I think the MDC AA is the most practical with using common batteries or eneloop rechargeable while the output levels are perfect. If I could only have one Malkoff, AA would be it, plus the AA body fits perfectly in hand where the CR123 body isn't as ergonomic.
I agree 100%. The MDC AA was my first Malkoff, and if I could only have one, this would be it.
DOH! Looks like they are sold out. Hard (at least for the first one) to justify the 66% increase over the Malkoff (taking into consideration the 20% first time buyer discount). BUT - I don't know what I'm missing in the Nichia, and I've done this with other things (knives, as an example), and later eaten my words (I have a few Chris Reeve knives....)
This sentence alone is *extremely* helpful. My indoor needs/uses for flashlights is pretty minimal, and probably already covered with the handful of other SkyLumen lights that are not getting much use. My primary considerations for my next FLs are probably narrowed down to (1) cars, and (2) outdoors.
For the cars, I keep a SOG DE-02 in one, and am going to put my SureFire 6PX Pro in my wife's, but I could see the need for something bigger (at least in my car).
For outdoors, I use a Zebra headlamp and SkyLumen XVIII in outdoor situations, and both always need to be recharged after every use. Maybe something with longer run times would be good.
Much of the above is Greek to me, so I need to do some more homework to be able to understand (and respond).
Same comment as above, but I'm starting to understand. I think.
My best guess is that I will start small - mainly because the smaller the FL, the more likely I will have it with me. And based on that criteria, it seems like the MDC HA 1CR123, or the Kosen VME, would be the place to start (and notwithstanding the higher cost for the latter). Or maybe the Kosen Bodyguard.
Yes, I'm all over the place.
I have both the SST-20 Neutral MDC AA and then the Kosen with the 519A. Side-by-side, against a wall, the 519A looks so much better. In use? I actually prefer the softer hotspot and yellow tint of the SST-20. 66% more expensive than the SST-20 neutral IS hard to swallow, especially cause I find the SST-20 neutral to be so good.
Where Kosen is MORE interesting is that you can buy a ready-to-go AA body with a Li-ion head. The 3500K 519A looks fantastic, AND that version comes ready to use a 14500 (doing so from Malkoff requires buying an appropriate head and then an AA body separately). It won't really run on a single Eneloop is the trade-off, along withOUT the PERFECT mode spacing of the AA.
Bykfixer explained the Bodyguard well. Personally, I think the Elzetta Alpha is a better execution of that concept (with a Thyrm).
Honestly, if you're looking for an outdoor light, try the M91BN. It's an amazing drop-in. You'll probably want either an MD3 Tricap body with an extender kit to run two 18500's, OR you'll want an MD4 body to run two 18650s. Use the High/low ring, and you're golden.
The MD2 M61 setups (I only like N or W because I hate cool white) are nice. You can run a single 18650, or two 16340s for a higher voltage (higher low with the high/low ring). The M61HOT isn't a bad option with an 18650 in an MD2 body.
The 21700 body is...interesting. I'm NOT on the 21700 bandwagon (despite my giant meat mittens). The 21700 body requires removing the tailcap to replace the cell (opposite of all Malkoffs), but it DOES still run the High/Low ring. That with a L or LL gives you an insane run time.
Malkoffs are designed for CR123A batteries, so they do NOT have low voltage protection, so use protected cells (Illumn sells most of the Keeppower cells you'd want).
Also, if you get an MD body, just order it with the tailcap, and you save some money. If you do the MD2 body, you can usually get that WITH the head AND the tailcap for a very nice price.
Step 1: Do you want to use P60 dropins and/or a high/low ring, or do you want to use e-series bodies with single piece heads?
I have WAY more fun with the P60 ecosystem, but some people are really into the e-series world (I find that more expensive).
The e-series option tends to allow for smaller lights, but Malkoffs are about reliability, so they're not going to be the smallest.
Oh, and a pro-tip that took me a bit of time (since this Surefire ecosystem is long since discontinued):
P3 = 1 CR123 -> M31 Malkoffs (<3v)
P6 = 2 CR123 -> M61 Malkoffs (~3.4-9v)
P9 = 3 CR123 -> M91 Malkoffs (~5.5-12v)
M61's are cool, because they run on one Li-ion cell, or two.
If you REALLY want to go down a fun rabbit hole, a member here (who unfortunately passed) had a great YouTube channel, and his MD3 omnivore video was just so eye-opening for me:
I was actually reading posts here about this about the time I found the videos, and didn't realize it was the same guy, haha. Unfortunately, it's harder to do this these days, asthe Overready sleeves are long since out of stock (the 17mm one works well enough), and the M31 219B options through Illumn are mostly out of stock (I did the M31L with a high/low in an MD3, and it's AWESOME on two eneloops).
Also, search the forum for the thread, "Malkoff Runtime Graphs - CR123/Alkaline Comparo" by INFRNL and bookmark it. That's going to really help you understand a lot of what options you have in the P60 world.
The more you can really describe your use case, and what you are looking to do with it, the better suggestions we can all make. I'm sure, between everyone in this thread, you can get opinions on every single Malkoff product ever made, hahah.
malkoffdevices.com
www.kosen.one
