Black McLux 3x123

[darkzero]

I now have in my possession a black 3x123 McLux with a standard head that I aquired from my lil brother. He's had this put away for many years. He originally bought it to use a P90 in it. He included an old 9P head with an adapter that looks like this but in black. The P90 is old, it says Laser Products on it. I'm glad he got the standard McLux head to go with it.

I have a lot of McLuxs & been keeping my eye out but I've never heard of one these for sale nor have I ever seen a picture of one of these. The standard head is all smooth, it doesn't have the bead blasting on the head as the other black heads I'm normally used to seeing. It has a LuxV in it & a McFlood so I'm assuming it has a DB in it. I believe this was probably a DIY. Can anyone confirm how these came? How much do you think it is worth (not that I would ever sell it)?

Cheers

 

[McGizmo]

There were a number of those made but danged if I recall what that number might have been. I think most were made available from the shoppe as DIY. They could also be used to host 2xAA if I recall correctly.

 

[Kiessling]

The 3x123 black tubes are pretty rare IIRC, only a handful were made and a few were chppoed to become smaller tubes, but I could be wrong.

Most of the black heads should have been smooth like yours, but there are a few bead blasted black heads out there. Darell has one IIRC.

All the black heads should be customs, either by Don or by someone else.

Nice collection !!!

bernie

Black head ... smooth.

TiN coating

 

[Carpe Diem]

Hi Guys...

Here are the ones in my collection. (Bernie...one of them is the "Black Widow", with a beautiful amber-colored LED, that you were kind enough to sell to me several years ago. Thank you again, kind sir!)

Don...FWIW, in one of your emails (from February, 2004) that I happened to archive, you indicated that you thought about 15 of the black-HA 3X123 bodies were made, and perhaps about 20 of the black-HA 1X123 bodies.

You further indicated that no 2X123 black-HA bodies were made, but that you cut down 2 or 3 of the 3X123`s to create 2X123`s. I`m fortunate to still have at least one of those modded 2X123`s, as shown in the picture. (I think I have one more somewhere, but I`ll be darned if I can find it right now.)

These black-HA bodies have a certain mystique that is hard to explain, and they always bring a smile to my face when I`m fondling (I mean "using") one of them. :green:

Here`s to the good `ol days, and to the "Skunks" who undertook the magical McLux project. :thumbsup:

 

[Kiessling]

The first McLux is still a marvelous design. One of the best looking lights ever.

Carpe ... good to hear you still got that one.
And great info about the elusive black bodies !

bernie

 

[Illum]

The first McLux is still a marvelous design. One of the best looking lights ever.

I've always wanted to know why the old models were never continued...does it retain the price value for them through limited availability or were the plans inadvertently destroyed by someone whose intentions were contrary to the collective good of the gizmo's community?

 

[Kiessling]

Don is a one-man show, he has limited capacities. Technology moves on and knowledge increases, and eventualle better lights got developped and the old one got dropped from the menue.

Some problems of the McLuxI Series:
- The Kroll switch is unreliable and has a high resistance
- The window seal in the head got improved
- modularity got added with the Aleph Series
- better reflectors became available
- titanium eventually won over the aluminium
- etc.

No conspiracy there. Just evolution. Don't lights are better nowadays. But of course that won't stop us from loving the old ones

bernie

 

[starfiretoo]

I've noticed hat the PR head on mine has a mat black vice a shiny black on my tube. I like the looks of the PR on a pineapple and the tube gets teamed with exotics...

Great tube only thing missing are the tritium slots:thumbsup:

 

[Beretta1526]

From what I remember... there were 15 3x123 McLux power packs that were black. Almost immediately, there were only 12, as three were cut down for 2x123 packs, then a small unknown number of them were cut down to 1x123. (Darrell had kept track of a few of them for a while) The 3x123 were good to run 2xAA and I seem to recall a few Delrin sleeves floating around for those. A "roll call" of these would probably be great, but I think that quite a number of them are in the hands of collectors that don't frequent the boards often (sorta like me).

I happen to have one of the über-rare 2x123 packs in my possession. I've got one of the black HA McLux PR (or PR-T) heads that I built on it and it's still one of my favorite lights.

As for the original McLux heads that were anodized black, there were a few that were bead-blasted by Don. There were quite a few more that weren't. A couple/few years ago, there was a handful of them on the Sandwich Shoppe. They went unnoticed for a short time, and then all got gobbled up. I regret that I couldn't/didn't hang onto the one bead-blasted one I had, as I would like to have put it on my black 2x123 body. (EDIT UPDATE: I apparently had two of these, as I just ran across another in one of my parts cases.)

.

 

[McGizmo]

Leo (CPF- Hotfoot) handled the machining of the original McLux components and then shipped most of them to me and Wayne. Leo retained some and of course built the lot of "real" TK's. Darell and Jolly Roger also received components and from that point on, who knows where they all went....

 

[lumafist]

:duh2:

Amazing...!

They rock like noyhing else......!
I allways seem to just gauk at pics of the McLuxes....

Way beutiful..........

 

[Beretta1526]

Well, I found that other bead-blasted black McLux (original) head. I had though that I had vowed to keep one of each type. I've got the original bead-blasted one (unbuilt), a McLux PR (BB750/VYOT LuxV - 3V-6V), and a McLux PR-T (BB666/VYOT LuxV - 4.5V-6V).

Now, what would be appropriate for the original head? Maybe go back to old school and a low-dome Lux I?

.

 

[darkzero]

Now, what would be appropriate for the original head? Maybe go back to old school and a low-dome Lux I?

.

Sell it to me! :wave:

 

[McGizmo]

Well, I found that other bead-blasted black McLux (original) head. I had though that I had vowed to keep one of each type. I've got the original bead-blasted one (unbuilt), a McLux PR (BB750/VYOT LuxV - 3V-6V), and a McLux PR-T (BB666/VYOT LuxV - 4.5V-6V).

Now, what would be appropriate for the original head? Maybe go back to old school and a low-dome Lux I?

.

I think Wayne did some with the McR18-S and Seoul P4. You might be able to put one of his GDuP's in there and have a state of the art retro unit?!?!