Thanks for detailed reply. How would you say the light you have compares to the Fenix’s 1K lumens? I love the 1K lumens living out in the sticks.
Thanks for detailed reply. How would you say the light you have compares to the Fenix’s 1K lumens? I love the 1K lumens living out in the sticks.
Do your tailcap switches have a momentary capability or just click on/off? Thanks, adam
Adam
If I want high/low, am I correct that the drop in module is single output, and I need the ring switch?
Thanks dude. Really appreciate the time you put in to this thread. Malkoff should pay you to redo their website. Jeez, it’s terrible. Why not have packages pre-selected. Then people could actually buy their products.
“There is no growth in the comfort zone.”--Jocko Willink
"You can never have too many knives." --Joe Ambercrombie
That is correct, one of the replacement heads and an MDC body will give you one output. If I'm not mistaken, you won't be able to get a different switch for an MDC body (switches built into the body), you'll have to go up to the MD2 style for that (I could be wrong here, there are those that know more about how to lego these than me).Originally Posted by Clusterfrack
I recently lego'd a Malkoff MDC 16650 body with the E2 head, and find this to be a great setup. It punches above its class for sure, with better throw than other "brighter" lights, and even appears to have an output similar to other lights that are said to be "brighter". And as has been said, Malkoff build quality is second to none.
Jeff Martin
Yes but you could also use a M361 LMH drop-in that would give you and extra three very low settings with the bezel loosened. FWIW, I find having two settings with just a single output module and the high-low ring to be adequate for my needs.
My next "build" is going to use the M91B drop-in (800 lumens) with the bezel switch and a pair of 18350 cells in a MD2 body (same size as a SF 6P). Run time on high should be around 45 minutes and 8 to 12 hours on low. This set up will work only with the 18350 cells.
Agreed that unless you know what you're looking for there's not much in "build advice" on the site, but they do have a good selection of made-to-order lights in the Products > Malkoff LED Flashlights menu. That said, here is the HUGE service you can take advantage of - give them a call! Gene or Cathy Malkoff will answer the phone and spend the time to help you decide what you need. They will take orders over the phone and ship the package the same or next day via USPS Priority Mail. There seems very few businesses left today that offer this level of personalized customer service.
Feel free to PM me if you want any further input.
Correct - the only way to get multi-level output on the MDC light is with a low-medium-high E2 head or 6P drop-in (with VME head), that toggles levels via the clicky switch. I used the M361 drop-in for a while and though the utility of three levels came in handy on occasion, I now have my MDC (Malkoff Daily Carry) lights set up in single output. I like the consistency of having the light come on every time at the expected level and not having to depend on programming procedures (which always seem to become "unprogrammed" at the worst possible time) or multiple taps of the clicky switch to give me that.
Nice light! For those following along here are the pieces needed;
https://malkoff-devices.myshopify.co...r123-body-only
...with any of the following heads;
650 lumens/20,000 lux - https://malkoff-devices.myshopify.co...gh-output-head
750 lumens/12,000 lux - https://malkoff-devices.myshopify.co...gh-output-head
350 lumens/10,000 lux - https://malkoff-devices.myshopify.co...00-2cr123-head
The first selection has a more narrow beam with longer throw, the second still has good throw but with brighter spill and the third will have the longest run time.
The ratio of lumens to lux is an indicator of the shape of the beam. For example, the Wildcat v.6 has a 1350 lumen/7000 lux rating which produces a very wide, uniform beam. A pencil beam shape will have a high ratio of lux to lumens.
I asked about a 1K lumen option yesterday but it got eaten I guess. It was in my profile as being post but never showed up. I’d like bezel down carry, 1K lumens, clicky tail cap. Do they offer that?
Short answer - yes. More at the end of this post.
One of the discoveries I made along the way is the lumens is only one aspect of light performance. It is generally a poor indicator of light quality and usefulness. What a simple lumen rating does not reveal is the following;
Run time. Just about every imported light now has a "turbo mode" which is usually an impressive rating. However, you have to read the fine print (if it's even there) to find out that a light will run in "turbo mode" for only a very short period of time - sometimes only seconds. The reason for this short run time is generally due to lack of an adequate heat sink to pull heat from the LED circuit board. Additionally, the LED is usually over-driven to achieve the impressive lumen rating, generating even more heat. Beware of the small, lightweight light with the over-the-top lumen rating.
Beam pattern. See my post above - the ratio of lumens to lux (or candela) will define how much of the lumen output is concentrated in the center of the beam. A lower lumen light can have much more reach (throw) through the use of a TIR (total internal reflection) lens that focuses the beam. Conversely, a high lumen light can have a lower lux rating indicating a wider beam.
Beam quality. Known in the flashlight nerd circles as "white wall hunting" lights can range from beautifully smooth, artifact-free patterns (like the Malkoff Wildcat) to something with heavy concentric rings and uneven beam pattern (like my $40 Chinese-import Streamlight PolyTac).
Light quality. Usually expressed in color temperature of degrees Kelvin, most LED flashlights have "cool" blueish beams with low CRI (color rendering index). CRI is a measure of how accurately the color of an object is revealed when illuminated. A CRI rating of 80 or higher is my preference, and anything 90 or better is outstanding.
The factors above are more important to me than the actual lumen rating. Once I decide the shape of the beam I want (lumen/lux ratio), color temperature and beam quality are my primary considerations. For example, I greatly prefer the M61N neutral drop-in (300 lumens, 4000k, CRI 80) to the standard M61 drop-in (425 lumens, 6500k, no CRI rating).
So you're looking for a 6P size light with around 1,000 lumens, tailcap clicky and high-low operation via a twist of the bezel? Here are two Malkoff options;
Option 1 - Wildcat v.6 head. Choose the 1350 lumen cool white or the 1050 "neutral" (CRI 90) head. Beam quality on both is an amazingly smooth, very wide and uniform wall-of-light with a soft edge, the high-CRI neutral version is IMO worth the sacrifice in lumens for the high CRI rating. Both heads come with the high-low bezel switch installed.
MD2 body, I prefer the Tricap option.
Run the light with a pair of high-current IMR 18350 cells.
Option 2 - you could use the M91B drop-in with the MD2 body. You will also need to purchase the high-low bezel switch separately if you want that function. The light will physically be identical to the above, a 6P size light. The M91B drop-in produces 800 lumens but with a higher lux rating (8500 vs. 7000/5200) than the wildcat. The reflector produces a smooth, artifact-free beam pattern with a center hot-spot and a sharp cut-off at the edge of the spill.
You will not be disappointed with a Malkoff!
Photos of what the above lights look like physically -
With Tricap option;
With standard tail cap;
With Tricap and Raven Concealment clip;
Last edited by NH Shooter; 06-22-2018 at 08:30 AM.
All Malkoffs use the McClicky switch mechanism, which is easily replaceable and has both momentary and click-on function. The momentary engages quickly and takes a long push to click on, easily avoiding click-on when not wanted.
Last edited by NH Shooter; 06-22-2018 at 08:08 AM.
Thanks for the detailed reply NH Shooter.
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