Would you be interested if I told you I knew how to make a rugged, high-quality LED flashlight which is just as nice as a top of the line Surefire (which cost $200+) for less than $40? What if I told you I was willing to share my secret with you? If so, read on:
For this project you will need:
1 Hugsby S3 flashlight - $20
1 Cree P60L or Cree R2 LED module - $8
3 CR123 batteries - price varies
The ability to unscrew an object and screw it back together.
The Hugsby S3 can be bought on eBay for $20 w/free shipping if you want the one with the shotgun mount. (Most shotgun flashlight mounts go for $60- the Hugsby mount alone is worth the $20. Use shorter screws if you want to mount it to a rifle- the ones made to wrap around a shotgun barrel are too long.) The lights without the mount cost less. They ship from China so be willing to wait two to three weeks. They also includes a regular tail-cap and one with a pressure switch. The pressure switch is cool; but remember that if that wire gets severed somehow, there goes your light source. If you really want to use the pressure switch I recommend carrying the regular tail cap on your weapon as a back-up. A hollow pistol grip would work perfectly for this.
The flashlight itself is made of aluminum (it is plenty combat-rugged) and requires 3 CR123 batteries. While it will never be super-lightweight like a plastic Surefire, it will be tougher. That third battery adds more weight as well, but also means less worrying about battery life. It’s really not all that heavy. Be aware it is pretty bulky for EDC. TAANSTAAFL, folks. IMO, this thing really shines (forgive the pun) as a weapon-mounted light, a car flashlight, or in any other situation it doesn’t have to fit in a pocket. For the money, you will not beat this. It will certainly put any Mag-Lite to shame and hold its own against any Surefire. They are using the exact same LED modules, after all.
The LED modules can be bought from Dealextreme for about $8 w/free shipping. They also ship from China. P60L has a light output of 80 lumens, the R2 has a light output of 300 lumens. I have both and personally prefer the P60L; its light output is more than enough for nearly any situation and the batteries will last longer. It also diminishes your night sight less quickly if you have to use it for only a brief period of time. The R2 is much cheaper despite being much brighter.
I recommend buying the batteries in bulk from eBay. The inexpensive ones once again come straight from China. For those of you who don’t know, CR123 batteries (also called “CR123a”) are camera batteries. Regular AAs, etc. don’t work nearly as well in LED flashlights, and die rapidly. Wal-Mart sells plenty of quality LED flashlights (with Cree LEDs) which run off of regular batteries- buy one and eventually you’ll wish you just did it right the first time and bought a flashlight which uses weird batteries. Trust me!
After all of your parts arrive in the mail, use this guide to perform your modifications:
1.) Unscrew the front-most part of the flashlight head and pull out the zenon bulb module (it is all one piece and will come right out with no problems).
2.) Drop in the LED module.
3.) Re-tighten the front of the flashlight head.
4.) Install batteries.
5.) Turn on.
6.) Enjoy.
IMO, this is the perfect solution for the economically challenged (who isn’t these days?) and those of us who prefer spending our big bucks on things other than flashlights. Those of you who do have the “Real deal” expensive stuff will do well to try this cheap and fun little project out; at the very least it will make a quality affordable back-up to your expensive stuff. Have fun!
Addendum: If you have a favorite LED module you would like to try, as long as it measures 26.5mm x 29mm it will probably work.
For this project you will need:
1 Hugsby S3 flashlight - $20
1 Cree P60L or Cree R2 LED module - $8
3 CR123 batteries - price varies
The ability to unscrew an object and screw it back together.
The Hugsby S3 can be bought on eBay for $20 w/free shipping if you want the one with the shotgun mount. (Most shotgun flashlight mounts go for $60- the Hugsby mount alone is worth the $20. Use shorter screws if you want to mount it to a rifle- the ones made to wrap around a shotgun barrel are too long.) The lights without the mount cost less. They ship from China so be willing to wait two to three weeks. They also includes a regular tail-cap and one with a pressure switch. The pressure switch is cool; but remember that if that wire gets severed somehow, there goes your light source. If you really want to use the pressure switch I recommend carrying the regular tail cap on your weapon as a back-up. A hollow pistol grip would work perfectly for this.
The flashlight itself is made of aluminum (it is plenty combat-rugged) and requires 3 CR123 batteries. While it will never be super-lightweight like a plastic Surefire, it will be tougher. That third battery adds more weight as well, but also means less worrying about battery life. It’s really not all that heavy. Be aware it is pretty bulky for EDC. TAANSTAAFL, folks. IMO, this thing really shines (forgive the pun) as a weapon-mounted light, a car flashlight, or in any other situation it doesn’t have to fit in a pocket. For the money, you will not beat this. It will certainly put any Mag-Lite to shame and hold its own against any Surefire. They are using the exact same LED modules, after all.
The LED modules can be bought from Dealextreme for about $8 w/free shipping. They also ship from China. P60L has a light output of 80 lumens, the R2 has a light output of 300 lumens. I have both and personally prefer the P60L; its light output is more than enough for nearly any situation and the batteries will last longer. It also diminishes your night sight less quickly if you have to use it for only a brief period of time. The R2 is much cheaper despite being much brighter.
I recommend buying the batteries in bulk from eBay. The inexpensive ones once again come straight from China. For those of you who don’t know, CR123 batteries (also called “CR123a”) are camera batteries. Regular AAs, etc. don’t work nearly as well in LED flashlights, and die rapidly. Wal-Mart sells plenty of quality LED flashlights (with Cree LEDs) which run off of regular batteries- buy one and eventually you’ll wish you just did it right the first time and bought a flashlight which uses weird batteries. Trust me!
After all of your parts arrive in the mail, use this guide to perform your modifications:
1.) Unscrew the front-most part of the flashlight head and pull out the zenon bulb module (it is all one piece and will come right out with no problems).
2.) Drop in the LED module.
3.) Re-tighten the front of the flashlight head.
4.) Install batteries.
5.) Turn on.
6.) Enjoy.
IMO, this is the perfect solution for the economically challenged (who isn’t these days?) and those of us who prefer spending our big bucks on things other than flashlights. Those of you who do have the “Real deal” expensive stuff will do well to try this cheap and fun little project out; at the very least it will make a quality affordable back-up to your expensive stuff. Have fun!
Addendum: If you have a favorite LED module you would like to try, as long as it measures 26.5mm x 29mm it will probably work.
