Gerber Infinity Ultra with Nichia CS LED

Erasmus

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Dec 29, 2004
Messages
1,077
Location
Belgium
I want to buy a Gerber Infinity Ultra but one of the complaints people have about is that it does not have the Nichia CS LED yet. This means lower brightness than comparable lights at the same power consumption. It is possible (however, sometimes it can be difficult) to modify the Gerber IU with the Nichia CS LED, but it would be easier (and better for water resistance) if they come from the factory with a stock CS LED. In this post thelightdude says these great flashlights are now shipping with stock CS LEDs! That would be great news for a lot of flashaholics on this board!

I have just sent an e-mail to Gerber to ask them if this is true, and where to get this new version of this flashlight. I also sent an e-mail to Kevin from BatteryStation.com to ask him if he can check the different printing on the package, which should indicate the presence of the CS LED.

If you guys can help me find the Gerber IU with stock CS LED, that would be great :)

Cheers,
Erasmus.
 

NutSAK

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Jun 20, 2006
Messages
1,773
Location
3rd stone from the Sun
Re: Gerber Infinity Ultra with Nichia CS LED?

I have one of the new Gerber IU's that thelightdude is referring to, with "BBT" on the package. I just bought it off Epray last week. If there's some way I can confirm that the LED is a CS for you, let me know and I will. I don't have another Gerber UI to compare it to.

I am currently doing a simple runtime "observance" test also. I will be reporting it in the Inova X1 vs. Gerber IU thread.
 

jsr

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Dec 22, 2005
Messages
1,901
Location
socal
Re: Gerber Infinity Ultra with Nichia CS LED?

I was hesitant to purchase an IU from all the reviews that said the output was so low, but when I got mine, also from the REI sale ealier this year, I was surprised by how bright it is. I went and purchased another one and that one seems to be just as bright. I compared it to my TM-313X which FLR.com shows has about equal output to an Arc-P, and my IUs seem about equal output to my TM-313X (hence equal to Arc-P). I'm not sure if it's a Nichia CS or not tho...I don't think there's any way of telling from the LED itself. The tint on my IUs are different than the CSs I purchased for modding, but it could just be a different tint.
 

thelightdude

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Nov 23, 2003
Messages
143
Location
Chicago area
Re: Gerber Infinity Ultra with Nichia CS LED?

I noticed a post by JSR on 5-18-2006 stating the new ultra light he bought was as bright as a a CS modded light . This is why I bought one when they went on sale.

I have modded many lights with CS's that I purchased on group buys. This new Infinity I bought uses this class of led. I doubt they could boost the circuit to make it this bright.

It is as bright as my late model Peak snow-ultra single led light.

There are probably many of the older models floating around in the stores. Be sure the package states BBT on it.
 
Last edited:

NutSAK

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Jun 20, 2006
Messages
1,773
Location
3rd stone from the Sun
Re: Gerber Infinity Ultra with Nichia CS LED?

I was wondering about this lightdude. I had always read that the UI was "twice as bright" as the original (non-ultra) CMG Infinity. My new UI is much brighter than "twice as bright" as my Infinity. This is why I decided to do the quick runtime observance test. To see if they were trading runtime for brightness in the circuit. Time will tell...
 

leduk

Enlightened
Joined
Apr 19, 2006
Messages
279
Location
UK
Re: Where to buy : Gerber Infinity Ultra | Nichia CS

kitelights said:
For Lighthound, add another $4. Shipping is $4, PLUS a $4 International surcharge.

I've checked wtih lighthound and shipping the IU to the UK is just the $17.95 plus $4 p&p in total $21.95

Cheers.
 

Erasmus

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Dec 29, 2004
Messages
1,077
Location
Belgium
Re: Gerber Infinity Ultra with Nichia CS LED?

I have some good news from both people I contacted :

- Gerber consumer support tells me they "have recently incorporated the CS LED to the Infinity Ultras, however there may be inventories that still contain the older LED's. There is really no way of telling as these were not recalled, but only modified with the same manufacture identification. As this is a fairly new modification, there is always the risk of still receiving older product."
--> so it is true they use Nichia CS LEDs since recently.
----> I have replied and asked if there is any way (except for beamshot comparison) to determine whether it is the new or old version. I also asked whether the driver is updated or not.

- Kevin from BatteryStation.com says about the BBT print on the package : "this new packaging started showing up I think a few months ago"
--> now it's just a matter of confirmation from Gerber that all packages indicating BBT contain the new Nichia CS LED :)
 

jsr

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Dec 22, 2005
Messages
1,901
Location
socal
Re: Gerber Infinity Ultra with Nichia CS LED?

Good confirmation Erasmus! I guess I wasn't smoking crack when I thought my IUs were brighter than what everyone said. Ok, maybe I was still smoking crack, but still!
 

Erasmus

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Dec 29, 2004
Messages
1,077
Location
Belgium
Re: Gerber Infinity Ultra with Nichia CS LED?

Don't smoke crack my boy, buy a flashlight instead.

Gerber Customer Support is amazingly fast in replying. This is what I just received (nearly 10 minutes after replying them!) : "I believe the product is virtually the same in respect to power consumption. Unfortunately though the product looks identical (older vs. newer) and there are no distinquishable characteristics with the product, packaging or product #'s that would say they've been modified. This was a concern I had when initially responding to you. I suspect that in a few months most of the older inventory will have been sifted through but of course, there is no way of knowing for certain. I'm so sorry."

No need to say sorry, I'll ask about the BBT packaging :p
 

NutSAK

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Jun 20, 2006
Messages
1,773
Location
3rd stone from the Sun
Re: Gerber Infinity Ultra with Nichia CS LED?

Check out the "long runtime" thread for my runtime observations on the BBT version of the Gerber IU!
 

NutSAK

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Jun 20, 2006
Messages
1,773
Location
3rd stone from the Sun
Re: Gerber Infinity Ultra with Nichia CS LED?

Here is the "BBT" packaging to look for:

171471603.jpg
 

Erasmus

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Dec 29, 2004
Messages
1,077
Location
Belgium
Re: Gerber Infinity Ultra with Nichia CS LED?

While the non-CS version package should look like this :
gerber_infinityultra_003.jpg
. Photo from FlashlightReviews.com

Just waiting on the confirmation from Gerber Customer Support and I'll order a Gerber IU CS :)
 

eebowler

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Dec 18, 2003
Messages
1,735
Location
Trinidad and Tobago.
Re: Gerber Infinity Ultra with Nichia CS LED?

Gerber Customer Support said: "and there are no distinquishable characteristics with the product, packaging or product #'s that would say they've been modified." Uh, so the BBT stamp on the packaging was a random act of nature or is just an advertising gimic?

Anyhow. Erasmus: Thanks a lot for contacting Gerber for us. It really is good news that they come stock with CS LEDs.

Maybe because the CS LED has a 15 deg angle compared to the older 20deg angle, it is slightly slimmer than the older one. If you had two LEDs side by side comparing them would be easy. In a flashlight is another story...
 

thelightdude

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Nov 23, 2003
Messages
143
Location
Chicago area
Re: Where to buy : Gerber Infinity Ultra | Nichia CS

I guess we were lucky to get the newest CS model when we did.

At least - now you will not have to go thru all the trouble of modding a new one.
 

RebelXTNC

Enlightened
Joined
Feb 8, 2006
Messages
433
Location
North Carolina
Re: Where to buy : Gerber Infinity Ultra | Nichia CS

I believe I purchased my Gerber back in March online and it had the "BBT". So that designation has been available for awhile. I bought it on sale because I was worried that my order for the two CMG IU's wouldn't be filled, but I did get all 3. The Gerber version was very similar in output to the CMG IU's. The two CMG's are actually more different from each other than the Gerber is compared to either of the other two.
I haven't done any comparative runtimes though.
 

NutSAK

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Jun 20, 2006
Messages
1,773
Location
3rd stone from the Sun
Re: Where to buy : Gerber Infinity Ultra | Nichia CS

RebelXTNC said:
The two CMG's are actually more different from each other than the Gerber is compared to either of the other two.
I haven't done any comparative runtimes though.

How are the CMGs different?
 

Erasmus

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Dec 29, 2004
Messages
1,077
Location
Belgium
Re: Where to buy : Gerber Infinity Ultra | Nichia CS

So far I didn't get a reply from Gerber Customer Support. Those people who are sure they have a CS LED inside their Gerber IU, can they tell where they got it (website of the store?)?
 

sniper

Enlightened
Joined
Jan 7, 2005
Messages
630
Re: Where to buy : Gerber Infinity Ultra | Nichia CS

Erasmus said:
So far I didn't get a reply from Gerber Customer Support. Those people who are sure they have a CS LED inside their Gerber IU, can they tell where they got it (website of the store?)?

I was at Sportsman's Warehouse yesterday, and they had a whole display of Ultras with the "BBT" packaging. Don't know the website, but a Google will probably turn it up.

In addition:Quickbeam noted that removing the pocket clip will mar the light. Does anyone know if that problem has been solved?

I'm looking forward to his retest of the light for brightness and runtime.
 

Pax et Lux

Enlightened
Joined
Jul 14, 2006
Messages
237
Location
Vancouver, BC, Canada
I bought my Gerber Infinity Ultra from Mountain Equipment Co-op in Vancouver, Canada, around four months ago - it came with the BBT logo on the packaging. They must be widely available to make it up here!

I don't have the older, non-BBT version, or indeed the CMG, to compare it to. However, I can compare it to a Dorcy 1AAA - older model, without the convex lens - and both have a similar output. The Dorcy is slightly brighter, tho' you think it's going to be a lot brighter until you use both of them side by side, which I think is because the Dorcy has a far warmer tint - the IU is quite a cool blue. However, light from the Dorcy is very ringy. I prefer the IU, which has a flawless beam.

I'm confused about this supposed update to the light, because the flashlightreviews.com figures, for the older model IU, put it at a bit below the Dorcy in terms of output. So the newer LED does not seem to make a huge difference, if it's still comparable to the Dorcy 1AAA. Perhaps this is why Gerber has not marketed the light as having been upgraded.

I'm not saying they shouldn't have bothered changing the LED, but that, IMO, it would not be worth replacing an older Gerber IU with the BBT version in the expectation of getting a great deal more light.
 

eebowler

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Dec 18, 2003
Messages
1,735
Location
Trinidad and Tobago.
Re: Where to buy : Gerber Infinity Ultra | Nichia CS

sniper said:
In addition:Quickbeam noted that removing the pocket clip will mar the light. Does anyone know if that problem has been solved?

Yeah. Use a thin but firm piece/sheet of plastic, like the plastic from blister packs and slide it between the pocket clip and the flashlight. You can then easily remove the clip by sliding it over the plastic instead of the flashlight.
 
Top