Foursevens Preon P0

[Danielight]

So if I decide to order a Preon P0 now, I can be pretty sure I'll get the "new & improved" version 2, right?

[Kilovolt]

So if I decide to order a Preon P0 now, I can be pretty sure I'll get the "new & improved" version 2, right?

I you order it directly from 4Sevens the answer is yes. In case of a dealer you can not be 100% sure, they might have some old ones laying around.

[Danielight]

I you order it directly from 4Sevens the answer is yes. In case of a dealer you can not be 100% sure, they might have some old ones laying around.

Looks like Going Gear has the P0 for a pretty good price and reasonable shipping. If I ask them about the version they are currently shipping, they should know whether it's the newest. Anyone here ordered this light from Going Gear?

[Streamer]

Maybe they'll be nice enough to take a look inside the P0 head for you. The most obvious upgrade to version II will be the red rubber washer in the head as pictured below. Version 1 had the black softer foam type washer.

[squaat]

I just got my new P0 back from 4sevens. I sent in my old one after it got really hot on eneloops. They sent me a new one that works perfectly with eneloops. Thanks 4sevens you are awesome.

[Got Lumens?]

Looks like Going Gear has the P0 for a pretty good price and reasonable shipping. If I ask them about the version they are currently shipping, they should know whether it's the newest. Anyone here ordered this light from Going Gear?

Another easier way rather than having the dealer open the product, is to ask when the stock was ordered. All the first run stock was sold prior to ~April 2012. So if they recieved the lights from Four Sevens after ~March 2012, chances are they are the new version 2.

I have spoken to a couple of dealers that know which version they have and are selling, it doesn't hurt to ask which version they are selling if you are not ordering direct.

I have ordered from Going Gear before, they are a good dealer and answer questions like this with ease.

GL

[Haesslich]

Mountain Equipment Co-Op has the P0 in stock now - I was in Victoria last Friday, and just got one from another store in AB today. It's V2 for sure - deeper threading on the body. This beats out my Preon 1, Quark Mini 123 and CR2 in usability thanks to the Moonlight mode, which was the best part of the AA2 (now renamed), and the size is perfect for easy pocket carry.

And it's cheap enouhh to be given away to anyone who needs a pocket or purse light. . I'm very pleased with the revised version. It's not a perfect light, nor a powerful one... but it's got a usable flood and low-low setting. I can match this up with my Preon 2 HiCRI and take care of 80% of my daily flashlight needs. For anything that needs 100-200+ lumens I can handle with my LD40 or TK35 (one of which always travels with me).

[gunga]

I got one yesterday. Tiny, and cool.

[4sevens]

Hurray for MEC!

[gunga]

Yep. I decided I wanted one, didn't want to wait 10 days to 2 weeks to get one, and was satisfied with the pricing at MEC. I'm a long time member, love that store. It's also nice to handle the light a bit before buying it.

Good job getting the lights into MEC.

[Haesslich]

Hurray for MEC!

This way I get to try it out a bit, and instant gratification. Plus, I remember when they began carrying Quarks - a good way to expose the brand to the public.

[calipsoii]

Once they bring them in, my plans are to:
a) open one up and see if it has the raised positive contact (signifying the new version)
b) rip it apart and put a Nichia 219 in it

I dont see how to do that. To shave off every mm, the led is mounted directly on the driver. If you try to reflow the led directly on to the driver, the ic's will fall off.

Yes. You also need to bear in mind that it is a double sided circut board. The wave soldering on the LED side of the board would be no problem, but then you also have the second side to reflow as well. With the proper tools, and a ton(I mean TON) of patience, it would be doable. I only have a regular weller soldering iron station, and you would need an adjustable one with a small enough tip to remount all the other components after changing the LED out.
NOT an easy project, but not impossible either.
GL

[jorn]

Nice 219 job. hard thing to do?
I simply use the pill from a neutral dqg. 5 and 60 lumen, so its waaaaay brighter

[gunga]

Please explain how you did the mod!

[Haesslich]

Ooh. Where are you, and how much would it cost to get a modded P0?

[Got Lumens?]

Now that's dedication
Very Nice :

[calipsoii]

Ooh. Where are you, and how much would it cost to get a modded P0?

I am in Alberta, though I don't know how comfortable I'd be working on someone else's light...

Please explain how you did the mod!

Modding this light will guaranteed void the warranty. It might not work properly (if at all) afterwards. Attempt at your own risk.

• remove the brass positive contact by applying a tiny bit of solder and heating it quickly with the side of your iron while working at it with tweezers
• apply a tiny dab of solder to the pad beneath the brass contact, then heat that while prying at the LED
• place the new LED and reflow it by heating the positive contact pad
• replace the brass positive contact

I know the underside of the pill looks pretty rough in these photos, but I was poking at it and heating it with the iron for almost an hour trying different things out. The next time I mod one I know how I'm going to do it.




Left: Peak Eiger 219 (narrow) -------- Right: Preon P0 219




Preon P0 219


Peak Eiger 219 (narrow)


Overall impressions so far:

• The threaded pill is made of very thin nickel-plated copper(?) or something equally soft. Alligator clamps and screwdrivers will dent it easily.
• As with every 219 mod I've done so far, the light is brighter on High, but gets warmer a LOT faster. Lower Vf, etc etc.
• Someone commented (I believe it was PoliceScannerMan) that the perceived color temperature of this 219 LED gets cooler as you go from focused -> flood. Having done this light, I would agree.
• The beam pattern is no longer perfectly round, it's slightly square. I believe this is due to the larger die of the 219. Perhaps that's why 47's chose the XP-E? (or maybe they wanted a bit more throw)

[skyfire]

nice job on the emitter swap!

i was planning on doing the same until i took out the pill and saw it.
i figured spending a few hours modding a $20 light that is rarely ever used wasnt worth it, plus the fact that while attempting it i could easily destroy it

[Haesslich]

I am in Alberta, though I don't know how comfortable I'd be working on someone else's

PU was thinking of paying you to buy one and mod it... especially as the Edmonton MEC has it in stock, and Calgary should be able to get it easily.

[Patriot]

Really amazing work Calipsoii! Great end results as well. Wouldn't it be neat if it was just made that way to begin with?

[shelm]

Anyone bought the Titanium XP-G2?
Are the threads gritty?

[Etsu]

Anyone bought the Titanium XP-G2?

Having just bought the SS version, I can't see the 63% higher price is worth it for just 5 extra lumens. All other mode specs look the same. Though, who knows, if I didn't already have the Preon 0, I might be tempted just for the cool titanium tube. Still, I can see why this is a limited edition. At that price point, it doesn't really compare well to other keychain lights in the same category.

[ico]

Just saw it a few sconds ago and I'm very tempted but I'm broke

[Tete]

Had to order one...

[Al Thumbs]

Having just bought the SS version, I can't see the 63% higher price is worth it for just 5 extra lumens. All other mode specs look the same.

That's not the point.

Though, who knows, if I didn't already have the Preon 0, I might be tempted just for the cool titanium tube.

That's​ the point.

[Etsu]

That's​ the point.

Oh, I know. I just see it as a very niche product. They'll probably make money from it, though, since the design changes are so minimal and there's little cost in the redesign. Probably a lot higher margins, too.

Still, would it have killed them to up the lumens to 60 or so? Oh well, high output isn't really the point of the light, I suppose.

[shelm]

light should always be the point of a light imho

[Esko]

Still, would it have killed them to up the lumens to 60 or so? Oh well, high output isn't really the point of the light, I suppose.

If you check calipsoiis photographs (posts 792 and 797), you can see that the heat sinking of the led is far from optimal. It is attached to a driver board, not directly to a metallic pill (which would have made the light clearly bigger). 25/30 lumens surely is plenty enough for this light and a decent runtime is a good feature, too.

[Al Thumbs]

Oh, I know. I just see it as a very niche product. They'll probably make money from it, though, since the design changes are so minimal and there's little cost in the redesign. Probably a lot higher margins, too.

Still, would it have killed them to up the lumens to 60 or so? Oh well, high output isn't really the point of the light, I suppose.

I agree that it's pricy for not much increase in performance, but let's face it– the flashlight marketplace is filled with products that are bling, more jewelry than flashlight. The wristwatch market is similar; you can get dead-nuts accurate timekeeping for $50, but people still spend thousands for watches because they look nice. Nothing wrong with that, either.

In regards to the P0/A0, what's nice about this light is its sub-lumen low mode, and its reflectorless beam. In the dark, its jump from .25 lumens to 24 lumens is plenty. If the A0 had a .24L mode and went directly to 60L, it would be a blinding change. If FourSevens dumped the .25L mode, to accommodate a 60L high, it would ruin the usefulness of this light and it would just be another Olight, Thrunite, Fenix multimode AAA light.

[MCN]

I just ordered the A0. I had one of the original P0s with defective switching and returned it for a refund and never got another. Titanium lights are hard for me to resist so I decided to go for it.