My beam looked like crap until I used hairspray on the reflector. Now's it's a beautiful smooth white colored light.
ill do run times later today. i gotta find my Ni-MH charger. just bought brand new Rayovac Ni-MH.
ill do one test on a Kirkland Alkaline AA and one on a Ni-MH (i know i have some good energizer ones still, just gotta find them)
ill let u guys know!
EDIT: just so you guys know (for those of u out of country) Kirkland Signiture is a Costco brand battery, that outperforms duracell batterys! and it costs less (48 pack is about 12 bux AA)
but you have to be a member of Costco to get them (50 bux a year) but i make that up in tire savings ;-)
btw, this flashlight seems to have MORE light than my modified P7... i cant figure it out.
the p7 is still drawing 2.8 amps from two CR123a primaries (2.6 from 18650) and it seems to not be ANY brighter than the R5-A3....
i need to get a lightbox. i think my MTE p7 is actually an A bin. which SUX!!!!
cause that means this light WOULD be very close as an R5.....
im thinking about buying a D-bin off ebay and swapping out the led!
My MCU-C7s (now @R5) draws 1.4A from a fresh 16340...1.7A must be WOW!
Here the same impression: really close to P7 (with bad bin) http://i50.tinypic.com/2gujleu.jpg (MCU C7s @XPG left, p7 righ)
I guess the numbers will sing and lose in a lightbox, but give a similar light by eye.
But mine is very hot in High mode and that it will also...little body and surface to dissipate as much heat.
Anyway is a very good pocket rocket for use with moderation (and keep out of reach of children) lol.
im waiting for DX to respond to my product request. i sent them a link with the R5 version of the MCU-C7 from manafont.
manafont is asking a wopping 21 bux! this isnt justified since the q5 at DX is 12 bux!!!!
if DX gets them in for 15 or less. it will be my new flashlight to sell locally!!!!
most people wont spend more than 20 bux on a flashlight. so i got think tactically with my purchases.
otherwise this R5-a3 might become the new seller. shoot it runs on a AA!!!
so you guys know, im doing the run test now. it started at 6:49 Eastern Time (USA) on a fresh off the charger Sanyo 2100mAh ni-mh showing 1.44V on the multimeter.
its now 6:56, not an OUNCE of heat. its colder than the room. this may be a LONG test lol
it is nearly 830 here. and the AA low test is STILL going. im quite impressed.
wish i had checked draw before i tested for low on a AA.
The problem with chinese lights is that I have no confidence that I'll get the same good light if I buy right now. The question is whether I feel like gambling with $20.
Does mode memory work on your light (how many seconds)?
havent checked that yet. I dont really care if it does or doesnt.
still going. 8:55
Yes, but others may care; it's a public forum after all. It doesn't affect the runtime test, or just check afterward. The admin got one with memory, but who knows with these chinese lights.
seems to remember FAIRLY well. as long as you leave it on that mode for a few seconds. otherwise it remembers to switch to the next mode
currently checked it. pulled it off at 9:35p. battery tested 1.24v
checked draw really quick on low: .21a
pretty damn low if u ask me!!!! (1.24*.21 = .26 watts)
so far time is 6:49 to 9:35. continued test at 9:36
total time 166 mins or 2 hours 46 mins. im gonna stop soon. i got work in the AM
for a 2100 mAh battery, if initial draw was still .21 amp, we should be seeing 10 hours.... that seems rediculous (is my math wrong?)
for a few seconds
Sorry to be a pain, but can be a little more explicit (anytime is fine)? 1 sec (like my skyray r5 is perfect), <3 sec I consider good and acceptable, 4-10 sec is borderline, and anything over that (typically 1-2min) is just pathetic like the factory didn't even bother. I really hate my lights going on in disco strobe when I expected low (and then I have to cycle through everything to get low). 
Your calculation is correct for that level and I expect it to be close (maybe 8-9hr) given the circumstances. The extraneous context is that the draw may not be constant, depending on the regulator/driver. The draw number may not be perfect since you're also using a meter with its own internal resistance + probe contact points, but that is partly canceled out by the unverified swtich loses.
The battery should have minimal droop at those currents with a nimh. At 2 amps, you might only get half capacity or whatever, depending on the chemistry.
yea im giving up on the test. its still the same brightness.
its 1040 and its already past when i wanted to hit the sack
as far as time. 3 seconds.
find the mode you want and leave it ON that mode for 3 secs
edit: This is something I wrote this morning to some comment above. The server was down and I left, so now that I refreshed, it posted the comment:
Here the same impression: really close to P7 (with bad bin) http://i50.tinypic.com/2gujleu.jpg (MCU C7s @XPG left, p7 righ)
I guess the numbers will sing and lose in a lightbox, but give a similar light by eye.
Judging by eye is not accurate. the p7 has a LOT more spill, esp vs a xpg.
Yeah, but reflector measurements are very different. With largest and open reflector in MCU would be very similar.
Anyway not bad for a EDC...In larger sizes, the Uniquefire X8 has a good spill.(with OP reflector would be bigger)
this flashlight is still my fav for the money!!!!
im just dying to do my SST-90 build now!
xp's have much more light going to to side regardless
Interesting video where we can see a test to the R5-A3.
That guy used 3 multimeters
1 to show the voltage feed to the led from the driver
1 to show the amperage feed to the led from the driver
1 to show the amperage draw from the battery
Conclusion, on HIGH mode draws 1,4A to the battery while the led only gets 1,0A at 3,1volt of vF
Good find Fran82! Thanks for sharing!
I ordered my R5A4 as soon as it came out. Got a torch with a similar output to the OP. High, HighMed, Strobe.
My friend who ordered later(a couple months ago) got one with, High, Low, Strobe.
His low is visibly PWM, with a low enough frequency to see the strobing, however is still alot more usable than the low on mine. However with mine, I played around on the PSU for a bit, and it seems the High mode never reaches regulation for voltages below 2V (didnt test higher), while the MedHigh appeared to reach a somewhat regulated output above 1.1V or something. So that above that 1.1V, I could observe a decreasing current draw.
The Wire clip on mine feels really loose and useless, really insecure.
I ordered mine recently and only got it a couple of days ago, It has quite a usable low.
I agree on the wire clip though, which is really annoying as that was the main reason I bought this light.