# Falcata Prototype Review 9V & 6V



## mtbkndad (Jan 25, 2006)

I recently received 9V and 6V Falcata prototypes from Vaughn Baker of Night-Ops to try and test. The results were rather impressive and since I know there has been a lot of interest regarding these new lights from Night-Ops I decided to post this review. With the exception of a couple of minor changes the lights I have are essentially what will be on the market.







As you can see in the photo the prototypes I received did not have the removeable flange. They do have nice pocket clips. I particularly like the fact that these two lights are carried bezel down. I have never been a fan of bezel up pocket clips.

For a size comparison I decided to show how these compare with the Gladius.







Much has been said about the shock isolation system in the Falcata’s.
I decided to take them apart and see it for myself. I am including photo’s of the complete setup. This patented system is simple in it’s design and ingeneous in it’s implementation and effectiveness. The system protects the bulb from both forward/backard and lateral stresses.











As you can see from the photos above, springs are used in front of and behind the bulb in the bulb assembly. The result is a fully sprung system that keeps the batteries from hitting the bulb and also never loses electrical contact. There is even a spring that provides contact between the negative spring and the switch.






Look into the tailcap under the negative spring and you will see the small contact spring I was referring to above.

Lateral forces are dealt with by the use of a silicone rubber O-ring.






Here you can see the O-ring from the back of the head. In the front it prevents the bulb from ever coming in contact with the reflector from lateral forces.






This photo shows the bulb in place and the protective cushion and space the silicone O-ring provides. A side benefit of this lateral protection is keeping the bulb properly centered in the reflector. Of course with a system this well thought out I will assume that was also part of the design. 

If you would like Night-Ops official specs for these lights they can be found here.

http://www.night-ops.com/Falcata-Flashlights.htm

The run time listed for each light is 60 minutes. That is total run time. 
I did two run time tests with each light to 50%. Anybody familiar with these types of compact high powered lights will know they are not designed for hours of bright run time.
That said each light performed quite well for their given lumen ratings.
They are direct drive lights so brightness does decrease as the light is used.
Here are my results. I will post one runtime test for each light since the results for each test were nearly identical and the duration times were the same.

All readings are lux @ 1 meter.

Falcata 9 Volt rated at 125 lumens

Start --------5230
10 min------5270
20 min------4700
30 min------4000
40 min------2503

I did not go any further with the test because I will change the batteries once it drops below 4000 in terms of light output. I change batteries as soon as the light drops dramatically in any light I use. Thirty minutes of decreasing bright light is very reasonable for a 125 lumen 9 volt light. 

Falcata 6 Volt rated at 95 lumens

Start---------3860
10 min------3530
20 min------3353
30 min------2696
40 min------2354
50 min------1104

Once again, as soon as the light output dropped significantly I stopped the test.
Both of my tests with the 6 volt Falcata gave 40 minutes of decreasing bright light before it dropped drastically. This is also very reasonable for a 6 volt light that is rated at 95 lumens.

For beam shots I decided to add one more light to the mix. I choose the Gladius that was at my house that had the closest beam charicteristic to the Falcata’s. I had four here the night I did this test. This one has a starting lux reading of around 2800 lux @ 1 meter. My reason for adding it is so you can see what lights look like that are close to the same lux reading as the 9V and 
6V Falcata’s when their batteries need to be changed. I am referring to my practice of changing the batteries as soon as there is a significant, quick drop in light output.

When the 9V Falcata’s batteries need to be changed it will have similar light output as a 6V Falcata. When the 6V Falcata’s batteries need to be changed it will have similar output to a Gladius. I know this is not exact, but the comparison is a fairly close aproximation.






In the first series of night shots the lights are being focused at the yellow pickets above the hood of the white Suburban. The wall immediately in front of the Suburban is 120 feet away. The yellow pickets are another 60 feet beyond that. The camera was set at the default ISO and 8” f3.2. The camera I am using is a Canon S2IS. I choose this setting because it gave a realistic picture of the hotspots at this distance. There is useable light from the corona of each of these beams but at this distance the camera does not pick up any of it. Some computer monitors may need to be turned to bright to view these images well.
All the photos will go 9VFalcata, 6VFalcata, Gladius. First the wide angle shots.
















Now for the close up shots. You can see orange limes in the tree behind the Suburban. That tree is around 135 feet away.
















I also wanted to do some shots that showed the entire beam.
In these photos the tree is 75 feet away from the flashlights and they are aimed at the base of the trunk. The yellow pickets are around 50 feet behind the tree at this angle.

One again the photos will go 9V, 6V, Gladius
The camera was between 15 and 20 feet down the strreet from the lights and was set at 10” f2.7 The shots came out suprisingly realistic in terms of the briightness of the hotspots and relative Corona’s when viewing them on my 17” powerbook. There was still some light in the darker regions of the coronas of the Falcata’s that was not picked up by my camera. There was also some light at the edge of the hotspot of the Gladius hitting the bush in front of the picket fence that the camera did not pick up, but overall I am pleased with these shots.
















Added Section: 1/25/2006 4:22PM PST
I am adding these close up crops of the corona shots because the give a good idea of the width of the hotspots and how these lights shine through very cluttered areas. These are unedited other then croping from my original high resolution photo. Remember the beams are focused at the center of the base of the tree that is 75 feet away. The pickets are around 125 feet away.
So the light that is lighting either side of the tree is the side of the hotspot and the corona.

















Now a few words about the Falcata’s. I really like these lights. For those people that think the Gladius does not “feel” solid, the Falcata’s do indeed have a very solid “feel” to them. I also like the matt Black Type 3 anodizing, it provides a very graspable quality to the light. The fit and finish and serviceability of these lights is very good. While I do not recomend this as a test, I know from personal experience that the 6V Falcata I was using was dropped from 3 feet to asphalt on it’s bezel and still works fine. That is because I dropped it. I am pleased with their fresh battery to change the battery bright light range. The switches have a nice solid feel to them and can do momentary on or click to continuous on. 

Neither of these lights will replace my Gladius. They are wonderful compliments to it.
I do not know that I would personally change anything about these two lights.
I do think, If I was Night-Ops, I would want to add a voltage regulated model and a rechargeable model to this fine line of Incandescent lights in the future.

Take Care,
mtbkndad :wave:


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## UVvis (Jan 25, 2006)

Thanks for the review,

I am eagerly awaiting the release of these, and tape switches for weapon use.


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## 10mmWiseman (Jan 25, 2006)

These look really great but I was really hoping for them to be regulated.

While the Falcata series brings some nice features they really could have blown away the rest of the tac incan market with regulated models. Regulated models may not have the longer runtimes, but I never wait until the light drops significantly in output anyhow to change out batteries.

In other words I would prefer 40+ minutes of regulated output then 60+ minutes where the last 20 are fairly weak and become dimmer the closer I reach the end of the battery life.

Perhaps a missed opportunity but I think these will do very well anyhow.


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## Delvance (Jan 25, 2006)

Thanks for the review and the nice photos mtbkndad! 


The lights look pretty nice. I wonder if Night-ops will sell many ? The way i see it, there are already plenty of pocket sized incans that offer very similar (if not better) performance and the same set of features (save for the lateral shock protection), but as far as i know, even a standard quality incan with no shock protection would rarely ever fail from drops etc (not gunfire recoil). Will be interesting to see sales when the light is released...now if they built a regulated version, that will definitely be  for me hehe.


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## mtbkndad (Jan 25, 2006)

One thing I really like about these that I did not mention in the review is the width of their hotspots. They are not pinpoint. They strike a very good balance between being wide enough to be useful for my purposes and narrow enough to have decent throw.
I do believe that weapon mounting was a large part of the design focus of these lights. The system works very well for weapon mounted applications. I agree that a regulated model would be a nice addition in the future. I also know people that do not like regulation in flashlights. They like the simplicity of a direct driven light.
I it is a matter of preference. I like both regulated and non-regulated lights for different reasons. When the production models come out I will be very interested in getting these complete setups. I like the removeable flanges that were shown in another thread.

Take Care,
mtbkndad :wave:


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## igabo (Jan 26, 2006)

Only way I see them doing good is if they are priced well.


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## jonman007 (Jan 26, 2006)

I was also really hoping that they would be regulated.


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## greenLED (Jan 26, 2006)

:rock:
...regulation will come, I'm not concerned.

IMO, and from what I see here, the shock isolation in the Falcata's are a big leap forward compared to other weapons lights.


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## Lightedge (Jan 26, 2006)

The Laser Devices flashlights use the same shock isolation method. I believe Night-ops and LD are sharing the reflector and shock isolation method. That is a good thing. I've been totally impressed with the LD lights in both of these regards. I wonder if the NO and LD lamp assemblies are interchangeable. They look the same and are rated the same.

Someone commented about the sellability of these lights given the crowded tac light market. Pretty valid comment. I think they will sell for the same reason the Gladius sells. Great quality with somewhat more features for somewhat less money. A homerun characteristic would have been nice but didn't happen with these lights yet. Regulation and 2 output levels would be a huge home run.

I will stock these as well as the Gladius because I love their lights and think the company is going in the right direction. The Gladius (with HA3) is a home run in my book and both of these Falcatta lights appear to be excellent compliments by any standard. I think they will sell but it will be hard to knock the king off the mountain without something more. Regulation with 2 output levels (ala A2 maybe) in same size package would put these lights over the top even if it meant increased price.

One more thing. Truly excellent review.


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## Mags (Jan 26, 2006)

By the look of the springs, the tailcap switch looks remarkable like a kroll.... Just a suggestion. Is it a clicky, or "tactical"?


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## mtbkndad (Jan 27, 2006)

Lightedge,

Laser Devices has some really outstanding lights. On a purely subjective level, I have never really cared for how they look. I really like the look & feel of the Night-Ops lights. 

Mags,

The switch can be pushed lightly for momentary on or harder to click for continuous on. Does this answer your question? I am not sure what you are asking, or should I say how you are using "tactical".

Food for thought regarding regulated and un-regulated lights.
I have both and use both. I have been thinking about this for some time and the respones to these lights not being regulated has caused me to want to put into words what I have been thinking.

I do think a regulated model would be a nice addition to this line.
I do not think lack of regulation is hurting the funtion of these lights, at least for me.
Here is why-
I do not like it when my regulated lights that do not have some form of end of battery life warning suddenly go dim. The difference between the bright light and the now dark light is almost temporarily blinding.
Of course this has never been a problem with my Gladius. It starts blinking when I have 10 minutes of bright light left.
With my non-regulated lights I have found that my eyes seem to continually adjust to the slightly decreasing beam and it really is not noticeable until it finally drops quick. By the time the light does drop off quickly the difference is not so dramatic as to leave me feeling like I am suddenly in the dark. 

Now regarding the Falcata's

The 9V kept 75% of it's starting brightness before dropping quickly at the 30+ minute mark. That to me is pretty good and really not terribly noticeable when using the light continuously and my eyes are constantly adjusting to the decreasing bright light.

The 6V held 70% of its starting brightness at 30 minutes and 60% before it started dropping quickly at the 40+ minute mark. Once again that is not to bad for me when using it continuously and my eyes are adjusting to the changing beam.

When I choose a non regulated light I do it based on my personal illumination needs and then find a light that is bright enough when the batteries are about to need to be changed. That way it will always be plenty bright.
I have found for 90% of my lighting needs the high power of a Gladius is sufficient. (The times I need more light then that I go for my Tri-Star Phazer, ELX-6, or my spotlights.)
As a result of that fact, I plan on carrying a 6V Falcata to be an incan compliment to my Gladius. When I am doing night mtb riding I need a good long throwing light that is also small and lite for those times I need to check something off the trail. I also want a light that has a decent sized hotspot as I do not care for pinpoint beams in my flashlights. Particularly when I am searching for something. The 6V with fresh batteries will light objects fairly well 100 yards away and well enough for those times I will need it. So I plan on using a 9V Falcatta for my night mtb rides. That way it will always be plenty bright for what I seek to use it for.

If you look closely at the corona close up pictures only two at a time you may see the point I am trying to make. The difference between the 9V and the 6V is noticeable but not so big as to make the 6V seem useless in comparison. I am fine with that change from a 9V with fresh batteries to a 9V when the batteries need to be changed. For me the same is true for the difference between the 6V and the Gladius. 

If Night-Ops ever does make a regulated model, I certainly hope they build some form of warning into the light. I personally do not like the idea of a duty light that suddenly drops about 3,000 or 4,000 lux. To me that could be dangerous.
These are just my opinions and my reasoning as to why I am fine with these first models being direct drive.

Take Care,
mtbkndad :wave;


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## Trashman (Jan 27, 2006)

The bulb and reflector opening w/red o-ring (for centering/shock protection) look similar to some Streamlight offerings. I wonder if the o-ring will pop the bulb out when focusing, similar to what has been reported with some Streamlights, such as the Scorpion. How long are the pins on the bulb, or is the bulb and socket one piece?


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## mtbkndad (Jan 27, 2006)

Trashman said:


> The bulb and reflector opening w/red o-ring (for centering/shock protection) look similar to some Streamlight offerings. I wonder if the o-ring will pop the bulb out when focusing, similar to what has been reported with some Streamlights, such as the Scorpion. How long are the pins on the bulb, or is the bulb and socket one piece?



The bulb is a complete assembly, you can see it above.
I really do not believe these lights are designed to be focused.
There is not much difference when turning it and the best beam is when the 
head is threaded on until it is tight.
Sorry about the late reply I have been working on site.

Take Care,
mtkbndad :wave:


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## GarageBoy (Jan 27, 2006)

95lumens for an hour on 2x123s? Surefire has some SERIOUS competition


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## shiftd (Jan 27, 2006)

yikes
is that a kroll used in the tailcap? remarkably similar, i can bet my salt on it!

Don't mean to bash, but isnt it a bad idea to use kroll for incandescent light? especially one that drains high amperage like this? 

just my salt


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## Mags (Jan 28, 2006)

Thats exactly what I mentioned earlier. A kroll in this highly sophisticated lookin light? also, the throw rating at 1 meter seems incredibly low for a 9v incandescent.


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## mtbkndad (Jan 28, 2006)

Mags, 

The hotspot is too large for a one meter test to give any real indication of the throwing ability of this light. I used the one meter mark merely for the purpose of the runtime test. It is an easy distance to measure.

Here is a shot I took that I did not put in the original review because I did not want it to be too long.






The camera settings were the same as in the review for the first shots.
I will explain what you are seeing in the close up so it makes sense.






The center of the hotspot is focused on the black mailbox behind the bush. The you can see its bright numbers glowing. The corner of the white wall behind the mail box is 145 feet away from where I was standing. 
The brown bush across the driveway immediately behind the black mailbox is 30 feet beyond that white wall. As you follow the brown bush down the street you are looking at roughly 60 feet of pomegranete trees. The dimly lit car that is being lit from the very edge of the hotspot is about 100 feet past the white wall. The yard with the trash cans is 75 feet wide. So at this angle the 9V Falcata is lighting roughly a 160 foot wide section of that side of the street. Lux @ one meter won't show that. The 9V Falcata has no trouble lighting objects 100 yards away. I chose distances for the photos that allowed all three lights be used and that I would be likely to use them at. 

Take Care,
mtbkndad :wave:


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## mtbkndad (Jan 31, 2006)

For those that asked about the switch, I have an answer now.
I did not mention the switch in the review because that is one of the things that is being modified from the prototype to the production models that I was referring too.
Yes it is a Kroll switch not just a look alike. The difference is that in the production models there will be a conductivity sleeve that runs through the interior of the body of the light. A very slight turn of 1/8" will lock out the switch entirely in the prototypes I tested and am told this will still be just as effective in the production models. I found it easiest for me to carry the lights in my pocket switched on and slightly twisted to be locked out off. This is because my primary pocket carry light is a NightCutter M60L that I have modified to have a very wide flood and I have gotten used to doing a quick twist to unlock the light. It has literally become second nature to me when pulling a light from my pocket. The Falcatas enable me to do the same motion I have gotten used to and then click off or back on as needed thereafter.

I was told Night-Ops is also designing another switch but I cannot comment on it since I do not know anything about it.

Take Care,
mtbkndad :wave:


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## dougmccoy (Jan 31, 2006)

I'm not concerned in the slightest about about the reliability or longevity of the NO lights. The engineers and test program which the Gladius underwent have been sufficiently robust to ensure that the light has met or exceeded it design parameters.

The issue of ceramic coating has been resolved by being replaced by HA111. The problems with owners incorrectly replacing the tailcap has been largely resolved by better instructions accompanying the light. The only other problem was a 'potential' for the plastic switch to malfunction/break if dropped directly onto its end when locked out. However, the doubts expressed by many about the switch being the weakest part of the Gladius don't appear to have materialised?

Other manufacturers have suffered similar or worse problems with their lights and I recall problems with both the E2e clickie switch and the U2 causing more negative comments on CPF than have been seen about the Gladius.

True the Surefire guarantee allows complete confidence in their ability to fix or relplace faulty components but hasn't prevented them from needing to redesign parts or processes.

NO is a young company and the experience of its design team seems IMHO to have already equaled more established rivals. The Gladius is superb and the Falcata series promises similar or better performance at a more competitive price than its competitiors? The prototypes and the excellent review on these lights indicate that the production models should have any lessons or modifications learnt being incorporated into them at the time of their release.

Doug


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## SilverFox (Jan 31, 2006)

Hello Mtbkndad,

Would it be possible to get a lux reading for those lights (and the Gladius) at 3 meters?

Also, would it be possible to get a measurement of the beam "hot spot" diameter at 2 meters? I am looking for a "rough" number, and trust your best judgment at determining it.

Thanks.

By the way, nice review and nice looking lights. 

Tom


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## mtbkndad (Jan 31, 2006)

SilverFox,

I can do that, sort of. The Gladius I used in the beam shots was given to the friend I purchased it for with an explanation as to why the case was not sealed and two extra batteries. 

I will take lux readings at 1 meter 2 meters and hotspot diameters of both distances of the 9V and 6V Falcata's and my Gladius and my wife's Gladius (two very different beams). You will need to give me a couple of days as I have commitments tonight.

Take Care,
mtbkndad :wave:


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## SilverFox (Feb 1, 2006)

Hello Mtbkndad,

 ...

Tom


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## greenLED (Feb 1, 2006)

greenLED said:


> the shock isolation in the Falcata's are a big leap forward compared to other weapons lights.



Seems like a couple of other lights use similar systems.


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## mtbkndad (Feb 2, 2006)

Tom,

I got your info., but just finished 13 hours on site and now need to head to my shop for another 5 or 6.
I will post the info. tomorrow.

Take Care,
Daniel
mtbkndad :wave:


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## mtbkndad (Feb 3, 2006)

Okay Tom here goes. I forgot to measure the Gladiuses the other night so I did everything again tonight.

9V Falcata lux @ 1 meter 5420
Hotspot 12" with a 10" brighter section and a 2" dimmer fringe.

6V Falcata lux @ 1 meter 3576
Hotsspot 12" with a 10" brighter sectoin and a 2" dimmer fringe.

OD Gladius lux @ 1 meter 2704
Hotspot 9" clearly defined and no noticeable fringe.

Black Gladius lux @ 1 meter 2357
Hotspot little over 12" with a 10 inch bright section and a darker 2"+ fringe.



9V Falcata lux @ 2 meters 1242
Hotspot 18''-19" with a 12" brighter section in the center.

6V Falcata lux @ 2 meters 586
Hotspot 18"-19" with a 12" brighter section in the center.

OD Gladius lux @ 2 meters 487
Hotspot slightly ovoid 14" in one direction and 13" in the other direction.
Very clear and defined end to the hotspot with no noticeable darker fringe.

Black Gladius lux @ 2 meters 402
Hotspot 24" with a 12" brighter section.

My battery stock is getting low so I am not 100% sure of how fresh the cells in each of the lights were. Also, now that I am done the 2 meter mark may have been 2 meters 3". I am working under rather severe sleep deprivaton tonight. The one meter was one meter and the 2 meter was one of the two distances I mentioned above and the same for each light.
I hope this information is helpful.

Take Care,
mtbkndad :wave:


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## SilverFox (Feb 3, 2006)

Hello Mtbkndad,

Thanks... Now go get some sleep. 

I think you were at 2 meters 3 inches, but that is OK. The beam seems to be well developed at 1 meter, and the 2 meter (+ 3") measurements come close to the 1 meter measurements, but I think your batteries may have been running down a little.

I have found that when the hot spot is around 18" at 2 meters, I find the beam very useful for near to mid range distances. This may not be the best for throw, but closer in I find that sized beam very useful.

Thanks again for checking that out. I may have to take a closer look at the Falcata lights.

Tom


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## CLHC (Feb 3, 2006)

Great review(s) and picture shots Dan! Really helpfull in making a decision. This looks promising to be sure. . .

And what LightEdge said regarding the lamp assembly on these Night-Ops. If I remember correctly what KG (of Night-Ops) said, that these are the same ones (design/engineering) as Laser Devices. I must say that they do build excellent units via the Operator and Operative series.

Looking forward to the Falcata release.


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## lamperich (Feb 3, 2006)

mtbkndad said:


> OD Gladius lux @ 1 meter 2704
> Hotspot 9" clearly defined and no noticeable fringe.
> 
> Black Gladius lux @ 1 meter 2357
> Hotspot little over 12" with a 10 inch bright section and a darker 2"+ fringe.





@mtbkndad 

YEAR thanks a lot! much better than white wall beamshots!

the "OD gladius" still use the stock reflector?

if yes can you also measure the diameter of [email protected]?
or wait "bright section" ? is this the sidespill? 


Wherer did you measure the lux? on the floor?

[email protected] 2 meter is usually 
[email protected] / 2² right? that´s what i got.


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## GLADIUSX1 (Feb 3, 2006)

ONE INTERESTING QUESTION ,WHAT OTHER BULB REFECTOR COMBINATION WILL FIT THIS BODY ,SUREFIRE OR OTHERS (LED OR INCANDESENT} EXAMPLE ...P6O,P61,G&P 3 WATT LED ETC.....


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## Caspertoo (Feb 3, 2006)

Will this light still have the strobe effect that the gladius has? Also will there be three settings like the gladius, one where you set the power level (great for looking around for footing but not giving your position away) one bright on, and then the strobe setting?

Thanks,

Caspertoo


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## mtbkndad (Feb 4, 2006)

Tom,

When I did the distance measurements for the beams for the Falcata's at two meters that was two meters exactly. I did those at my shop the night I was working till 3AM. The Gladius distance shots were at 2 meters 3" by accident. As were all of the 2 meter lux readings. The two meter lux readings were done after the 1 meter lux readings which would also slightly effect the comparative results between the distances.
Regarding beam size, I agree with you. I really like the size of the hotspots of the Falcata's for a good balance of throw and area illumination.
I have very little personal use for lights that have pinpoint hotspots and very dim corona's.


Caspertoo,
I do believe these lights are designed to be simple and effective weapon mountable direct drive bright light when needed for relatively short durations lights.
That is just my opinion based on their physical design and runtimes to 50%.

Take Care,
mtbkndad :wave:


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## Ken J. Good (Feb 9, 2006)

1. The Falcata's are not multi-function lights. They are good quality, shock-isolated incandescent flashlights.

2. The current protos are using a Kroll switch, however we have a digital switch in development as well as another proprietary switch we may or may not use on actual production units. Still in evaluation mode here on this issue.

3. Surefire lamps assemblies will not drop into this light. 

I've included a nice picture of some pre-production protos with a newer version of the removeable anti-roll flange in the rear. It is a hard rubber compound. Almost everybody who handled these lights so far at the SHOT Show pre-show shoot really likes the handling/feel of these lights.

Oh by the way, the Falcata has new bigger brother, the "Helios".






Here's some of the key features of the Helios HID.

1) Light Output: 3400 lumens

2) Lamp Life: 3000+ hours

3) Run time: 105 mins

4) High efficiency reflector - Really rocks the competition here.

5) Completely waterPROOF (submersible) to 100 ft.

6) Convienient charging design (cradle)

7) Locking magnetic switch (you can lock the switch so that it doesn't turn on - not in the prototype,

however)

8) "Removable handle" design

9) Cartridge-style battery (enabling easy swap)

10) Fast charging time: 2hours 30mins to fully charge one battery

11) Universal charger (90 ~ 240V)

12) Li-Ion battery pack

All in a very small, easy to handle package....Something to think about anyway...


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## marcspar (Feb 9, 2006)

Ken,

I love my Gladius and look forward to getting some of these new models. Any idea when the Helios will be available and the approximate cost?

Thanks,

Marc


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## Mark2 (Feb 9, 2006)

Very nice, a quality HID light with a reasonable price is much needed on the market.


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## brightnorm (Feb 9, 2006)

Ken J. Good said:


> ...Oh by the way, the Falcata has new bigger brother, the "Helios".
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Ken, what are the dimensions and weight of the Helios?

Brightnorm


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## Kiessling (Feb 9, 2006)

Does this thing have a battery indicator?
(I know ... this question coming from me is getting old ... but I am really hooked on indicators ...  )
bernie


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## Lexus (Feb 9, 2006)

35w HID, Li-Ion battery and waterproof in a small package sounds like a I-NEED-that light to me. I'm definitely interested! Any info on the price?
And the name "Helios" sounds suitable: I always wanted to hold the sun in my hands...


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## Spacemarine (Feb 9, 2006)

Wow! This thing must use at least a 50W HID if it has an output of 3400 Lumens!


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## Lexus (Feb 9, 2006)

Yeah, if those 3400 lumens are torch lumens then it probably has to be a 50W. Ken, please shed some light on us...


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## CLHC (Feb 9, 2006)

WOW! ! ! Now I WOULD BE interested in that Night-Ops Helios HID, if the price is within my reach of course. . .


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## Ken J. Good (Feb 10, 2006)

35W 

Name, style, mechanics subject to change. Looking to 6-8 weeks for full production if I get the thumbs up.

As I stated in another thread the price is going to more than a min-mag but probably less than any other similarly performing lights.


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## powernoodle (Feb 10, 2006)

Dang. I haven't been paying much attention to this thread. Won't make that mistake again. 

peace


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## cue003 (Feb 10, 2006)

Ok, I am #1 on the HELIOS list.  

Curtis


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## Lunarmodule (Feb 10, 2006)

*NUMBER TWO ON HELIOS LIST - BEHIND CURTIS


*


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## Ken J. Good (Feb 11, 2006)

I am going to have to pull my foot out my mouth...I have been answering so many spec questions...I answered this question on my way running out the door without thinking about it.....

It is a 35W unit....Sorry for the confusion...


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## CLHC (Feb 11, 2006)

Only 35W? Well, it doesn't matter to me whether it's 35W, 50W, 75W, or 100W—I still want one!


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## wquiles (Feb 11, 2006)

Ken J. Good said:


> I am going to have to pull my foot out my mouth...I have been answering so many spec questions...I answered this question on my way running out the door without thinking about it.....
> 
> It is a 35W unit....Sorry for the confusion...


No worries Ken 

Will


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## Spacemarine (Feb 11, 2006)

Ken J. Good said:


> It is a 35W unit....Sorry for the confusion...



But the 3400 Lumen output can't be true then. The best 35W HID bulbs (D4) have an output of 3400 Lumen. 

So your real light output will be a lot lower due to reflector and lens losses.


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## wquiles (Feb 11, 2006)

Spacemarine said:


> But the 3400 Lumen output can't be true then. The best 35W HID bulbs (D4) have an output of 3400 Lumen.
> 
> So your real light output will be a lot lower due to reflector and lens losses.


The 3400 Lumen "can" be true if we look at "bulb" lumens. It we use the "rough" estimate of 65% in losses (could be more, could be less) then you will get an approximation on torch lumens 

Will


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## Andreas (Feb 12, 2006)

I am in on the Helios


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## BVH (Feb 12, 2006)

Now how did I know Andreas was "in" before he posted??


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## Alin10123 (Feb 13, 2006)

Ken,
Can you give an idea of the weight and dimensions? 

thanks


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## MorpheusT1 (Feb 13, 2006)




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## greenLED (Feb 13, 2006)

Looks like Ken beat me to the HELIOS announcement and more on the Falcata specs. Got to see both at SHOT and must say I'm 

The Falcatas I saw at SHOT looked extremely well built and handle well. Ken told me the kroll had been "tweaked" for better performance, but also talked about the use of a completely different switch for it for the production units. 

Alin, think of one of those 6V lanterns - that's about the size of the Helios (a bit slimmer and longer, though)


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## jtice (Feb 16, 2006)

Sorry if this has been asked before...

Is the Helios Instant strike?
IE,, no warmup time?

Thanks
~John


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## Ken J. Good (Feb 16, 2006)

It is not instant Strike.


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## Luna (Feb 19, 2006)

BVH said:


> Now how did I know Andreas was "in" before he posted??




I thought the Lambo was his last light


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## cheapo (Feb 19, 2006)

why do two have nightops on them, and the other has blackhawk?

-David


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## mtbkndad (Feb 19, 2006)

David,

If you are referring to the pic I did of the two Falcata's and a Gladius, they all have both.
One side says Blackhawk and the other side says either Gladius or Falcata with Night-Ops below.

Take Care,
Daniel
mtbkndad :wave:


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## TacticalGrilling (Mar 2, 2006)

The helios I held at SHOT weighed about 2-3 pounds. Felt suprisingly light for the size.


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