milkyspit
Flashlight Enthusiast
[size=+1]This is Part 2 of the Milky L1 Information Thread. Part 1 is over here.[/size]
[size=+1]Introduction[/size]
I've loved the old-style SureFire L1 for a long while now... love the overall design, the ergonomics, the compactness, the elegance of this package... not so crazy about the floodsy, not-so-bright purple-tinted beam though.
Solution: the Milky L1!
The Milky L1 started as my own attempt to improve on the original L1... then after literally YEARS of studying, and poking around, and tinkering... and tinkering... finally a few of the quirks to this platform started to sink into my overly dense cranium, and I started to get the hang of turning the little guy into IMHO a truly compelling light.
At first this was almost like a secret build I did... had only made a handful, and those went to various folks... Kevin at Battery Station... Steve at The Product Wizard... MSaxatilus... a few others (plus me of course)... in many ways this has long been my premier build in that there's a certain level of performance I've tried hard to maintain, to the extent that sometimes I wouldn't even build any because the emitters on hand weren't good enough! (All get hand-picked as outperformers in order to make it into an ML1.)
But what IS a Milky L1? Don't think I've ever actually posted on that! Oops.
This thread will hopefully shed some light on what this mod is all about, along with some photos, beamshots, runtime charts, and commentary offered by others too numerous to mention... but thank you to everyone for the info!
It's an upgraded (but brand new in box) old-style L1 with vastly improved performance...
[size=+2]Collected Milky L1 Info, With Updates (7/4/2007)[/size]
In this post I gather some tidbits from previous posts and update them to correct mistakes, add missing emitter choices, etc. Thought it might help to have it all in one place.
[size=+1]The Milky L1 Colorometer! (including Seoul and Cree) [/size]
(Italics mean I don't have that emitter on hand at the time of this writing... the info remains here for reference.)
Cree P4-WH (warmest: beige-white) - roughly 84 lumens
LuxIII UWOJ ("French vanilla" white) - roughly 50-60 lumens
LuxIII TWOH - roughly 45-60 lumens
Lux1W SWOH (rich white, hotwire friendly) - roughly 50-60 lumens
Seoul P4-USVOI - roughly 91-100 lumens
Seoul P4-USWOH - roughly 91-100 lumens
LuxIII UXOJ - roughly 50-60 lumens
Cree P3-WC (close to the Lumileds XO tint) - roughly 77 lumens
LuxIII UWAJ (pure white) - roughly 50-60 lumens
Seoul P4-U-6500K - roughly 91-100 lumens
LuxIII UYOJ - roughly 50-60 lumens
LuxIII TYAH (coolest: frosty white) - roughly 45-60 lumens
[size=+1]Milky L1 Selection Guide (second draft)[/size]
I can customize an L1 to your needs in a number of ways, but it really boils down to this...
1. Want longest possible throw from the L1 platform? Start with the new-style L1 with an IMS20 smooth reflector and flat ultra-clear lens installed.
1a. Want long throw with a ram-of-light effect? Start with the new-style L1 with the TIR optic left in place.
2. Want good throw in a smaller, more elegant version of the L1? Start with the old-style L1.
3. Tell me what sort of beam would be most useful to you: (a) short range mostly flood beam; (b) well-balanced all-purpose beam, useful for both close-range and moderately long distance use; (c) all-purpose beam with a little more intensity in the hotspot for a little extra throw. If you chose 'a', you want the ML1 Floodmaster Edition, featuring heavy stipple reflector. If you chose 'b', you want the ML1 Standard. If you chose 'c', you want the ML1 Smoothie. These choices don't apply if you're keeping the new-style TIR optic.
4. Do you have need for an unusually dim low beam? (Astronomer, photo darkroom, unusually good night vision, covert operations, etc.) If so, please request the ultralow tailcap mod.
5. If we aimed for a pure white tint but missed, would you rather miss with a beam that's a little warm (creamy) or a little cool (frosty)?
6. Is getting your tint preference so important that you're willing to sacrifice 15% of your runtime to get what you want?
7. Is a pure white tint so important that you're willing to lose 35% of the light's brightness to achieve it?
8. Is having a beam free of even minor artifacts so important that you're willing to sacrifice 15% of the beam's range to achieve it?[/QUOTE]
[size=+1]Keeping The New-Style TIR Optic[/size]
Some people have asked about the difference between the L1/KL1 with TIR optic, stock vs. SEOULmated. Here's a quick drawing that shows both the difference and my lack of skills in the visual arts!
[size=+1]Runtime Curve[/size]
Should be about the same as this, just brighter...
[/QUOTE]
[size=+2]How To Contact Milkyspit![/size]
In general, a PM on CPF is a good way to reach me, though there are occasions when this won't work... perhaps PM Inbox is full, perhaps CPF is having a hiccup...
If you can't get a PM sent on CPF, you might want to send one to me on CPF Marketplace. I monitor both.
Or you could send me an email... I suggest you put the word 'CPF' somewhere in the subject line to make it easier for me to separate your email from all the spam...
Regarding phone calls: I don't provide my phone number publicly but if you're unable to reach me by the above means, you might want to get my phone number from a fellow CPFer, there are several who know how to reach me. Or have them call me, give them a way I can get back to you (phone number and/or email address), and I'll get in touch as soon as I can. Sometimes a call is the best approach, though in many cases I would encourage you to try PM and/or email first.
If all else fails, post in this thread that you're trying to reach me. No need for details posted here, but at least I'll know I need to reach out to you!
Note: I do use Skype, which is potentially a useful way of doing a text chat... and I can call from Skype on my computer to a phone number pretty much anywhere in the world, so providing me with YOUR phone number would enable me to call YOU. Again, the above means of contact are probably preferable, but if it comes to it, this might be yet another way!
Hope this helps a bit.
[size=+2]Historical Info[/size]
Here are some quotes I grabbed quickly from Knight Lights' "Interested In Mods?" thread...
In no particular order...
(Actually, a couple people have sold theirs to raise funds, but nobody has yet returned one or sold because they were disappointed, as far as I am aware!)
(The McR18 reflector is now standard.)
(Aw shucks. [rosy red cheeks])
[size=+1]Introduction[/size]
MARNAV1 said:
I've loved the old-style SureFire L1 for a long while now... love the overall design, the ergonomics, the compactness, the elegance of this package... not so crazy about the floodsy, not-so-bright purple-tinted beam though.
Solution: the Milky L1!
The Milky L1 started as my own attempt to improve on the original L1... then after literally YEARS of studying, and poking around, and tinkering... and tinkering... finally a few of the quirks to this platform started to sink into my overly dense cranium, and I started to get the hang of turning the little guy into IMHO a truly compelling light.
At first this was almost like a secret build I did... had only made a handful, and those went to various folks... Kevin at Battery Station... Steve at The Product Wizard... MSaxatilus... a few others (plus me of course)... in many ways this has long been my premier build in that there's a certain level of performance I've tried hard to maintain, to the extent that sometimes I wouldn't even build any because the emitters on hand weren't good enough! (All get hand-picked as outperformers in order to make it into an ML1.)
But what IS a Milky L1? Don't think I've ever actually posted on that! Oops.
This thread will hopefully shed some light on what this mod is all about, along with some photos, beamshots, runtime charts, and commentary offered by others too numerous to mention... but thank you to everyone for the info!
It's an upgraded (but brand new in box) old-style L1 with vastly improved performance...
[size=+2]Collected Milky L1 Info, With Updates (7/4/2007)[/size]
In this post I gather some tidbits from previous posts and update them to correct mistakes, add missing emitter choices, etc. Thought it might help to have it all in one place.
[size=+1]The Milky L1 Colorometer! (including Seoul and Cree) [/size]
(Italics mean I don't have that emitter on hand at the time of this writing... the info remains here for reference.)
Cree P4-WH (warmest: beige-white) - roughly 84 lumens
LuxIII UWOJ ("French vanilla" white) - roughly 50-60 lumens
LuxIII TWOH - roughly 45-60 lumens
Lux1W SWOH (rich white, hotwire friendly) - roughly 50-60 lumens
Seoul P4-USVOI - roughly 91-100 lumens
Seoul P4-USWOH - roughly 91-100 lumens
LuxIII UXOJ - roughly 50-60 lumens
Cree P3-WC (close to the Lumileds XO tint) - roughly 77 lumens
LuxIII UWAJ (pure white) - roughly 50-60 lumens
Seoul P4-U-6500K - roughly 91-100 lumens
LuxIII UYOJ - roughly 50-60 lumens
LuxIII TYAH (coolest: frosty white) - roughly 45-60 lumens
[size=+1]Milky L1 Selection Guide (second draft)[/size]
I can customize an L1 to your needs in a number of ways, but it really boils down to this...
1. Want longest possible throw from the L1 platform? Start with the new-style L1 with an IMS20 smooth reflector and flat ultra-clear lens installed.
1a. Want long throw with a ram-of-light effect? Start with the new-style L1 with the TIR optic left in place.
2. Want good throw in a smaller, more elegant version of the L1? Start with the old-style L1.
3. Tell me what sort of beam would be most useful to you: (a) short range mostly flood beam; (b) well-balanced all-purpose beam, useful for both close-range and moderately long distance use; (c) all-purpose beam with a little more intensity in the hotspot for a little extra throw. If you chose 'a', you want the ML1 Floodmaster Edition, featuring heavy stipple reflector. If you chose 'b', you want the ML1 Standard. If you chose 'c', you want the ML1 Smoothie. These choices don't apply if you're keeping the new-style TIR optic.
4. Do you have need for an unusually dim low beam? (Astronomer, photo darkroom, unusually good night vision, covert operations, etc.) If so, please request the ultralow tailcap mod.
5. If we aimed for a pure white tint but missed, would you rather miss with a beam that's a little warm (creamy) or a little cool (frosty)?
6. Is getting your tint preference so important that you're willing to sacrifice 15% of your runtime to get what you want?
7. Is a pure white tint so important that you're willing to lose 35% of the light's brightness to achieve it?
8. Is having a beam free of even minor artifacts so important that you're willing to sacrifice 15% of the beam's range to achieve it?[/QUOTE]
[size=+1]Keeping The New-Style TIR Optic[/size]
Some people have asked about the difference between the L1/KL1 with TIR optic, stock vs. SEOULmated. Here's a quick drawing that shows both the difference and my lack of skills in the visual arts!
[size=+1]Runtime Curve[/size]
Should be about the same as this, just brighter...
[size=+2]How To Contact Milkyspit![/size]
In general, a PM on CPF is a good way to reach me, though there are occasions when this won't work... perhaps PM Inbox is full, perhaps CPF is having a hiccup...
If you can't get a PM sent on CPF, you might want to send one to me on CPF Marketplace. I monitor both.
Or you could send me an email... I suggest you put the word 'CPF' somewhere in the subject line to make it easier for me to separate your email from all the spam...
Regarding phone calls: I don't provide my phone number publicly but if you're unable to reach me by the above means, you might want to get my phone number from a fellow CPFer, there are several who know how to reach me. Or have them call me, give them a way I can get back to you (phone number and/or email address), and I'll get in touch as soon as I can. Sometimes a call is the best approach, though in many cases I would encourage you to try PM and/or email first.
If all else fails, post in this thread that you're trying to reach me. No need for details posted here, but at least I'll know I need to reach out to you!
Note: I do use Skype, which is potentially a useful way of doing a text chat... and I can call from Skype on my computer to a phone number pretty much anywhere in the world, so providing me with YOUR phone number would enable me to call YOU. Again, the above means of contact are probably preferable, but if it comes to it, this might be yet another way!
Hope this helps a bit.
[size=+2]Historical Info[/size]
Here are some quotes I grabbed quickly from Knight Lights' "Interested In Mods?" thread...
In no particular order...
Knight Lights said:
Knight Lights said:Milky L1 (a.k.a. ML1)
Front profile view.
Tail profile view.
Size comparison vs. some other SureFire LED lights. Milky L1 is on the left... the middle light is comparable in size to the current-generation stock L1... light on the right is the L2. Note how much smaller the ML1 is relative to the others... IMHO it's just right, a good fit for most hands while still being surprisingly light in weight and compact.
Side view with the Milky L1 activated.
Posterized beamshot to show uniformity of the beam, with no artifacts, donut holes, or dark spots. Color is uniform from hotspot to edge, too. Overall output slightly exceeds the current-gen stock L1, sidespill is far greater, and throw is darned close! Draws less current than current-gen stock L1, too.
Knight Lights said:
(Actually, a couple people have sold theirs to raise funds, but nobody has yet returned one or sold because they were disappointed, as far as I am aware!)
jdriller said:Got the Milky L1 on Friday. Haven't put it down since. It really doesn't work as well as they say - in the noon sun:lolsign:. This really is a keeper. I got the UWOJ version. It is a little on the brown side at the low level, as expected. But on high, this thing is nice and bright. Hard to believe there is only one cell in it.
Milky does nice work. No dust or smudges. Clean and spotless. This is what I expect, and this is what I got. I do not believe anyone would be upset with this light. Form and function are top notch, but it is a little pricey.
It is worth it. Nice job, Milky.
flashlight said:I got my modded Milky L1 head today & it's a scorcher! Works great both on the L1 as well as on my Maxlite on direct drive with a Li-On 14500 cell (it does get a bit hot as expected so I might get a McR18 later to drop in in place of the plastic IMS17 reflector).
(The McR18 reflector is now standard.)
slaps said:
(Aw shucks. [rosy red cheeks])
NotRegulated said:
EuroBeetle said:
cd-card-biz said:
cd-card-biz said:Beamshot Comparison: McLux PD & Milky "ML1"
I posted some time ago that to my eye, the Milky ML1 is a close comparison to my McLux PD. My purpose in doing so was not to say one is better than the other or come to any conclusion - to me, they both just look darn close!
I had a forum member ask about throw. So, I thought I would just try some beamshots and let the viewer decide. Obviously, the spill on the ML1 is much larger, but to me the hotspots and throw are very close. Anyway, I hope this is at least informational.
Bill
Indoor (Below)
Outdoor (Below)
Lurveleven said:
milkyspit said:Next... Leef kindly did some runtime testing with his Milky L1, and the results were, uh, pretty much what was expected. At least I know I haven't been guilty of false advertising!
Thank you Leef!!
Some general commentary... Leef's lightbox seems to measure roughly 10 of his "LBU" for 1 lumen. The TWOH is not the absolute brightest emitter that could be installed in a ML1, but still it's a good performer, actually topping-out at roughly 62 lumens and spending most of its runtime in the 55-57 lumen range. Runtime defined as the time to 50% initial brightness appears to be roughly 120 minutes, with the first 90 minutes or so in very flat regulation... this is actually a better curve than I would have expected, and seems to validate the platform. Also worth noting: once the light begins to dim, it does so GRADUALLY, so one has plenty of time to change the battery, get back to camp, find some shelter for the night, or whatever. Even after 3 full hours of continuous runtime, the Milky L1 is still generating something around 7 lumens... not bad at all! And all this from a single 123 cell.
Milky L1 LuxIII TWOH runtime, linear scale (what the meter sees)...
Milky L1 LuxIII TWOH runtime, log scale (closer to what the human eye sees)...
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