change your maglite to L.E.D.

[techieman33]

I have switched most of my maglights over to led, i'm kind of a maglight addict, i own at least 10 of varying sizes, this pertain's to the 2AA model though. It's very simple, and makes a great running light backstage during shows, you can get the leds in all kinds of colors, the batteries last forever, and you don't blow up lamps.

First go to radio shack or anywhere else you can get led's, and find one that is at least 3v, if you get one to small it could blow up, and be sure to look at how the led is focused, they come in varying degrees, from 5 to 50, i think, just cut the pins off a little longer than the standard maglight lamps, then insert it into the plug, if it dosen't come on, pull it out, and plug it in opposite how it was before, it should light up, and depending on the led you may have to drill a larger hole in the reflector, and seeing as how the led is already focused it's not a problem, but you have to leave the reflector in so the the light will turn off.

I usually get somewhere around 50 hours out of a set of batteries, which i love becuause you don't have to worry about the batteries dying in the middle of the show. The light is less intense, but i feel that it's worth it for the much improved battery life, and you don't really need that much light backstage, just enough to see.

The leds only cost a couple of dollars depending on what color you want.

[soundman1024]

For our last production at church I was using a keychain LED as opposed to a mag. It seemed to be alot better at not lighting the whole area up, but lighing up where you shine it better. It was perfect for lighting up the script because it was dim enough to not be a strain on the eyes, but light enough to read the script very well. I think LEDs have alot of uses in the future, but they need to get discovered a little more.
Jeff

[ccfan213]

i have an led headlamp for camping. it has 4 LEDs so it is a bit more powerful than your standard LED lamp, and it straps to your head so your hands are free. its great for setting up a tent or walking in the woods with gear. i have only used it indoors for running wires in small areas that dont have lights like the ceiling of my temple when i was networking it, it would probably work good for climbing through a little passage uner the stage that wires are run through, but it wouldnt work for a show because it provides alot of light. i love it and would definately reccomend headlamps for anyone who has ever found themselves in the situation where they are waling around with a maglite in their mouth or in the dark because they dont have a hand to hold a flashlight

[digitaltec]

One of the best LED Flashlights for this industry:

http://www.sharperimage.com/us/en/ca...2&pid=43506100

[techieman33]

Originally Posted by digitaltec

One of the best LED Flashlights for this industry:

http://www.sharperimage.com/us/en/ca...2&pid=43506100

ya, those are nice, but they are really expenive, they don't look like it but in the long run they are out of most high school and college students, those batteries are well over $10 a pair, and it can be hard to find replacements.

[tenor_singer]

A tech director friend of mine told me that maglite actually has a kit that you can buy that will convert your light bulb to an LED. I don't remember the amount he said that it was, though, I do recall thinking upon his finishing that it seemed fairly pricey.

Sounds like a good idea, though.

[techieman33]

Originally Posted by tenor_singer

A tech director friend of mine told me that maglite actually has a kit that you can buy that will convert your light bulb to an LED. I don't remember the amount he said that it was, though, I do recall thinking upon his finishing that it seemed fairly pricey.

Sounds like a good idea, though.

there are lots of converions kits out there ranging from $20 to $30, but i don't really want to spend that much money on one, and i prefer, to do it myself, mine probably isn't a bright, but i don't want it bright, i want just enough to see where i'm going, read my cue sheet, and watch for spikes on the fly lines.

[digitaltec]

Originally Posted by techieman33

ya, those are nice, but they are really expenive, they don't look like it but in the long run they are out of most high school and college students, those batteries are well over $10 a pair, and it can be hard to find replacements.

Yeah, but for something that can be ran over by a tank and not break, it's a very good christmas list item. The battery life is not bad too 20 hours. I usually chance my maglite batteries out ATLEAST once a month. Maybe I just use mine more then most people, but in my opinion I tend to spend more money on my mag-lite then my X5. But, if you truly want to get a top notch LED flashlight that will last, the X5 is the one to get hands down.

[techieman33]

i disagree, my maglite is indestructible, i've dropped it off the grid and it turned right on, and the only time i put batteries in it are when i start a new show, so 4 sets a year, of AA, and that's pretty **** cheap if you ask me.

[SuperCow]

Get a Scorpion if you want a really bright light. Those things are insanely bright, but a fair bit pricey. They have them at Tools for Stagecraft. They run through batterries quickly, though, but that's because they're so powerful.