Stock Magcharger or Magcharger with SL35 lamp?

Which one has higher output and/or better throw? If the SL35 lamp assembly is better its fairly easy for me to grab as the shop I'll be buying from is a full line Streamlight dealer and repair center. Anyway, thanks in advance guys.

The SL-35X lamp is brighter and smoother, but with less throw and shorter battery life. It's a personal preference thing. If you want brighter and don't care about the focus thing, it's a good mod.

You could also throw in a WelchAllyn 1160, get the brightness of the SL-35X with the focus of the MC!

Bill

Be wary of long burns using the WA bulb. It will cause damage to the MC bulb stalk. It has been posted that the holder can take some ugly looking heat damage and remain functional, but I would be careful if using for long burns on a regular or daily basis. The 35X LA from Streamlight, as bwaites has said, will be significantly brighter but not throw as far. I would suggest trying the SL LA and seeing if it meets your lighting needs. If it does, stick with it as it is a no-hassle drop in mod that is instantly reverseable with no chance of damaging your light. Easier to source and replace, too.

If you poke around long enough, there is usually a semi-annual group buy of some sort for higher capaciy 1/2D nimh cells that could increase your runtime.

If you don't already have the MC, consider the SL-20X with 35X LA. It's a fully Streamlight-authorized mod that will maintain all warranties. It's functionally a very similar light to the MC.

I have run an 1160 in my MC for more than a year now with fairly insignificant damage to the plastic of the socket.

I look at that socket as disposable, they only cost around $10 so if and when there is damage, I'll swap it out.

The potted SL assemblies are done fairly well, but there is some variation in how they are potted. I have 2 SL35 LA's with a significant difference in the beams, and they both have a significantly different focus than the SL20 LA I have as well.

Not very surprising when you realize that Carley pots all of them, as well as several other manfacturers lamps.

Bill

The MC60 is a great combo, no doubt about it. I personally had lots of heat/melting issues out of the gate with it, for some reason. Maybe because I was running a slightly higher voltage Wilkey battery stick... who knows.

So many mods, so little time.

If what you need is dependable, no-fuss performance in the 5-50' range, the SL-35X LA in either the SL-20X or MagCharger (or Mag 3D with bi pin mod) is hard to beat. You get a bright, meaty beam that is softly diffused due to the satiny finish of the reflector.

If you need 2 hours of runtime, then the stock MC bulb provides a focusable, white and tight beam good for 100'+ spotting when tightly focused but is less smooth up close and if defocused to be wider.

If you need the SL-type beam but longer runtime than the SL-35X LA, use the SL-20X LA (20W) for a softer, no-focus, yellower beam than the stock MC bulb.

If you need the maximum brightness of the SL-35X LA coupled with the focusability of the MagCharger system and a whiter beam, use the WA01160 bulb.

You really have so many options and they are all good ones. Some better than others but then that depends on your specific use requirements.

Wilkey