Hydra XP4 - World's brightest LED flashlight combines quad eXtended Power DC/DC converters with four select white Luxeon LEDs to create a blindingly bright flashlight. If your tired of LED flashlights that just can't cut it against incandescent torches, then this is the light for you. New style Luxeon collimator lenses provide tight center bright spot than fades evenly into a brilliant corona. Requires 3C or 2D cell batteries; housed in 2D MagLite.

Don't ya just wish you had one of these?

Lambda
Run Times  
Maximum battery life is achieved through intermittent use. However it can be used for extended periods without excessive heat or stress to the flashlight. Use 3C cells for maximum brightness, 2D cells for longer run time. 3C cells - Maximum flat out run time test resulted in 1 hour 45 min before shutdown; maximum temperature was 109F reached about one hour into test. Note: with only a five minute rest time on the batteries it was back to fair brightness. 

2D cells - Maximum flat out run time test resulted in a little over 5 hours before some flickering was observed as the quad regulators fight over the last of the battery power; continued to run for another 45 min, but was getting dim and flickering so bad I just shut it off; maximum temperature was 89F reached about one hour into test.
Efficiency Testing  
Now to see just what the quad converters really have gained the design. This will put a direct drive Hydra up against the XP4 design in a head to head competition for brightness and run time. Hydra unit #2 (yes, there are now two of these) will be first directly connected to the batteries bypassing the DC/DC circuits so that a direct comparison can be made between the quad XP circuit and direct drive. While the XP certainly has the advantage of being able to run on 2 D cells, the ultimate goal here is maximum illumination, which is achieved when using 3 C cells. Converter efficiency at or near the operating voltage may actually lessen run times and brightness. That is what this test will compare and test for. 
07:30 PM- test starts. Here's the beginning shot . With 3 fresh C cell batteries in each, there is quite a noticeable difference in brightness, with the XP4 being much brighter.

07:45 PM- The XP4 has reached 94F, and the Hydra Direct Drive is at 83F.

 
08:00 PM- The XP4 has reached 99F, and the Hydra Direct Drive is at 84F.

08:15 PM- The XP4 has reached 105F, and the Hydra Direct Drive is at 87.5F.
08:30 PM- The XP4 has reached 106F, and the Hydra Direct Drive is at 88F.

08:45 PM- The XP4 is at 105F, and the Hydra Direct Drive is at 86F. 

The slight decrease in temperatures indicates the batteries are beginning to weaken.
09:00 PM- The XP4 has reached 100F, and the Hydra Direct Drive is at 86F.
09:10 PM- The XP4 is beginning to dim a little.
09:15 PM- The XP4 is now about equal in brightness to the Hydra Direct Drive.
09:22 PM- The XP4 flickers and shuts down, leaving only the Direct Drive burning away.
09:25 But how bright is the Hydra Direct Drive after all this time?

Shown here next to a Lambda Illuminator with 2 fresh AA batteries. Showing the Hydra Direct Drive to be not a real good use for 4 expensive Luxeon LEDs in a big flashlight.
09:26 But wait, what's this? After a few minutes rest, the XP4 springs back to life with a vengeance!  Showing again the virtues of intermittent use with high current devices.  Also notice the Hydra Direct Drive is starting to get pretty dim now too.

 
09:35 The XP4 is still going on it's second wind!
End of Efficiency Test 09:38 The XP4 flickers and shuts down again.

So, the Hydra XP4 running on 3C cells can sustain it's super bright output for over an hour and a half of continuous use, and given a little rest, come right back for a few minutes more.

With intermittent use, you can expect significantly longer run times at full brightness.

Well, I guess I've got my answer, the XP4 quad converter circuits really do make a difference in brightness when using 3 C cells. This result, coupled with the bright performance and longer run time on 2 D cells tells me this flashlight would be a waste of good Luxeon LEDs without the quad converters.

Better go install them in this Direct Drive unit right now..................

Test note: Photos taken with lights about 12 ft from target, with 60 watt ceiling light on between lights and target wall to stop the camera's gain circuit from being overwhelmed as in the photos below.
D Cell Performance Characteristics   
Initial test show the Hydra XP4 operating on 2D cells (3.0V) to be just slightly brighter than the 3C cell Hydra Direct Drive (4.5V).

 
Beam Shots  
First up, for reference, is the Lambda Illuminator (Legend AA case, 2 AA, DC/DC boost) against the Lambda Ultra Illuminator (Legend LX case, 2 CR123, DC/DC pushing ~1.5A thru a single Luxeon).
Not much of a contest, the Ultra stomps on the Illuminator, but then the Ultra Illuminator gets real hot if run more than five minutes, and is only meant for short, but extremely bright run times. 

 
Next up, the Hydra XP4 takes on the Ultra Illuminator. 
Not much of a contest here either, the Hydra XP4 easily over powers the single Luxeon Ultra Illuminator and shuts down the gain control circuit on my camera in the process!

 

* Flashlight is modified retail flashlight. Original manufacturer is not associated with after market modifications. Direct all correspondence to lambda@mchsi.com.