Best Malkoff Setup for Emergency Bag???

[dotCPF]

The M61LL is only 80 lumens for 10 hours on 2 cells. I really don't have too much use for less light than that even in a long term grid down situation. If the grid is down that long flashlights will be close to the bottom of any ones issues in the USA.

It's less about 10 continuous hours and more about having 10 hours of light. Say you got stuck in the woods for a few nights, 10 hours suddenly becomes a very small amount of time. As someone who deals with New England winters, 10 hours without power is almost routine to happen 2-3x every winter. The past three winters we have had instances each year of 3-6 days without power and we were the lucky ones!

Plus I think that 20 lumen mark is just about perfect. Can easily bounce-light a standard room well enough to live/ move around in, and more than enough for most poking around in the yard late at night, IMO. It's also a great level for "awh poop I just woke up in the pitch dark at 2AM, but need to light up everything" I have found.


EDIT: each time I say 20 here I should be saying 50. I was thinking of the LLLL (4x Ls) not the LLL. I feel this actually strengthens my resolve on the matter, as 20 ish lumens is nothing, the difference between 50 and 70 lumens is nada, and the extra hours of runtime it would get you more than make up for it, IMO.

 

[thermal guy]

Yes I will agree on all your points.and honesty you, me anyone on this forum really does not need a survival light.I mean seriously how many of us have one light to our name or only one light on us at a time? But we're talking about worse case scenario. If for whatever reason we are somehow stuck with just a single light I feel it should be as tough and long lasting as possible. Not to mention versatile

 

[dotCPF]

ALSO I'm a fool, the LLL is closer to 50 lumens, so whenever I say "20" I mean 50. The LLLL is 20 lumens, and is perfect. So we need more LLLLs!!!!

In this case, I feel that the 20~ lumens "sacrificed" are incredibly well worth it. Even if it meant only an hour extra, the difference between 50 and 70 lumens is diddly-squat. I bet it's closer to +5 hours, though

 

[Kestrel]

What outputs might folks get from the M61 series using 2xAA (NiMH - not alkaline) ?

Maybe 10-20 lumens (???); w/ only a very gradual decline due to the relatively flat voltage curve of NiMH.
Could be a workable adaptation if that's the case - runtimes would be very very long.

Edit: I could do a quick 'MkI Eyeball' test w/ my M61, but would be curious about how the L's & LL's could possibly be different.

 

[flatline]

I went through the following reasoning when I bought my M61LLL last year (2 years?).

The LLL was 50 lumens at 125mA draw.
The LL was 65 lumens at 160mA draw.

In practice, I can't tell the difference between 50 lumens and 65 lumens, but I might benefit from the extra runtime...so I bought the LLL instead of the LL.

Has it made any difference? Probably not. But I have no regrets about the decision.

--flatline

 

[thermal guy]

125 mah draw will give well over 10 hours at full power with that nice long tail at the end. Plenty of runtime to get you through a few dark nights and ample light to navigate and set stuff up. And just on 2 primaries.

 

[Jimmyboots]

Question for those who have more technical knowledge. Does the mah draw generally increase or decrease from primaries to a single Li ion?

 

[thermal guy]

Higher draw at lower volts.

 

[bignc]

I don't know that it's terribly significant, and I can't find any quoted runtimes on the same cell for any M61LL vs LLL. However, the M31LLL sees about 10hrs of runtime, vs just under 2 for the M31LL. I wonder if it scales as such? Regardless, in this mindset I am of the opinion that: one- any more runtime is a bonus, and two- the 25-40 lumen mark is right about perfect for most uses especially in the total dark or up close.

poop maybe I should buy another LLL.......

I don't know that it changes the calculus for you but I get 4 hours from a cr123/ M31LL 219b... and way more on 2XAA. Real dang close to INFRNL's graphs, actually....



ETA: ALSO, I now have a couple bags with M61WLL in a 3-cell SF host with $$$ cashola or a Delrin sleeve available to use to control 2 X AA rattle. I include a 12 box of cr123 and a battery caddy with AA in it.

But in my main Get home bag (I focus on it more because I have a 20 mile hike to home where the wife and daughter should be ((because the boys are out of town in college ))) I went a little over the top....
In it sit my MD1 and MD1.5 as well as a CR123 MDC and VME. Right now between the 3 back up lights I have a M61LL 219a, M31LL 219b and an M31W. I carry the thrower/ MD2-M61T. With them I keep at least 2 each of 18650, 16340 and Nimh AA as well as Primary Rayovac 123s and a couple charging options.... And a Cotton pickers solar panel..... And a couple battery banks. OK, I have other stuff of course but I am really afraid of the dark apparently.....

OTHER than spacers to make the 2 or 3 cell lights more omnivorous, can anyone think of any improvements? I have loads more at home. Maybe I need to slim it down some. I started with the 3 cell setup and then kept adding components and spares and drop-ins as options and ended up just using entire lights as back-ups.... Geeze I hope my wife never reads this.

 

[thermal guy]

My get home back is way more then I need as well. But I rather have it and not need it then need it and not have it.

 

[archimedes]

.... OTHER than spacers to make the 2 or 3 cell lights more omnivorous, can anyone think of any improvements? ....

I didn't see if you specifically have lithium primary AA or not in your list, but those can be useful too.

 

[flatline]

... or a Delrin sleeve available to use to control 2 X AA rattle.

Does that work well for you?

I have some derlin sleeves and they do prevent battery rattle side to side, but the derlin sleeves themselves slide forwards and backwards and it drives me crazy. Instead of using the derlin sleeves, I've been wrapping a paper towel around the cells before sliding them in.

--flatline

 

[bignc]

The OR and Martin D White sleeves I have in all sizes owned work great. That would drive me nuts too!

And good catch, Arch- I DO carry Lithium Aa and Aaa ( for my sweet purple vihn- Yuji-modded E01!)

 

[archimedes]

The OR and Martin D White sleeves I have in all sizes owned work great. That would drive me nuts too!

And good catch, Arch- I DO carry Lithium Aa and Aaa ( for my sweet purple vihn- Yuji-modded E01!)

Ha ! It is sometimes tough to find the lithium AAA cells, so I try to have a decent stock on those on hand too[emoji106]

 

[bignc]

Have to admit buying them on the 'zon even though I try to support our cpf vendors when possible and local if not. .

Forgot to mention my Aa setup a la @reppans- the aluminum foil, paper clip and AA to AAA adapter....

 

[archimedes]

Have to admit buying them on the 'zon even though I try to support our cpf vendors when possible and local if not. ....

Yes, I buy local (when available) and direct from an authorized distributor (when not available locally)

 

[flashlight nut]

In my bag I have 3 cell Malkoff with a M61LL and Hi/Lo ring to use with CR123 primaries. I also have a M31 with a delrin insert to run 2 x AA if need be. Of course extra batteries in the bag also.

 

[thermal guy]

Ya see that's a great setup! Plenty of light huge runtime and bomb proof. A setup like that should get you though just about any situation that might pop up.throw and extra switch in that bag and your set for the zombies.

 

[bignc]

In my bag I have 3 cell Malkoff with a M61LL and Hi/Lo ring to use with CR123 primaries. I also have a M31 with a delrin insert to run 2 x AA if need be. Of course extra batteries in the bag also.

Started that way for me too. Then realized I could use Aa with the 61. And that the 31 was just sitting there so why not add a body for it to ride in... So my extras grew and became backup complete lights. always does that for me- extra mags and ammo go the same way. Lol

 

[thermal guy]

Threads are getting all over the place so I'll move my discussion here.Just got my M61LLL 219 and currently in the process of doing a runtime test with 2 18650-3500 mah cells. I'll update when I get some results but I'm thinking this drop in would make a fantastic emergency light. It's plenty bright so now I just need to see how long she will run.