Les - Seriously looking at the Malkoff upgrades for my SF 6P and Maglites. Thanks for pointing me there.

The Maglite 325 lumen drop-in looks very compelling for my 3D Maglite. It already has an LED bulb as a direct replacement for the incan, but this unit has much more out the front.

That Maglite upgrade should give Jeanette's mom the reach she wants.

OTOH the link Phaedrus posted above has the SF 6P at a good price and shows a 650 lumen SF drop-in module. She could get both of those for Mom and have a good brand name in a package smaller than a Maglite D cell.

I'm fine with carrying a 2D or 3D MAG-LITE in my bag but Mom wants something compact.

When Mom wanted suggestions for a flashlight from flashlight enthusiasts, she had no idea what she was getting herself into. She will study this further when we get back to Florida.

Jeanette Isabelle

Hahaha! File that under 'be careful what you wish for'! I'm not as bad of a flashlight geek as some but even I have over a dozen high powered LED lights including three from Elzetta, a bunch of Surefires and a bunch of Malkoff engines.

JI... one further comment... the Surefire 6P is a forward push on button...you have to hold the button forward... for continuous light you twist the end cap... very fool proof, no switch to malfunction...a lot of lights are "reverse click", that is you push the button, and the light comes on when the button is released...if your Mom wants a light with multiple light settings (most of the LED drop in modules have this option) this is typically the way the light modes are selected, though, some employ a rotating bezel or additional switch

I'm a big Malkoff fan! I have a Surefire 6P with a Malkoff M61L. My other 6P is sitting here waiting for a Malkoff M61WL that should be here shortly after Xmas. Malkoff used to manufacture the light engine for Elzetta lights but a while back Elzetta purchased the license/worked out an agreement to make their own M60 modules. One of my Elzettas has the stock Malkoff/Elzetta engine and one my spare Elzetta Bravo is running on a Malkoff M61N.

Just for reference the M61 line is awesome! They're drop in for any of the standard 6P type lights. The electronics are fully potted meaning they're assembled and filled with an epoxy resin. I can't even imagine what it would take to break one. The reflector was designed by Don McLeish, famous in the electronics world for the McClicky switch. All of their modules offer a fantastic ratio of spot-to-spill IMO. They offer a variety of tints and output levels. The common ones are the M61, the M61L (and variants) and the M61LL (and variants). The standard tint is probably around 5000 K with the N versions being closer to neutral. For incan fans they offer the W line which is far warmer, very similar in tint to the old hotwires of the past. Seems like the W are around 3,000 K but I'd have to look it up.

With a Malkoff dropin you get great output. They don't boast huge numbers but their specs are honest and state OTF (out the front) lumens. Kind of like horsepower at the rear wheels vs horsepower at the flywheel, OTF lumens is a measure of what the light will actual do in real use. Realistically lumens is just one part of the picture. You can easily create a test that will allow you to hit a high rated lumen spec while not really being all that useful. For example our eyes are more sensitive to bluer light and LEDs put out more power in the bluer part of the spectrum. So makers can create a real "flamethrower" by biasing it blue and running it really hard. Another thing is that legally the LED only has to make that rated output for a very brief time. So many- perhaps most- flashlight makers will regulate the light to put out max power for a few minutes, then step it down to avoid burning out the emitter and killing the battery. The end result is that you rarely get the performance you expect to get when you read the specs.

But Malkoffs are regulated differently. They will run at their rated output for a very long time. The entire head is a huge brass heat sink that dissipates heat extremely well. An M61 module weighs almost as much as an empty Surefire G2 nitrolon body! The ability to shed heat means the light can run for a long time without overheating the emitter. Most of the Malkoffs will run at rated output for many hours til the voltage drops out of regulation, then they'll give you a good long taper til the battery is spent.

Even the regular/standard engine has pretty good color. It's a little blue but not so blue as most of the Chinese lights. My M61L is subjectively whiter than any of my JETBeam lights. If you want max brightness the standard is your best bet. The standard/high modules are around 325 OTF lumens with around 2 hours-ish of run time. The L version drops the output to around 200 lumens or a bit more with around 5 hours of runtime. The LL will go for ten hours and occasionally you can find a limited run of LLL that will go for over a day at full output (albeit only around 50 lumens).

To me the N's are the sweet spot. They're pretty neutral in tint yet still pretty powerful.

A Malkoff module will set you back around $40 plus shipping but I think they're well worth the money. I have five or six already and will probably get more down the road.

On the subject of LED lights with 18650 batteries -- I've noticed that 18650's come in mAh ratings of 2300, 2600, 3100 and 3400. Obviously 3400 batteries hold the most energy but at a higher $price. Are there other trade-offs? Do the 3400's have a faster power drain in storage or are they all about the same? TIA

I've found that the 3400 mAh units I own are noticeably larger than smaller capacity units. Also, they may or may not come with a button on top. Buttonless tops may prevent cells from working with specific gear, always confirm.

My experience has also been that cell manufacturer has a lot more to do with self-discharge rates than rated capacity.

How do Nitecore Li-ion batteries rate? As I recall they are button top.

They are. My personal experience with them has been that they are outstanding. I have standardized on the 3400 mAh model for all critical applications.

Thanks. I didn't know enough re self-discharge for the Nitecore 3400 mAh battery, so I ordered a charger which comes with a 3400 and also a couple 2600 batteries. If the discharge on the 3400 is on par with the 2600 then I'll order a few more of the 3400 capacity batteries. I've got a few lights besides the SF which can use 18650 batteries.

Remember when a Surefire incandescent was considered bright?