The Official Malkoff Junkie thread - Part 2

[wweiss]

I have discovered my best woods walking configuration for the Wildcat Hi CRI head:

Using the MD3 body with three CRC123's (@11.1v), I find that because of the higher voltage, LO is more than bright enough to light the trail and even give some decent perimeter spill.

I set the head rotation so that it nearly engages HI and that allows an easy thumb press on the head barrel for a momentary 'Yankee Stadium' moment in the woods if something goes thump beyond 200'. As HI is a momentary press of the thumb and then goes back to LO upon release of the thumb, I always have full lumens OTF almost to the runtime end. I've hiked 4-5 hours this way and the 3 year old Nitecores still had something left in them.

Having the ability to instantly pulse HI from LO and back to LO again is a great feature in a flooder light as I don't need all the lumens, all the time in the woods. Walking on LO allows my eyes to adjust to ambient conditions and becomes more than adequate for most of the trail. A sudden press on the head barrel gives me a solar flare of beautiful HI CRI light that renders objects out to 200+ ft in a 130d field of view that matches that of my eyes. All this without any 'blowback" glare off nearby tree trunks. Also no need to wave the light around - it's all right in front...

My own comfort zone in the woods is 200', if anything is just out beyond that and not moving away from us, I'll just have to deal with it a few seconds sooner - using a boater's pocket air horn, which scares the shite out of everything. 200' is also about the maximum you can fire a beam ahead in the average density of the Connecticut winter woods and still get useful data. Critter Eyes, though can still be made out much further back, floating and bobbing in the blackness. When we get closer, they are gone...

The Malkoff Wildcat HI CRI with an MD3 body and three RCR 123's has to be one of, if not the best, design and configuration for most real world uses. Just bring a few extra RCR's if your hikes are longer...

 

[Sway]

What are folks using for a lanyard ring (non-clip) on the MD bodies, anything special or just grab a 6P type and call it a day :shrug:

 

[Vemice]

Hello. New to Malkoff but after hanging out here, I bought one (incoming). I have no idea why as I don't really need it. Just wanted it.
Got a small one to start; the MDC HA 1AA. Wanted to try as a night stander with low-low startup.

 

[flatline]

Hello. New to Malkoff but after hanging out here, I bought one (incoming). I have no idea why as I don't really need it. Just wanted it.
Got a small one to start; the MDC HA 1AA. Wanted to try as a night stander with low-low startup.

That's the one I started with. It's an excellent light for pocket carry.

--flatline

 

[Vemice]

Thanks. I hope this doesn't start a trend!!

 

[Woods Walker]

Hey walker just being nosy here. How far are you away from civilization when you do your camp in the woods alone during a snow storm thing? And do you alert your friends/family where you will be? You know for safety sake.

Yes and give an ETA and projected return time. I even leave a note in the windshield of the truck. This outing was around 45 miles from home but maybe 1.5 mile hike in.

 

[ftumch33]

Figured I`d ask this here since it is the Malkoff thread...I have a Wildcat V6 (MT-G2 led) and was wondering if there was an optic I can swap oiut the reflector with to narrow the beam a bit, you know, make it less floody and just a little more throwy?
I know the MT-G2 is a large LED hence the `Floody` aspect of it but I was hoping to make it a little less so.
I used my google-fu to look for an optic for it but my google-fu isn`t what it`s used to be.
Could anyone point me in the right direction perhaps?

 

[peter yetman]

I reckon that even if it were possible, which I doubt, you'd do so much damage to the original parts as to render them useless.
Sell the original head and buy a throw head, Hound Dog, HD 18650, M61T or M61HOT.
It's not worth damaging such a valuable piece of equipment.
P

 

[Nimitz68]

Hello. New to Malkoff but after hanging out here, I bought one (incoming). I have no idea why as I don't really need it. Just wanted it.
Got a small one to start; the MDC HA 1AA. Wanted to try as a night stander with low-low startup.

Thanks. I hope this doesn't start a trend!!

It's already too late . You will love this light. You will also love the other Malkoff lights to be added to your collection. As someone famous once said, "Resistance is futile." Welcome and enjoy!

 

[Nimitz68]

Figured I`d ask this here since it is the Malkoff thread...I have a Wildcat V6 (MT-G2 led) and was wondering if there was an optic I can swap oiut the reflector with to narrow the beam a bit, you know, make it less floody and just a little more throwy?
I know the MT-G2 is a large LED hence the `Floody` aspect of it but I was hoping to make it a little less so.

I would recommend against that. I think peter yetman is correct. The Wildcat V6 is a tremendous head, as I use mine on an MD4. It was specifically designed to produce a proverbial "Wall of light" and it does that very well. Keep or sell the head and purchase a head or complete flashlight which is designed for throw or at least a tighter beam. The mentioned Hound Dogs (including the Super and 18650), M61T, and M61HOT are all excellent options/choices.

 

[Modernflame]

The wildcat v6 uses the XHP 50. It was the v5 that had the MTG2. Either way, I asked Gene the same question once about swapping optics and he said the throw optic won't fit over the LED. I'm not aware of any other lenses that might fit.

 

[flatline]

I see the Malkoff MDC 18650 body listed on the Malkoff site, but I haven't seen any discussion of it. Does anyone have it?

--flatline

 

[JLeephoto]

Hello. New to Malkoff.
Got a small one to start; the MDC HA 1AA. Wanted to try as a night stander with low-low startup.

The MDC press sequence takes some getting used to for some folks but once you do I predict this will become a favorite and just the start of a new addiction.

Love the LowLow of my 1AA neutral and it's my go to light skulking the house at night, tail standing as a bathroom lantern, etc. With 1 eneloop pro it seems to last forever.

I liked it so much I quickly got a CR123 version for daily carry which I also like a lot but find its low a little too bright for same tasks so I switch out pocket lights when I get home.

My wife has pretty much taken over my MD2 Hi/Lo. I stopped her on the way to walk the dog the other night to show her how to use the hi/lo head but she'd already figured it out on her own.

 

[flatline]

My wife has pretty much taken over my MD2 Hi/Lo. I stopped her on the way to walk the dog the other night to show her how to use the hi/lo head but she'd already figured it out on her own.

She's a keeper

 

[JLeephoto]

She's a keeper

She is but I still know better than to tell her the price of these lights, knives and gear that's scattered through every drawer of my house.

 

[flatline]

My wife used to ask how expensive these things were, but stopped when I started asking how expensive shoes and purses were...now we have an agreement of sorts.

 

[peter yetman]

The MDC press sequence takes some getting used to for some folks but once you do I predict this will become a favorite and just the start of a new addiction.

Yes, a lot of people have been rather rude about the Ui.
The only Multi Mode MDC I have is my Nichia 123 which I use on my Sound Desk in the dark. I love it, and even though I am more used to my HDS UI, this one works very well for me with never a gltch.
P

 

[flatline]

Yes, a lot of people have been rather rude about the Ui.
The only Multi Mode MDC I have is my Nichia 123 which I use on my Sound Desk in the dark. I love it, and even though I am more used to my HDS UI, this one works very well for me with never a gltch.
P

Sometimes I use my light so quickly that the on-timer doesn't expire. That means that the next time I use the light it doesn't start at the lowest setting. It would be nice if the light would reset back to Low-Low after a couple of minutes of being off.

But that's the only hitch I've had with my MDC. I consider it a superb EDC light.

 

[peter yetman]

Absolutely, once you're aware of it, it's ok.
P

 

[ftumch33]

Have a Hound Dog, not really liking it size wise as well as tint/beamshot. I have numerous drop ins from Malkoff in cool white and warm white but I always loved the 5000K neutral.
I had actually contacted Gene awhile back about a 5000K drop in and was told he wouldn`t be making them
Not sure if that`s the case now though