Incan challenge week 2018

[kelmo]

I just bought a lot of Streamlight and Surefire CR123s at a great price! Time to burn through my old stock. Some of the cells are 10 years old. Got my E1e, C2, 9P, M3 w/MN11, M4 w/LF HO lamp, and M6 loaded up and ready to go. Fall is incan season for me. I seam to have misplaced my black E2e.

 

[id30209]

I just bought a lot of Streamlight and Surefire CR123s at a great price! Time to burn through my old stock. Some of the cells are 10 years old. Got my E1e, C2, 9P, M3 w/MN11, M4 w/LF HO lamp, and M6 loaded up and ready to go. Fall is incan season for me. I seam to have misplaced my black E2e.

I couldn't agree more about the fall season. This thread should change name to "Incan challenge season 2018". My man ven helped me strated really hard with incans (thank you!!) and for past few days i'm just changing bulbs and battery setups. I even went further and dug out heavy artillery, 9N and 8X )) Really like incan glow in these grey colors of the day now.

 

[jellydonut]

Did someone say incandescent week???

Although, I have to admit, the only one I actually carry anywhere is the one A2 that I have an LX2 clip for.. A2s are life.

Thanks to this thread I've started enjoying my Z2 incan again.
As this is going quiet for a bit can I keep the momentum up with a question that's almost on topic?
The only thing that bugs me about the SF P90 that I'm using is the shape of the hotspot, it looks like the shape of the Crab Nebula. I know it's unavoidable because the filament isn't a point source. Although, I have a P60 that has a more or less circular hotspot, but maybe a larger one.
Do the drop ins from Lumens Factory have the same problem? Also are all the globes frosted to cause a rounder, bigger hotspot?
Thanks, and looking forward to the Long Nights.
P

LF bulbs tend to not be frosted and I prefer this as it provides better focus and more throw, at the cost of a slightly 'uglier' hotspot. I also prefer ringy but throwier smooth reflector and optic LED beams to the 'soft' and less punchy orange peel reflector beams, so your mileage may vary.

 

[peter yetman]

That's what I was hoping, thanks Jelly.
P

 

[mcm308]

Did someone say incandescent week???

Although, I have to admit, the only one I actually carry anywhere is the one A2 that I have an LX2 clip for.. A2s are life.



LF bulbs tend to not be frosted and I prefer this as it provides better focus and more throw, at the cost of a slightly 'uglier' hotspot. I also prefer ringy but throwier smooth reflector and optic LED beams to the 'soft' and less punchy orange peel reflector beams, so your mileage may vary.

Look at those A2's ..just look at them!

Ill take one red and one blue..😂😂

 

[rjking]

Tried a Lightsaver Miser 5 Function Tail Cap on an E1e with MN01 lamp and liked the 25% output.

 

[magellan]

This is a great idea for a "blast from the past" thread.

These photos show many of my different incans (I have over 47 different models by 33 different makers). These are mostly the Maglites. I'll see if I can find photos of the others.

https://imgbox.com/Q2btsSKP (different pre-Maglite Vari-Beams, recently sold to another collector)

http://imgbox.com/DoJ8qwQ2 (Maglite 2xAA's with rare colors like weinrot, light teal, light pink, shimmer blue, and copper)

https://imgbox.com/jDtSnbi9 (mostly D and C models)

https://imgbox.com/UGJJHPYe (Mags plus miscellaneous others)

https://imgbox.com/f2q1SOAD (3xD Mags in different colors)

https://imgbox.com/n7K0CZC9 (Fivemega milled gold plated, Maglite gold plate over brass limited edition, plus some others)

 

[ven]

WOW magellan, as always amazing stuff....................then again i would expect nothing else from you

Do you use these beautiful examples? How do you like the incands compared to modern day LED's?

 

[id30209]

Magellan, that's a hell of a collection!

 

[zipplet]

Sadly I no longer own any incan lights or I'd take up the challenge. Used to have a couple of surefires! They are at my parents home in another country, no chance of seeing them any time soon.
Remember, try to do this during the foggy evenings at the end of October. I have fond memories of the beam of my old Surefire A2 cutting through fog pretty nicely!

Additional challenge. Try to post your best beamshot at the end of the week

 

[night.hoodie]

Since I moved in this place in April, I have not used any fixed lighting here.

All on Tad Customs brass sockets for his bipin lamps.

• The E2L AA's both run AA Fujitsu relabeled Eneloop, Tad's A3712 lamps and sockets (because that A3012 seems to perpetually be "coming soon." Tad did demo me one of those, and it was fantastic while it lasted, so they do exist, and I hope they will eventually make it to sale there.)
  
• The UBHII is a pretty new addition, with Lumens Factory z52, run with Exell 3.2V LiFePO4 14500's and A6010, dang bright, daytime only, until Lumens Factory E Series incan heads appear it shares the head, socket & lamp with...
  
• Fivemega 18500 body running Duracell Solar 3.2V LiFePO4, same A6010 as above
  
• Fivemega 18350 body & Lightsaver Miser with Keeppower UH1835P cell, A3718 lamp
  
• Fivemega 18350 body with UH1835P or occasional CR123A, A3712 lamp
  

Most used are the E2L AA's, every night for at least a few cell swaps, only one that leaves home and carried always is the bottom 18350 Fivemega with z52, and the Fivemega 18500 is used in these dark early mornings after waking and also more and more in the evenings outside now the bugs are gone, to help preserve whatever dark adaption there is.

Missing from pic are less used 2x Malkoff MDC 1xAA bodies, one with 3V Lumens Factory lamp & L91, the other with MN01 and an Eneloop. These are saved for when the eyes are super dark adapted. Recently I have not had much dark adaptation, unfortunately. But Winter is coming.

Generally, the only LED light I must use is on my D4 charger, can't get around that, and iDevices & laptop backlight, backlit kb. There is the rare occasional use, during the day only, of a couple Maratac copper AAA, the gen. before Nichia appeared, only used as bed lamps when sunlight blinds, and because I can't keep up with my charging needs with a single charger, so they are tolerated for the runtime and daylight blindness indoors. Hate doing it, that cool white is blinding and irritating.

I used to EDC also a Vinh custom Maratac AAA, nichia on Thrunite driver, but it escaped, lost. I still EDC a custom Vinh Thrunite TiS with red led, and an ARC AAA UV (used for killing microbes on wounds and drinking water). But since the bugs have disappeared, and I have lost most of my dark adaptation anyway, it just sits on the keychain of late.

So, admittedly, there is some occasional LED cheating. But I know since April there have been at least several spans of weeks of nothing but incan flashlights for all my lighting (except as otherwise noted, mostly the D4 display, and backlights on web devices).

 

[bykfixer]

Now that 'fall back' time change is back it's time to do my week of incan challenge 2018.

My week will be using a classic style from about 1979 or 80. A generic version of a Bright Star 2C called a 'house light' meaning small business hardware stores and full service gas stations sold them. It was made in a defunct Bright Star factory in PA near Scout24's hometown and sold as a no-name flashlight, or perhaps a non labeled Tru-Valu (or similar) brand.

It has a nice spot with plenty of spill for visual up to nearly 180° without ruining your night vision. It has a standard 2 cell bulb that puts out about 25 lumens.

It will be the only flashlight I use this week, day or night. I'm going to pretend it's November 1979 and on Tuesday an election will be held for president between Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan. Only difference is I'm 54 years old instead of 16.

Out of all my flashlights this one is my favorite.

 

[tech25]

That's cool, I was tempted to pick up a knockoff of that light last week, I resisted the urge but now want to go back...

 

[bykfixer]

I have a Try Valu labeled one and one branded as "Ranger" that are both 2 D sized. They look nearly identical. But the 2C is brighter, plus fits easily into a jacket pocket.

 

[tech25]

I don't remember which size this was, I will try to stop by the store and check it out.

 

[bykfixer]

Available at a physical store?

Even better!!

I decided I should carry a backup. So the 2xAA Rayovac Industrial was chosen.

With a minimag xenon it aint bad.

Since these are light bulbs with light bulb lifespan I figured it best to carry a spare.

The Rayovac is a bit bulky compared to say... a minimag, but the larger head allows better light dispersion than the minimag. I may also carry a triple A minimag in my shirt pocket, but trouble is all of those in my collection are nip or minty collectors pieces from the 1980's.

So I may opt for an Eveready penlight that doctors used in the 70's. They used a #222 bulb that has a magnifier tip to shoot out photons like from a rifle...all 4-6 lumens. lol.

 

[Minimoog]

Just completed my own Incan week most successfully. In fact I will me continuing for another week!

SureFire M4 with Tad bulb and 2 x 16650 (my favourite at the moment)
SureFire E2o with LF 50 Lumen lamp
3C Mag with 2 x 20700 batteries and 6D Krypton bulb
SureFire M6 with 2 x 18650 and MN20 LOLA

Its been great so far, in fact LED looks 'thin' after so many intensive hotwire hours.

 

[id30209]

Short cloudy days and long nights... just read this post a minute ago and had to jump here to bump this thread.
For last 2 weeks i'm on custom incan setup 24h. I've got FM D36 G4 reflector and after some brainstorming i've menaged to install it into M3 Z46 head ))
Since it's a mirror finish i had use ArmourEtch and frost WA1274 bulb a bit just enough to remove artifacts. Well most of them. Too bad it's not with me now..

Also got FM Sunlight, D26 G4 OP reflector also with WA1274 bulb. Everything packed in C3.

Last but not least, FM D26 G2 reflector with FM1794 bulb and FM C turbohead....my god, pencile sharp beam and a thrower. All installed on a D3 defender.
Now, i'll try to upload some photos...

First beamshot is M3, second C3 and third D3.

Unfortunatelly i had to go on a business trip so only C3 is with me. I've borrowed friends EDCL1-T for comparisson. C3 with 1274 has around 300-400lm and EDCL1T according SF 500lm on max...
First is EDCl1T, second C3 )

 

[id30209]

I just realised that i need that AW softstarter more then anything!