The LunaSol 20: the new benchmark for EDC lights

[Oddjob]

I have a LS20 and I also have a Al PD-S and even though their are newer emitters out there I still love my PD-S. Don's lights are still my favourite aesthetically as well as in terms of form and function.

[TKC]

Indeed! This is exactly what I'm talking about! It's one of those intangibles you can't really put a price on. For me, this sort of ownership experience is priceless.

Now, sometimes, hoping to have such an experience, you pay a lot of money and are dissatisfied and disappointed. You were expecting a love affair and you don't even get a crush. A total let down, relatively speaking. So, you move on. You sell your light or knife or gadget that you paid so much money for and chaulk it up to experience.

But sometimes . . . if you're lucky . . . you hit the jackpot! And you experience something so special that you forget all about the money you paid out, and past let-downs, and you just bask in the joy of owning what is, for you, a near-perfect flashlight, or knife, or etc.

For many, a McGizmo titanium light is indeed that jackpot experience. Which is why Don's lights are so sought after and coveted. There's just something about them. I don't have the spare coin to collect Don's lights, and at the moment I own only the LunaSol 20, but I can say for sure that if I ever--God forbid--lost my LunaSol, I would buy another from B/S/T in a second at pretty much any price. At this point, I just couldn't be without an LS20, despite the admittedly high price of ownership.

In other words: worth every penny.

I am with you!!! God forbid should my beloved Haiku disappear, I would sell other lights and or knives to replace it!!

YES, worth EVERY penny.

[run4jc]

js

I 'blame you' and 'credit you', but that's a good thing! I mentioned in another thread the following comments:

Then, after reading this long review from js, I had to find out what all the fuss was about. No LS20s available from 'the man', so I did further research and ended up instead buying a Haiku straight from Don. All the minutia about lumens and throw and all that other stuff kinda went out the window - this light just blew me away with its design, simplicity, quality and usefulness. I gushed. Next was a CREEmator - my friend bondr006 helped me connect with Scott, who quickly fulfilled my request for a conversion of one of my E1Bs...had to have a McClicky pack to host it (), then I bought Karl's 2x with the Mirageman head. Merry Christmas to me!! Sold off some of the 'other' lights I had to ease my guilt, hanging on to 5 Surefires and a ti Quark, JB M1X and a few other odds and ends.
Frankly, I could be satisfied for everything I need a light for with the Haiku, Creemator/McClicky, and MirageMan/McClicky, but I couldn't get that LS20 review out of my head. I don't own a McGizmo PD light, and that LS20 just looks so cool! So, put the WTB out and Senna94 came through.

And now 12 other lights just sit idle. 2 of the Surefire's have great drop ins - a Malkoff M60F in a C2, and a Nailbender SST-50 in a 6P. Great lights - just don't use 'em...

I can't wait to get my LS20 - hopefully it'll show up early next week. Let's just say that if I am close to as satisfied with it as I am the Haiku, I'll be a happy camper.

Funny thing - and you mentioned this in your review - there has yet to be any "post purchase dissonance" after buying my Haiku or either of the McClicky paks. I expect that it will be the same with the LS20. As I wrote in my review of the Haiku, it's like my 23 year old Rolex - it's not flashy, but it does the job in a very useful and satisfying way, and interestingly is worth much more today than when I bought it. And it screams "quality and craftsmanship"...

Just my $.02....

[Child of Rawls]

I know this thread is old, but geez you did a great job of putting into words a lot of the reasons why I carry a light and care so much about how it works and how it was made. Excellent job.

[fisk-king]

I know this thread is old, but geez you did a great job of putting into words a lot of the reasons why I carry a light and care so much about how it works and how it was made. Excellent job.

[tsl]

What is the useful range of the low beam? Is it bright enough for walking around outside at night?

I envision using the low beam for dog walking and such and the high beam for spotting things at a distance.

[OtisCampbell]

What is the useful range of the low beam? Is it bright enough for walking around outside at night?

I envision using the low beam for dog walking and such and the high beam for spotting things at a distance.

I would say the low beam is good for finding things in the near field (2-3
feet) and when you need to be discrete. The high beam would be more
appropriate for dog walking I'd think. Unless you live in an exceptionally
dark area..

[jellydonut]

Doesn't matter much when there's not going to be any more of them.

I miss the PD lights and wish I had discovered the flashlight hobby early enough to get in on the original waves. The premiums the used PDs command is sick.

[js]

What is the useful range of the low beam? Is it bright enough for walking around outside at night?

I envision using the low beam for dog walking and such and the high beam for spotting things at a distance.

I find it's bright enough for walking around at night, but I don't mind not seeing far afield most of the time. And when I (or when one) wants to see farther, you can just jump to the high beam for some throw. But, like I say, I suspect most people would feel the need to have the high beam on constant. It depends on your preferences.

[tsl]

I find it's bright enough for walking around at night, but I don't mind not seeing far afield most of the time. And when I (or when one) wants to see farther, you can just jump to the high beam for some throw. But, like I say, I suspect most people would feel the need to have the high beam on constant. It depends on your preferences.

Jim, I have a 4 flats A2 with white LEDs. How does the low on the LS20 compare to the low on the A2?

[js]

tsl,

There are beamshots of both the LS20 and A2 on low in the initial post. Rough/quick take is this: same amount of light, LS20 much more even and broad flood.

[js]

tsl,

There are beamshots of both the LS20 and A2 on low in the initial post. Rough/quick take is this: same amount of light, LS20 much more even and broad flood.

[nbp]

js, are you still rocking the LS20 for your EDC? That would be awesome if it was still reigning supreme.

Also, thank you for this awesome review, which was one of the inspirations for my Haiku review, or as one poster called it, a "love letter" to one of Don's creations. You certainly understand what that's like.

[js]

js, are you still rocking the LS20 for your EDC? That would be awesome if it was still reigning supreme.

Also, thank you for this awesome review, which was one of the inspirations for my Haiku review, or as one poster called it, a "love letter" to one of Don's creations. You certainly understand what that's like.

nbp,

Thanks! And HELL YES my LS20 is still reigning supreme! I carry it with me every day, and have since before I posted this review, and my appreciation for it has only grown.

[nbp]

That is very cool to hear. I should like to add one to my McGizmo family one day, I only ever hear good things about them. I don't know how you feel about modding Don's classic pieces but DaFab has done some really cool stuff to LS20s. You should check out his thread on that in the Modified section if you haven't already, and also I think there's some pics in Don's forum, I'd have to find them. I could maybe tempted to have one updated a bit if I get to own one.

[smokelaw1]

I've been toying with the idea of having mine modded for EVER. Warm it up a touch, bump the current on high (using a different LED would allow this very nicely), warm up the 3mm's a touch. Just need to pull the trigger. So hesitant to mess with the SO close to perfection of this light.

[blackbalsam]

I have (2) modded LS20's. one from Shineonyoucrazydiamond with the Fyrestormer 3 level mod and one from Milkyspit with a neutral xp-g R43D and love them both. I carry both of these pretty often. I also have (2) stock LS20's that are not carried....TWO THUMBS-UP for either variety of these lights. A true classic from Don....Robert.

[js]

Personally, I'm not interested in modding my first run LS20, but that's just me. YMMV!

On another note, I thought I'd post an x-ray picture of an LS20. I meant to post it in my first post above, but didn't, for whatever reason. So here it is now:



You can see why Don said that he left a lot of evidence, CSI style, in the building of these lights--not a simple thing to build, I am sure!

[wquiles]

Awesome image - thanks much Jim

[js]

Yeah, it's wicked cool, isn't it? I stole it from someone over in a thread in the McGizmo forum, back when the LS20 was first released. He used an industrial x-ray machine to take this image. Can't remember who it was. But, thank you, whoever you are/were!

[fyrstormer]

...I stole it...

[js]

Well yeah . . . I did steal it.

But I did NOT hotlink it! So . . . it's not a banning offense. Plus, I'm pretty sure I got permission to use this from the original poster.

[stoli67]

I love that.... Might try and take a couple of shots of different mcgizmos with my X-ray equipment :-)

I am waiting for my ls20 to return dafabricata updated!

[fyrstormer]

Well yeah . . . I did steal it.

But I did NOT hotlink it! So . . . it's not a banning offense. Plus, I'm pretty sure I got permission to use this from the original poster.

Good thing I was kidding, then.

Hypothetically though, on most of the web forums I've belonged to, confessing to a misdemeanor such as theft (or anything worse) is a bannable offense, because the owners don't want the potential liability of having to report it to the police and appear as witnesses in court. Fortunately copying someone's picture is only a civil offense, and even then only if they copyrighted it.

[js]

stoli67 sent me this via PM to post to this thread:



Thanks stoli67!

[wquiles]

Thanks stoli67!

+1

Great image!

[kaichu dento]

Sapphire, Mule, Sundrop, PD, Haiku and Makai?

Haiku definitely looks the coolest in this pic, but I really like the old LS20 x-ray the best!

[scout24]

May be time to change my wallpaper on my startup screen... =)

[stoli67]

I will take an xray of my LS20 when it returns from Dafabricata.... might use the mammography machine as it is a much higher resolution than a standard digital xray!

[js]

So, I should mention that a new light now has taken over my LunaSol 20 as my favorite and EDC light: The Haiku. For all of you out there who are bummed that you can't buy a PD light I suggest you give the Haiku or SunDrop 3S McClickie lights a try! In my opinion they are actually better, overall. FYI FWIW. YMMV.