I finally had the opportunity to take and post some beamshotz of some Mag bodies with Welch Allyn HO bulbs and modified battery chambers.
Left to right:
1. 2D, WA01274, 4x123, stock reflector
2. 3C, WA01318, 5x123, stock reflector
2a. Short one in the middle, SF L4, Pila 168S
3. 3D, WA01185, 9xAA, Carley 1940, Light Orange Peel (modified)
4. 4C, WA01318, 4x123+1AA, stock reflector
In the first picture, you'll see that all the mags with stock reflectors throw tight spots. I have found no difference between the C and D reflectors as some have noted. Indeed, they are the same Mag part number. You will, however, note a distinct softness in the 3D Mag with the OP reflector from Carley. The is due to two things. First, I locked the focus down to a point just short of tightest. Second, the Carley RF1940 softens the filament image just enough to smear out the rings and grins and does so with no apparent loss in light output.
You can see this effect even more clearly in the second shot taken near floor level. The WA01185 puts out so much light that I find its greatest usefulness at throwing a fat, smooth hotspot out to about 150'. This lights up phenomena that are of immediate potential effect to me. Beyond this distance, I use the razor-sharp WA01274 to throw a similar-sized spot out to nearly 300'. The brightest: WA01318 on 5x123. On the hairy edge as I've blown one in this config already. The tightest: WA01274 on 4x123...at least until I get my WA01183s
kinzli,
The bulbs come as bare wire pins. I had them potted with ceramic in steel PR bases by Carley Lamps. Then they drop right in any regular flashlight.
Ticey,
You can get some info on these bulbs by going to the Welch Allyn website and doing a search for the above part numbers. Here are a few informative CPF threads. Soloco's WA bulb tests PaulW's 500 Lumen Mag
There are a few more, you can search under my name, PaulW, soloco and Welch Allyn in the Mod forum. These bulbs are about $2.20 a piece and $1.75 to pot in ceramic. So for under $4.00, you get a lot of bang for the buck [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]
Are your WA01318's significantly brighter on 5 CR123's than on 4 CR123's + 1AA? I know you mentioned that 5 CR123's can push that lamp right to the brink of flashing, but if there's a substantial difference in output, it might be worth the risk.
I ask because in your "floor level" shot above, the hotspot of the 5X123 WA01318 seems to dominate all the other beams, including the WA01185. I've always imagined that the total light output from the WA01185 would overwhelm the output of the WA01318 (at almost twice the rated current, it should be!), which is why the pic you posted sparked my curiosity.
The 1318 on 5x123 is easily and visibly brighter than on 4.5. Not by a lot but clearly so. IMHO, not enough to justify the risk of flashing. The spot looks killer because I think the beam was slightly defocused. There is no doubt that the 1185 is the brighter bulb. On 10xAA, it's just unreal. Mind boggling. Over 1,100 bulb lumens per the WA rerating formula and probably over 600 out the front. On 9xAA, it still makes more lumens than the 1318 can but the OP reflector and defocus results in only the hottest core of the hotsopt showing up in that exposure. You can tell how bright the 1185 really is by looking at the apex of the light cone nearest the flashlight. The bright area is much more intense than the 1274 or 1318.
Anyone interested in making any of these torches available? I don't have a mag body, nor do I have the bulbs, but would be willing to pay someone for a modified body and/or bulbs if anyone's so inclined...
LLS Beamshotz: WA Bulbs, Carley OP Reflector
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