Megalamuffin
Enlightened
Does anyone know if I can get an extra thick boot for a malkoff mcclicky so the switch stands a little above the tailcap shroud?
The Malkoff Front Porch
- Thread starter greatscoot
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Taller boots are available, but they're no thicker so the engagement point of the switch remains the same - just more boot that has to be compressed.
One of these days I'm going to take a Malkoff tailcap and turn it down into a semi-shrouded configuration...
Megalamuffin
Enlightened
So with a taller boot it would just have more slack/air gap before it activated, and not increase sensitivity of the switch?
Hopefully I’m explaining that coherently.
Streamlight microstream hack. It works on mine.
An eight-minute video that you can pare down to less than one minute. Paper punch cutout under the rubber boot and ease of operation improves a lot. I have no idea if something this simple would work with a Malkoff so I will leave it to the professionals here.
An eight-minute video that you can pare down to less than one minute. Paper punch cutout under the rubber boot and ease of operation improves a lot. I have no idea if something this simple would work with a Malkoff so I will leave it to the professionals here.
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kerneldrop
Flashlight Enthusiast
I rarely use switches...I just leave my light on
Correct.
With the taller boot you could try adding material inside the boot to make it "thicker" and engage the switch with a normal amount of press. It's a balancing act though, my experiments with this resulted in an overly-sensitive switch. Also, I'd want whatever I added inside the boot permanently attached so it can't move/shift.
The problem isn't the boot, it's simply the primary disadvantage of fully shrouded tailcaps: accessing the switch with the thumb with an ice pick grip is difficult at best, and totally impossible to operate the light with a syringe grip.
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Megalamuffin
Enlightened
Makes sense.
I am able to get a useable syringe grip with malkoff’s shrouded tailcap and a thyrm LPC, but it’s not as easy as the tricap or SF momentary type switches.
For decades, this has been one of the most debated flashlight 'issues' I can think of. There have always been several 'schools of thought' among LE, tac-ops, and defensive users re: tailcap switches.
A) Some want only momentary-contact switches. B) Some want 2-stage momentary / maintained-on switches. The latter insist that 'momentary' actuation be very easy, while ensuring that 'maintained' operation is almost impossible to occur unintentionally, which means it must involve some difficulty, or deliberate intent to actuate; sufficiently long 'travel', higher pressure (effort), and often less exposure (more 'shrouding').
It's just another part of selecting a light that suits one's own needs / preferences. All variants are out there. If one bought every light made, they probably wouldn't like about half of them.
The Malkoff design philosophy (if my MD2 is typical) embraces and is designed to satisfy 'B' requirements above (and they did it very well). It has perhaps the shortest actuator travel of any light I own for momentary activation; it could not be any shorter. The pressure is also light. I have no difficulty actuating it, even wearing gloves. Conversely, 'maintained' on requires enough 'effort' that it is very unlikely to be ever be actuated unintentionally, and for some, may involve a slight repositioning to use a different part of the thumb. It does for me, and that's exactly how I want it to be.
I've never seen (examined) or used their "tri-cap" tail. Perhaps you might find it more to your liking. It might be designed for 'group B' people who do not insist on having total insurance against accidental 'maintained' actuation.
This debate will go on forever.
A) Some want only momentary-contact switches. B) Some want 2-stage momentary / maintained-on switches. The latter insist that 'momentary' actuation be very easy, while ensuring that 'maintained' operation is almost impossible to occur unintentionally, which means it must involve some difficulty, or deliberate intent to actuate; sufficiently long 'travel', higher pressure (effort), and often less exposure (more 'shrouding').
It's just another part of selecting a light that suits one's own needs / preferences. All variants are out there. If one bought every light made, they probably wouldn't like about half of them.
The Malkoff design philosophy (if my MD2 is typical) embraces and is designed to satisfy 'B' requirements above (and they did it very well). It has perhaps the shortest actuator travel of any light I own for momentary activation; it could not be any shorter. The pressure is also light. I have no difficulty actuating it, even wearing gloves. Conversely, 'maintained' on requires enough 'effort' that it is very unlikely to be ever be actuated unintentionally, and for some, may involve a slight repositioning to use a different part of the thumb. It does for me, and that's exactly how I want it to be.
I've never seen (examined) or used their "tri-cap" tail. Perhaps you might find it more to your liking. It might be designed for 'group B' people who do not insist on having total insurance against accidental 'maintained' actuation.
This debate will go on forever.
thermal guy
Flashaholic
Don’t forget those who want a completely silent switch so as not to give your location away. I really don’t get that one.
I really don't either. I'll admit my Elzetta Alpha switch is super-quiet, so I guess they at least ship what they preach. Some of mine do in fact click very loudly, and often there is a 'ringing' resonance sound from the internal spring as well; however, I too have more important things to lose sleep over though!
The trick is timing the click with dropping of the hammer
When things get serious, I'll be in 'momentary-on' mode anyway, and all my lights are silent in that mode of operation. I agree though, if going for 'maintained-on', timing would be everything! Most 'maintained-on' operations click twice, and they'd ideally never even hear the second click
Megalamuffin
Enlightened
I’m just a regular defensive user but would argue the classic surefire twisty style switches (or gas pedal switch) that are tightened down on a washer/spacer which will give you momentary only with hand pressure, and can’t be accidentally turned on, is the most foolproof interface for a tactical use light.
Obviously that setup is very limited for regular use, so a great compromise is the malkoff tricap with a grip ring. I have tried every which way and can’t click the tricap switch on in a syringe grip, and it activates easily in said grip, but also is easy to click on for normal use.
If the shroud was just a little shorter on malkoff’s standard tailcap I think I would work almost as well as the tricap in a momentary syringe grip. You wouldn’t get tailstanding but that is not a big deal to me.
@Megalamuffin
I think more than a few of us have same issue.
I've asked Gene in the past, suggesting a batch of std caps with shorter shroud.
But again, I felt I'm the only guy asking. Not wanting to be a PIA, I only asked once..
Anyway, it's an easy fix with a hobby lathe, or by hand. There was a member here who stripped down a std cap then used 100-180 grit wet/dry paper on a (must be) Flat surface plate
Tip: making figure eight sanding motions will evenly remove Al.. Easy does it, comes off fast, doesn't take much (3/32 - 2.5mm) for good results.
* using calipers to watch amount removed helps
I think more than a few of us have same issue.
I've asked Gene in the past, suggesting a batch of std caps with shorter shroud.
But again, I felt I'm the only guy asking. Not wanting to be a PIA, I only asked once..
Anyway, it's an easy fix with a hobby lathe, or by hand. There was a member here who stripped down a std cap then used 100-180 grit wet/dry paper on a (must be) Flat surface plate
Tip: making figure eight sanding motions will evenly remove Al.. Easy does it, comes off fast, doesn't take much (3/32 - 2.5mm) for good results.
* using calipers to watch amount removed helps
vincent3685
Newly Enlightened
- Joined
- Mar 14, 2015
- Messages
- 71
I had a problem with my MD2 tail-cap switch. When changing the batteries, the spring inside came apart from the switch. After completely taking it apart, (switch, boot, o-ring, plunger, interior spring, contact plate, etc.) and banging my head repeatedly against the wall, I played hell trying to piece it back together. Just couldn't get the battery spring attached to the switch.
Well, last night I gave up and called Malkoff to see what they could do and left a message. This morning I got a call from none other than Gene himself, I couldn't believe it. What other business has customer service like that?
He told me if you drop the flashlight in just the right place, it can come apart and is very difficult to put back together. He offered to repair it if I wanted to send him the tail cap or he would send me a new Mcclicky switch if I thought I could do it myself. Since I already had it apart, I had him send me a new switch. He transferred me to Kathy who took my address and is sending it.
We talked at length about family, and life in general. He gave me detailed instructions on how to fix the issue and answered some questions I had about other products as well. I just have to say what truly humble and great human beings both Gene and Kathy are. He laughed when I expressed my amazement that he returned my call and was actually talking to me. He insisted I call him Gene and said he was just someone who was trying to make it and thanked me for buying his products. I am totally blown away by this experience.
Well, last night I gave up and called Malkoff to see what they could do and left a message. This morning I got a call from none other than Gene himself, I couldn't believe it. What other business has customer service like that?
He told me if you drop the flashlight in just the right place, it can come apart and is very difficult to put back together. He offered to repair it if I wanted to send him the tail cap or he would send me a new Mcclicky switch if I thought I could do it myself. Since I already had it apart, I had him send me a new switch. He transferred me to Kathy who took my address and is sending it.
We talked at length about family, and life in general. He gave me detailed instructions on how to fix the issue and answered some questions I had about other products as well. I just have to say what truly humble and great human beings both Gene and Kathy are. He laughed when I expressed my amazement that he returned my call and was actually talking to me. He insisted I call him Gene and said he was just someone who was trying to make it and thanked me for buying his products. I am totally blown away by this experience.
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thermal guy
Flashaholic
Yep that’s absolutely how he treats all his customers. they are truly the best 😁
PoliceScannerMan
Flashaholic
About a decade (maybe longer) or so ago, I purchased the first gen Hound Dog when it came out. My phone rang around 7pm a few nites later. It was Gene asking how I liked his new model flashlight. We chatted for awhile. Fantastic.
kerneldrop
Flashlight Enthusiast
In the higher-end whetstone sharpening.... purists with a machining background prefer to lap their whetstones over loose abrasives on a flat surface plate. The technique has a real name...i forget what it is.
I can't hold my angles to that degree of precision, so I'm good with just a DMT lapping plate. But I never realized the true differences there are in lapping with whetstones vs lapping with diamond plates vs lapping on wet/dry vs lapping over loose abbrasives. It's a bottomless pit like flashlights.
I have had the same experiences when presenting questions to the Malkoff family which is why I continue to find another reason to buy an additional light from them.
As for the tail switch, it is really not a big deal for me and if I could ever get Oveready to respond to one of the two e-mails I sent them two weeks ago, I think they have a solution for one of my MD2's that I want to use for a different purpose.
As for the tail switch, it is really not a big deal for me and if I could ever get Oveready to respond to one of the two e-mails I sent them two weeks ago, I think they have a solution for one of my MD2's that I want to use for a different purpose.
kerneldrop
Flashlight Enthusiast
Are you talking about their ZeroRez switch? I saw one of those on Facebook the other day.
