Did you ever find your 2’ length of poly pipe in Derby?
Haha not yet… Got sidetracked with…… Other mundane things of life
I, too, have been debating if I want to keep mine. It’s still sealed in the original package. Here are the pro’s and con’s as I see them:
Big Pro’s:
- Has room to handle many types of batteries and different configurations (Opportunities for big power or long run times).
- Appears to have (very?) good heat sinking.
Small Pro’s: - Big and heavy (gotta respect a light that can second as an improvised club).
- Good size reflector, offset by the fact that there are many similar priced multi-led competitors. Maybe a different emitter would make it special?
Big Con’s:
- Odd reflector size makes it difficult to find other reflectors for different beam patterns (e.g. more throw, etc) and glass lenses.
Small Con: - Tail switch is awkward in such a big light. Have to give up battery space to move switch forward
I’m not going to count the switch functionality issues as that seems easy to fix. The Pro’s are pretty compelling to me. Are there any other lights in this price range that have them? Please correct me or add other items if I missed anything. I need help deciding.
I don’t know about that one. Its main problem with me is definitely that rear switch with such a big heavy light. If it had a forward switch this light would’ve rocked a whole lot more.
What were they thinking?
Sorry for the confusion. I was referring to people getting the lights and the switches not working. It seems like that would be easy to correct. I’m no O-L, it would be a big job for me to move the switch forward.
just use some clear coat aerosol paint and lightly spray a few coats on the reflector from about 5’… result will be a medium-heavy orange peel like reflector…
i did a crappy job on mine and ended up with too much clear coat and it still works fine… makes for a nice flooder 
Ok- curiosity got the best of me and I grabbed one of the 2AA Armormax.
So far - construction seems on par with the description of the 3C Thrower, and what people are saying about the 3D AM in this thread. Nothing fancy, but nothing feels flimsy or cheap. The tail switch has a good feel, although it might be a little sensitive for my tastes.
Despite the flats milled onto the tail housing - the light rolls on a flat surface, even with the rubber “Armor” installed. A little work with an exacto knife on the rubber could fix that.
Size comparison with the Defiant 3C XM-L Thrower, 3D Mag (XM-L), the Defiant 2AA, Ultrafire 502B (XM-L), Surefire G2 (XR-E P60), and one of those cheap little 9-led lights you see at the cash register just about any hardware store. (they’re horrible, and infinitely useful, little lights - I always manage to have like 5 functional ones floating around)
Firing it up with the included AA’s - beamshots were so unremarkable that I’m not going to bother posting them. My Surefire G2 XR-E outgunned it easily.
Opening it up I immediately notice this isn’t an XM-L in this light. edit: After some digging, I realize this is a Cree XT-E in this light. That’s good news, cause it appears to be way underdriven to be rated at only 70 lumen, and to be having a XR-E outrunning it.
Link to the full size pic - http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8389/8542714934_ea769bdbc3_o.jpg
To answer the rest of the questions about the host itself, and if it would make a good modding platform:
The emitter MCPCB is thermal pasted (I hope) to a pill that appears to be threaded into the reflector housing/head assembly. The driver appears to be the standard 17mm affair with a big spring - I didn’t remove it:
Reflector is ~27mm diameter, and 21.32mm tall
Plastic lens is 29.53mm
The battery compartment is 14.72mm
As far as using this as a modding base - I dunno. I’m fairly underwhelmed in stock form, considering I can pick up the XM-L 502B in my pics for less than $12 shipped on Amazon, and I have a pile of 18650’s to go in them.
If I were using this defiant as a modder (edit - now knowing that the emitter is an XT-E with some possibility) - I don’t know enough about throwing a pair of series 14500 like Cateye did - I’m just afraid that much voltage for long is going to cause some form of issue? Wonder if there’s a way to parallel them inside the body?
Thanks Chris for all the details and "taking one for the team". Any chance you could pop out that driver and verify its a boost driver? It should be, right? Would be nice if it were cheaper. I'm still considering it. How do you rate it for "toughness"? Is it as good or better than a 2AA Maglite?
Thanks,
-Garry
That looks to be a Cree XT-E
(It looks a bit too large to be the XB-D, as previously posted)
I meant to say that. Those seem to be common in local store lights now.
EDIT -I was referring to Chi X posting about the XB-D. I've not seen an XT-E myself.
-Garry
While you guys were posting that - I was editing my original post stating that it appears to be an XT-E. Now you point me to the XB-D as well.
Lemme see if I can figure out which this is
It’s an XT-E, the die base is listed by cree as 3.45mm, where the XB-D is 2.45mm base. This one is the bigger of the 2.
I’m firing up the soldering iron now to take some current measurements, and then pull the emitter out to unscrew the pill, and examine the driver.
Moderator: Think we can split out the 2AA posts to create a new thread for this particular light - I’d hate to fubar this thread that was originally created to be about the 3D Armormax.
Ok - pulled it apart - the pill unscrews toward the top.
Driver appears to be a boost, and possibly a boost/buck unit - I don’t know how to tell, but that would explain Cateyes ability to run 2S lipos with higher output.
I measured current first using the 2AA’s that came with the light and got 232mA on high, which would vibe with the 70 lumen rating.
I don’t have a benchtop powersupply, but do have a 7.5V DC wall-wart powersupply. Here’s the problem - my voltmeter says that wall-wart is actually putting out 11.4v.
Figuring WTH, this is for the good of the community, I soldiered on. The light fired up, much brighter, and I saw steady 903mA current to the emitter……for about 10 seconds. Then it fizzled and I smelled the emitter had released all of its magic smoke. I tested the LED, it still operates.
As I’m typing this, my brain decided to remind me that I have a 2S 18650 pack sitting out in my bike light kit. Yep - should have used that.
My guess here, and I have no way of knowing for sure - but it might have been solid with a true 2S battery config.
Oh well - now I have a choice to make. Return to HD with the IDK what happened story firmly in place, or slip in a 7135 driver and order a couple of 14500’s.
At least we now know that the light does indeed seem to have a higher regulated output with a higher voltage than it does with 2AA’s.
Thanks Adrenalnjunky!This at least looks like it might be a decent host, plenty of driver and emmiter options that will fit.If I get to Homedepo tommorow I will see if they have one and burn it up, I mean try it on two 14500’s.-Rick
Just stumbled across this driver on KD - http://kaidomain.com/product/details.S009736
Appears to be a 17mm Boost/Buck unit rated up to 18v input w/ 1.2A max output. (Take that with a grain of salt.) Would be a cheap replacement driver for the light, that (supposedly) would have no issues with the 2S 14500’s.
Would get the XT-E up into the 300lumen range (in theory) before losses.
Checked out my local Home Depot on my way into work this morning. I couldn't find any of the ArmorMax lights at all (even checked special displays in the aisles). Oh well. Inventory checker shows 5 in stock in all stores around me.
-Garry
My local store showed 5 in stock on the 3D for weeks, but no one could ever find them. When they did show up on shelves, there were 6 in the display. I checked stock online again, and now it had changed to 6. I think it is something to do with their inventory control system. 5 might be a default placeholder? Also - don’t be afraid to stare at the boxes above the displays - they usually orient them with the SKU numbers easily readable.
I swapped my 2AA out yesterday. Guess I’ll get a couple of 14500’s for it.
My 3C Armor Max has an XP-E.
Has anyone modded their Defiant ArmorMax 3D yet? Hopefully someone will post an SST90 mod soon.
the only thing ive done to mine is “sputter” the reflector with clear coat to make it orange peel and more of a flooder… ive got a few spare emitters, but havent decided on a driver or what i want to do with it…. maybe mtg2 flooder? i have over a half dozen ongoing projects where as funds and inspiration permit they will take shape