversion kit for $4.92. I've converted a couple of them, using a piece of rubylith (sp?) red filter material inside the original clear lens. The result is a very smooth red light which is still pretty bright, but not IMO too bright for reading charts, etc.
Jim
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FarmerDave
sage
Reged: 09/07/07
Posts: 380
Loc: Northern Virginia
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Quote:
FWIW, they also offer a switch replacement (the IQ Switch: http://www.niteize.com/productdetail.php?category_id=28&product_id=125 ) that appears to act as a dimmer, and apparently has a red led built in to aid finding the flashlight in the dark.
I've got one on order, and if I remember, I'll update this once I see how it works.
This IQ Switch DOES NOT WORK with the LED conversion kit. I had a PM from one other CN'er who also tried it to no avail.
However, with just the regular bulb in, it works flawlessly - to the point that I think I'll do the red filter trick on one with the IQ switch, and kep the red LEDS in another. The second dim setting is *very* dim.
My mini-review of the red LED conversion kit - WOW is it bright.
And, a bonus tip about the mini-maglite: you may know it, you may not - I'm surprised how many mini-maglite owners I've shown didn't - if you unscrew the lens/reflector all the way off, you can use it as a stand for the flashlight and voila, instant electric candle. Not something you'd want to do at a star party, but fun camping.
David
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Celestron C6/C9.25/CG-5GT Mount
Orion 80ED/EON 72/Supercharged Atlas EQ-G
Garrett Optical Signature Series 10x50
Canon XTi (soon to be modded)/Canon 40D (unmodded)
Meade DSI/Meade DSI Pro/Philips SPC900N
1944 Ford 2N/1948 Ford 8N
Bahtinov Mask Generator * AstroCataLink * 40DShutterCount
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Ralph Marantino
Postmaster
Reged: 05/01/05
Posts: 5255
Loc: Old Bridge, New Jersey
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I bought two they are great thanks for the heads up.
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Lunt H-alpha LS200THaDS with 3200 blocker (Pre- ordered)Xmas Maybe?
Rockland Astronomy Club
Member BAA Solar Section
Central Appalachian Astronomy Club(Greenbank NRAO)
Astronomical League
DSPST,PST & 70mm Coronado Cal K telescope.2.2A 500mm FL 1200 blocker
14.5 inch f 3.74 Starmaster Zambuto Dob
2 inch APM Herschel wedge LUNT Cal K Module in a80mm Brandon 500mm FL 2.4A 1200 blocker...
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astrotrf
sage
Reged: 09/30/07
Posts: 287
Loc: Rodeo, NM
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Quote:
the little maglites once were packaged with colored lenses.
Armed with *this* bit of knowledge, I searched for "maglite red lens" and found that you can still get these colored lenses as part of an "accessory pack". You can find it at amazon.com with a search for "#AM2A016".
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Terry (astrotrf)
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dgs©
Postmaster
Reged: 03/29/04
Posts: 13903
Loc: West Monroe, Louisiana
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I busted the guts out of a regular flash light bulb and soldered in a red LED and resistor. Brighter than I'd like, and distinctive pattern... so I stuck a circle of tracing paper over the lens and it's better. OK for at home, but probably still brighter than necessary at a dark site. I'm thinking of taking some fine sandpaper to both sides of the lens to turn it into a diffuser... might even rough up the reflector a bit too, just to even out that "distinctive pattern".
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- david
8"Ø Newtonian on SVP, Moonlite CR2, Telrad
PST Oberwerk Ultra 15x70 Orion Ultraview 10×50
Hand-me-down Sears Refractor (Discoverer) 60mm×900mm
"What we have done for ourselves alone dies with us; what we have done for others and the world, remains and is immortal." --Albert Pike
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Flukster
member
Reged: 09/22/07
Posts: 58
Loc: Dillsburg PA USA
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What type of LED did you use? skinny 5mm or fat 10mm?
you could just put on a larger resister and bleed off some of the juice.
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Chris <><
Scope: Meade DS114 ATA
http://www.opticsplanet.net/meade-ds2000-1.html
d-114 f-910
EP's:
1.25" with 2" adapter
Stock
9mm, 25mm,and 2x Barlow
Zhumell 1.25in. Eyepiece and Filter Kit
 Dillburg PA
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