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Sold/Expired SOLD: MC-E Breech-loading Floodlight

saltytri

Enlightened
Joined
Dec 20, 2008
Messages
531
Now $375 conus

Why "breech-loading"? Almost all flashlights load the batteries from the back end but this one also loads the light engine from the back. One of the early design decisions was to use an IMR 26650, thus requiring a fat body tube. As it turned out, the light engine was a bit smaller in diameter than the battery, so it was feasible to slide it through the tube. This configuration does away with the need for a separate head and a joint between the head and the body. In truth, this isn't a revolutionary advantage but it does make for a strong light and there is one less thing to go wrong. It also helps with heat management because once the heat gets away from the pill, it travels into the entire body without being impeded by a joint.



The finish is a powder coat color called "Weathered Green" from ColumbiaCoatings.com. The surface is satin and there are very tiny particles that are darker than the predominant green. It's a very attractive color - sort of like olive drab but about three shades darker and more refined.

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The go power comes from a 4p MC-E driven by two paralleled 4x7135 boards. Current draw is 2.8A at the tail cap.

So, why use an MC-E when the SST-50 is the flavor of the month? In an application like this, the MC-E remains an excellent choice. It puts out a lot of light but what it isn't particularly good for is a light that uses a reflector. I don't get to talk to the experts at Cree but I'll bet they would say that the MC-E was never intended to be used in flashlights with reflectors. We all know that this is an easy way to get a bad beam. What the MC-E is very good at is sitting behind an optic. This light was intended from the outset to have a floody beam and the Ledil LM1-D does that job very well. Remember when some of us rushed to buy the Malkoff MC-E drop-in with the diffuse Cree optic? I have one of these on hand and I can say that this light engine is much brighter and a little less diffuse, making a it more useful all-around light. Throwers are fun but for general use, I'm partial to flood.

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The star was machined to make it flat for optimum heat transfer.

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The optic was mounted in a brass pill that is a very close fit in the tube.

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The front of the pill bears on the UCL glass, so a nylon ring was fitted to avoid marring the glass.

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The photo below isn't as clear as I'd like because the camera wouldn't focus down the tube. Still, you can see how the pill is placed and held by a brass retaining ring. Cutting those threads deep in the tube was an interesting experience. It seems like a good idea to be able to see what you're doing but that just isn't possible in this situation.

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Obviously, there's no button the the back - it's a twisty. A brass plate is mounted on a threaded Delrin disk to isolate it from the rest of the tail cap. When the tail cap is screwed in, the plate makes the circuit by contacting the end of the body tube. There's no switch so there will never be a broken switch.

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This thing puts out lots of even light that is broadly distributed, yet it still has some focus.













Although not shown, I'll include a sleeve for an 18650 if the buyer wants. This light is designed around the 26650 for greater run time but there's no reason why an 18650 won't work.

 
Last edited:

ICUDoc

Enlightened
Joined
Aug 20, 2004
Messages
907
Location
Sydney, Australia
Re: MC-E Breech-loading Room-sweeper

slatytri that is a great-looking build, and wonderful documentation. I really like the nylon ring to protect the lens/reflector surface. And the whole thing looks bomb-proof.
Whilst I love the idea of a one-piece body for heatsinking, what is the thermal path from LED and 7135 pill to brass, then brass to body?
Good job and thanks for the post.
 

saltytri

Enlightened
Joined
Dec 20, 2008
Messages
531
Re: MC-E Breech-loading Room-sweeper

Good question. The bottom of the 20mm star was machined to make it flat. The way they usually come, there is no way that you can achieve uniform contact with the mounting surface. The star was then glued with a very thin layer of thermal epoxy to an equally flat surface inside the pill. The pill is a pretty much exact fit for the inside of the tube - it just barely slides in. It also contacts the tube through the retaining ring. Thermal transfer seems adequate in that the body gets warm quickly. A bit of thermal paste between the tube and the pill might be a good idea but doesn't seem necessary because the contact is good. I've run the light for about twenty minutes just sitting on my desk. It gets quite warm when not held but no problems have appeared.
 

waddup

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Oct 29, 2008
Messages
1,269
Re: MC-E Breech-loading Room-sweeper

WOW.


Bling is one thing, but this light has great design, build and durability written all over it.


Function > Form

My ideal light, but :broke:
 

waddup

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Oct 29, 2008
Messages
1,269
Re: MC-E Breech-loading Room-sweeper

lucky guess,

coulda been an mg :whistle:


2nl7hty.jpg
 

waddup

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Oct 29, 2008
Messages
1,269
Re: MC-E Breech-loading Room-sweeper

Back on topic please.






























:party:
 
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