ArcMania + 5w + TurboHead = Excellent!

I finally received my custom ArcMania 5w tower module all the way from Japan. The module drops right in and works great with (2) RCR123a batteries. This has made my favorite light (Surefire L5) even better....thanks Mike. Here are the pics:

The 5w Module


And it's new home.....I threw in the Fenix L1P for size comparison.


I will try to get some beamshots for you guys tonight.

RJM

I'd love to see your reaction when you do the beam shots. Watch out for the recoil.

Looks stunning !
Do you have details about the driver --> possible Vin / buck or boost / drive current?
And what about heat in that small package? Any ecperience?
bernie

Kiessling said:

Looks stunning !
Do you have details about the driver --> possible Vin / buck or boost / drive current?
And what about heat in that small package? Any ecperience?
bernie

Click to expand...

I'm not sure which driver it has but its being driven at 1 amp. The operating voltage is 7.4v-16v and the Lux V is a WX1S bin.

RJM

SuperDownConverter 1000mA is in the TH module. The newer SDC1000 operates from 7-ish to 16V. It is not reverse protected but we all have common sense and don't put batteries in backwards, right?

I think Kiessling is sold on this one!

Here are the money shots. The house in the far distance is at 130 yards measured with my Nikon rangefinder.

I'm sure my neighbors really enjoyed me playing with my lights.

This is the baseline photo.


Here is the N1 lamp running on 2 Surefire CR123 batteries (6v).


And here is the 5w Tower Module running on 2 RCR123's (8.6v). I'm not sure why the pic came out so red.


RJM

TrueBlue said:

I'd love to see your reaction when you do the beam shots. Watch out for the recoil.

Click to expand...

The module has some kick but not as bad as the recoil from my Desert Eagle .50AE.

rmacias, that is bright. Possibly the 5w is as bright as an N2, or brighter. Do you have an N2 for comparison?

Bill

The TH Lux V has a nice throw beam. No one is going to be sneaking around the sides with that bright spill light. Very nice beam shots.

Bullzeyebill said:

rmacias, that is bright. Possibly the 5w is as bright as an N2, or brighter. Do you have an N2 for comparison?

Bill

Click to expand...

Sorry...I don't have an N2 for comparison but I'm sure the module would give it a run for its money.

RJM

Nice photos

Congrats on your new adquisition :naughty:

Will

wquiles said:

Nice photos

Congrats on your new adquisition

Will

Click to expand...

Thanks, I can't wait to take it with me on my hunting trip to Mexico next month in the Chihuahua mountains. It should work nicely for finding my way back to camp in the dark.

RJM

Trashman said:

I think Kiessling is sold on this one!

Click to expand...

... almost.
There's still the heat that makes me worry ... at 1000mA to a LuxV there's quite a lot of it ... and availability of those isn't that great either!

bernie

Kiessling said:

... almost.
There's still the heat that makes me worry ... at 1000mA to a LuxV there's quite a lot of it ... and availability of those isn't that great either!

bernie

Click to expand...

In my own personal experience, yes, heat is a problem, but mostly with the shock-isolated bezels as the "poor" module has no way to get the heat to the body and your hand. I have a WX1T on a DB1000 and I was getting the module to get very hot with almost no heat to the KT4 head. I was not until I used some thermal AA in the negative contact spring and in the matching body section that I was able to finally get some of this heat to be "passed" on to the body.

I don't own a non-shock-isolated bezel, but if the reflector is in direct contact with the metal head (instead of floating, and not touching anything as in the shock-isolated bezels), then the situation should be better

On my M6 (with a KT4, shock-isolated bezel), I had to re-aply some of the thermal paste to get heat transfer to the M6's body. The only bad thing is that then you change to a "normal" incandecent lamp you do have to clean the body of the host so that you don't get the thermal paste on everything!

Will

Kiessling said:

... almost.
There's still the heat that makes me worry ... at 1000mA to a LuxV there's quite a lot of it ... and availability of those isn't that great either!

bernie

Click to expand...

I don't think heat will be much of a problem. There is enough wall thickness and surface area for decent thermal transfer. The module diameter is a friction fit with the KT1 head, it doesn't just slide in like the N1 lamps. See pics below:

The KT1 has plenty of mass to it.


I have to wiggle the module back and forth in order to seat it...it's a snug fit.


RJM

From experience, even in the case of a non-shock-isolated reflector such as yours, it would still be wise to use a "little" AA thermal compound to aid in thermal transfer from the module to the head

Will

Thanx for the great pics!
Does the head get warm or hot then?
Really interesting ... now that I have a KT1 on my way ...
bernie

Congrats on the aquisition, I agree with your title
I LOVE mine.....I still am overwhelmed with the quality of this light the spill is great and the thow is more than impressive. I like this light so much I am going for number 2 to use for new truck light. This round I a going for a C3-HA to add a bit of scratch resitance and two pila 150's making it cheaper to run. Now I just need a DC 150 recharging system to keep extra batteries recharged.

I've had the Turbo Head module for a while now. I haven't had any problems with overheating. When I first used the light I was actually scared of using the head because it didn't seem to be getting hot enough. The head would only get warm and I thought the heat wasn't being extracted. I took the head apart and looked the setup over. I noticed that the mass of the head is very big. Any heat build up is extracted and dispersed throughout the head and body of the light. The head has a lot of surface area to disperse any excess heat. I use the light without fear now.

CPF member dbedit generously donated an infrared thermometer that I use to measure the heat of a light. I'm still refining my procedure so bare with me while I learn. I took heat measurements on three points on my light for 5 minutes. I spaced the temperature checks 30 seconds apart. Then I quickly opened the light and took a temperature check of the module.

Here is the temperature of the light at three points for 5 minutes. The first point it the head of the light at what I would assume would be the thinnest part; the scallops of the head. Point two is at the base of the head where the converter is located. Point three is the body of the light just below the head.

000 seconds: 72.5/ 72.5/ 73.0
030 seconds: 74.0/ 73.0/ 73.5
060 seconds: 76.0/ 73.5/ 73.5
090 seconds: 79.0/ 75.5/ 74.5
120 seconds: 81.0/ 75.5/ 75.5
150 seconds: 83.0/ 81.0/ 77.0
180 seconds: 84.5/ 81.5/ 78.0
210 seconds: 86.5/ 83.0/ 75.0
240 seconds: 88.0/ 84.0/ 75.5
270 seconds: 89.5/ 87.0/ 77.0
300 seconds: 91.0/ 89.5/ 77.0

At the end of the heat run the Turbo Head was much cooler than other heads I have tested. The Turbo Head temperature difference was a very cool 17 degrees increase. Other lights run about 29 degrees hotter at the end of their tests. When I quickly tested the module temperature after the heat run it was only 88.0 degrees. The module-can is quickly wicking the heat away from the Lux V and the converter

The heat is efficiently being wicked away from the module because of the module-can large surface contact to the head of the light. Then the large mass of the head pulls and disperses the heat. I have to trust ARC mania for getting the mod built right.