Baltics are here!

[Lebkuecher]

what level Baltic would equate to the runtime of a Pacific?

Lebkuecher, what level is your Baltic?

I bought the Ultra High power. I would not recommend this power level if your looking for long runtime. It will blow away anything on the CPF now using a AAA battery but the runtime is less then an hour. I know that it is brighter than my Pacific's but not that noticeable brighter so a good compromise would be to drop at least one power level. If your long term plan is to use the smaller battery packs then you would want to maybe drop two power levels or more. I'm not sure which level exactly matches the Pacific.

 

[BentHeadTX]

I bought the Ultra High power. I would not recommend this power level if your looking for long runtime. It will blow away anything on the CPF now using a AAA battery but the runtime is less then an hour. I know that it is brighter than my Pacific's but not that noticeable brighter so a good compromise would be to drop at least one power level. If your long term plan is to use the smaller battery packs then you would want to maybe drop two power levels or more. I'm not sure which level exactly matches the Pacific.

I have a Super Ultra High Power version coming that pulls 1.5 watts from a single AAA battery. Yeah, it is the "Holy$#!* light and will run a NiMH for maybe half an hour or so. Also have the 2xAAA body coming so the power will jump another 50% but should run 45 minutes. It will be used as a high power 2xAAA penlight and I will see if it can keep up with the Med 2AA.

Peak rates their lights in candlepower 50cp, 75cp, 100cp, 175cp and 230cp. Robyn stated that the Baltic will put out half the candlepower but the same lumens as the Pacific. The Pacific will put out a touch more than 200cp so I am guessing the 100cp model of Baltic has the same power as the Pacific.

Since the 230cp version is the Super Ultra High Power... running 2xAAA should give around 345cp or Super Duper Ultra High Power?

 

[xring]

I don't have any meters for measurement, but my Pacific Super Ultra with a green luxeon seemed as bright after 2 hours as when fresh. This is with the AA tube. Finally after around 4 hours it's declining rapidly, but is still very usable out to 20' or so.

Does the green drain more slowly??

 

[cave dave]

Peak, claims the Lug style never sold well. But then again the website layout is pretty confusing and it wasn't obvious that lug style even existed. And even if you knew it existed it wasn't easy to find.

I would like to see a standup lug that added no more than 5 mm to the pocket body as an option on all the smaller Peak lights. IMHO a keychain light has to be A) as small as possible and b) attach to your keychain.

 

[Theatre Booth Guy]

I'm just curious about the people on the forum who have bought the Baltic and have used it now for a little time what you now think? What are your overall impressions now?

Personally I like the Baltic a lot and feel that it is worth every penny I spent. I bought the Ultra high power and it is incredibly bright for a AAA light. As far as I'm concerned I prefer the Baltic over the Fenix L0P mainly because of beam quality, throw, brightness and tint. I don't see much of a comparison, the only advantage to the Fenix that I can see is the overall size. (Please come out with a lug style Peak)

I was walking through the house and outside last night playing with some lights and it just got woundering if other people feel the same as me. What do you like and dislike about the Baltic?

I got one of the 50 CP stainless, single AAA lights with the momentary switch and am very happy with the light. For most of what I do, the light is more than bright enough (close up work in dim areas and to see walking around in near total darkness). The stainless feels like a tank which is both good and bad. An aluminum version may be a good choice for keychains but, I'm still really happy with my AAA Matterhorn using a lithium battery.

 

[tsask]

I Pacific Super Ultra with a green luxeon seemed as bright after 2 hours as when fresh. This is with the AA tube. Finally after around 4 hours it's declining rapidly, but is still very usable out to 20' or so. Does the green drain more slowly??

Wow a GREEN PACIFIC?!:goodjob: I can't believe I haven't heard of that before!!!

I wonder I there will be GREEN baltics?

 

[xring]

I was in the right place at the right time on the green lux. I happened to inquire, and they had just gotten in 5 in. I like the green, because it's easy on the eyes though it's bright, and I don't lose depth perception as I do with blue.

 

[tsask]

I was in the right place at the right time on the green lux. I happened to inquire, and they had just gotten in 5 in. I like the green, because it's easy on the eyes though it's bright, and I don't lose depth perception as I do with blue.

WTG on that buy! I wonder if there are any remaining?hopefully I can get in on any future GREEN peak products Baltic in green would be nice. I may need a couple Baltics with different power levels that 230 CP AAA is a must have!

 

[nocturnal]

I'm just curious about the people on the forum who have bought the Baltic and have used it now for a little time what you now think? What are your overall impressions now?

I got mine about 10 days ago, and have been using it daily ever since.

Output: I got an ultra power unit. Total output is about 50% higher than my high power Pacific. Beam center brightness is a little less than the Pacific, which would be in line with Peak's ratings of 175 cp (vs. 230 cp for the HP Pacific).

Beam shape: The Baltic hotspot is very even and about 1.5x the diameter/more than 2x the area of the Pacific's hotspot. The spill appears brighter. I thought the difference to the Pacific wouldn't be that noticeable. But in actual use, the larger hotspot and less intense contrast between hotspot and spill is very pleasant, and I now like it even better than the Pacific for medium distances up to about 10-15 yards/meters outdoors.

Runtime: I've made tests with 1000 mAh Sanyo HR-4U rechargeables (using my digital camera as I don't have more sophisticated equipment):
- 1 hour 20 minutes about constant brightness
- then drops instantly about 30% in output (total output then equal to a high power pacific in ceiling bounce test)
- thereafter gradually dimming more and more, about 50% of original output at 1:40 h
- total runtime about 2:20 h (to 1.05V battery voltage, still usable in a dark room, but probably not without dark adapted eyes).

Tint: Mine is neutral white with no green or purplish tint. It has a noticeably lower color temperature than my other Peak Luxeons (CCT probably in the 4500-5000K range compared to other light sources). I like that a lot, especially outdoors in a natural environment with typical plant colors.

Form factor: Absolutely perfect for my purposes. I didn't intend to put it on my keychain, and for pocket or bag EDC it's as small as I would like it.

Machining and overall quality: The threads on my HA Baltic are perfectly smooth (as with all my Peak lights), but needed lube (again, as with all my Peaks). While it doesn't turn as easily as my Pacific (probably due to a somehow thicker o-ring), I can easily use it with one hand, and it won't get switched on unintentionally.

Would I buy it again? In a heartbeat. I might think twice about the power level, though. With the same batteries, I get about 4 hours of useful output from my high power Pacific, which doesn't appear so much dimmer in actual use. If you don't need the extra brightness for the first 80 minutes, the high power version might be a good choice. Even better, of course, would be a two-stage switch.


There is, however, a peculiarity with the body and head length of my unit: The body is about 1 mm shorter than the Pacific AAA body (while the negative contact and battery are at the same position). So the head only screws in for about 2 full turns until the light comes on, while it screws in 3-3.5 turns on my Pacific. Also, the bezel's outer aluminum casing is a bit short, exposing a small band of un-anodized aluminum on the inner base of the head. In combination with the shorter battery tube, this leads to a gap of almost 3 mm between head and body, while there's next to no gap on the Pacific. I hope this is just an "early adopter" issue that Peak will eventually fix. Do other people have similar observations, or is my unit the only one with that issue?

 

[jburgett]

There is, however, a peculiarity with the body and head length of my unit: The body is about 1 mm shorter than the Pacific AAA body (while the negative contact and battery are at the same position). So the head only screws in for about 2 full turns until the light comes on, while it screws in 3-3.5 turns on my Pacific. Also, the bezel's outer aluminum casing is a bit short, exposing a small band of un-anodized aluminum on the inner base of the head. In combination with the shorter battery tube, this leads to a gap of almost 3 mm between head and body, while there's next to no gap on the Pacific. I hope this is just an "early adopter" issue that Peak will eventually fix. Do other people have similar observations, or is my unit the only one with that issue?

I have exactly the same problem with mine! In fact, the momentary pushbutton switch that works so well with my other Peak lights (Pacific, Caribbean, McKinley) does poorly with the Baltic. The gap you describe is there in my sample as well, and it looks like a tolerance problem. I hope this will be rectified in future production runs. The thickness of the O-ring makes mine much more difficult to turn with one hand, noticeably more than my Pacific.

I am very happy with the beam and the brightness. It gives nothing away to the Pacific in that department.

 

[nocturnal]

The thickness of the O-ring makes mine much more difficult to turn with one hand, noticeably more than my Pacific.

Have you tried different kinds of lube? I put some "White Lightning" tool & knive wax lubricant on the threads, and it has made it way easier to turn with one hand. It's not really intended for aluminum and o-rings, but steel and brass, so I can't vouch for o-ring compatibility. But I've been using it on my Pacific (which at first was a little stiff as well) for many months now without any problems. The Pacific has become so smooth that it almost turns on on its own.

I tried the momentary switch on my Baltic 2AAA body, and the body seems too short for it to work correctly as well. The same switch works perfectly fine with the Pacific 2AAA body, though.

I really hope Peak checks the tolerances and makes the bodies in future runs a tad bit longer. Apart from that, it's a terrific light. :thumbsup:

 

[Theatre Booth Guy]

I have exactly the same problem with mine! In fact, the momentary pushbutton switch that works so well with my other Peak lights (Pacific, Caribbean, McKinley) does poorly with the Baltic. The gap you describe is there in my sample as well, and it looks like a tolerance problem. I hope this will be rectified in future production runs. The thickness of the O-ring makes mine much more difficult to turn with one hand, noticeably more than my Pacific.

I am very happy with the beam and the brightness. It gives nothing away to the Pacific in that department.

My stainless Baltic has the same tolerance issues but this does not seem to affect my love of the little light!

 

[jburgett]

Have you tried different kinds of lube? I put some "White Lightning" tool & knive wax lubricant on the threads, and it has made it way easier to turn with one hand. It's not really intended for aluminum and o-rings, but steel and brass, so I can't vouch for o-ring compatibility. But I've been using it on my Pacific (which at first was a little stiff as well) for many months now without any problems. The Pacific has become so smooth that it almost turns on on its own.

I have been using the same "White Lightning" wax-based lube, except that it is sold for use on bicycle chains! It works fantastic on every light I have tried. My Pacific, Caribbean, McKinley, Matterhorn, LRI Proton, etc. . They all turn as smooth as can be. I especially like how it does not build up and collect dust. I was going to start a thread on it in the general forum, because it has been working so well for me. The Baltic, however, still turns quite hard (but smoothly!) using White Lightning. I think that either the tolerance is too tight, or the o-ring is too thick.

Edit: I re-lubed the o-ring and threads once more, and now it is not quite so difficult. I'd rate it acceptable now. (I must not have removed all the leftover gunk from my previous silicone lube testing).

Also . . . I cleaned and lubed the screw-in spring contact at the bottom of the battery compartment. (It was loaded with some kind of black grease from the factory.) The White Lightning wax-based lube has really improved the reliability of the connection there too!

 

[Peter Atwood]

Love the Baltic with a momentary switch! The switch really makes all the difference IMO and transforms this from a nice little light to precision lighting instrument.

I too was bothered by the big gap between head and body and solved mine by throwing a fat O-ring in there. It acts as a rubber bumper and gives you some forward tactile control, kinda like a SF G2z in miniature.

Notice the narrow groove underneath the pocket clip:

What I would dearly love to see in a future model besides the better fit between head and body:

If the head were made of a little thicker stock, one or two O-ring grooves could be turned in there. An O-ring or two on the head would provide a sure grip for one hand twisty operation of the light. It would act as a bumper so that the head would be somewhat isolated from shock when dropped. It would quiet the light down and help keep the unit away from other objects when dangling from a keyring. It would help preserve the HA-III because of the bumper effect. It would also provide sure non slip grip for the colder months when skin is dry and hands are slippery. And did I mention that O-rings are available in Glow in the Dark...bonus!

The other change I would like to see is the grooves in the body of the tool could be widened a bit. Doing so would allow the pocket slip to snap into place and not move up and down the body. A second wide groove could be turned on the other end so that the clip becomes reversible.

There you go, two good ideas that will not cost hardly anything and that will make what is already a very nice light the very best of its class.

 

[nocturnal]

I too was bothered by the big gap between head and body and solved mine by throwing a fat O-ring in there.

Nice idea!

I reduced that gap in mine by immobilizing the spring-loaded battery contact at the tail end in its rearmost position, providing additional space in the battery tube. Now the head-to-body fit is as perfect as in my Pacific, and this apparently is more than a cosmetic improvement. The head now turns noticeably easier, probably because it uses at least 3 1/2 turns of the threads instead of only about two before, providing more even distribution of pressure.

That may not be easily compatible with the tailswitch, though (it would be possible to shorten the switch itself a bit). I would rather have it fit right out of the package with a slightly longer body, but for now, I'm a happy camper.

 

[Galiphrey]

I reduced that gap in mine by immobilizing the spring-loaded battery contact at the tail end in its rearmost position

How'd you do that? Oh, did you just unscrew the negative contact as far as possible, or remove a spring or something like this?

 

[nocturnal]

How'd you do that? Oh, did you just unscrew the negative contact as far as possible, or remove a spring or something like this?

I remembered that one of my many Peak bodies had a contact that easily got jammed. Lube had helped, but I had put that one aside when I bought momentary tailswitches. Now I took that very contact, removed the lube and just pressed it really hard between my fingers. Voila, jammed again. Just a quick fix, but it won't get unstuck on its own.

The spring is still in there, and with fine pliers, I can easily pull the contact plate out again and make it operate normal. But without the spring and some loc-tite or similar stuff, it should be possible to achieve the same result semi-permanently with any contact post. The light then operates the same way as with a lug-style body, so you just have to be a bit more careful not to use excessive force when turning the head.

 

[BrightIdeaOSU]

I've got a glo-ring in the annoying gap, as you put it, and it looks perfect. I don't know if the head could be grooved deeply enough for rings without affecting its structural integrity.

My 2 cents

 

[Nebula]

Peter Atwood wrote:

[I too was bothered by the big gap between head and body and solved mine by throwing a fat O-ring in there. It acts as a rubber bumper and gives you some forward tactile control, kinda like a SF G2z in miniature].

Peter - Brilliant! I looked at your photo thinking - My Baltic doesn't look like that! Then I read your fix. I don't have a supply of O rings and the guys at Home Depot would think I am nuts if I go in and start opening packages. Do you remember the size you used? Thanks. Kirk K

 

[BentHeadTX]

The Baltics came in today!

Ordered two of them, the HA-III "High Power" and a truly interesting stainless steel "Super Ultra Power" with the optional 2AAA body and momentary switch (stainless also) Loaded them up with some new Sanyo 1000mAH AAA NiMH cells and let 'er rip. WOW!
The super ultra power on 2AAA is very, very bright with plenty of punch. It is in the same class as my stainless steel Mediterranean 2AA! Used it for around 15 minutes today and that puppy will get quite hot when motivated by two NiMH AAA cells. It reminds me of those stainless penlights the docs carried in their pockets. Until you turn it on and realize it will blind the heck out of you.
The regular Baltic single AAA will be loaded with lithium AAA cells for 5 hours of runtime and used on a lanyard. The gap bothers me a little but I adjusted the post back so it is not very noticable at all.
Now if they can make the momentary a press for momentary on and click for full on... All in all, great lights that have regulation and decent runtime and punch or in the case of the stainless Super Ultra Power... a penlight that kicks serious butt and next to impossible to break. :thumbsup: