If you�re like me, your first decent flashlight was a Maglite.� And if you�re also like
me a few years ago you began to realize Maglites, while well made, are underpowered, have ugly
tints, and have been left behind competitively.� You�re like well it costs more to make flashlights
in the US.� Well I�m not complaining about the manufacturing� it�s the lack of keeping
up with modern tech that keeps Maglite down.� Internet bros and gals design flashlight parts
and driver code in their freetime out of flashlight love. �If Maglite spent some time designing
a proper flashlight driver, and using high powered LEDs, and practicing some flashlight
love- they could keep up instead�. Whoa hold on� I�m getting a call.� Sorry
awkward time for this.� �
Mark: Hello Matt: Hey Mark, I hear your doing a video
about how much you cant stand Maglites. Mark: Ya, what of it.
Matt:� Well I was just thinking maybe you'd like to try one of my dropins.� I just rolled
out a new version. Mark: Who is this anyway ( in a slightly gruff
tone) Matt:� It's Matt
Mark: Matt who? Matt:� Matt Smith,..� From Adventure Sport
Flashlights.. Mark:� How did you get this number???
Matt;� Dude.. I was at your sisters wedding last month...�� I gave you a ride to the
church in my car... Mark: Ummm Doesn't ring any bells.
Matt:� We were in the high school together for 5 years?
Mark: So what is it you want anyway...�� Oh ya, your gonna send me light bulb or something
right? Matt:� Ya.� I'll get it on the way to
ya bro.�� Try not to hurt your self with it :)
� So that was Matt, from fellow Youtube Channel
Adventure Sport Flashlights.� He�s like hey wait- I make a Maglite way better.�
It�s like it�s on steroids, but all the tests come up clean- like it was competeing
for the tour de france. Was that an improper metaphor usage?� It has that same classic
look, but roided under the hood. Bicycles don�t have a hood.�� Take for example
my old 3D Maglite, that I upgraded to an LED bulb from Walmart.� It puts out 53 lumens,
and uses expensive D Cells.- which if I look on Amazon is slightly less than a $1 a cell
for their cheap ones.� This Maglite had leaky alkalines, so it screwed up the plastic
reflector- that�s why the beam looks like crap, and I�m a disappointment to my parents.
� Now to be fair there are Maglites now that
get close to 700 lumens.� But Adventure Sport Flashlight says naw.� That�s for
children.� So today let me present a 2000 lumen Maglite and a nearly 5000 lumen Maglite.�
Finally it�s a big light that puts out a big amount of light.�� Matt takes Maglites,
rips out the guts, punches them in the face, and puts in some supercharged LEDs and drivers.
� And puts a space in the tube so it can take 26650 lithium ion batteries. �He also
makes bulb drop ins so you can convert your maglite... but you'll need to check his website
for more info about that. �So let's go over the output. �Now there are a ton of mode
group options via programming, because of the firmware... so I went with what suits
me the best. �Here are both lights side by side with my figures for output- note both
lights will be different because of the overall different outputs. I used group 12 which is
4 modes starting with moonlight, which is a bit higher than I'd like out of moonlight.
�Then is 2%, then is 25%. �Then is turbo. �Turbo by default isn't timer-ed... but
since I wanted to do runtime tests I put a turbo timer of about 4 minutes on where it
drops to 50%. �You don't have to do that... but if you ever have a tendency to leave lights
on and run the batteries without being near the light like an idiot- then set a turbo
timer. �4500-5000 lumens is a lot of heat and might damage the light if ran un attended.
The good thing is if you don't do that... your hands are a pretty good indicator if
a light it getting too hot. �The flashlight will become uncomfortable to hold long before
it damages the internals. �So switch to a lower mode if it becomes too hot, or just
turn it off for a few minutes. �Anything lower than turbo mode you don't have to worry
about. �
The UI. �The user interface is super easy. �It's takes a few tries to do the programming-
do get the button presses correct... but out of the box it's just a basic three mode light.
The programming is just a bunch of button presses- and if you can play videos games
prrly like me you can do it. �I programmed my light to have four modes, like I mentioned
in the output section and set my turbo timer. �To operate it it's easy... Just click it
once to turn it on or off. �To switch modes either go through half presses before you
fully click the switch or rapidly turn it on and off to advance modes. �There are
many options for output, turning light on or off or mode memory- so check Adventure
Sports Website to see what other options it uses. �And for people who know flashlights
well, the lights use the DrJones Guppy2Drv firmware.
Now runtimes on 100% and 25%. �For the 2D sized Maglight I used 2 Thorfire 5000 mah
26650 cells. �These cells are chargeable in the same chargers as your 18650 cell because
they are the same voltage... the diameter is bigger so it may be a bit too big for some
chargers without using spacers. �For the 1D maglite I used a Keepower high drain cell.
�Adventure Sport Sells batteries for these lights if you're unsure. �Normal D sized
cells will not work in these flashlights.
100% mode... I set the turbo timers to step down at 3 or 4 minutes. �It's a temperature
timed stepdown... so when you feel the light is getting too hot, you can set the timer
so the light steps down to 50% power. �Colder and warmer ambient room temperatures will
affect how hot the light gets how fast. You can see that over the course of the runtime
as voltage drops in the batteries so does the brightness subtly. At 1 hour and 45 minutes
the 2D drops to a moonlight mode and runs�trhe 1D runs and dims till about 2 hours 55 minutes
until it dims� I ended the test at 3 hours with a low mode of light still coming out
of both lights.
Now 25%. Like high mode brightness drops on both very subtly as battery voltage drops.
Remember though the 2D is a much brighter light and even though it has 2 batteries it
doesn�t run as long because 25% of 4600 lumens is more than 25% of 2200 lumens. Now
your like I get it, I took math in the 3rd grade. You get about 4 hours and 30 minutes
out of the 2D before it hits ultra low mode� Then the 1D starts a more substantial dim
around 6 hours and 45 minutes and then hits emergency light only mode around 7 hours and
50 minutes. I ended the test at 9 hours and 34 minutes with light still coming out of
both. Battery voltage in the 1D was about 2.6 volts and in the big light voltage was
about 3.1 volts per battery. Remember to charge when the light starts dimming considerably.
I used unprotected cells in these lights.- because I needed high drain cells.
Beamshots. �For this I pulled out my big lights... and one light just slightly brighter
than current Maglites, so you can see how much brighter this is then even the brightest
maglites. �I will not use my 3D cell light because it would not show up at this distance.
We'll do all the lights against the 2D first and then the 1D. �First up is the biggun.
�The 2D... this is a very bright very floody light... it's optics scatter the light around
widely, and it has a nice neutral tint... with just a touch of warmth. �The XHP50
emitters provide a ton of brightness. �Now here it is next to the 1D Maglight... about
half as bright but a bit throwier... so while you get less overall light, the light will
reach a little further away from you. �It's a cool white tinted white using 3 Cree XMl2
emitters. �Again this is still over twice as bright as any stock maglite made. �Now
back to the 2D for a second. �I think this is the 4th brightest light I've ever tested.
�Maybe 5th. �Now to the throwier but less bright Convoy L6. �This light uses the same
cells as the 2D maglite. �I call it a 2D maglite but again... it doesn't use D cells...
it's just the size type. �The Convoy has a nice tint too... back to the Maglite. �Now
let's check out the R50 seeker, a light I reviewed last summer... It's a cool white
floody light too, and uses a single 26650 battery. �But the 2D maglit uses 2 of course.
�Another second, then the Noctigon Meteor. �The brightest light in the whole bunch.
�That's my second brightest light... and now the Sunwayman D40A... I put this in here
because the brightest maglites are about 800 lumens and this is over 900... so this is
reference because I don't own any current generation Maglites.
Now the 1D, still a bit brighter than the Sunwayman you just saw. �We'll leave it
up here for a second or few and then compare it to the Convoy L6. �Check out my review
of that for some bad truck driving jokes. �You're like that sounds like a reason to
watch a flashlight review. �Now the R50 seeker... it's compareable to the 1D maglite
a little more, because of the overall brightness, cool tint, and battery size. �Back to the
Maglite for a second. �Doop doop. �Now the Noctigon Meteor... yep that's bright man.
�These are still available too! Also no PWM was visible on any of the modes I tested
on the Maglites.�Ok,, let's wrap it up.
Matt at Adventure Sport flashlight sent me these to check out. �They're amazing. �Matt
is not affiliated with Maglite in any way- hey buys new Maglites... strips out the old
bulb and reflector... puts in a new super LED bulb module, and does some oring modification
and puts in a new insert tube so the batteries fit properly. �The light still retains the
classic Maglite look, but it's way better. �And the good thing is... this thing is
still made in the USA. �It supports Maglite, because the lights are bought... and Adventure
Sport Flashlight has made these drop in LED bulb and driver modules. �Yes the modules
are hand made on Lathes here in the USA by flashlight scientists and craftsmen. �It's
been developed and made by Matt... so you're supporting multiple businesses here. �The
bulbs are available from Matt if you want to modify your own Maglite with a few easy
steps... that you can find out by checking out Adventure sport flashlights Youtube channel,
and their official website. �If you're looking for something bright and classic this is your
light. �It supports American business... it's easy to use... and will blow away all
your friends flashlights. �That is unless they watch this channel and have bought a
Meteor or X7. �But those dudes are insufferable anyway. �A big thanks to Matt... please
subscribe to his channel and this channel, buy your lights from him... leave a comment...
and like this video... and check the video description for a coupon code for Matts Maglites.