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Flashlight Enthusiast
This is not a signup or B/S/T thread. This thread is meant to provide information about the mods.
This is a SUMMARY thread only! Please do not offer suggestions for changes or substitutions or reasons why you won't be buying one of these offerings or why you like something else better. I encourage you to post these sorts of comments in "The TigerLight Upgrade Thread" where I will welcome them and respond if appropriate. The whole point of this thread is to eliminate superfluous and repeat postings, not to multiply them.
First of all, all of these offerings are "Turn-Key", drop-in mods and require no technical expertise or experience. The one thing to note is that the Tiger85 offering requires that you send me your charging harness for me to modify. (For those in the UK, Frame57 has graciously offered to do the mod for me--Thanks Frame57!--see below).
I will list the offerings from least expensive to most expensive. I will also be editing this post to keep it completely up to date.
1. WA01274 in a modified Carley RF1940 reflector:
This is a drop-in lamp assembly that is brighter than the stock TL LA. Runtime with the stock battery pack is on the order of 40 minutes. I got 41 minutes with my pack, but there are different generations of TL stock battery packs, so this could vary. I highly doubt, however, that it will be less than 30-35 minutes no matter which pack is used. Going by the WA re-rating formulas, the 1274 driven at 7.0-7.2 volts should be on a par with the 1160 in a stock MC and should have a similar beam. It out throws and out lumens the stock LA at the expense of some run time and should have a life of around 40 hours (i.e. 50 percent failure rate after 40 hours, but some will fail earlier than this, some later, on a more or less gaussian distribution). The WA re-rating formulas suggest 553 bulb-lumens, or 360 lumens out the front of the light.
The CarleyRF1940 reflector is available in both a smooth and an orange peel texture which will smooth out beam artifacts. I am potting all of the WA lamps into a "fixture-ring" which slides up into the bore of the 1940 and which is secured by the set screw. I detailed this in my fixture-ring lamp potting thread. The ring-potted lamp will come fully focused and secured in the reflector, but when the lamp dies, all you need to replace is the ring-potted lamp and not the reflector. You can also buy different reflectors for the same lamp and change the focus as you prefer. Please note: I will NOT guarantee any of the lamps for hours of life. The RF1940's are modified to fit the TL. Price is $20 + shipping for both, or $8 for just the ring-potted 1274 WA lamp, or $12 for only the modded 1940.
2. 6 cell Custom Battery pack + WA01111 in a modified Carley RF1940.
This offering requires a higher current capable custom battery pack. The pack is a drop-in replacement for the stock pack and changing the pack out is nearly as simple as changing the 9 volt battery in a smoke detector. I detail the construction of the 6 and 9 cell packs in my TigerLight Custom Batterypack construction details thread. The custom pack is guaranteed for mechanical integrity for 1 year. Please note that I will not guarantee the number of cycles you will get nor will I replace a pack that has been accidentally completely depleted. NiMH batteries do not like to be dropped or drained down below a certain voltage. I use KAN 1800 4/5A's for this 6 cell pack. The custom pack will charge just fine on the stock charging system. Also note that the WA 1274 and stock LA will be slightly brighter with the custom packs. Cost: $44 + shipping.
The WA01111 lamp puts out roughly double the light of the stock LA and runs for 29 minutes with the KAN pack. According to the WA re-rating formulas the 1111 will put out 800 bulb-lumens at 7.0 volts (this is the voltage plateau with the 6 cell KAN pack at 3.6 amps), or 520 lumens out the front of the light with a filament-life of around 11 hours. Cost: $23 for an 1111 in a 1940. $11 for ring-potted 1111 only. $12 for modified 1940 only.
3. 9 cell, 10.8 volt custom battery pack with a WA01185 in a modified Carley RF1940, with a modified charging system.
This is the ultimate TigerLight mod! I refer to it as the Tiger85. The pack is a 9 cell pack instead of a 6 cell pack. I use 9 KAN 1050 2/3A's to make this pack, but keep in mind that it looks almost identicle to the 6 cell packs and is an EXACT drop-in replacement to the stock pack.
The custom 9 cell pack drives a WA01185 lamp which puts out 1233 bulb-lumens, or approximately 800 lumens out the front of the torch, with a filament life of around 12 hours. This is the brightest light I have ever used, although it's no Aurora. Runtime is a bit longer than 16 minutes.
The charging harness needs to be modded by either me or Frame57 (for those in the UK). The mod involves installing a switch which allows you to choose either the stock 6 cell charging rate or the 9 cell charging rate. Thus it is a "reversible" mod. You can find details of the modified charging system in The TigerLight Upgrade Thread. Charging the 9 cell pack also requires a more potent wallwart which is provided with this offering. Note: the DC car adaptor plug will not charge the Tiger85 due to too low a voltage (12V). Cost: $44 for pack, $20 for harness mod and 15V wallwart, $20 for 1185 in a 1940, + shipping. $8 for ring potted 1185 only. $12 for modded RF1940 only.
Field Test Notes:
The Tiger74 (offering #1) has a significantly brighter hot spot than the stock LA, and also more spill light, but compared to the Tiger11 or Tiger85, the beam is narrower and thus the field of vision is narrower. I feel the need to cast the beam about to be able to see everything that's in front of me, whereas with the Tiger11 or Tiger85 you can really light up a lot of area in one go. The Tiger74 is brighter and whiter than the stock TL LA, but the lamp will likely not last nearly as long as the stock LA.
The question on many people's minds is probably "should I get the Tiger85, or the Tiger11" and the questions I think you need to ask yourself are "Am I a reasonable person?" and "How much runtime do I really need?" Many people are in situations where they need the most light possible and runtime is not an issue. I read an LEO article about the SF M6, and the author was arguing that a fire-fight is over in less than a minute or two, and the law officer needed to have the most compact, brightest, most dependable light possible, and runtime was a secondary consideration. Not being an LEO I can't answer to the truth of this, but it's an illustration of what I'm talking about. Some people need an hour or more of runtime, others are OK with 16 minutes. Then, of course, most "reasonable" people, having the Tiger11 and Tiger85 side by side, would probably conclude that the Tiger11 is mostly as bright and has almost twice the run-time. Personally, I love the Tiger11. Trust me when I tell you that it is smokin' bright and throws very far and has great side spill. It's a beautiful light. Yet, if you're one of those people who like to push the boundaries, and who are willing to sacrifice some amount of practicality for performance--in short, if you are not "reasonable"--you would be likely to choose the Tiger85 over the Tiger11, because it certainly IS noticeably brighter, especially when it comes to spill light. The Tiger85 really lights up an area like you wouldn't believe for such a small light (FBOP version). It's like a high-perfomance motorcycle or sports car. There's just that little something extra about it. It goes to 11. So if you're not reasonable, the Tiger85 is for you.
In the sets of beam shots below, the Tiger85 is first, and the stock TigerLight is second. The barn and bus shot is from 80 paces, or 210 feet. The car shot is from 50 feet or so, and in the last set (of the road) the red barn is 600 feet away. I used my Olympus D-550 digital camera in "night mode" with a tripod. Shutter speeds were 2 seconds, I think, but I can't be sure. It's possible that these shots are biased towards the dimmer light, but from my experience they are much more faithful to reality than the previous poor quality pictures.
post script:
I will not be offering the SL-35X LA's, but they can be used with the custom 6 cell packs and put out a great beam. Unfortunately at the 20 percent overdrive involved (7.2 vs. 6.0 volts) they have a tendency to insta-flash (i.e. blow) when first turned on, especially when the light is hot off the charger.
Feel free to PM me with questions.
This is a SUMMARY thread only! Please do not offer suggestions for changes or substitutions or reasons why you won't be buying one of these offerings or why you like something else better. I encourage you to post these sorts of comments in "The TigerLight Upgrade Thread" where I will welcome them and respond if appropriate. The whole point of this thread is to eliminate superfluous and repeat postings, not to multiply them.
First of all, all of these offerings are "Turn-Key", drop-in mods and require no technical expertise or experience. The one thing to note is that the Tiger85 offering requires that you send me your charging harness for me to modify. (For those in the UK, Frame57 has graciously offered to do the mod for me--Thanks Frame57!--see below).
I will list the offerings from least expensive to most expensive. I will also be editing this post to keep it completely up to date.
1. WA01274 in a modified Carley RF1940 reflector:
This is a drop-in lamp assembly that is brighter than the stock TL LA. Runtime with the stock battery pack is on the order of 40 minutes. I got 41 minutes with my pack, but there are different generations of TL stock battery packs, so this could vary. I highly doubt, however, that it will be less than 30-35 minutes no matter which pack is used. Going by the WA re-rating formulas, the 1274 driven at 7.0-7.2 volts should be on a par with the 1160 in a stock MC and should have a similar beam. It out throws and out lumens the stock LA at the expense of some run time and should have a life of around 40 hours (i.e. 50 percent failure rate after 40 hours, but some will fail earlier than this, some later, on a more or less gaussian distribution). The WA re-rating formulas suggest 553 bulb-lumens, or 360 lumens out the front of the light.
The CarleyRF1940 reflector is available in both a smooth and an orange peel texture which will smooth out beam artifacts. I am potting all of the WA lamps into a "fixture-ring" which slides up into the bore of the 1940 and which is secured by the set screw. I detailed this in my fixture-ring lamp potting thread. The ring-potted lamp will come fully focused and secured in the reflector, but when the lamp dies, all you need to replace is the ring-potted lamp and not the reflector. You can also buy different reflectors for the same lamp and change the focus as you prefer. Please note: I will NOT guarantee any of the lamps for hours of life. The RF1940's are modified to fit the TL. Price is $20 + shipping for both, or $8 for just the ring-potted 1274 WA lamp, or $12 for only the modded 1940.
2. 6 cell Custom Battery pack + WA01111 in a modified Carley RF1940.
This offering requires a higher current capable custom battery pack. The pack is a drop-in replacement for the stock pack and changing the pack out is nearly as simple as changing the 9 volt battery in a smoke detector. I detail the construction of the 6 and 9 cell packs in my TigerLight Custom Batterypack construction details thread. The custom pack is guaranteed for mechanical integrity for 1 year. Please note that I will not guarantee the number of cycles you will get nor will I replace a pack that has been accidentally completely depleted. NiMH batteries do not like to be dropped or drained down below a certain voltage. I use KAN 1800 4/5A's for this 6 cell pack. The custom pack will charge just fine on the stock charging system. Also note that the WA 1274 and stock LA will be slightly brighter with the custom packs. Cost: $44 + shipping.
The WA01111 lamp puts out roughly double the light of the stock LA and runs for 29 minutes with the KAN pack. According to the WA re-rating formulas the 1111 will put out 800 bulb-lumens at 7.0 volts (this is the voltage plateau with the 6 cell KAN pack at 3.6 amps), or 520 lumens out the front of the light with a filament-life of around 11 hours. Cost: $23 for an 1111 in a 1940. $11 for ring-potted 1111 only. $12 for modified 1940 only.
3. 9 cell, 10.8 volt custom battery pack with a WA01185 in a modified Carley RF1940, with a modified charging system.
This is the ultimate TigerLight mod! I refer to it as the Tiger85. The pack is a 9 cell pack instead of a 6 cell pack. I use 9 KAN 1050 2/3A's to make this pack, but keep in mind that it looks almost identicle to the 6 cell packs and is an EXACT drop-in replacement to the stock pack.
The custom 9 cell pack drives a WA01185 lamp which puts out 1233 bulb-lumens, or approximately 800 lumens out the front of the torch, with a filament life of around 12 hours. This is the brightest light I have ever used, although it's no Aurora. Runtime is a bit longer than 16 minutes.
The charging harness needs to be modded by either me or Frame57 (for those in the UK). The mod involves installing a switch which allows you to choose either the stock 6 cell charging rate or the 9 cell charging rate. Thus it is a "reversible" mod. You can find details of the modified charging system in The TigerLight Upgrade Thread. Charging the 9 cell pack also requires a more potent wallwart which is provided with this offering. Note: the DC car adaptor plug will not charge the Tiger85 due to too low a voltage (12V). Cost: $44 for pack, $20 for harness mod and 15V wallwart, $20 for 1185 in a 1940, + shipping. $8 for ring potted 1185 only. $12 for modded RF1940 only.
Field Test Notes:
The Tiger74 (offering #1) has a significantly brighter hot spot than the stock LA, and also more spill light, but compared to the Tiger11 or Tiger85, the beam is narrower and thus the field of vision is narrower. I feel the need to cast the beam about to be able to see everything that's in front of me, whereas with the Tiger11 or Tiger85 you can really light up a lot of area in one go. The Tiger74 is brighter and whiter than the stock TL LA, but the lamp will likely not last nearly as long as the stock LA.
The question on many people's minds is probably "should I get the Tiger85, or the Tiger11" and the questions I think you need to ask yourself are "Am I a reasonable person?" and "How much runtime do I really need?" Many people are in situations where they need the most light possible and runtime is not an issue. I read an LEO article about the SF M6, and the author was arguing that a fire-fight is over in less than a minute or two, and the law officer needed to have the most compact, brightest, most dependable light possible, and runtime was a secondary consideration. Not being an LEO I can't answer to the truth of this, but it's an illustration of what I'm talking about. Some people need an hour or more of runtime, others are OK with 16 minutes. Then, of course, most "reasonable" people, having the Tiger11 and Tiger85 side by side, would probably conclude that the Tiger11 is mostly as bright and has almost twice the run-time. Personally, I love the Tiger11. Trust me when I tell you that it is smokin' bright and throws very far and has great side spill. It's a beautiful light. Yet, if you're one of those people who like to push the boundaries, and who are willing to sacrifice some amount of practicality for performance--in short, if you are not "reasonable"--you would be likely to choose the Tiger85 over the Tiger11, because it certainly IS noticeably brighter, especially when it comes to spill light. The Tiger85 really lights up an area like you wouldn't believe for such a small light (FBOP version). It's like a high-perfomance motorcycle or sports car. There's just that little something extra about it. It goes to 11. So if you're not reasonable, the Tiger85 is for you.
In the sets of beam shots below, the Tiger85 is first, and the stock TigerLight is second. The barn and bus shot is from 80 paces, or 210 feet. The car shot is from 50 feet or so, and in the last set (of the road) the red barn is 600 feet away. I used my Olympus D-550 digital camera in "night mode" with a tripod. Shutter speeds were 2 seconds, I think, but I can't be sure. It's possible that these shots are biased towards the dimmer light, but from my experience they are much more faithful to reality than the previous poor quality pictures.
post script:
I will not be offering the SL-35X LA's, but they can be used with the custom 6 cell packs and put out a great beam. Unfortunately at the 20 percent overdrive involved (7.2 vs. 6.0 volts) they have a tendency to insta-flash (i.e. blow) when first turned on, especially when the light is hot off the charger.
Feel free to PM me with questions.
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