How do you review the LS20? Well, I don't. JS did an amazing review HERE in 2009, and BigHonu did an outstanding review HERE in 2008. I don't have anything to add to these stellar reviews. And if you know me, you know that I never met a McGizmo that I didn't like. Don has the gift of creating amazing tools, battleship tough, beautiful to look at, full of utility, and pleasing to own.
But time and technology do march on. Fortunately for all of us, there are many, many gifted individuals who enjoy and engage in the fine art of modifying these lights. One such individual is one of CPFs finest citizens, DaFABRICATA. Thank goodness that "DaFAB", as he is affectionately known, likes "DaFabbin' s*it".
Recently I was fortunate to acquire TWO LS20s....the plan was to find one, but a second that was just too enticing became available so I picked it up, too. But all along, my intent was to send an LS20 to DaFAB so that he could repeat the magic he did on his own - drop in an R4 XPG.
It's important to trust the person who is modding your expensive 'toy', and like so many of you, I trust Tim totally. He modded a 007 for me and did an outstanding job. The LS20 mod was no less amazing.
So here for your enjoyment are some photos of my new toy. You've seen the business end of a stock LS20:
Here's how it looks after Tim carefully installs the new emitter.
(I'll update this photo later with a better, closer shot)
But this is what you REALLY want to see, right? Beam Shots!
Set this up – the scenery you are looking at is the front 'yard' of our beach place on the Potomac River in Southern Maryland. Grass gives way to sand, scrappy bushes and trees cling to the soil until it meets the brackish Potomac River. Right at the point where the sand rises up (caused by multiple hurricanes through the years – each one seems to move a bit more sand from the Virginia side to the Maryland side of the river) I placed a piece of red reflective material, sent to me by my friend and outstanding CPF citizen, Coloradogps. I stepped off an approximate distance of 75 feet. Out another 75 feet is a bush that you really can't see in the photos – and in the bush I placed a yellow reflector.
I took 52 photos of beamshots tonight – every light I own – but for this test I will show only a Haiku XPG, stock LS20, and the modded LS20.
Incidentally, if you'd like to see the photos in higher resolution, visit HERE
Here's the view in daylight - you can see the bush in the center of the image:
It was dark - a few lights from docks and the bridge to St. Georges Island in the distance....
Here's a Haiku XPG on HI
A stock LS20 on 'high'
And the DaFAB mod on high
A side by side collage of the two
The exposure wasn't quite long enough - there may be a re-do posted after tonight. Regardless, the bump from 80 to 120 lumen and the nice, neutral tint show a HUGE difference!! (Next, I need to let Fyrstormer perform his Centauri mod with a 750mA driver:devil
And yes, the camera settings are identical.
So as you can clearly see, Tim took an amazing light and gave it new life - made it OUTSTANDING. Although I will leave it to Tim to quote his mod prices, I can tell you for certain that it is a bargain!
Thanks, DaFAB! Please keep DaFabbin' s*it!! :twothumbs
But time and technology do march on. Fortunately for all of us, there are many, many gifted individuals who enjoy and engage in the fine art of modifying these lights. One such individual is one of CPFs finest citizens, DaFABRICATA. Thank goodness that "DaFAB", as he is affectionately known, likes "DaFabbin' s*it".
Recently I was fortunate to acquire TWO LS20s....the plan was to find one, but a second that was just too enticing became available so I picked it up, too. But all along, my intent was to send an LS20 to DaFAB so that he could repeat the magic he did on his own - drop in an R4 XPG.
It's important to trust the person who is modding your expensive 'toy', and like so many of you, I trust Tim totally. He modded a 007 for me and did an outstanding job. The LS20 mod was no less amazing.
So here for your enjoyment are some photos of my new toy. You've seen the business end of a stock LS20:
Here's how it looks after Tim carefully installs the new emitter.
(I'll update this photo later with a better, closer shot)
But this is what you REALLY want to see, right? Beam Shots!
Set this up – the scenery you are looking at is the front 'yard' of our beach place on the Potomac River in Southern Maryland. Grass gives way to sand, scrappy bushes and trees cling to the soil until it meets the brackish Potomac River. Right at the point where the sand rises up (caused by multiple hurricanes through the years – each one seems to move a bit more sand from the Virginia side to the Maryland side of the river) I placed a piece of red reflective material, sent to me by my friend and outstanding CPF citizen, Coloradogps. I stepped off an approximate distance of 75 feet. Out another 75 feet is a bush that you really can't see in the photos – and in the bush I placed a yellow reflector.
I took 52 photos of beamshots tonight – every light I own – but for this test I will show only a Haiku XPG, stock LS20, and the modded LS20.
Incidentally, if you'd like to see the photos in higher resolution, visit HERE
Here's the view in daylight - you can see the bush in the center of the image:
It was dark - a few lights from docks and the bridge to St. Georges Island in the distance....
Here's a Haiku XPG on HI
A stock LS20 on 'high'
And the DaFAB mod on high
A side by side collage of the two
The exposure wasn't quite long enough - there may be a re-do posted after tonight. Regardless, the bump from 80 to 120 lumen and the nice, neutral tint show a HUGE difference!! (Next, I need to let Fyrstormer perform his Centauri mod with a 750mA driver:devil
And yes, the camera settings are identical.
So as you can clearly see, Tim took an amazing light and gave it new life - made it OUTSTANDING. Although I will leave it to Tim to quote his mod prices, I can tell you for certain that it is a bargain!
Thanks, DaFAB! Please keep DaFabbin' s*it!! :twothumbs
Last edited:
when the database hiccuped. Let's try again!
I always thought that the LS20 was one of those lights similiar to the D10 in that if it ever hit the mainstream market, the brick-and-morter stores, at a relevant low price (possibly in coated natural aluminum or other), it has the potential to sell in mass quantities. Its beauty and its simplistic features are timeless.
