How is that Lucidus working out?

[Gaffle]

I am one of those broke flashaholics. I just keep looking and looking and looking. Well one light I cannot get out of my head is the Lucidus-xr2. There is some kind of magnetism that pulls me to Waynes site. I cannot get that damn light out of my head.

Question :

Does the xr2 really run for 6 hours at max brightness?

I know Wayne is not a total regulation kind of guy, but I like that whole maximum brightness for 4 hours stuff. I still really dig my propoly (even more so after I mod it), but I now realize how inefficient it is. I mean 4 AA's will give me 4.5 hours of runtime. To get the same runtime with something brighter and only using 2 AA's would be hella nice.

Maybe I'll recieve another light for Christmas....:candle:

 

[speederino]

The Lucidus-XR2 is an awesome light. Mine is of the first Cree batch Wayne made, so I've had it about 6 months. It has become my go-to light. The optic makes the Cree beautiful without rings or artifacts, and it is one tough light.

The only 'downside' to a Lucidus is that it doesn't have 18 output levels with strobe and SOS, a GPS tracking device, or a homing beacon. However, when I find myself needing light, I reach for the Lucidus. I did try an IQ switch on my Lucidus for a while, and while the multiple levels work great, I went back to the stock switch. I must prefer the simplicity.

I recently got a Lucidus-XR1/2 in alumibronze from Wayne. This is a special light. I have the choice of bright on two cells, or less light with longer runtime on one cell. I love alumibronze...I like the weight and the way it oxidizes...this stuff is tough!

 

[LEDninja]

I have a Lucidus XR-1 aluminium anudise clear made from that batch of (EDIT) XR-2s and XR-3s that went wrong. The threads on the barrels got anodised. The thickness of the anodise prevented the parts from joining properly. So Electrolumens is cutting the barrels short and rethreading. The XR-3s will become XR-2s and the XR-2s will become XR-1s. (/EDIT)

Size: the light is thicker than other metal AA flashlights such as a minimag. More like the rubber coated plastic flashlight such as the Dorcy Gelbrite. You may have trouble finding a holster.

Output: I estimate 140 to 160 mA (1 NiMH) to the LED based on the micropuck charts. It is clearly brighter than my L1P (350 mA Lux 1) in the ceiling bounce test. The hotspot of the XR-1 just blows that of the L1P away. I don't have a -2 extension tube. When I simulated a multiple cell Lucidus using a 14500 battery the Lucidus has the best throw of all my lights. That includes a triple SSC-P4 Little Friend.

Beam pattern: Most reflector based Cree lights increase throw a bit over the Luxeon lights but doubles the brightness of the spill. The Lucidus Cree optic goes the other way putting most of the light in the hotspot for maximum throw. There is NO blue ring around the hotspot. The spill is weak but sufficient to avoid stepping into potholes or gopher holes without constantly swinging the light downwards.

I did not do any runtime tests and the runtime of the XR-1, -2, -3 will all be different anyways so I won't bother.

 

[speederino]

...from that batch of lights that went wrong.

Just to be clear, there is nothing wrong with that batch of XR1's that are in people's hands. What went wrong was that Wayne was intending to make XR2's and cut the bodies just a little too short (or was it he bored them too narrow?). Anyways, he salvaged his mistakes and made XR1's instead.

Wayne does this awesome groovy finish that makes the Lucidus really grippy. Before I saw it in person I thought it was just a lazy man's knurling but it actually is a much better gripping surface than knurling IMHO. I've never dropped either of my Lucidus lights, and the alubronze one is pretty heavy (1LB).

This photo shows his groovy finish pretty well (on a prototype Blaster-3C he is working on now):

http://elektrolumens.com/Blaster-PWM/Blaster-PWM-1-HiRes.jpg

 

[LEDninja]

I guess I did not word it properlly. Added an explanation to my post.

 

[speederino]

That's cool....ninja the way I read that you had me going there for a second, and I stay up on the goings-on in the EL forum! I had forgotten about the anodizing issue...

I went back and checked...it was some early XR-2's that got bored too small that became DeCrees, and 4D Stunner bodies that were cut too short became 3D stunners.

So depending on point-of-view, either I'm not in the EL forum enough, or I hang out in the EL forum too much!

Back to OP's question. Gaffle, you will not be disappointed with Wayne's creations.

 

[Gaffle]

I have not emailed Wayne yet, but I noticed that the Lucidus XR-2 has a lumen change on the Elektrolumens homepage. Homepage states the XR-2 is 120lumens, and the Lucidus page still states the 80lumens.

Last I checked these were kickin at 80lumens, not 120. Does anyone know of a change that occurred?

 

[LEDninja]

When the Lucidus was 1st designed the available boost circuit was a 400mA micropuck and the LED a P3 bin WC tint. Currently Wayne is using the 500 mA micropuck and I am pretty sure my Lucidus has a WD tint. Since the WD tint is only available in P4 bin and up the LED is more efficient . This gives you more lumens. Also shorter battery life.