Fulton Military Flashlight MX-991\U LED Conversion, Restoration, Part 3 The End
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- Опубликовано: 30 сен 2024
- IT IS DONE! PHEW! It was just a flashlight, but it was my longest project yet. At the end there is some footage to compare how bright the two bulbs are with and without the diffuser. My 15 year old video camera does not handle the dark very well, so you can see a good comparison, but not really a good value. In reality, the incandescent bulb is fine for a room, or close by, but the LED blows it away in overall brightness and effective distance outside. I can spotlight a treeline 200 to 250 feet away with the LED. The incandescent is barely visible at 50 feet. Also note the LED kit clamshell packaging is snap together instead of sealed, so its much easier to open. Even the packaging is great! GOOD JOB FULTON INDUSTRIES!
The white plastic lens is for reading maps at night without giving off a huge light signature. Red doesn't work because it distorts the map colors.
Thanks Mike!
Most likely, when you are faced with having to move at night, you will be stricken with brilliant flash of intelligence, that maybe you should camp in place instead of treading around the forest at night, understand that creatures that might eat you can see you and they dont need any light at all. Save your map reading for the day because the night is filled with creatures that dont need maps to find you.
@@liamalepta8003 The creatures that don't need light and maps will find me if I use my white lens? Couldn't they find me without it anyway? That's a contradictory statement. Understand that this is a military flashlight and military operations don't stop just because the sun goes down. The worst creatures to worry about are humans.
The blue filter has an interesting effect on road maps printed here in Brazil: secondary and unpaved roads disappears, while main highways and state border lines are highlighted. Very useful to "clean" the map from unnecessary data when desired.
Yellow filter is useful in areas with many insects. It not attracts 🦟.
Just bought one from a swap meet for 200 pesos which is 10 dollars but its in near perfect condition. Hopefully I can Covert it too led
Good luck! Thanks for watching! 👍😁👍
That was a really good three part series! The LED conversion kit is impressive!
Thanks! It is super cool that its so easy to upgrade such an old flashlight.
Energizer sells non-rechargeable lithium batteries. I’ve been using those instead of alkalines and I’m happy with them. They cost more, but they don’t leak, last longer and have a 20 year shelf life
You forgot the gasket where the bulb/lense assembly screws onto the body. I have a newer Fulton that I want to do the LED conversion on as well. Thanks for giving me the motivation!
Complete success. That 50 year old flashlight looks like new, and the led conversion really improves its practicality. I have some older flashlights I've upgraded to led and I'm happy in every case. The Fulton conversion is a great idea. I'm going to follow through with it on my 1942 Navy issue flashlight. Thanks for the great info. Really enjoy the channel. Regards.
Thanks! Good luck with your WW2 flashlight!
Consider: Keep the D size batteries. (7k mAh) Although heavier they offer a much longer life solution then the AAs. (2.5k mAh) 🧐 An LED is a diode not a bulb. Nice video. 👍🏻
Thank you Phil!
One bright diode. What's a diode? Basically, LEDs are just tiny light bulbs that fit easily into an electrical circuit. But unlike incandescent bulbs, they don't have filaments that burn out, they use less electricity, and they don't get especially hot.
I've picked up five of these at yard sales in recent years at a buck a pop (or less). Only one had a bad switch and the rest were operable. Between them I have a full set of filters plus spares. (I've read that the white opaque disk is for reading battlefield maps, where a red light would make red printing invisible, and is very dim with the standard bulb.)
Coverted three to LEDs -- one in my workshop two for cars. I figure the D-cells will offer lots of run time in cases where weight is not an issue.
Agreed! I have not been so lucky to find any more since this one. I always have my eye out for more at a reasonable price, but I have not been lucky. Yet... :) Thanks for watching!
Nice upgrade, mine has still the original bulb but I'll probably upgrade it (however I have some modern flashlights like the Olight X7 and Imalent DN70 that easily outshine even upgraded incandescent flashlights).
IMHO you could upgrade that even further with LED modules by LiteXpress or Nite Ize, they are meant for C-/D-Cell Maglites with up to 6 but AFAIK these also use P13.5 bulbs and them put a Lithium-Ion rechargeable battery in (maybe a 26650 or 32650 with some (3D-printed) adapter that extends it to the size of these two D-Cells or even two smaller cells but in serial so you have double the voltage, as said these upgrade modules can do 6 cells and that's 9V, two fully charged lithium-ion cells do 8.4V), that should be no problem for these "dumb" flashlights (with no electronic parts, just an electric circuit with a switch, batteries and the light bulb).
@@kuchenblechmafiagmbh1381 Thanks! Thanks for all the great info, and THANKS FOR WATCHING!
Oh thank the RUclips gods. I've been wondering for YEARS what to do with my Fulton MX-991\U. I knew it could be restored, I'm getting ready to order parts!! Thanks for the videos!
Thank you for the fun comment! I need all the laughs I can get this week! Good luck with your project!
That TL-122 looks to be an authentic issue. When in basic training in the Army, it wasnt issued, but you were given a list of items you need that you purchase at the PX in reception. So this flashlight and a package of two D batteries was on that list. Every new recruit bought their own flashlight. We had to use the red filter on fire guard duty. Thats when you patrol the barracks, its a job everyone does. When we did our first field training again we were instructed to use the red filter on the parameter. Times has changed and now there is infrared technology , however I purchased a number of these for a very specific reason. The red and blue filter combined makes a purple light. All of the military vehicles have special lights they use called Black Out mode, they are purple lights or black lights, very small and very dim. In cover of trees at night , its almost impossible to see a platoon or convoy of military vehicles using only black out mode lights. With this knowledge, I use my flashlights as stealth camp lights at night in my tent . I have tested this, i made my camp and had just my angle head flashlight with a the red and blue filter combined , turned it on and set in the tent. I walked out 20 feet from the tent and I could barely see any visible light, then I walked out about 40 ft much dimemer. But at a 100 ft, a distance that some one passing by on such as a trail or road, no visible light from the tent. couldn't see it. Entirely stealth with even a light so you can see to move around, make your dinner, set up for sleep or even read a book for entertainment when stealth camping. Ive been told by guys on other comments about this infrared, like as to discredit my comments. The thing they should do is give this a try, even in the back yard in a tent. There are many flashlights on the market, yet the practicality of this angle head is fantastic, It has a pop up hook to hang it in your tent, the belt clip is very sturdy. I t will clip onto your backpack should strap, its weather proof, has a spare bulb, you can buy LED bulbs, but I go with the dimmer because of stealth reasons. I investigated many ways to have a light source on my camping trips. I do stealth camping as a hobby and put a lot of time into research of this. I have a hammock tent and a bivvy tent . I have actual radar reflecting camo netting which will also break up infared optics. Can look directly at my camp and wont see it with even night vision because ordinary people today have these electronic gadgets. The purple light is undetectable in this type of camp set up. Guys on here can refute me all they wish, but should first go field test this. To one up with the guys who are hardcore on nay saying about having a flashlight in a survival shelter...need to one test what Im saying first instead of dreaming up in their urban home AND two understand that most people looking to steal your stock pile foods in a SHTF situation, wont have infared equipment to see your position to start with. They didnt plan to have food sources or gear or ammo, they certainly didnt plan to have infared optics for tracking night targets. AND if you are worried about night infiltration to your camp to steal your food stocks, there are methods of parameter warning, like mine where I load 12 gauge shotgun shells directed at the breach of security like claymore mines. So if they do see me, their chances of getting to me wont be so fruitful. So i can relax better and read a book about survival in the woods when SHTF or heat some dinner while the zombies starve.
Thank you for the detailed comment about the uses of the colored filters and about stealth camping! Thanks for watching! 👍😁👍
Yeah, you're better off using the Incandescent Bulbs. Heck, if you wanna go even dimmer, use a higher voltage bulb like say a 5 Cell 6V Maglite Bulb. The highest is the 6 cell (7 cell are rare nowadays and no longer produced) rated at 7.2 volts.
It appears you left out at least one rubber "O" ring/gasket.
Where do you think there should be another one?
@@timeflysintheshop near where the bulb goes. It looks like there is a gap there, probably for a gasket
Outstanding! I wonder what the battery life difference is with the LED (D’s vs AA’s)
Great stuff! 😃👍
@@planejet42 I thought that as well, but the seal at the lens reflector will seal that end of the flashlight. Also I looked at many pic online either on Ebay, or whatever google came up with and none of them show a gasket in that groove. But the closest thing to proof I found was the pics of flashlights on the Fulton Industries web site. None of the pics on their site show a gasket there.
@@ScoutCrafter I looked and unless you just compare milliamp hour ratings of the batteries, its hard to know for sure. Even then the ratings change based on the load, and the temperature. Using an average of brands... it looks to me like a D-cell holds about six and a half times as much energy as a AA. But the slower you discharge a battery, ths more you get out of it. So I think a D cell will last about seven times as long as the AA batteries. If you want max capacity and don't care about the weight, use the D cells. Maybe the dry cell D batteries would be best. They weigh less, but will still last about four times as long as alkaline AAs.
Very good. Just read about these Vietnam flashlights and came here to check them out.
Thanks for watching! I just used this flashlight to change a lamp base in a closet, and I brought it with me on vacation. You can not go wrong to buy a quality tool of any kind! 😁👍😁
The LED is much brighter. I can’t tell from my phone, is it a cool white or warm white LED? I tend to prefer the warmer white.
I think its more of a cool white.
Those D-cell adapters are too cool! I found one of these at a antique shop several years back and have been meaning to upgrade to LED for years so that LED kit is a no brainer.
Fulton Industries Rocks! Thanks for watching!
One must respect the engineering In military issue gear , even the ubiquitous angle head flashlights.
Agreed! Thanks for watching!
Thanks for your video mate, I had one of these as a kid.
I will get one again and mod it, :)
Good Luck with your project! Just out of curiosity, R U Australian?
@@timeflysintheshop yeah man
@@Tunzbig cool! If you don't already watch this channel, you may like it. Check it out! ruclips.net/video/Pj3GUu3iUeA/видео.html
Led is the only way to go!
Agreed! Thanks for watching!
My botom part wont open
Hmm... Sorry to hear that. Do you mean the bottom of the bottom where the filters go, or the main bottom with the spring contact for the batteries?
What happens if you keep the D cells in there after converting to LED? Will it ruin it? Also, do you know where I can get that green lens?
If you use D cells with the LED, it will work perfectly fine. The D cells will last a very long time! I bought the replacement kit from Fulton Industries. The info is in the video, or you can just look them up on Google. 😁. Thanks for watching! 👍
@@timeflysintheshop thank you so much! I greatly appreciate it. I am going to be using this for signaling purposes
@@HumbleCowboy92 UR welcome Scuffyman! If you like old tools and tractor shows, check out some of my other videos! 😉👍
What exactly did you use to polish the contact also is the flash light water proof/ressistant?
Well I have never immersed it in water, or used it in a heavy downpour, so I can not say for certain how water "proof" it is, but it is certainly built to be very water resistant. I am not sure how the switch is actually constructed inside. It is riveted so I did not want to disassemble it. As for the polishing, I was using little buffing wheels and compound from Harbor Freight with a dremel tool. Though the final polish on all the metal materials was Flitz! I still use this flashlight with the LED conversion with the same AA batteries in it to walk the dog in the dark. It has been a very useful and dependable flashlight for me. Take note that the spring contact in the bottom needed a little bend in the top end to make sure it touches the smaller bottom of the AA at the center of the holder.
@@timeflysintheshop wow i didn't actually expect a response thank you so much very helpful maybe i can actually resore mine after all😂
If you watch all three parts, or the single video version, it should show you everything you might need to get yours working. Assuming your switch is good inside. That is the only part I did not disassemble because it is riveted. Good Luck! :)@@bananafriend2264
Awesome! Great conversion! 😃👍
Thank you😺
You are welcome! Thanks for watching! 👍😁👍
quick question, which way does the diffuser sit?? rough side in? or out?
Good Question. I am not sure that it makes a difference to the light output either way, and I don't think it would impact the waterproof functionality. I don't think it matters, but I will have to take a look at it to be sure. If I can remember to, I will and get back to you.
@@timeflysintheshop no hurry, probably just asking one of those super nerdy 'neche' questions. but if u do find out something let me know!
Curious how much was the LED conversion kit...and where...stay safe...
If I remember right, the LED conversion kit was $20ish. If you watch the first video about the flashlight, I show the kit and the business card of the place. You can get their website and phone number off the card, or Google Fulton Industries in Ohio.
Let there be Light well atleast Flash Light. Just in time for the rain storm !
Great video. I'm looking online to replace the bulbs in my 2 Fulton lights.. I have already found the battery cases. Can you please tell me what numbers and letters are written on the side of the bulb ? I want to cheap out and just buy the individual parts and not pay for the kit.. By the time 2 kits are shipped to Canada I might as well have bought 3 steak dinners or a tank of fuel .
Thanks
Thanks Daveh! I checked the LED bulb and all it says is "PR-LED". I hope that helps! When I was looking to buy some LEDs to upgrade some old maglight flashlights, it seemed to be important to know if your flashlight had 2,3,4,5 batteries. The LEDs are rated by watts or lumens, but most importantly, they are designed to run on higher or lower voltage. Batteries are always in series in a flashlight so the voltage goes up with each additional battery. Good luck with your project and thanks for watching! 👍😁👍
@@timeflysintheshop Thanks I upgraded my 3 D cell maglite to an led which works a treat but the bulb is larger and fatter Will not fit my Fultons. I appreciate the info and will search for that bulb Dave
That’s a quality train painting. Good job on the boy.
Thanks for the compliment. He is twelve now and if you watch some of my recent videos, he is getting his own shop space set up and getting a lathe going too!
congrats man on your resto..it works.
Thanks!
Good series. Thank you.
Thank you! Thanks for watching!
Great videos! I am picking one of those lights up today! I will get the conversion kit from Fulton. One question, did you do a run time test on with the AA batteries ? Thanks
Thanks for watching! Good luck with your project! No, I did not do any runtime tests. ☹️. You are welcome to do your own tests and post your results in a comment. Then I will pin your comment to the top so others can see it!
You got a good Vietnam era one doesn’t have the switch guard like the newer ones do
Yes. There seems to be tons of the post Vietnam era models available on ebay and such, but not quite so many of the older ones. The replacement kit is not really for the old model. Its for the newer ones. That is why it did not come with the channel gasket my old one has. Thanks for watching!
@@timeflysintheshop im mad at my self i saw a Vietnam one for 10 bucks at a gun show i got the guys card im sure he hasn't sold it yes
@@joegreen4547 Good luck Mean Joe Green! :)
What's bad about having the switch guard?
Was it easy or do you have to remember the instructions
I am not sure if you are being serious, but it is quite easy to do. Thanks for watching! 👍👍😀
@@timeflysintheshop thanks. I was sereus