Manufacturer:- http://darkgear.com/mrbulk/
Purchase Price :- $200 / £112 http://www.xe.com/ucc/
Size:- 105.3mm long 25.2mm Diameter at widest point.
Weight (With Batteries):- 3 1/8 oz. 88g
Battery Type / Qty :- 1off CR123A (Surefire, Duracell, Panasonic or similar)
Battery Life :- 47Minutes at full power, 3Hours 30Minutes at Half Power and 68Hours at Low Power
Many Thanks to Roy on CPF for his Runtime plots Roy's Runtime Plots
LED Type :- 3W Luxeon
Rated Output:- Unknown but probably around 75 Lumens on High
Estimated LED Lifespan:- Over 100,000 Hours (That's an awful lot of expensive batteries)
Colour:- White
Reflector Type :- Plastic Drop in
Lens Material :- Ultra Clear Coated Glass
Electronics:- Regulation to ensure constant light output for the length of the battery life
Body Material :- Aluminium alloy with type III HA black anodising
Limited production run of only 313 lights makes this a collectors item

I just got this light second-hand from a fellow CPF member arewethereyetdad. It does not look second-hand in any way shape or form! Thanks to the quick response and excellent speed at which the light whizzed across the Atlantic to me.

This is my first Charles Wong AKA 'Mr Bulk (TM)' Flashlight. A highly respected modder and with this item custom light builder based on the island of Hawaii. This was at the time the pinnacle of 3Watt Luxeon light engineering. It has since been improved upon but it is still one of the best 3Watt lights ever made.

Why is it so special? Well for a start it has a beautifully designed and machined body coupled with a unique 3 position power selection switch and a UCL glass lens. It fits perfectly in the palm of your hand and the 3 point crown tailcap guard allows the light to stand on its end and act as a candle.

The regulation is special as it is difficult to make a variable brightness light that still has an efficient circuit at all brightness levels. This light has this as can be seen from the runtime figures in the information. I think the details on how it works are still under wraps and as this is a limited custom light I will not be going to the lengths I did with the $50 Nuwai Quantum III.

The tailcap switch is the standard Kroll clicky as used on my ARC LSH. I like this switch as it gives an excellent feel and positive indication of operation. It also allows normal momentary operation.

The VIP design is an execise in simplicity and smart design.

A 50.3 mm long battery tube is tapped at both ends with identical threads to accept the tailcap and head assemblies. It is designed to accommodate a single CR123 cell. This as you can see from the charts above this will power the light from between 47 Minute to 68 Hours! Plenty for most applications. The battery tube is machined with a finned body. I am not sure if this was just for a better grip or if it actually helps the light to convection cool when operating in high. The tube is completely anodised in what looks like Type III HA. The threaded sections are free from anodising as its prevents the flow of power passing from the -ve side of the battery to the head.

The head assembly unscrews to allow access to the LED and reflector. The 3Watt Luxeon is glued directly to the machined top of the head assembly. This provides a good heatsink base into the head capsule and ultimately the body of the light. The wires from the regulating electronics pass through two machine holes in the head and are soldered directly to the Luxeon LED. The Luxeons were originally Star configurations and they were separated from their board during manufacture. I am not sure of the reason for this! Perhaps the emitters were in short supply? The electronics are housed inside the head and contain the magic regulation circuitry which makes the VIP such a breakthrough development. The PCB is located with a small Allen key grub screw located on the opposite side to the brightness control. It so small that you can easily forget that it is there. The brightness control is via a bladed (Screwdriver tip style) 3 position rotary switch. It has very positive dedented positions. Also the blade shape allows you to see exactly which setting it is in before you turn the light on. The switch is sealed onto the body with yet another o-ring.

The reflector is a 17mm plastic unit that sits on the to of the Luxeon. It produced a very bright central hotspot that is surrounded by a large even sidespill of light. It lights up my garden shed from my bedroom window without any problem!

The reflector head is smooth finished and is fitted with an O-ring groove which forces the UCL lens to seal onto the end of the reflector. I don't over tighten the reflector head as I worry that I could damage or distort the plastic reflector. I am not too worried if the light keeps out water as I have no intention of getting it wet. But the head does seal with O-ring onto the body as does the tailcap assembly. The lens of the light is UCL Ultra Clear Lens. This is made from a special low dispersion glass which allows a lot more light to pass through compared with polycarbonate or normal glass lenses for more details see here http://www.flashlightlens.com/

The tailcap is known for its KC (King Crown) design. A unique 3 pronged tailstand that serves several functions. It first acts as a tailswitch guard stopping inadvertent operation of the switch. It also allows the VIP to stand on its end and act as a candle. With a 68 Hour Runtime on low It makes a good nightlight. The third feature is the gaps in the design allow your thumb to activate the light when held in a reverse grip in the palm of your hand.

There are various aftermarket accessories available for the VIP. I don't own any of them yet and am not sure if they appeal to me at the moment. The BulkHead and Big Bulkhead are larger size reflector heads that will give the light a greater throw than the standard head. But they make the light larger and small size is one of it's most appealing features. Also people have produced AA battery tubes to allow longer battery runtimes. I already have a 1Watt ARC LSH with an AA tube and It could be a good accessory but I like the small size for the CR123 tube. It looks a bit strange in 2 AA configuration, but it is a lot cheaper to run!

I really wanted one of these VIP lights. I had been away from CPF for a few months and missed it when they were first offered for sale. I was lucky to get one second-hand as only 313 were ever made. Mr Bulk has now developed an even more impressive rechargeable 3Watt Luxeon light that improves on every feature of the VIP. Its called the LionHeart (as it is powered by Lithium Ion PILA Batteries) That leaves the VIP in the position of probably the best CR123 powered light ever made. There are similar commercial offerings that give variable brightness but their operation is not as simple as the VIP's rotary knob. I think I will be keeping this particular VIP for some time!

If you want one look round on the CPF BST forum for a good example. Most are well cared for as they are such an enthusiast torch.

www.candlepowerforums.com One of the best forums of any kind on the net. Lots of reviews, opinions and help for the novice to the expert on anything relating to illumination products.

I think some other members of CPF have also had these light for sale. So look round for them.

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