Upgrading An Old Style Harbor Freight Incandescent 2 AA Battery Headlamp To An LED Headlamp.

Okay, you got a free Harbor Freight 2 AA incandescent headlamp less than a year ago to use around your house. You're tempted to replace it with a more modern LED Headlamp, yet you hate the idea of tossing out an otherwise good flashlight into your trash. Or perhaps you got this headlamp flashlight a few months ago, only to have the bulb fail prematurely. You find out that most stores including Harbor Freight stopped carrying the replacement incandescent bulb for your headlamp. You wonder if you should toss it, or take the time to look for an LED to replace the small mini maglight style light bulb with an LED. I was wondering where I could find a 2 wire mini maglight bulb to repair my headlamp or a 3 volt white LED to upgrade it. I just recently stopped at my local electronics shop (Orvac Electronics in Fullerton California) and found an LED compatible to replace the blackened miniature bulb in my Harbor Freight headlamp. I found a single white 3mm LED marketed by NTE Electronics to fit in place of the 2 wire bulb. My headlamp still uses all its stock parts, other than the bulb. When you unscrew the lens and reflector, you remove 2 number 1 Phillips screws to remove the bulb. 2 springs retain the 2 wire miniature bulb. Once you remove the retainer springs and old lamp, you bend the leads on the LED and secure the LED to the bulb holder with the springs. No need to trim the leads on the LED either; just bend the extra length to fit into the housing. Just so you know, LEDs are polarized, so if the LED doesn't light up the first time you turn on the switch, remove the holder, LED and flip the LED around. Once you turn the LED around, when you screw the bulb housing in, the LED should light up. You'll find the light to be much brighter than the original bulb. The NTE brand LED part number is NTE30004, a super bright white LED that fits perfectly in the Harbor Freight headlamp without modifications.