Found what I'm doing wrong, thanks...

[KevinL]

Found what I\'m doing wrong, thanks...

Edit: foot re-inserted in mouth thanks.



I wonder what I've done wrong.. lamps arrived, handled with the gentlest of touch since they arrived, zeroed dead-center in the bezel to avoid lamp spring twanging, tailcap locked out (unscrewed till the O-ring shows) just so that I don't fire the LA till I'm good and ready, A19 extender and electricals checked with my surviving P91 to ensure they are working, fresh cells, and yet I still have lamp problems?

Surefire support gave me two new lamps after I wrote in about my problems. I put the P90 in and it lights up, big, bright, white and beautiful. Is it intended to look like that?

I put the P91 they gave me into the thing, same handling precautions. I fire it up and I am greeted by a burst of GREEN and ORANGE tinted light - two colors in one beam, even LumiLEDs finest don't do this.

Upon further inspection, the LA has a coat of white around its border. Something (including my OTHER P91, out of focus but fully functional) tells me this is not exactly...normal.

 

[dano]

Re: What am I doing wrong? SF lamp problems *AGAIN*

1. the 9 volt lamps tend to be more ovalish and have some artifacts, which aren't noticable under normal usage. The two shadows you're seeing are probably from the two posts inside the lamp that hold the filament in place.

2. The tinted beam sounds like the glass is cracked, or something corroded....

-dan

 

[K-T]

Re: What am I doing wrong? SF lamp problems *AGAIN*

As dano said, the second picture looks like a bulb with defective glass envelope, these start to look like that when air gets inside through some small crack. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon3.gif

My advice is to step away from the "white wall test" and use the light - I doubt you'll notice these artifacts then. I am not saying there aren't any, just that they might not be that noticeable while useage. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[Size15's]

Re: What am I doing wrong? SF lamp problems *AGAIN

That P91 is a dud and I'm certain SureFire will replace it.

3ft is rather close for such a high output lamp. Perhaps you should see how it looks in use?

I have been noted not to like the P90/P91 lamps - the beams aren't as impressive as I find the MN10/MN11 beams of the M3 to be... Perhaps you are just not meant to enjoy the P90/P91 same as me?

A better use for the three SF123A models in my opinion is the TurboHead. I think you'll enjoy the N2 in the KT (KT2) or SRTH (from LPS).

Up 'til now I am still wondering why you need a P90/P91 since you spend all your time looking at a white wall from close range - There are other flashlights for this application(!). Being more serious for a moment though, why do you need the P90 rather than the P60? Does the P90 please you in use?

Thanks

Al

 

[sotto]

Re: What am I doing wrong? SF lamp problems *AGAIN

I have an older P90 lamp assembly in my 9P. With both the regular 9P bezel, as well as an M2 bezel, the hotspot is oval. If I pop in a new P91 lamp assembly that I received last week from SF, it's just about the most gorgeous beam of any light I have: round, white, and frosty bright. I'm very pleased with this P91 LA with the M2 bezel.

 

[KevinL]

Re: What am I doing wrong? SF lamp problems *AGAIN

OK, maybe my expectations got a little out of hand after hearing about SF's legendary beam quality and the integrated reflectors and etc.etc.

Sorry /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/stupid.gif brb, I need to readjust some expectations and stop whitewalling /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/twakfl.gif I tend to do that to new lights to see how they work.

In hindsight I should have sent the pic to SF CS instead, and if they told me to chill, that's normal, all would have been good. My bad. I did continue to use the P91 in the interim and at longer ranges, the artifacts tend to become very much less obvious. I guess the light is MEANT to be fixed-focus, but focused at longer ranges because of the power, so I see artifacts at close range. That would probably explain why, if they focused the P60 and MN01 at very short ranges because they are lower powered lights.

There is a real reason why I'm experimenting with the 9V lamps, because of the protected R123 cells that I'm expecting soon. Up till now I've been using an A19 and CR123s because they haven't arrived. If I pop a lamp on a R123 I won't complain because that's not a 'supported' configuration. I just got my first working P90 today so I'm trying it out. The idea is to build the close equivalent of an 8AX in the size of the C2 that I EDC, because a P90 with R123s will give me both rechargeable capability and 105 lumens/40 minutes. That's the only reason for the step-up, otherwise the P60s here have been fulfilling their missions very well.

Thanks for the feedback, all I was checking for is "is this normal". Given that it pretty much seems to be, I'll keep the lamps. I'll go sit in my dark corner now...

 

[kongfuchicken]

Re: What am I doing wrong? SF lamp problems *AGAIN

KevinL, I guess you are almost as unlucky as I am.
I also received my P61 replacement and this one was much better. I gotta say it's still not as good as the P60 beam but I believe it's now well in the tolerable range; there aren't any dark hole all over the place now.
I guess using the light instead of staring at a white-wall beam is right; you'll notice all the other qualities of the light. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
Plus if it fails prematurely, I have no doubt SF will take care of it... even though I just noticed their warranty does say they don't cover the lamp assemblies. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon3.gif