TOTC
Newly Enlightened
- Joined
- Nov 12, 2004
- Messages
- 161
If I had to describe this light in one word, it would be easy: robust.
Of all the lights I own, I dare say my new Dereelight CL1H is the most robust. Of course, that is purely based on disassembly and handling: I don't yet have the carry time to definitively honor it with the title. But there are a number of crucial details that are pushing me in that direction.
The first thing that struck me in disassembling this light is that nothing (except for the batteries) is loose. You can unscrew any single component and no other component will spring out at you or drop to the floor. You can remove the tailcap to feed it batteries and no matter how hard you push the clickie, it isn't coming loose: it's threaded in and requires further unscrewing to access. You can remove the bezel to get to the emitter, but nothing drops to the ground: the reflector is screwed into the bezel and the emitter is screwed into the connector (not sure what to call it, but it connects the body to the bezel). Everything is a captured assembly: everything stays put.
If you want a light that can swap modules at lightning speed, you might consider this a hindrance: after all, replacing the stock module with a drop-in from another brand takes quite a few steps (details later). But I really appreciate the fact that nothing is loose, nothing rattles, and nothing drops free (minus the batteries).
The next thing I noticed was that every major point of disassembly holds two separate grooves capable of fitting o-rings. For the most part, only one groove comes fitted with an o-ring (except for where the tailcap screws on, which is already fitted with two) but the presentation box contains a bag of spare o-rings. There are enough spares that you can immediately double-up on each point of contact (which I was all too happy to do). The only exception to the double-o-ring rule is the point between reflector and lens, which of course only fits one o-ring.
The light is not without its faults. I found the threading to be quite rough out of the box. A liberal application of silicon grease at all joints had me pleased, however. I wouldn't exactly call it smooth now, but there is no binding or grinding. I'd say its current tightness is almost "just right." I know the light won't easily switch between hi/lo in my pocket or change focus (I chose the SSC emitter).
The clip screws are ever-so-slightly stripped at the head, which other users seem to have experienced as well. It's not so much that it would prevent me from using the screws, but I won't say that I'm comfortable removing and replacing the clip over and over again.
Overall output is towards the upper tier of my lights, but nothing to really write home about (call it a B+ student, ha). Its high setting is clearly beaten by my handful of Cree drop-ins (Solatek/Calvinmo/DX) and its low setting isn't really that low. This is probably my chief complaint of the light: high not bright enough, low not nearly dim enough. If I'm turning on the light fresh with nothing to compare against, I sometimes can't tell whether I've turned it on in high or low. But overall, it still beats any Luxeon I own, so I have to remind myself how much my expectations have shifted in the last few months. I will try to get beamshots together at some point, but they can be a bit of a pain sometimes.
Overall, the light is somewhat longer than a G2/6P, but just a hair shorter than a 6P with a shock isolated bezel. I find it a great size for pocket carry, especially with the bezel down clip.
The CL1H fits D26 modules, including my Cree drop-ins. It's worth noting here, however, that since the stock Dereelight modules use backwards battery orientation (positive towards tailcap) and most drop-ins use 'standard' battery orientation, it's easy to get mixed up. It's also necessary to use the included screw for proper battery contact if you choose to use a setup that orients the positive side towards the head. It's no big deal when you think it all out, but this means that swapping to a non-dereelight drop-in requires the following steps from the SSC setup: disassemble light, unscrew reflector from bezel, unscrew emitter from connector, install contact screw into tailcap, reverse battery orientation, drop in new unit, reassemble. Also, as mentioned in other reviews, the high/low option is built into the Dereelight module itself, so don't expect a 3rd party drop-in to suddenly have high/low capabilities.
Overall fit and finish, while not flawless, is still pleasing. The anodizing is better executed than on my VitalGear, for example, but still has lines here and there where it isn't perfect. You really have to inspect closely to find fault, however, and I've never cared much about that kind of thing.
The clickie is smooth and works great for momentary light (true forward clickie). Each function of the light is controlled at a different point which makes for an extremely simple user interface. The tailcap only serves for on/off, the connector rotates between high and low, and the bezel rotates to focus the beam (if you choose the SSC unit). I like the simplicity of design and the fact that I can turn the light on and off at whatever brightness/focus I last used.
Overall, I'm extremely pleased with the body but only mildly pleased with the actual module. That's fine though: I'll run it for a while like this and if I don't like it I'll just toss in one of my Cree drop-ins for higher output (at the cost of no 'low' level). That was part of my thinking when ordering this light in the first place, actually. I think this will make a great host body but won't necessarily wow you in its stock form.
I'm sure there are many details I'm leaving out (like the fact that it uses a smooth reflector but may one day be offered with OP) but there seems to be a fair amount written about this light right now.
Edited to add beamshot comparison. Small version is below.
Medium sized version of the same image is here
And here's a large version if you want to get really nitpicky about the beams
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