Multitool.org Forum
Tool Talk => Swiss Army Knights Forum => Topic started by: shibafu on January 09, 2016, 08:53:07 PM
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I got a couple of Spartan Lites today and I was surprised at how much brighter they are than my old Mountaineer Lite. The colour is also warmer on the newer ones.
Based on the tang stamp (big V, full width "SWISS MADE") and the mini screwdriver (round handle but no "PAT."), I reckon the Mountaineer Lite is from 2009 or thereabouts. So it seems Vic have improved the LED some time between then and now. This might explain why some people have found the LED useless and some found it OK.
Here are some comparison pictures, with a Fenix E01 (Nichia 5mm LED, single AAA, rated at 13 lumens) for reference. I used the same set of batteries in both Victorinoxes. The Mountaineer was even dimmer on its original batteries, even though it's hardly been used.
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Wow that's a big improvement :tu:
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Your comparison pictures are very well done and informative. Thanks!
Does anybody know if there are differences between the 91mm Lite models and the 58mm Lite models?
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Sorry the text on some of those images is unreadable. It seems the forum software re-compresses the images on upload and messes up the text.
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Wow that's a big improvement :tu:
It's still much less bright than a good keychain light, but it's at least bright enough to be useful now.
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Wow that's a big improvement :tu:
+1
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THanks for sharing. It is great to see that there is an improvement. Actually, a Spartan Lite is on my list for 2016.
I was not sure about the light; i. e. the usefulness of it. But it seems to be ok, at least for a just-in-case-flashlight.
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If you are really in the dark, even a "weak" light is way better than nothing ;)
I like my fauxtons*, small, light, simple and cheap as chips so I can afford to give them away on the slightest pretext. I have them on all my keyrings.
* http://forum.multitool.org/index.php?topic=43884.0
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Hmm. I have a Mountaineer Lite purchased only last year - wondering if it's the old or new led. Suspect old.
Thanks for the comparison! :)
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Let me also say that those photos are incredibly helpful. I have also been thinking of picking up a Spartan Lite
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Very interesting.
Now if they could find a way to keep it from turining on in my pocket.
That last bit sounds dirty.
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When I disassembled one of the Spartans for modding I noticed the shape of the light housing has changed too. The old one on the left has a little hook that holds it closed, while the new one is held closed just by backspring pressure. The shape of the spring has changed a little to match.
Whether this change was linked to the change of LED, or if they happened at different times, I don't know.
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The Huntsman Lite,that received from Japan last month,is noticeably brighter than either my Spartan Lite or my Cyber Tool Lite.
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Your comparison pictures are very well done and informative. Thanks!
Does anybody know if there are differences between the 91mm Lite models and the 58mm Lite models?
Has changed too...
58mm (http://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,58151.msg1053054.html#msg1053054)
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Your comparison pictures are very well done and informative. Thanks!
Does anybody know if there are differences between the 91mm Lite models and the 58mm Lite models?
Has changed too...
58mm (http://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,58151.msg1053054.html#msg1053054)
Thank you, Etherealicer. That was an interesting thread. I should have made my question more specific, something like this: "Are there differences between the 58mm and 91mm lights... output, circuits, battery, etc?"
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What we need is for someone to mod the workings of a Nitecore tube into one of these :whistle:
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Does anyone have a Mountaineer Lite with the new LED light? I'm wondering if they have been manufactured at all...
(I got mine in 2014, but am thinking it is old stock --- it has a wood chisel on the back and the plastic 'hook' in the design - thanks shibafu!)
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Your comparison pictures are very well done and informative. Thanks!
Does anybody know if there are differences between the 91mm Lite models and the 58mm Lite models?
Has changed too...
58mm (http://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,58151.msg1053054.html#msg1053054)
Thank you, Etherealicer. That was an interesting thread. I should have made my question more specific, something like this: "Are there differences between the 58mm and 91mm lights... output, circuits, battery, etc?"
I currently don't have any 91mm lights but as far as I recall the 58mm was always much better.
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Does anyone have a Mountaineer Lite with the new LED light? I'm wondering if they have been manufactured at all...
(I got mine in 2014, but am thinking it is old stock --- it has a wood chisel on the back and the plastic 'hook' in the design - thanks shibafu!)
I bought my 2009-made Mountaineer Lite quite recently too (from Amazon I think). It's no longer in the current Victorinox catalog. So you're probably right that those on the market now are pretty old stock. It doesn't seem to have ever been a strong seller.
I think they all have the chisel on the back by the way. The idea that they had the fine flat screwdriver may have been a mistake in the catalogue or something that never made it from prototype to production.
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Thank you, Etherealicer. That was an interesting thread. I should have made my question more specific, something like this: "Are there differences between the 58mm and 91mm lights... output, circuits, battery, etc?"
The 91mm uses 2 x CR1225 3V lithium button cells. The 58mm uses a single 1.55V silver oxide cell - specifically a Renata 389, which is their "high drain" version of the SR1130W or SR54 size.
As for circuits, the 91mm barely has one :) The legs of the LED are connected straight to the batteries. Many keychain lights work this way. The current is limited just by the high internal resistance of the lithium cells. I assume the 58mm must at least have a current-limiting resistor, as silver oxide cells have low internal resistance.
It's interesting to see in Etherealicer's thread that the 58mm has changed from a bluish tint to a warmer colour of light. The 91mm has had the same colour change.
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The 91mm uses 2 x CR1225 3V lithium button cells. The 58mm uses a single 1.55V silver oxide cell - specifically a Renata 389, which is their "high drain" version of the SR1130W or SR54 size.
As for circuits, the 91mm barely has one :) The legs of the LED are connected straight to the batteries. Many keychain lights work this way. The current is limited just by the high internal resistance of the lithium cells. I assume the 58mm must at least have a current-limiting resistor, as silver oxide cells have low internal resistance.
It's interesting to see in Etherealicer's thread that the 58mm has changed from a bluish tint to a warmer colour of light. The 91mm has had the same colour change.
Thanks very much, shibafu. That is exactly what I was hoping to learn.
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I wonder if the new LED guts can be put in the older housings (without total knife disassembly), I have a couple of older Lite models that I would be happier with if they were (even a little) brighter.
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I wonder if the new LED guts can be put in the older housings (without total knife disassembly), I have a couple of older Lite models that I would be happier with if they were (even a little) brighter.
I'd love to do this for my Voyager Lite!
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