Re: Malkoff/McGizmo collabs... McGizmo Ti Malkoff dropin head?
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Then, why does not Don make C compatible Ti lights rather than matching with E series body .....?
Some of my first mods, what, 8 years ago or so, were based on the SF "Classic" hosts. The pic below is of a 5W Luxeon cyan module. I used cyan because this was before Luxeon was offering a 5W LED in white:
Thermal issues were greater back then even though the power was below what we enjoy today. I felt the founding geometry in the SF classic head to powerpak was contrary to a geometry optimized for thermal relief and passage from module to host.
For a light in the classic physical size, I was convinced that the Pelican M6 had a much better and friendly geometry for LED hosting and I went off in that direction. I personally preferred the scale of the single cell E-series and found myself drawn to being one of the players and founders in the open "E"series architecture. At the time there were little if any 6P clones or anything like the drop in market the community now enjoys.
Multiple output levels also became a design goal. the E series lights lent themselves to two levels via resistored tail cap switching; momentary push and constant on via twist. As time went on this was identified as an infraction in IP so I needed another means of getting two levels of output and the PD design came about. The PD design though was not E series compatible even though it shared similar size and some common geometries. Ultimately it became a design goal to get three levels of output from the LED because of the advances in efficiency and flux. My solution was to go with the "3S" converter and this allowed me to again embrace the "E" series and additionally Aleph platform. I had also moved into the niche of titanium as I could offer something not readily available from others and this is a market that is inherently small and viable for a one man approach.
Gene has done a great job from what I can gather in developing his market niche and I am certainly happy with the support the community has provided me in my endeavors. At present I am providing some assistance to Gene with some reflectors and it seems to be a good fit for both of us and we are not really competing with each other. Certainly neither of us seems intent on going for a gain at the loss of the other.
Prior to this thread I would guess that both Gene and I would sate that we have relatively full plates and yet we both know that we need to be looking down the road as well. This thread is less than a week old and already one suggestion is for a third party to step in and feed the demand presumably since neither Gene nor I have responded in any favorable manner. As long as it's made available, what difference to you guys who makes it, right? There are ramifications on our end though and we face real limitations in terms of resources; one major one simply being time.
Somewhat related I suppose is a comment I will share. If there was a good quality, 3 level light engine available off the shelf to a builder such as myself, I know I would look seriously into using it. I say that because my expertise in the electronics and converter aspect of these lights is non existent. My interest (I won't presume to even suggest expertise) is in the optic and hosting of a light engine. I do have specific criteria and requirements of such a light engine though and it would take a strong motivation to abandon existing geometries and modularity if require, to embrace a new animal. I don't think it unreasonable to imagine a standard configuration of a LED Lamp that includes not only the LED but a driver as well. We see this now in automotive LED lamp replacements and I suppose to some extent in flashlight lamp replacements but not in a stellar design where a LE is designed from the ground up specifically to enhance the nature of the LED. CPF has some experience in this approach from some of its members but this has not been attempted by any larger commercial player to my knowledge. Perhaps it is not viable and I fail to fathom the reason. :shrug:
I don't know if the industry will ever approach portable lighting with offerings of off the shelf or relatively off the shelf LE's but it sure would make it easier for some of us! Of course if it was easy, everybody would be doing it and ultimately a lot of us would have to seek new occupation.
How's that for a long winded non response! :nana:
If you build it....they will come! The Mcclicky Paks are the finest flashlight head hosting units made short of maybe one of Tranquillity_Base or MirageMan's customs. A simple versatile titanium head sounds so COOL and affords the same light to be used for a multitude of varius applications depending on the desired module for the task at hand. I hope someone capitalizes on this conceptual idea! 
