What is the Brightest Commercially Made P60 MC-E???

What is the Brightest Commercially Made P60 MC-E or P7? I'm sick of waiting for an SST-50. Somebody here can probably rattle off 3 or more but I can't find a single drop in that meets the requirements below.

Rules:

1) Must run on a single IMR18650 in an L2.

2) No DX or Kai unless...(see #3 below)

3) Available through one of our well known dealers in the USA. I don't care where the drop in is built, merely that it is sold by an American dealer.

4) Commercially produced large scale and available without wait. No custom jobs.

5) Prefer single mode but up to 3 modes OK but NO STROBE.

6) 400+ otf lumens.


The closest thing I can find is the Dereelight MC-E P60 but I'd have to run that on 2 IMR16340. I'mm not crazy about running Li-Ions in series. I know it will get hot quickly. I seldom leave a flashlight on more than 10 minutes at a time. Usually even less.

Nailbender in the customs B/S/T forum should fit the bill with a MCE or SST50. He usually comes thru and ships very quickly.

recDNA said:

What is the Brightest Commercially Made P60 MC-E or P7? I'm sick of waiting for an SST-50. Somebody here can probably rattle off 3 or more but I can't find a single drop in that meets the requirements below.

Rules:

1) Must run on a single IMR18650 in an L2.

2) No DX or Kai unless...(see #3 below)

3) Available through one of our well known dealers in the USA. I don't care where the drop in is built, merely that it is sold by an American dealer.

4) Commercially produced large scale and available without wait. No custom jobs.

5) Prefer single mode but up to 3 modes OK but NO STROBE.

6) 400+ otf lumens.


The closest thing I can find is the Dereelight MC-E P60 but I'd have to run that on 2 IMR16340. I'mm not crazy about running Li-Ions in series. I know it will get hot quickly. I seldom leave a flashlight on more than 10 minutes at a time. Usually even less.

Click to expand...

Take a look at this.
http://www.cpfmarketplace.com/mp/showthread.php?t=218995
I got the single mode, it's bighter on 2 rcr-123 than 1 18650.
On 2 rcr-123 it's brighter than my Mc-e.

recDNA said:

4) Commercially produced large scale and available without wait. No custom jobs.

Click to expand...

Nailbender you'll have your drop in with in 5 days. I have 2 from him.

Couple tihngs you should be aware of...
-Cree does not BIN for Vf or If. So its going to be the lotto that either makes or breaks the design, regardless of who makes the module. When every last lumen is the goal, this can make or break the design.

-Not all manufacturers rate their modules for steady-state OTF lumens. I have heard of 1-2 builders even using the peak-burst lumen output setting on their meter as their published spec. So in real life the numbers published by these builders are unobtainable.

Check the bigchelis Lumen thread in my sig, and the MrGman sticky. They publish steady-state OTF lumen measurements, and (IMHO) are unbiased in their measurements. (Although the Vf lotto still is in effect)

glockboy said:

Take a look at this.
http://www.cpfmarketplace.com/mp/showthread.php?t=218995
I got the single mode, it's bighter on 2 rcr-123 than 1 18650.
On 2 rcr-123 it's brighter than my Mc-e.

Click to expand...

I want MC-E, P7, or SST-50. I have an ample supply of XP-G

kramer5150 said:

Couple tihngs you should be aware of...
-Cree does not BIN for Vf or If. So its going to be the lotto that either makes or breaks the design, regardless of who makes the module. When every last lumen is the goal, this can make or break the design.

-Not all manufacturers rate their modules for steady-state OTF lumens. I have heard of 1-2 builders even using the peak-burst lumen output setting on their meter as their published spec. So in real life the numbers published by these builders are unobtainable.

Check the bigchelis Lumen thread in my sig, and the MrGman sticky. They publish steady-state OTF lumen measurements, and (IMHO) are unbiased in their measurements. (Although the Vf lotto still is in effect)

Click to expand...

I refer to BigC's thread daily. I even downloaded the spreadsheet for cntrl-f searches. I didn't find anything that met my criteria.

bullettproof said:

Nailbender you'll have your drop in with in 5 days. I have 2 from him.

Click to expand...

I PMed Nailbender and he was out of stock. Because I have no Paypal I'd have to use money order and that's kind of a pain in the neck. He sells out so fast sometimes I'm afraid he could have some made, I send the Money Order, and they're gone when it gets there. I'm also ashamed to admit I have no idea HOW to send a money order. I really prefer to pay with cc and that's why I never buy DX nor small enterprises with no cc payment option.

More importantly, there is a thread that says his SST-50 drop in is a little too big for the L2 I'm using it in. Even if you cut off the big spring the thread claimed you couldn't close the head all the way.

Finally, there commecially made models tend to be less expensive.

Have you considered a Solarforce MC-E drop-in?

If you check with Flashcrazy at www.flashlightconnection.com he should be able to hook you up with a dereelight module. A while back, he had MCE p60 pills that he can put in a reflector.

hyperloop said:

Have you considered a Solarforce MC-E drop-in?

Click to expand...

That one looks to be what the OP wants.....

James....

recDNA said:

I PMed Nailbender and he was out of stock. Because I have no Paypal I'd have to use money order and that's kind of a pain in the neck. He sells out so fast sometimes I'm afraid he could have some made, I send the Money Order, and they're gone when it gets there. I'm also ashamed to admit I have no idea HOW to send a money order. I really prefer to pay with cc and that's why I never buy DX nor small enterprises with no cc payment option.

More importantly, there is a thread that says his SST-50 drop in is a little too big for the L2 I'm using it in. Even if you cut off the big spring the thread claimed you couldn't close the head all the way.

Finally, there commecially made models tend to be less expensive.

Click to expand...

Hmm, he told me he expects 150 of them in later this week and that it's "plenty".

Have you tried asking him how to fill the money order? If he takes them, he ought to know the process, or at least someone who does. And if you explain your unique circumstances to him, I wouldn't be surprised if he held one for you. He was very helpful and patient with my own questions.

I personally ordered one of the ThruNite XP-G dropins so that I didn't have to wait a week or two with an empty 6P host when that comes in.

hyperloop said:

Have you considered a Solarforce MC-E drop-in?

Click to expand...

The Solarforce MC-E (350 lumens) is actually rated at fewer lumens than their new low voltage 1.8 amp XP-G (400 lumens). I was looking for more output than that from an MC-E

Keep in mind I already have a Dereelight XP-G installed in my L2 so I'm looking for something with considerably MORE output. My guess is the one I have would actually look brighter than the Solarforce MC-E with it's dark spot in the center.

kyhunter1 said:

If you check with Flashcrazy at www.flashlightconnection.com he should be able to hook you up with a dereelight module. A while back, he had MCE p60 pills that he can put in a reflector.

Click to expand...

Ya but they require 2 18650 or RCR123. I was looking for a single 18650 pill.

Noctis said:

Hmm, he told me he expects 150 of them in later this week and that it's "plenty".

Have you tried asking him how to fill the money order? If he takes them, he ought to know the process, or at least someone who does. And if you explain your unique circumstances to him, I wouldn't be surprised if he held one for you. He was very helpful and patient with my own questions.

I personally ordered one of the ThruNite XP-G dropins so that I didn't have to wait a week or two with an empty 6P host when that comes in.

Click to expand...

When you say he expects 150 "in" I'm confused. I thought Nailbender built his own slugs and soldered on the LED's. If so it's going to take a while to put those together into drop ins that are ready to be sold
I read this in another thread...scares me off Nailbender since I'm using an L2 host. Same was said of the SST-50 I would prefer. Getting it to work by stuffing aluminum foil in there is unacceptable to me when the drop in is so expensive. When Solarforce or Dereelight come out with an SST-50 it is likely to be cheaper and will probably fit an L2. Getting a money order just seems like a pain in the neck. I prefer to use credit card. If I were willing to get a money order or join PayPal I'd try the DX MC-E. BigC rated lumens over 400.




Re: nailbender mc-e module
Your head will not be able to screw all the way down with the spring even if only using one coil to fit the groove. I completely removed my spring and used several layers of aluminum foil for better heat-sinking and electrical contact. Seems to be working fine.

Just so you know the Malkoffs will not fit properly in your L2 either. You will need to use aluminum foil.

Ah, the downsides of using a clone.

By the way just so you aren't overly disappointed you will find it pretty difficult to drive an MC-E or similar as hard as you seem to want it on 2xCR123. Li-ion or more than 2x123 is the way to go for high output setups.

carrot said:

Just so you know the Malkoffs will not fit properly in your L2 either. You will need to use aluminum foil.

Ah, the downsides of using a clone.

By the way just so you aren't overly disappointed you will find it pretty difficult to drive an MC-E or similar as hard as you seem to want it on 2xCR123. Li-ion or more than 2x123 is the way to go for high output setups.

Click to expand...

Read my rule 1 from the very first post. I want to use 1 IMR18650.

Malkoff is expensive small scale essentially hand built. I prefer something made on a larger scale by a bigger company to keep price down. (breaks rule 4)

The SF 6P doesn't even accommodate 18650 sized batteries. Boring it out is an even bigger hassle. I'll stick with my clone and find a drop in that lets me screw the head in all the way. I don't mind wrapping the slug with copper tape but I expect the head to screw all the way in and the spring to contact the positive end of the battery.

who cares if tha head screws flush?
as long as its water tight yeah?
foil can help it with the heat transfer and
I dont think the NB drop-ins are that expensive,
considering they are hand made and that the
SST emitters are pricey on their own..
lots of people are using copper tape or foil
to help with heat transfer.
yer one tuff customer to satisfy
(glad Im not in the flashlight bus.)

Malkoffs and Nailbenders are EXTREMELY high quality. I have no doubt of that. I have repeatedly said I prefer large scale production models because economy of scale allows them to be cheaper...and perhaps ALMOST as good.

I always use copper tape on my drop ins.


It isn't that I'm hard to satisfy. It's that I'm hard to satisfy at a price I can afford.

I also prefer the convenience of being able to order something with my credit card and not have to wait in line for it to be available.

Fussy? Sure I am but it's my money so shouldn't I be? I'm a poor man with a rich man's hobby!

PS - I'll eventually give in and buy a Nailbender drop in but if I can find a cheaper alternative that is almost as good that will be my first choice. I'm not ruling out Nailbender or Anto or Malkoff forever - just as a first alternative.

I have a brusk way of communicating with a keyboard that sometimes offends people. I don't mean to. I don't like typing so I try to be very concise and short and it can come off as rude or mean. That isn't my intent.