BadBoy vs. Pill vs. LI vs. LGI -- Pics & Meter Readings

I received my BadBoy Yellow sandwich today, thanks very much Wayne. Took me all of a coupla minutes to install in a new Legend 2AA.

Wringing my hands in delightful anticipation, I threw fresh batteries in each -- no lithium AAs were harmed (or even used) during this comparison. Then I took beamshots and then did light meter readings with a LightMan LM631, the CPF standard of late for quick 'n dirty comparisons.

First the pics. LS mod warriors on left, beamshots on right, hopefully you can figure out which acronyms stand for which lights:



Note the difference in beam colors.

And then the relative light meter readings on this particular day, all taken in lux units from one meter away:

167 Lambda Illuminator

219 BadBoy

230 Pill

826 LGI (Legend 3AA direct drive mod)

Thanks, kind sir. I am going to pretty soon do a run time test on the LGI with outside casing temp readings and light meter measurements, maybe every half hour or so. Inquiring minds want to know...

826 lux!

That's a real bright one.

The LGI seems to truely be the beast of the AA flashlights.

Originally posted by MR Bulk:
Thanks, kind sir. I am going to pretty soon do a run time test on the LGI with outside casing temp readings and light meter measurements, maybe every half hour or so. Inquiring minds want to know...

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<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">That would be great, I'll get the same from an IL SE using the same Luxeons. Also need to check for degradation in the output over time. Will be interesting; also record your ambient temps. It will most likely be a little cooler here........

And the new graphic is really great!

Actually I started the test 1 hour and 45 minutes ago using another LGI that has been my test bed light that's seen some torture already. Here are my readings so far:

Ambient temps - 81 degrees F.

Starting Time - 1830 hours
Case temp (@warmest point, head/tube junction) - 84F
Lux (@ 1 meter) - 733

Time - 1850 hrs
Case temp - 126F(!)

Time - 1940
Case temp - 118

Time - 2000
Case temp - 112
Lux - 463

Time - 2015
Cast temp - 109
Lux - 308

Got to get ready for work. Since it appears the temps are going down (along with lux and battery reserves) I may just leave it on and come back for additional readings later.

Will do one final temp/brightness reading before heading out the door.

It appears that as the batteries run down and output is less, this lowers the temps. At least that is what I am hoping. Also the LS should become more efficient as batteries are drained, and shift the light into a sort of "dusk" (not moon) mode, where it still provides fairly usable bright light, gradually diminishing over a longer period time. At least that's what I experienced with Wayne's direct drive MagLite Blasters, and hopefully it holds true here.

After the light reaches a point where no real useful light (arbitrarily defined by MR Bulk as no longer able to help navigate a dark house or read fine newsprint), I will shut it down, let it cool off completely, insert fresh batteries and do a final light meter reading. Hopefully it gets back up into the 700s as it did initially.

On a side note this is the same light I ran the other day for about 15 minutes where the case temp got up to 118.5F before I shut it down, so this is not a virgin LS -- it's lived a little and felt some heat already.

And ain't this a cool picture (below)? Roy sent it to me...

After 2 hours and 15 minutes:

Time - 2045
Case temp - 104
Lux - 262

After 5 hours and 30 minutes:

Time - 2400
Case temp - 84
Lux - 35

Light output was still very usable, brighter than the RAM 3-Nichia batonlight mounted on the end of my work-issued ASP baton, and about as bright as a half-dimmed (5 clicks down) Eternalight Ergo III and with a brighter hotspot than the Ergo:



I then terminated the test because from my experience with other 3-cell DirectDrives, at this point the light will continue at this "dusk" level for several days.

After waiting 15 minutes for the batteries to recover, I metered it again and got a reading of 244 lux. It was back up to being brighter than the other three test lights.

Well, I shoved in three new AAs and it metered 667 lux. According to rlhess there may be a variance of up to 10% in the readings of these LM631s, as they are not lab-grade instruments (what was I expecting for $90?), but meant to be used in the field. So on another day this light might well measure up to 800 lux. I'll take a few more measurements in the coming days.

nice

Oh great,here's ANOTHER light that I will have to buy!!!

So, are they available, when are they available, and how much!

(Nice light, BTY!)

Sorry Doug, these are available to CPF Flashoholics only...(oh wait, aren't you one?)

What was once an interesting diversion has turned into a full-time hobby (yeah, like what part of Flashoholism isn't?).

Based on the results of this test I took the plunge and ordered 18 Luxeons and 20 Legend 3AAs (don't ask, I nearly failed math in high school) and should receive everything by next week.

Although some are spoken for (uncle's birthday on the 28th, some guys I work with wanted to buy more of them, neighbors on either side of me have suddenly entered pre-flashoholism addiction stages, etc.), I should still have a bunch left over.

To paraphrase past Oldsmobile advertising, "Can we build one for you?" -- except, "This isn't your father's flashlight." The cost is $50 including shipping within the U.S. via Priority Mail.

Please e-mail me with yore CPF handle in there somewhere: [email protected]

PayPal is the preferred method. Thanks.

Hmmmm, Mr Bulk, do you know where I could get one of these LGI mods for a 3AA Brinkmann?????
<font color=blue>--Ðøug ™</font>

Can the light be focused after the mod?

Also, any recommendation on the type of batteries that should/shouldn't be used? Alkaline, rechargeable, lithiums.

Jin,

Unfortunately, no focus -- unless a High Dome LS is used, then there is some slight (in my opinion negligible) difference in the beam picture when the head is turned back and forth.

I would use alkalines, or else rechargeables that have sat a while after a fresh charge.

Awesome results!! Is the emitter a batwing or HD? Which optics are in the 826 lux LGI ?

Originally posted by MR Bulk:
Although some are spoken for (uncle's birthday on the 28th, some guys I work with wanted to buy more of them, neighbors on either side of me have suddenly entered pre-flashoholism addiction stages, etc.), I should still have a bunch left over.

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<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Don't worry, the rest of them will probably get snapped up as soon as I have the web page up.
Just ask Lambda what happened when I first put up the page for his 2-AA Legend "Lambda Illuminator" mod!

WOAH now! How did Mr Bulk get Member #1 ?????? Registered Aug 2002. Something's fishy here.... (sorry for the off topic)

Slick -- Batwing, new optics.

Craig -- Encouraging words indeed, thanks.

Quickbeam -- Ol' MR Bulk simply threw his weight around...(just kidding -- when CPF was down and came back up, DavidW/Sasha had to put up a member profile model and I guess I just happened to post first or something -- which is fine with me!).

Originally posted by The LED Museum:
Don't worry, the rest of them will probably get snapped up as soon as I have the web page up.

Just ask Lambda what happened when I first put up the page for his 2-AA Legend "Lambda Illuminator" mod!

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<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">No Sh_t, get ready for about 100 emails/hour for the first week..........