so, this Muyshondt Nautilus just showed up on my doorstep (ordered from Greg over at BrightGuy.com).
so, what does $185+shipping get you?
a single 8.5"x11.5" sheet of paper with 1yr Warranty Info on one side and a greeting and short letter from Enrique Muyshondt on the other side (along with specs for the Nautilus).
a very small, drawstring closure velour-like pouch for storing the Muyshondt Nautilus.
and, did i forget anything? oh, yes, the Muyshondt Nautilus too.
First Impression: did i read the fine print wrong??? did i order a slightly elongated CR2 light? [good thing i have a spare CR2 cell upstairs in a desk drawer].
quickly unscrewing the head of the light, a nice Duracell CR123A drops out into the palm of my hand. whew!! [i breathe a sigh of relief]. now, i have a better feeling 'bout those claimed runtimes (didn't think, for a moment, that a CR2 powered light would live up to the claims).
the light is so small - only a "hair" longer than a P1-CE. it's shorter than a Fenix L0D-Q5 and appears to have nearly twice the diameter of that AAA powered light. Overall, a very tiny, tidy package. Easy to loose in a large pocket with other objects in it. "Might be a good idea to keep it on a keychain due to its small size", i think to myself.
Next First Impression: absolutely beautiful and flawless construction. $185 should get you that, but then E.M. puts his name on the light and that's even a better reason, by my way of thinking, to insure that the light is gonna' be flawless.
i like the knurling - it's relatively smooth. the light is small and light and doesn't, to me at least, seem to require rougher knurling. PLUS, the twisty operation is SOOOO SMOOOOTH that it definitely doesn't require coarser/rougher knurling.
if i were to compare the "heft"/robustness of the body to another light, i would say that it reminds me a lot of a NovaTac EDC 120P, but much smaller (yes..., i know that they're both 1xCR123A powered). it definitely seems thinner walled than the NovaTac EDC (remember, the NovaTac EDC also has some extra room inside for that spring to fit AROUND the CR123A cell), but it still possesses a feeling of robustness. i don't feel like i have to "baby" this light. Surefire-like robustness comes to mind.
OPERATION: it's a twisty. twist on for LOW. twist, on my light, just over 180deg more (maybe 225deg at most) and HIGH mode is activated. holding the light with the last three fingers and lightly gripping the head with the thumb and index finger of the same hand, it took two "full travel" (as far as my thumb and index finger would "travel", that is) turns to get from just at the point where LOW o.p. mode is activated to where HIGH o.p. mode is activated; three partial "turns" works also to activate HIGH from the exact point at which LOW mode is activated.
LOW is, IMO, a very nicely selected low. Lower than most to my eye. Definitely lower than the LOW mode of my Fenix L0D-Q4. it should appeal to many who wish for a lower low, yet it is still plenty useful for rummaging through a darkened basement/cellar - my only test todate.
HIGH, to my eye is as bright or a bit brighter than a Fenix P1-CE and also appears similar to the PRIMARY mode of a P1D-Q5. The HIGH/TURBO mode of the P1D-Q5 appears brighter. i have no doubts as to the claims of 107lm minimum, as overall, the Muyshondt Nautilus appears, to my eye, to put out more overall light than either of the two Fenix lights i compared it to side-by-side and sequentially. as far as the "spot" goes...
BEAM PATTERN: The spot of these two Fenix lights i used in a side-by-side 20' whitewall comparison were brighter (they both had smooth reflectors), but the overall beam pattern on the Muyshondt Nautilus was much nicer, IMO. at 20' it lights up quite an area. The Muyshondt Nautilus has a DEEP textured reflector. i'll wait for nightfall to test THROW (i'm expecting a lot from such a deep reflector even though it's textured; the reflector is deep like in a NovaTac EDC-series light).
The lanyard ring stows away in the flat stand-up capable tail. it is secured tightly and, on my particular light, shouldn't deploy unless i pry it out. a fingernail is sufficient, but it must be pried loose at the right point (this is easy enough to figure out just by looking at it).
Runtimes: given his reputation, i have no reason to doubt the Mfr. stated burntimes. AW RCR123A cells fit in fine - i tried two different cells. however, i can't find any info on whether or not secondary/rechargeable Li-ion cells are appropriate for use in the Muyshondt Nautilus.
Does anyone know the answer: are RCR123A cells appropriate for use in the Muyshondt Nautilus? Will the boost converter handle the extra voltage (up to +4.2VDC) properly?
[NOTE: sorry, still don't have a camera or logging LUX meter, so no pics or burntime charts.]
