Malkoff M60W MCE Review

N/Apower

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Jul 30, 2008
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Well, I got my 6PD, THANKYOU BRIGHT FLASHLIGHTS!!!
I also got my M60W-MCE THANK YOU GENE MALKOFF!!!
And I tested it. At first, I cranked her up in my appartment, blinds drawn, expecting greatness. Greatness did not occur. No ladies and gentlemen. Failure occured. I was not really liking things. I decided to wait until dark though, as this unit only puts out about 900LUX@1M, it performs best in true darkness. IT IS NOT A SPOTLIGHT, It is more of a stadium light.

Anyways, darkness arrived and so did the glory. This unit is not what I would mount on a weapon, let me say first off. It just doesn't have the throw. It runs out of useful light at around 40-50 yards, just like Gene advertises (140+- feet). However, it illuminates EVERYTHING! Within that 50 yards with a natural-tone light that allows colors their normal hue, and NOTHING escapes it. It is like carrying a miniature sun in your hand! I am sorry, I said I wouldn't do this, but I got a new cell-phone and HAD to try it. I will get some better shots up later, but here is how it did for all you white-wall hunters.
19w96v.jpg

drdzdj.jpg

I got a new cell-phone and it did not accurately compare the spill of the MC-E to the others. The MCE lit up the whole room. A corner adjacent to the light, 12 feet to the left was clearly illuminated. This thing just lights up everything around it! The "tunnel" you see depicted is not accurate. TO my eyes, there was no beginning/end to the spill as is shown. It was just a "wall of light".

ALso of note, I shot a snake tonight while doing beam-shots outside (like real beam-shots are done). It was a copperhead. This light depicted it's camo VERY accurately. Looked like daylight. WIth a lesser LED, I think the snake may have blended in a LOT better. I know it sure did when my Dad came out with the pistol with his cheapy LED. The snake just blended in with the pine-needles on the ground.

Another point to note is that this light illuminates all around you. There are no "dark spots" for a snake to hide, there is no need to "wave" the light back and forth to cover your path. I love this light for an out-doors light where one would be gathering firewood, hiking through rough terrain, etc. Basically anything that you would want daylight to do, this light makes feasible, out to 50 yards. It is at it's best within 25 yards. IF you want a hand-held sun, I cannot recommend this unit strongly enough!
11r7tip.jpg

spvozt.jpg
 
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Monocrom

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Nice review. Gene's drop-in performed just like I expected it would. I'll be getting his MC-E drop-in soon. Should be getting the FM body sometime this week, already have a spare tailcap, and a P60-compatible bezel will be arriving soon as well.

This is going to be one SWEET lego. :)
 

bigchelis

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I love the MC-E warm from Malkoff. I think it is a good EDC choice becasue like you said, it lights up everything.
 

recDNA

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"Well, I got my 6PD, THANKYOU BRIGHT FLASHLIGHTS!!!
I also got my M60W-MCE THANK YOU GENE MALKOFF!!!"

Does the MC-E cause the Malkoff MD2 body to get too hot to handle?
 

MrGman

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"Well, I got my 6PD, THANKYOU BRIGHT FLASHLIGHTS!!!
I also got my M60W-MCE THANK YOU GENE MALKOFF!!!"

Does the MC-E cause the Malkoff MD2 body to get too hot to handle?


I have been using mine in the MD2 host and running it for several minutes at a time lately and has been getting the entire host warm, but it was never too hot to hold. I was really surprised at how well the AW RCR123 batteries were holding up in it. But I could still grip down on it tightly and not burn my hands. It was distributing the heat well into the host from the module. I would say longest steady state run time I have had on it was 10 minutes. Not a problem to hold.
 

recDNA

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I have been using mine in the MD2 host and running it for several minutes at a time lately and has been getting the entire host warm, but it was never too hot to hold. I was really surprised at how well the AW RCR123 batteries were holding up in it. But I could still grip down on it tightly and not burn my hands. It was distributing the heat well into the host from the module. I would say longest steady state run time I have had on it was 10 minutes. Not a problem to hold.

Thank you. In the multiple beamshot views the Malkoff drop ins consistently impress me the most. The MC-E seems like the floody LED that I would like the most but it pumps out so much light I was afraid of heat problems. The M60F also looks great so if the MC-E had been a "heater" I would have gone with the dimmer M60F. The MD-2 with an MC-E does appear to be a pocket rocket. I'm just trying to resist buying the pre-packaged Turn_Key MD2 with the M60 as well. I really shouldn't buy both.
 

Max_Power

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How long do the RCR123s last on that MC-E? I didn't really consider trying that because I prefer at least an hour of run time. That way I have fewer instances of needing to use a backup or last-ditch keyring light.

I, too, bought a 400+ lumen "M60W MC-E Warm" drop-in. It requires 4.5-13 volts, which means a single 18650 won't even turn it on (4.2 volts.) It makes a brilliant wall of sunlight with a pair of CR123A primary cells (6.0 volts). But oh, the guilt of expending primary cells, and rapidly too (only 45 minutes run time per pair.)

My Solution: With a Malkoff MD4 body, I can use either a pair of protected 18650 rechargeable cells (8.4 volts) or 4 CR123A primary cells (12 volts), both with over 90 minutes of run-time (haven't verified runtime yet, but it's a reasonable extrapolation.) I also got the hi-lo ring, it's nice to have a low-beam for various tasks. It all arrived today, and it's WONDERFUL. Reliable, slim, lightweight, etc. - everything that makes a flashaholic drool. The small head makes it handle very nicely, it is well-balanced..

I have plenty* of M60 lights now, but it sure would be nice to have at least two more of these 400 lumen chunks of the Sun lying around the house.

* plenty of lights that will all need upgrading to "warm" versions of the M60, sigh

Comparison beamshots of the MD4/MCE versus an M60F. These shots show a 104 degree field of view, using a Tokina 11-16mm F/2.8 lens on a DX camera. The beam is WIDE and smooth. Bounce from walls and ceiling fills the room like turning on the house lights. Perfect for zombie patrol with your favorite firearm.

M60W_MC-E
http://www.flickr.com/photos/31055544@N05/3817449180/
3817449180_635a5cc0b7_o.jpg


M60F
http://www.flickr.com/photos/31055544@N05/3817449196/
3817449196_8570a899d7_o.jpg


For throw, I have a Malkoff P7 drop in for D Maglite (driven with 3xCR123 in a 2D Maglite) that is king of the hill in these parts... anything brighter and I'll blind myself in this small condo. I call it a car headlight on a stick. As soon as my order of 18650 cells arrives, I will run it on two of those and REALLY annoy my neighbors with 700 GFL (Guilt free lumens.)
 
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Outdoors Fanatic

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How long do the RCR123s last on that MC-E? I didn't really consider trying that because I prefer at least an hour of run time. That way I have fewer instances of needing to use a backup or last-ditch keyring light.

I, too, bought a 400+ lumen "M60W MC-E Warm" drop-in. It requires 4.5-13 volts, which means a single 18650 won't even turn it on (4.2 volts.) It makes a brilliant wall of sunlight with a pair of CR123A primary cells (6.0 volts). But oh, the guilt of expending primary cells, and rapidly too (only 45 minutes run time per pair.)

My Solution: With a Malkoff MD4 body, I can use either a pair of protected 18650 rechargeable cells (8.4 volts) or 4 CR123A primary cells (12 volts), both with over 90 minutes of run-time (haven't verified runtime yet, but it's a reasonable extrapolation.) I also got the hi-lo ring, it's nice to have a low-beam for various tasks. It all arrived today, and it's WONDERFUL. Reliable, slim, lightweight, etc. - everything that makes a flashaholic drool. The small head makes it handle very nicely, it is well-balanced..

I have plenty* of M60 lights now, but it sure would be nice to have at least two more of these 400 lumen chunks of the Sun lying around the house.

* plenty of lights that will all need upgrading to "warm" versions of the M60, sigh

Comparison beamshots of the MD4/MCE versus an M60F. These shots show a 104 degree field of view, using a Tokina 11-16mm F/2.8 lens on a DX camera. The beam is WIDE and smooth. Bounce from walls and ceiling fills the room like turning on the house lights. Perfect for zombie patrol with your favorite firearm.

M60W_MC-E
http://www.flickr.com/photos/31055544@N05/3817449180/
3817449180_635a5cc0b7_o.jpg


M60F
http://www.flickr.com/photos/31055544@N05/3817449196/
3817449196_8570a899d7_o.jpg


For throw, I have a Malkoff P7 drop in for D Maglite (driven with 3xCR123 in a 2D Maglite) that is king of the hill in these parts... anything brighter and I'll blind myself in this small condo. I call it a car headlight on a stick. As soon as my order of 18650 cells arrives, I will run it on two of those and REALLY annoy my neighbors with 700 GFL (Guilt free lumens.)
Nice beamshots! The M60W MC-E has restored a bit of my lost faith in LED lights. (I'd not call it "warm" though, it's more of a neutral white. It is definitely not a high CRI emitter).

By the way, I too love patrolling for zombies around the house. Mount that nice Malkoff Device on a shotgun and you're ready to go. Make them re-animated bastids eat some lead, LOL!
 

Barbarian

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I'll be pulling the trigger on one of these once Gene restocks them.

Many have said that Gene's MC-E is the new "wall of light" champion replacing Surefire's L4.
 
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Big_Ed

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I'll be pulling the trigger on one of these once Gene restocks them.

Many have said that Gene's MC-E is the new "wall of light" champion replacing Surefire's L4.

That's exactly what the MC-E is for me. I put the MC-E module in one of Gene's VME heads and put it on the L4 body and clicky. The output and tint of the MC-E made my L4 look weak and green!
 

ShineOnYouCrazyDiamond

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Not to hash up an old thread, but I just got my first Malkoff tonight. A Camo MD2 with Hi/Lo switch and M60W MC-E running on 2 x AW IMR 16340 cells.

This light draws some serious power. Regulated power appears to be 11.4 watts with two measurements of loaded voltage and current of [email protected] and [email protected]. Regulation is very clean. Light gets warm quick, but I don't think the IMRs would last that long anyway. I'll be using it around the house so runtime is not biggie and I've got a few sets of the IMRs.

The characteristics of this light are nothing like I expected. It really is a full room illuminating beam with no true hotspot at all unless you get close to a wall. It's light a light with 200+ lumens running with a diffuser except it looks so much better. It's just a nice warm room filling color.

The low is probably somewhere in the 10-20lumens range and is a beautiful low room filling glow.

I am very happy and love this light already.
 

Vesper

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Thanks for the info. I also just ordered my W MC-E and am looking forward to it arriving any day now. I'm definitely going to get a MD2/3 - the control ring is a must I think. Glad your impressions are good. Was an expensive little bugger, but I love flooders and this is the king.
 

flatline

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Could someone who has access to both give a comparison between the M60W MCE and the MG PLI?

Besides tint, how do the beams and output compare?
 

Stealth

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Jun 10, 2009
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+1 @ flatline

Though I'd like to know the differences including tint especially.
 

ShineOnYouCrazyDiamond

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Thanks for the info. I also just ordered my W MC-E and am looking forward to it arriving any day now. I'm definitely going to get a MD2/3 - the control ring is a must I think. Glad your impressions are good. Was an expensive little bugger, but I love flooders and this is the king.

Expensive, yes - but no more than other light's i've bought. Got myself on the wait lists for the MD3/MD4 as it would be nive to use 18500 or 18650 cells for longer runtime.

Could someone who has access to both give a comparison between the M60W MCE and the MG PLI?

Do a search and I am sure you can find a beamshot of the MG PLI to compare. IMO there really is no comparison as the M60W MC-E drop-in is light a lamp with a diffuser, but better.
 
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