McGizmo AquaRam XML2 - a mini-review - includes beam shots!
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AMD64Blondie
Flashlight Enthusiast
At first I thought "I really want this light"...then I saw what the price was.EEEK!!! $575 is a little too much for me.
(That's $45 more than I pay for 1 month's rent).
(That's $45 more than I pay for 1 month's rent).
Welcome to the world of high end customs.
Although it is expensive, there are two big reasons I purchased it.
#1- The driver is amazingly flexible. Having the ability to set and switch between (3) preset user interfaces makes it like having three flashlights and its not hard to find three 150.00 flashlights. Plus the flexibility of the UI options is off the page - you can have almost any UI you want on any one of those presets.
#2- The quality is very very high. I have blown throw aluminum flashlights very quickly at work. Four7's, zebralight, lumintop, etc.have all had short life spans. But titanium and a sapphire lens have been relatively indestructible to this point. It has endured lots and lots of drops on concrete, rocks and metal, welding spatter, the occasional hammer-like tapping and so on, and it still works perfect. It just has light scratches on the titanium.
To me, it's like buying snap-on tools. They have an edge over most other hand tools. That edge comes at a high cost and honestly most don't need that edge and therefore can't justify the cost. But that edge makes the difference in daily hard use and at the end of the day it can make the difference of finishing the job or not. This light is in that category. It has an edge over most other lights but it is an edge that has proven to be worth the cost for me.
#1- The driver is amazingly flexible. Having the ability to set and switch between (3) preset user interfaces makes it like having three flashlights and its not hard to find three 150.00 flashlights. Plus the flexibility of the UI options is off the page - you can have almost any UI you want on any one of those presets.
#2- The quality is very very high. I have blown throw aluminum flashlights very quickly at work. Four7's, zebralight, lumintop, etc.have all had short life spans. But titanium and a sapphire lens have been relatively indestructible to this point. It has endured lots and lots of drops on concrete, rocks and metal, welding spatter, the occasional hammer-like tapping and so on, and it still works perfect. It just has light scratches on the titanium.
To me, it's like buying snap-on tools. They have an edge over most other hand tools. That edge comes at a high cost and honestly most don't need that edge and therefore can't justify the cost. But that edge makes the difference in daily hard use and at the end of the day it can make the difference of finishing the job or not. This light is in that category. It has an edge over most other lights but it is an edge that has proven to be worth the cost for me.
Obijuan Kenobe
Flashlight Enthusiast
I suggested in another thread that rapping ANY McGizmo light (or for that matter, any requiring brief off periods to switch levels) on the tail with your palm is a useful method for switching levels.
In that thread, there was little support of this as a viable mode of operation. I was likely to damage the driver, or the battery, or whatever they all said. No one seemed to take it seriously.
Now it is genius.
Keep in mind going forward, this will work on all the lights with this UI requirement.
obi
In that thread, there was little support of this as a viable mode of operation. I was likely to damage the driver, or the battery, or whatever they all said. No one seemed to take it seriously.
Now it is genius.
Keep in mind going forward, this will work on all the lights with this UI requirement.
obi
PoliceScannerMan
Flashaholic
Obi I remember your thread.
With the aqua, I figured it out on accident when I set the light down to tail stand a lil to hard and the light shifted levels. Thought I would share my findings.
It would make sense though that this could be bad for battery and driver.
With the aqua, I figured it out on accident when I set the light down to tail stand a lil to hard and the light shifted levels. Thought I would share my findings.
It would make sense though that this could be bad for battery and driver.
yoyoman
Flashlight Enthusiast
Love this light. 1.4 A
greatscoot
Flashlight Enthusiast
This is a great review and the beamshots are great. I had been eyeing one of these for a while and wasn't sure if I wanted the XML or 219 version. Now I know which version and what I need to start saving up for. My Haiku and Sundrop XRU need some company.
It is true that bumping the tail of the light is a way of switching levels that works quite well. The short disruption of the battery voltage is all it takes. I am making use of the "feature" quite often myself.
While it is not really an intended way of using the light, it should at the same time cause no harm as long as it is done in a gentle way.
The driver PCBs of the Aqua lights are extra thick, mainly to safely withstand the pressure that the spring inflicts on the driver.
But seeing what Calflash's light has to endure, you can tell that it does withstand a good amount of abuse obviously
Nice shot of the concentrated beam of light of the AquaRam yoyoman posted, when the air is not very clear it is easy to see this beam with your bare eyes.
While it is not really an intended way of using the light, it should at the same time cause no harm as long as it is done in a gentle way.
The driver PCBs of the Aqua lights are extra thick, mainly to safely withstand the pressure that the spring inflicts on the driver.
But seeing what Calflash's light has to endure, you can tell that it does withstand a good amount of abuse obviously
Nice shot of the concentrated beam of light of the AquaRam yoyoman posted, when the air is not very clear it is easy to see this beam with your bare eyes.
Gonna bump this thread up. Hopefully more folks who are unfamiliar with the AquaRam (and AquaMule) will see this and consider these awesome lights. I find myself looking for ways to fund/justify an AquaMule with a 119V emitter..
Give yourself a Christmas present!
Give yourself a Christmas present!
yoyoman
Flashlight Enthusiast
A few comments on my picture. The picture does not do justice to the beam - you don't see the broad and useful spill. If you look closely at the beam, you'll see 2 streaks (either bugs or dirt particles). Streaks and not a dashed line - no PWM. The red in the background is light pollution from a street lamp.
PoliceScannerMan
Flashaholic
May favorite part of the pic is the light, you can tell it's been USED!
yoyoman
Flashlight Enthusiast
The AquaRam was meant to be used. And we don't need no stinkin shelf queens.
PoliceScannerMan
Flashaholic
yoyoman
Flashlight Enthusiast
At the lake
At the lake
Nice!!
