Cammed or cammless mag reflector in magmod?

For those of you who have modded a mag with both a cammed and a camless reflector, or who have used a reflector that has an optional cam, after you used it for a while did you end up preferring to use the cam or not? When posting a reply please include the bulb type and reflector finish and any comments you like regarding artifacts, throw, etc.

hi!

You might find this thread helpful as it will have links to beamshots...
https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/123366

There are two camps on several fronts you will hear from...
- those that set and forget vs. those that are alway adjusting their output
- those that want maximum throw vs. those that want a useful beam
- those that want MAX brightness vs. those that want reasonable runtime

I think of the cammed reflector as a coarse focus adjustment - easy to rotate from flood to throw quickly with multiple focal points.
I think of the camless reflector (with the Kiu socket) as a finer focus adjustment with one focal point (operates like the minimag).
As I set and forget my focus, I'm happy with the camless reflectors.

Regarding throw vs. useful beam ... the above link sums up how the different finishes effect the light output.
It's personal choice. I can guarantee you that you will eventually end up buying several reflectors and comparing them for yourself.

My personal favorites are
- the Mag74+ with the 1274 bulb using AWR's Hotdriver to deliver constant brightness for virtually the entire runtime.
- the Mag66 with the 1166 bulb (now in a 2D sized body by Fivemega :naughty: more sales details soon) using AWR's hotdriver
- the Mag85+ with the 1185 bulb using AWR's Hotdriver

The 1111 is popular with the Li-Ion battery crowd as it overdrives VERY nicely on 7.2v. That's the one I'll be "field testing" all next week.

In the end both styles do the same thing, focus the light. One just takes a bit longer to get there. Know what I meen Vern? Vern are you listening to me?

I'm not sure you're asking the question you want to? The variables you mention are all independent of cam/camless. It sounds like you're more interested in reflector design in general and how it effects beam quality.

If that's more the case, what I've found is that different WA bulbs interact differently with the same reflector, specifically, the 1111 can take less surface treatment and still produce a pleasant beam.

Also, different suppliers have different levels of treatment at the same designation - for instance a litho123 MOP has a lighter treatment than a M2 MOP. This isn't good or bad - the litho123 MOP works well for me with a frosted 1331, and the M2 MOP works well with a 1111.

One seemingly obvious disadvantage of cammed designs with the Kiu switch is that the ream will be overly large with WA bulbs. I say seemingly because although you will get more light out the front with a smaller ream that better fits the size of the bulb, if you're not that concerned with total output you can get a very nice spot with a large ream. In other words, the smaller reams put most of the "extra" light into the spot, so you get more artifacts there, but the larger reams don't - you lose light but get a prettier spot.

Like litho123 said, you need to get some and experiment - there are a surprisingly large number of variations to consider once you start playing with them.

To expound further on Bob_G's comments...

It's the physical dimensions of the filament length/width of the bulb that effects the beam pattern. Each bulb is built differently.

A bulb with a longer filament length will tend to have more "batwing" type artifacts. If you browse the WelchAllyn website you can download their bulb catalog and review the specs of the different popular bulbs.

Here is the link...
http://www.walamp.com/lpd/files/datasheets/LSL023d.pdf

Thanks for the input guys. I see that I may have worded my question too generally. If I plan to use an 1185 bulb with somewhere between a LOP and a light stipple, do you think I will find it worth the extra $ to get a cammed reflector? More specifically, the choice would be between a Light Edge light stipple camless or a Five Mega optional cam LOP or MOP in conjunction with a KIU socket.

With an 1185 bulb, the large opening of the FM removable cam reflector will degrade the beam somewhat in comparison to the LightEdge with a much smaller bulb opening. Since you are using a Kiu socket, a cammed reflector is not needed. However, the LS will produce a more even, floody beam in comparison to LOP or MOP which would give more throw. Personally, I use a reflector with the smallest bulb opening which will still fit the bulb. I have 2 different lights using the 1185 bulb. One with a LS for flood, and another with SMO for throw. But even with the LS, the throw is sufficient for most uses, just not WAAAAAAY out there like the SMO.

I think you can "slightly" adjust the camless reflector until you find that "sweet spot" of a light beam. At least I've done that with mine on my MagHID and Mag.11. On my Mag.11 I'm using Litho123 Stippled #7. I don't remember who modded the reflector on the MagHID though. The earlier set from fivemega or modamag? :thinking:

Hope you find what you're looking for and Enjoy!

The camless reflectors are provided with focusing shims so you can set and forget. I've never had a problem focusing to the sweet spot.