The Official Malkoff Junkie thread - Part 2

[Modernflame]

Where can I get a new, genuine, SF Z41?

 

[Woods Walker]

Done the light was winking out. Guessing it ran about the same till the last hour or so. M31W mod low 2500 mAh AA NiMH.

I do wonder what Alk/lithium primary 1 or 2X. Guessing alky would be a bit brighter and lithium primary more so. Have to try with a CR123 as well. Still I was happy with the results.

 

[INFRNL]

Very nice results Woods.


Does anyone have any interest in M61 425 on 2x Eneloop Pro? Output starts at 15lm...Otherwise i will take the remaining current draw readings and get ready to send this module back to its home

 

[gurdygurds]

Yes please! Any test of genes dropins on eneloop are interesting to me.

Very nice results Woods.


Does anyone have any interest in M61 425 on 2x Eneloop Pro? Output starts at 15lm...Otherwise i will take the remaining current draw readings and get ready to send this module back to its home

 

[INFRNL]

Ok, this will be the last test i do on this module. Then i will work on m61 325 for the rest of the comparison tests.

I probably won't run it out as Woods did. But i will run it to get the main idea

 

[gurdygurds]

I'd just like to see what ANY m61 run graph would look like on 2 Eneloops. Don't do a special run if you're pretty much done testing. No worries.

Ok, this will be the last test i do on this module. Then i will work on m61 325 for the rest of the comparison tests.

I probably won't run it out as Woods did. But i will run it to get the main idea

 

[INFRNL]

It's no big deal. It will run till tomorrow. I didn't really have any other plans for the night. I will see where it's at in the next 12hrs or so and go from there. I might let it go 24hrs and call it good.

 

[KentuckyMike]

Currently, the only Malkoff devices with PWM are the MDC's. Everything else uses the resistor ring. I have no direct experience with the v1-v5 wildcats.

And the M361 (all variants) on low and medium.

 

[Woods Walker]

Very nice results Woods.


Does anyone have any interest in M61 425 on 2x Eneloop Pro? Output starts at 15lm...Otherwise i will take the remaining current draw readings and get ready to send this module back to its home

I never timed it but all the M61 and by extension the M31s behave the same in DD with the possible exception of the LLL which I never tested. The M61LL just charged 2500 durloop pros (I have multiple failures with these batteries and they're being using for around the house but not in the field).

M61LL 2XAA NiMH.

 

[Woods Walker]

The mod Hi/Lo running M31W off the same batteries. It's much brighter than running 1XAA. Maybe 10 plus lumens. Odds are it would be brighter still using 2X alky or Lithium AA primary or 1XCR123. Voltage under load maters I think. Probably why 2XAA is brighter than 1XAA with a resistor. Also noticed the same with the standard ring and higher voltages.

2XAA NIMH low.

 

[Woods Walker]

Also I do wonder how efficient the entire resistor thing is. Some how I feel more than one would expect. I don't think it would beat my multi mode dedicated AA lights. However I really can't get an exact mode comparison becasue well I am not really sure. I should test 2XAA first but thinking about doing a MD3 omnivore review for my little YT channel this week. I wonder how many combos is possible with a MD3 body plus a M31 and M61 heads with all the extras. I think the top voltage is 9 so guessing 3XCR123 and 2X lithium ion would be the upper end.

 

[NutSAK]

I wouldn't suspect it's very efficient, and certainly not as efficient as a regulated mode on a multi-mode light. I think the last time I measured current on low for a M61N on 1xLi-Ion the draw was ~17mA. At that low of a current you're looking at days of runtime. How relevant is efficiency for most people's uses at that level anyway?

 

[KentuckyMike]

I wouldn't suspect it's very efficient, and certainly not as efficient as a regulated mode on a multi-mode light. I think the last time I measured current on low for a M61N on 1xLi-Ion the draw was ~17mA. At that low of a current you're looking at days of runtime. How relevant is efficiency for most people's uses at that level anyway?

That mirrors my experience with the L and LL. My M61NL on low (stock resistor) draws 16.9mA @ 4.2V, 37.1mA @ 6V (2x123), and 3.4mA @ 3v (two NIMH). My M61NLL is similar: 16.5mA @ 4.2V, 37.1mA @ 6V, and 3.3mA @ 3V. Both modules draw just over 71mA on 9V (3x123). Surely some of the potential is lost as heat...that's what resistors do. But as you said, at these levels, it's largely inconsequential. You have days of potential runtime in any configuration here, and in true emergencies you can get by with 3-5 hours of light per night—less if you're content to sit in the dark and only use light when you're moving.

 

[mk2rocco]

Just ordered the V1 Bodyguard! I want both versions but was worried the V1 may go away so I ordered it first.

Woods Walker: I'm very interested in a Malkoff Omnivore review. I've been assembling one in my shopping cart for a while now ha.

 

[etc]

That mirrors my experience with the L and LL. My M61NL on low (stock resistor) draws 16.9mA @ 4.2V, 37.1mA @ 6V (2x123), and 3.4mA @ 3v (two NIMH). My M61NLL is similar: 16.5mA @ 4.2V, 37.1mA @ 6V, and 3.3mA @ 3V. Both modules draw just over 71mA on 9V (3x123). Surely some of the potential is lost as heat...that's what resistors do. But as you said, at these levels, it's largely inconsequential. You have days of potential runtime in any configuration here, and in true emergencies you can get by with 3-5 hours of light per night—less if you're content to sit in the dark and only use light when you're moving.

some of the more interesting configurations are a body that can take 4xAA cells, twice the length of 2x1800/3x123, which is 3x18650.

The runtime has to be greater than a 2xAA configuration. And the lumens also.

 

[KentuckyMike]

some of the more interesting configurations are a body that can take 4xAA cells, twice the length of 2x1800/3x123, which is 3x18650.

The runtime has to be greater than a 2xAA configuration. And the lumens also.

The 6v draw is roughly twice that of the 3v draw, so the runtime is likely not appreciably longer (I do also realize two CR123s will behave somewhat differently than 4xNIHM over a long haul). Additionally, the runtime of using one set of 2xNIMH, then a second set of 2xNIMH, should be roughly twice that of using 4xNIMH at one time (granted, your 4xNIMH would be brighter for the time it does last). To me, if we are actually worrying about the runtime of sub-80mA setups, we're talking severely extended power outages (i.e. major catastrophes). In those situations, I'll take two sets of 2xNIMH for greater total runtime at less lumens every time.

Besides, I know you love your "MD6," but that is just way too large for me to deal with for such a low output. Whatever makes you happy, though. I enjoy playing with extenders, too, but that setup isn't for me.

 

[etc]

The point of the MD6 body is an emergency situation. Over the last 10 years I've tried various AA combinations, M60LL on 2xAA, and now M61LL on 2xAA, and 3xAA, which I liked a lot more. I got a FiveMega 3xAA body just for that reason. The lumens are higher. 4xAA is better still - the best thing about it, you can fire up a Hound Dog at full lumens, or nearly so. Think about it, useless AA cells generating that kind of lumens. Of course they are not useless, these Eneloops.

MD6 is the last resort when you are out of 123s, 18650, cannot recharge, cannot do anything but suppose you have access to the very common AA cell. If you have an MD6 body, you can run a Malkoff at nearly full brighteness and considerable runtime. Litihums and NiMH work best, while Alkalines will work but of course not sustain that current for very long, so maybe used on the "low" mode.

IME, a Lithium AA cell is similar in capacity to a 123 cell - yeah, it's half the voltage (almost) but twice the mAh (2900 mAh versus 1450mAh) so in the end, 4xAA Lithiums work out to be similar to 4x123 - except a bit dimmer but theoretically longer runtime. You can image that M61LLL would run forever on 4x123 (not that it can, given it does not run on 12V, but 4xL91 has the same Watt-hour reserve as 4x123).

MD6 is a ridiculous light to be used anywhere but a stationary place in your basement when a Florence type event takes out all the lights and you deplete your 123 depot.

I will never be out of light given I can construct 1000 and 1 permutations out of the dozen lights and bodies I have. I can probably make a special adapter for the AAA cells, which are completely useless but not useless at all if you they are free, or the only thing available. And enjoy the Hound Dog at nearly full lumens for all of 6 minutes.
Malkoff Lego enables all kinds of creative setups.

 

[Woods Walker]

I wouldn't suspect it's very efficient, and certainly not as efficient as a regulated mode on a multi-mode light. I think the last time I measured current on low for a M61N on 1xLi-Ion the draw was ~17mA. At that low of a current you're looking at days of runtime. How relevant is efficiency for most people's uses at that level anyway?

I wish there were other draw numbers to compare to. I remember 4/7s used to have the draw. Granted it probably doesn't matter as the longest power outage I had was 7 days and never changed batteries on any light.

 

[Woods Walker]

4XAA is really good. I have several lights setup to take them. One is a 6P with M61WL and the other M91W Solarforce host. The size is actually adventurous for trail jogging.

 

[NutSAK]

I wish there were other draw numbers to compare to. I remember 4/7s used to have the draw. Granted it probably doesn't matter as the longest power outage I had was 7 days and never changed batteries on any light.

A single 3000mAh 18650 will power an M61 for a straight week on low. It might get you through 2 weeks of typical intermittent use on low and infrequent use on high. Beyond that, there are plenty of 12V sources to charge a cell from when the power is out.