Scott, I hope your area recovers quickly and you don't have any more problems...Godd luck with the rest of Fall and Winter.....Robert.Quote:
Originally Posted by milkyspit
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Scott, I hope your area recovers quickly and you don't have any more problems...Godd luck with the rest of Fall and Winter.....Robert.Quote:
Originally Posted by milkyspit
Scott...greetings and I hope you and your family are weathering the storm and keeping the candles lit! I wanted to thank you for your recent builds for me! As always....Top knotch custom work! The Moal is my best flood light and the re.al.Ti.on is probably the nicest Haiku anyone has! The Gosling rebuild seems bulletproof this time around! Thanks again! Karl
Hey Scott, apologies for not posting this sooner.
Got the SureFire L1 extreme a few days ago. Only had a chance to try her out very recently. Very happy with the work you did, Thanks Scott.
and no pictures:shakeheadQuote:
Originally Posted by karlheinz3
beamshoots optional, but definitely want to see the Haiku:wave:
Scott:
I sent you a PM over a year ago for a Aeon mod and I just read your PM reply you sent. I tried replying to that PM but your mailbox is full. I then sent it to your email. Please check your email for my reply to your PM.
Thanks,
Dave
Here's how it works and patience is a virtue but well rewarded in the finished product! No finer craftsmanship is available than Scott's work. Now Data, McGizmo, Dark Zero, DeFab, and DatiLed are also top knotch modders in the arena. Scott starts from scratch and makes his own creation and they rock like no other! As with any custom job pushing the limits, malfunctions can and will transpire but at least I can say that Scott stands behind his stuff as do the other custom builders I mentioned. Data recently rebuilt a Spy 005 and it was better than new! These guys may not be lightning fast but the end results are well worth the wait!
I have your MOAL (the LX2 build) ready to ship. It has a floody beam profile per your request, and uses a copper heatsink, also as requested. I mounted a cool white XM-L in that I had it on a 20mm star, which allows for more secure mounting of the optic... and the tint is closer to the neutral side of things. (It's also brighter than my neutral white emitters.) Hope that works for you. The build is as follows...
LX2 MOAL Buildout with Tellurium Copper Internal Heatsinking
LX2 Bored for 17670 Cell
Excellent! I'll use the neutral white XM-L in both Haiku and Gosling. For the latter, I'll most likely turn a custom heatsink on the lathe... that's what I've been doing with those KL4 heads for the XM-L, and so far, results have been excellent. I'll most likely go with aluminum, though could use copper if you prefer... it'll cost a little more and make the head slightly heavier, but no denying it's a very nice result. Performance-wise, I expect both metals to do a fine job at the likely output of the rebuilt Gosling, which I typically target in the 600-700 lumens ballpark.
Regarding the MOAL, I can build you one from scratch right away. (I do have a couple ready right now, though they're both using cool white XM-L. Yours if you want them.) I assume you'll want the custom build because you can call the shots as to how I tune the head. Here are the main areas of customization...
* Emitter: I'm assuming you'll want XM-L neutral white. (My neutral white is a 3D bin, which is perhaps 4500-4800K color temp and sits directly on the BBL so the human eye should perceive it as very white, without the strange blue, green, yellow, brown, etc., that some other bins can give.)
* Head: I typically use the KX1/KX2 heads as a starting point since they give me plenty of internal space and have excellent heatsinking, to which I add further heatsinking of my own design for a really great platform.
* Body? If you have a body to use with the head, might as well save some money and order just the head. That said, I do have a selection of E1E and E2E bodies, plus (I think) a vintage Aleph 2x123 body with the original-style, large flared tailcap.
* Driver: I'd typically use my Acorn driver, tuned for roughly 1.8A max output... that translates to 700 lumens max output and preserves compatibility with 2x123 primaries should you ever need that option. (I personally like having the flexibility, just in case.) I could perhaps bump the drive current higher and/or move to something like a D2Flex driver, for some additional lumens. I'd guess you could see upwards of 900-950 lumens, but you'll lose the 2x123 primary cell compatibility in the process.
* Firmware: My Califon and Elendil firmwares are both great all-purpose and handle most tasks nicely, in my experience. I can also go with something custom... only costs flat $30 to go that route if you want it. If memory serves, you've talked about simplicity in the past? One possible custom firmware might be a simple high/low arrangement, with some hidden capabilities such as switching which level activates first, whether last level is remembered for next time, and availability of a miser mode. Other things are possible, per your preference.
* Type of beam: I can tune for flood, or smooth with a soft hotspot, or spill with a stark hotspot for best throw (relatively) though also a couple minor artifacts. I typically use Carclo optics, which do a great job plus feature pillars that direct potential impact forces around the emitter itself to prevent damage in the event of a drop or bump to the head end of the light.
* XP-G? I can build exactly the same light with an XP-G (neutral white is available in the same 3D tint) for somewhat better throw, but also some loss of lumens. Typical output with an XM-L will be in the 400-500 lumens ballpark.
Your LX2 arrived today. I'll get to work on it right away: floody beam, user flashlight, XM-L with copper heatsink. I'll use the same firmware (or similar but maybe updated) as had been on the Elendil. I'll invoice you for the cost plus shipping (will price with insurance unless you tell me otherwise) as well as a small balance on your account from shipping that Elendil to your buyer. If I can work one or both of your other lights into this shipment, will do so... not sure if I can accomplish that.
--Scott
On Wed, Jun 29, 2011 at 3:32 PM, Mr Karl Riedel <karlheinz3_44870@yahoo.com> wrote:
Scott, hope you and your family are well! I am sending you a Surefire LX2 for the new build you mentioned and I prefer flood cranked up that can be a work light to actually use. I figured the LX2 offered lots of working room and I want to go with the copper for heat. Thanks again.....Karl
https://sn2files.storage.live.com/y1...004.JPG?psid=1
https://sn2files.storage.live.com/y1...003.JPG?psid=1
https://sn2files.storage.live.com/y1...002.JPG?psid=1
https://sn2files.storage.live.com/y1...009.JPG?psid=1
https://sn2files.storage.live.com/y1...011.JPG?psid=1
https://sn2files.storage.live.com/y1...010.JPG?psid=1
I'll get some pics up as soon as I get some time but I want to express my gratitude to Scott and show off some of his recent accomplishments for my personal satisfaction! Here goes his description of the builds he did for me....
KL4 Gosling Rebuild
I completely reconstructed this light from the ground up, making it better in all aspects. It now features a Cree XM-L emitter (the latest U2 brightness, which is still somewhat hard to get) mounted internally in such manner as to provide heatsinking through the bottom AND the top of the star, for much-improved thermal performance, using premium grade 3M ceramic-impregnated thermal tape for physical robustness (rated to withstand shock up to 50G without coming loose), with 100% custom-fabricated tellurium copper heatsink fashioned from a single piece of bar stock (for optimized thermal transfer). The beam features a hotspot surrounded by ample spill beam, suitable for both close and more distant use. The circuit is an Acorn 1.8 running my latest (and personal choice) 'Elendil' firmware... this version of firmware can adapt itself to single stage AND dual stage tailcaps... don't worry about how, I'll explain when/if you ever want to do so. (It's easy.) The firmware also features four levels of brightness and includes four different missions: the general user interface (UI) with memory... tactical UI, always starting at high, also offering my exclusive '3-1-1' disruptive strobe... and theater UI, always starting at ultralow and ramping up per your wishes, ensuring you never inadvertently blast yourself with too much light in a sensitive environment such as a movie theater.
I also found your tailswitch was very noisy, and while I couldn't restore it to 100% factory new functionality, I was able to bring it much closer. It you like, you could get a free replacement from SureFire as the tailswitch is under lifetime warranty with them.
I could have saved you perhaps $50 by dropping the LED to T6 brightness and using aluminum in place of copper, but figured you would want the higher-end internals. Hope I made the right choice.
Name of this build is 'Randomizer Special Sauce.' (The 'Special Sauce' part refers to a special build, similar to my 'Special Reserve' nomenclature on other builds.) My personal EDC these days is just about exactly the same as your build, though mine uses the lower-grade parts! (T6 brightness, aluminum heatsink.)
Haiku XM-L Rebuild
This is a one-of-a-kind build, and though I billed you a fairly high price, it doesn't begin to cover the time I put into the project... for that reason, it may remain one-of-a-kind. I pushed the limits of some things in this one. The old LE and reflector are gone. The light now sports a Cree XM-L in T6 brightness (I didn't use U2 because I needed a smaller heatsink, and all my U2 brightness are on large star boards) positioned under a McR16ms reflector (which I'd originally commissioned from McGizmo to suit my taste in focusing the old Seoul P4 emitters: the 'ms' = milkyspit). There's a Tyvek sleeve inside the Haiku to center the reflector and fix it in space, preventing movement, while also allowing for replacement if necessary. The o-ring under the lens is slightly smaller than stock and I placed a tiny bead of teflon-jacketed wire around the outside under the o-ring to coax it into expanding TOWARD the reflector, to pinch it into place gently when the lens is in place, further ensuring the reflector will remain at the proper focal point over the long haul. Likewise, the underside of the reflector sits against the lip of the heatsinking cup (see below).
The driver I used is a new one for the Milky Labs: I call it the Buccaneer. It's essentially a modified version of a ShiningBeam driver, with microcontroller completely replaced with a more powerful substitute, new teflon-jacketed wire connecting board to LED, and Acorn-compatible firmware controlling the on-board functions. It can PROBABLY run on 1x rechargeable or 2x primaries, though I'd recommend running on 1x rechargeable as the most efficient, least stressful configuration for the light. (Any size rechargeable is fine, so on a larger body, you could use a 17670 or even 18650 cell for vastly increased runtime.) The driver is smaller-footprint than the Acorn, which allowed me to use it in your Haiku without machining the inside of the head.
The firmware is a custom creation specifically for this build, along the lines of your desire for simplicity. It always starts at low beam (roughly 54 lumens, runtime on 1x IMR16340 roughly 5 hours) with the next level being high beam (538 lumens, runtime on 1x IMR16340 20-30 minutes followed by longer-running, dimmer output). To activate low beam, just turn on the light. To activate high beam, blink the light once, then turn it on.
Focus is optimized toward a more floody beam, which you seem to prefer, with unusually bright sidespill. That said, there is still a hotspot and the light will throw to at least medium range, so you should find it useful in a number of situations. The LED isn't high CRI, but does seem to render colors well.
The most unique part of the build is the what all the above is built into. In the past, I've been dissatisfied with the LE approach, in that the screw-in LED is mediocre at best in terms of thermal performance, limits choice of circuitry, and has an annoying tendency to come loose over time. In a titanium head, the thermal performance will be even worse. Given that I wanted to push the LED a little harder, I wasn't comfortable with a standard LE. Meanwhile, a built-in mod isn't removable for maintenance or swapping into another head (if the existing head were to sustain damage, for example) without disassembling everything and essentially building from scratch. I wanted to get some of the best traits of both approaches, so I came up with a hybrid of sorts: the internals of the light (except for reflector) can be unscrewed to move to a different Haiku head, if need be, but the hestsinking is not compromised. The module is constructed on a highly modified brass Milky e-can, with board reflow soldered directly to the can for its ground path, a gold-plated spring connecting to the positive end of the cell while preventing undue physical pressure on the board itself... all tucked under a single-piece aluminum pedestal that caps the driver circuitry, seats against the underside of a Ti shelf in the head, and makes a particularly snug fit along the sides of the head in the center section, all for decent thermal transfer. At the top end of the aluminum heatsink is a cup in which the XM-L is mounted via 3M ceramic-impregnated thermal tape for physical robustness, with the reflector resting against the top lip of the cup so it cannot crush the LED no matter what happens at the head end of the flashlight. I didn't design this module for removal on a regular basis! Only in case of emergencies... but if the unfortunate does happen, you will be able to transplant your internals to a different Haiku head, buying you some cheap insurance against mishaps.
I allowed for opening the module to reprogram the firmware or perform similar maintenance in the future. It still takes some time and effort to do so, but the opening should be non-destructive, meaning it wouldn't necessitate creating new parts afterward... and ultimately may end up saving you some money on a future upgrade.
I hope you find the build compelling, and well worth the effort. As mentioned above, it is unique and may remain so for a long time to come.
The label itself took 1-2 hours to create and consists of white text on a transparent background, to blend into the clean look of the Ti head. I named this light the 're-al-Ti-on' pronounced "ree-AL-tee-on." The name is a play on the word, "realty" while also incorporating the symbol (Ti) for Titanium. I went for a label design that's contemporary, clean, and graphically tasteful.
:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::party::party::party ::):):):party::party::party::hitit::hitit::hitit:: whistle::whistle::whistle: Worth every penny!!!:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:
Hi Scott, not sure if you are still taking modding requests, but I sent you the below request via email.
I would like a warm/neutral XM-L build in an M3 head. I will supply everything except the reflector, heat sink and circuitry. If you are up for this build, what is your current (estimated) turn-around time? Also what is the estimated cost of the below build? Thanks!
Here are the details:
What I will supply:
What I would like from you in this build:
- M3 Head (supplied by me)
- XM-L 3500K emitter (supplied by me)
- 2x18500 C-M body (supplied by me)
- SF clicky tailcap (supplied by me)
Thanks a lot for your time Scott!
- Deep XM-L LOP Reflector - I would like this to be a light OP reflector that will work well with an XM-L, that will fill the M3 head without the shock absorbing foam, just an o-ring at the top. This is one of the key pieces of this build - I would like the reflector to be deep enough to fill as much of the M3 space as possible and be close to the glass. This would produce as much throw as possible, and will not "cut-off" the spill by being buried down in the head due to the foam.
- Copper Heat Sink - at least for part of the LED base, to ensure heat is kept low so I get as much efficiency as possible
- Copper Tape - possibly wrapping the reflector with copper tape as well - anything else that might help with heat sinking (to increase consistant output).
- Needs to work with 2x18500 power source
- Acorn Driver - Drive the XM-L at 2.8V on max. I would like to setup my modes as I did on the last build from you. For instance, one group would be 4-mode (5%, 30%, 60%, 100%), another group might be 3 mode (100%, strobe, 20%), etc. I haven't quite settled on all these yet.
-Rich
I just received a well used U2by2 in the mail today... purchased from the original owner on CPF. Loving it so far! I'm super happy to finally own a Milky light. thanks for the great work, Scott!
Scott, what kind of beam does the optic MC-E produce? How does it throw compared to a U2by2 w/10mm reflectors?Quote:
Originally Posted by milkyspit
Thanks!
Whooo hooooo - my M6 and LX2 are ready. Can't wait to receive them. Thx Scott :)
Can you share some sneak preview details? :)Quote:
Originally Posted by Paulinski
+1 on the details, please.
Sorry guys I should let Scott post the details. M6 - 3000 lumens - LX2 - 1000 lumens.
Guessing, M6>Triple XML, LX2>triple XPG. ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by Paulinski
1000 lumen LX2... I want! Does is still use the stock optics? The same great beam?Quote:
Originally Posted by Paulinski
Hey Scott, your PM inbox is full.
It usually is.
Best to email him instead.
Seems like Scott is completely off the grid.. I've never not gotten a response from him via email, PM, and his own thread before...until now.
I just sent an email...Might be the only option if PM is full. Hope all is well.
Milky,
Happy Birthday !!!!
:party::party::party::party::party::party::party:: party::party::party:
Happy Birthday, Milky!
:party:
Happy birthday, Milky :)
Happy Birthday and Happy Holidays
Hey, Happy Birthday Scott. :)
I just received my Project M and Moal from Scott. First let me say a big thank you to Scott as both lights are nothing but amazing.
I will post some pics later once I stop fondling the lights. In the meantime does anyone have a diagram for two stage switch Elendil firmware?
Glad you got the lights, and Paul... and like them! I've got on my list to get some proper charts made. Until then, 2 blinks=strobe on/off, 4 blinks=Staminator (power save) on/off, 80 blinks switches the head to the standard Califon firmware scheme for use on a different body.Quote:
Originally Posted by Paulinski
I'm thinking of doing a sprint run of something soon. It's been a long time.
HEy Scott, could you clear out your inbox so i can sned you more info like you asked me to? If not, a response to my email would be appreciated.
Happy holidays to you and yours Scott.
Jeff
Scott, my wallet hates you. :)Quote:
Originally Posted by milkyspit
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you and your's.