12 Volt XPG Cabela (240 and 180 lumen heads)

[Rusty Joe]

Just received my 12 volt Cabela flashlight in the mail. I ordered both the standard and turbo heads to play with. All I can say is, "wow!"

Let me lay a foundation first...

You may remember I made a post about my Sportmans Warehouse 120 lumen 9 volt light some time back. It equals the brightness of the Streamlight TL-3 (erroneously rated at 211 lumens). You guys are right--STreamlight does WAY overstate their lumen ratings!

So now I compare the Cable 180 head to the SW 120 head (I think they are made by the same manufacturer.) No comparison! This 180 makes the 120 look like a dimming bulb by comparison. Needless to say, it shoots right by the SL TL-3 both in brightness and throw. The throw of the 180 is clearly awesome!

Then I attach the 240 lumen Turbohead. Wow-er!!! Getting close to the strobe light on my squad car! Is a big, fat (a few artifacts but hardly noticeable) wide beam. Man, it's a white light!

I'm going to test them out tonight on the job and maybe get some beam shots if I can get my camera working.

Can anyone tell me why the light package says both "250 lumens" for the original head, and at the same time "180 lumens"? The light doesn't have different settings and is pre-focused. Also, who is the real maker of this light? Are they the same makers as the Sportsman Warehouse lights? The bodies look just about the same and the high performance does kind of appear to be like a Surefire clone. The bulbs are interchangable.

 

[pirinst]

I'm with you Rusty Joe. I've been posting about this light since last fall and get little to no response. Have the SW version and bought the Cabelas 240 watt head.

Throw-wise I"d say the two are the same but the 240 has a wider spill area.

Awesome for the price in my book. Underappreciated. Can't think of any reason why
these lights aren't big news other than they are too cheap and easy to buy maybe.

A little long so it isn't an edc for me but it is always in the van ready to use after work
(I work swingshift) if need be. Congrats for getting a real sleeper of a light.

 

[Rusty Joe]

Thanks. Well put. Yes, could be smaller, but it'll find some sorry no-account snooping around on private property in the dark!

 

[Gunslinger1LA]

Hi guys, I have this light in a different flavor. 12V xpg body with the Cabelas turbo head, here`s the kicker. Take apart the T head,remove reflector/lamp assembley. Now carefully unscrew the bulb/spring from the reflector.

Take a Lumens Factory HO-9, unscrew the bulb from its reflector. You guessed it , Screws right into the XPG turbo head. Reassemble your now 9V turbo head. Add 2x 17670 Li-ion batteries,you are done = FLASHENSTIEN/ poor mans rechargable SF M-4. 320 bulb lumens

FYI : The Cabelas XPG heads also fit Surefire C body lights if you need a little more punch for your 6/9 P or Z.

 

[mdocod]

It's a rebadged G&P 4 cell tactical light. They are good lights... but gona cost you around $6/hour to operate on primaries...

I suggest you buy a pair of 17670s, a ultrafire 2 channel smart charger, and a 9V bulb rather than the current 12V bulb... can recharge it up to 500+ times that way... much cheaper in the long run.

 

[Paul_in_Maryland]

It's a rebadged G&P 4 cell tactical light. They are good lights... but gona cost you around $6/hour to operate on primaries...

Precisely. Most of us have moved on to lithium-ion cells, a power source that wil cause the G&P 12V to hotflash unless you use the smallest cells (123A-size). If you really like this lamp, give AW's high-output RCR123A cells a try.

 

[Paul5M]

Will the turbo head take a D36 LA?

 

[therisensun]

Hi guys, I have this light in a different flavor. 12V xpg body with the Cabelas turbo head, here`s the kicker. Take apart the T head,remove reflector/lamp assembley. Now carefully unscrew the bulb/spring from the reflector.

Take a Lumens Factory HO-9, unscrew the bulb from its reflector. You guessed it , Screws right into the XPG turbo head. Reassemble your now 9V turbo head. Add 2x 17670 Li-ion batteries,you are done = FLASHENSTIEN/ poor mans rechargable SF M-4. 320 bulb lumens

FYI : The Cabelas XPG heads also fit Surefire C body lights if you need a little more punch for your 6/9 P or Z.

Gunslinger1LA,

Great information --- thanks for the tip. :thumbsup:

 

[mdocod]

I didn't know that the LF lamps unscrewed from their reflectors?!?!? i thought they were all locked in place...

 

[Gunslinger1LA]

I didn't know that the LF lamps unscrewed from their reflectors?!?!? i thought they were all locked in place...

Don`t tell anyone ! Its a secret. Look close at where the springs are soldered to the base of the lamp. See the round PCB board? Grasp firmly and unscrew counter clockwise. Once apart you will see that the Pc has a theaded brass exstension with o ring that screws into tha alum. reflector. Note this is a D26 bulb, not sure about others .



YRMV proceed with caution!!!!!!!

 

[mdocod]

hmmm... tried with no luck... even using pliers... maybe i'm doing this wrong....

 

[therisensun]

hmmm... tried with no luck... even using pliers... maybe i'm doing this wrong....

Had to grip hard, but the D26's are threaded just like the G&P's (sorry about the lack of focus in the photographs)

The D36's appear to have epoxy or similar bond between the base and reflector -- I didn't attempt to separate them.

 

[mdocod]

well... i might keep trying.... I'd really like to adjust the focus of the HO-4 to a floody beam... possibly screw it into a few of the other reflectors I have here and see if I can get the beam shape I want... Would also just be nice to put it in a G&P reflector because the G&P reflectors are a much better shape for fitting into some flashlights. THANKYOU for the picts and info about this!!! (sorry we kinda got OT on this)

 

[Owen]

The D36's appear to have epoxy or similar bond between the base and reflector -- I didn't attempt to separate them.

Perhaps they're all supposed to. I tried to take apart one of my LF D26 LAs to see how it did with a Digilight DRB-9VHP's reflector, but it was a no-go, even using a pair of Knipex Cobras.
I'm not desperate to try this or anything, but for anyone that is, it seems like a little heat may be in order.
Actually, now that I think about it, I'll probably take the heat gun to a HO-4 tomorrow, regardless, and will post the results if I do. I'm curious if it will have a round spot and more even spill with the Digilight reflector.

 

[mdocod]

i think you might be right... i think they are all supposed to have some sort of thread-lock on them from the factory.... maybe the one that therisenson got ahold of didn't get the usual dose of glue...

 

[Paul_in_Maryland]

I wouldn't mind using the 380-lumen, 2-amp EO-9 lamp in the RICO Alpha 9 D34 reflector (whose lamp unscrews like a G&P). But like mcodod, I couldn't remove my EL-9 lamp. I'm not up to trying more than elbow grease. Guess I'll just wait for the 300-lumen Beta-9 lamp assembly.

 

[Owen]

I've had no luck getting the lamp out of the HO-9. Didn't have time to fool with it at home, but brought it to work, and have boiled it in a ziploc bag twice, and it hasn't budged.
Oh well...

 

[Gunslinger1LA]

I've had no luck getting the lamp out of the HO-9. Didn't have time to fool with it at home, but brought it to work, and have boiled it in a ziploc bag twice, and it hasn't budged.
Oh well...

Hi Owen, The HO-9 I got from you is the one I took apart. Go figure huh.

 

[Owen]

Figures indeed. Hope all that stuff is working well for you.
I don't know why I typed HO-9, either. Supposed to be HO-4...whatever it is, it ain't coming out!