Dances with Flashlight
Flashlight Enthusiast
REVIEW - PEAK'S LOGAN XPG-R5
CR123-A / RCR123-A / 2XAA
CR123-A / RCR123-A / 2XAA
Brass Pocket Body Logan
Bodies. Like the other lights in Peak's Mountain series, the LOGAN can be had in Brass, Stainless, or hard black anodized aluminum (HAIII). Four different battery compartments are available: (i) a CR-123A pocket body (which is short and lacks any lug or keychain post or rear switch); (ii) a CR-123A keychain/momentary body described below; (iii) a double-ended CR-123A which allows for two different heads (or just one head with a plug or keychain post on the other end to secure an extra battery, etc.); and (iv) a 2XAA keychain/momentary or forward clicky body.
SS Logan with Momentary Switch
Eiger & Logan Pocket Bodies
Shown below are the original McKinley schematics for the pocket, keychain/momentary, and double-ended lights. The same bodies are used for the Logan.
Double-ended Logan with end cap.
Double-ended Logan
showing extra Battery Compartment
showing extra Battery Compartment
Logan and McKinley
Caribbean, Logan and Eiger
Note that quite a few Peak lights over the years have used smaller diameter battery compartments for AAA's, AA's, N Cell's and CR-2's. These include the Matterhorn, Fujiyama, Shasta, Kilimanjaro, Pacific, Baltic and Kino Bay lights. None of these bodies will interchange with LOGAN heads.
The weight of the LOGAN varies greatly depending upon the body.
w/ Primary CR123-A
and w/ Momentary switch Weight
HAIII 1.65oz (46.6g)
SS 2.95oz (83.4g)
Brass 3.60oz (102.6g)
The exterior design of the LOGAN in its different variations is quite simple, and businesslike in the case of SS and HAIII, but pretty classy in brass.
Build and Workmanship. All battery compartments are straight, without any flares or projections. They are threaded up front for the LOGAN head. The pocket bodies are one-ended and machined from solid stock, bored out from the front and closed at the rear. The keychain/momentary bodies are threaded at the rear with a recess to accept either (i), a keychain adapter, or (ii) an optional bulletproof, momentary switch. The gorgeous brass versions have wide bands of finely crafted knurling which cover most of the length of the body, with smooth rings separating the bands. The knurling is light and not the least bit aggressive, but adequate for casual use. HAIII models are also knurled. Stainless steel bodies are not knurled but are smooth.
The heads have milled flats in a stylish pattern. A close inspection reveals that the design format is nearly identical to that of the Eiger, just bigger. Very attractive, and tough as nails - especially in stainless.
LOGAN heads, bodies, and keychain posts in the different metals can be mixed and matched to suit your tastes. Same with the momentary switches, but these are manufactured only in Brass and SS, not in HAIII.
Workmanship is superb with very tight tolerances in all machined parts. Both the brass and stainless polish up very, very nicely. I have stated before that Brass Peaks in particular are so beautifully made it ought to be a crime not to polish them. On the other hand, there are those who prefer the richness of an aged patina. The HAIII finish is a rich, semi-gloss black, not gray, and is even across the entire light without any visible variations in color. The HAIII head and body are anodized at the same time so they will match. Threads are tight and silky smooth, especially in brass, but the SS and HAIII, although very precisely machined, should be lightly lubricated. Be sure to check out Tekno Cowboy's Comprehensive Grease and Lube Sticky for a wealth of info on the lubes you may wish to use. I have been using a silicone faucet grease with great results. However, use any dielectric (non-conducting) grease very sparingly since this can impair current flow as I've learned the hard way - too much will cause flickering and can even prevent the light from firing at all.
An O-ring on the head provides a snug fit to prevent the light from being twisted on unintentionally, and also to seal the battery compartment which, in most variations, holds a single CR123-A or RCR123-A battery, positive terminal facing forward. The negative contact is at the tail end of the case, and in the keychain style this contact is inserted into a recess that also accepts the keychain adapter. A neat feature of the keychain style is that the light can be removed from the keychain simply by twisting the tail end of the light off its adapter which will stay attached to the keyring. Even with the adapter removed in this way, the light remains water resistant.
Operation is as simple as it gets: twist the head on, and twist it off.
The optional momentary switch replaces both the keychain adapter and the separate negative contact. The switch is actually a very small unit that is even shorter than the keychain adapter it replaces. A small foam washer at the tail end prevents battery rattle. Another O-ring is used to prevent water intrusion at the rear of the body. These O-rings all seem to work well, probably because of the close tolerances in the design and manufacture - I've never observed any water entry in any Peak light. (Peak advertises their lights as water-resistant, not water-proof.) Because the O-rings are subject to abrasion during twisting of the body, they should also be lubricated lightly.
SS Momentary, Adapter, CR123-A Body & Logan Head
With the momentary switch installed, the depth of the head is initially adjusted by twisting it into the body until the momentary switch operates with the desired level of sensitivity - a quick and easy adjustment. Even with the momentary switch installed, the head can still be twisted to the on position for more convenient extended use. The spring-loaded momentary switch does not click on or off - it is a very simple device that allows current to flow when depressed and then springs back when released. It is completely silent. The operating button is wide and beefy and available in either brass or stainless.
For those familiar with Peak's momentary switches, this is the very same tried and true, smoothly operating switch also used in Peak's Matterhorn, Eiger, Pacific and Caribbean series of lights. I can't say enough about the momentary switch for these lights. Nothing could be quicker or more convenient to operate and it's ideal especially for those uses that are of short duration. Two brief words of advice, however. With the shorter bodies, the momentary might not be all that convenient for a person with large hands. And the stainless steel body can actually be polished enough to make the surface quite slick. So polished, it's difficult to hold onto the little sucker while depressing the momentary switch.
Batteries. The LOGAN in its standard format uses a single CR123-A sized cell of any battery chemistry presently available, primary or rechargeable. The light is specifically designed to handle any 3.0v lithium primary, 3.2v rechargeable LiFePO4, or 3.7v rechargeable LiIon or LiMN battery.
Like many if not most CPF'ers, I have in the past always looked forward to that next brighter light, usually paired with a rechargeable 3.7v LiIon battery to get another incremental increase in performance. With the advent of the XPG-R5 LOGAN with its excellent optic, however, rechargeable LiIon batteries aren't even needed to produce the level of light I generally prefer. To my complete surprise, 3.0v primaries aren't even needed. From what I have seen with the LOGAN, it seems clear now that a mere 2.4v can do today what was nearly unthinkable only five years ago. So where can you get 2.4v batteries?
Peak Caribbean's were available with 2XAA battery compartments.
SS Logan on 2XAA Caribbean with Judco Switch
One great feature of these 2XAA bodies is that the tail end is tapped and fitted with an adapter to hold either a keychain post or a momentary switch. Remove that adapter and you find the female threads at the tail end of the tube will also accept the Judco forward clicky switch which is standard on Peak's LEO lights. Except for the fact it isn't brass, the Judco is a very nice switch and with a slight depression also works well as a momentary.
SS Momentary & Judco Switches
Performance range. A particular advantage of the LOGAN (like the AAA Eiger and the AA El Capitan) is that it is manufactured and can be ordered in any one of eight different power levels ranging from fairly dim and very long-running (Level 1), to maximum brightness with little if any regard for runtime (Level 8). You pick. It is, however, a very simple and bulletproof single level light with no strobes, SOS mode, or variable outputs. RMSK stocks LOGANs in #6 and #8 for immediate delivery. Other power levels must be special ordered.
There is a vast difference in performance from the Level 1 to the Level 8 lights. Curt has previously posted some figures for LOGAN lumen output so there's little need to repeat these details. In any event, lumens don't tell the whole story about output and can be very confusing, if not misleading, since comparisons might not be fair in the absence of information about such things as the differences between bare bulb output and light out the front, the effect of different optics or reflectors upon candela or lux, and a few other factors as well.
However, total output with a Level 1 should be low enough to satisfy most anyone slinking around the house at night without waking anyone or anything but a cat. On the other hand, the Level 8 output of this state of the art light is absolutely phenomenal, to say the least. As a point of general information, it should be noted that Peak has set power consumption of its Level 6 lights at about one-half that of the Level 8. And Level 4 is set at about one-half that of the Level 6.
Not too long ago, much larger lights using 6.0v from two CR-123 lithium batteries for 65 to 120 lumens were classed and marketed as tactical. In a #8 LOGAN you can get that much from two AA NiMN's!
For CPF'ers addicted to NiMH's, here's some very exciting news straight from Sanyo North America: SANYO's Eneloop Tone batteries (Eneloops in colors) with improved specifications will finally be available for purchase in the USA from Costco at the end of July, 2010, in kits containing 4 AA and 4 AAA Eneloop Tones.
Heat produced by hungry LED's powered by 3.7v LiIon cells to maximum output is something to write home about, and this is probably one reason why there is still such a demand for the tamer 3.0v primaries. Earlier LED's, not as efficient as the XPG, wasted more energy - waste in the form of heat. The XPG, however, converts more of the available power into lumens and loses less through heat. Still, the LOGAN runs hot when driven hard with a 3.7v battery. Even at 3.0v the light gets hot after awhile. But Peak's heat management seems very effective and I have yet to experience a problem because of heat in any Peak light. The circuit board and heatsink, like those of all Peaks, are potted (totally encased) for protection against shock and moisture in a heat-transferring epoxy.
My simple, unscientific runtime tests with a #8 LOGAN revealed the following:
Two freshly charged NiMH's showed no perceptible (to me) decline in output until the 90 minute mark when output rapidly declined to about 50%. At two hours, output was probably down to 20% and then it trailed off until the four hour point by which time it was producing about 4 or 5 lumens.
With two alkalines, there was a pretty straight decline to 50% in a little over an hour. After a total of two and a half hours, there was little light left.
A single CR123-A had a steady decline to about 50% in an hour and twenty minutes. Again, after a total of about two and a half hours, there was little light left.
The rechargeable RCR123-A didn't seem to decline in output at all while it was in my hand. According to Curt at Peak, the power draw from this battery is about 6 Watts with a drive to the LED of about 4 watts at 1.2 Amps. Whatever, it got hot! But wow was it bright (somewhere around 350 lumens, if it matters). The essential point is that the actual battery capacity is limited (and is not always as high as stated by battery manufacturers) and at such a high draw the battery would likely be damaged if allowed to run too long. Don't count on runtime of more than 20 or 25 minutes with this battery at level 8. In fact, these 3.7v batteries are best suited for the lower power levels, such as a #6 which draws about half as much current as the #8.
The LOGAN uses the same reliable circuitry Peak has used in all its Rebel and P4 lights. The positive contact at the rear of the head is a very solid gold-plated brass button. No soft solder blob to deform.
Like the smaller diameter, AA based El Capitan, the LOGAN is available in only one beam profile - medium with a collimating optic. The reason for this is that the relatively short or shallow McKinley head does not permit the use of the longer reflector or optics that would be required for a narrower beam. The LED is protected with a lexan window. The beam profile is very similar to that of the El Capitan, which has a broad hot spot with a wide, even spill. However, the LOGAN does have a tighter beam and throws much better. The LOGAN optic achieves this by a ratio of light input to light output of 26 to 1, which translates to a throwy beam. The ratio of the El Capitan is 21 to 1, and the medium Eiger is 10 to 1.
Medium #8 Eiger 10440
#8 El Capitan 14500
#8 Logan 2XAA NiMH's
#8 Logan CR123-A
#8 Logan RCR123-A
#8 Logan 2XAA NiMH's
#8 Logan CR123-A
#8 Logan RCR123-A
These beamshots don't really illustrate the significant differences in brightness between these configurations (that would take outdoor photographic skills I have yet to master). In short, there are very substantial gains in output going from 2.4v to 3.0v to 3.7v. But the beam profiles are accurate. The beam quality is beautiful: very, very smooth and clean without any rings or unevenness or shadows or artifacts of any kind. This configuration is ideal for the general uses of lights of this size.
Lacking the eyes of a cat or young man, I am a poor judge of tints and still like the nice blue tints on my old 5mm's, but I can't see any tint in the LOGAN, even when compared to other lights against bright white walls and paper. However, the Cree XPG is delivered in bulk kits which contain emitters of varying tints. These new Peaks are therefore going to be subject, like all others using these Crees, to the "tint lottery" about which much has previously been written.
Like all Peaks, the LOGAN is very beautifully made with many build and performance options. CPF'ers should note that Peak is classed by CPF as a "Custom Flashlight Builder". This means something. Certain combinations of features are in such demand that the most popular are stocked in inventory by RMSK for prompt delivery. But if you want a light customized to suit your needs or tastes, it will probably have to be individually assembled and drop-shipped, tasks that can take some time if less common components must first be scheduled for machine time. However, lights from Peak LED Solutions are top quality lights built to last and are well worth the wait.
