E2e - 17670s Fit??

I just received my AW 17670 today and was anxious to try out in my E2e, but it doesn't fit! I also have an Ultrafire 17670, and it doesn't fit either, so I can't use my E2e Strion kit I bought from fivemega. Is it normal for a 17670 to not fit in the E2e? It looks like this is a requirement of using the Strion bulb in this light.

Anyone else had this issue?

RichS said:

I just received my AW 17670 today and was anxious to try out in my E2e, but it doesn't fit! I also have an Ultrafire 17670, and it doesn't fit either, so I can't use my E2e Strion kit I bought from fivemega. Is it normal for a 17670 to not fit in the E2e? It looks like this is a requirement of using the Strion bulb in this light.

Anyone else had this issue?

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What is diameter of your 17670 cell?

How about flashlight inner diameter?

fivemega said:

What is diameter of your 17670 cell?

How about flashlight inner diameter?

Click to expand...

They are about the same apparently, because it goes in most of the way. But the battery stops just as the top of the battery is even with the top of the battery tube. It seems like the battery tube narrows near the bottom, so the battery won't go beyond this point. Even if I apply pressure, it won't go any further down. I don't see any obstruction, but it does look like the tube narrows slightly.

Do I have an out of spec E2e?

RichS said:

Do I have an out of spec E2e?

Click to expand...

You may need to remove silver sticker from battery or try another battery if you have more.

I converted my E2e to run 17670s a while back and it's great with a KL4 head. The way I understand it, E2e's made after a certain date have a tapered body tube. The last 10mm or so at the cap end narrows inside to only allow 123 cells. I used a Dremmel and various sanding bits to widen that part of the body to allow a 17670 to drop all the way down. Others have used sand paper wrapped around dowel rods. Either way, it is possible to make the cell fit.

I've just received the Fivemega Strion kit too. I can't get it to work with my converted E2e because the socket doesn't quite touch the body. My 17670 (a Pila) now has a pressure dent in the top and a spring gouge at the bottom, so I'm assuming that the cell may be a tad too long for the set up. Fivemega recommended AW cells, which I have on order, so I will be able to compare lengths when they arrive. As this is FM's 5th successful run of sockets I'm sure that the problem isn't with the socket but with either the tube depth or battery tolerances. For the time being I've got the Strion socket in an E1e on one AW RCR123 and it's really bright. Works like a charm.

I read up on this myself a while back when I got my E2DL.

The end result was that no, a 17670 won't fit in a E2 body, but...., sometimes there are slight variations in the body size and if you're lucky, you might get one that fits.

Other than that, there there is just the option of boring it out.

Or finding someone with a body that does fit the cell and asking if they'll part with on a buy/trade, but good luck with that!

(Actually, from trawling through threads, I do know of at least 1 member who has an E2 body that fits a 17670, but he will remain anonymous....)

Use high abrasive paper wrap around a round cylinder with diameter just about the same as the battery tube. Manually rub the inner walls evenly on all sides and test for fit after say 10 strokes etc. Its not as hard as you would imagine as the inner batter tube surface does not have any hard coating except the chemkote which is not hard. I did that to a black E2e body and with a little bit of patience you will get the battery to fit. You are actually taking a very thin layer to able the battery to slide in and out easily.

Awesome, thanks for the info guys. I was beginning to think I just got an out of wack E2e..I'm just surprised this is the first time this has surfaced with how many E2e Strion kits FM has sold. He PM'd me and said he hasn't heard of this problem since he started selling the sockets. Maybe most just get out the sandpaper instead of whining on the forum about it like me...:mecry:

No problem - out comes the sandpaper!! This tiny light is going to be great running a Strion bulb...

usually the older-style flat-sided bodies have no problem accepting a 17670 cell

.

I've found that some of the newer round bodies will accept a P17670 and some won't. Seems to be a luck of the draw thing.

ampdude said:

I've found that some of the newer round bodies will accept a P17670 and some won't. Seems to be a luck of the draw thing.

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Thanks. Before I commit to the sandpaper thing, I'm going to drop by a local store and see if I can get lucky with a swap out.

It also depends on the battery too.

I've had lights where one AW P17670 would fit, but another AW P17670 would not. No two AW P17670's or Surefire E2e bodies are exactly alike.

My E2e 1999 i think takes 17670 just fine.My cells measure .660 DIA my E2E ID is .684.

In addition to the sticker on some batteries some Pila and Wolf Eyes batteries in the past had 2 shrink wrap layers and removing one layer usually fixed the problem. I don't know if this is still the case or if other battery types might have this but it is something to consider.

-LT

Ok - I just went out and picked up a new E2e from Gander Mountain - same problem. In the pics below you'll see that although the cells fit in the light just fine (even with a little play), they hit a tapering near the bottom of the E2e battery tube and stop.

I just bought a brand new AW 17670, and it does not fit. I took off the label and it didn't help in the slightest. The AW labels are now very thin, more like a foil label and don't add to the thickness of the battery. I also tried it with a fairly new Ultrafire I already had. Both cells fit exactly the same, going into the tube perfectly until they reach the tapering rings at near the bottom.

You can see the rings that SureFire added to the end of the battery tube to taper the light in these photos. I am pretty sure if you buy a new E2e you're going to have a hard time finding a 17mm cell that will fit all the way down. It looks like some sanding is the only way at this point, but hopefully it shouldn't be too much of a pain. It'll be worth it to run the Strion bulb.

From the front end:



From the tail end:

Niconical said:

I...The end result was that no, a 17670 won't fit in a E2 body, but....

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Are two R123s an option? According to FM's thread, the kit will accept two protected R123s.

I personally do not have any E2E; however, I had similar experiences on an E2DL as shared by Niconical. I am using two safe-chemistry LiPO4 rechargeable cells instead since the LED head on the E2DL is "sensitive" about forward voltages. The E2DL body that I have does taper towards the tailcap end. An AW protected 17670 would not fit either.

With Aloha,

Clarence

cl0123 said:

Are two R123s an option? According to FM's thread, the kit will accept two protected R123s.

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FM offers two bulbs with different voltages. The Strion is the low voltage, hence the single 17670. The TL-3 bulb is needed to handle the higher voltage of the two RCR123s. I'd imagine the Strion would get fried on two RCR123s.

Tomcat! said:

FM offers two bulbs with different voltages. The Strion is the low voltage, hence the single 17670. The TL-3 bulb is needed to handle the higher voltage of the two RCR123s. I'd imagine the Strion would get fried on two RCR123s.

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The TL-3 option is an idea. I want to go with the brighter option though, and I thought that the Strion would be brighter. Anyone know if the Strion is actually brighter than the TL-3 in this setup? This may actually save me from sanding on my SureFire E2e...:sick2:

RichS said:

The TL-3 option is an idea. I want to go with the brighter option though, and I thought that the Strion would be brighter. Anyone know if the Strion is actually brighter than the TL-3 in this setup? This may actually save me from sanding on my SureFire E2e...:sick2:

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A Strion is supposed to operate at 3.6volts, but the TL-3 works on 3 123 primaries, so 9volts, thus brighter. With 2 RCR123s hot off the charger around 8.4v initially, the TL-3 will easily handle that. Might get quite hot though. I don't know for certain but the run time might only be about 30 mins.

Tomcat! said:

A Strion is supposed to operate at 3.6volts, but the TL-3 works on 3 123 primaries, so 9volts, thus brighter. With 2 RCR123s hot off the charger around 8.4v initially, the TL-3 will easily handle that. Might get quite hot though. I don't know for certain but the run time might only be about 30 mins.

Click to expand...

Good to know - I just picked up a couple of IMR16340s for hotwiring use. I wonder if these would blow the TL-3, or just make it nice and white??

What gets quite hot - your light or your batteries when running the RCRs and the TL-3?