Hi guys,
Well the first wave of Ti PD mules has finally hit the beach. It is not a large wave as interest and acceptance of this light is unknown. A couple pics:
What is it?
The Mule has a Cree XR-E LED with no secondary optic sitting behind a 2 mm thick sapphire window. The driver is a GDx2 providing a high output drive of typically 525 mA and a low around 25 mA. This light provides a relatively even and artifact free flood beam of light. This is a work or task light and intended for close up or near illumination.
The head is rather short but the full length milled flutes provide plenty grip for head rotation. Like all of the Ti lights, this light needs to be broken in. It has O-ring seals that should provide excellent protection against the elements. The O-ring between the head and sleeve adds resistance to rotation and one might elect to go to a smaller O-ring for ease of activation but I suggest you let the light break in first before making that call.
The price on these is $405. Shipping and any insurance is additional. With the new US postal rates and great disparity between priority domestic VS priority international, I have decided to factor out shipping from the price.
There are about 30 of these in the first wave. They will go on a first ordered first served basis and orders consist of an E-mail to me with the Mule PD in the subject line and your name, phone number and shipping address and instructions in the body of the e-mail. For the fine print, please refer to this Pricing and Ordering Thread.
After using and evaluating a couple protos of these, I believe most of you would be best served with the stock drive configuration. Because there is no collimation of the beam, I have found that having the high level at 525 mA can give you some range with the light on high. I have also found that for the most part, the low is sufficient for inclose work when you can bring the light to the subject being illuminated and thus the high is only used intermittantly and for short durations. However, some of you may have the need for or prefer a Mizer drive set. Changing this on these is a bit of a PITA once the head is assembleds as al of these are but if you want a mizer, I will offer it at an additional $15.
The Mule is the easiest light I have designed in terms of assembly and disassembly. There is a retaining O-ring for the window that can easily be removed give its access via the side portals in the head. The window comes right out after the retaining O-ring is removed but please put a piece of tape on the outside of the window first to identify it as "outside" and avoid contact with the easily damaged A/R coating that is on the inside side of the window. The Bergquist MCPCB with LED seats on a Ti ledge in the head and there is Arctic Silver's Ceramic grease in the mating surface betwen the MCPCB and the Head. The philips screw clamps the MCPCB and the converter PCB in place. Remove the screw and unsolder the leads between PCB and MCPCB and the head is disassembled.
As is, there is some light loss due to the LED being recessed a bit in the head. I plan to further explore possible means of releasing this light but I won't recommend anything that brings this light out in any concentrated form that would add hot spots or artifacts to the present beam distribution. As is, it is quite nice and acceptable, IMHO. Given the ease of access, this may be an area where some of you do your own experimentation. Newbie turned Wayne Y. on to some reflective material that I hope to evaluate in the Mule, once I get a sample. You can "pack" your mule as you best see fit! :nana:
This post is long winded for those of you waiting for this wave and no doubt some have sent off e-mail orders without reading the full post.
Well I have some projects that need to get finished and I think it best that I don't start shipping these until tomorow. If any of you feel you jumped the gun with an order, please follow up with a cancellation and hopefully I can get it processed and move on down any line that might be there. I will be back to the computer through the day and try to respond in a timely manner to those who have placed orders and let them know they caught the wave! Having no idea how many plan to catch this wave, it is difficult to anticipate the response. :shrug:
OK, I always forget to add something but danged if I know what it was, this time?!? Oh yeah, bin of the XR-E = P4, WG. It is what it is. A flood pattern like the Mule's is the most forgiving to any LED in terms of tint and uniform color consistency, I have found.
Thanks for looking.
Well the first wave of Ti PD mules has finally hit the beach. It is not a large wave as interest and acceptance of this light is unknown. A couple pics:
What is it?
The Mule has a Cree XR-E LED with no secondary optic sitting behind a 2 mm thick sapphire window. The driver is a GDx2 providing a high output drive of typically 525 mA and a low around 25 mA. This light provides a relatively even and artifact free flood beam of light. This is a work or task light and intended for close up or near illumination.
The head is rather short but the full length milled flutes provide plenty grip for head rotation. Like all of the Ti lights, this light needs to be broken in. It has O-ring seals that should provide excellent protection against the elements. The O-ring between the head and sleeve adds resistance to rotation and one might elect to go to a smaller O-ring for ease of activation but I suggest you let the light break in first before making that call.
The price on these is $405. Shipping and any insurance is additional. With the new US postal rates and great disparity between priority domestic VS priority international, I have decided to factor out shipping from the price.
There are about 30 of these in the first wave. They will go on a first ordered first served basis and orders consist of an E-mail to me with the Mule PD in the subject line and your name, phone number and shipping address and instructions in the body of the e-mail. For the fine print, please refer to this Pricing and Ordering Thread.
After using and evaluating a couple protos of these, I believe most of you would be best served with the stock drive configuration. Because there is no collimation of the beam, I have found that having the high level at 525 mA can give you some range with the light on high. I have also found that for the most part, the low is sufficient for inclose work when you can bring the light to the subject being illuminated and thus the high is only used intermittantly and for short durations. However, some of you may have the need for or prefer a Mizer drive set. Changing this on these is a bit of a PITA once the head is assembleds as al of these are but if you want a mizer, I will offer it at an additional $15.
The Mule is the easiest light I have designed in terms of assembly and disassembly. There is a retaining O-ring for the window that can easily be removed give its access via the side portals in the head. The window comes right out after the retaining O-ring is removed but please put a piece of tape on the outside of the window first to identify it as "outside" and avoid contact with the easily damaged A/R coating that is on the inside side of the window. The Bergquist MCPCB with LED seats on a Ti ledge in the head and there is Arctic Silver's Ceramic grease in the mating surface betwen the MCPCB and the Head. The philips screw clamps the MCPCB and the converter PCB in place. Remove the screw and unsolder the leads between PCB and MCPCB and the head is disassembled.
As is, there is some light loss due to the LED being recessed a bit in the head. I plan to further explore possible means of releasing this light but I won't recommend anything that brings this light out in any concentrated form that would add hot spots or artifacts to the present beam distribution. As is, it is quite nice and acceptable, IMHO. Given the ease of access, this may be an area where some of you do your own experimentation. Newbie turned Wayne Y. on to some reflective material that I hope to evaluate in the Mule, once I get a sample. You can "pack" your mule as you best see fit! :nana:
This post is long winded for those of you waiting for this wave and no doubt some have sent off e-mail orders without reading the full post.
Well I have some projects that need to get finished and I think it best that I don't start shipping these until tomorow. If any of you feel you jumped the gun with an order, please follow up with a cancellation and hopefully I can get it processed and move on down any line that might be there. I will be back to the computer through the day and try to respond in a timely manner to those who have placed orders and let them know they caught the wave! Having no idea how many plan to catch this wave, it is difficult to anticipate the response. :shrug:
OK, I always forget to add something but danged if I know what it was, this time?!? Oh yeah, bin of the XR-E = P4, WG. It is what it is. A flood pattern like the Mule's is the most forgiving to any LED in terms of tint and uniform color consistency, I have found.
Thanks for looking.
Last edited:
:nana:
