MacTech
Enlightened
Why is it that even though i have more powerful flashlights (Mag 6D, Inova X0, a couple 1 million candlepower SLA spots), and cooler lights (UV Minimag, and a green laser pointer), and some good basic "toss around" lights (a couple Nite Ize upgraded minimags), why is it that i use my "Spotlight White" Inova X5 more than any of them?, it's not as cool as the UVMag, or the greenie laser, it's not as powerful as the 6D Mag or X0, but it's the first one i reach for, i guess i like the simple indestructability of it....
the 6D Mag is too big and unweildly for EDU, and it's not often i need it's throw, i don't want the X0 to burn thru the (relatively) expensive 123's, and it's too bright for close up work (checking circuit boards for burned components and such), the X5 just seems to be, well, perfect, a nice usable flood, long battery life, and built like a tank....
....i took apart my first Minimag today (specifically, i removed the "do not remove" bulb housing so i could "convince" one of the Mac clock batteries (1/2AA 3.6V lithiums) to come out of the case, the build tolerance of these batteries is relatively poor, some slip into the minimag with no resistance, others tend to bind when they slide into place, so i had to pop off the bulb socket to jam a pen down the barrel to convince the battery to come out....
can't believe how cheesy and primitive the bulb socket is, 2 pieces of plastic with 2 metal tabs, one on the bottom as a battery contact, one at the top that contacts the metal barrel of the light, completing the circuit and lighting the bulb, i never realized that the tailspring in the endcap actually provides the pressure to operate the switch, i just thought it was there to hold the batteries in place tightly, never thought it was the *batteries* that were actually an integral part of the switch....
judging by the amount of plastic in the MM, there must be about $2 of actual raw material in the light (both aluminum and plastic), sadly, this makes the minimag look even cheesier in my mind
i've realized that i'm a lightsnob, and i don't like that feeling, simply put, i hate plastic body lights, if i'm going to pick up a light that's going to be more than a novelty light (like the cranklights or squeezylights), it *has* to be a light constructed of *metal*, aluminum, stainless steel, whatever, it's gotta be metal, no rubber or plastic lights for me, thanks, to me, plastic lights = cheap, crappy lights (i know this generally isn't the case, but i can't shake that feeling)
the 6D Mag is too big and unweildly for EDU, and it's not often i need it's throw, i don't want the X0 to burn thru the (relatively) expensive 123's, and it's too bright for close up work (checking circuit boards for burned components and such), the X5 just seems to be, well, perfect, a nice usable flood, long battery life, and built like a tank....
....i took apart my first Minimag today (specifically, i removed the "do not remove" bulb housing so i could "convince" one of the Mac clock batteries (1/2AA 3.6V lithiums) to come out of the case, the build tolerance of these batteries is relatively poor, some slip into the minimag with no resistance, others tend to bind when they slide into place, so i had to pop off the bulb socket to jam a pen down the barrel to convince the battery to come out....
can't believe how cheesy and primitive the bulb socket is, 2 pieces of plastic with 2 metal tabs, one on the bottom as a battery contact, one at the top that contacts the metal barrel of the light, completing the circuit and lighting the bulb, i never realized that the tailspring in the endcap actually provides the pressure to operate the switch, i just thought it was there to hold the batteries in place tightly, never thought it was the *batteries* that were actually an integral part of the switch....
judging by the amount of plastic in the MM, there must be about $2 of actual raw material in the light (both aluminum and plastic), sadly, this makes the minimag look even cheesier in my mind
i've realized that i'm a lightsnob, and i don't like that feeling, simply put, i hate plastic body lights, if i'm going to pick up a light that's going to be more than a novelty light (like the cranklights or squeezylights), it *has* to be a light constructed of *metal*, aluminum, stainless steel, whatever, it's gotta be metal, no rubber or plastic lights for me, thanks, to me, plastic lights = cheap, crappy lights (i know this generally isn't the case, but i can't shake that feeling)