As the title suggests, this Space Needle mod features variable output via a rotating dimmer -- introducing: The Vari-Needle (VN)!
Ever sit around the campfire with your Space Needle II, illuminating the trees in the distance every time you heard something, only to blind yourself later when turning it on to find your way to the bathroom? I have been reading with great interest the apparent desire among many to have a truly dimmable Luxeon flashlight, so as is the MR Bulk way, I just went ahead and did it. Many told me it couldn't be done, that there was no potentiometer able to handle 9 volts worth of power and yet be small enough to fit inside a handheld flashlight.
This is no click-it-to-get-another-level setup, it in fact possesses truly infinitely variable output, going from a maximum of 5,000 (I'm using a 5W U3V HD) down to a low of 270 lux.
Here is the Vari-Needle in a Mag 2D host, lined up against the current benchmark production 5W light, the SureFire KL4:
And here are the beamshots (with 2.95V on my DMM from each of the VN's somewhat-used SF 123s) as shown against my sloped living room ceiling from about 20 feet below, with the VN set on dimmest output and widest focus with black hole just beginning to appear (all shots with Vari-Needle on the right):
The VN's very dim spill beam was actually much bigger but the brightness of the KL4 overwhelmed the Mavica's auto white balance.
Then the same shot but with VN on brightest output:
You can see the hole-y artifacts from the Mag's reflector just beginning to appear.
Now for the tight spot focus shots -- here is the VN on tightest focus but on dimmest setting:
And here is what the Space Needle is known for, on tightest focus and brightest setting:
The best thing is that whenever you turn it on, the VN remains at whatever brightness it was last set on, no pesky clicking through a whole series of settings.
And here's a close-up of the switch:
Now I gotta go find me a nice lookin' cap to cover up that ugly silver stalk...
Ever sit around the campfire with your Space Needle II, illuminating the trees in the distance every time you heard something, only to blind yourself later when turning it on to find your way to the bathroom? I have been reading with great interest the apparent desire among many to have a truly dimmable Luxeon flashlight, so as is the MR Bulk way, I just went ahead and did it. Many told me it couldn't be done, that there was no potentiometer able to handle 9 volts worth of power and yet be small enough to fit inside a handheld flashlight.
This is no click-it-to-get-another-level setup, it in fact possesses truly infinitely variable output, going from a maximum of 5,000 (I'm using a 5W U3V HD) down to a low of 270 lux.
Here is the Vari-Needle in a Mag 2D host, lined up against the current benchmark production 5W light, the SureFire KL4:
And here are the beamshots (with 2.95V on my DMM from each of the VN's somewhat-used SF 123s) as shown against my sloped living room ceiling from about 20 feet below, with the VN set on dimmest output and widest focus with black hole just beginning to appear (all shots with Vari-Needle on the right):
The VN's very dim spill beam was actually much bigger but the brightness of the KL4 overwhelmed the Mavica's auto white balance.
Then the same shot but with VN on brightest output:
You can see the hole-y artifacts from the Mag's reflector just beginning to appear.
Now for the tight spot focus shots -- here is the VN on tightest focus but on dimmest setting:
And here is what the Space Needle is known for, on tightest focus and brightest setting:
The best thing is that whenever you turn it on, the VN remains at whatever brightness it was last set on, no pesky clicking through a whole series of settings.
And here's a close-up of the switch:
Now I gotta go find me a nice lookin' cap to cover up that ugly silver stalk...
