LongBow: PR and McCapsule discussion

[dat2zip]

Part of the run of PR heads for the Longbow have come back from being anodized in black. The rest are still raw aluminum.

The question is how many if any should we do in Hard Anodized Natural.

In order to get a realistic count I would like to ask for a signup list here. Please post how many you are planning to buy. This signup list is somewhat a pre-order list. While no payment is being taken now, putting your name down for one would be committing to that quantity. This will really really help us in the quantity to take to the anodizers.

Also, any comments suggestions or other OT are welcomed as usual so long as this thread doesn't go 20 pages.

Thoughts and suggestions. Please weigh in on the subject. Maybe, you would buy all black and HA NAT is not needed in your opinion. Maybe, black is acceptable and goes well with both the HA NAT and black longbows as it is.

Don was thinking of heading to the HA NAT anodizers on Tues, which may not be enough time to gather the required count and Don will have to take his best shot at this.

The Black heads will be on the shoppe shortly.

Wayne

***Edited to change title***

 

[Fitz]

Re: PR Head for Longbow. HA Natural Poll.

Wayne, just a couple of questions about these-
1. What is the OD and length of the heads?
2. Since I assume they are made to be used w/ the McCapsules, are you going to offer a "kit" price with the head and McCapsule, or just offer them separately?

 

[McGizmo]

Re: PR Head for Longbow. HA Natural Poll.

What Wayne said! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif Additionally I would like to put in a couple comments on the PR-LB heads. They will come in a kit form from Wayne with special PR reflectors that have been modified to fit and reference on the stock LB capsules. These are rather obvious in their difference from a standard modified PR reflector since the hole in them is noticibly larger in diameter. If you should end up using the wrong refflector in any of your lights, the sh$tty beam would be your first indication! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon15.gif

These heads are almost 2 months behind in being available and this is due to a very late shipment from the manufacturer coupled with the fact that the female threads that were cut in the heads were not deep enough to be functional on all possible bodies. In one out of 4 bodies Wayne and I had for fit testing, the head would not screw on. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif Because of this, I had to buy a tap and have been slowly working my way through these by chassing the shallow thread with a tap. This has really sucked and I was more than tempted to let the heads go to one of the local shopping cart recyclers! The good news for you guys is that in the period that these were not available, as planned, the so17xa hit the scene hard. For many of you, the so17xa is all you really want or need. For those wanting a more concentrated beam or longer throw (Doug S isn't around right now. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif ), the LB-PR will provide this.

I am going to see if I can post a simple poll in the sandwich shop forum on this and if so, perhaps this thread can be re titled: LongBow: PR and McCapsule discussion.

EDIT: I added a voting poll, HERE

 

[Billson]

Is there a way to make the PR head waterproof? If possible, I'd like to keep the waterproofness of the light intact.

 

[McGizmo]

Billson,

Without a complete re-design, I would not expect the PR to be dependable beyond splash proof and the occasional dunking. I am assuming when you say waterproof, you are after a seal that can take pressure as in diving.

The seal in the front of the head depends on proper contact with the window, lip of the head, bore of the bezel and outside lip of the reflector. With the application on the LongBow the issue gets even more iffy because the Long Bow will screw into and out of the PR and in doing so, it forces the reflector up into the O-ring. In some cases, the reflector will stay captive in the O-ring and in others, the reflector will drop down when the head is removed.

Tolerance variations as well as the need to accomodate a .015" "shim" in the application of a 5W have precluded a better method of seal on the PR, in its current design. A 27 mm reflector in a 1.25" OD bezel doesn't leave you much radial real estate for a good sealing surface! The reflectors in the SureFire "classic" heads of 1.25" OD are closer to 25 mm in OD. (I am hoping that the design of the new Aleph head will be an improvement on the front end seal but until production parts exist and can be evaluated, /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon3.gif )

As to making a PR waterproof by modification, I can think of a couple things to try but there is no guarantee of success. I think one possibility would be to put the head on the Long bow and this would bring the reflector lip up above the lip of the head. I would place the lens on top of the reflector, center it and apply pressure to keep it against the reflector. I would then use a thickened epoxy, perhaps AA, and put a generous bead of it around and under the lens and some into the threads on the head. I would place the provided O-ring inthe bezel and screw the bezel down onto the head, keeping pressure against the lens to keep any epoxy from squishing in under the lens and into the reflector. The excess epoxy would be forced back through the threads and would leave a bead under the rear lip of the bezel and against the head. This presumably would provide a viable seal against water coming in from the back end, under the bezel. the O-ring in the front, between the lens and the bezel and in compression, would presumably prevent the intrusion of water from the only other access point. The bead of epoxy, under the lens and filling the recess defined by the lens, lip of the head and lip of the reflector, would presumably provide a second and interior line of defense against water intrusion. In stead of using epoxy, one could use silicone sealer which would allow for later dissasembly or at least a better shot at it. I am inclined to prefer the rigidity and bond strength of the epoxy over what essentially would be a formed in place gasket in the case of using the silicone.

Don't know if I answered your question but I did try. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif

 

[Billson]

I don't really need it to resist water pressure very much. At most, it probably won't go beyond 5 to 10 feet(snorkeling). I'm just wondering if the pr head would be able to resist taking in water if I were to leave it submerged in a bucket of water for an extended period of time. If it satisfies both criteria mentioned above, it'll be good enough for my purposes.

Lastly, if I understand correctly, you say that if I use the Mcmodule, I would have to buy a standard PR as the included PR in the head has been modified for use with the stock capsule. Is the standard PR available on the Shoppe? I've been trying to find it but the only one I can see is the pelican modified reflector. Is this it? Are the PR heads the black ones?

 

[dat2zip]

Billson,

Yes, you are correct. To use the McCapsule would require the Pelican Modified reflector which is what most people are referring to here on CPF.

The PR heads on the shoppe currently are black. We are discussing the HA NAT and I think a batch will be going to the anodizers tomorrow.

Wayne

 

[AK]

Put me down for a HA natural.

 

[McGizmo]

What Wayne said. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

To elaborate on the reflectors, the stock LongBow capsule holds the reflector up further from the LED than the McModule or PR based heads do. This is not optimal and since I wanted to use the McCapsules for applications beyond the LongBows, I chose to have its shoulder height, relative to the LED reduced from that of the stock LB capsule and in accord with the other systems already using the 27 mm PR based reflector. There are still some modified PR reflectors in the system and inventory but at some point soon, the references to these will be removed and the reflectors will just be known as McR-27's for clarity. Inaddition to a McR-38 which has already proven its value, at least to me, I am expecting some samples of a 17 and 25 mm as well. The 17 will have tough competition with the IMS so17xa and may never get past prototype. I am hopeful that the 25 mm will offer an alternative that is currently not available. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon3.gif

I keep forgetting to comment on the LB-PR with stock LB capsule.There is a ring of the potting epoxy visible around the LED itself. I suspect some of you will use some GID powder to paint this area to make use of it. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif