brightnorm
Flashaholic
- Joined
- Oct 13, 2001
- Messages
- 7,161
I have been a fan of Surefire since I bought my first 6P many years ago. Out of the many Surefire products I've since purchased only one had previously disappointed me: the K2-T Turbohead. Regretably, I may now have to add the KL-1 to that short list. I say "may" because that is subject to further testing (described below) possibly using other samples.
INITIAL COMMENTS
The unit looked quite handsome and aesthetically well integrated when mounted on the E2e HA. I turned it on (eagerly, I must admit) and was immediately disappointed, a reaction I decided to confirm by comparing the unit to the other Luxeon lights in my small collection: ARC SLS kit (2AA [lithiums], 1AA, 123) , another SLS kit, AA Minimag with Inretech drop-in, CMG Reactor. I was especially interested in how the KL-1 And SLS compared to each other. I added one non-Luxeon light to the test: the Tek 1400 which is my favorite hiking LED and the standard against which I measure other LED lights because of its extremely wide, even field of coverage, its excellent if not overwhelming brightness, its long, slow-decaying (non-regulated) burn time, and its surprisingly "natural-white" color, along with being the smallest and lightest 3C LED light currently available as well as having the best wrist lanyard in the business. I much prefer it to the LW3000 or 4000, though of course the 4000 burns forever.
. My (necessarily) indoor procedure was direct and unsophisticated. I put fresh batteries post-dated 2011 in all the lights; Surefire 123's and Energizer lithium AA's. Then I tested in 6 separate steps with my non-Flashaholic girlfriend as an observer
TESTING PROCEDURE:
1) Instead of shining them initially at a white surface to test brightness as I might do with incandescent lights, I used the test (against the ceiling) primarily to compare beam color.
2) Then I aimed them down the long expanse of my nearly 30' living room to get a general impression of beam spread, reach and intensity as well as color
3) From a distance of approximately 26' I aimed the beams at specific points such as: books on shelves, furniture, pictures on the wall, along the expanse of dark beige carpet for beam clarity and walking potential.
4) Intensity tests on two white surfaces: first, against the 10' ceiling with lights held at approximately chest height. This also gave a sense of all-over light saturation due to reflection from ceiling and walls. Then against the 4.5' width of a white window shade from a distance of about 26'.
5) Repeated entire test
6) Compared notes (which we had not yet done) with my girlfriend
Observations and reactions, integrated results from the above tests:
KL-1 & SLS: As I mentioned, my primary goal was to compare the SF KL-1 with the ARC SLS and I'll start with our reactions to those lights since they were in an entirely other "league" from the other lights. I have two SLS kits and the two Luxeons are quite different from each other. The first one I received was slightly bluish and pleasingly bright with a wide beam angle. I was quite pleased with it. The second one was remarkably bright with a very subtle violet tint, so that the light appeared surprisingly white and pristine. It also had a very widely dispersed beam, and maintained much of its intensity over most of that angle. We were both highly impressed by this light. Perhaps this was an aberrant "supernova" Luxeon, because after only 15 minutes in the 123 version and a half hour in the 2AA (lithium) version the light was almost too hot to hold. I solved this (123 version) by cutting off the rubber webbing from my LX Legend and fitting it to the SLS with the help of some black plastic tape. I was going to return this kit, assuming the Luxeon was faulty, but I found it so appealing that I have decided to keep it. It is this Luxeon that is used in the following comparisons.
BRIGHTNESS AND BEAM DISPERSION: The hotspot diameter of the KL-1 was at least 50% smaller than the SLS and appeared brighter, and the overall beam diameter was significantly smaller than that of the SLS. There was the sense of a well lit but relatively narrow path surrounded by darkness. The SLS, in addition to having a wider but somewhat less intense hotspot, had a wide and surprisingly bright general field of illumination so that the effect, (perhaps not measurable by instruments) was actually of greater brightness than the KL-1. However, the KL-1 was somewhat better for "spotting" objects, acting slightly more like a conventional incandescent flashlight than the SLS.
BEAM COLOR : This is what caused my initial negative reaction to the KL-1. Our first impression was "unpleasantly vivid bluish-purple beam". This caused some color perception inaccuracy compared to sunlight, mixed incandescent and "natural" fluorescent light, and to the preferred SLS.
RUNTIME : The SLS and KL-1 were not tested for runtime since accurate charts have been already posted.
___________________________________________________________________________________________
MINIMAG-INRETECH, CMG REACTOR, TEK 1400:
The Mag/Inretech dropin and the CMG reactor have been amply reviewed, measured and charted, and having recently performed my own runtime test on them (at 39 hours on lithiums they were perhaps slightly dimmer than a fresh ARC AAALe) it is clear that for long term emergency or outdoor use direct driven Luxeons are probably unbeatable. I believe the MAG/Inretech pretty much obsoletes the MAG/Opalec for those purposes since it starts brighter and remains brighter up to and well past the 8.5 hour mark when, according to Brock's charts, the MAG/Opalec starts to drop out of regulation. However, the Opalec is still a marvelous little unit, and for predictably constant moderately bright light around the house it remains an excellent choice.
TEK 1400 If this relatively venerable light were perhaps 50% brighter and retained its excellent runtime it would still be my preferred outdoor hiking light, and for long treks it still is (subject to outdoor tests of SLS and KL-1). However, for outdoor use of about 4.5 hours or less (subject to outdoor tests), my present favorite is now the particular SLS that I tested for this report: (FIRST RUN #1696). However, the 1400 still achieves one of the broadest fields of illumination of any LED light I have used. (Note that its big brother, the Tek 1900 does not appear to be 30% brighter, as the numbers might suggest, and has a noticeably reduced runtime).
Other Lights I haven't used some of the wonderful creations of our modders primarily because of limited runtime, which is a major issue for me. The finest very small, very bright lights, whether incandescent or LED, and produced commercially or by our colleagues have often reminded me of a brilliantly designed, beautifully executed sports car that goes from 0-60 in 2.5 seconds and then needs a refill. I love these lights as much as anyone, but I can't ignore their limitations. I have found the intense bluish color of some other lights quite unpleasant. The Streamlight 4AA LED and the Lightwave 3000 and 4000 fit this category. These are excellent lights and my personal reaction is just that, a personal, ideosyncratic reaction.
Limitations of my testing procedure My greatest frustration in performing these tests was in not being able to test outdoors. In my city, testing LED's in a sufficiently dark area could result in my permanent absence from these forums. It was much easier when I tested bright incandescents using "vertical throw tests" up the sides of tall buildings from a variety of distances and then measuring horizontal distance and height to calculate the hypotenuse, describing beam diameter and intensity. I am concerned that my test conclusions for the KL-1 and SLS may not hold true for outdoors. Many more reports should be coming in soon, and we shall see. One last point. Most tests are limited because they only judge one sample of each test product. This is especially problematic when dealing with the variability of Luxeons, whether "hand-picked" or otherwise. I believe it was Mr. Bulk who addressed this issue by averaging mutiple test results of KL-1's, 2's and 3's.
Summary
The ARC SLS2AA (lithiums) and Surefire E2e + KL-1 both proved to be very bright, moderately long burning regulated lights, with the KL-1 being fully regulated. The KL-1's beam was somewhat narrow and "unpleasantly vivid bluish-purple" while the beam of the ARC SLS was broader with a "very subtle violet tint and "appeared surprisingly white and pristine." It is now my preferred all-purpose outdoor Luxeon for durations of 4.5 hrs or less.
Both lights would be excellent in a demanding outdoor hike of moderate duration (subject to outdoor testing).
The Tek 1400, with its exceptionally broad and subtly blueish-white beam was an ideal long-burning hiking light, but could have benefited from a somewhat brighter beam.
The CMG Reactor and INRETECH MAG AA dropin were moderately bright, remarkably long burning lights appropriate for emergency or long term outdoor situations. I don't know whether these units are water resistant/proof.
Personal note: I am now carrying, just for the sake of experiment, the SLS 123 plus a spare 123 in a tiny Ripoffs holster that I modified slightly. It is perhaps 30% shorter than the E2 holster. That should give me about 5 hours of bright light.
Brightnorm
INITIAL COMMENTS
The unit looked quite handsome and aesthetically well integrated when mounted on the E2e HA. I turned it on (eagerly, I must admit) and was immediately disappointed, a reaction I decided to confirm by comparing the unit to the other Luxeon lights in my small collection: ARC SLS kit (2AA [lithiums], 1AA, 123) , another SLS kit, AA Minimag with Inretech drop-in, CMG Reactor. I was especially interested in how the KL-1 And SLS compared to each other. I added one non-Luxeon light to the test: the Tek 1400 which is my favorite hiking LED and the standard against which I measure other LED lights because of its extremely wide, even field of coverage, its excellent if not overwhelming brightness, its long, slow-decaying (non-regulated) burn time, and its surprisingly "natural-white" color, along with being the smallest and lightest 3C LED light currently available as well as having the best wrist lanyard in the business. I much prefer it to the LW3000 or 4000, though of course the 4000 burns forever.
. My (necessarily) indoor procedure was direct and unsophisticated. I put fresh batteries post-dated 2011 in all the lights; Surefire 123's and Energizer lithium AA's. Then I tested in 6 separate steps with my non-Flashaholic girlfriend as an observer
TESTING PROCEDURE:
1) Instead of shining them initially at a white surface to test brightness as I might do with incandescent lights, I used the test (against the ceiling) primarily to compare beam color.
2) Then I aimed them down the long expanse of my nearly 30' living room to get a general impression of beam spread, reach and intensity as well as color
3) From a distance of approximately 26' I aimed the beams at specific points such as: books on shelves, furniture, pictures on the wall, along the expanse of dark beige carpet for beam clarity and walking potential.
4) Intensity tests on two white surfaces: first, against the 10' ceiling with lights held at approximately chest height. This also gave a sense of all-over light saturation due to reflection from ceiling and walls. Then against the 4.5' width of a white window shade from a distance of about 26'.
5) Repeated entire test
6) Compared notes (which we had not yet done) with my girlfriend
Observations and reactions, integrated results from the above tests:
KL-1 & SLS: As I mentioned, my primary goal was to compare the SF KL-1 with the ARC SLS and I'll start with our reactions to those lights since they were in an entirely other "league" from the other lights. I have two SLS kits and the two Luxeons are quite different from each other. The first one I received was slightly bluish and pleasingly bright with a wide beam angle. I was quite pleased with it. The second one was remarkably bright with a very subtle violet tint, so that the light appeared surprisingly white and pristine. It also had a very widely dispersed beam, and maintained much of its intensity over most of that angle. We were both highly impressed by this light. Perhaps this was an aberrant "supernova" Luxeon, because after only 15 minutes in the 123 version and a half hour in the 2AA (lithium) version the light was almost too hot to hold. I solved this (123 version) by cutting off the rubber webbing from my LX Legend and fitting it to the SLS with the help of some black plastic tape. I was going to return this kit, assuming the Luxeon was faulty, but I found it so appealing that I have decided to keep it. It is this Luxeon that is used in the following comparisons.
BRIGHTNESS AND BEAM DISPERSION: The hotspot diameter of the KL-1 was at least 50% smaller than the SLS and appeared brighter, and the overall beam diameter was significantly smaller than that of the SLS. There was the sense of a well lit but relatively narrow path surrounded by darkness. The SLS, in addition to having a wider but somewhat less intense hotspot, had a wide and surprisingly bright general field of illumination so that the effect, (perhaps not measurable by instruments) was actually of greater brightness than the KL-1. However, the KL-1 was somewhat better for "spotting" objects, acting slightly more like a conventional incandescent flashlight than the SLS.
BEAM COLOR : This is what caused my initial negative reaction to the KL-1. Our first impression was "unpleasantly vivid bluish-purple beam". This caused some color perception inaccuracy compared to sunlight, mixed incandescent and "natural" fluorescent light, and to the preferred SLS.
RUNTIME : The SLS and KL-1 were not tested for runtime since accurate charts have been already posted.
___________________________________________________________________________________________
MINIMAG-INRETECH, CMG REACTOR, TEK 1400:
The Mag/Inretech dropin and the CMG reactor have been amply reviewed, measured and charted, and having recently performed my own runtime test on them (at 39 hours on lithiums they were perhaps slightly dimmer than a fresh ARC AAALe) it is clear that for long term emergency or outdoor use direct driven Luxeons are probably unbeatable. I believe the MAG/Inretech pretty much obsoletes the MAG/Opalec for those purposes since it starts brighter and remains brighter up to and well past the 8.5 hour mark when, according to Brock's charts, the MAG/Opalec starts to drop out of regulation. However, the Opalec is still a marvelous little unit, and for predictably constant moderately bright light around the house it remains an excellent choice.
TEK 1400 If this relatively venerable light were perhaps 50% brighter and retained its excellent runtime it would still be my preferred outdoor hiking light, and for long treks it still is (subject to outdoor tests of SLS and KL-1). However, for outdoor use of about 4.5 hours or less (subject to outdoor tests), my present favorite is now the particular SLS that I tested for this report: (FIRST RUN #1696). However, the 1400 still achieves one of the broadest fields of illumination of any LED light I have used. (Note that its big brother, the Tek 1900 does not appear to be 30% brighter, as the numbers might suggest, and has a noticeably reduced runtime).
Other Lights I haven't used some of the wonderful creations of our modders primarily because of limited runtime, which is a major issue for me. The finest very small, very bright lights, whether incandescent or LED, and produced commercially or by our colleagues have often reminded me of a brilliantly designed, beautifully executed sports car that goes from 0-60 in 2.5 seconds and then needs a refill. I love these lights as much as anyone, but I can't ignore their limitations. I have found the intense bluish color of some other lights quite unpleasant. The Streamlight 4AA LED and the Lightwave 3000 and 4000 fit this category. These are excellent lights and my personal reaction is just that, a personal, ideosyncratic reaction.
Limitations of my testing procedure My greatest frustration in performing these tests was in not being able to test outdoors. In my city, testing LED's in a sufficiently dark area could result in my permanent absence from these forums. It was much easier when I tested bright incandescents using "vertical throw tests" up the sides of tall buildings from a variety of distances and then measuring horizontal distance and height to calculate the hypotenuse, describing beam diameter and intensity. I am concerned that my test conclusions for the KL-1 and SLS may not hold true for outdoors. Many more reports should be coming in soon, and we shall see. One last point. Most tests are limited because they only judge one sample of each test product. This is especially problematic when dealing with the variability of Luxeons, whether "hand-picked" or otherwise. I believe it was Mr. Bulk who addressed this issue by averaging mutiple test results of KL-1's, 2's and 3's.
Summary
The ARC SLS2AA (lithiums) and Surefire E2e + KL-1 both proved to be very bright, moderately long burning regulated lights, with the KL-1 being fully regulated. The KL-1's beam was somewhat narrow and "unpleasantly vivid bluish-purple" while the beam of the ARC SLS was broader with a "very subtle violet tint and "appeared surprisingly white and pristine." It is now my preferred all-purpose outdoor Luxeon for durations of 4.5 hrs or less.
Both lights would be excellent in a demanding outdoor hike of moderate duration (subject to outdoor testing).
The Tek 1400, with its exceptionally broad and subtly blueish-white beam was an ideal long-burning hiking light, but could have benefited from a somewhat brighter beam.
The CMG Reactor and INRETECH MAG AA dropin were moderately bright, remarkably long burning lights appropriate for emergency or long term outdoor situations. I don't know whether these units are water resistant/proof.
Personal note: I am now carrying, just for the sake of experiment, the SLS 123 plus a spare 123 in a tiny Ripoffs holster that I modified slightly. It is perhaps 30% shorter than the E2 holster. That should give me about 5 hours of bright light.
Brightnorm
