I think it’s only fair to mention the MF02 has had at least three different driver versions with three different turbo output levels. When the MF02 first came out, turbo was about 1.8 amp. Then it got bumped up to about 2.2 amp. The very latest versions within the last month seem to have been bumped up to about 2.7 amp.
I just had some time to play with the lumen tube very briefly. It is VERY easy to use compared to my ceiling bounce and calculator method. It is also very consistent regardless of the flashlight head insertion depth, which is a sigh of relief because that was something I was worried about. The measurements are very high though as already confirmed by others. I get about 27.5k startup lumens on my MT09RTA whereas using my previous ceiling bounce standard, I was getting 22.8k startup lumens. Once TA gets the calibration corrected, this will be a fantastic device. I don’t regret my purchase a tiny bit I can tell it required alot of manual labor to construct this along with the discs.
Now I will have to store this away until I find a place to put this in my house. I’m out of room already. My room is already littered with flashslights and batteries.
Yeah, I think Lexel said the early versions had no thread locker. Then they started using a light colored thread locker that was pretty weak. The latest ones use a red thread locker and are really hard to break loose.
They should read basically the same, although the way the light bounces around in the first chamber can effect things slightly, although this is usually due to the throwers having larger reflectors.
Congrats steel… it’s good the TA arrived safely… lumintop lumen are not consistent… I don’t know how they measured… I don’t think it really 3500 lumen… probably around 3000 lumen @ 30 seconds…
I'm now the owner of an HDS Systems Executive (200 lumens tested) and a modified Convoy S2+ from PFlexPRO (607 lumens, tested).
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THE HDS Systems Executive did not come with a calibration report, only a receipt stating it was 200 lumens (in addition to their website stating all lights are tested).
The PFlexPRO came with a calibration report (gotta love the potting sample in lower right):
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Unfortunately, the results of testing both on the TA lumens tube resulted in readings that don't make sense.
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HDS Systems
spec 200
TA Tube: 349
correction factor of .573
Note, I had an email discussion with HDS Systems (Henry Schneiker) to make sure initial turn-on (high) is where he measures the output. It was.
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Convoy S2+ (PFlexPRO)
spec 607 @ 30sec
TA Tube: 790
correction factor .768 @ 30sec
.573 and .768 is a BIG discrepancy. I was hoping to see both lights give results that were very close. The Convoy seems closer to what I expected.
I'm stumped.
The only other light that comes really close to the PFlexPRO correction factor would be my modified Maglite. Mat claims the 5,000 lumens is out-the-front.
And this is the problem that I and many others have had with DIY spheres. You can get 10 flashlights all rated to given numbers but get very different relative readings. This is why I gave up on using flashlights for calibration.
What tints are the lights?
HDS has an ANSI calibrated sphere but they do not take the readings at the ANSI 30 second mark? That seems odd.
PFlexPRO says his sphere is calibrated with flashlights IIRC.
This is why all DIY spheres have to average the data from as many sources as possible to try to find a common middle ground that is semi-accurate.
This is also why I will never understand why anyone lists the lumen value on a light down to the single digits, they simply can’t know that.
I honestly don’t know what to think, I thought the calibration I had was pretty good when I started this as do many others but it seems a lot of us are wrong.
I’m just waiting for you get your test lights back from Maukka, that he measured against his proper reference light, then test them across your remaining spheres to find the proper correction factor. That will probably be good enough for me. :+1:
I think it’s just human nature for us to want to see high lumen numbers from our lights. It’s hard to accept that a light that we thought was doing 9000 luman may actually be doing closer to 6000 lumen. Nooo! Say it ain’t true! Lol
It’s like we’re living in The Matrix and we’re starting to emerge from our pods and seeing the real world for the first time. Lol