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Thanks guys. I learn to appreciate this thing more every time I read your posts.

Well I carried it today and I didnt expect it to feel smaller and carry better then the already small HDS light but it did. It felt like a large tube of chap stick in my pocket and was sexy as hell with that Diamond etched clip just hanging out my pants. :thumbsup:

As for the light engine it was cake to remove and a small pair of needle nose wrapped in a cloth you just spread them apart to fit in the 2 notches of the LED housing. Just takes a tinny bit of pressure to free it up then back out the rest by hand. Going in is the same with just a ever so slight amount to snug it back in place.

All it took was some wiggling and seating of the reflector from the back side using finger pressure right where the O-ring sits. The O-rings stays put if you leave the head flat on the table and screw the LED housing back in from the back side.

I was freaked out and am a newbie to all this but once I see something apart I can fix just about anything. In the Haiku Wave thread by Don there is a pic of the light all in pieces so it wasnt hard to figure out after that.

The only part I dont get and wont mess with is how the lens and reflector actually come out. I am guessing it must be from the front end because it wont fit if removed from the rear where I was tinkering. My guess is that outer O-ring around the bezel holds it in place some how but I have no more need to fool with it now so my OCD is satisfied and my reflector is damn near perfectly centered. :sssh:
 
Taking the lense out is only necessary if there's dust on the inside or trapped hanging out of the O-ring, and even then only if you care about such things.

The O-ring is most easily removed with a tiny flathead jeweler's screwdriver, like the Craftsman 5-in-1 set that Sears sells. (or they used to, anyway. :thinking:) The hard part is getting the screwdriver head far enough behind the O-ring that it doesn't just roll off the side of the O-ring and pop out and clatter on the floor. Once that's done, the lense falls right out, and installation is reverse of removal. Don't worry about scratching anything; the casing is harder than the screwdriver, and the lense is way harder than the screwdriver.
 
Regarding Krytox.
An excellent Krytox blend has been available for years in a very handy little syringe, namely Chris Reeve`s Fluorinated Grease. Recently they switched brand to Christo-Lube, but this is basically the same product.
 
I think the easiest way to remove the window retaining O-ring is with a sewing needle or other thin type of needle. A partial or even clear through puncture of the retaining O-ring will not compromise its function one bit. Actually a pierced sealing O-ring as well will function properly as the O-ring will seal the puncture and added pressure increases this seal in these particular applications.

If you stab the o-ring from the side you can just pull the needle away and the O-ring will follow. There is some trick to evenly seating the retaining O-ring back in place but I believe it is pretty straight forward.

:wave: Johny Deep

Thanks for the tip on christo-lube but can you be more specific? I did a google and found some dive shops that sell some types but going to christo-lube's own site it seems they have way more variations than even Krytox?!?! :shrug:

EDIT

I found one site, scubatools who seems to have the two popular flavors of christolube at reasonable prices. I've ordered some MCG111 as well as MCG129 to try out. I suspect either will be totally acceptable on the lights I am building now. Considering their use in life critical re-breathers as an inert lube meeting a wide temperature range as well as potential exposure to nasty chemicals I suspect use in flashlights will be a piece of cake, as it were.
 
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I am finding it difficult to love my Haiku so much I carry it all the time. I find myself EDC my HDS 170T because it just pairs well with a big ugly Glock that I CCW daily, lol. Perhaps the MCgizmo is just too darn cool to EDC right now and I need to get my shelf queen custom 1911's out of the closet to pair with my Haiku.

I wonder how you guys do it with all these high end lights you have? I have 5 now and the 2 best are the HDS 170T and my new Haiku XPG. I am mentally destroyed trying to figure out which to call my favorite or which to stuff in my pocket for the day. How the heck can you guys have 10 Mcgizmos and not go nuts? :duh2:

My other issue is I like how far the 170T throws light but I like the nice spill of the Kaiku XPG so I am torn. On Mid setting with the Haiku XPG I can see more of my yard then the high setting with the 170T. Why cant one light do it all?

Maybe that Malkof/Mcgizmo aint such a bad idea. I have a Malkoff 60 in my 6P and that sucker lights up anything close and far. Just too big to EDC.
 
Brian1911 said:
I am finding it difficult to love my Haiku so much I carry it all the time. I find myself EDC my HDS 170T because it just pairs well with a big ugly Glock that I CCW daily, lol. Perhaps the MCgizmo is just too darn cool to EDC right now and I need to get my shelf queen custom 1911's out of the closet to pair with my Haiku.
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Don's recommended solution for this is to toss your Haiku on the pavement. I did it (albeit accidentally), and he's right, it works. Once you see how unaffected it is by rough usage, you won't care about carrying it daily anymore.

Brian1911 said:
I wonder how you guys do it with all these high end lights you have? I have 5 now and the 2 best are the HDS 170T and my new Haiku XPG. I am mentally destroyed trying to figure out which to call my favorite or which to stuff in my pocket for the day. How the heck can you guys have 10 Mcgizmos and not go nuts? :duh2:
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You're mentally destroyed because you're trying to make a logical decision with no data. Line them up and grab the next one in the rotation each day. Once you use them enough you'll figure out which ones are best in which circumstances.
 
Each night I play with the Haiku more and am starting to realize it holds its own against the 170T in many other ways. The beam is just so nice and will light up an entire room or when standing outside it will light up the front of the house which is cool. For needing to walk the yard or do work outdoors at night it would be my best choice but to light up a house or someone in the distance the HDS is better.

Man, I love both but I still want to see a Malkoff/Mcgizmo. I really like the M60 but dont care for the lights it comes in.

I see it this way, if I drop my HDS I will cuss but if I drop the Haiku I might just cry. Once the newness wares off I think I will feel better about it.



fyrstormer said:
Don's recommended solution for this is to toss your Haiku on the pavement. I did it (albeit accidentally), and he's right, it works. Once you see how unaffected it is by rough usage, you won't care about carrying it daily anymore.

You're mentally destroyed because you're trying to make a logical decision with no data. Line them up and grab the next one in the rotation each day. Once you use them enough you'll figure out which ones are best in which circumstances.
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Ok, so how do I tell which side of the lens has the AR coating? I assume that side faces inward toward the LED, right?

I centered my LED perfectly now but I had to do as Don mentioned with the needle trick to remove the O-ring and the lens from the front. It looks good now and I was sure to keep the lens the way it came out and reversed back in but the purple/green hue seems to be on the outside surface. This is the way it came but I thought that it was backward.

Help me out, please.
 
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Wow you really did need a lot of help. By putting a small piece of tape on the outside of lens you won't get it confused. I think both sides are coated.
 
LOL, thanks. We learn some how right?

I read the tape trick put it seemed the purple/hue color was to the outside originally. If both sides are coated then its all good but I want to be sure.
 
Only one side is coated. The window comes with a clear vinyl disk on the non coated side and this is all I come in contact with as I install the window. I pull the disk off once the window is in the head. I got smart with the Makai and didn't bother with any coating at all.
 
Well the lens looks fine to me so I guess its not good to clean them but I see no indication of AR being messed with.
 
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If the A/R is on the outside then it will show some wear as it makes contact with stuff. Some folks have just wiped it off and been done with it. If it came installed backwards then it was "tagged" backwards at the factory and I will be happy to send you a replacement if you wish.
 
The A/R coated side will feel grippier, as in it will be harder to slide your finger across it. However, your skin oil will discolor the coating until you wash it off, and depending on how good the coating is on any given lense it might scratch off when you wash it anyway, so I wouldn't recommend touching it if you can avoid it.

I've had a couple lenses that had damaged A/R coatings and I actually had to use a steel brush on my bench grinder to remove it all. It was very funny to see sparks flying off the sapphire lense, but the lense is much harder than the brush so it was actually the brush that was sparking. The lense was unaffected even under a photographer's loupe. Can't do that with mineral glass. :whistle:
 
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fyrstormer said:
The A/R coated side will feel grippier, as in it will be harder to slide your finger across it. However, your skin oil will discolor the coating until you wash it off, and depending on how good the coating is on any given lense it might scratch off when you wash it anyway, so I wouldn't recommend touching it if you can avoid it.

I've had a couple lenses that had damaged A/R coatings and I actually had to use a steel brush on my bench grinder to remove it all. It was very funny to see sparks flying off the sapphire lense, but the lense is much harder than the brush so it was actually the brush that was sparking. The lense was unaffected even under a photographer's loupe. Can't do that with mineral glass. :whistle:
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Now that is just nuts. I cant imagine this but I suppose its just fact.

Don has been too good to me during all this but I think I got in over my head too quick. I thank you guys for all your input and look forward to keep learning from your posts.
 
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