NX05, FRAEN LP, 17mm IMS or McR-18 WITH Nexgen 500mA TW0J Sandwich Kit ???

[Fusion_m8]

I am going to get myself the Nexgen 500mA TW0J Sandwich Kit from THE Sandwich Shoppe, but have no idea which optic option to go for.

I'm looking for the best throw and spill. Is the McR-18 worth paying $16 extra for?

Will the Fraen LP give me a beamshot like a KL3? All hotspot, no spill...?

What beamshot will the NX05 & 17mm IMS produce?

Thanks...

[CM]

...

[Fusion_m8]

[chesterqw]

McR-18 is worth only if you are a flashaholic with some nice amount of $$$ to spend.
ok, so it does have the 'smooth the beam out real nice' ability and is aluminium.
the ims17 will do nicely for spill and throw. is nx05 will give a near kl3 beam, only umm... funkier.

[DFiorentino]

nx05 will give a near kl3 beam, only umm... funkier.

That's about how I would describe it, too.

I have a hard time really telling a strong difference between the NX05 and Fraen, but I think I prefer the NX05. Actually, I'm not a big fan of optics anymore after experiencing Don's McR reflectors. The IMS17 is 'ok'. The IMS20 is much better, but it's not a drop in. I LOVE the McR-18 as a drop in solution. Smooth beam pattern, bright hotspot with useable sidespill.

-DF

[Fusion_m8]

Thanks for the enlightening responses Chesterqw & Dfiorentino!!!

Guess the IMS17 is good enough for general use.

On a seperate but related note:

Would you guys also had experience with the Terralux TLE-5 High Dome drop-in LED? How does it compare with the Nexgen 500mA TW0J Sandwich Kit?

Is the Nexgen's performance advantage over the TLE-5 worth double the price of the TLE-5 in your opinion?
Thanks!

[Ty_Bower]

Sorry to dig up an old thread, but I saw searching for similar information myself. Hopefully my comments will be of benefit to someone else in the future.

I've tried a couple of these options, although not necessarily all of them in a Minimag.

The NX-05 and Fraen seem to be difficult for me to get centered properly. This may or may not bother you. I've got the NX-05 in my Minimag with a sandwich. There's a moderately sized circle of spill, with small square inside it. Inside that, there's a smaller, brighter circular hotspot. The centers of these three patterns generally do not line up with each other, and they move around each time I turn the light on or off. As someone noted above, it is "funky."

The Fraen makes a circle and square, each approximately the same size as the other. Ideally, they'd be perfectly centered, one on top of the other. Generally, they are mis-aligned much in the same way as the NX-05. There isn't much spill to speak of, but the hotspot is quite a bit larger than with the MX-05. It is not like those super-tight "moonbeam" optics, like those seen on the old Inova X1 or the River Rock 2AA/2C lights. I like the Fraen optic, except for the difficult in centering.

I tried an IMS17, but I am concerned at how tightly it seems to fit over the Luxeon's dome. I'm afraid it's going to lift the dome some day, and I'm going to get a bubble. I've never heard of this happening to anyone, however. I can only assume I'm worrying about nothing.

I got my first McR-18 today, and I love it! This seems like the perfect reflector to me, at least for small 1" lights. I'd say it's well worth the money. Highly recommended.

[Fusion_m8]

I decided to go with the Terralux TLE-5 drop-in, Energizer AA Lithiums and a FlashlightLens AR coated B270 Borofloat lens... A real nice upgrade compared to the standard halogen bulb.

When my budget permits, I'll get one of the BB or MM sandwiches with the MCR-18.

[phosphor]

I decided to go with the Terralux TLE-5 drop-in, Energizer AA Lithiums and a FlashlightLens AR coated B270 Borofloat lens... A real nice upgrade compared to the standard halogen bulb.

When my budget permits, I'll get one of the BB or MM sandwiches with the MCR-18.

......this is the set-up I have in my Mini's. If you go "wall hunting" with it next to, let's say, a Q-III or a Dorcy 1 Watt you will instantly see the limitations of the upgrade. HOWEVER, use the "new" Mini outside and you will find the light remarkably useful. It has a great balance of spot and spill and runtime for medium range work, although the focusing feature with the Teralux upgrade is destroyed ( actually it still remains...it's just that any setting beyond the "spot" produces a big "doughnut"). I find the Teralux upgrade to be perfect for a lot of my needs. The light color is remarkably neutral, and I often use it as benchmark for beam color comparisons. I like the Mini form factor; the length is perfect for my hand and I can turn it on and off quickly and easily, and thus am adept at using the Mini in a "momentary" mode. Is it the greatest thing since sliced bread ? Hardly......but it sure is damn useful in the field. I often reach for my upgraded Mini when I want to put a light to work. It's slim "figure" slips easily into a back pocket. But if one doesn't care for the Mini form factor or is wanting lots of lumens and big throw any additional monies spend on the upgrade would be wasted.

-regards

[GarageBoy]

I swapped my BB500 Green behind a IMS17 and it rocks! Can't wait for my Mc18R to come in so my BB750NG has something to sit behind