DIY Maglite LED Upgrade Conversion 5,000 Lumen

This tutorial will be on how to convert a standard 2 D Maglite into a 5,000 lumen LED light.
Very few tools will be needed. A screw gun or drill with a sanding tip on it is useful, but in a pinch a flat head screw driver would do the job.

Choosing your host size. Any D or C cell mag can be converted to do
this with a similar build. Today we are going to focus on making it in a 2 D size mag. Using larger hosts such as 3 or 6 D are probly less work, but I like the more compact size of the 2 D.

Now its time to decide what batteries were going to use. The light engine for this built needs to have voltage equivalent to a 6 D cell. 6 NIMH D cells are a great option, but since we are going to build this in a 2 D size using a r of 3.7V li-ion 26650 are needed.. IMR safe chemistry cells are the best as the completed build will have a nearly 10 amp drain on the cells. Alternatively IMR 18650s or IMR 26500s could also be used.

There are many dropin bulbs and heat sinks available on the flashlight market these days. For this build we will be using the Adventure Sport Flashlights™ 5,000 lumen drop in bulb. It uses 3 Cree XHP-50 LED emitters and has multi level brightness. It also comes in a 3 cell 2,000 lumen version, but we'll save that for another inscructable :)

Here is where you can get the bulb.

1.First simply remove the bezel, reflector and old bulb. You wont need the retaining ring that held the old bulb in place either.
2. Unscrew the head a bit ( just till the O ring on the neck shows)
3. Insert the drop in with the provided O ring in place
4. Replace the bezel (its highly recommended you use the optional high temp lens offered with the bulb)
5. Gently screw down the head until its just snug

In order to keep the cells from rattling around in the body we need a sleeve. If you want a professional sleeve one can be purchased for the 2x 26650s here. They are a bore out PVC pipe with O rings around the outside for a nice fit. If you want to go cheap you could also just roll the cells up in a piece of newspaper. Also if you are using flat top batteries for this you will need a way for them to make contact with the base of the mag switch. A small magnet is the easiest way to do that. Just stick a couple to the + end of the first battery and your good to go.

Since the 26650 batteries are longer than D cells we need to make room by shortening the spring. You can cut some off the bottom of the factory spring and use that. Alternatively a shorter narrower spring is offered by Adventure Sport along with the sleeve. This also has a smaller tip which makes contact with the cell and wont rip the shrink at the edge.

This is where the only tools needed come in. Since the cap is anodized at the bottom you need to remove some so the spring will make electrical contact. An electric drill with a wire brush attachment works well, but if you don't have one you could just scrape some away with a screw driver or similar.

With your build now complete its time to try it out. You have not successfully taken your light from having the output of a half lit match to a LUMINUS SHOCK WAVE!!

If you have enjoyed this instructable there are a couple videos in the picture section your sure to love.