fogging surefire reflector

[chiphead]

Maybe this is a connection, I'd found that one of my P60 had oxidized on the "outside" of the reflector even though it was kept in my spare carrier. I informed Surefire and they responded with a new. Just a bad batch?

chiphead...bouncing theories off the wall

 

[tequilathursday]

Ok guys. Here it is.
A little embarassed, and dissapointed as well.

Spent the weekend intermittantly playing with these ideas. Saturday night I wrote up a detailed outline for my experiment. My girlfriend is going to Cape May with her mom sunday morning, so I got all day to figure this out. (did I mention she thinks I'm nuts) Tried the light one more time (still foggs) and went to bed.

Sunday morning... Beautiful day. I'm excited !!! Then it happens.
The damn light won't fog!!! I't been doing this since last week when I got it. What's going on???

I have a brand new box of surefire 123s. I tried six sets of new bats for 5-10 minutes intervals each. Still nothing. Now I'm a little bent. It fogged up just a few hrs ago, and every previous time since I first opened the box.

I was pretty confused all day. Then as I was walking the dog, I couldn't stop looking at the sky. It was a deep royal blue. Breathtaking actually, and something you dont see around here too often. Philadelphia's just 10 miles away and it's almost always humid (70% or better) in the warmer months. Then it hit me.

Huricane Ivan's remains just passed through the area saturday night. And with it came clean, fresh,(dry) air.

Now I'm back to the moisture thing. Damn I though we eliminated that. As luck would have it my brain started working. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/happy14.gif " I can create my own humidity "
I have one of those 3 gauge hang on the wall barometer, temp, humidity thingys. Fired up the shower, dailed in some cold water and worked the window to regulate the reading at 80%. Put the light on the counter and read a magazine for 20 minutes.(maybe she's right) Now for the record the humidity in the room never exceeded 85%. Fired it up, and within 2 minutes it fogged again. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/banghead.gif

Well, this has been interesting.
It's my findings that the high heat of the mn03 bulb is vaporizing whatever ambient moisture that is able to seep into the not so very tightly sealed E2e.

Boy thank God that's over with. The mn02 should be a welcome addition. This little light is starting to grow on me and with 2 and a half hrs of runtime it will be very usefull. I'll get a m2 to be my pocket flame thrower. And doesn't the kl5 screw right on there? All man ! I better cut up that credit card /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/broke.gif.

Thanks guys for all your valuable input. This may not be everyone's fogging problem, but I'm pretty convinced it is the cause of mine.

Thanks again. You guys are awesome and I'm learning alot.

Rich

 

[McGizmo]

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif
BTW, I mentioned your fogging to a friend who is pretty familiar with the E2e's and his immediate response was "probably humidity". /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon3.gif

 

[tequilathursday]

Thanks McGizmo ! Yourself and others have been very inspiring.
BTW, I ordered an L4 yesterday, largely do to your 2 speed tail cap. I'll be ordering one soon. Keep up the awesome work.

 

[greenLED]

Told'ya it was humidity! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif You can't really walk around with your e2e in a pelican case full of silica-gel, though...

Thanks for diagnosing this. If it makes you feel better, my wife also thinks I'm nuts (but she's started to ask me about my lights, etc... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[Kevin Tan]

Ambient moisture is a killa to get rid of. Ask me, I live in the tropics..... But u could heat the batt holder barrel a bit without the tailcap, and the bezel also. Not too hot to be untouchable but warm enough to be uncomfortable to hold onto to cook the moisture out before assembling the e2e. HTH...

 

[tequilathursday]

Hey Guys!
Well it's been a week since my discovery and I don't want to seem like I'm /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/dedhorse.gif, but here are a few additions.
I have been using the lola in the E2e for the last 5 days and have not had the fogging issue. (lack of heat I suppose)

I've been very pleased with this bulb. It stays briliantly white for a nice, long time. I used it at work on friday instead of my strion. I'd guess at least an hour and a half total, and it's still nice and white as opposed to the hola that starts to yellow after 10 minutes or so. The beam isn't as perfect (the spot is smaller and a little oval) but for the size of the E2e it's still very impressive and now more usefull. Definately a keeper.

Not willing to leave well enough alone, I constructed a tiny teflon seal to place between the hola and the reflector to safegaurd against moisture intrusion. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif Yes it has a slight effect on beam focus which I actually perfer. The washer is less than .002" thick and obviously lowers the filiment in respect to the reflector by the same amount. Just for poops and giggles I subjected it to my makeshift humidity chamber and the results were in my favor.
Though I will be permanantly using the lola, as I find it more practical, I just couldn't help playing some more.

So that's that.

P.s.
I don't know how much use the poor E2e will get now that my L4 is here. It brought back my excitment for surefire. This thing is awesome, great beam tint, and very bright. Definately impressed.

 

[asdalton]

I found this old thread and decided to post to it, since I just had a similar problem with my E2e.

I put the incandescent E2e head (with the MN03 lamp) and body back together after using the body with the KL1 and KL4 for a day or so. When I turned on the assembled E2e, the reflector clouded up. However, it was clear in the area closest to the lamp, which implied that heat was driving off whatever had condensed on the reflector.

Running the lamp for 5 minutes did not clear up all of the cloudiness. I decided to turn it off and then remove the hot bezel inside in an air-conditioned room. (I didn't remove the lamp. I just disconnected the head from the body.) After a few minutes, I reassembed the flashlight and turned it on. The fog is gone. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

So my experience supports the idea that this is a water condensation issue.

 

[AtomSphere]

lol... you guys should try singapore. Average humidity here is more than 90%! My E2D always fogs up when using it at night for prolonged periods.

 

[Flashdark]

Just as a point of interest, I have 4 E1e/E2e lites, and all of them sport an F04 beamshaper filter. I have learned the hard way that if you instinctively twist the F04 filters on and off of the heads, you have enough friction to eventually loosen and unscrew the heads as you take the filter OFF by instinctively unscrewing COUNTERCLOCKWISE. I have loosened/unscrewed 2 out of 4 of my E1e/E2e heads in this manner. So be warned, that if you keep removing and replacing filters, ALWAYS twist them on and off in a CLOCKWISE direction. Haven't had the moisture problem yet, but it is probably in my future.

Hope this helps.