brightnorm
Flashaholic
- Joined
- Oct 13, 2001
- Messages
- 7,161
I've resurrected this thread because of recently increased interest in the Tigerlight triggered partly in reaction to MAG's destructive policy toward Peter Gransee of ARC. Some Flashaholics have sworn to never again buy a MAG product, or to sell or stop using their existing MAGs.
This review was posted on 2/2/03, well before the present unpleasantness began. I don't understand why it appears in this too wide format. I'd welcome it if anyone can tell me how to resize it, or whether I should notify a moderator.
Brightnorm
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
On Friday night I conducted "vertical throw tests" of these lights. As I've explained in previous posts, my densely urban city makes the usual horizontal distance testing very difficult, so I've evolved these variations. I select a spot on a tall building, count the number of floors, conservatively allowing 10 feet per floor. Then I pace out the horizontal distance from that building using a stride-matched pedometer, or just counting strides (average length is 3 feet). I then use Pythagoras to calculate the hypotenuse giving me the actual distance. While it won't be an exactly correct figure I believe it's pretty accurate, probably to within a couple of percentage points. I always enlist the services of at least one witness, usually more. They are non-Flashaholic friends, colleagues and my generally tolerant girlfriend.
This time I conducted two tests. The Tigerlight (with UCL) was fully charged but had been off charger for about 12 hours. Additionally, I had flicked it on/off several times for a total burn of about 30 seconds. The Magcharger was fully charged, fresh off the charger. I felt that the Tigerlight's disadvantage was extremely slight, not enough to skew the tests, but more knowledgeable Flashaholics may correct me.
Note: For these tests the Magcharger (with new lamp) was focused as tightly as possible.
V throw test 1
Height: 500' (50 floors) *
Horizontal distance: 450'
Total distance 672'
* Exact number estimated because top of high rise was a windowless structure approximately 5 stories high. I calculated by holding a pencil at arm's length, placing eraser tip even with top, using thumb to mark bottom of windowless portion, then transposing that measurement upon windowed section of building, giving me almost exactly 5 floors. Repeated twice)
V throw test 2:
Height: 170' (17 floors)
Horizontal distance: 90'
Total distance: 192'
Observations: test 1
This was a very severe test, really beyond the practical range of both lights and made even more difficult by the ambient urban lighting. In addition, the dark, slate-like upper portion of the high rise was not reflective. Had this been a truly dark rural test with a lighter color subject the results would have been better.
All (three) observers agreed that the Magcharger cast a brighter light than the Tigerlight, but in this case "brighter" meant a subtle, wispy beam that simply had a bit more presence than the Tigerlight's slightly wispier beam.
Test 2
This test utilized the same 17 floor low rise previously used to test the Tigerlight and M6, though from a shorter distance of 90'.
See thread:
NEW TEST RESULTS FOR TIGERLIGHT & M6
At 192 ft the Tigerlight's beam was broad and very bright, effectively lighting up the wall and several windows in an impressive manner.
The Magcharger's beam, while not as broad, had a perfectly centered hotspot of surprising intensity that cut right through the Tigerliget's beam when superimposed upon it. It was most likely this hotspot that enabled the Magcharger's superiority in test 1.
Conclusions:
From a distance of 192' to over 600' the Magcharger (with new lamp) casts a brighter beam than the Tigerlight. However, this superior brightness occurs only in the Magcharger's well centered hotspot, while the Tigerlight casts a broader and brighter beam overall. I have not tested either light at short – medium distances.
These are both superb lights with different beam characteristics and very different bodies. The Tigerlight packs a very bright, fairly broad beam into a relatively small and light body. The Magcharger is bigger and heavier and can focus its beam to an unusually penetrating hotspot while still retaining an adequate surround, but cannot match the Tigerlight for sheer output. It feels solid and formidable in the hand and adds to a civilian's and probably an officer's feeling of security.
I would like to perform extensive comparisons of my M6, Tigerlight, Ultrastinger and perhaps UK SL6, but the logistics are so problematic that it may never occur.
Brightnorm
This review was posted on 2/2/03, well before the present unpleasantness began. I don't understand why it appears in this too wide format. I'd welcome it if anyone can tell me how to resize it, or whether I should notify a moderator.
Brightnorm
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
On Friday night I conducted "vertical throw tests" of these lights. As I've explained in previous posts, my densely urban city makes the usual horizontal distance testing very difficult, so I've evolved these variations. I select a spot on a tall building, count the number of floors, conservatively allowing 10 feet per floor. Then I pace out the horizontal distance from that building using a stride-matched pedometer, or just counting strides (average length is 3 feet). I then use Pythagoras to calculate the hypotenuse giving me the actual distance. While it won't be an exactly correct figure I believe it's pretty accurate, probably to within a couple of percentage points. I always enlist the services of at least one witness, usually more. They are non-Flashaholic friends, colleagues and my generally tolerant girlfriend.
This time I conducted two tests. The Tigerlight (with UCL) was fully charged but had been off charger for about 12 hours. Additionally, I had flicked it on/off several times for a total burn of about 30 seconds. The Magcharger was fully charged, fresh off the charger. I felt that the Tigerlight's disadvantage was extremely slight, not enough to skew the tests, but more knowledgeable Flashaholics may correct me.
Note: For these tests the Magcharger (with new lamp) was focused as tightly as possible.
V throw test 1
Height: 500' (50 floors) *
Horizontal distance: 450'
Total distance 672'
* Exact number estimated because top of high rise was a windowless structure approximately 5 stories high. I calculated by holding a pencil at arm's length, placing eraser tip even with top, using thumb to mark bottom of windowless portion, then transposing that measurement upon windowed section of building, giving me almost exactly 5 floors. Repeated twice)
V throw test 2:
Height: 170' (17 floors)
Horizontal distance: 90'
Total distance: 192'
Observations: test 1
This was a very severe test, really beyond the practical range of both lights and made even more difficult by the ambient urban lighting. In addition, the dark, slate-like upper portion of the high rise was not reflective. Had this been a truly dark rural test with a lighter color subject the results would have been better.
All (three) observers agreed that the Magcharger cast a brighter light than the Tigerlight, but in this case "brighter" meant a subtle, wispy beam that simply had a bit more presence than the Tigerlight's slightly wispier beam.
Test 2
This test utilized the same 17 floor low rise previously used to test the Tigerlight and M6, though from a shorter distance of 90'.
See thread:
NEW TEST RESULTS FOR TIGERLIGHT & M6
At 192 ft the Tigerlight's beam was broad and very bright, effectively lighting up the wall and several windows in an impressive manner.
The Magcharger's beam, while not as broad, had a perfectly centered hotspot of surprising intensity that cut right through the Tigerliget's beam when superimposed upon it. It was most likely this hotspot that enabled the Magcharger's superiority in test 1.
Conclusions:
From a distance of 192' to over 600' the Magcharger (with new lamp) casts a brighter beam than the Tigerlight. However, this superior brightness occurs only in the Magcharger's well centered hotspot, while the Tigerlight casts a broader and brighter beam overall. I have not tested either light at short – medium distances.
These are both superb lights with different beam characteristics and very different bodies. The Tigerlight packs a very bright, fairly broad beam into a relatively small and light body. The Magcharger is bigger and heavier and can focus its beam to an unusually penetrating hotspot while still retaining an adequate surround, but cannot match the Tigerlight for sheer output. It feels solid and formidable in the hand and adds to a civilian's and probably an officer's feeling of security.
I would like to perform extensive comparisons of my M6, Tigerlight, Ultrastinger and perhaps UK SL6, but the logistics are so problematic that it may never occur.
Brightnorm
