New Surefire EB1 Clicky (Beamshots added) - Review and runtime results

[Robin24k]

It's probably for programmability, which would explain the flash memory.

[rocled]

I want to pull the trigger on one of these, but does anyone know if the regulation has been fixed on newer models?

[Glock 22]

I want to pull the trigger on one of these, but does anyone know if the regulation has been fixed on newer models?

Probably not. It's a good chance it will stay the way it is.

[jamesmtl514]

I just got mine.
It looks even more ridiculous in person. E body with an extension. The tail cap it's so long.
It looks like all those mods were done spur of the moment to balance the weight and length of the head.

They should have redesigned a new body, and allowed for conventional tail caps. The shroud is all but useless, wobble tail standing..seriously?

All these nitpicks are right out the window once the light is actually used. The beam is flawless, tint is great and it's VERY bright.
It's a lot easier to switch back and forth from hi-low-hi than on the E1b, E2DL.

The 200lm E2DL is still brighter than the EB1, but not by much.

[270winchester]

I just got mine.
It looks even more ridiculous in person. E body with an extension. The tail cap it's so long.
It looks like all those mods were done spur of the moment to balance the weight and length of the head.

They should have redesigned a new body, and allowed for conventional tail caps. The shroud is all but useless, wobble tail standing..seriously?

All these nitpicks are right out the window once the light is actually used. The beam is flawless, tint is great and it's VERY bright.
It's a lot easier to switch back and forth from hi-low-hi than on the E1b, E2DL.

The 200lm E2DL is still brighter than the EB1, but not by much.

Good assessment. The long tail cap would be noticed by previous E1B owners. But once you actually us the light you forget it quickly.

I have been using mine off and on for ~3-4 weeks now and it's still kicking the rear of the brightest amongst my three E1B heads. But I don't use it attached to an integrated sphere.

Surefire has set a new bar for single cell light and I am interested to see what other light makers can come up with.

[Tennessee Cattleman]

I have got a EB1 with the click switch. Great fit & finish with a very good beam. The way the click switch works is what sold me on this light.

[brianna]

[QUOTE=270winchester;4101941

Surefire has set a new bar for single cell light and I am interested to see what other light makers can come up with.[/QUOTE]

I would not consider a 200 lm single cell light that is pushing the limits of the battery, with poor regulation as setting a new bar of excellence. To me it looks like Surefire is lowering their standards by producing this light.

[N/Apower]

I would not consider a 200 lm single cell light that is pushing the limits of the battery, with poor regulation as setting a new bar of excellence. To me it looks like Surefire is lowering their standards by producing this light.

The TIR optic is what makes this light worth even discussing. It really is a game changer for many applications.

[brianna]

Oh I agree I love the TIR optic. I would never own a regular reflector light again.

[N/Apower]

Oh I agree I love the TIR optic. I would never own a regular reflector light again.

TIR has it's place, as do reflectors. I prefer the wide beam of a reflector'ed light, but it takes roughly 200% as much OTF lumen to equal the throw of a TIR light. In my case, I am comparing an M31 in a VME head to an E1B. There would be no way this combo would perform like a weaponized EB1 head, though, which is what I am waiting for long-term. However, I can run a sapphire lens on the VME combo and it stands up so nice to muzzle-blast and carbon and whatnot from my SBR. The lens sits right about equal with the back of my suppressor or end of the ports on the flash-hider, depending, so this is meaningful.

[880arm]

Since this thread has been resurrected I suppose I can provide an update to my initial review after carrying the EB1 for nearly 3 months now. The output combined with the focused beam from the TIR optic suits my typical daily uses better than any other light I own and I still have some "wow" moments when I use the EB1 to reach out and touch something at a distance.

Unlike a lot folks, I rarely use this light in complete darkness. I am a safety specialist in an industrial facility and I'm normally in a well lit environment and just want to put some extra light on something so I can see it better or highlight it for someone else. The hot spot is bright enough to overcome the glare from overhead lighting, even when looking up at things near the ceiling, 70' - 150' away. Also, the tight beam is perfect for looking into or behind machinery as it reduces the amount of light that is reflected back at me. The pursuit of a light like this is what first brought me to this forum over a year ago.

Some follow-up on a few of my initial observations:

Size: At first the light just didn't feel "right" when I held it. The slight extra length and difference in the head made it feel completely different than my old E1B which it replaced. I made only a slight adjustment to my grip and this is now a non-issue. The extra length causes no problems for pocket carry and the 2-way clip is still the best design out there.

Output: Rated at "only" 200 lumens this light (and its predecessor the E1B) was never intended to be the brightest light available. As others have noted the appeal of this light is the TIR optic and the beam is magnificent for my purposes.

Runtime/Regulation: If I had a magic wand and could change any one thing about the light it would be to somehow give it flatter regulation (actually, I may just need to use the magic wand on the battery instead). This has already been beaten to death and it is what it is. However, if given the choice between the current configuration and one with 30% less output but more stable output, I would probably stick with what I have. As I mentioned above, the lux on target is important for my purposes and it's awfully nice to have this in a comparatively small package. This does mean that I change batteries slightly more often but that is a minor concern for me in the overall scheme of things.

Quality: After nearly 3 months of use, not always in the nicest of environments, I can't really tell any difference in the appearance of the light from when it was new. The anodize is perfect, the clip shows virtually no signs of wear and I would still describe it as "near mint." Operation has been flawless.

Beam Tint: The beam does have some green tint to it but this is not noticeable to me when using the light on high. Due to the run time tests I conducted I can verify that the tint does begin to shift to green as the battery is depleted but in real use I change to a fresh battery before this becomes an issue. I can't remember the last time I used the light on low.

This light definitely isn't for everyone. Just as a cabinet maker wouldn't use a 32 oz. framing hammer to build cabinetry, I wouldn't recommend someone getting this light if they just want to provide general area lighting or plan to use it for hours at a time. There are many other lights out there that would serve these purposes much better. If however, you have needs like mine or if you plan to use the light for its intended purpose as a high intensity BACKUP light then I have no problem recommending it.

As a measure of a tool's worth to me I will ask myself, "would I buy another one if I lost the one I have." With regard to the EB1, the answer is an unequivocal "Yes!"

On a related note, I wish I could say that with the EB1, I don't miss my old E1B. Unfortunately, I misplaced my E1B shortly after I took the beam shots in the first post of this thread and I still haven't found it! This drives me nuts, not because I want to carry it, but because I hate losing things!

[Vox Clamatis in Deserto]

I just got mine.
It looks even more ridiculous in person. E body with an extension. The tail cap it's so long.
It looks like all those mods were done spur of the moment to balance the weight and length of the head.

They should have redesigned a new body, and allowed for conventional tail caps. The shroud is all but useless, wobble tail standing..seriously?

I'm told by a dealer that SF is now listing an EB1 variant with a clicky switch and no shroud, the designation is EB1C-B-BK (or -SL or -TN, black, silver or tan) for a MSRP of $220 vice $225 for the shrouded version (EB1C-A-BK, -SL or -TN).

The tactical EB1 is EB1T-A-BK, -SL or -TN and its MSRP is also $220.

Has anybody seen one of these unshrouded clicky EB1's?

[Lodogg2221]

As a measure of a tool's worth to me I will ask myself, "would I buy another one if I lost the one I have." With regard to the EB1, the answer is an unequivocal "Yes!"

On a related note, I wish I could say that with the EB1, I don't miss my old E1B. Unfortunately, I misplaced my E1B shortly after I took the beam shots in the first post of this thread and I still haven't found it! This drives me nuts, not because I want to carry it, but because I hate losing things!

Having recently misplaced my E1B, I can say that yes, I would replace it because I did. However, if I had not lost it, that money would have gone to the EB1. I dont like losing things either, and with regard to my E1B, I dont think its quite as bright as my lost E1B, but I liked it enough that I wanted another before they were unavailable new. Couldnt get an answer from any distributor that had backordering available, but it was my understanding that the E1B is discontinued by Surefire, and therefor no longer available if they dont already have them in stock.
Anyway, the EB1 is still in my future, regulation be darned.
Its been beaten to death, but if the light isnt for you, move along and find something that is. Its unhealthy to focus on negativity so much with regard to inanimate objects....better to be enthralled with something else than disappointed in something that wont change.

[880arm]

I'm told by a dealer that SF is now listing an EB1 variant with a clicky switch and no shroud, the designation is EB1C-B-BK (or -SL or -TN, black, silver or tan) for a MSRP of $220 vice $225 for the shrouded version (EB1C-A-BK, -SL or -TN).

The tactical EB1 is EB1T-A-BK, -SL or -TN and its MSRP is also $220.

Has anybody seen one of these unshrouded clicky EB1's?

Interesting. I hadn't seen (or noticed) that part number before but I just googled EB1C-B-BK and found it available at one or two retailers.

[brianna]

The Surefire catalogue shows these new models.

[jamesmtl514]

Its unhealthy to focus on negativity so much with regard to inanimate objects....better to be enthralled with something else than disappointed in something that wont change.

Quoted for truth my friend! :thumbup:

[kelmo]

I just got mine.
It looks even more ridiculous in person. E body with an extension. The tail cap it's so long...

I put my EB1 head on an E1e tube with a Z68. This set up is a lot easier to handle IMHO although now it looks like it should be shot out of a mortar.

I put an E1B head on the stretched tube and tail. I call it the "Eel" because it is long and slippery!

[Vox Clamatis in Deserto]

The Surefire catalogue shows these new models.

I think you mean the 'brochure', I don't believe SF will have a full 2013 product catalog as they did in previous years:

http://www.surefire.com/brochures#

Thanks for pointing out that listing, hope some of the other stuff actually makes it to market as well!

[mossyoak]

Will the F0X diffusers that work with the e-series work on the eb1?

[Robin24k]

I doubt it, the bezel is wider.

[mossyoak]

That's what I was afraid of. Hopefully they'll make a diffuser for it

[880arm]

I doubt it, the bezel is wider.

Correct. The diffuser will almost stretch enough to slip on the EB1 but still won't fit.

[mossyoak]

Anyone know if Surefire is planning to make diffusers and other filters to fit the EB1?

[ThumperACC]

I know some have asked if the EB1 is regulated on low.

Last night I ran my EB1T (running on a Titanium Innovations CR123, 1400mAh) down to the point that, on high, it was putting out ~5% of its original output on high when the battery was fresh. At this point the battery is pretty close to dead.

With this 'mostly dead' battery, the EB1T was putting out the same amount of light on low as it did, on low, when the battery was fresh.

So, while I cannot offer a runtime graph of the low output for 40 hours, I can tell you this:
- On a fresh battery I measured ~3200lux in my light box
- On a partially depleted battery (~20 minutes on high) it still put out ~3200lux in my light box
- On a very depleted battery (high output @5%) it still put out ~3200lux in my light box

My conclusion is that the EB1 is very well regulated on low.

ThumperACC

[Bullzeyebill]

Good info. What was your lux number for the high level at start up?

[ThumperACC]

Good info. What was your lux number for the high level at start up?

193Klux at startup. 5 minutes on high, let it cool off. Turn it on high again, 193Klux at startup. It would drop by ~5-6% due to heatup over 5 minutes. I did the 5 minutes on high/cool off thing 3-4 times (pretty sure it was 4 but I don't remember exactly as it was over 4 days) and it was always 193K at startup and it would drop by 5-6% over 5 minutes due to heat.

Now, over those 4 days, the current draw went from 1500mA to around 2100mA required to produce those 193K lux. So, it would seem, as long as the battery can keep up, it is regulated on high.

Edited to add: If you do the math and believe that low is 5 lumens, that would seem to indicate that it puts out 300lm on high at startup.

ThumperACC

[Bullzeyebill]

Comparing other lights you have access to that have a known lumen output, you could get a rough idea of the lumen output of your EB1. By known lumen output I mean a light that been measured on an IS via a member here on CPF. Also, check out Selfbuilt's reviews of lights that you might own, and get a baseline of approximate lumens output using your light box.

Bill

[ThumperACC]

I have an HDS 170T clicky (Golden Dragon). I use this as my 'standard' since these are supposed to be individually calibrated.

Doing a ceiling bounce test with the HDS and the EB1, I get ~250lm for the EB1. I have not compared the 2 in my light box. I will have to try comparing the 2 in my lighbox to see if there is any correlation with either of the other 2 measurements I have tried.

I suppose I could keep adjusting the lower modes on the HDS until I get ~3200lux (in my lightbox) and that would also give me another datapoint and an approximation of what the EB1 puts out on low.

ThumperACC

[mossyoak]

Very good info. Thanks.

As an aside, I called surefire. The filters and diffuser for the eb1 and all the other lights that will use this sized head (apparently its the new standard) will be available in 1-2 months.

[tonywalker23]

Very good info. Thanks.

As an aside, I called surefire. The filters and diffuser for the eb1 and all the other lights that will use this sized head (apparently its the new standard) will be available in 1-2 months.

Good!