Can it be done to most lights? Would you want to? I'm of the understanding that it increases flood. Please post your mule beamshots if you got them! Anyone ever see a mule before and after beamshot? I'm considering this mod for in house lights.
Anyone turn their favorite light into a mule?
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Wiggle
Flashlight Enthusiast
I'm not sure what defines a true "mule", I'm guessing it is any light that an emitter that directly lights up surroundings without the use of reflectors or optics. I don't have any true mule lights if so. However, I did recently get a Solarforce pure flood optic lens (L2-CL1) and installed it into one of my P60 hosts with a 3-mode XP-G module. It replaces the reflector and turns the output into a nearly perfectly uniform wall of light at wide angle. I just got this last week and haven't played with it much yet but the beam pattern seems ideal for indoor dedicated use. I'd be happy to grab some beamshots if anyone is interested.
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kj2
Flashaholic
I am
Wiggle
Flashlight Enthusiast
I'll grab some beamshots tonight then and post them up I'll compare to a standard medium-floody flashlight for reference.
I'll compare to a standard medium-floody flashlight for reference.
I'll grab some beamshots tonight then and post them up
I know beggars can't be choosers, but if you can, I'm thinking indoor shots would help show the wide beam, flood. Unless I'm wrong about mule beamshots (realizing yours is not a true mule). ...
Wiggle
Flashlight Enthusiast
Yep, they'll be indoor
gravelmonkey
Enlightened
Beamshots would be most appreciated, I was looking for some a few weeks ago.
more_vampires
Flashlight Enthusiast
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Could be as simple as removing optics. Some lights come with "diffuser optics," such as the Eagletac Color. There are many options for frosting mods, flip-up diffuser caps, and the like.
I've got a little Nighthawk AAAx1 where I occasionally remove the head (with optics,) leaving the bare pill on the light. I only run it low mode that way due to heat concerns.
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ForrestChump
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It either comes down to 2 things 1) Time 2) Money. Provided you have enough of either, just about anything can be done.
A feature of having a bare emitter, as in a mule, is that the shadows cast are very crisp. The emitter is virtually a point source. You can see this effect in the spill of a reflector light. Not sure of to real world usefulness, but it looks cool. The shadows from a flame, smoke or heat waves looks pretty neat. Looks a bit like Schlieren photography.
Wiggle
Flashlight Enthusiast
Quick set of snaps. I used three lights with different outputs so I adjusted the brightness to best show the beam differences.
The lights in order are:
Shiningbeam Blaze (a medium floody light)
Armytek Tiara (Wide angle headlamp)
XP-G drop-in /w Solarforce Convex lens
As you can see the Solarforce lens creates a very uniform flood pattern. The Tiara is also quite floody but stronger in the center. The Blaze is typical for many flashlights of small/medium size.
The lights in order are:
Shiningbeam Blaze (a medium floody light)
Armytek Tiara (Wide angle headlamp)
XP-G drop-in /w Solarforce Convex lens
As you can see the Solarforce lens creates a very uniform flood pattern. The Tiara is also quite floody but stronger in the center. The Blaze is typical for many flashlights of small/medium size.
kj2
Flashaholic
Thanks for the photos
more_vampires
Flashlight Enthusiast
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I paired a NiteIze led dropin bulb with a Fulton OD green angle-head military flashlight. To my surprise the resulting beam pattern was 100% mule. With an incan, there was a spot.
Weird, huh?
Weird, huh?
Thanks for the great pics. That Convex lens does the job.
Wiggle
Flashlight Enthusiast
No problem at all. Yep the Solarforce creates a very even and useful flood beam. The only similar beam I have is from my Preon P0. For anyone dabbling in P60 hosts looking for a close range only light I would recommend swinging the ten bucks for the lens.
gravelmonkey
Enlightened
Thanks! What would you say the beam angle is? Roughly 100 degrees? Looks like it could be more useful than the 120 degree mule I have currently.
Wiggle
Flashlight Enthusiast
I'd say 90-100 degrees is a pretty reasonable guess. It is about as wide as the spill on many reflector lights. A mule will always be a little wider as the emitter will not be limited by the angle of the light that can escape the head. This is, to my understanding, because in a mule light the emitter is usually pushed forward towards the bezel more versus being recessed.
Do they have a Convex lens that will work in a 6P or G2 Nitrolon?
