Solarforce and Malkoff-Drop in suggestion
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Re: Solarforce and Malkoff
I just recieved a L2 Tan.... there is a lot of rattle with a M61.
tried using the big spring from a DX drop in.. works good, less or no rattle unless shaken really hard. won't work for me since I plan on mounting the light on my bike.
my M61 works perfect in a L2r(AA version).
So, to answer your question: I'll say, I don't know for sure. Never tried a M61WL in a L2P specifically.
I just recieved a L2 Tan.... there is a lot of rattle with a M61.
tried using the big spring from a DX drop in.. works good, less or no rattle unless shaken really hard. won't work for me since I plan on mounting the light on my bike.
my M61 works perfect in a L2r(AA version).
So, to answer your question: I'll say, I don't know for sure. Never tried a M61WL in a L2P specifically.
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AnAppleSnail
Flashlight Enthusiast
Re: Solarforce and Malkoff
If y'all have a problem with the radius not being quite right, you might as well put a strip of aluminum around the dropin. Use foil if you have to, or cut up a coke can. Be sure to sand the paint off the outside and the plastic off the inside. Cut it so it JUST goes around the dropin and see if it's a snug enough fit. Most people use this trick for better thermal connection in high-power dropins, but it works because it makes a better physical interface.
If y'all have a problem with the radius not being quite right, you might as well put a strip of aluminum around the dropin. Use foil if you have to, or cut up a coke can. Be sure to sand the paint off the outside and the plastic off the inside. Cut it so it JUST goes around the dropin and see if it's a snug enough fit. Most people use this trick for better thermal connection in high-power dropins, but it works because it makes a better physical interface.
FroggyTaco
Flashlight Enthusiast
Re: Solarforce and Malkoff
What I did when I had a L2P & a M60LF was take the parts to my local hardware store & went to the o-ring section of the plumbing dept.
I figured the easiest way to eliminate the rattle was to find the perfect o-ring that would fit inside the head behind the glass & be thick enough to seat the drop-in into the body of the L2P.
Then I just tried different o-rings until I found one that fit best to eliminate the rattle. You have to check them by completely assembling the light because some that seemed to work well actually were too thick & pinched once the light was assembled.
Travis
What I did when I had a L2P & a M60LF was take the parts to my local hardware store & went to the o-ring section of the plumbing dept.
I figured the easiest way to eliminate the rattle was to find the perfect o-ring that would fit inside the head behind the glass & be thick enough to seat the drop-in into the body of the L2P.
Then I just tried different o-rings until I found one that fit best to eliminate the rattle. You have to check them by completely assembling the light because some that seemed to work well actually were too thick & pinched once the light was assembled.
Travis
carrot
Flashaholic
Re: Solarforce and Malkoff
The Malkoff drop-in will fit perfectly in a Real Surefire.
For the clone, wrapping the drop-in in aluminum foil will suffice to fill the wrongly sized light engine cavity.
The Malkoff drop-in will fit perfectly in a Real Surefire.
For the clone, wrapping the drop-in in aluminum foil will suffice to fill the wrongly sized light engine cavity.
Re: Solarforce and Malkoff
Ok, I was at work when I sent the original message. I went home and realized that I have a M61 at home in my C3 (not enough coffee today I guess) :sick2:. As it was stated, it is loose and doesn't connect well.
I like the L2P as a cheap light, but want a better drop in that fits properly without modding it. What will work, that has a similar beam to a Malkoff M61WL, with similar performance/runtime. I would like an extended runtime if possible, and a beam with a decent hotspot and a little spill.
Thanks
Ok, I was at work when I sent the original message. I went home and realized that I have a M61 at home in my C3 (not enough coffee today I guess) :sick2:. As it was stated, it is loose and doesn't connect well.
I like the L2P as a cheap light, but want a better drop in that fits properly without modding it. What will work, that has a similar beam to a Malkoff M61WL, with similar performance/runtime. I would like an extended runtime if possible, and a beam with a decent hotspot and a little spill.
Thanks
FroggyTaco
Flashlight Enthusiast
A solarforce drop-in?
Or a thru-nite maybe?
Or a thru-nite maybe?
Vesper
Enlightened
I think your best bet is to just go for the M61WL and wrap a bit of foil around it until it's snug. You won't find a similar warm/neutral drop-in that will satisfy you like it will.
I had the same in my L2P and with 5-6 wraps of a thin strip of foil it fits perfectly. (I have since moved the M61WL to a new MD2 so I could have the hi/lo - great drop-in without rival)
I had the same in my L2P and with 5-6 wraps of a thin strip of foil it fits perfectly. (I have since moved the M61WL to a new MD2 so I could have the hi/lo - great drop-in without rival)
Vesper has a point about the quality of the drop ins. You will just have to use the foil or copper tape like some drop in makers do. It will make it wider to eliminate the rattle and still provide good heat transfer. O-rings or electical tape will take care of the noise but then the heat wont conduct properly and you risk overheating your drop in. LED's hate heat so I would definately try to stick with something metal.
MrGman
Flashlight Enthusiast
- Joined
- Feb 6, 2007
- Messages
- 1,777
this doesn't sound right. the Malkoff drop ins have the lip on the front end around the optic and normally that is made tight when the bezel is secure and the module by itself normally does not rattle. they aren't normally that loose in a Solarforce host. I have dropped many in to various Solarforce Hosts. Are you sure its not the batteries rattling around in the 18mm size opening? If the bezel is not secured properly on the host that would allow it to rattle.
For the sake of better thermal transfer I have found a thin section of Aluminum foil or copper foil tape around the wide part of the module to make a snug fit to the housing inside wall usually helps, but even without it I have never gotten the module to rattle because the bezel is holding it down and in place on the front end.
Other non brass heatsink mounted modules that simply rely on the fit of the reflector and the pressure of the spring to keep the modules inside of these Solarforce housings are not really any better of a fit overall. May not hear any rattling as there is not much on the back end to contact the side walls of the housing in the first place but they are not really well fitted into the straight cylindrical walls of the Solarforce either. They rely on the spring for both electrical and most of the thermal transfer to the housing. The Malkoff module is still a much better and more reliable module to drop into a Solarforce host. And there is nothing wrong with a little copper tape around the side to give it optimum contact. The solarforce hosts are what is not all that uniform in their wall thicknesses. Some are looser than others.
For the sake of better thermal transfer I have found a thin section of Aluminum foil or copper foil tape around the wide part of the module to make a snug fit to the housing inside wall usually helps, but even without it I have never gotten the module to rattle because the bezel is holding it down and in place on the front end.
Other non brass heatsink mounted modules that simply rely on the fit of the reflector and the pressure of the spring to keep the modules inside of these Solarforce housings are not really any better of a fit overall. May not hear any rattling as there is not much on the back end to contact the side walls of the housing in the first place but they are not really well fitted into the straight cylindrical walls of the Solarforce either. They rely on the spring for both electrical and most of the thermal transfer to the housing. The Malkoff module is still a much better and more reliable module to drop into a Solarforce host. And there is nothing wrong with a little copper tape around the side to give it optimum contact. The solarforce hosts are what is not all that uniform in their wall thicknesses. Some are looser than others.
How about a custom solarforce triple xp-g?
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=277951
Its expensive, but worth it. It got a nice beam (huge hotspot), and impressive output. Its a 3 mode with memory. Made for the solarforce l2p so its a perfect fit. I got the neutral r4 version, and i love it.
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=277951
Its expensive, but worth it. It got a nice beam (huge hotspot), and impressive output. Its a 3 mode with memory. Made for the solarforce l2p so its a perfect fit. I got the neutral r4 version, and i love it.
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pae77
Enlightened
I've been really wanting to try one of those triple XPG modules in my L2P. A little expensive for me at the moment though.
I have both a Solarforce XRE R2 3 mode low voltage drop in that I run in an L2r and a DX XPG R5 5 mode drop in that I run in the L2P. Both modules fit well in the L2P. I use some aluminum foil wrapped around the module to improve heat transfer. You basically want the module to fit as tight as possible (without deforming it) so you get optimal heat transfer to the head and body of the L2P, so the body becomes an effective heat sink. This is especially important if you want to run the light on high. Almost all drop ins will benefit from some amount of aluminum foil or copper tape or in some cases where there is a lot of room, people have used strips of aluminum cut from a soda can (optimally should be sanded on both sides to remove plastic and paint from the aluminum for better heat transfer).
I really like the tint I got on my Solarforce LC1, voltage range = 0.8-4.2. The DX XPG R5 is a little brighter overall, has a great beam though tint is not as nice as the tint on the Solarforce, imo, and provides amazing runtime on medium. It draws about 1 amp on max so it is fairly conservatively driven. Still gets pretty hot after about 10 minutes though if left in candle stick mode.
Both are great drop ins for ~ $14 each. Solarforce also has some nice XPG drop ins (both single mode and 5 mode) with smooth reflectors that can be purchased on ebay for about $14 or so each.
I have both a Solarforce XRE R2 3 mode low voltage drop in that I run in an L2r and a DX XPG R5 5 mode drop in that I run in the L2P. Both modules fit well in the L2P. I use some aluminum foil wrapped around the module to improve heat transfer. You basically want the module to fit as tight as possible (without deforming it) so you get optimal heat transfer to the head and body of the L2P, so the body becomes an effective heat sink. This is especially important if you want to run the light on high. Almost all drop ins will benefit from some amount of aluminum foil or copper tape or in some cases where there is a lot of room, people have used strips of aluminum cut from a soda can (optimally should be sanded on both sides to remove plastic and paint from the aluminum for better heat transfer).
I really like the tint I got on my Solarforce LC1, voltage range = 0.8-4.2. The DX XPG R5 is a little brighter overall, has a great beam though tint is not as nice as the tint on the Solarforce, imo, and provides amazing runtime on medium. It draws about 1 amp on max so it is fairly conservatively driven. Still gets pretty hot after about 10 minutes though if left in candle stick mode.
Both are great drop ins for ~ $14 each. Solarforce also has some nice XPG drop ins (both single mode and 5 mode) with smooth reflectors that can be purchased on ebay for about $14 or so each.
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FroggyTaco
Flashlight Enthusiast
I had a new L2P about 4-6 months ago and my M60LF & M60LLF drop-in rattled in the bezel front to back. The reason I went with the o-ring method was both of those drop-in were low heat units & I was having trouble getting them to even turn on due to continuity issues until the o-ring held them snug into the throat of the L2P body.
MrGman
Flashlight Enthusiast
- Joined
- Feb 6, 2007
- Messages
- 1,777
Yeah mine rattles too without the batteries. When I use the good 18650's with the positive nipples on them it takes up the slack and there is no forward to rear rattle and no issues with the light operating so I forgot all about it since its a non issue in my unit. I am shaking it now with no problems. In an older unit I used to use a glow in the dark O-ring in front of the module around the perimeter since it doesn't interfere with the light output but have since changed it to a Malkoff MD3 host and forgot about that one till just now.
Solarforce hosts have a little bit sloppy fit for the module cavity in the host. You also might be able to put a spring from a standard module behind the Malkoff M61 in the Solarforce Hosts and not have any problems as well since the cavity is cylindrical and not tapered like the Malkoff module is to fit a genuine Surefire 6P type host.
Copper tape is exactly that copper foil on a roll of tape with a thin adhesive back layer. I have had just as good luck simply neatly folding over Aluminum foil into something 2 layers thing and 2 turns around the module. But I have not had problems with intermitent contact from the light moving enough side to side to cause it to drop out.
Solarforce hosts have a little bit sloppy fit for the module cavity in the host. You also might be able to put a spring from a standard module behind the Malkoff M61 in the Solarforce Hosts and not have any problems as well since the cavity is cylindrical and not tapered like the Malkoff module is to fit a genuine Surefire 6P type host.
Copper tape is exactly that copper foil on a roll of tape with a thin adhesive back layer. I have had just as good luck simply neatly folding over Aluminum foil into something 2 layers thing and 2 turns around the module. But I have not had problems with intermitent contact from the light moving enough side to side to cause it to drop out.
MrGman,
Thank you again for your help, the spring off of another module holds the Malkoff perfectly, so now I have to find a spare spring, or something that will work. Do you have any idea where I can get one. Before I buy a M61WL, I want to make sure that I have the parts to make it work.
It's going to be tough spending another 70.00 on a Malkoff.
Also, where can I buy the copper tape at a B&M store.
Thanks again
Thank you again for your help, the spring off of another module holds the Malkoff perfectly, so now I have to find a spare spring, or something that will work. Do you have any idea where I can get one. Before I buy a M61WL, I want to make sure that I have the parts to make it work.
It's going to be tough spending another 70.00 on a Malkoff.
Also, where can I buy the copper tape at a B&M store.
Thanks again
