Newbie question re the Kilroy mechanism durability

[Gatsby]

Let me say up front that I know McGizmo lights have a reputation for rock solid reliability, so this may sound like a crazy question but how are peoples experiences with the kilroy mechanism? Just looking at the lights it seems like it would be a weak point given the soldered connection to the driver board and constant flexing... either to break at the driver board or crack the driver board or otherwise get bent out of shape.

I recognize that I probably don't understand exactly how it works and how it is mounted on the light so I look forward to some educating!

 

[Oddjob]

Don't know if this will help but this is from the write up:

"There are two copper plated vias that go through the PCB and kilroy's legs go into these vias and are solder filled. Kilroy's nose is deflected about .030" in total as the lip of the piston first contacts kilroy for low level and then proceeds to bottom out on the perimeter contact ring for high output. This amount of deflection distributed over the length of kilroy seems to be well short of deformation. Since the beryllium copper is a material of choice in contact springs, we can only assume that there will be no issues of fatigue in this application. As to the integrity of kilroy's mount, I don't believe the solid footing through the PCB vias will be stressed by the load subjected to kilroy's nose in this application."

 

[AlecGold]

I'm not in such a wealthy position that I can haveg an array of McGizmo's but I've had one for a good year that was my EDC. It got used a lot. never had any problem with it, never needed to adjust them or what so ever.
A year of EDC isn't an eternity, but faulty stuff tends to show up well within a year of daily use. My best guess is that it will last for ages.

 

[Gatsby]

Thanks for the replies - that writeup makes sense and I feel like a doofus for not being able to find it myself. D'oh.

I keep pondering a sell it all and buy a McGizmo move ... which is a drastic measure obviously ... so I am trying to learn as much as I can!

 

[AlecGold]

I've done that before, sell almost everything and keep a McGizmo. But I'm back to square one, I've got now a series of flashlights, modded SF E1e, HDS EDC U45, E1B, SF M6, SF 6p+KT1, 3x G2 with p60L and now even 2 McGizmo Sundrops.... one XR-U and one 1st Gen.
So to be short: it didn't work. But the Sundrop XR-U is my most used light and the M6 is still awesome, even being "old tech ican"

 

[Gatsby]

Alec - that is a long way from one light! Funny how they sort of creep up on you without you knowing it...

I managed for a few years with a Streamlight Strion, an HDS B42XRGT and a Photon Microlight (in addition to a few Mag pieces) as my only lights. Then came Crees and SSC P4s and ... well ... you can imagine what happened.

 

[AlecGold]

oooh, how well do I know indeed.
At some point I had no McGizmo. But I had an E1B and was waiting for the SF Saint. That wait became long and for over a year I told myself that I would wait until the Saint would be there, the E1B on low wasn't that bad. But well, then came the Sundrop. What a perfect night-time reading light. It was superb, it was the end of my little-low-light-quest, it was my night time reading & writing light without disturbing my wife...
then came the Sundrop XR-U, low and behold, I had to have that one as well. Three levels, more output and a bit tighter beam, but still a Mule-like-flood.
So in the end I'm turning my original Sundrop to a 200mAh UV-light that I will use on a daily basis as well.

 

[fyrstormer]

If you do wear it out, it will most likely be from scrubbing the wire against the edge of the piston when you twist the light on and off, but it's still good for tens of thousands of cycles at least. God knows I've played with mine enough.