# Surefire Milky Tranzilla!



## ttran97 (Mar 3, 2008)

The Tranzilla is my newest monster to emerge from the milkyspit labs. This light is insanely bright and has a nice warm tint. The beam profile is great...smooth, bright hotspot with a wide side-spill. 

What makes this monster unique? The two Mad Max Plus boards (yes, two!) and the Luxeon K2-TFFC in a custom L1 head! This combination enables me to have an eye-searing 285 lumen of output in a slim, sleek light. Powered by one 17670 (or 18650), I can get an hour of guilt-free lumen.

*Surefire Milky Tranzilla:*
Luxeon K2-TFFC emitter
McR20 reflector
Two MM+ boards
285 lumen
Glow ring inside bezel
Uses one 18650 Li-Ion (Or one RCR123 or one 17670)
1 hr 25 min at maximum brightness, then gradually dims and then totally out at 1 hr 39 min.

Here is the Tranzilla with a TranquillityBase, TB, 18650 body...now it really looks like Godzilla! GRR!


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## KeyGrip (Mar 3, 2008)

Now that's the one I want! I'm impressed with what I've seen of the K2-TFFC, now I want one on my E2L! That is a really cool light.


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## Manzerick (Mar 3, 2008)

WOW!!!


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## ttran97 (Mar 3, 2008)

KeyGrip said:


> Now that's the one I want! I'm impressed with what I've seen of the K2-TFFC, now I want one on my E2L! That is a really cool light.



I'm really impressed with the K2-TFFC emitter as well. The tint is very nice and makes the Seouls and Crees look almost bluish. I'm gonna ask milkyspit if he can put 7 K2-TFFC's into the M6 bezel. haha! Now THAT would be awesome! He can already put 7 Crees in, so why not? 1000+ lumen!!! 

Milkyspit will be able to easily mod the stock head on your E2L. I had him make mine in the custom L1 head because I wanted a shorter head. This one is probably half an inch shorter.


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## BigHonu (Mar 3, 2008)

Whoa! MM+ x 2!


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## milkyspit (Mar 3, 2008)

ttran97 said:


> Milkyspit will be able to easily mod the stock head on your E2L. I had him make mine in the custom L1 head because I wanted a shorter head. This one is probably half an inch shorter...




...and was one heck of a bear for fitting two MM+ boards in there! Not much space. The first attempt resulted in shearing a capacitor off one board and severing a few wires. Fortunately the second time, with a few process improvements, worked a little better! :naughty:

One thing I've learned about the dual-MM+ configuration is it's more battery-specific than the single MM+... the smaller rechargeables and primaries (RCR123, 123, CR2) just don't have enough current flow capability to drive the head at full power, whereas the 17670 does significantly better. IMHO an 18650 or even an e-Moli 26670 would be ideal for this configuration.

Hope it met your expectations, Tung! :sweat:


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## IcantC (Mar 3, 2008)

Wow looks great! Beamshots please?


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## Valpo Hawkeye (Mar 3, 2008)

IcantC said:


> Wow looks great! Beamshots please?



Agreed, it's a pretty light, but beamshots are where it's at! (Especially when they are comparo's with known lights).


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## ttran97 (Mar 3, 2008)

All right, I'll try to do some beamshots comparing all my milkyspit mods...the Tranzilla, TW4 Speedster, ML-1x, and Seoulmator. I would do stock lights too, but it turns out that I no longer have any stock lights! WTH??? haha...Actually, I do have my stock M3 and M6's...but that's not the same...

Let me finish watching People's Court first. hehe. I love that Judge Marilyn Milian!

And of course, milkyspit always exceeds my expectations when it comes to these wonderful mods! Thanks!


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## KeyGrip (Mar 3, 2008)

Ttran, I think it is because of the mods you keep posting that I will start focusing on getting my lights modded instead of buying new ones. First your TW4 Speedster, then the Seoulmator, and now this...


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## ttran97 (Mar 3, 2008)

Ok guys...don't laugh at my beamshots too much. Even though I've been on CPF for almost 6 years, this is only my second attempt at doing beamshots. haha. I pre-set the white balance to a normal white sheet of paper...then made sure everything was set before I turned off the light and turned on the flashlight. The lights are a foot away from the wall.

First up is the group beam shot. As you can see, the K2-TFFC in the Tranzilla is noticeably warmer in tint. Beautiful!







Here is the Tranzilla's beamshot by itself.





And here are the others...

TW4 Milky Speedster (180 lumen):





ML-1x on Low (5 lumen):





ML-1x on High (220 lumen):





Milky Seoulmator on Low (100 lumen):





Milky Seoulmator on High (220 lumen):


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## KeyGrip (Mar 3, 2008)

K2. Tint. Amazing.


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## ttran97 (Mar 3, 2008)

KeyGrip said:


> Ttran, I think it is because of the mods you keep posting that I will start focusing on getting my lights modded instead of buying new ones. First your TW4 Speedster, then the Seoulmator, and now this...



KeyGrip...I know exactly what you mean. My collection of Surefires has shrunk significantly in number, but astonishingly, it has increased exponentially in dollar value and lumen output! I decided that I don't need so many lights that were "just the same" as other lights. Each one of my milkyspit mods is unique and serves a specific purpose. Surefire makes awesome lights and milkyspit elevates them to dizzying heights! :twothumbs


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## IcantC (Mar 3, 2008)

Wow great tint! Thanks for the shot... Would be great to have about 10 K2's mounted in the M6


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## bondr006 (Mar 3, 2008)

Great shots TT. Because of you I decided to put the K2T in my TW4D Boxter. I liked it in my ML2, and seeing your beam shots just sealed the deal. Nice light BTW. You and I are kinda in the same boat. After I have all my Milky Mods, my total will be five, and although I have slimmed my collection, the value of my collection has risen. I love each and every one of my Milky Mods though. They give me tailored lights that each fill a specific need, with the durability of the SF host:thumbsup:


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## SaVaGe (Mar 3, 2008)

MMMMaaaaaaaaannnnnn!!!! i really want a milky Mod sooooooooooo baaaaadddd!!!!!! but not yet:naughty:......im saving the best for last.......should we say.......M6:naughty:


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## ttran97 (Mar 5, 2008)

I just did a runtime test tonight of the Tranzilla using one 17670 li-ion battery.

Start: 9:30 pm
Stop: 11:09 pm

It was pretty much at max brightness for 1 hr 25 min, followed by a gradual dimming until it died at 1 hr 39 min. Not bad at all!


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## donn_ (Mar 5, 2008)

*HOT! 
*


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## adamlau (Mar 5, 2008)

Not bad at all :candle:


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## cat (Mar 5, 2008)

Very nice. The beamshots convinced me. I tend to prefer the Seouls to the Crees, but that K2-TFFC is _much_ better. - With the dual driver, I suppose. 

Sell it to me. :devil: 

What would you recommend for a milky mod to an old E1L?


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## DaFABRICATA (Mar 5, 2008)

Looks Very Nice!!!
The tint is deffinetly different than the Seouls or Crees, I'd really like to see it in person. 
Thats a Lot of Milky Lights!!

Funny, I too just noticed how few lights I have that have been left stock. About 80% of my collection has beens modded.

I'd like to get my hands on some K2's.....anyone know where I can buy some?:wave:


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## ttran97 (Mar 5, 2008)

cat said:


> Very nice. The beamshots convinced me. I tend to prefer the Seouls to the Crees, but that K2-TFFC is _much_ better. - With the dual driver, I suppose.
> 
> Sell it to me. :devil:
> 
> What would you recommend for a milky mod to an old E1L?



For these 1-cell lights, there are a few options you can consider. But it comes down to what your preference is. These are just the basic options that I know about...if you want more info, you'll have to contact milkyspit yourself.

First, pick your LED: Seoul, Cree, or K2-TFFC. 
_Benefit of the Seoul P4:_ smooth, cool white beam. _Downside:_ not as high lumen output.
_Benefit of the Cree:_ higher lumen count. _ Downside:_ beam not as smooth, tint can vary...some are nice and white, some are greenish.
_Benefit of the K2-TFFC:_ warmer tint than the other two; high lumen output. _Downside:_ harder to get a hold of, so may require longer build-time.

Then, pick your driver board: Mad Max Plus or Acorn 
_Benefit of MM+:_ can use rechargeable batteries; simple one mode (on/off). _Downside:_ only one mode. 
_Benefit of Acorn Driver:_ multiple modes...the default is 4 levels of brightness, but milkyspit can reprogram it to however many levels you want. I would recommend 2 levels are sufficient...such as a really low and then full brightness. Can also use rechargeables. _Downside:_ too many levels can be annoying to click to. It's a double-tap to change the levels, too.

I'm sure there are more benefits and downsides...but you get the gist of things. And like I said...it comes down to your preferences with levels, tint, brightness, runtime.


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## rourtex23 (Mar 7, 2008)

how much to get get milky tranzilla?


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## milkyspit (Mar 7, 2008)

rourtex23 said:


> how much to get get milky tranzilla?




Hi rourtex, that depends on whether you have a head for the upgrade already or I would be supplying the entire head. PM me here or at CPF Marketplace or send me email with your needs and I'll get you some ballpark pricing. Hope that helps.


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## rourtex23 (Mar 7, 2008)

email sent


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## ttran97 (Mar 7, 2008)

rourtex23 said:


> how much to get get milky tranzilla?



This mod was a very reasonable price. 

I'm planning on getting the M6 mod with 7 Cree's. I don't really need _two _kidneys anyway...


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## WadeF (Mar 7, 2008)

I'm confused as to how it can be 285 lumens and run 1 hr and 25 minutes on a 17670? I thought the K2 needed more juice than a Cree Q5 to get the same output.


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## ttran97 (Mar 7, 2008)

WadeF said:


> I'm confused as to how it can be 285 lumens and run 1 hr and 25 minutes on a 17670? I thought the K2 needed more juice than a Cree Q5 to get the same output.



There are two MM+ drivers in there. Maybe that has something to do with it? I didn't actually measure the light output, so maybe it dimmed more than I could perceive with my eye towards the end of the runtime. Milkyspit estimated the lumen output to be between 225 and 285 lumen.


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## milkyspit (Mar 8, 2008)

Wade, there are a couple things at work here... first, the output probably trailed off a bit toward the later part of the runtime but not enough to be visible to the human eye, especially when comparing outputs over a roughly 90 minute time period... second, it's unlikely that a 17670 was able to drive the dual circuits at full power (which is why I labeled the light as having max overall output anywhere between 225-285 lumens... depends on the ability of the power source to deliver the needed current without voltage sag)... taken together and compared against the 1600mAh capacity (if memory serves) of a recent AW 17670 protected rechargeable, I have no doubt that Tung actually did see 1h25m or so of bright output. Was it the full 285 lumens for the full runtime? I doubt it. Was it consistent enough in its brightness to satisfy Tung's eyes that it was still pumping out the bright output he expected to see? Probably.

As I'd mentioned farther up the thread, I personally would consider an 18650 or even a 26670 cell as the most appropriate power source for this head... that being said, though, one of the virtues of the MM+ drivers is their forgiving nature: they'll happily run as hard as they can with pretty much whatever power source one throws at them. I find that a great operating characteristic for lights to be used in applications like night hikes, weekend camping, and similar. :thumbsup:


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## ttran97 (Mar 8, 2008)

milkyspit said:


> Wade, there are a couple things at work here... first, the output probably trailed off a bit toward the later part of the runtime but not enough to be visible to the human eye, especially when comparing outputs over a roughly 90 minute time period... second, it's unlikely that a 17670 was able to drive the dual circuits at full power (which is why I labeled the light as having max overall output anywhere between 225-285 lumens... depends on the ability of the power source to deliver the needed current without voltage sag)... taken together and compared against the 1600mAh capacity (if memory serves) of a recent AW 17670 protected rechargeable, I have no doubt that Tung actually did see 1h25m or so of bright output. Was it the full 285 lumens for the full runtime? I doubt it. Was it consistent enough in its brightness to satisfy Tung's eyes that it was still pumping out the bright output he expected to see? Probably.
> 
> As I'd mentioned farther up the thread, I personally would consider an 18650 or even a 26670 cell as the most appropriate power source for this head... that being said, though, one of the virtues of the MM+ drivers is their forgiving nature: they'll happily run as hard as they can with pretty much whatever power source one throws at them. I find that a great operating characteristic for lights to be used in applications like night hikes, weekend camping, and similar. :thumbsup:



Hi milkyspit. Thanks for clearing things up. I'm not very knowledgeable when it comes to these battery and electrical issues. I just know that this is one great light and I use it nightly. The color rendition is great and the leaves on trees don't look washed out or anything. 

You've mentioned before that you think an 18650 would be best, but how could I get that done in an E2e body? Would you be able to bore out the inside of my E2e even more? If so, then I'll gladly send in the body. Please let me know. Thanks!


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## milkyspit (Mar 8, 2008)

ttran97 said:


> You've mentioned before that you think an 18650 would be best, but how could I get that done in an E2e body? Would you be able to bore out the inside of my E2e even more? If so, then I'll gladly send in the body. Please let me know. Thanks!




You're right, E2E body won't take an 18650. However, both Leef and MirageMan have made 18650 bodies capable of accepting an E-series head... Leef's uses a C-series tailcap, while MM's body uses an E-series tailcap. That would do the trick!


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## Burgess (Mar 8, 2008)

Wow ! ! !


MilkySpit, you are simply incredible. :bow:



This is a Flashaholic's Dreamland. :twothumbs

_


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## Mags (Mar 8, 2008)

So just how hard is this LED being driven? 2 MM boards so Im guessing somewhere between 1.200-1.600 A?


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## milkyspit (Mar 9, 2008)

Mags said:


> So just how hard is this LED being driven? 2 MM boards so Im guessing somewhere between 1.200-1.600 A?




Yes, that sounds right. The design target was 1.5A or so, but that will vary some based on the power source, how fresh the cell is, temperature of the light, and so on.


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## ttran97 (Mar 15, 2008)

So I can't find any of the 18650 bodies for sale and they're out of stock at Lighthound. I tried putting 2 primaries in and it is definitely brighter than before...so maybe now it's reaching its full 285 lumen potential. My question is...will this be bad for the driver/emitter? I'm hoping not! It's like an instant kick to this already great light!


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## milkyspit (Mar 18, 2008)

ttran97 said:


> So I can't find any of the 18670 bodies for sale and they're out of stock at Lighthound. I tried putting 2 primaries in and it is definitely brighter than before...so maybe now it's reaching its full 285 lumen potential. My question is...will this be bad for the driver/emitter? I'm hoping not! It's like an instant kick to this already great light!




Tung, I had a reply ready to post and somehow lost it. My bad! 

Let me try again...

You're driving the system (batteries, circuitry, emitter) well beyond what it was designed to handle... and for that reason I would imagine something not to be very happy, and outright fail. When would this happen? No idea... could be tonight, tomorrow, perhaps 10 years from now. It's hard to tell.

On the other hand, your configuration does seem to work and apparently you like the results... maybe this is one of those 'good til it's gone' type of builds, where you enjoy it for as long as it lasts, then we make the necessary repairs. I doubt whatever breaks would be all that expensive to fix.

So you can look at it either way I guess! One of those glass half-empty or half-full situations.


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## Mags (Mar 24, 2008)

Hey milky just wondering, which would throw farther in the tranzilla setup, the K2 or a Cree? And does the seoul put out a much wider beam than the K2?


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## milkyspit (Mar 28, 2008)

Mags said:


> Hey milky just wondering, which would throw farther in the tranzilla setup, the K2 or a Cree? And does the seoul put out a much wider beam than the K2?




Mags, it's tough to beat the Cree mated with that rev2 SureFire TIR optic and bumped up quite a bit in max output. Truly impressive! oo:

That said, there's no shame in a reflectored K2T, either, and the beam may be applicable to a wider range of uses... really nice balance in that one.


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## ttran97 (Apr 10, 2008)

I finally got my hands on a cool 18650 body for this Tranzilla! Man, it sure is bright!


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## Bullzeyebill (Apr 10, 2008)

That's a TranquillityBase, TB, 18650 body. I have two of them and they are just great. E series head and tail.

Bill


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## ttran97 (Apr 11, 2008)

Bullzeyebill said:


> That's a TranquillityBase, TB, 18650 body. I have two of them and they are just great. E series head and tail.
> 
> Bill



Thanks for the info! I know nothing about this body...got it from a fellow CPFer today. I love it because now the Tranzilla head is being used to its fullest potential. 

My question to you, though, is what tailcap do you use? As you can see in the picture, the stock E tailcap is the smallest in diameter on the light...and I think it would look better if the tailcap was more like the rest of the body, or maybe even a bit wider. Thanks.


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## lumafist (Apr 11, 2008)

ttran97 said:


> and I think it would look better if the tailcap was more like the rest of the body, or maybe even a bit wider. Thanks.


 
have a look at the TNC collection..?
they might do the job...?
they do look a bit chunkier IMO...


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## milkyspit (Apr 11, 2008)

ttran97 said:


> Thanks for the info! I know nothing about this body...got it from a fellow CPFer today. I love it because now the Tranzilla head is being used to its fullest potential.
> 
> My question to you, though, is what tailcap do you use? As you can see in the picture, the stock E tailcap is the smallest in diameter on the light...and I think it would look better if the tailcap was more like the rest of the body, or maybe even a bit wider. Thanks.




The original Aleph tailcap was wider than current ones and would probably match that body nicely. They've been out of production for quite a while, although I do have a spare one in the parts box if you need it...


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## Bullzeyebill (Apr 11, 2008)

milkyspit said:


> The original Aleph tailcap was wider than current ones and would probably match that body nicely. They've been out of production for quite a while, although I do have a spare one in the parts box if you need it...



Great offer from Milkeyspit. You can also go with the McClicky, which looks quite good on one of my TB bodies, wider than stock Surefire. Go for the Aleph tailcap, particularly if it has the two level switch.

Bill


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## ttran97 (Apr 11, 2008)

milkyspit said:


> The original Aleph tailcap was wider than current ones and would probably match that body nicely. They've been out of production for quite a while, although I do have a spare one in the parts box if you need it...



hi milkyspit! Yes, that would be wonderful if you could toss that in with the *Milky M3 Transgressor* that you're sending out on Monday. Thanks! _(Incentives...incentives...)_

Thank you to everyone for the other suggestions. I'll check the other tailcaps too.


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## skalomax (Apr 11, 2008)

ttran97 said:


> hi milkyspit! Yes, that would be wonderful if you could toss that in with the *Milky M3 Transgressor* that you're sending out on Monday. Thanks! _(Incentives...incentives...)_
> 
> Thank you to everyone for the other suggestions. I'll check the other tailcaps too.


 
You have to spill the beans!


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## toby_pra (Apr 11, 2008)

Looks like the Milky ML1 Q5 is a little bit brighter...


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## ttran97 (Apr 11, 2008)

toby_pra said:


> Looks like the Milky ML1 Q5 is a little bit brighter...



Yes, but that was when I was only driving the Tranzilla with a 17670 battery...but now that I have this new 18650 body, it's much brighter! Plus, the beauty of the Tranzilla is the color rendition.


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## KeyGrip (Apr 11, 2008)

ttran97;2433719 [B said:


> Milky M3 Transgressor[/B]



Great name!


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## ttran97 (Apr 11, 2008)

KeyGrip said:


> Great name!



Yeah...I'm egotistical like that...haha. j/k :naughty:

First the _Tranzilla_, now the _Transgressor_....and when I finally get around to getting my M6 modded..._Transcend_!


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## cqbdude (Apr 11, 2008)

Tung....I really hate you.....:nana:


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## BLUE LED (Apr 15, 2008)

Wow fantastic lights. I would like to buy a Milky Mod, but it says that he's mail box is full  If you are not too busy? Please could you PM me.


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## ttran97 (Apr 16, 2008)

Added new picture of the Tranzilla...now with the Tranquility Base body and Aleph tailcap. Wow!


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## KeyGrip (Apr 16, 2008)

ttran97 said:


> ...now with the *Tran*quility Base body...



My, what a versatile name you have!


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