The Malkoff Front Porch

[fulee9999]

There is definitely a difference when using higher voltage In some. for example you use a M61T on a single lithium as opposed to two or even two primary cells you will see a difference. A lot brighter on higher volts

I opened up the runtime bible or INFRNL's measurements as other would call it, and no, there isn't:
( 2 vs 3 CR123 - 6 vs 9 volt )

 

[thermal guy]

Look on malkoff's site Uber his new mag adapters. He lists volt/ output. It's only a 50 lumen increase but it is more at higher voltage

 

[thermal guy]

I opened up the runtime bible or INFRNL's measurements as other would call it, and no, there isn't:
( 2 vs 3 CR123 - 6 vs 9 volt )

I have a M61T and I can tell you it's brighter on two primary cells then with a single 18650. It just is.

 

[fulee9999]

I have a M61T and I can tell you it's brighter on two primary cells then with a single 18650. It just is.

to be fair, it is
with 2xCR123:

with a single li-ion:


around 40ish lumen difference, but at 400 lumens I'm not sure how discernable that is. I'm not saying you're wrong, in fact, you are correct, what I'm trying to say is that there not that much of difference. So by adding cells you basically/mostly increase runtime not output. Which is great in a sense.

 

[thermal guy]

Yes higher voltage less draw so run goes way up. Running 2X18650 I get 2 hours out of my M91 with 3 I get right around 3 hours.

 

[kerneldrop]

@LEDphile gonna clear all this up.
I've always been curious about users getting higher lumens with higher volts vs Malkoff's claim to being regulated.
Not that Malkoff is wrong...I've just always wondered how if regulated and within regulation specs.

 

[kerneldrop]

Yes higher voltage less draw so run goes way up. Running 2X18650 I get 2 hours out of my M91 with 3 I get right around 3 hours.

Do you see a brightness difference in 2x18650 vs 3x18650?
I'm going to test mine.

 

[thermal guy]

Do you see a brightness difference in 2x18650 vs 3x18650?
I'm going to test mine.

You know I'm not sure I'd have to see

 

[Jfowler]

I started with M61N's in a MD2. I ran 1 cell 18650, 2 cell 18350, and 2 cell CR123. I never saw much difference in output.

I swapped the 61's for M91BN's (I prefer the beam and tint of 91), still in MD2 format. I mostly used 2x18350, but read a lot about how competent the M91b is on 1x18650.

I took lux readings off a ceiling bounce in a small dark room to compare 1 cell vs 2 cell for M91b. The 1 cell gave me 93% of the reading I got from the 2 cell.

21700 bodies and batteries were immediately ordered.

Once the new bodies arrive, I plan to compare the M61N vs M91BN in both 1 and 2 cell set ups. Curious to see if M91BN on 1 cell proves brighter than M61N (on any battery format).

 

[Rstype]

Hey gentleman. Just in case any interest…. New clips available on the malkoff website. Forward backward clips for the mdc bodies

 

[ekardscribner73]

I've always been curious about users getting higher lumens with higher volts vs Malkoff's claim to being regulated.

I've been curious about that as well. Running these dropins at higher voltage produces a flat output curve. The higher voltage, the flatter the curve. It makes sense, because the driver is regulating the output. However, the interesting bit is that despite having crossed the regulation threshold, the output still increases with higher voltage.

So, correct me if I'm wrong--The driver controls the output by regulating current draw, meaning that at a higher voltage, but drawing the same current, the emitter sees a slightly higher wattage and the output increases. This explains why running the same dropin at 6, 8, 9 or 12 volts produces similarly flat output curves but at slightly different outputs. Right?

However, this is the weird bit: Looking at INFRNL's graphs, the same dropin run at different voltage levels appears to maintain its higher starting output for the duration of the test! Why is this? Would this mean that a M91T on 2x18650 (8v total) and a M91T on 3x18650 (partially depleted, 8v total) would produce the same output, even though a M91T on 3x18650 (full charge, 12v) would produce a brighter regulated output?

Another question this raises is: What would the graphs look like if the tests were split into three phases, separated by turning the light off and on during the test? Would we see three well-regulated segments at successively dimmer levels as the "starting voltage" dropped?


[Edit] I believe I've got some faulty premises here. My observations seem to apply to the M61T run at 4, 6 or 9 volts. Not so much the M91T. I still think the questions are valid.

 

[Jfowler]

I put together my new 21700 body and head to find that the 21700 battery didn't fit. After a good nights sleep, I remembered the 21700 loads from the tail. Victorious!

I really like the aesthetic of this body and tail cap. Feels quite unified. I really like it on the MDX head, but it's pretty pleasing on the larger format heads too. Hard to argue with this much run time in a pocket sized package.

 

[thermal guy]

Ya it's a neat feature. You can keep a spare loaded with a cell and not have to worry about it falling out.

 

[ekardscribner73]

Does the Oveready DPC HA tailcap with a McClicky switch alter the size of the MDX battery compartment at all, or is it a drop-in replacement?

 

[greatscoot]

Does the Oveready DPC HA tailcap with a McClicky switch alter the size of the MDX battery compartment at all, or is it a drop-in replacement?

I believe they are not as tall, but otherwise drop right on.

ETA: They're easily 1/8" shorter.

 

[knucklegary]

Does the Oveready DPC HA tailcap with a McClicky switch alter the size of the MDX battery compartment at all, or is it a drop-in replacement?

Use FS54 (Skylunen) with reg short springs.

 

[ekardscribner73]

@greatscoot Is it just the external size that's 1/8" smaller, or also the size of the space left for the battery?

@knucklegary Looks like a nice switch option. I'd have to buy a Surefire-bored OR switch for that to work, yes? Right now all of my good lights have McClickies. I like that they share parts but I'd consider the Skylumen.

 

[Jfowler]

Quick ceiling bounce test:

M61N
2xCR123 = 233 Lux
1x18650 = 204 Lux
2x18350 = 231 Lux

M91BN
1x21700 = 274 Lux
2x18350 = 288 Lux

 

[thermal guy]

That's Odd. The 91BN has over double the output of the 61N but only 50 more lux? That right?

 

[greatscoot]

@greatscoot Is it just the external size that's 1/8" smaller, or also the size of the space left for the battery?

@knucklegary Looks like a nice switch option. I'd have to buy a Surefire-bored OR switch for that to work, yes? Right now all of my good lights have McClickies. I like that they share parts but I'd consider the Skylumen.

I'll check and update.