Maglite XML Drop Ins?

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On 3 cells I would say it's not as bright as a TK35. I'll do some ceiling bounce tests as well.

I am using the stock reflector. I have all 4 KD ones but using stock for comparisons as a I have more than 1 of those ...

In terms of the XP-G, the XP-G2 tint seems better and it does seem just that little bit brighter than the XP-G. I might get a 2D (and use 3C's) for the XP-G2. Both these new drop-ins seem to focus better into a tight spot too I might add. I'm not a good photographer so I'm struggling to get a good shot of the beams especially with a phone camera (Nokia N900).
 
I really appreciate your work and evaluations of these malkoff Drop Ins for Maglites,

I have 2X3D cells, of which one is so old it doesn't have the "D" in the front of the SN, it's also larger diameter then the other "D" cells.. Feels real good in the hands,
2x4D cells, just won on eBay, Lol... I'll get em cleaned up...
3x2D cells and they all have something different in them, Rop Hi in one and Rop Lo in the other, One on 6xAAs, one on 2x26650...
however none have LEDs in them,

I really need one good LED version to carry when training starts and I am really liking the output on 4 NiMH cells of the XL-L2 you speak of,
my concern is runtime on 4xC cells because they seem to advertise 5000 mAh, and per the website the dropin I want pulls 2.7Amps, so
maybe an hour and a half with the C cells, but if I can get used to the 4D size I could run 10,000mAh cells and get almost three hours runtime,
Which would be awesome!!!

I have a Samsung GS3 and can't for the life of me take a good pic of a beam pattern, there has got to be a secret I am missing!

I need to purchase a regular camera to feed this addiction,

 
tjhabak said:
You can always get a chunk of 1.5" PVC and shorten the tailspring slightly to run 4xC cells in a 3D Mag.
Click to expand...

Or you can just get the XM-L2 drop-in for a C cell Mag and use it in a 4C Mag. MUCH, MUCH, MUCH easier than trying to use C cells in a D cell Mag. Not to mention that it would be a thinner, more 'ergonomic' light.
 
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Mr Floppy said:
Forget the camera, I need D batteries. I'm almost at the stage where I will build my own AA -D convertors.
Click to expand...

That's funny, because I have al these shells and don't have a single D or C NiMH cell, lol... They all have Li-Ion or battery packs in them, I have 24 AA Eneloops right now, lol...

StorminMatt said:
Or you can just get the XM-L2 drop-in for a C cell Mag and use it in a 4C Mag. MUCH, MUCH, MUCH easier than trying to use C cells in a D cell Mag. Not to mention that it would be a thinner, more 'ergonomic' light.
Click to expand...

I did think about that but liked the diameter of the D cell when helping out in the woods on night patrols, nothing major duty wise, but they are lighter in a C body, Hmmm
That might be an option because the length is between the two anyway...
 
Here are some white wall hotspot shots. Using FCamera on a Nokia N900, ISO200, white balance 5500K, exposure 1/300s so it's just a crappy phone camera

4D XM-L2, 4D XM-L, TK40
xml2xmltk40.jpg


XP-G2, XP-G,
3D XM-L2, 3D XM-L
xpg2xpg3dxml23dxml.png



3D XM-L vs 4D XM-L2
photo2009_01_01_07_10_18_98.jpg


3D XM-L2 vs 4D XM-L
photo2009_01_01_07_12_34_17.jpg


4D XP-G2 vs 3D XP-G
photo2009_01_01_07_15_11_93.jpg
 
Love the photos boss,

Thanks so much!

I am definitely wanting the XM-L2 after this Friday, lol...

Now these were with the factory Mag reflectors right???

Again a hundred thank yous for doing this, :thumbsup:

I need to try and see if I can lock some settings down on my Galaxy S3 and take some beam shot photos,
 
Yes, the mag reflector.

If you haven't got it already, try the Camera 360 app. There's a free version which has most features. I tried these shots with my Galaxy S2 but I think FCamera is better. Much grainier with the S2.
 
I looked online and checked CNET and am going to try Camera ZOOM Fx,

You can stitch a collage together with it also, I like that.

This was a spacer I made to run my ROP High in my 3D, I used some PVC parts and some extra springs I tore out of a dead cheap 6V lantern battery,
It came out so great because the IMR cell that is against the spring has cushion as well, and is allowed to slide into the spacer if needed against the spring.

The app let me stitch four pictures into one, and then uploaded to PhotoBucket,


On the topic of XM-L drop ins,

I scored an eBay win, and got 2 x 4D black Maglites and 1 2D Maglite also black shipped for 33 bucks or something, so now I have a 4D host for a
Malkoff XM-L2!!!!



 
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Greenbean said:

On the topic of XM-L drop ins,

I scored an eBay win, and got 2 x 4D black Maglites and 1 2D Maglite also black shipped for 33 bucks or something, so now I have a 4D host for a
Malkoff XM-L2!!!!
Click to expand...

Congrats. The 4D is the way to go. It does seem that my 4D is not able to stay at a full 2.7A draw but it still around 2.63A or above for the majority of the time. This is with the Tenergy Centuras but it will start out at 2.7A though. Either way, couldn't tell the difference with my eyes and couldn't tell with my lux meter either.

The more I use the XM-L2, the more I think it is much better than the XM-L version. The new LED seems to produce less artifacts even with the stock reflector and the hotspot is smooth. I don't know if this is due to the XM-L2 not having segments in the dye or something. The same can be said of the XP-G2 as well. The other thing about the XML is that the head just does not get hot. Not even warm really. My IR thermometer was barely 25 degrees Celsius and that was just a bit above the ambient temperature of the room.
 
Mr Floppy said:
The other thing about the XML is that the head just does not get hot. Not even warm really. My IR thermometer was barely 25 degrees Celsius and that was just a bit above the ambient temperature of the room.
Click to expand...

That is great! I am awaiting the email from Malkoffs website to let me know when there are more XM-L2 drop ins for my D,

:thumbsup:
 
Mr Floppy said:
I might get a 2D (and use 3C's) for the XP-G2.
Click to expand...

If you don't already have a 2D light for the XP-G2, why not get a 3C and the XP-G2 drop-in for 3-6C? The 3C is only a little longer than the 2D, is more ergonomic, and (obviously) doesn't require any modifications to hold 3 C batteries. The only REAL disadvantage to using a 3C vs a 2D is that you can't get it in all the colors that you can get a 2D. It's only available in black.
 
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Mr Floppy,

What batteries are you using in your D Maglites,

and what charger,

I am curious...
 
I have Tenergy Premium and Tenergy Centura batteries. I use a Maha 808M mostly.

The Tenergys are not easy to get for me but I have 2AA to D adapters as well. Well, I can get the Tenergys but rely on a relative to send them to me at the lowest cost, which means a bit of a wait ...
 
I use Tenergy Centuras for all my C and D lights. And they have worked REALLY well for me. As far as adaptors, I would consider them to be more of a temporary measure than a permanent solution, and then only if you already have AA batteries. Not only are real C's and D's cheaper than Eneloops plus adaptors. Capacity is also higher. And with my 3C Mag with XM-L2 drop-in, tailcap current with C's is 2.1A vs 1.8A with AA Duraloops in adaptors. I would suspect that D adaptors hurt resistance even more since there are more contacts to deal with.
 
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weegidy said:
This is slightly off-topic, but has anyone used any of the Chinese drop-ins? DX.com has a ton of stuff that seems to be almost-legit.
Click to expand...

They aren't usually made for Maglites. They are for the WF500 lights. They can be put into Mags but you'd need to do some mods.
 
Mr Floppy said:
They aren't usually made for Maglites. They are for the WF500 lights. They can be put into Mags but you'd need to do some mods.
Click to expand...

Has anyone tried this? I would like to give it a try... It would be great to look at someone else's work.
 
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