Some years ago, before LEDs were a thing, I bought an Ultrafire WF-500 Flashlight that features a Xeon light bulb. As you might imagine the bulb reached its lifetime and burned away.
Now a replacement bulb is available here https://www.ebay.com/itm/321916301663 the thing is that it will cost me 35€ and for that price I could just buy a new LED flashlight.
Now I was considering trying to adapt a generic LED bulb like this one here https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005002419159094.html?mp=1.
Anyone else with this model of flashlight succeed at a similar mod? Any LED bulb recommendations? Or... is there any other source for the original bulb at a lower cost?
Some photos:
- https://cdn.tcb13.com/2023/wf500-bulb.jpg
- https://cdn.tcb13.com/2023/wf500-bulb2.jpg
- https://cdn.tcb13.com/2023/wf500-bulb3.jpg
Thank you.
From looking at the LED bulb, I can tell you that it will not work very well in that flashlight.
The reflector of the flashlight is built so light coming from a very small source (like the filament of an incandescent bulb) is directed forward in a focused beam. With the led bulb, light is coming from 10 different spots, none of them being in the focus point of the reflector. The result will be a spread out beam that won't be bright over longer distances.
The only type of LED bulb that could work is something like this car replacement bulb that keeps the light source to a relatively small spot. But I don't think those are available in the size you need.
I agree, but I also think that using a modern LED with a single source of forward-facing light is fine. However the emitter would need to be properly positioned in the light.
Here’s a very similar host (from one of the best low-cost flashlight makers) showing a properly aligned LED and reflector:
Product link: https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256801849471618.html