CMG Infinity question

I'm sure this has been covered, but please forgive me for giving up the search with my slow laptop on dial-up!

I recently got several Infitity Task lights. The anodized version. Is getting one with a well-centered LED a crap shoot? Only one of six was almost perfect, four marginal, one way off. I do a roll test, with the "beam" on the wall to confirm what my eye tells me. I'm kind of anal about this, and may send the "off" ones back.

These were CMG office clean outs, so I wonder if they are seconds.

Mark

Yes, it's a crap shoot. About half of mine are pretty good, the others not so good. I haven't tried distinguishing "almost perfect" from "marginal". Funtionally it doesn't really matter; the light works just fine either way. Also, the non-centering is usually in the LED itself (i.e. placement of the die in the epoxy envelope), not in how the flashlight is assembled. That's apparently a common problem with Nichias.

Welcome to CPF nightowl, and why dontcha stay awhile!

I agree with paulr. Total crap shoot, I'd say I've done worse than 50/50, but they all work. I'm more concerned with how bright the led is, those vary as well.

welcome again (3:49 on east coast, that's nightowl fer ya)
daloosh

I was just about to ask the exact same question because three of them arrived in my mailbox today. I noticed one is not centered because part of the 'reflector' is not lit at all by the LED. The beam is nice and round though, so I don't really feel it's a big disability. They are still very nice $15 lights. Appreciate the confirmation that I'm not an unlucky one though /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

I agree the usefulness of the light is not affected by the alignment of the LED.

"Almost perfect" and "marginal" are terms relative to ones anality regarding such things as LED alingment. When I roll the light on a flat surface and the "spot" stays on the horizontal plane 25% at three feet, that's "marginal" to me. "Almost perfect" shows little wobble. The bad one appears to bounce along the wall. Hmmm.....does that make sense?

Again, they would serve their purpose. I just happen to expect too much sometimes. I've got an Ultra-G on the way. Fingers crossed!

Thanks for the input!

Mark

I got 4 ultrag-Gs from CC and they are all perfectly centered as well as brighter than my only normal infinity ultra (that's well centered /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon3.gif).
They seem to be pretty consistent.
Hope it helps.

Ah, i've also been wondering about that, as mine is also off center and also has a section of the reflector that isn't lit. I've been thinking that i might have been cheated by the dealer i bought it from; glad to know that i wasn't!

I have one ultra G and one CMG ultra, I was also wondering why the relector wasn't left un-anodized or even polished. wouldn't that add a pinch more brightness/throw? VDG

Welcome, fellow Wisconsinite. Niteowl, if you don't have an Arc AA or AAA, yet, consider one when they become available again. Have fun, here, and don't keep us in the dark. Later! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink2.gif

My Ultra-G has an off-center LED, but my original Infinty has a perfectly centered one.

vodooreg, I don't think having a polished or un-anodized reflector can make a *major* difference. If I'm not mistaken 5mm LEDs already come prefocused to a certain beam angle. There will be some sidespill caught and redirected by a polished reflector, but IMHO it won't be noticeable by one's eyes.

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voodoogreg said:
I have one ultra G and one CMG ultra, I was also wondering why the relector wasn't left un-anodized or even polished. wouldn't that add a pinch more brightness/throw? VDG

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ARC thinks so. Either that or they feel that enough potential customers feel strongly enough about it that it's just a marketing decision for them. I doubt that it makes much of a 'real world' difference.

I love my CMG AA lights. I own several. But I also love my Arc AAA's /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

The reason the CMG's aren't polished is that masking off that area during anodizing and then polishing it later are several extra manufacturing steps and also, especially the masking, are places where errors can happen leaving you with 2nd's rather than good bodies.

Arc has chosen to make a higher price product that takes those difficulties into account to get you a better product.

Either way, we're not talking about a tremendous difference, just an example of the attention to detail that makes Arcs stuff so popular around here.

I've also heard it claimed that anodizing the whole body increases the corrosion resistance a little. Anyway I concur that it really doesn't make much difference in practice. If it did, the colored anodization would affect the beam color noticably, and I've compared the beams from white-led Infinities and Ultras in several different anodization colors, and the anodization make no apparent difference.

It took me about 1/2 hour to polish mine with a dremel, fine tip cone and flitz polish, the cone by the LED was green but now high polished aluminum. seems to work better. The little sucker only cost $12 at walmart and is indestuctable. Great buy- its on my key chain. Good EDC.

NikolaTesla /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

An Arc lamp is the Spark that takes away the Dark--HID Forever!

My ready to go Lights LightWar /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/xyxgun.gif

OT -- I've often wondered if ARCs polished reflector is treated in any way to slow oxidation. Mine still look brand new.

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jayflash said:
Welcome, fellow Wisconsinite. Niteowl, if you don't have an Arc AA or AAA, yet, consider one when they become available again......

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Thanks for the welcome jayflash. As for the Arcs, I'm already eyeing them up something fierce!! That is due squarely to CPF! Again my wallet thanks you all.........

Got my Ultra-G today, very pleased.....I did specifically ask for a hand pick on the order. Getting two more. One to squirrel away, one for the BOB. Three of the standards are going back to ease the strain on said wallet.

I'm a little amazed at how much I like the CMG's. There's so much use I could have gotten out of these over the years!

I'm a little wary of getting one of the ARCs! Might like it too much, from what I've read here. Other than full knurlling and the ability to stand on end, why an ARC AA over the CMG?(again, sorry if this ? is old) I like the fact that the CMG hangs straight where as the ARC seems like it would be canted. I need no prompting to get an ARC AAA, however!

Oh yeah, the "rattle thing", can I get the ARC "washer" and pop it in my CMGs?

Mark

The smallest round Dr Scholl's pad is just right. It's the right diameter, the right thickness and already has the hole in the middle. It even has the pressure sensitive glue already applied.

Cool...... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif

Thanks, Mark

You can also wrap a post-it note around the battery. That keeps it from rattling. Taping a piece of paper around it does about the same.

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Sub_Umbra said:
The smallest round Dr Scholl's pad is just right. It's the right diameter, the right thickness and already has the hole in the middle. It even has the pressure sensitive glue already applied.

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I did mine with a mousepad, cut out the circle and use a office document hole puncher to make the hole.