Ultrafire 602, 601, Fenix L2P, L1P, Triton P1 RT's

[abvidledUK]

Ultrafire WF601A and 602A are compared with Fenix L2P and L1P, and original Triton P1.




X axis divisions are 30 mins each.

Min useful illumination = 8.0

Y axis= Direct comparison of illumination output as measured with Lenin 4 light meter, figures given in EV (Exposure Value)

The 601 is a direct competitor for the Fenix L2P, tight beam, brighter, cheaper. The 601 consumes around 680 ma initially, giving a useful RT of 3.5 hours, using 2,000 mah nimh batteries.

The 602 is more of an equal to the original Triton P1, with a wider beam, and lower output, than the L1P. Yellowish beam on my sample. The 602 consumes around 1,500 ma initially, giving a useful RT of only 1.5 hours, using 2,000 mah nimh batteries.

 

[lexina]

Thanks very much for the comparisons, abvid. Looks like the 601 is the one to get!

 

[mchlwise]

:rock:

Excellent information, thank you very much.

I had been considering a 602 as a cheap alternative to an L1P... not anymore!

:thumbsdow

(goes back to trolling buy/sell/trade)

 

[Dae]

hats off to abvidledUK!

Dae.

 

[john2551]

I still think that for $18.50 shipped it's a GREAT deal! I paid almost $50 for the Fenix L1P shipped a year ago. If international shipping is $5-$6, then the 602a is only a $12 light. A fantastic deal IMHO.

 

[IsaacHayes]

Hey, it's cheap, and most importantly for me, you can remove the luxeon pill easily!!!!

I'm going to put a SX0H in both Ultrafires. That should increase the runtime a lot (H Vf) and brigthness (S flux)! I'm hoping I can make the 602 brighter than my fenix!! I'll post when I get them/mod them and let you all know if it was sucessfull in those regards.

EDIT: Also, the 2aa 601 isn't that far off from an L2P on runtime/brightness. In fact it's brighter but with a little less runtime. The Seoul Z-led is pretty good! I don't know what led is in the 1aa, but mine will be replaced anyways.

 

[abvidledUK]

I think both torches are outstanding value for money, especially the L2P equivalent 601A, and again with such excellent service from Dae, free shipping included.

 

[Walt175]

I have a SXOH and a FluPIC on the way for my 602. Anyone have any suggestions for a replacement reflector and lens?
Even with spending more for the upgrades then the light, I think it's a great value. The stock light wasn't bad, and it is a lot easier and more cost effective to mod then a L1P!

 

[nerdgineer]

I found that my 602A worked much better (more reliably) if - after I tightened the switch retaining ring - I ALSO ground a little (about 1 mm) off the bottom of the tail cap. My tail caps were bumping into the shoulder of the body before the inside made a good electrical contact with the switch retaining ring (because I had moved it inward when I tightened it).

May not be a problem for everyone, but it helped with mine. More here.

 

[lexina]

resistance is futile! i just PP'd for 2 601s :naughty:

 

[abvidledUK]

I found that my 602A worked much better (more reliably) if - after I tightened the switch retaining ring - I ALSO ground a little (about 1 mm) off the bottom of the tail cap. My tail caps were bumping into the shoulder of the body before the inside made a good electrical contact with the switch retaining ring (because I had moved it inward when I tightened it).

May not be a problem for everyone, but it helped with mine. More here.

Easy way to check before you start, just short out battery negative with case end, with tail removed of course.

See if there's any measurable difference.

This bypasses switch and tail grounding on end of battery tube.

 

[nerdgineer]

..just short out battery negative with case end...See if there's any measurable difference...

Yup, did that. Problem was clearly in the tail, and my switch was acting intermittent. I decided to leave the switch on and use the tail cap as a twisty. Then I found the twisty action was also intermittent, and THEN I saw that the tail cap itself was hitting the body before good contact was made.

Grinding the tail down on a whetstone took like 60 seconds and made it all solid.

 

[nerdgineer]

Did a run time test with one of my 602A's (manually - eyeballing output in an analog meter).

I'd used this same battery (measured 1650 mah on a Crossman charger) before on a Civictor (same as a L1P) run time test and gotten about 2 hours 10 min to 50%.

In the 602A, the battery provided about 80% the output of the Civictor/L1P, both batteries hot off the charger. The output curve was flat: it stayed within 95% of the initial output for 1 hour.

After that, the output dropped very quickly: 50% at 1 hour 15 minutes, 25% at one hour 20 minutes. The light also ran very warm (much warmer than the Civictor) to the touch (hand holding it) over this time.

A good 2500 mah battery might get 90 min or so flat run time before a drop (as avidbidledUK did), but I doubt much more. So, looking at the area under the curves between the Civictor/L1P and my brighter 602A, I estimate the efficiency of my 602A with nimhs to be about half that of the Civictor/L1P.

So right now, my other 602A looks to be a very pretty light (nice finish), fairly bright, but with a relatively inefficient light engine compared to the Fenix lights.

 

[Mr_Light]

I did my own low tech test of my Fenix L1P and my UF 602A. I loaded both with new Duracell 2650s hot off the charger and turned them both on at the same time and left them bouncing off the ceiling. The L1P is a little brighter and hotter spot than the 602 all through the test. The 602 appeared to dim right around 2hrs, with the L1P going about 45 minutes longer.

Overall I'm very impressed with the 602 (for an under $20 light). It provides a reasonable amount of run time for walks and short term chores. It's also cheap enough that I MIGHT let my kids borrow one! I think it makes a better reading light than the L1P due to a more even spread and less of a hot spot. That said, I admit the L1P is a better light and would choose it any time if I only had one.

I will watch with interest the mods to the 602 which may try some on my own.

 

[abvidledUK]

I'm going to try a 3v 14500 lithium, from a CRV3 battery when it arrives.

Should be interesting.

However, both 2.4v and 3.0v directly across the head seem to produce virtually same amount of light as 1.5v !!

You have to feed negative through battery tube, to make contact with outer ring in head, not just head casing, otherwise you lose a couple of stops.

(Possible lower level mod coming up, ala L1T etc ?)

 

[IsaacHayes]

Well that just sounds like the pill doesn't make a good electrical connection to the head, and isn't designed to get negative that way either. Not any brighter with increased voltage? Hmm then that sounds like it's output limited board perhaps? Set at a max wattage output. That or constant current which I doubt.

I have a feeling that when I get mine and put a SX0H in there, that lower VF (along with the s flux of course) will help more of that wattage out from the board be current out to the luxeon.

 

[abvidledUK]

I have a SXOH and a FluPIC on the way for my 602. Anyone have any suggestions for a replacement reflector and lens?
Even with spending more for the upgrades then the light, I think it's a great value. The stock light wasn't bad, and it is a lot easier and more cost effective to mod then a L1P!

Would it not be easier to buy a L1P ?

 

[Randy Shackleford]

Dae wrote me that the manufacturer of the 602A does not recommend any higher than a ~1.5V AA.

I tried it anyhow. :naughty:

Running a 3V CR14500 from a energizer CRV3 in a 602A now.
~1800mAh and quite a noticible difference (higher) in output.

 

[abvidledUK]

Dae wrote me that the manufacturer of the 602A does not recommend any higher than a ~1.5V AA.

I tried it anyhow. :naughty:

Running a 3V CR14500 from a energizer CRV3 in a 602A now.
~1800mAh and quite a noticible difference (higher) in output.

How long have you run it for now ?

Intermittent or continuous use ?


Any contra-indications ?

 

[abvidledUK]

Dae wrote me that the manufacturer of the 602A does not recommend any higher than a ~1.5V AA.

I tried it anyhow. :naughty:

Running a 3V CR14500 from a energizer CRV3 in a 602A now.
~1800mAh and quite a noticible difference (higher) in output.

I've just tried 3v 14500 Lithium from CRV3, increase in brightness by 2.5 stops, from 11.0 to 13.5 on top graph.

That's up from 5,000 lux to 25,000 lux.

ie 5 times as bright.

This measures brighter than a standard L1P, L2P, Ultrafire 601 with nimh or alkalines.

Similar currrent, 1.82A, with nimh 1.51A, alkaline 1.30A

ie 3v Lithium=1,820ma, nimh=1,510ma, alkaline=1,300ma