# *NEW* Maratac AAA Titanium



## snowlover91 (Nov 10, 2015)

New AAA titanium light from Maratac, great price at $44. Went ahead and ordered one as this should be an excellent EDC light. 


http://countycomm.com/aaati.html


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## Ray-o-light (Nov 10, 2015)

Ordered one, thanks!


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## Redhills (Nov 10, 2015)

Looks great. Thanks for the info.


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## magellan (Nov 10, 2015)

Thanks for the heads up. Yes, looks great, super price too, just ordered two.


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## 2ac (Nov 10, 2015)

I could not resist. It'll keep my CU company. Now I might just have to pick up a SS for the trifecta.


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## gunga (Nov 10, 2015)

I wonder how the threads are. Also, I wonder if the grade 5 titanium makes for less galling/binding vs the cheaper grade 2 titanium. That would be very cool.


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## 2ac (Nov 10, 2015)

6Al 4V Ti is pretty tough stuff.


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## snowlover91 (Nov 10, 2015)

I love the look of this light, will be my first Maratac light. Now just need some rechargeable AAA batteries to go with it. A titanium light of this size putting out 100+ lumens is a winner in my book. Hope they release the copper version again as I missed out on that one. And the stainless steel. This hobby sure gets expensive fast!


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## brusiedmeat (Nov 11, 2015)

The price went up a few bucks today.. :sigh: 48.95


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## Str8stroke (Nov 11, 2015)

brusiedmeat said:


> The price went up a few bucks today.. :sigh: 48.95



What was it?


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## 2ac (Nov 11, 2015)

Str8stroke said:


> What was it?


$43.95


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## brusiedmeat (Nov 11, 2015)

LOL.. The 1st post states the great price of $44.

Almost makes it a 60 dollar light with shipping, which kinda kills it for me. 
I was able to sneek in my order for 2 lights @ $44 each with screwdriver for 99 total with free ship, as I had it in my basket last night. 
Others might want to hold out for the SS version that were going to 30ish when they come back to stock.


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## snowlover91 (Nov 11, 2015)

Mine has now shipped and is scheduled to arrive Tuesday next week! Looking forward to receiving it and I'll definitely post some pics too. For those who have rev 3 Maratac AAA lights, does it have mode memory or always start out in medium?


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## clintb (Nov 11, 2015)

Anybody know if these are low/medium/high?


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## wedlpine (Nov 11, 2015)

I wonder if these will make it to massdrop?


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## wedlpine (Nov 11, 2015)

snowlover91 said:


> ...does it have mode memory or always start out in medium?



Always starts in medium.


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## snowlover91 (Nov 11, 2015)

clintb said:


> Anybody know if these are low/medium/high?



They are M,L, H in that order.


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## akhyar (Nov 12, 2015)

wedlpine said:


> I wonder if these will make it to massdrop?



Consider your wish granted 
https://www.massdrop.com/buy/maratac-titanium-aaa-flashlight


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## run4jc (Nov 12, 2015)

brusiedmeat said:


> LOL.. The 1st post states the great price of $44.
> 
> Almost makes it a 60 dollar light with shipping, which kinda kills it for me.
> I was able to sneek in my order for 2 lights @ $44 each with screwdriver for 99 total with free ship, as I had it in my basket last night.
> Others might want to hold out for the SS version that were going to 30ish when they come back to stock.



Yeah, that $9.95 shipping stopped me. Looks like a great little light at a decent price for titanium - no doubt you'll all enjoy the little light!


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## Minimoog (Nov 12, 2015)

Once again, no UK shipping :sigh:

Are there any decent AAA or AA lights like this available in the UK? No luck in finding one so far.


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## kreisl (Nov 12, 2015)

snowlover91 said:


> New AAA titanium light from Maratac, great price at $44. Went ahead and ordered one as this should be an excellent EDC light.



pre-production price is now 48.95$

massdrop price $44.99

i see:buddies:


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## akhyar (Nov 12, 2015)

Minimoog said:


> Once again, no UK shipping :sigh:
> 
> Are there any decent AAA or AA lights like this available in the UK? No luck in finding one so far.



It's available n Massdrop now.
Massdrop offers worldwide shipping for torchlight


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## neleus (Nov 12, 2015)

I find it similar to Klarus MiX6 Ti. Wonder how it's compared in terms of beam profile. Maybe someone already owns the Al version.


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## Thetasigma (Nov 12, 2015)

I snagged one last night since I wanted a few items from CountyComm already. 

The Rev.3 AAA models are Medium, Low, High with no memory. Tint in the Brass model I have is a cool white, which is alright if you have never seen a warmer LED. Still not bad to carry clipped to a coat or shirt pocket as even in brass it is still quite light. Pocket clip is serviceable, though the keychain ring sucks.

Can anyone comment on the Ti Alloy used as far as threads are concerned? This is my first venture into Ti lights. I hope the the machining of the threads is on par with the Brass I have which has no discernible play at all.


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## snowlover91 (Nov 12, 2015)

Thetasigma said:


> I snagged one last night since I wanted a few items from CountyComm already.
> 
> The Rev.3 AAA models are Medium, Low, High with no memory. Tint in the Brass model I have is a cool white, which is alright if you have never seen a warmer LED. Still not bad to carry clipped to a coat or shirt pocket as even in brass it is still quite light. Pocket clip is serviceable, though the keychain ring sucks.
> 
> Can anyone comment on the Ti Alloy used as far as threads are concerned? This is my first venture into Ti lights. I hope the the machining of the threads is on par with the Brass I have which has no discernible play at all.



Do you know how accessible the led is for those who may want to do an emitter swap? If it's easy to get to I may try swapping it out for a neutral XP-G2 led.


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## recDNA (Nov 12, 2015)

Titanium threads always gall ime.


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## Thetasigma (Nov 12, 2015)

recDNA said:


> Titanium threads always gall ime.


Does a teflon grease alleviate that issue at all?

snowlover, I haven't tried to take any of mine apart, but I read that some of them are glued in an removal will damage the pill. Perhaps someone else knows if this is in fact the case?


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## gunga (Nov 12, 2015)

I dismantled a couple copper ones with no issue but things can change.


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## snowlover91 (Nov 12, 2015)

gunga said:


> I dismantled a couple copper ones with no issue but things can change.




Were they hey easy to take apart or difficult to get into? Are they glued into place?


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## write2dgray (Nov 12, 2015)

Real easy. No glue or threadlock.


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## snowlover91 (Nov 12, 2015)

Sounds good if I don't like the cool white I'll probably swap the emitter out with a neutral or maybe the new Nichia 219c.


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## brusiedmeat (Nov 12, 2015)

Looks like the copper AAA was restocked today. Hmm..


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## RGRAY (Nov 12, 2015)

brusiedmeat said:


> The price went up a few bucks today.. :sigh: 48.95




I went back to look at it again and I noticed that awhile ago I put it in my cart at $43.95.
So, I just bought it for $43.95.


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## RGRAY (Nov 12, 2015)

gunga said:


> I wonder how the threads are. Also, I wonder if the grade 5 titanium makes for less galling/binding vs the cheaper grade 2 titanium. That would be very cool.



I heard on the Prometheus WRITES video that titanium should never be put together dry.
That might be your problem.


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## magellan (Nov 12, 2015)

RGRAY said:


> I went back to look at it again and I noticed that awhile ago I put it in my cart at $43.95.
> So, I just bought it for $43.95.



I'm glad I bought a few days ago, but still, a few bucks more wouldn't have deterred me since I have the copper and stainless and want to add the Ti.


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## RGRAY (Nov 12, 2015)

magellan said:


> I'm glad I bought a few days ago, but still, a few bucks more wouldn't have deterred me since I have the copper and stainless and want to add the Ti.


I didn't say I bought it because I could get it for $43.95.
I said I got it for $43.95 because I left it in my cart.
I went with 2 coppers and Titanium instead of the three types.


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## socom1970 (Nov 12, 2015)

Thanks for the heads up. Just ordered one. Still a great price, no matter if they did raise it a little. Many of us have Ti lights that cost WAY more than this one. 

It's a great little light. I had one of the HA aluminum 1st gens until it got stolen along with everything else.  I'm so glad they finally made a Ti version. Krytox 50/50 or Nano-Oil on the threads will keep it happy. :thumbsup:


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## snowlover91 (Nov 12, 2015)

Also they have the copper ones back in stock for $49 for those interested in adding that one to their collection. I'm considering adding that or a stainless steel one if they get those back in.


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## 1DaveN (Nov 12, 2015)

snowlover91 said:


> Also they have the copper ones back in stock for $49 for those interested in adding that one to their collection. I'm considering adding that or a stainless steel one if they get those back in.



That's bad news. I just got a PD25 by promising myself it was my last flashlight or battery purchase for the year, and now I see that copper AAA. Maybe I can restrain myself until they run out of them.


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## akhyar (Nov 12, 2015)

snowlover91 said:


> Also they have the copper ones back in stock for $49 for those interested in adding that one to their collection. I'm considering adding that or a stainless steel one if they get those back in.



The copper and brass versions look so nice.
Maybe wilk wait for these 2 to appear in Massdrop too


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## LetThereBeLight! (Nov 12, 2015)

1DaveN said:


> That's bad news. I just got a PD25 by promising myself it was my last flashlight or battery purchase for the year, and now I see that copper AAA. Maybe I can restrain myself until they run out of them.



"Resistance is futile."

Or it seems to be! Gotta love that line from Star Trek.


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## Monocrom (Nov 12, 2015)

Looks very nice. I'd buy one too. But a couple of years back, I bought the titanium Battery Junction version.


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## Redhills (Nov 13, 2015)

Mine arrived today. The light is great. What really surprised me was the packaging material. This is my first Maratac purchase. It came wrapped in a brown paper bag, which I was about to recycle when I noticed something odd. It has a schematic of the Arpanet on it. I used Arpanet for a while, before it morphed into the Internet. I think this was the first time I'd ever seen a map of the connections, though. Guess I'll keep that bag.


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## gunga (Nov 13, 2015)

That is neat. Clever! How do the threads feel? Any binding and galling? Can you use it one handed? What is the mode order? Can you notice the pwm?


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## 2ac (Nov 13, 2015)

Mine arrived today. The treads feel a little gritty, but I haven't tried cleaning them out yet. The mode order is interesting.. As mine will go from HML to MLH, if I cycle it 5 plus times. I just tried this with my CU version, and it does the same thing.


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## snowlover91 (Nov 13, 2015)

Redhills said:


> Mine arrived today. The light is great. What really surprised me was the packaging material. This is my first Maratac purchase. It came wrapped in a brown paper bag, which I was about to recycle when I noticed something odd. It has a schematic of the Arpanet on it. I used Arpanet for a while, before it morphed into the Internet. I think this was the first time I'd ever seen a map of the connections, though. Guess I'll keep that bag.



Would love to hear your thoughts and impressions. This will be my first Maratac light. Does it really put out nearly 140 lumens or is that pretty generous?


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## monanza (Nov 13, 2015)

These look pretty nice. Ordered some yesterday. Looking forward to trying them out. I am still waiting on the SS (I think I have a version 1 somewhere) and the Brass. Got to line up the set in formation like little Gendarmes. Attention! (Think French)


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## jon_slider (Nov 14, 2015)

Thetasigma said:


> The Rev.3 AAA models are Medium, Low, High with no memory. Tint in the Brass model I have is a cool white, which is alright if you have never seen a warmer LED. ... Pocket clip is serviceable, though the keychain ring sucks.



I agree
my CU rev3 is MLH no memory also, and I wrote to County Comm yesterday and they replied that for the latest run of CU aaa mode is still MLH. 

My CU is Cool White with PWM, the pocket clip is too long for tailstanding when reversed for hat clip mode, I ground the end of the clip down flush. Then I had the PWM driver replaced with a nonPWM driver, and had the cool white low CRI LED (5800k cRI 71) replaced with a High CRI LED. 

I agree the keychain clip is both uncomfortable, and IF you add a ring to it, the light will not tailstand. I removed the keychain attachment because tailstanding is a high priority need for me.

I think the Maratac Knurling is very nice, when its not too sharp. I sanded it down with 600 and 1500 grit, plus repolished.

Thrunite also offers a titanium aaa light (sometimes called the Ti Christmas edition, both in super bright XPL cool white and in Neutral White (my preference). I actually find the form factor superior to the Maratac, as the Thrunite has an integrated keyring attachment that does not block tailstanding. But the Titanium Thrunite threads are very very galling, to the point of being a deal breaker for me. Thrunite also offers a Stainless version including NW LED, and btw the Thrunite circuit has NO PWM, and the modes are LMH with 8 second memory. Thrunite low is about 0.25 lumens, Maratac low is about 1.5 lumens.

Titanium is almost half the weight of the CU, low weight is why I like the Titanium option, but my past Titanium lights from Thrunite had terrible threads, and Im waiting to hear that is not the case with the Titanium Maratac (btw made by Lumintop afaik, they also make a CU version that looks just like a Maratac with tail switch, that wont tailstand)

Congrats to those of you who ordered the Titanium Maratac, I look forward to more feedback on how the Titanium threads compare to the copper and brass Maratac aaa lights

fwiw, the CU aaa Maratac weighs 28 grams, I Think the Titanium weighs 16 grams both without batteries. (need confirmation of Titanium weight, county comm website text is cut and paste from the CU version, so is not accurate, also website description text says LMH, this is NOT accurate, at top of page it says MLH, this IS correct)

thrunite TiXmas on left, Maratac CU without keyring and with shortened clip on right






a note on pocket clips, they can pop off and get lost, I use a bit of Superglue once Im sure which way I want them positioned. I find using the lights on my baseball cap is a priority, I do not use them clipped to a pocket.


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## Monocrom (Nov 15, 2015)

2ac said:


> Mine arrived today. The treads feel a little gritty, but I haven't tried cleaning them out yet. .


It's titanium. Just the nature of the beast. If you bought a flashlight that someone was claiming is Ti, and the threads are buttery smooth..... Instantly demand your money back! Because you'll know its not Ti. 

County Comm has a fully enclosed, small clip on their site that is Ti. But the threaded closure that screws open and closed..... That one is made out of brass. 

Cleaning the threads and lubing them properly on your light will often reduce the grittiness. But it won't completely go away. For a light with buttery smooth threads, the brass version of the same light will be better. Just the nature of brass. Though looks like it'll be awhile before that version is back in stock.


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## Monocrom (Nov 15, 2015)

snowlover91 said:


> Would love to hear your thoughts and impressions. This will be my first Maratac light. Does it really put out nearly 140 lumens or is that pretty generous?



Maratac is County Comm's in-house brand. And since the company based in China making the lights for C.C. doesn't have an integrating sphere , you're not getting output based on actual numbers. 

Figure 1/3 to 1/2 of 140 for the realistic output.


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## write2dgray (Nov 15, 2015)

Unless you run it on lithium .


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## mcnair55 (Nov 15, 2015)

Minimoog said:


> Once again, no UK shipping :sigh:
> 
> Are there any decent AAA or AA lights like this available in the UK? No luck in finding one so far.



Always a way round that.


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## snowlover91 (Nov 15, 2015)

Monocrom said:


> Maratac is County Comm's in-house brand. And since the company based in China making the lights for C.C. doesn't have an integrating sphere , you're not getting output based on actual numbers.
> 
> Figure 1/3 to 1/2 of 140 for the realistic output.



What would you estimate the output is using a NIMH? Do you have other lights to compare it to or something to measure the lumens? One thing I've found over the years is that lumen estimation can be quite difficult and hard to do without equipment. Things such as beam profile, tint, etc can make a light with less lumens appear brighter or vice versa. Maybe Selfbuilt or someone will be able to test one of these out  

Ive also heard these can be run on a 10440 although it's not officially supported. I'm sure it's much brighter on one but I would also assume the extra voltage would damage the circuit?


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## jon_slider (Nov 15, 2015)

snowlover91 said:


> Maybe Selfbuilt or someone will be able to test one of these out...
> 
> Ive also heard these can be run on a 10440 although it's not officially supported. ...



I found an old Selfbuilt review of an earlier Maratac rated 80 lumens on high.. selfbuilt measured it at 78 lumens. I have no evidence that Maratac specs are not accurate.

10440 produces higher voltage than the Maratac circuit is designed for. I consider that playing with fire. There is also reports that after using 10440 for a while, the light no longer works on 1.5 volts..

For a 10440 aaa, consider the Thrunite Stainless by Vinh, or his CU MaratacVN, with DriverVN and your choice of Led.


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## Monocrom (Nov 16, 2015)

snowlover91 said:


> What would you estimate the output is using a NIMH? Do you have other lights to compare it to or something to measure the lumens? One thing I've found over the years is that lumen estimation can be quite difficult and hard to do without equipment. Things such as beam profile, tint, etc can make a light with less lumens appear brighter or vice versa. Maybe Selfbuilt or someone will be able to test one of these out
> 
> Ive also heard these can be run on a 10440 although it's not officially supported. I'm sure it's much brighter on one but I would also assume the extra voltage would damage the circuit?



Sorry, but unlike the vast majority of CPFers, I have a very strong dislike of both rechargeable cells and lights. I have a profession where I need my lights to work. Rechargeable batteries and lights have both let me down on multiple occasions. (One time stranding me in the middle of a pitch black industrial tank-farm. Enclosed with numerous pipes sticking out a various heights. Thankfully I always carry back-ups that run on primary cells.)

The form factor though is now nearly universal. Olight, Thrunite, even Battery Junction have their own branded versions of the very same design that first started out as an iTP model (owned by Olight) and at the same time as the older Maratac AAA model. Those two were first, with the only difference being the keyring attachment point. I have both of those, I have the Battery Junction version too. Also have the older Maratac AA stainless steel version. Too thick for keychain carry. But works great clipped to a pocket. Also have a few other single-AAA form-factor lights of different designs. But all from China.

Don't have a sphere or a light-box. But when you're dealing with made in China brands, they don't have those either. So, you get emitter lumens. Not realistic. Though when it comes to estimating actual output using emitter lumens, you can come close. No precise, definite numbers. But close. (Like tossing a hand grenade, close.) Once again, 1/3 to 1/2 is as close as realistically possible without the right equipment. If County Comm itself chooses to advertise the more realistic numbers, that's fantastic. But often, companies that have products made for them in China; tend to stick with what that company claims the lights produce.


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## snowlover91 (Nov 16, 2015)

Monocrom said:


> Sorry, but unlike the vast majority of CPFers, I have a very strong dislike of both rechargeable cells and lights. I have a profession where I need my lights to work. Rechargeable batteries and lights have both let me down on multiple occasions. (One time stranding me in the middle of a pitch black industrial tank-farm. Enclosed with numerous pipes sticking out a various heights. Thankfully I always carry back-ups that run on primary cells.)
> 
> The form factor though is now nearly universal. Olight, Thrunite, even Battery Junction have their own branded versions of the very same design that first started out as an iTP model (owned by Olight) and at the same time as the older Maratac AAA model. Those two were first, with the only difference being the keyring attachment point. I have both of those, I have the Battery Junction version too. Also have the older Maratac AA stainless steel version. Too thick for keychain carry. But works great clipped to a pocket. Also have a few other single-AAA form-factor lights of different designs. But all from China.
> 
> Don't have a sphere or a light-box. But when you're dealing with made in China brands, they don't have those either. So, you get emitter lumens. Not realistic. Though when it comes to estimating actual output using emitter lumens, you can come close. No precise, definite numbers. But close. (Like tossing a hand grenade, close.) Once again, 1/3 to 1/2 is as close as realistically possible without the right equipment. If County Comm itself chooses to advertise the more realistic numbers, that's fantastic. But often, companies that have products made for them in China; tend to stick with what that company claims the lights produce.



Hmm interesting history, I didn't realize ITP and Maratac were the first two and others followed the design. In regards to lumen output I would have to disagree with you about things made in China not having accurate numbers. I know Selfbuilt has tested quite a few brands of light made in China with accurate results. Fenix, Nitecore, Zebralight to name a few which for the most part come close to or slightly exceed claimed lumen output. I've also seen those with actual spheres measure numbers close to what's claimed by those companies. Selfbuilt did review the Rev 2 model of this light and measured 78 lumens which is close to spec. I'll have to see when mine gets here but I highly doubt it's only putting out 40 (1/3) or 70 lumens on max.


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## Monocrom (Nov 16, 2015)

Once again, if County Comm has chosen to give numbers closer to reality, than that's a huge plus on them. Credit where it's due. But, one of the reasons why many companies in China are able to offer lights at the prices they do, is due to not spending huge funds on items such as integrating spheres. (Far from inexpensive. Hell, most American-based flashlight companies don't have one or access to one. Biggest reason why emitter lumens ratings are the industry norm.)


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## Minimoog (Nov 16, 2015)

mcnair55 said:


> Always a way round that.




I did try the Massdrop site suggested but was not quite sure what I needed to do. I did see that Olight offers an AAA light and that is freely available so just went for that. It may not be quite as good, but not far off I'm sure.


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## kreisl (Nov 16, 2015)

Monocrom said:


> of the very same design that first started out as an iTP model (owned by Olight) and at the same time as the older Maratac AAA model.



good to hear. the "iTP A3 EOS" was the famous #1 model, with many emitter variations and evolutionary changes (PWM, etc). ~Sept 2013, Olight released the "Olight A3T" with XP-G2, as greenish as ever. a classic model, that's why i keep it in my collection.

my next AAA grab should be the titanium clicky with neutral white emitter, yumm!


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## RGRAY (Nov 18, 2015)

Guess what this is for?







My Maratec Titanium AAA is suppose to be here Friday.


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## snowlover91 (Nov 18, 2015)

Mine is out for delivery, I'll be sure to upload some pics once it arrives! Anything specific you guys want me to get pics of? Threads, beam shots, circuit, etc? I'm curious to see how the threads will be since I've read that titanium can often have rough/gritty threads. Not sure if that's part of getting a titanium light or just specialized equipment needed to produce smooth threads with such a hard metal?


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## snowlover91 (Nov 18, 2015)

Will post some pictures later tonight when it gets dark for some beam shots. For now I'll give my initial impressions. This is my first Maratac light and I went with the titanium for the reduced weight and strength. Upon opening the package it certainly was much lighter than I anticipated, never had a titanium light before and this thing is super light. The threads are a bit gritty, I've read this is characteristic of titanium lights but not sure why. However after putting a little lubrication on the threads and tightening/loosening the head some the threads are much better now. Certainly not buttery smooth like some lights but good enough. Don't expect to be able to turn it on/off with one hand though, I'm not able to and it would be quite difficult to do. 

UI is good but took a little getting used to. When switching the mode order is M, L, H. Beam profile is nice, tint is a 6300-6400k cool white. There is a hint of purple surrounding the hot spot, nothing too bad. I plan to replace the LED with a Nichia 219 at some point anyways so not a big deal. PWM isn't noticeable for me and I can't detect any high pitch noise, I've had a few lights with PWM which exhibited that but this one doesn't. 

Overall it's a great little light, super light with good brightness. The 40 lumen mode is what I'll use most often and I'm glad that's what it always starts in. Only thing I think that would make this light better is a mode memory. That way if I turn it off on high I can turn it back on in high a few hours or days later. This would be a great feature to have, but starting in medium works well enough!


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## jon_slider (Nov 18, 2015)

snowlover91 said:


> Will post some pictures later tonight when it gets dark for some beam shots. For now I'll give my initial impressions. This is my first Maratac light and I went with the titanium for the reduced weight and strength.



Congratulations! Thanks for the comments. My copper Maratac threads are smooth, but when I first got it I could not operate it one handed, unless I removed the O ring. I removed the O ring, and the battery, and spent a bit of time twisting the light tight and loose, to break it in a bit. Dont overtighten btw, in some cases it will rotate the pill deeper. Removing the battery will eliminate one source of gritty action, so you can feel what the threads are doing..

I have also used jewelers polishing cloth on titanium threads, to try and make them smoother.. it did not help with my Thrunite Titanium, but Ive never tried the Maratac Titanium.. I really like the light weight of Titanium, enjoy!

Like you, I actually Like the MLH Maratac modes, it means I get useful light on first twist when not in full darkness, and still get a nice low 1.5 lumen moonlight, when needed (less frequently). And the high on the Maratac is impressively bright… all good. (Note with N219 the moon will drop to about 1 lumen, which imo is even better).. The PWM is not necessarily a deal breaker, it has the advantage of keeping constant color, more consistent tint, on medium and low.

The only thing I found disturbing about the PWM, was when looking at a fan belt on a running car motor, the belt looks like its not moving.. For safety, best not to be looking into a running engine bay anyway.. 

fwiw, here is a Prometheus Beta on 80lumen high, left, and a Maratac Rev 3 like yours, 138lm high.. I had the LEDs tested for actual CRI and Kelvin. Im a huge fan of N219. I dont care that the brightness drops by 30% compared to Cool White. You can expect about 96 lumens if you put an N219 in place of the XP-G2.






and the spectrometer plots, courtesy of Prometheus Lights
Beta with N219a that I love





Maratac with XP-G2


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## snowlover91 (Nov 18, 2015)

Wow those are some excellent results, did you also have the lumen output of your lights tested or just the color temp/CRI? I've attached the titanium Maratac to my keychain and will test it out tonight, pictures to come! One thing though, if I replace the XP-G2 with the new Nichia 219c emitter the drop in output should be much less than 30% if I remember correctly? The 219c is supposed to be more efficient and similar to the XP-G2, maybe a 5-10% reduction in output due to the higher CRI? The emitter I'm looking at is a 5000k 219c emitter on a 10mm copper board.


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## jon_slider (Nov 18, 2015)

snowlover91 said:


> … did you also have the lumen output of your lights tested… The emitter I'm looking at is a 5000k 219c
> 
> No, I derived the percentage from stated XPG2 and N219 offerings from various sources. YMMV
> 
> ...


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## GordoJones88 (Nov 18, 2015)

Merry Christmas to me!


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## jon_slider (Nov 18, 2015)

Great photo
congrats
How are the threads?


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## snowlover91 (Nov 18, 2015)

Excellent photo! It really is a nice little light, loves it's new home on my keychain. After putting some lube on the threads and working the action a little the threads are now even better than my last post. It's good enough I can turn it on one handed now, a significant improvement from the initial state of super gritty/high resistance. The "superlube" seems to work quite well on titanium.


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## snowlover91 (Nov 19, 2015)

Here are two pics of my new light, one with its new home on my keychain and the other a closeup of the emitter.





Emitter close up


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## jon_slider (Nov 19, 2015)

snowlover91 said:


> its new home on my keychain


looks great! Nice light Light..
if possible, can you tell me how much it weighs, grams, empty?
so glad the threads are improving..


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## snowlover91 (Nov 19, 2015)

jon_slider said:


> looks great! Nice light Light..
> if possible, can you tell me how much it weighs, grams, empty?
> so glad the threads are improving..



Unfortunately I don't have anything to weight it with. It's definitely the lightest light I own though and I don't even notice it on my keychain. I see now why people often go for titanium lights, while the threads may be a little gritty at first the reduced weight is certainly worth it. The threads are still improving on it such that I can now use it one handed with either my right or left hand now. I had read where some had good results with superlube and I had a big bottle of it so decided to try it out. It seems to really prevent the galling and there is very little grittiness now. Enough that you can still feel it but not enough to make it hard to use like it was initially. I've also heard some use anti-seize compound which is specifically designed to prevent galling, but unfortunately I don't have any to try.


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## jon_slider (Nov 19, 2015)

snowlover91 said:


> the reduced weight


I agree a Titanium aaa makes a great lightweight keychain light.
Titanium is only about 1/3 heavier than alum while copper is more than double the weight of alum.

You may also find wiping old lube off with alcohol, especially after it gets black, can also help remove some of the initial grit suspended in the lube.

Very glad your TiTac is working one handed now, sounds like it smoothed out nicely. Great looking light.


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## jon_slider (Nov 19, 2015)

Update, Just received a Copper aaa Maratac, scroll down this linked page for more pics and details, it seems to have no PWM…


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## Str8stroke (Nov 19, 2015)

No PWM, that is a bonus. I guess. Only a few lights have a PWM frequency that my eyeballs and brain can detect. But for some, they seem to be able to detect it no matter. Such a nice looking light. It really looks sporty on that key chain.


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## snowlover91 (Nov 19, 2015)

Hmmm interesting. So it's possible my Titanium may not have PWM either. What's the best way to test for it? I'll have to check it out and see if it does or not. If not that's great because it would mean it's now using a regulated circuit. All I will need to do then is swap the LED to a Nichia 219c and I should be all set.


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## snowlover91 (Nov 20, 2015)

Just checked my titanium Maratac.. I can confirm it has no PWM on any level! Did the camera test and it showed constant output throughout! This is good news since older circuits I heard used PWM. Now all I have to do is put a Nichia 219c in it to give me better CRI and tint!

Threads also continue to smooth out with the addition of the superlube I used, man that stuff really works well for titanium also! I can now change modes one handed as well. When I initially got it I could barely screw the head on or off, it was extremely difficult. Then using the lube I was able to get it somewhat easier. After working the action some I could operate it one handed but not smooth enough to change modes. Now I can change modes one handed and it's comparable to many of my other light as far as the feel of the threads.


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## monanza (Nov 20, 2015)

Aha! I though as much, I could not detect any PWM on the Cuprics. Glad to know the Titanics are also PWM-less. Wait, I could have found out for myself!


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## jon_slider (Nov 20, 2015)

snowlover91 said:


> Just checked my titanium Maratac.. I can confirm it has no PWM...
> Now I can change modes one handed and it's comparable to many of my other light as far as the feel of the threads.



Great to hear!

Thanks for the details.


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## jorn (Nov 20, 2015)

Nice with no pwm. Got to go threaten a friend to buy me one. He lost my rev 2 cu on a fishingtrip this year. And i told him it was unreplaceble cause all the new ones got pwm. YOU CANT LOOSE MY BABY.. But he did....
Funny thing, the water he dropped it at is called kopperfjellsvannet. Meaning "copper mountain lake" when translated.


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## jon_slider (Nov 20, 2015)

Another possible way to tell a PWM Maratac from the latest No PWM version. Look for a ring around the LED.


Note the LED ring on the right, this is on a No PWM Just Received Rev 3 Maratac Copper aaa from the latest run.


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## Thetasigma (Nov 24, 2015)

Well, I received my Ti AAA Maratac and overall I am pleased.

Initial impression was that, particularly without a battery, the whole light feels rather like a plastic toy due to the light weight, actually I swear the battery is much heavier than the light. I may be biased though as I like brass lights for EDC. First thing I did was clean up the threads and test them, and being that this is my first Ti light, I was unprepared for how ungodly awful the threads are. With further inspection I found that the threads themselves are machined almost as nicely as my Brass Maratac or Brass Eiger, however the galling nature of Ti lends a nails on chalkboard feel of grittiness, which grease does nothing to alleviate and I am hoping that they smooth out a little with use per comments above. 
The overall finish appears to be machine finished, no polishing or other finishing appears to have been done. This lends a very grippy matte feel to the light. The knurling of the light is unlike any other Maratac light I have in that the ridges of the knurling have been machined flat like the Peak Eiger's knurling, except that a slightly deeper cut has also been left on the knurling, compensating for the loss of the ridges. The result is that the knurling is less aggressive, but grippier if that makes sense.
The keychain attachment is the usual crummy Maratac ring attachment which I have never used due to reliability concerns. The clip remains the less than stellar, but still quite serviceable friction clip. Reversibility of the clip remains an option for those who like clipping their light to a hat.

Differences between the Brass and Ti Maratacs are as follows, the bevels on the head of the Brass light are deeper, leaving a more rounded edge as opposed to the shallower bevels on the Ti head. The grooves on either side of the knurling of the Ti head are a little wider where the Brass ones are narrower. The major difference however is in the head itself. The Ti head has the metal ring around the LED and what appears to be a different circuit underneath the positive terminal. Upon observation the light appears to be PWM free where the Brass uses PWM though it isn't noticeable unless you are looking for it.
Brass vs Ti, the threads are superior on the brass, no questions about it. The brass threads are silky/buttery smooth. This also means that at least for now, one handed operation of the Ti is difficult. The Ti threads are also looser than the brass with noticeable play up and down while the threads of the brass are tight and display such play.
In the my case I was a little disappointed in the tint since my Brass model has a rather nice "clean" cool white tint while the Ti model has a slight purple tinge though not nearly as bad as my Stainless AA model.

Overall it seems like a nice light for the money, particularly in Ti. Light weight and should hold up fine to normal EDC use.
If deciding between the Ti and Brass I would say that unless you are a weight/Ti freak or can live with the PWM, that the Brass is the better option due to the lower price, superior threads, and lower visibility of scratches. 
Hope this helps some.

Lights shown below: Maratac AAA Ti and Brass, Peak Eiger w/ Prometheus Clip & narrow NW head, Maratac AA Stainless w/9x8 Turkshead in .9mm
















Note the different circuits under the positive terminal.




The different bevels and the metal ring in the Ti head are visible here.


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## snowlover91 (Nov 25, 2015)

Great write up on the differences between this and the brass model. It's good news that they're switching circuits that are PWM free, I know jon_slider posted that his copper one was the same way and my titanium model is also which is good to see. Excellent pics also! What would you say lumen output looks like?

I would suggest using some type of anti-galling lube on the threads or if you can obtain it, "superlube." I got mine from Amazon, it's great stuff and use it for all my lights and o-rings. I had read on several forums that it also worked very well with titanium and found it does work well. As you described mine had the super gritty/sandpaper feel initially. Until I put the superlube on it didn't improve but since then the more I use it the better it works. It seems to do a good job preventing the galling since it's a thicker lubricant.


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## leviathan80 (Nov 25, 2015)

I'm actually surprised that the Ti Maratac AAA is getting such positive reviews. I have the aluminum aaa and really love it. I was super excited when I saw that they released a Titanium version and immediately ordered one. While I think it looks great, the overall feel of the Titanium version doesn't doesn't do it for me. Specifically, the grittiness of the threads ruins the overall experience of the light. I like being able to use the aluminum version with one hand... the threads are silky smooth. The Ti light just feels so crude in the hands. I know that this is the nature of the beast when it comes to Titanium, but even after using Super Lube (as others have recommended), the light simply does not feel good to use. Others have noted that the galling diminishes with use, but I have not noticed it after a week of minimal use. The one positive that has come from this is that I love the aluminum light even more.

Has anybody else figured out a way to reduce the gritty feeling?


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## snowlover91 (Nov 25, 2015)

The only other way I've heard of is by using some anti-seize compound which is specifically designed to prevent the galling of titanium. I used a very generous portion on the threads, completely covered them all the way around and they're much better after using it some. One other option may be to swap the heads with a stainless steel or aluminum one, in other words use the aluminum head of the Maratac on the titanium and vice versa. That may work by preventing the galling and give good results. Otherwise I might try some anti seize compound if you have some or can get some for a good price. I was going to try some but the superlube worked well enough for me so I didn't need to try.


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## 2ac (Nov 26, 2015)

I initially cleaned my treads with alcohol and lubed with pure silicon grease. It helped and I could operate with one hand, but it was still a bit gritty. I just cleaned the threads again and applied Anti-Sieze this time. It definitely helped and is much easier to operate. 
But galling still exists, just how Ti is. You'll have to learn to live with it.


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## chillinn (Nov 26, 2015)

2ac said:


> lubed with pure silicon grease.



FYI Maratac uses silicone O-rings. Also, silicon is the 14th element on the Periodic Table of the Elements.


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## RI Chevy (Nov 26, 2015)

Very interested in this light. I also have the Thrunite Ti Ti.


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## Str8stroke (Nov 26, 2015)

In order to improve the thread a little: I clean the OEM lube off. I use a brass brush, not much bigger than a too brush to work the threads. I also like to take about the battery and twist it a bazillion times with no lube. Then brass brush again. Then clean, then dielectric grease (nyogel). It seems to help. But I also know it will never be like Aluminum. Not to mention for this price range, I can only expect decent machining tolerances.
Also, I found that there are is a sharp edge around the tail end. I worked that smooth very gently with a ceramic rod. You could use the bottom of a ceramic coffee mug or plate too. Just remove the clip first. This makes the light feel much better in the hand.


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## chillinn (Nov 30, 2015)

I just reveived a Maratac Rev3.5, in copper, and thought I'd share my impression. No sign of PWM on any mode.  The knurling is far less aggressive than either the Cu Rev2 or Cu Rev3. Perhaps the light was hand finished to be more smooth, but I noticed immediately that it was neither as bighty nor as glisteny or micro-surfaced. The knurl on Rev2 and Rev3 Maratacs is a diamond pattern with a dot. The Rev3.5 is missing the dot, and has been buffed pretty smooth, no sharp knurling at all, not unlike the knurling on Thrunite Ti/Tis. Also, though I can't be accurate about the brightness, the runtimes on Rev.3.5 are reduced compared to Rev2 and Rev3. I got about 45 minutes on a fresh eneloop before the light begins to completely die, and blink with cell with low voltage, but probably reached half-light by 35 minutes. The Rev2, in comparison gave me 80 mins before the blinky death, and Rev3 gave me 70 minutes. In my experience, the Rev2 red worm driver had the longest runtimes. Looks like there is a pattern emerging... more lumuns = less runtime.


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## jon_slider (Nov 30, 2015)

apologies for the CuTac HiJack, hope the TiTacs dont mind


chillinn said:


> I just reveived a Maratac Rev3.5, in copper, and thought I'd share my impression. No sign of PWM on any mode.  The knurling is far less aggressive than either the Cu Rev2 or Cu Rev3. Perhaps the light was hand finished to be more smooth, but I noticed immediately that it was neither as bighty nor as glisteny or micro-surfaced. The knurl on Rev2 and Rev3 Maratacs is a diamond pattern with a dot. The Rev3.5 is missing the dot, and has been buffed pretty smooth, no sharp knurling at all, not unlike the knurling on Thrunite Ti/Tis. Also, though I can't be accurate about the brightness, the runtimes on Rev.3.5 are reduced compared to Rev2 and Rev3. I got about 45 minutes on a fresh eneloop before the light begins to completely die, and blink with cell with low voltage, but probably reached half-light by 35 minutes. The Rev2, in comparison gave me 80 mins before the blinky death, and Rev3 gave me 70 minutes. In my experience, the Rev2 red worm driver had the longest runtimes. Looks like there is a pattern emerging... more lumuns = less runtime.



excellent comments
congrats on the No PWM, does your LED have the centering ring? I believe the Titanium Maratacs are 3.5 versions, no PWM and centering ring yes.

very fine observation that the knurling has changed. I concurr looking at a rev3 and rev 3.5 copper beside me

I had a Copper Lumintop, and the Maratac 3.5 is just slightly brighter, per specs, on high.. agree, no free lunch, thanks for the runtime tests

My Copper Maratac 3.5 is almost one hand ready. It came way too tight to do that. Ive been working in some Nano lube. Also changed the spring to a softer one, in hopes of easing resistance from the battery.. 

I love the threads on the Copper, buttery smooth, its the O ring thats tight.. Sometimes I run the light without an O ring, just to make it easy to turn one handed, but then I miss the idea of being water resistant, and put the O ring back.

as far as runtime
I think the Medium default mode on the Maratac is very practical. Bright enough for many things without having to go to High. I have other lights whose Medium mode is so low, 10 lumens, that I end up using high instead, and burning through batteries, as you said, in less than an hour.

I use Eneloops and carry spares in other small lights. I also bought one of CountyComm's Delrin Battery Lockers.. I like it, though still think carrying a spare light makes about more sense..

I think the Maratacs have some very useful light levels and modes, I just want one in N219. But it wont be as bright.. no free lunch.. 

btw, the Maratac 3.5 head wont light on my Maratac 3.0 body, though the 3.0 head lights on the 3.5 body. Also the 3.5 weighs just slightly more, about 1 gram, rounded up..

Im still hoping the Tool Head with N219 will Lego to my Maratac 3.5 body.. waiting for the Group Buy Copper Tool to arrive… Today is the last day for those that have not heard


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## chillinn (Nov 30, 2015)

jon_slider said:


> apologies for the CuTac HiJack, hope the TiTacs dont mind



ditto. I was on the fence about starting a new thread. A search revealed no specific Cu3.5 threads, but because the Rev. 3.5 driver is the same, hoped that would keep my reply to this thread relevant. As we know, CountyComm silently introduced the (unofficially named) Rev. 3.5 non-PWM driver with their new Maratac Ti and a refresh of the Cu, without acknowledging the driver revision. I can only presume that the new Ti and new Cu are, but for materials, identical hosts, but the new Cu host is not the same as the Rev.3 Cu host, nor Rev.2 Cu host. It looks more like pictures I've seen of the Rev.1. So its notable that Maratac hosts change slightly between revisions, along with the more obvious driver changes.




jon_slider said:


> does your LED have the centering ring?



yes



jon_slider said:


> for the runtime tests



anacdotal, mind you... not firm, but I am reasonably confident the Rev.3.5 driver on constant high mode does not push the cell life as far as the pwm-Rev.3, nor non-PWM Rev.2. Revs.3&3.5 are claimed to be 138lm, Rev.2 118lm. They're slicing up how they use the energy available in the cell. I wouldn't complain about reduced high runtime on 3.5 compared to 3, because I've gained lower modes I can enjoy using, but I suspect others might not care as much about PWM on lower modes, and prefer the longer running Rev.3.

The question is "do you want a slightly brighter light for slightly less runtime?" This is well planned marketing. "Brighter" is an easier concept to work with, looks better on paper, when growing their brand. How would they market "its slightly dimmer, but its lasting longer!" CountyComm, interestingly, claims to listen to their rabid customer demands (but I can't believe the M-L-H choice was by customer demands for it), and losing the PWM driver appears to be correllated with what we'd expect... so maybe if I drummed up enough interest here and elsewhere for a re-release of the Rev.2 line, they might do it. 

Different people use lights differently, so its basically one product they're trying to make everyone happy with... but, won't hear any complaints from me about Rev.3.5 runtimes.

I miss Rev.2, because 20 more lumens stole 10 minutes of runtime (in the moonlight mode of the cell, so its arguable about how useful that dwindling light is at the cells end).

Looks like the Rev3.5 gives us efficient L and M modes without PWM (if published runtimes have not changed) at the expense of a slightly less efficient H. I can't say this for certain, just my initial impression.

But I also am fond of the Nichia 219b, which takes a bite out of stock runtimes and brightness. So a 219b on Rev.3.5 should reduce brightless and runtime even more. :/

We need more efficient Hi CRI emitters. There, I said it. That's what we need now.


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## snowlover91 (Nov 30, 2015)

I actually like the MLH order of operation. Most of the time I use the medium mode which is plenty for most tasks. Not having to twist the light one or two more times to get to a useful brightness is great especially with the titanium version since its threads aren't quite as smooth. 

Ive considered swapping the stock LED with a Nichia 219c. It should give similar output (supposed to be nearly identical to neutral xp-g2) but higher CRI and warmer light.


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## chillinn (Nov 30, 2015)

snowlover91 said:


> I actually like the MLH order of operation. Most of the time I use the medium mode which is plenty for most tasks. Not having to twist the light one or two more times to get to a useful brightness is great especially with the titanium version since its threads aren't quite as smooth.



It can only be one way, and it is a rational compromise, especially considering it is intended as a general purpose keychain light, not necessarily a tactical light. Many who have been vocal about their preference for L-M-H explain that any other UI sequence destroys night accustomed vision trying to get to the L mode, and I am mostly in that camp. 

What I am skeptical of is not whether people like it or not as M-L-H, but that the claim M-L-H was specifically implemented "AFTER THOUSANDS OF REQUEST." Conjecture warning. My gut feeling says the sellers chose the UI because it was what was available, and marketed this feature the way they did after the fact, and there were never literally thousands of M-L-H fanatics. I think there are none, in fact, and that phrasing is pure marketspeak from their salesforce. There are only those that like this UI because it makes some sense, is more convenient in most situtations a keychain light is casually used, and is unlike L-M-H in that regard which _does_ have fanatical devotion. Don't mess with those guys. For my own not-as-popular purposes (I should be using larger lights, nuff sed), I'd prefer L-M-H, but I no longer mind as much as I did mind about the original Rev.3 because the first mode used PWM, and now it does not. 



snowlover91 said:


> Ive considered swapping the stock LED with a Nichia 219c. It should give similar output (supposed to be nearly identical to neutral xp-g2) but higher CRI and warmer light.



That sounds like a great idea. I think there is too much information to digest, regarding emitter swaps, and I relied CPF members who went before and lived to tell about it, and I'm happy with the results. Everyone raved about Nichia 219a/219b and I bit and love it. 219c is different... seems to be chosen for lights with more power than 219b can handle, but from the shots I've seen, 219 b&c are not as alike as 219 a&b are. I'm gearing up to get more info on warm emitters more efficient than the Nichia 219, but maybe not as hi CRI, but maybe... idk. I think the 219b went over great, but maybe Cree or Oshram or whomever has emitters that do compete well with the 219c. 

My confidence in my preferences are shaken a bit by the trade off I experience with the 219b, which is awesome illumination, just need it to last twice as long as it does on a cell, which Cree options seem to be able to do for less CRI and cooler tints. So, I guess I'm looking for options as neutral or warmer and more efficient than 219b, now, and haven't heard as much about 219c, just what I can see in beamshots... for me its not as attractive as 219b was compared to other non-Nichia emitters. So far. Jury still out, really.


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## snowlover91 (Nov 30, 2015)

I guess it comes down to user preference, I actually prefer the M-L-H sequence because I rarely use the low mode at all and if I do need to maintain my night vision I'll just press the light against something and quickly switch the mode from medium to low. That way my night vision isn't ruined and it gets the job done. However I find since mine is attached to my keychain that I almost always need either M or H mode instead. At night when I'm at home I use a different flashlight, my ZL SC62w, for those purposes. 

There certainly aren't many efficient warm/neutral emitters available in high cri although it does look like Cree and others are working towards that. It will probably be another 2-3 years before we have a wide variety of them, I think as the market demand increases for higher cri emitters then the big companies like Cree will invest more R&D into refining them.


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## jon_slider (Nov 30, 2015)

chillinn said:


> Everyone raved about Nichia 219a/219b and I bit and love it. 219c is different



I think the difference is in the CRI details (I could be underinformed these are just my impressions from the internet)
The 219a was offered as a 4500K 90CRI
The 219b was offered as a 4500K 92CRI, and there seems to be a 4000K 90CRI offering as well
The 219c is only available in 5000K 80CRI at the moment

When I wanted a 90 CRI XPL, I had to go down to 3000K. My 6000K XPL is only 70CRI

the trend I see is, as CRI goes up, Kelvin goes down

conversely, going to 5000K, means being limited to 80CRI

as far as on topic, our Maratacs are in 6000K and 70CRI territory (tested Rev 3, have not tested Rev 3.5, but seem similarly cool to my eye) matching most XPG2 typical offerings in the single AAA consumer market, that is driven by…. BRIGHTNESS

no free lunch  increasing CRI reduces Brightness

Ive started carrying two lights, one is a Maratac 3.5 with stock XPG2, for when I need more brightness, like looking under the car during the day
too dim:





too blue but brighter and shows more details





the other is a Maratac modified to a 90 CRI XPG 3000K, that is better suited to making my hand not look like a cadaver's
High CRI shows reds better:





Low CRI is not sexy.. lol


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## chillinn (Nov 30, 2015)

snowlover91 said:


> I guess it comes down to user preference, I actually prefer the M-L-H sequence because



I bet there are countless individuals that prefer it. I just don't think they take the time to write CountyComm about their disappointment in 2 mode L-H or 3 mode L-M-H. M first makes sense as a UI in this keychain/general utility space, it splits the difference between brightness and runtime, so why not? My lame point was that you _prefer_ it... but you're not emotional or fanatical about it. Its merely your choice, not the end of the world, like it is for some (I feel their pain), just pointing out that the M-L-H camp seem more easy going and reasonable, while the L-M-H camp are not in any way irrational, per se, just more extreme, in their desire and devotion to their ideology or specific task/need/intent. M-L-H nails the general use category. But I think the special use category gets all the love.


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## bartko09 (Nov 30, 2015)

Has anyone actually tried to get the pill out yet? I've rebuilt a few Maratac AAAs, none of which had glue, but this pill feels stubborn so I backed off until I could find more info on what I'm dealing with.


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## snowlover91 (Dec 1, 2015)

chillinn said:


> I bet there are countless individuals that prefer it. I just don't think they take the time to write CountyComm about their disappointment in 2 mode L-H or 3 mode L-M-H. M first makes sense as a UI in this keychain/general utility space, it splits the difference between brightness and runtime, so why not? My lame point was that you _prefer_ it... but you're not emotional or fanatical about it. *Its merely your choice, not the end of the world, like it is for some (I feel their pain)*, just pointing out that the M-L-H camp seem more easy going and reasonable, while the L-M-H camp are not in any way irrational, per se, just more extreme, in their desire and devotion to their ideology or specific task/need/intent. M-L-H nails the general use category. But I think the special use category gets all the love.



Actually for me it is. I was specifically looking for a twisty AAA light which either started on medium or had mode memory. The Maratac was the best option for me and I passed on many other twisty AAA lights simply because they started in low versus medium. I will not buy one that starts in low because I don't need it, I need medium as that's what I use 99% of the time and thus why it's important for me to have it start in medium. Sure not everyone uses lights the same way I do but I can tell you that the average consumer will want the brighter mode first, medium, instead of always having to go through low to get to it. Those who I've bought keychain lights like this for always use the medium or high and never the low mode, it's useless and in the way to them. 

I do agree that the L-M-H does have a following and I'm sure many on here would write to let them know and they might even listen, who knows? However I do think they chose M first since that's probably what sells better and what more people prefer. For me I have to have medium for my usage and if not I would not buy another Maratac until they changed it back, or if they gave it mode memory (which btw would be awesome). What I would love to see is mode memory with the L-M-H setup. That way people like me who use medium just turn it on and use the medium mode like usual and then those who like to start in low can just leave it in the low setting so it always starts there. Best of both worlds! 

Regarding the removal of the pill, it is quite easy. Mine has two small circular holes you can put some needle nose tweezers into and it unscrews right out. The emitter for the swap would need to be reflowed onto the existing copper board as its a unique design with two "wings" that stick out into the pill to prevent the led star from moving when it's twisted on/off. If you don't reflow it onto this original one I imagine it would cause issues with led centering and other things as well. Mine didn't seem to have any glue, it took a little force but nothing extreme.


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## chillinn (Dec 1, 2015)

snowlover91 said:


> Sure not everyone uses lights the same way I do but I can tell you that the average consumer will want the brighter mode first, medium, instead of always having to go through low to get to it.



I agree. That's the general case, I think most usage examples for this light will fit that pattern, thus it would be the defacto "most popular," and we don't need to take a flashaholic vote because by and large most flashlights are being consumed and operated by the unenlightened, non-flashaholic, "norms," who likely would be stunned that CPF exists.

As far as your quest for M-L-H, they're harder not to find, in my experience, for the last 2 years at least in the AAA form-factor, this most recent past "generation" of drivers in this size, most brands that had _new_ AAA lights seemed to choose M-L-H (and PWM, incidently), and the previous gen of drivers seemed to be mostly 2-mode non-PWM, not just Maratac, but Lumintop and a few other choices in their market. Crazy that our experience of the same market could be so opposite. 

Again, my stupid point was neither if one UI was better than the other nor whether one was more popular, but that this vast M-L-H army has been pretty quiet... a silent majority... while the special case folks, in the minority, have been much more vocal, emotional and overly critical of M-L-H. Even the H-M-L folks have made more noise than those prefering M-L-H, just going by all I have sifted through CPF since joining. 

But if you insist that you're fanatical about M-L-H, and it is not merely a rational preference for a general case optimized UI, then I stand corrected, --but now seems without changing you went from the popular majority (those that reasonably choose the general case) to the singular strong vocal proponent for M-L-H... not that I have read every single post in every single thread in CPF, but read enough, never seen anyone fighting for M-L-H, and the bad assumption here is that these folks are all regular and rational in all regards to general non-specific flashlight use cases, and those that champion the special use cases want a sort of use-perfection, no compromise. Chances are there are some that would never get emo about a reasonable choice that wasn't M-L-H. I'm making huge generalizations based on my pedestrian scholarship of CPF posts... so its no wonder my observations include some error.


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## Obijuan Kenobe (Dec 1, 2015)

Monocrom said:


> Sorry, but unlike the vast majority of CPFers, I have a very strong dislike of both rechargeable cells and lights. I have a profession where I need my lights to work. Rechargeable batteries and lights have both let me down on multiple occasions. (One time stranding me in the middle of a pitch black industrial tank-farm. Enclosed with numerous pipes sticking out a various heights. Thankfully I always carry back-ups that run on primary cells.)



How are disposable cells even relevant anymore? Maybe when Rechargeable batteries were weak and small. Or maybe for storing power for years. But otherwise, why on Earth would you even try to imply rechargeable batteries are not up to your tasks. Is your dark longer or darker than ours?

Rather, you are not up the task of using Rechargeables. One extra in your bag would have solved all your problems ever, without any need for pseudo-drama about primaries. Or choose a bigger battery.

Not to mention how environmentally, no one's flashlight aside from someone in an active theatre of war, needs to have only primaries because of reliability.

This is nothing but tough talk IMHO.

obi


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## bartko09 (Dec 1, 2015)

snowlover91 said:


> !
> 
> Regarding the removal of the pill, it is quite easy. Mine has two small circular holes you can put some needle nose tweezers into and it unscrews right out. The emitter for the swap would need to be reflowed onto the existing copper board as its a unique design with two "wings" that stick out into the pill to prevent the led star from moving when it's twisted on/off. If you don't reflow it onto this original one I imagine it would cause issues with led centering and other things as well. Mine didn't seem to have any glue, it took a little force but nothing extreme.



Thanks! What about pulling the led/driver all together? Does it look doable? I assume it's the same model pill as the other rev 3's if so I'm sure I could do it Again [emoji2]


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## snowlover91 (Dec 1, 2015)

bartko09 said:


> Thanks! What about pulling the led/driver all together? Does it look doable? I assume it's the same model pill as the other rev 3's if so I'm sure I could do it Again [emoji2]



I'm not brave enough to try that, the wires leading to the LED are quite small and thin. I think the driver may be glued in! I guess it could be doable but it's not something I would try. It wouldn't take much to accidentally separate one from the driver when trying to remove the LED and driver together and not worth the risk, unless you plan on putting a new driver in. Otherwise what I would do is just use the two small circular holes and loosen the whole pill, do the emitter swap then put it back in! 

Chillinn, I think I understand a little better what you're trying to say, I may have understood what you meant in one of your earlier posts. Lumintop was eliminated from my choices due to it being a clicky, I wanted a twisty AAA. Then Thrunite has reliability issues and the ones I looked at seem to start in low or firefly levels. The olight I didn't like the design or much about it and Fenix AAA also appeared to start in low. Maybe I overlooked someone but didn't see much out there that began in medium. That's the reason I went with the Maratac because I needed a keychain light that would start in medium for my daily tasks. If it didn't I would have just kept on looking or searched for a custom driver. What I really would love to see is the LMH sequence with memory, that would give the best of both worlds. What do you think?


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## chillinn (Dec 1, 2015)

snowlover91 said:


> What I really would love to see is the LMH sequence with memory, that would give the best of both worlds. What do you think?



That would be a very decent UI. I really liked 2-mode, so simple. But recently I've been desiring a 3-mode UI idea that always starts in L on the next mode if on for more than a second. This has been called hybrid UI but that is not very descriptive. The effect is of a 2 mode light with L and M, but advancing to H takes a little finesse: rather than 3 taps while off to get to H, its 2 quick taps from L (while on) to get to H. This buries H, a little, which serves to maximize the cell, coaxing the user to make do with the 2 lower modes. Sounds complex and annoying for general use, and it is a very special case... but that's what I'd like. I guess I'd like it more if there was an option to monkey with the firmware, allowing complete UI customization.


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## Danielsan (Dec 1, 2015)

titanium is nice but i hate twisty lights and the modes are horrible, why not L-M-H without memory. This light with a clicky would be really nice and a 2xAAA Version


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## jon_slider (Dec 1, 2015)

snowlover91 said:


> … The olight I didn't like the design or much about it



Like you, I dont care for clickies and I like first mode to be Medium.

I LOVE my Olight i3s. It has by far the best threads for one hand operation, out of the box, of any of the lights mentioned in this thread, and it starts on Medium. It is also the lowest weight of any of the lights mentioned., and has no PWM either. The only thing it lacks is a High CRI LED, as do the Maratacs.

The Olight is superior to the Maratac in that the Olight will tailstand with the pocket clip reversed in hat position. The Maratac pocket clip is too long and interferes with tailstanding when reversed in hat position. I also much prefer the Olight keyring connection. I dont care for the keyring connection on the Maratac, it digs into my hand if I dont hold it just so.

If Olight i3s came in Copper, I would chose it over a Maratac due to the superior function of the threads, pocket clip, and keyring of the Olight. FWIW, Olight is developing a Brass version, with 180 lumen high using a Cool White XPL. I also prefer the 0.5 Lumen Low of the Olight, to the 1.5 Lumen Low of the Maratac.
Olight i3s w XPG2, Thrunite Titanium Xmas w XPL, Copper Maratac w XPG2, Copper Prometheus Beta w N219a


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## bartko09 (Dec 1, 2015)

snowlover91 said:


> I'm not brave enough to try that, the wires leading to the LED are quite small and thin. I think the driver may be glued in! I guess it could be doable but it's not something I would try. It wouldn't take much to accidentally separate one from the driver when trying to remove the LED and driver together and not worth the risk, unless you plan on putting a new driver in. Otherwise what I would do is just use the two small circular holes and loosen the whole pill, do the emitter swap then put it back in!
> 
> ?



Im not sure what the new manufacture is using to keep the pill in place but it's the most stubborn stuff I've ever seen. I've broken down, modded and rebuilt many a Maratacs (hell flashlights!) and this one smiled and told me what to do with myself hahaha!

Even broke some high end tweezers


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## chillinn (Dec 1, 2015)

bartko09 said:


> Im not sure what the new manufacture is using to keep the pill in place but it's the most stubborn stuff I've ever seen.



I can't understand a need to keep a pill in place... when its already screwed in place. Could it be galvanic corrosion seizing the pill's threads to the head?


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## snowlover91 (Dec 1, 2015)

Hmm did you see any residue on the threads? If not then it could be the titanium had seized up which would create a lot of resistance. Mine came off quite easily and had no signs of any glue or residue on the threads.


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## bartko09 (Dec 2, 2015)

Just turned out to be thread lock, but not to worry boys, I'm not easily defeated! [emoji2]

I'll have to modify the reflector tonight or get a new one but I put a XPL HI w/ FET driver in her!


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## snowlover91 (Dec 2, 2015)

Looking forward to the results! Will you use a 10440 to power it? What color temp is the new emitter? Did you reflow it onto the original led star or onto a new one?


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## bartko09 (Dec 2, 2015)

snowlover91 said:


> Looking forward to the results! Will you use a 10440 to power it? What color temp is the new emitter? Did you reflow it onto the original led star or onto a new one?



It's a V2 A1 bin which is about 6500-7000k. It's a XPL HI that I had Richard @ MTN flow onto a 10mm copper sink pad and it was sitting around unused. That's really the only tint that I use lol. I'll power it with one of the Efest IMR 10440s that I have. [emoji6]

http://www.mtnelectronics.com/index.php?route=product/product&path=60_106&product_id=573


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## bartko09 (Dec 2, 2015)

...I also have a Nichia 219C on a 10mm sink pad sitting around. Might try it out also to see how it looks


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## snowlover91 (Dec 2, 2015)

bartko09 said:


> ...I also have a Nichia 219C on a 10mm sink pad sitting around. Might try it out also to see how it looks



Would love to see this one in there as that's what I'm thinking about switching mine to. Is the copper pad thicker than the stock one? I'm wondering if that will affect the light operation in any way as the ones I have from MTN are thicker than the stock pads.


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## bartko09 (Dec 3, 2015)

snowlover91 said:


> Would love to see this one in there as that's what I'm thinking about switching mine to. Is the copper pad thicker than the stock one? I'm wondering if that will affect the light operation in any way as the ones I have from MTN are thicker than the stock pads.



Yes it's significantly thicker. I'm trying to mod the reflector but will likely damage it. I also tried the reflector from the AAA Copper which is a quarter mm shorter. It worked better but wasn't enough. I'm going to look for a new one that's much shorter. Basically you run out of room for the battery even flat tops To China I go [emoji6]


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## snowlover91 (Dec 3, 2015)

Hmm that confirms my thinking then, the emitter would probably need to be reflowed onto the original led star or the thicker one sanded down to match the original.


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## bartko09 (Dec 4, 2015)

Nah, it's done all the time. I think I'll have to mod the reflector, file down the pill or both


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## jon_slider (Dec 4, 2015)

snowlover91 said:


> (Nichia 219C) that's what I'm thinking about switching mine to.



I keep harping about people jumping on the 219C bandwagon, because it is more efficient. BUT, it is also NOT high CRI. 
No Free Lunch, Brighter means lower CRI...

Some info about Nichia LEDs


gunga said:


> High CRI Nichia 219B (4000K), Firefly Sample. This tint is the warmest and most pleasant (in my opinion) of all the Nichias. It has a light pink cast that really helps accentuate reds. My new favorite tint in a higher efficiency LED.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## gunga (Dec 4, 2015)

Note. There's a typo. It's still Nichia 219B, not 219CB. The 219C is quite nice on itself but if you want best colour rendering and most pleasing tint the 219A or 219B with 90+ cri is still best.


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## Dan FO (Dec 4, 2015)

Should be here Monday, I like the spacing for a keychain light, I have plenty of other choices around the house or just hold it against my leg to get to low.


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## jon_slider (Dec 4, 2015)

Dan FO said:


> I like the spacing for a keychain light,


Congrats! The Titanium is excellent low weight for keychain. And the first mode is very practical for the majority of tasks IMO 

add your opinion on the grittiness of the threads. Bad enough to avoid using or recommending the light? or not a problem?


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## Dknight16 (Dec 5, 2015)

Lube it. Not a problem.


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## geokite (Dec 10, 2015)

Is it possible/advisable to apply some heat to add some color to the body of this light? On the countycomm website, they have a titanium container that can be heated to add some color. I suspect the o-ring needs to be removed before hand.

Steve


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## jon_slider (Dec 10, 2015)

geokite said:


> Is it possible/advisable to apply some heat to add some color to the body of this light?


possible yes, I have no experience though
advisable, not to me as I dont have the skills to strip the light of its electronics, but you could do just the bottom half I suppose

you can see pictures and read more about the inconsistent color concerns Vinh went through when he offered torched titanium, as well as some hints on process steps he did, that did not work. For additional education google:
How to anodize titanium with a torch


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## bartko09 (Dec 19, 2015)

snowlover91 said:


> Hmm that confirms my thinking then, the emitter would probably need to be reflowed onto the original led star or the thicker one sanded down to match the original.



So I haven't had time to circle back around to my Maratac AAA Ti, but I did finish my Surefire Titan upgrade. 

The build included a XPL HI V2 1A (6500-7000k tint), driven by a MTN-10DD FET and 1 Efest 10440 (sorry, AW doesn't make 10440s). 

Basically, the 10mm driver was way too small for the light engine's aluminum pill so I fabricated a rubber "spacer" to hold it in place while the driver was epoxied.

Overall, I'm highly satisfied with how it turned out. I wish I took "before" beam shots to compare to what was taken last night but I have a feeling that I'll be building more of these one day 

As soon as I satisfy a large order for a customer I'll knock out the Maratac AAA Ti













Beam shots. The first dark photo is a control shot showing conditions last night


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## bartko09 (Dec 19, 2015)

More pics from last night





I dinged up the reflector a bit trying to open it up converting it from XPG to XPL HI but luckily I figured out which company in Finland makes them


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## thealien (Jan 3, 2016)

I bought the TI Maratac at the introductory price. I also have a few of their SS and the brass one. I have one in every vehicle and carry one everyday. Decent little light. Too bad CountyComm is always out of stock. Plus it costs me $100+ every time I log into their site.


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## kreisl (Jan 27, 2016)

Titanium material is overrated as demonstrated in this shooter's clip:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3fBkNIROg4


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## Thetasigma (Jan 27, 2016)

kreisl said:


> Titanium material is overrated as demonstrated in this shooter's clip:
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3fBkNIROg4


 Cool video.

As a flashlight material it is an odd choice since a flashlight won't test any of Titanium's strengths such as tensile strength, good temperature resistance, and good resistance to fatigue. Corrosion resistance is good except for some odd chemicals you don't see in normal environments, and Titanium's oxide is electrically conductive unlike Aluminum oxide. Some are allergic to aluminum oxide so there is that.
When it comes down to it though, Titanium is a neat material with a pleasing appearance regardless of whether it is the best material for a light.


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## jon_slider (Jan 27, 2016)

Thetasigma said:


> allergic to aluminum oxide



the only feature of Aluminum that I like is its light weight, but the material is toxic, so I usually buy Titanium or Copper instead. 

Titanium is non toxic, copper is antibacterial. My titanium light is only 25% heavier than my Aluminum one, and my Copper light is more than twice as heavy as the Aluminum. 

Tradeoffs.. Aluminum is light and toxic, Titanium is almost as light, and non toxic and does not oxidize, it stays shiny. Copper is heavy and is both antibacterial and antifungal (there are rumors it also has magical spiritual properties and may also provide relief from arthritis), it oxidizes and does not stay shiny unless it rolls around in my pocket daily


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## ronniepudding (Jan 27, 2016)

Does using an aluminum flashlight present a toxicity risk? Presuming one doesn't grind it into powder and ingest it, I'd think it's pretty safe to handle aluminum - especially when anodized.

... Or were you referring to risks associated with machining aluminum?


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## jon_slider (Jan 27, 2016)

ronniepudding said:


> I'd think it's pretty safe to handle aluminum - especially when anodized.


can you share any evidence of that?
the quick google I did had lots of toxicity info, nothing I saw said anodizing made it safe.. but, yes, its a question of degree of exposure and manner of ingestion.. If you dont put the light in your mouth, and the oxide does not wear off on your hands before eating, that would possibly be a low exposure rate.

otoh, apparently antacids and buffered aspirin is a really good way to raise the body load of Aluminum… wasnt president reagan a victim of Alzheimers, and isnt that related to Aluminum toxicity.. I dont suppose he carried an aluminum flashlight though, so, dont worry about it 

some studies show aluminum bioaccumulates in the bones, liver, and brain

heres the result of a quick google of alzheimers and aluminum
"Aluminum (Al) is the most abundant neurotoxic metal on earth, widely bioavailable to humans and repeatedly shown to accumulate in Alzheimers Disease susceptible neuronal foci."


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## chillinn (Jan 27, 2016)

jon_slider said:


> Tradeoffs.. Aluminum is light and toxic, Titanium is almost as light, and non toxic and does not oxidize, it stays shiny. Copper is heavy and is both antibacterial and antifungal (there are rumors it also has magical spiritual properties and may also provide relief from arthritis), it oxidizes and does not stay shiny unless it rolls around in my pocket daily



Aluminum also has antibacterial properties, and should only present an issue to those allergic to it, its toxicity is low, takes a high dose to cause any concern. I do not like Al for smaller flashlights, personally; my experience is that it is flimsy and brittle with heads breaking, threads stripping. But I think it does have some decent properties for full sized lights, such as its light weight and acceptable thermal properties, electrically conductive, its smooth Al to Al threading action, and it is inexpensive.


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## Thetasigma (Jan 27, 2016)

Specifically I was referring to people who are allergic to contact with aluminum oxide. Allergies aside, risk is minimal unless you grind it up and snort it or leave your flashlight in your water pitcher for some reason.


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## ronniepudding (Jan 27, 2016)

jon_slider said:


> can you share any evidence of that?
> 
> the quick google I did had lots of toxicity info, nothing I saw said anodizing made it safe.. but, yes, its a question of degree of exposure and manner of ingestion.. If you dont put the light in your mouth, and the oxide does not wear off on your hands before eating, that would possibly be a low exposure rate.]



The bit you quoted was me explaining why I was asking the question, -- so no, I'm not going to go gather scientific evidence to prove that holding an anodized flashlight doesn't lead to significant toxic exposure to Aluminum  

However, here's some anecdotal evidence that AL isn't deadly to most people under normal circumstances: folks handle and wrap food in aluminum foil all the time, and a lot of food is cooked in aluminum pans. 

I was just surprised to read that you don't buy aluminum flashlights (in part) because they're toxic, and I wasn't understanding why you were worried about it. 

Now don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to assert that consuming AL is great for you. But we're exposed to it all the time. I was under the impression that for most healthy people, it's a non-issue.


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## jon_slider (Jan 27, 2016)

ronniepudding said:


> I was under the impression that for most healthy people, it's a non-issue.



I agree. I even have an anodized aluminum pot I use to boil water when camping. And I dont think handling a flashlight is a significant exposure risk.. apparently the main culprit of aluminum accumulation is not cooking utensils, its antacids and buffered aspirin.
Anxious About Anodized Aluminum? - Dr. Weil:
"Anodized aluminum shouldn't react to acidic foods, so you can theoretically use these pots and pans for preparing rhubarb and sauces with tomato, wine or lemon juice - ingredients that you shouldn't cook in traditional aluminum pots."

so, very minor risk, just something an old hippy would think about. given the choice, and Im lucky to have the opportunity, I would rather hold a Copper Maratac in my mouth than an Aluminum, but.. Im not like most people, I have facial hair, im old, and I spend too much time online, which leads to shopping for objects with specific features and materials 

in terms of flashlight use, I feel slightly more reassured that the germs from my mouth will die on my copper flashlight, than on my Titanium or Aluminum Oxide coated ones, but Im not really afraid of those germs either way really. I agree aluminum oxide is low risk, barring ingestion.

otoh, some people get a rash from touching aluminum, thats weird, even though it does not happen to me
apparently nickel does that too, though also not to me, one more excuse for me not to spend money on a Surefire Titan Plus, its Nickel plated. One of my children is allergic to Nickel.

for a twisty, I do think Aluminum makes a smoother thread, Titanium Thrunite lights I had were very gritty to twist, made me think Ti lights would be best as clickies..

ps, Im going shopping, this time for a non aluminum pot, probably Titanium, to boil water in when camping… I blame this thread.. LOL!


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## ronniepudding (Jan 27, 2016)

I try to do most of my cooking in cast iron -- which I believe is healthy, even if you were to grind it up and eat it.  

Of course, cast iron isn't great for acidic foods like marinara sauce, so I also use stainless steel pots and pans in my kitchen, and when camping. Camping utensils are a compromise ... Steel is relatively heavy, but I would rather carry the extra weight than cook on a non-stick coated aluminum pan.

Ive looked at Titanium cookware... The weight savings is great, but it is really expensive and doesn't conduct heat as well as other metals. There must be a better solution. Nonetheless, if you're mostly just boiling water, I don't think the poor conductivity of Ti makes much difference.

Back to flashlights, I just got my first CU light, and I'm really impressed with how beautiful a material it is for that purpose, at least in small lights where weight isn't an issue.


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## jon_slider (Jan 27, 2016)

ronniepudding said:


> Back to flashlights, I just got my first CU light, and I'm really impressed with how beautiful a material it is for that purpose, at least in small lights where weight isn't an issue.


I also share your feelings about cooking pot metals.
And agree that small lights is where coppers weight penalty is less massive.
really curious what you got and how you like it.. will watch for your posts in more relevant threads

I do think Titanium is a very nice material for a clicky flashlight. Not sure I buy into it being called God's metal though.. but I digress, again 

imo the Titanium Maratacs are beautiful, and they stay shiny. Shiny is good!

btw, I also do not own any Black flashlights. I want to be able to see them in the bottom of my bag or pouch, some of which are also black inside. I dont use pocket clips on my pockets, I reverse them for use on my hat. Maybe Black Aluminum is a better match for clipped to the pocket carry applications… applications vary

The Titanium Maratac makes a good keyring light imo. The clip has a hole in the tip, and if that is put on a keyring, it creates an alternate quick detachable option, thereby recovering the ability to tailstand, which the Maratacs lack, due to the extra long tip on the clip.. I actually ground one of mine down.. tailstanding is such a high priority for me.. anyway.. pics are more fun than words:










btw, the TiMaratac will Lego with a Copper, making the threads smooth and non galling in combination




and fwiw, that little glow diffuser gets a thumbs down for my application.. it blinds me more to have it in my line of sight, than it helps me to see. I tend to prefer ceiling bounce to diffuser..

note thats actually a Ti Thrunite head, the light whose threads I love to hate for galling on itself. note also the indented little holes in the maratac knurling, indicative of one of the earlier modes with PWM.. Im as superstitious about PWM as I am about Aluminum, I dont own any PWM lights anymore, and the new TiMaratacs are happily PWM Free. They also have a different knurling, without the little divets in the diamond faces of the knurls.. the faces are just flat, can you see it in the following pic?
(from page 3)


GordoJones88 said:


> Merry Christmas to me!


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## sabre7 (Jan 28, 2016)

Looks nice might have to place an order


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## bartko09 (Jan 28, 2016)

I might have missed it going through the thread but does anyone know what kind of driver is in the Maratac AAA Titanium? I pulled it the other day to install a MTN-11DD FET driver and was just kinda curious about the stock.


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## bartko09 (Jan 30, 2016)

No one knows what driver comes with the Titanium Maratac?


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## snowlover91 (Jan 30, 2016)

bartko09 said:


> No one knows what driver comes with the Titanium Maratac?



No idea since I don't think it's one we can buy.. However it appears to be a custom one that's current controlled as well.


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## jon_slider (Feb 8, 2016)

For anyone interested in a High CRI Lego head swap for a latest version of the *Titanium* Maratac, I just noticed a very good price on some *Stainless* Worms with Nichia LED. Im not affilitated, just sharing the joy of Nichia Lego. The threads will probably be smoother too.

LuminTop WORM Silver Nichia 219 80lm NW LED Flashlight
note the worm body may not light any of the Maratac, Thrunite or Preon heads. Think of the worm as a head donor, then suck the guts out and throw the rest away.. or not..


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## gunga (Feb 8, 2016)

Hmmm. Interesting.


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## kreisl (Feb 25, 2016)

Can anyone tell, how bad is the *PWM *on the Maratac Titanium?


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## snowlover91 (Feb 25, 2016)

kreisl said:


> Can anyone tell, how bad is the *PWM *on the Maratac Titanium?



The newest model does not have any PWM and is current controlled at all levels!


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## jon_slider (Feb 25, 2016)

snowlover91 said:


> The newest model does not have any PWM



I agree completely.

The No PWM models have a ring around the LED, I believe they first showed up in Maratac copper in October 2015. Followed by a Copper Tool and Titanium Maratac in December.
The knurling on the no PWM lights is different, and it changed again in December.

The ring around the LED coincides with no PWM:






the knurling on the left is on Maratacs and Tools with PWM. The knurling on the right came out in December 2015, and is on the latest Titanium Maratacs and Titanium Tools, to the best of my current understanding (very open to further education)


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## JWRitchie76 (Jul 26, 2016)

Just wanted to mention, these are available again at County Comm. $49.95.


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## kreisl (Jul 26, 2016)

oki let's do massdrop


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## jon_slider (Jul 26, 2016)

JWRitchie76 said:


> Just wanted to mention, these are available again at County Comm. $49.95.



thanks for the update
suggestion, to lock in the current special introductory price, add it to your cart now. If you delay in buying, and the price goes up, you can still capture the sale price, if its already in your cart, and still in stock, and you decide to buy later. The copper version is still in stock also.

note that shipping is now $7.50 instead of $10 (and shipping is still free on orders over $100). Also note the Titanium AAA light still uses the Black pocket clip (even though Lumintop offers a stainless one now). This new Ti AAA is being called Rev 4, and claims a higher high that previous runs (I have my doubts pending independent review)

fwiw, there is also a stainless CR123 Maratac in stock now, listed on the Whats New tab… (its not a battery I use, but some people still do)

Im waiting for a rerelease of the Copper AA...


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## StandardBattery (Oct 6, 2016)

Well it happened, at least as a test, Maratac AAA Titanium Rev 4 has replaced my Fenix LD01-SS (last version I think) on my keychain. Mainly beam tint and weight were the reasons for the swap. I will run it like this for awhile before it's certified as my new keychain light, since like flashlight reviews without some long time use they are only worth so much. It has big shoes to fill in terms of runtime and reliability, I'm not even sure how the runtimes compare, but I'll find out thought actual usage to see if it's acceptable on Lithium AAA.

Pity the new price is $59.98, but there is still a day and a half to take advantage of their 10% off sale.


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## jon_slider (Oct 6, 2016)

StandardBattery said:


> Maratac AAA Titanium Rev 4 has replaced my Fenix LD01-SS


Congrats! 
If I have my specs right, the MaraTi weighs 22 grams, the Fenix is 51 grams with Lithium primaries, more than 2 times heavier.. 

Im very curious to hear your impressions of the Titanium threads.. not too gritty?
And, what do you notice about the difference in beam tint?


----------



## revscott (Oct 6, 2016)

I have had the Maratac Ti for about a week now. I cleaned the threads and used TriFlow synthetic grease. The threads are still tight and gritty. The inside spring is strong which I think affects the feel of the threads to some degree. If you apply a little inward pressure between the head and body while twisting, it feels smoother.

Man the threads get dirty fast. The gritty feel is really not that bad and I mostly notice it when playing around with the light. In actual use, it works just fine.

The beam is nice and the tint is cool white with a little green. 

Loaded with a lithium aaa, this thing is light. 

Overall I am pleased with my first Maratac so far.


----------



## StandardBattery (Oct 6, 2016)

jon_slider said:


> Congrats!
> If I have my specs right, the MaraTi weighs 22 grams, the Fenix is 51 grams with Lithium primaries, more than 2 times heavier..
> 
> Im very curious to hear your impressions of the Titanium threads.. not too gritty?
> And, what do you notice about the difference in beam tint?


My Fenix with Lithium is 42.1g
The Maratac Ti with Lithium is 22.1g
Both measured without their clips.

The tint is more neutral, my LD01 SS (G5 I think) has a noticeable green bias if you look closely. I didn't run through my collection of them to see if one was more neutral, but I think in general they are known to have a great bias in the revision I was carrying. The LD01 has a little tighter beam, but bigger hot spot and more dispersion in the spill, the Maratac has more contrast between the hotspot and spill.

The threads are a bit gritty, but it does not bother me, I can still one hand it. I did use NYGEL 760 on them, but I'm not sure it made a big difference. If you want smooth, the Olight i3S PVD gold version seems to be as smooth as silk.


----------



## jon_slider (Oct 6, 2016)

revscott said:


> The inside spring is strong which I think affects the feel of the threads to some degree….
> 
> Man the threads get dirty fast. The gritty feel is really not that bad and I mostly notice it when playing around with the light. In actual use, it works just fine.



thanks
yes, my titanium AAA Thrunite also builds up a black coating on the threads very quickly

I also agree part of the grittiness of a twisty comes from the battery making contact with the pill. So to feel the grit of the threads separately, I remove the battery and the O ring, and work the twisty back and forth with lubricant, wipe clean, and repeat.. Then I'm only feeling the threads

Titanium just has quality that makes it gritty when rubbed against itself. That is why so much black material builds up..

fwiw, on my maratacs, the one hand action gets easier as the O ring wears in a little..

Im very happy to hear you are enjoying the TiTac and its very light weight.. I think it is a great option for a keychain light.. Congrats!


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## BShelley94 (Oct 27, 2016)

I bought this about a month ago as my first EDC light. I really like it!

The problem is, now I'm hooked on flashlights and it's going to cost me a bunch of money. Lol


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## jon_slider (Oct 27, 2016)

BShelley94 said:


> I bought this about a month ago as my first EDC light. I really like it!
> 
> The problem is, now I'm hooked on flashlights and it's going to cost me a bunch of money. Lol



Great Start! Glad youre hooked.. LOL
let me help you spend your money on something I think is quite Unique in the current market.. The Copper Lumintop tool. Or, the Stainless Steel Lumintop Worm with Nichia. Well, and a Copper Maratac AAA.. ;-) 
edit: (scratch that copper, I just checked and they are sold out)

I can explain the pros and cons of the two Lumintops in more detail, but the goal is to get you a Nichia head for your Ti Body. And, to get the threads on your Maratac to be smoother.

If you wait a few days, someone else who owns a Titanium Maratac just ordered a Lumintop Worm, stainless w Nichia.. maybe they will post impressions, and pictures

heres a copper maratac w worm head





on the left is the tool in the next pics, far right maratac





note the warmer sunset glow color of the Tool, its claim to fame is more CRI than the cool white Maratac, which is brighter and bluer… choices are good 





heres a Tool next to a Maratac.. I carry a Maratac, I like that its shorter


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