Daekar
Enlightened
I decided that since my Lumapower lights are my "go-to" lights in pretty much any situation, I should figure out if they could handle one situation I don't usually like to use lights in - water - in the manner in which such a situation might actually arise. No, it's not life-threatening, no it's not even that important in the big scheme of things, but it is likely to happen to those of us who have propane-powered water heaters: a shower with no power. And it conveniently simulates hard rain. 
To be fair, I opened the event to all-comers, with reasonable notification ahead of time and ample time to sign up and register. The turnout was about 50% of the primary light population: a somewhat disappointing turnout, but hey, this tough stuff isn't for everybody. In the end, only the Lumapower lights had the guts to put themselves to the test and I felt fortunate for their decisions. The M3 came decked out in its most powerful 2xAA configuration (although this also created the most possible leak-points, revealing an admirable confidence in its ability to perform) the MRV in it's stock configuration, and the M1 was outfitted with its OP reflector for smooth transitions during the competition. All comers seemed to have a small sponsorship from Nyogel , as they were all well outfitted with that company's 760G product.
Regulations stated that during the event, each light was to be placed in a lesser-exposure area for the time when it wasn't being held, and each light was to be held for several minutes under different parts of the cone of water, primarily the most intense area. All sides of the lights were to be subjected to direct impact of the water stream, including the lenses. If the test subjects had provisions for multiple brightness settings, those were to be used during the event. Regulations also stipulated that the participants were only required to be turned on during their specific part of the event - However, it came as a surprise that none of the subjects chose to deactivate after they started the compeition.
As can be expected when players of this caliber come together, the performances were fantastic across the board. None of the lights allowed any water to enter during their exposure or afterward. Use of the pills on the MRV and M3 to enter low and medium respectively did not compromise the water seal (probably thanks to a combination of the excellent double-o-rings and the Nyogel). Any one of the single competitors had ample power to entertain the crowd, but as was mentioned before, all three went above the beyond the call of duty to give a stellar performance during the ENTIRE event. Industry insiders speculate that since in no other testing or demonstration have these lights displayed anything but top-notch performance, they probably have been equipped with rechargable batteries.
Here is a picture of the three test subjects in their "idle" positions shortly after testing concluded:
Post-Event Exclusive!
I managed to catch up with the competitors as they were cooling down and relaxing after the event and asked them about their strategies and equipment - all were very open and encouraged the sharing of information to raise the overall level of performance regardless of who won. It seems both the MRV and M1 were running Tenergy-brand 18650s and the M3, always the rebel laughing at danger, was running 2xAA eneloops which had been sitting practically since they were purchased and charged. A short chat with the event photographer didn't reveal aperature, shutterspeed, or ISO settings, but he stated that the image fairly accurately portrays the actual image his eyes saw while taking the picture, although it may be marginally darker. Regardless, I think we can all agree that ceiling/wall bounce is a wonderful thing. And yes, before someone asks... that IS a shower pouf in the corner.
:goodjob: LP!
When asked about its non-participation in the event, my SF L2 firmly stated it didn't want to participate in this event because it felt it had already proven itself in previous whimsical subjections to water. As one of the first major competitors in this area, I think it's fair to say it has earned a chance to rest on its laurels for a time. However, my modded m@glite refused to answer any questions, stating that it wasn't obligated to answer any questions or participate in any testing that it felt might incriminate it. :candle: The Princeton Tec Apex was an eagerly anticipated contestant in this event and fans were disappointed when it chose not to participate, citing a modding accident involving a missing heat-sink cover which left two screw holes in the front of its plastic housing. While the holes have since been patched with Gorilla glue, the Apex felt it wise to avoid situations which might be stressful to those particular areas.
To be fair, I opened the event to all-comers, with reasonable notification ahead of time and ample time to sign up and register. The turnout was about 50% of the primary light population: a somewhat disappointing turnout, but hey, this tough stuff isn't for everybody. In the end, only the Lumapower lights had the guts to put themselves to the test and I felt fortunate for their decisions. The M3 came decked out in its most powerful 2xAA configuration (although this also created the most possible leak-points, revealing an admirable confidence in its ability to perform) the MRV in it's stock configuration, and the M1 was outfitted with its OP reflector for smooth transitions during the competition. All comers seemed to have a small sponsorship from Nyogel , as they were all well outfitted with that company's 760G product.
Regulations stated that during the event, each light was to be placed in a lesser-exposure area for the time when it wasn't being held, and each light was to be held for several minutes under different parts of the cone of water, primarily the most intense area. All sides of the lights were to be subjected to direct impact of the water stream, including the lenses. If the test subjects had provisions for multiple brightness settings, those were to be used during the event. Regulations also stipulated that the participants were only required to be turned on during their specific part of the event - However, it came as a surprise that none of the subjects chose to deactivate after they started the compeition.
As can be expected when players of this caliber come together, the performances were fantastic across the board. None of the lights allowed any water to enter during their exposure or afterward. Use of the pills on the MRV and M3 to enter low and medium respectively did not compromise the water seal (probably thanks to a combination of the excellent double-o-rings and the Nyogel). Any one of the single competitors had ample power to entertain the crowd, but as was mentioned before, all three went above the beyond the call of duty to give a stellar performance during the ENTIRE event. Industry insiders speculate that since in no other testing or demonstration have these lights displayed anything but top-notch performance, they probably have been equipped with rechargable batteries.
Here is a picture of the three test subjects in their "idle" positions shortly after testing concluded:
Post-Event Exclusive!
I managed to catch up with the competitors as they were cooling down and relaxing after the event and asked them about their strategies and equipment - all were very open and encouraged the sharing of information to raise the overall level of performance regardless of who won. It seems both the MRV and M1 were running Tenergy-brand 18650s and the M3, always the rebel laughing at danger, was running 2xAA eneloops which had been sitting practically since they were purchased and charged. A short chat with the event photographer didn't reveal aperature, shutterspeed, or ISO settings, but he stated that the image fairly accurately portrays the actual image his eyes saw while taking the picture, although it may be marginally darker. Regardless, I think we can all agree that ceiling/wall bounce is a wonderful thing. And yes, before someone asks... that IS a shower pouf in the corner.
:goodjob: LP!
When asked about its non-participation in the event, my SF L2 firmly stated it didn't want to participate in this event because it felt it had already proven itself in previous whimsical subjections to water. As one of the first major competitors in this area, I think it's fair to say it has earned a chance to rest on its laurels for a time. However, my modded m@glite refused to answer any questions, stating that it wasn't obligated to answer any questions or participate in any testing that it felt might incriminate it. :candle: The Princeton Tec Apex was an eagerly anticipated contestant in this event and fans were disappointed when it chose not to participate, citing a modding accident involving a missing heat-sink cover which left two screw holes in the front of its plastic housing. While the holes have since been patched with Gorilla glue, the Apex felt it wise to avoid situations which might be stressful to those particular areas.
