WTB Maratac AAA Copper

thanks for all the driver pics, you did a great job getting them in focus
the TiTool w Nichia has that little rectangle around the 10 oclock position. CRX suggested it was part of a feedback circuit for the electronic switch… Im not sure if that right, but, you can see the same spot on some of your other drivers, for example your CuTool w Nichia, but it is sealed off (as the driver is being used with a non electronic switch).

my conjecture is, the TiTool came with a new driver, and the same driver was used with the subsequent CuTools. I suspect All of those are inefficient, but, anything is possible, since what really changed was an inductor on the back of the board, and I have no hint as to when that actually happened.

It also appears that in some cases, the driver for the worm, went into other lights, your Maratac being a prime example. And so far, All worms got the efficient inductor…

time wise, the Worm came before the TiTool, that is to say, imo the inductor change coincided approximately with the release of the TiTool.

I also have 2 ReyLight Cu Tools, they came out just before the TiTool, but again after the Worm. One of the ReyLights has the efficient inductor, even though it does not have the large button of my worm and your maratac…

I look forward to your runtime tests, and am glad you are adding a control light so you can get a better idea when lumens drop by 50% or more…

enjoy your lights, and your weekend!:slight_smile:

thanks for all those data points
I would like to go into more detail on how you measured “constant brightness”, by eye, or with a light meter?

I would like to be certain of the information on the two Ti Tools. Either you got lucky and are the first person with an Electronic Switch Tool to get the efficient driver, or your test procedure lacks a light meter so you cannot tell the TiTools are running dimmer over time, not flat regulated constant brightness…

So my request is that you retest them, using a light meter, to confirm if they are running in flat regulation (constant brightness), on high, for at least the first 30 minutes. Lacking a light meter, we are reduced to what you see, and our eyes do not notice a 10 or 20 lumen change. I think we notice change of 50 lumens or more. (all my numbers require verification)

food for thought on the human eye ability to detect lumen changes:
How your eyes work

A good place to start is how your eyes respond to light. Your eyes have a non-linear (logarithmic) response to light, much like a camera. In order to notice a significant increase in brightness, you must double the amount of light. In photography, this doubling is referred to as an f-stop. For our purposes, the f-stop is a convenient unit of measure and we will use it when referencing relative brightness. To put this in perspective, if you suddenly change the brightness by 20%, you will notice just a slight change in brightness. In fact, if the change takes place over a couple of seconds, you may not even notice.

notice above, that a camera will also not be able to detect a 10-20 lumen change in brightness. iow, photos of your beam, do not have the accuracy required to report loss of brightness. Particularly when shooting a single beam, with an auto white balance camera, such as on a phone. We need the ability to detect change of 5 lumens or less…

Im very grateful for all your info, it is some of the most complete, detailed, and well documented with photos, of any of the data Ive looked at… Probably about 20 lights total… Your contribution is very significant (to me :-))

thank you!

Hi again!

I did a little test today with both Ti Tools and my Maratac as a control light.
All 3 Lights has new and charged Eneloops, no pros.

On the left is the Tool Ti with Nichia, on the right is the Tool Ti with Cree and above is the Maratac Cu.

First Pic at the start:

With control light:

After 15 min.

After 30 min.

After 40 min.

After 60 min. The Cree shut down and the Nichia is flashing.

And here the next test with Cu Tool Nichia on the left and the Cu Tool Cree on the right. Control light is my Maratac again and all Eneloops are new and charged, no pros.

First pic at the start:

With control light:

After 15 min.

After 30 min.

After 40 min.

After 45 min. The Cree shut down and the Nichia is shut down after 48 min.

No problem! I had fun with the testing and I have become a big fan of Lumintop/Maratac AAA lights :slight_smile: And I think I need to buy me a lightmeter :+1:

Very nice tests :-), but not sure what they mean…

Yes, a light meter, even borrowing one for 10 minutes, will immediately reveal if the lighs are running flat regulation. The unregulated driver drops continuously from the start, has no steady brightness at any time. Some people have found light meter apps for their phone…

I remain extremely curious what is really going on with your TiTools in particular…

enjoy your day!

Hi. It’s already in stocks. got 2 pcs and waiting to arrive me. :slight_smile:

thanks!
Copper AAA Nichia 219 Flashlight by Maratac ™ REV 4
After thousands of Requests it’s new user interface is: “Low / Medium / High”.
$34.95

that is an amazing price, mode sequence, and LED
now I need someone to report if it has PWM

Thank you!!

this is not correct (I reserve the righ to disagree with myself based on new information)
the CuAAA Maratac is MLH, the text has been changed to:
.
After thousands of Requests it’s new user interface is : ” Medium / Low / High.

and the video confirms MLH

I suspect, the CuMaratac AAA w nichia is identical to the Tool w Nichia

hope someone can confirm the lumen levels of the new CuMaratac AAA

I really like to buy one but: “There are no shipping methods available for your destination!”
Such a crap, if you live in germany you can`t buy a Maratac at Countycomm………. :frowning:
And Maratac is Countycomm only, right?

I have also seen them here
Maratac for sale - Knives, EDC, and Outdoor Gear - Huge Selection | Blade HQ (but not the new one yet, you could get on their notification email list)
and at Massdrop (after CountyComm sales slow down)

another option is to get a mailbox service in USA… I googled “mail forwarding service” and found this.
https://www.usglobalmail.com/mail-services-for/international-shoppers-get-us-address/

I have not tried them, know nothing about their cost structure… but the idea is, you get a USA address, and the business ships your packages on to wherever you are on request (which I think means no customs fees since you bought the item in USA originally… not sure)

Thank you,that is great!! I will check them out!

Btw, I`ve found this site: http://www.polizeibedarf.ch/pi/County-Comm-AAA-Taschenlampe-aus-Kupfer.html?von_suchresultat=true Its a swiss company.
The translation:
The company County Comm, based in Los Angeles, is a trading company specializing in surplus material from the US government. All offered material is brand new unused and nowhere else available than at County Comm or even at Polizeibedarf.ch.
The Maratac AAA flashlight is the world’s first flashlight that has been made to 100% copper. Maratac is a US government company and manufactures equipment items exclusively for the US government.
:slight_smile::slight_smile: :partying_face:
The price is around 78 US Dollar plus shipping!

utter baloney!
CountyComm is a USA company in California that buys chinese products and sells them to anyone who will pay. They claim one of their customers is the US govt. CountyComm does not manufacture anything themselves, they do have things made to their specs, in China, in order to try to control exclusive product designs. Sometimes CountyComm will take an existing chinese product and ask for it to be manufactured with some unique exclusive features, but they are based on existing Chinese products, for example the Peanut Light, which is very similar to the DQG line of 10180 lights.

Currently CountyComm has Lumintop make the Maratac for them, on exclusive contract, using the same electronics and tooling as the Lumintop Tool (the maratac body is an exclusive, the head is the same as the tool). Same thing DarkSucks did (another US company in California), when they had Lumintop make the Prometheus Beta QR, which is almost identical to the Copper Worm. (The Beta body is an exclusive, the electronics and head are the same as the Worm). The copper Beta, like the Copper Maratac have been marketed in the past at over $70 each, and people buy them.

Previous versions of the Maratac, and Tool, had more aggressive knurling, which is now just simple scored lines, cheaper to manufacture, and so they are now being sold for half of the initial prices. This is similar to what happens with other Chinese electronics and products, someone comes out with an “exclusive design”, they sell it for the highest price they can, when the high priced buyers run out, the items go on sale through numerous resellers, for example Banggood, Gearbest, and the US company Massdrop.

Apple computer is also a US company, that sells chinese products made on exclusive contract.

CountyComm is not much different than a used car salesman, that makes you think they have something special you want, and gets you to pay as much as possible, but ultimately will drop the prices until the items sell.

I still like the CuMaratac, a lot, I also like my iPhone. They are not made in USA by any stretch of the imagination.

I had a good laugh after reading this text on their homepage.

glad we both appreciate a good laugh :slight_smile:
I felt similar about the Maratac video in which they claim that the Nichia is “like sunlight”, and other confused comments about the color qualities, like “natural light” and “warm white”… as well as the ridiculous and inaccurate Lumens specs… and comments like, “the thousands of people” that have requested MLH modes for AAA and LMH modes for AA… very much baffle them with bulloney sales language…

did I mention I think they are idiots?.. LOL
they probably feel the same way about me, especially when I pay 70+ dollars :slight_smile:

otoh, I love my copper flashlights, and I really like the Nichia option… Ive been legoing Nichia Worm and Tool heads onto my Maratac body for years now, meaning, you guys can get what I have, for 1/4 of the price Ive been paying…

imo, the CuMaratac w Nichia is the best buy light in twisty, that I can think of atm… in fact, Im about to order one :slight_smile:

Absolutely :slight_smile: :+1:

No, but I thought so :slight_smile:

I think so too and thats the reason why I really love my Cu Maratac legoing with the Tool Nichia head.
The right size for pocket carry, copper is simply noble and precious (and adding a nice patina) and the Nichia is my favorite light color!

now available for $34.95 on discount at the countycomm store

AAA Copper Nichia 219 Flashlight by Maratac ™ REV 4

in case anyone is interested… That’s cheaper than they are selling the anodized alu version!

EDIT: just saw that phoenix1901 posted the link up above - apologies for being redundant!

I just tested an Eneloop Pro and the High Mode on a new Copper Maratac w Nichia, and compared it to a previous test of a Copper Tool w Nichia

Im very happy that Lumintop has improved the regulation and runtime of the latest driver. NoPWM still, happy!
modes are Medium 24, Low 3, High 90 lumens, on my test. I hope others with more sophisticated equipment will confirm

Jon, is that the current Maratac Cu AAA from CountyComm?

Just wanna confirm.

why do you ask, was this unclear?:slight_smile:

This is the first time EVER that CountyComm has offered a Maratac w Nichia, it has a GREAT driver imho, what are you waiting for?:slight_smile:
the price has gone up already, if you keep waiting, it will probably go up again.