The 5mm Challenge

[Got Lumens?]

The new Eo1 killer, the spacy plasma...? :devil:

Day one.
OK so far was able to make using my keylight from Lighthound. I sure miss the MiniX,

Wow, that's a spacy looking picture! I don't remember the light shooting out plasma before?

I'll take SOS

 

[kaichu dento]

Cool thread and challenge!
I've been using my ARC DS and an ARC with a turquoise led. (I prefer colored leds for walking around in the house during night since they are easier on sleepy eyes)
Anyhow these ARCs are brighter than the Minimag 2AAA incan that served me well for some 15 years (till 2006)

My little Arc is doing fine and if we're comparing to our Maglites, I used to carry nothing but a Solitaire. You can see what I think of them in my sig line.

 

[Got Lumens?]

OK Carrot made me do it, found two contenders.

The 511 tactical with semispherical lense and the Eoo1 killer. With beam shots

. .

Who would have thought

 

[nbp]

Wow, that's a spacy looking picture! I don't remember the light shooting out plasma before?

I'm tellin' ya Paul, I like the pink! Hahaha. If you can manage to mash one of those pink LEDs in an E01, I'd take it! It really is a nice color for dark adjusted eyes, not too jolting. Especially with the floody beam the fauxton puts out. And chicks would dig it. :naughty:

Thanks to Scout24 also for the dome frosting instructions. I think I will try that on my E01 once I can get some fine steel wool. :thumbsup:

 

[EngrPaul]

Any 5mm fauxtons I get, I modify. I carry some on my keychain and use as "task" lighting, such as reading menus in a dark restaurant after the wife forgets her reading glasses.

My favorite white 5mm LED for upgrading is currently Radio Shack 276-017. They are warm, floody, and long lasting (as proven by other members here running long term test against the competition). Perfect for changing purple-spot-light fauxtons to usable up-close task lights.

The pink ones I did (and gave as freebies to buyers from WTS) also used LED's from Radio Shack (#276-019).

Here are two 5mm AAA lights that have persisted in my collection. The photon fanatic light uses a multiple die LED. It's neckchain-worthy, especially when using a light weight lithium primary AAA. The Fenix E0 has outrageously long regulated runtime for a AAA light. I upgraded it many years ago using an LED from the sandwich shoppe to reduce the cool white color and output. The E0 could, but never did reach my keychain. This is because I have a high output AAA light and a floody fauxton that cover all my needs.

Corresponding beamshots for the two lights above

 

[Flying Turtle]

I think I'll be using my old Fenix E0. This was the first real competition (not including the CMG Sonic) for the Arc AAA, and one of my old favorites.

Geoff

 

[EugeneJohn]

I started the challenge two days ago. So far it's going well.

I'm using a newly "steel-wooled" E-01(thanks scout24!) with pocket clip for edc.

I'm also using a modified fauxton. I replaced the batterys with a single 2032 cell and used a dremel to grind the led's dome flush with the fauxton's housing. The result is a very dim, completely floody light. It works great with dark adjusted eyes for navigating around the house at night, checking on sleeping family, not stepping on the cat, etc.

 

[Helmut.G]

I started yesterday evening with an E01, but found that it fails in two points:
-it's a bit too hard to activate one-handed
-it's much too hard to activate one-handed while holding my thumb over the emitter end because it would be way too bright in the middle of the night

on the other hand it's the perfect brightness for tailstanding in the bathroom while taking a shower.


I cheated several times, using my novatac for looking at the clock at night using the lowest setting.

I will take the E01 to the public swimming pool later.

 

[Got Lumens?]

Day 3.
Unfortunately I also cheated:shakehead.
I just got the new SL6 and had to show it off. Used it to check on the grilled chicken at a friends BBQ last night. Aside from that, good. Have noticed that the LH 5mm coincell that I replaced my EDC keycarry MiniX, takes up a whole lot less pocket space, its harder finding my keys now

Another note of interest. I am truely astonished at the amount of throw I can get from a 5mm led. The 511 tacticals lense throws a useable beam 50+ feet in the dark, amazing. It tried without success to get a night picture, So here are some daytime Shadow Shots. Enjoy.
GL

.
... 511 Tactical 5mm ......... LH 5mm Coin Cell .....

Picture taken 20 feet from wall, broom handle ~12" in front of light.

 

[SixM]

I failed. :fail: I could've easily made this but my neutral Neutron 1C came in yesterday and well, you know..............I couldn't even tell you where that 5mm is right now.

 

[JA(me)S]

Day 3: :fail:

I wish I had a good excuse - but I don't. Just missed my lumens. :shrug:

- Jas.

 

[Helmut.G]

I will take the E01 to the public swimming pool later.

the E01 stayed bone-dry inside as expected, and it was underwater for a long time tied to my wrist.

I discovered something very interesting: water being optically denser than air eliminates the optical effect of the LED's plastic dome.


E01 emitter shot w/o water:

E01 emitter shot, "reflector" filled with water:

BEAMSHOTS
location: wooden kitchen ceiling featuring a triple-halogen ceiling lamp
white balance: 6500 K


E01 without water:

short exposure:

normal exposure:

long exposure:

E01 "reflector" filled with water by about a third:

short exposure:

normal exposure:

long exposure:

E01 "reflector" nearly completely full with water:

short exposure:

normal exposure:

long exposure:

E01 "reflector" filled with as much water as it will hold:

short exposure:

normal exposure:

long exposure:

image showing the E01 with as much water as it will hold:

 

[scout24]

HelmutG- Fascinating! Now I'm going to have to find a 3/8" half sphere and try the "EO1 Aspheric! :thumbsup: Gotta wonder how far that 5mm will throw...

 

[jabe1]

Anybody willing to 1/2 fill their E01 "reflector" with Norland?

 

[Got Lumens?]

Or perhaps a tint adjustment . . . Hunny have you seen my food coloring???

 

[nbp]

So far I have been doing a pretty good job in these 4 days. I have clicked a few other lights on and off to check battery levels, make sure lights are in the proper memory modes, etc. But I have basically only used the E01 and fauxton for actual lighting tasks. Most little EDC purposes it handles pretty well, but a few times I have really wanted a little more, heck anything with a bit of throw. I mean, I would have been happy with 60 lm. Like taking the dog out tonight; she doesn't have to get very far before she is out of the range of that little light. I have learned so far that I could definitely do with much less output than some of my lights have, but I need the ability to get more than 10 at times. Then again, most of my EDC lights are <150 lm, so in general I'm not a lumen addict, but like I said, I need more than 10. And once or twice I really wanted to kick on my SST50 powered C2. A huge swath of light is just so perfect sometimes.

 

[ZMZ67]

Well I made an attempt to try this challenge but ....:fail: Even with the photons on my keys and pulling my first generation INOVA X1 "throw monster" out of reserve I still couldn't make it.

 

[choombak]

Still continuing happily with my 5mms' - the red Matty is being used for night-duty, while the white Arc-P AAA rides in my pocket - have inspected server internals, fixed a couple of router cables, and peeked behind my PC rack. I used a gen 1 Inova X1 with TIR last night when my wife was disturbed with the red aura the Matty created!

X1 is missing from this shot, and the Arc-Ti is not being used

 

[subwoofer]

I do it all the time.
I've gone for months with only my Photon Freedom as a EDC.
No problem at all.
10+ lumens, with infinitely adjustable output level, and the size of a quarter, with a hidden mode bank of beacon, SOS, strobe modes too.
With my typical use, the 2x2016 batteries last about 6 months before they need changing. And I use the light nearly every night for a short time.
IMO, it's by far the best keychain light made.
It makes most of the AAA 5mm flashlights seem positively crude and dim in comparison.
I might add that the tint is actually white, which some manufacturers seem unable to manage.

Easy, and I totally agree with twl. The Photo freedom micro is my EDC and has been for a year replacing the Fauxton I used to carry for over 10 years previously. How they pack so much into such a small package is amazing. Though fauxtons can be had for around 20p each, the £12 Freedom Micro is easily worth it. (the 20p fauxtons then give up their batteries to feed the Freedom Micro).

What is the next challenge?

 

[kaichu dento]

I'm still getting by on my camo Arc and the biggest trouble I've faced has been during daylight hours when there's too much surrounding light for the Arc to cut through under counters or in closets. Still works though and I'm looking forward next to a AAA in general thread.