TW4 bits on the way - was it the right choice?

Just ordered a KL4 head from lighthound to go with the single cell vital gear body which is on its way. could have got a HDS B 42 for less cash, but having already got a U42, I was looking for something small, bright and a bit different. have i made the right choice?.

I thought of using a KL1 head greater runtime etc, but just thought i would regret not going for the full monty. and at least i can get the Alpha bits to extend the lego set.

*If* your KL4 runs on1x123 you got a nice bright flood with good but unregulated runtime. A lot of people love it.
If you are a guy that uses Li-Ion R123 cells you will get full blast from this combo.
bernie

It will be running on unprotected R123's, but with a bit of luck it will run on cr123's as well. ... Mark

IIRC the KL4 will suck unprotected cells dry if your don't pay attention.

And I don't think you'll need a lot of luck to be able to run it on 1xCR123 ... it is the exception that a KL4 won't run on a single primary cell, but it happens.

Great combo!

bernie

TW4 running on AW´s RCR123´s :rock: :rock: :rock:



Kenny

As people suggested above you may lose some batteries with unprotected 123s. I would suggest using some protected ones. They work great when I run in that configuration. As to your more specific question, I think you made a very good choice. I has got an HDS recently but I find that the KL4 is much more of a flood than is the HDS and so it is very different and a good compliment to the HDS you already have. I put a two stage tailcap on mine and love it in that configuration, although I use the KL4 on a two stage body frequently as well.

It gets way Hot without two stage.

I certainly plan to get the Apha two stage and two cell body, at some point in the near future.

Glad to see it looks like i made the right choice:laughing:.

I really like the HDS and it would have been easy to get another. but thats hardly in the CPF spirit, seemed to me to be much more fun to start getting the right SF / Alpha lego bits together and mix and match depending on the need.

thanks for the warning re the unprotected batteries, I don't intended to run the TW4 combo for long periods without topping up so should be OK


Mark

A protected R123 would be a sound investment (and a small one, too). The regulation on the KL4 is absolutely fantastic and it will likely trash an unprotected cell (make it unusable) without giving any clue that it's time to recharge. We're talkin' full brightness until past the point of no return.

I have run mine on a primary for three hours and still had useable light emitting from it, after three hours it was just a smidge dimmer than my Arc-P. I should get an E2e body just for when I really want full power!! Doug

Thanks for the warnings on the batteries .. Mark

I have a KL4(WXOT mod)/Aleph 1x123/Aleph trim 2 stage tail, and an HDS B42GT, and I'm finding the "TW4" in my pocket more often. I love the flood, hi or low. The high never fails to impress people, the low is very practical, just pick your favorite low resistance. Get some protected RCR123s and a 2 stage tail.

louie,
Can you give some guidance on how to pick a favortie resistance for a mc2es tail cap. can you estimate by what percentage 10, 15 and 22 ohm reduces the no resistor output of the kl4?

For the R123's voltage I chose 10ohm and it works great, just enough to use for most tasks but not too dim. It's also good with 2x123 set-up.

It's really hard to tell someone how much resistance to use. Everyone seems to have a different idea of how low low should be, and percentages or lumens or lux just don't seem to convey what people want. You pretty much have to try a couple, based on guesstimates. Order a spare resistor board with the Aleph tailcap with a different resistance. Somewhere in the McGizmo forum is a chart of many different light and battery combos and some resulting light levels, which is a start. And there's only a handful of practical resistances, since there's finite values available, and you need a fair change to see a big difference.

FWIW, I think I now use a 22 ohm, and I would estimate that at about 2-3 lumens compared to my HDS B42GT, which is supposed to be calibrated. I say I think, because I have some 60 ohm tailcaps I think are on some 2 cell lights....ah, the memory fades sometimes....

You bet it is the right choice as long as you power it with a RCR123 cell. This is a great flashlight. It is perfect if you like a FLOOD. So don't forget to get yourself a KL1 when you get a chance so you can acheive fantastic THROW with the same setup. Just switch out the Head. This is a great combination.
Yaesumofo

for $12, an F04 beamshaper will protect the bezel and keep it looking like new, and I like the way it scatters the light even better!
I have been using 4 of these lights for about a year, on unprotected R123's, only lost a battery when one was put away in "on".
I only get about 20 min to half an hour per charged R123, but the light is stunning.
A Lux3 Sandwich on a 14500 lasts a little bit longer, and in a 1AA MiniMag with an F04 it's almost as good as a KL4, but the Surefire switch is better.
When you need it to be 2-stage, you lose the clickie, which to me is part of the appeal of the TW4....

Thanks for all the advice, I'm planning to order a KL1 head and Aleph tail cap plus single cell battery tube, so I've got a bit more flexibility. but I keep getting drawn between getting another HDS and building my lego kit!, but at the moment the lego sets won by a mile.

I keep reading that the resistance in the two stage tail caps helps extend the run time, is this true?, from my non technical perspective it looks like your adding a load to the battery and the run time would be unaffected but the light will be dimmer,

Mark

I got KL-4 a while back, I love the KL-1 more , I am a throw type guy, but being able to light up a big area is very cool. I have lanyard for my KL-4/vital gear 1x123, with a film canister tied to it carrying a KL-1. it i want throw or flood it's there. in misty/foggy night a KL-4 flood can kinda blind you to what's further away. bang, out comes the the KL-1! You picked the right setup! And if you don't have a KL-1 newer 4 gen get one, that's what the E-series is all about. VDG

markbUK said:

I keep reading that the resistance in the two stage tail caps helps extend the run time, is this true?, from my non technical perspective it looks like your adding a load to the battery and the run time would be unaffected but the light will be dimmer,
Mark

Click to expand...

Putting a resistor in series will increase the total resistance of the system, so less current will flow out of the battery; less current means less power, so you get more runtime.