pill lights?

jasonsmaglites

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Feb 15, 2007
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980
ok i've been turned on to the DBS V3 MC-E light for $140. seems like a nice light and all but i think i've never fully gotten the point or just never been into pill lights. what do you guys like about them. how do they perform for reliability and performance/efficency compared to other regular bodied flashlights? got any that you recomend for my first one?
 

gsegelk

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Apr 17, 2007
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Charleston, SC
You're talking about the merits of a pill vs. a dropin? I don't steer away from them by any means but compared to the P60-style dropins, I prefer the dropins whenever possible. With that said, if the form factor of the light does not allow for a standard dropin (like the DBS), I would much prefer the upgradeable pill approach to something that is more difficult to upgrade. Granted, the pill is sometimes specific to the manufacturer but it's still a path to upgrade.

So I'm assuming you would consider an Aleph light engine a pill right? That's one case where the 'pill' is not specific to the manufacturer and there are many mods possible, including buying a complete LE.

I didn't really answer your question but it's just my $.02

In the case of the DBS, I think having the pill is great so that you can swap out and upgrade pills later. I have one of these but also have a Tiablo A8 which has no upgrade path other than a custom mod :(
 

MrGman

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Feb 6, 2007
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The virtues of modular lights where you can just drop in the pill of choice have been expounded upon in numerous pages. The ability to have a host where you can drop in a high intensity spot light pill one minute, a malkoff flood module the next, a warm tint unit, a multi output level unit really shouldn't need explanation. The whole concept of having battle spare modules for the host and mixing and matching should be reason enough.

I have had up to 6 Solarforce Hosts and a SureFire 6P. I have sold some to friends who just had to have a custom built MrGman special. I have extension tubes, pressure switches, forward clickies the new 18650 sized host and extension, so the combination of mix and max is very wide.

I have had no reliability issues with lights or modules that were not an actual failure straight from the get go. Meaning a pill here or there didn't work right when it first came in, but I got a quick free replacement, and the ones I have work well. I have dropped several over at the gun range concrete floor, I have a few fall off my mountain bike while I was working on the mounting system to paved street. Beat up the bezel but the light just kept going.

The real problem here is once you start there is no end.

For instance I just got the Solarforce "Lantern Head" that screws on to the end of the bezel. Take the assault crown off and the glass out (just another wasted drop in light output that is no longer necessary), screw on the Lantern Head and voila, an overhead camping "torch" with 360 degree output. I have a Malkoff M60 driving it. I should take pictures its so nice. I put the Uniq Continuously variable tail cap on it and now its a fully dimmable camping Torch.

Now you can get ridiculously powerful P7 or MC-E pills to put into these things, what's not to like.
 

gsegelk

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Apr 17, 2007
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Charleston, SC
Just another thought about the DBS and the pill approach (vs. a complete dropin), it gives you the flexibility to change reflectors (SMO/OP) which is nice.
 

Norm

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Jun 13, 2006
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Looks like you've already ordered you first pill light Jason
From the Sargent Burkett sales thread. Over two weeks prior to this post :whistle:
To my way of thinking a light with a pill is any light with a removable driver heat sink and LED as a package which would make lots of lights pill lights Aleph, most Fenix and similar small lights, etc. Whereas a drop in would include the reflector or optic as well as the pill.
jasonsmaglites
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Flashaholic
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 447


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Re: Part 2 : Sgt. BURKETT _ 18650 Twitsy EDC
awesome light. first post!
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$34.00

join the bandwagon...
Just looking at your light list it looks as if you may already have some that qualify by my definition.
If I don't have the definition screwed up :)
 
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