surefire turbo lamps Q.

Does anyone know a reason why the surefire turbohead LA's are so long? If they used pr bases instead, the lights could almost have one extra cell for the same length.

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AilSnail said:
Does anyone know a reason why the surefire turbohead LA's are so long? If they used pr bases instead, the lights could almost have one extra cell for the same length.

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Yea, but then it wouldn't be a SureFire, would it? Seriously, I have no clue. I'd expect SF has tested every other option out there and decided their method is best for what they're trying to accomplish with their turbo lamps.

I am not sure but I guess it is plain logic to assume that in order for a light to really throw, the reflector has to be angled (approx. 45 degrees or narrower) in such a way that the beams are projected straight ahead instead of sideways which will result in more flood. A slightly wider reflector will aid in it's light gathering ability than a smaller reflector. With that said, I felt that it is inevitable to have a Turbohead LA looking long.

Andy Ho

I think it's just a design of the reflector. Notice that a lot of spot lights have their lamps rather high up in the reflector.

My guess is that a deeper reflector would catch more light from the base of the lamp and project it forward instead of it becoming side spill. It might have contributed to a large amount of light in the hotspot.

What I mean by the LA is the bulb assembly, with its long stalk and big springs. The springs I can see some reason to have, suspending the batteries and protecting them from shock, but the stalk?

Maybe because that way they can charge you what ever they want for the light buld?

The Surefire C series constitutes a complete system of interchangeable components including adapter collars, standard heads, turboheads etc and the design of each component must allow for this mix and match capability. However even if a turbohead/body were designed as a single unit the lamp would still have to be precisely centered and stabilized.

The Surefire non-turbo lamps are one piece integrated reflector/lamp units and are thus automatically centered and stabilized. The turbo lamps are individual lamps that must be centered and stabilized by a holding mechanism built into the turbohead. The lamp "stalk" fits into a precisely machined aperture in the turbohead and it is that seemingly excessive length that provides not only the necessary rigidity so crucial to precise centering but also a greater contact area for more efficient heat sinking.

At least that's my take on it. Some of the more technical Flashaholics may give you a better answer.

Brightnorm