js
Flashlight Enthusiast
At this point there is enough discussion of this topic to warrant a separate thread in the appropriate forum (this one) and as far as I know, this project has more or less fallen to me, but I am happy to share the work if anyone has their own TL WA upgrade on the burner already, and I would very much like to hear people's ideas and preferences and responses.
First, however, despite the title of this thread, I want to stress that the TigerLight is designed for use by LEO and as such, the 1.1 hour runtime of the standard LA is really more or less already on the short side. Us weirdos here on CPF (God bless us!) may consider 20 minutes of runtime ample, but hey, that's us. 1/3 hour of fun and 10 on the charger. Ouch! So the "Upgrade" is meant in the sense of "Turbo charge" and in the time honored spirit of trading runtime for brightness.
There are two main upgrades to be discussed in regards to the TL. The first is obviously the lamp/reflector assembly. Consider just the lamp for now. If throwing a WA lamp in a 6.0 volt MC makes it king of the hill, what will happen when we find a suitable WA lamp for the 7.2 volt TL? We know! Step down please, Mr. MC-WA.
Here are the WA candidates at present:
1274: This is the prime candidate. It is a 7.2 volt lamp that draws 2.77 amps yielding 19.94 watts versus the 12.25 watts of the standard LA. It makes 553 lumens at this voltage, which is very close to what the 1160 pushed to 6.0 volts makes. A TL running this lamp would have slightly over 30 minutes of runtime. The lamp life of the 1274 is 40 hours and it costs $3.
1111: This 6.0 volt lamp makes 465 lumens at spec and draws a heart warming 3.35 amps (at spec). Now--and this is obviously key--if it doesn't blow--it will be making something like 800+ lumens at 7.2 volts and be drawing well nigh 5 amps (35 watts give or take!). Runtime would be around 20 minutes. But will it take the push? Judging by the 1160, which can really take a push, let's surmise: the life of the 1160 at spec is 550 hours; the life of the 1111 is 100. The filament diameter of the 1160 is .813 mm; the 1111 is .889. My guess is that it will take it, but I don't know how bad the bulb life will turn out to be. We shall see. These cost $6 each.
1164: This is my backup choice in case the 1111 can't take a 1.2 volt push. This lamp will almost certainly take a major push. Its life is rated at 2,500 hours, and its filament diameter is a considerable 1.08 mm. It is a 6.0 volt lamp that draws 3.28 amps (19.7 watts) and makes 300 lumens at spec. Now lest you get crest fallen at such a "low" lumen output, keep in mind that the 1160 only makes 327 lumens when driven at spec. The 1160 in the MC is being pushed 1.0 volt. The 1164 in the TL would be pushed 1.2 volts. This is EXACTLY the same proportion of push (1/6 vs. 1.2/7.2) so one could guess that the 1164 when pushed to 7.2 volts will make about the same amount of lumens as the 1160 when pushed to 6.0 volts, or slightly less due to the slightly lower efficiency of the 1164 vs. the 1160: 15.3 vs. 18.9 lumens/watt. The runtime of the TL running the 1164 would be something better than 20 minutes? Your guess is as good as mine. I don't have a lot of hope for this option, but I figured it was worth $9 for a couple just to check. because, obviously, the 1274 makes this many lumens at spec. However, these are just guesses regarding what the 1164 will be like at 7.2 volts. Who knows, maybe this will surprise us.
1185: hmmm. What? This is a 9.6 volt lamp, Jim. Yeah, I know. See below under the battery uprgrade section. Yes, you heard me right.
OK, so the next issue with a WA lamp candidate is the reflector. I for one will only consider potting a lamp into a reflector unless every other option fails me. I do not think that it is fun to throw away a perfectly good reflector just because a lamp has blown, especially once we start considering Carley RF1940's with orange peel and aluminized vacuum coating. My proposal is to use a socket which will hold the lamp and which will then be held in the reflector by the set screw. I have a handful of WA bi-pin sockets of the right size on order and I am hopeful that I can modify either the socket or the reflector so that this becomes a workable solution. The benefits, besides the one mentioned above, would also include the option to position the lamp at the focus which appeals to you. The standard TL LA is as tight a focus as they could make it in the 2 inch parabolic reflector. This is great for LEO, but many of us here on CPF would love a less-tight beam with less throw but more flood, not to mention what the orange peel would do to smooth out these monster bulbs we're talking about (including the standard TL bulb). I imagine that when I mod a socket or reflector that I will make small changes by filing or shiming or whatnot, so that the lamp socket can be perfectly centered when properly installed. I have also thought of adding more set screws to give a very easy way to move the socket around in the reflector. The TL battery power cables would then be atached to the socket leads.
The reflector: the Carley RF1940 is almost a drop in replacement for the standard reflector as it is, so it is the obvious choice. I have four of them coming to me from Carley, one of every flavor: smooth, light, medium and heavy orange peel, so that I can show people what the beams will be like (once a good lamp candidate is established). If anyone thinks of another good reflector option/company, please pipe up. The 1940 would probably run around $10 or less depending on how many we ordered.
Now for the second major possible upgrade: the battery pack. Ginseng has suggested that we could go from a 6 cell pack to a 9 cell pack with exactly the same external dimensions, by using 2/3 A cells (it currently uses 4/5 A's), and specifically the KAN 1050's. The mAH capacity would be less, of course, but running at this high of a voltage allows us to use . . . drum roll please . . . the WA 01185, Wilkey's favorite killer incan lamp. Yes. This bulb really kicks out the lumens. At 9.6 volts, 3.15 amps (30.2 watts) the 1185 makes 817 lumens. But get this, 9 cells would put us in the re-rating, push it a bit range of 10+ volts (under load), or something like 950 lumens. (Is that right, Ginseng?) And the good news is that with the KAN 1050's this would still be around 20 minutes of runtime or somewhat less. This and the 1111 are the most promising lumen-king options. The 1185 has a life of 50 hours and costs $3. Don't you just love it! $3 No $30 SureFire lamp to buy. 10X Dominator watch out!
The battery pack upgrade would unfortunately involve the need for another charger. This is beyond my knowledge at the moment, so I have asked Ginseng to advise me on this. I would love to hear what everyone has to say on the subject. What chargers are out there that could work with a little ingenuity? Could the standard charger be modified? (I wouldn't think so, but I thought I'd ask.)
Here is the time table at the moment: my WA order ships out on the 10th and my Carley reflectors ship on the 17th (of March). I do not anticipate much more than two or three weeks of testing and prototyping, depending on how busy I am. So possibly we could get group buys into WA and Carley by the end of March.
OK. That's what I got so fer.
First, however, despite the title of this thread, I want to stress that the TigerLight is designed for use by LEO and as such, the 1.1 hour runtime of the standard LA is really more or less already on the short side. Us weirdos here on CPF (God bless us!) may consider 20 minutes of runtime ample, but hey, that's us. 1/3 hour of fun and 10 on the charger. Ouch! So the "Upgrade" is meant in the sense of "Turbo charge" and in the time honored spirit of trading runtime for brightness.
There are two main upgrades to be discussed in regards to the TL. The first is obviously the lamp/reflector assembly. Consider just the lamp for now. If throwing a WA lamp in a 6.0 volt MC makes it king of the hill, what will happen when we find a suitable WA lamp for the 7.2 volt TL? We know! Step down please, Mr. MC-WA.
Here are the WA candidates at present:
1274: This is the prime candidate. It is a 7.2 volt lamp that draws 2.77 amps yielding 19.94 watts versus the 12.25 watts of the standard LA. It makes 553 lumens at this voltage, which is very close to what the 1160 pushed to 6.0 volts makes. A TL running this lamp would have slightly over 30 minutes of runtime. The lamp life of the 1274 is 40 hours and it costs $3.
1111: This 6.0 volt lamp makes 465 lumens at spec and draws a heart warming 3.35 amps (at spec). Now--and this is obviously key--if it doesn't blow--it will be making something like 800+ lumens at 7.2 volts and be drawing well nigh 5 amps (35 watts give or take!). Runtime would be around 20 minutes. But will it take the push? Judging by the 1160, which can really take a push, let's surmise: the life of the 1160 at spec is 550 hours; the life of the 1111 is 100. The filament diameter of the 1160 is .813 mm; the 1111 is .889. My guess is that it will take it, but I don't know how bad the bulb life will turn out to be. We shall see. These cost $6 each.
1164: This is my backup choice in case the 1111 can't take a 1.2 volt push. This lamp will almost certainly take a major push. Its life is rated at 2,500 hours, and its filament diameter is a considerable 1.08 mm. It is a 6.0 volt lamp that draws 3.28 amps (19.7 watts) and makes 300 lumens at spec. Now lest you get crest fallen at such a "low" lumen output, keep in mind that the 1160 only makes 327 lumens when driven at spec. The 1160 in the MC is being pushed 1.0 volt. The 1164 in the TL would be pushed 1.2 volts. This is EXACTLY the same proportion of push (1/6 vs. 1.2/7.2) so one could guess that the 1164 when pushed to 7.2 volts will make about the same amount of lumens as the 1160 when pushed to 6.0 volts, or slightly less due to the slightly lower efficiency of the 1164 vs. the 1160: 15.3 vs. 18.9 lumens/watt. The runtime of the TL running the 1164 would be something better than 20 minutes? Your guess is as good as mine. I don't have a lot of hope for this option, but I figured it was worth $9 for a couple just to check. because, obviously, the 1274 makes this many lumens at spec. However, these are just guesses regarding what the 1164 will be like at 7.2 volts. Who knows, maybe this will surprise us.
1185: hmmm. What? This is a 9.6 volt lamp, Jim. Yeah, I know. See below under the battery uprgrade section. Yes, you heard me right.
OK, so the next issue with a WA lamp candidate is the reflector. I for one will only consider potting a lamp into a reflector unless every other option fails me. I do not think that it is fun to throw away a perfectly good reflector just because a lamp has blown, especially once we start considering Carley RF1940's with orange peel and aluminized vacuum coating. My proposal is to use a socket which will hold the lamp and which will then be held in the reflector by the set screw. I have a handful of WA bi-pin sockets of the right size on order and I am hopeful that I can modify either the socket or the reflector so that this becomes a workable solution. The benefits, besides the one mentioned above, would also include the option to position the lamp at the focus which appeals to you. The standard TL LA is as tight a focus as they could make it in the 2 inch parabolic reflector. This is great for LEO, but many of us here on CPF would love a less-tight beam with less throw but more flood, not to mention what the orange peel would do to smooth out these monster bulbs we're talking about (including the standard TL bulb). I imagine that when I mod a socket or reflector that I will make small changes by filing or shiming or whatnot, so that the lamp socket can be perfectly centered when properly installed. I have also thought of adding more set screws to give a very easy way to move the socket around in the reflector. The TL battery power cables would then be atached to the socket leads.
The reflector: the Carley RF1940 is almost a drop in replacement for the standard reflector as it is, so it is the obvious choice. I have four of them coming to me from Carley, one of every flavor: smooth, light, medium and heavy orange peel, so that I can show people what the beams will be like (once a good lamp candidate is established). If anyone thinks of another good reflector option/company, please pipe up. The 1940 would probably run around $10 or less depending on how many we ordered.
Now for the second major possible upgrade: the battery pack. Ginseng has suggested that we could go from a 6 cell pack to a 9 cell pack with exactly the same external dimensions, by using 2/3 A cells (it currently uses 4/5 A's), and specifically the KAN 1050's. The mAH capacity would be less, of course, but running at this high of a voltage allows us to use . . . drum roll please . . . the WA 01185, Wilkey's favorite killer incan lamp. Yes. This bulb really kicks out the lumens. At 9.6 volts, 3.15 amps (30.2 watts) the 1185 makes 817 lumens. But get this, 9 cells would put us in the re-rating, push it a bit range of 10+ volts (under load), or something like 950 lumens. (Is that right, Ginseng?) And the good news is that with the KAN 1050's this would still be around 20 minutes of runtime or somewhat less. This and the 1111 are the most promising lumen-king options. The 1185 has a life of 50 hours and costs $3. Don't you just love it! $3 No $30 SureFire lamp to buy. 10X Dominator watch out!
The battery pack upgrade would unfortunately involve the need for another charger. This is beyond my knowledge at the moment, so I have asked Ginseng to advise me on this. I would love to hear what everyone has to say on the subject. What chargers are out there that could work with a little ingenuity? Could the standard charger be modified? (I wouldn't think so, but I thought I'd ask.)
Here is the time table at the moment: my WA order ships out on the 10th and my Carley reflectors ship on the 17th (of March). I do not anticipate much more than two or three weeks of testing and prototyping, depending on how busy I am. So possibly we could get group buys into WA and Carley by the end of March.
OK. That's what I got so fer.