Still loving your D26/D36s? I do!

[Phaserburn]

I have been on an incan kick of late, and have been using my LA collection once again.

I have been using a Solarforce L2 2x18650 as a great inexepensive host for WE, Pila, LF and DX 9V lamps. Great around the house combos.

Just ordered a 9D bezel for my WE Raider; got a few 9V D36s that need exercise.

Outdoors, it's been my WE M90 3x18650 setup with WE 13V lamp. I really favor lamps that can run for the duration of the battery capacity. So, even though I've got some LF screamers, I keep falling back to the WE line as I like the beam pattern best. I was running a 12V lamp for awhile, and rediscovered that the 13V is brighter and has better throw, too, while maintaining a great floody beam. My ideal beam has good throw but no real obvious hotspot; just brightest at the center, and tapering off towards the spill. That's my fave led beam as well, and dang hard to find.

Although, for a great floody beam, my original 5 yr old Pila 9V lamp (my very first D26) is still my best! I wonder if Pila has changed their lamp specs since then.

Lately, though, I've become a bit disenchanted with my 3.7V lamps. It's nothing to do with led lights, either. It is because they get pretty hot when run continuously, even in my WE Sniper (max heatsink). Guess they'll be better for fall weather use.

 

[Phaserburn]

ha, maybe I'm the only one...!

 

[divine]

One thing I've found that is pretty nice is this Hugsby B2, and you can get a 3.7 volt lamp for it pretty cheap.

I originally wanted a low brightness long runtime Incan setup, and someone suggested this light with a 1.5 volt lamp, but I couldn't find a 1.5 volt lamp. A 17670 works in this light very well with the 3.7 volt lamp.

You can buy the lamps in a 10 pack, the light has a metal reflector in it.

 

[bshanahan14rulz]

TIRs for LEDs often put out that beam that is bright in th emiddle and no obvious border between spill and hotspot

(or maybe I'm just focusing them wrong)

 

[Phaserburn]

TIRs for LEDs often put out that beam that is bright in th emiddle and no obvious border between spill and hotspot

(or maybe I'm just focusing them wrong)

Ah yes. They do, but while the beam is what I'm looking for in so far as the hotspot being less discernable, the TIR focuses so much of the beam into the main that the spill brightness usually suffers (like Malkoff D26s).

 

[Linger]

It took 2 months before I found an installation I liked the sf tir in, but now I've got it perfect, and I agree, it does spill remarkably like my LF E0-6.

back to the OP, yes I have place for said eo-6. I've been marketing for a p91 for a while (FM sold out of Sunlight at the moment) and every day I decide to order a IMR-9 only to cop out at the 'add to cart' button, thinking I'll wait for the next sunlight run.

Phaserburn, have you tried out the Boom-m ? It does flood better then a plain emitter (because the emiter is 180* and useful 2-10 feet, while the boom-m is good from 2-50 feet.

They are plastic (ifaik) so I wouldn't put on next to a hotwire. But I'd be interesting if incan's started using the smaller hybrid reflectors. I'd buy a lumens factory D36 turbo head for a triple [SIZE=+1]WA[/SIZE][SIZE=+1]1274 [/SIZE]drop-in.:thumbsup:

 

[lctorana]

I originally wanted a low brightness long runtime Incan setup, and someone suggested this light with a 1.5 volt lamp, but I couldn't find a 1.5 volt lamp.

That was me, and I said to get the bulb out of one of these. Should be about US$1 in a large variery store.

(and you can amuse yourself by turning the host into the world's smallest hotwire with the 7.2V 1A bulb and two half-AA LiCos)

 

[Phaserburn]

Nope never tried a boom. But I have been gravitating toward D36s of late for the beam pattern vs D26.

Anyone else running a Solarforce 2x18650 setup?

 

[divine]

That was me, and I said to get the bulb out of one of these. Should be about US$1 in a large variery store.

(and you can amuse yourself by turning the host into the world's smallest hotwire with the 7.2V 1A bulb and two half-AA LiCos)

You said to get a 1AA from Kmart, I looked at every light Kmart had...

I'll try to get one of those. This light has a fairly different lamp that is wide at the end to prevent it from sliding through the holder.

 

[kelmo]

Don't know what those are but I have in the last few months purchased a C3, M2, and M3. Currently I'm using my M6 and C3 for non-work use.

 

[NE450No2]

I like them and still use them.

I use the 6P and the G2 quite a bit. I have a couple SF C models as well.

When I need a light on a gun that there is not a good light mount made for it I have some Old SF lights that fit on a ring mount on the scope of the rifle.

If there is not scope I just duck tape [like the old days before light mounts] a G2 to the gun where I can operate it while shooting.

Also I like the ability to go from Incandescent lamps to LED's, in the same light.

I think this type of lamp will be around for quite a while.

 

[dudemar]

Although, for a great floody beam, my original 5 yr old Pila 9V lamp (my very first D26) is still my best! I wonder if Pila has changed their lamp specs since then.

The Pila lamps now have a focused hotspot, and are now 200 bulb lumens versus the old 130. I have to agree with you that Pila lamp assemblies are the best, because I have yet to experience any hiccups from it. Sure it's not as bright as it was when it was brand new, but it still works great!

I do like (and miss) the diffuse beam the old LA has to offer.

 

[Phaserburn]

The Pila lamps now have a focused hotspot, and are now 200 bulb lumens versus the old 130. I have to agree with you that Pila lamp assemblies are the best, because I have yet to experience any hiccups from it. Sure it's not as bright as it was when it was brand new, but it still works great!

I do like (and miss) the diffuse beam the old LA has to offer.

Yes, I was thinking about this again last night. It seems there is no longer a source for lamps with this beam pattern. I'd really like to find some. Even the WE lamps now have a tighter beam; not as tight as LF lamps to be sure. The DX lamps are throw oriented as well, FWIW. My biggest and maybe only problem with Pila is the cost of them, lights and lamps, vs WE. My Raider really isn't a Raider; it's an old style Pila G3LR, my first quality incan.

Anyone know a source for these great floody lamps?

 

[bagman]

I still use my trust old Pila G3 (5 plus years old now) as my main bike light because of the great floody beam. I am down to my last spare LA now though although still have a GL3 in the car. I might replace the incan LA in that with a LF LED and give myself a spare again

 

[mdocod]

You can get flood out of just about any of the Chinese lamp assemblies if they have their lamp affixed to a removable threaded base.

The LF lamps all do this but are high-temp-glued in place, but that shouldn't stop you if you have some channel pliers.... (careful not to crush the unit, it's just brass and aluminum!).

Once broken free, adjust the focus by tightening and loosening until you find something you like better, not all of the lamps will adjust to the beam you describe, but many will at least hint in that direction with an adjustment.

Have you tried an IMR-13 bulb? I seem to recall it having a natural beam pattern much like you are describing as your preference. (as well as being a nice comfortable 1000 lumens)... It's one of those floody bulbs that produce enough lumens to sill reach out and touch everything around you.

---

I prefer to keep the incan configurations geared towards the throw as they are best implemented outdoors. My favorite bulbs are more often than not, on the lower end of the power spectrum just like you. The IMR-13 I mentioned there, is basically a wall of light, but the run-time sucks unless you have some F size li-ion cells to drive it with... lol.. I shoot for configurations that will run for 1 hour or more most of the time.

-Eric

 

[Mark@LF]

I shoot for configurations that will run for 1 hour or more most of the time.

Wow, 1 hour runtime on Incans?
You guys really should bug AW to bring back the Li-Ion C cells, I am using them myself on the BigLeef and it is awesome.

I have always hated the M6 for being too fat (yeah, I am going to get flamed by saying this ), the BigLeef is the best size and with those C cells the runtime are great even on really high current lamps.

Of course, I am just speaking for myself here, lol.

Cheers,

Mark

 

[mdocod]

Howdy Mark,

I agree about the C cell options. I've always loved C-cell body sizes and agree that the M6 is pushing it on diameter for comfortable usage. I've grown to enjoy the M6 having handled it enough but at first it felt very clumsy.

-Eric