My first McGizmo

[ven]

@scianiac

That is some really beautiful machining. It takes some real skill, time and effort to get such a nice surface finish. The appeal in lights like these is in the quality and care it took to build them. They are not just pumped out in some factory by workers would could care less about the end product. They are designed and built by someone whose passion is flashlights. There is just something special about having something that so much work was put into. Like a really nice hand made solid walnut table, it functions just as good as a folding table from wally world. They both hold stuff you put on them. But you’re not going to admire the folding table every time you walk by, and think about the craftsmanship that went into it, the care to make sure every joint is just perfect. It’s that little fuzzy feeling you get from having something really nice.

Sometimes we get a little obsessed with performance and cheapness here on BLF, I know I do. We should appreciate all lights even if they aren’t exactly to our liking. Many of our members machine very nice lights like these and while the materials were relatively cheap if they made them to sell they would cost just as much. The labor put into making them would add a tremendous cost.

Very nicely put, totally agree and its nice that we have the options out there if we do want a more exotic custom light. I have many from both ends of the spectrum, they all mean a lot to me in different ways. My car light is a 4c convoy m2 and has been for a couple of years or more………….no need to replace it. Does what it says on the tin, great light, build quality and nice warm floody beam. I have a lot of love for the s2+ lights, be it in 18350 or 18650 form, triples especially.

[emarkd]

@ven

Not at all, i often thought and wondered the same………heck i do now with many lights, watches, knives……….cars! We check things out, weigh up value and make a decision on most things we buy,

Check some reviews out, great one from Jim

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5I5JW_2EU3k

When you get time(if not seen) have a watch, he goes into some detail and why it appealed to him……….worth the watch imho.

Take from there, i could not see you regretting it………if you do you can sell and someone will buy it within an hour!

Thanks, I’ve not seen that so I’ll definitely give it a watch.

This is going down an expensive path….

[Dr_Forinor]

Love the way this is going hehe.

[ven]

@emarkd

@ven

Not at all, i often thought and wondered the same………heck i do now with many lights, watches, knives……….cars! We check things out, weigh up value and make a decision on most things we buy,

Check some reviews out, great one from Jim

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5I5JW_2EU3k

When you get time(if not seen) have a watch, he goes into some detail and why it appealed to him……….worth the watch imho.

Take from there, i could not see you regretting it………if you do you can sell and someone will buy it within an hour!

Thanks, I’ve not seen that so I’ll definitely give it a watch.

This is going down an expensive path….

Welcome and apologies as it will more than likely cost………………….but i honestly dont see any regret, maybe ” why have i waited so long”

There are hi cri mule options if your cup of tea, you can buy the body/head separate and mix up, AA/16340 etc(no 18650). For the form factor, the 123 body is the way forward imho and could always buy the AA pack later if for you.

There is a lot more to this light than a dream, then next day on the lathe , it years of OCD perfection in the making for ……….well perfection.
The HDS is special to me as a light in itself, the gizmo is another level imo(subjective) and just as tough, Mark it……………buff it! Fenix etc are great, kind of a few year investment, this is one for life and can be upgraded to the latest led when/if that time comes. Look at it as a saving fund for $500, you get a few years of use/fun and then get your money back if you decide……………you wont though……………still its waiting for when you do!
Mine has been work for some use

The clip is one of the best in the biz

Originally it had an xpl HI 4000k in it, but i have a fondness for triples and nichias, so that was that

[Dr_Forinor]

ven Where/how did you get that done?

[ven]

Here
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?418984-Tana-Light-Engines-for-McGizmo-lights-(Haiku-Mule)-and-modding-service

[MRsDNF]

That is one sweet looking light. Congrats on the new addition.

[The_Miller]

Wauw what a beauty!
this must make you feel vry hapy and content to use, or even have in line of sight, congrats!

[Dr_Forinor]

It is quite a piece.

[will34]

Congrats!

After spending several years on CPF I understand these are not made to win the lumens race, for that you have all of your other modded or off the shelf lights. Its a nice piece you can keep for years even decades and still admire the craftsmanship involved.

[Dr_Forinor]

will34: Thanks. Yes, that’s one of the views I have, it’s an art in it’s own right.

[Gunga]

I like mine. But it is modded with a fet driver.

These are nice lights but not “budget” in any way.

[Dr_Forinor]

gunga: Sorry, what’s a fet driver?

[sac02]

I believe fet is short for mosfet, but the function of a fet driver is basically that it drives the LED as Direct Drive from the battery instead of with a regulated current metered out by the driver IC. The LED will pull as much power (voltage, amperage) as it can. Exactly how much is a function of the rest of the build and the resistances in play - light construction, springs/bypasses, wire gauges/lengths, and even battery internal resistance. fet drivers will produce maximum output from the LED but they also have some downsides like they won’t reach their potential unless all the other parts of the system are tweaked as well, and they will produce lots of heat which means either short useage times at max output, huge cooling requirements, short runtimes, or some combination of those.

[Gunga]

Exactly!

[Dr_Forinor]

That’s quite sweet :sunglasses:

[Dr_Forinor]

@ven

Here
Tana Light Engines for McGizmo lights (Haiku, Mule) and modding service... | Candle Power Flashlight Forum

From your post here , which colour temperature do you find seems the most neutral/natural?

The triple Nichia Haiku, I assume this is all flood? Any throw?

[djozz]

I have ruined the three 219C leds in my titanium triple flashlight (Reylight) because of a FET-driver. Because the titanium does not conduct heat very well, it got scorching hot inside without me noticing it. So a McGizmo may best be driven by the driver it came with, hotrodding it implies that you have to monitor it in use.

[Dr_Forinor]

djozz: Thanks for that info :+1:

[ven]

Yes you dont want to drive a haiku hard, completely pointless and goes against the grain of the light. The tana is 2.8a and imho pushing it still due to the small titanium mass. The option i went for sounds perfect for you then if you want a neutral. The 219B triple is 4500k, real nice accurate colours without too much exaggeration that can be had from warmer temps.

Triples tend to give a large hot spot, slight spill around(optics can vary depending on which flavour). But generally they are good for close to moderate ranges, i find them very useful. Here are a few of my triple and quads in EDC size(ok some are pushing it a little but can be carried easy in a coat)

So they do reach out a decent way, my advice would be enjoy it as is, maybe order a head from Don and send this to tana. Then you can simply swap the head and have best of both worlds. I have no regrets at all, as although i liked the beam from my xpl HI 4000k in dons reflector, i still prefer a nichia 219B triple.

I would guess your getting on for 800lm from the triple, too much to run longer than say 40s or so. However 30% can be run for a few mins and offers plenty of usable light(probably similar to max out the box haiku output).