After finding the MTG2/P60 experiment mostly a failure (in terms of the end result, not in the things learned during the quest) I'm wondering if there is a C8 reflector that would work halfway well. I only have one C8, and finally have it set up nice with a de-domed XML2 using a reflector originally meant for an XRE (with the big flat area around the emitter hole) so I'm reluctant to use it as a guinea pig, and equally reluctant to order a bunch of parts to see which if any give good results with the MTG2.
The reflectors like the one I have with the wide flat area in the base would be easiest to open up to the required (minimum) 8mm hole. I think some of the XML-specific C8 parts are much smaller at the base and would take too much of a hacking to get the hole big enough.
Anybody already done this experiment so I don't have to? :)
You might try to find C8 reflector for SSC P7 led. It should fit well. I know people changed leds to MT-G in an old Magicshine 808 bycicle lights.
Found: http://www.kaidomain.com/product/details.S006948
That looks like the XRE reflector with the LED hole enlarged then ruined with orange peel.
Modifying a reflector isn't a problem, I do that all the time. What I'm looking for is a specific C8 reflector that someone's got good results from with a MTG2. It's very picky about reflector geometry.
Thanks for the info Ledoman! Don’t mean to derail the thread, however I happen to have an old P7 bike light and was wondering if the new MTG2 emitter would fit with a P7 reflector.
There’s a great video tutorial here and a good comparison for beam shots at the end of the video, much brighter and floodier, this will be my next project for sure!
Ah... MTG and MTG2 are completely different animals that happen to share similar names. They require fundamentally different reflector geometries to get similar beam patterns.
I think I'll order a cheap XRE C8 and a separate XML reflector, see which works best. Though I doubt the XML will work (by work I mean a nice usable beam, not work as in the parts physically fit together). What I've seen so far is that reflectors where the walls taper down all the way to the emitter hole with no flat area just do not work with this LED. The XRE reflector will still have some of that flat area left intact even after boring out to 8-9mm.
Yes, what it amounts to is the profile of the reflector. Given a set large OD and the same OAL, if the bottom ID is bigger, then the angle of the reflector is steeper and that seems to work better with the MT-G2. I don’t know enough to be able to say why, but it does seem that it needs a steeper angle to give a better beam.
The X8 clone that 18sixfifty posted about works well with the MT-G2. Beam is ever so slightly ringy when white wall hunting, no where near noticeable outside. I happen to like the result. In a standard C8 reflector it should be OK, but with more flood due to it being more shallow.
All of the C8 reflectors I have would be easy to open up. They all have the flat part at the bottom.
Edit: Just noticed O-L’s post, he has a point, which may make a C8 less than ideal compared to the X8.
This one should have enough flat space at the bottom to open up: http://www.fasttech.com/products/1617/10001275/1220100-aluminum-smooth-reflector-for-cree-xm-l-xr-e-xr-
Again, you're using the word 'work' as in the parts will physically fit together. I've already been down that route, or about 15 iterations of that route, and found a lot of reflectors that just don't give a nice beam pattern. 7mm is the standard XML hole size.
I was just looking for anybody who'd found a C8 reflector that gave something resembling a usable beam pattern you'd find in a typical usable flashlight, and not something that gave a beam pattern resembling a mule light with no reflector at all (which is about what I got with every variation of P60 reflector I could get my hands on).
Yep, that looks identical to the XRE reflector in my current C8 which I'm not really wanting to chop up, I'll pick up another cheap XRE UF C8 to use as a host and a couple spare pills to go with.
That reflector with a de-domed XML2 looks pretty awful on the wall too, but outdoors it just goes, and goes, and goes... I'm finally happy with it after a lot of trial and error that nearly put me off the whole C8 format altogether.
I do have a MTG2 in a modified C8 XML host. You're correct. It doesn't have the same type of beam pattern as an XML as the reflector was not designed for that type of LED. It is purely a flooder. However it's so goddam bright I didn't really care. I don't have a beam shot but I would say the hotspot compared to any other light I have is a DRY. As I recall I shaved 3mm off the bottom of the reflector and you'll have to turn the light to medium to see a hotspot white wall hunting. If you are looking for something with more throw and a tighter hotspot, I don't think the C8 (42mm x 31mm) is the right format for what you are looking for. Even a XRE C8 host will not suffice. Why cause I tested it and gave similiar beam pattern.
Thanks. Based on OL’s comments just above and the heft of the giveaway light you sent, this looks like it has great potential for a 1x (is there a boost driver?) or 2x MTG2 light.
I received one of these from Meritline yesterday. The reflector looks promising for MT-G2. Only issue with the light is a very small hollow pill. Fixable, but not ideal. I do like the light though. Running an MT-G2 on two 26650 cells in DD configuration would give decent output. I got it for $14, but a few weeks later it was on for $8.99. I cannot remember the codes, or even who told me about it.
Edit: Ahh, here’s where I found out about it. http://www.meritline.com/showproduct.aspx?ProductID=85454&SEName=zoom-cree-t6-5-mode-memory-white-led-flashlight
I modded it for more output and added some thermal compound to the star rim. Surprisingly, it doesn’t perform that bad. Even with that little bit of thermal contact, it still puts out over 750 lumens with a 1.4A tailcap current after a few minutes. It would run like this all day, as the host handles heat quite well. An MT-G2 is going to overheat it eventually, but I may give it a try anyway.
Edit: I believe this light in single-cell form is commonly referred to as a C10.
