Just got surefire G3, problem with crooked lamp

ebow86

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Jan 12, 2010
Messages
1,297
Location
Pennsylvania
Well I just received my surefire G3 and already I have an issue. Upon looking at the lamp I immediately noticed that the lamp is bent crooked, very noticeably . The beam doesn't seem very smooth at all, compairing it to my 10X dominator's low beam it seems to have artifacts. Is having a crooked lamp normal? Should I contact surefire?
 

carrot

Flashaholic
Joined
Dec 6, 2005
Messages
9,240
Location
New York City
The lamp may be crooked but check if the filament itself is crooked. The filament is supposed to be lined up with the reflector, regardless of how the glass envelope is oriented.
 

ebow86

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Jan 12, 2010
Messages
1,297
Location
Pennsylvania
Well as far as I can tell the filament is ok, I think, it's just that the globe is badly crooked and when shining the beam at a wall it isn't round, it more flat with artifacts. This is so darn frustrating, this is my first surefire purchase in about a year and right off the bad theirs an issue. I don't have alot of experience with surefire lamps but something is telling me that the glass globe shouldn't be this crooked.
 

Kestrel

Flashaholic
Joined
Oct 31, 2007
Messages
7,372
Location
Willamette Valley, OR
Hmm, I have a P90 incan lamp assembly (what you have in your G3) and the hotspot is reasonably oblong - apparently the hotspot is shaped that way, it's the filament I gather. :shrug: In addition to the oblong hotspot, you mention artifacts, could you post additional description?

I imagine that the glass bulb envelope could be crooked with respect to the rest of the lamp assembly as you mention above, resulting in additional issues with the beam.

(I'm no expert in the incan SF's, just trying to help a little, that's all.)
 
Last edited:

leukos

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Apr 8, 2004
Messages
3,467
Location
Chicagoland
SF might replace it for you. I have a P91 with a really crooked lamp, but it is such a wall of light that I don't think it affects the beam at all.
 

DimeRazorback

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
May 3, 2009
Messages
2,994
Location
Australia
They are designed to be a rather 'flat' beam, not a true circle.

This way you get more 'spread' in a room, without having to scan the light.
 

Retinator

Enlightened
Joined
Feb 13, 2007
Messages
377
Location
Brampton, ON
What kind of artifacts are you getting? Blotchy spots, warped hotspot etc...

My G3 has the typical football shaped spot, and the glass envelope isn't even centred well in the reflector, but it's strangely not noticable.

The P90, I find, has a much fuller richer light than the P60's. Sidespill is much better too.

Just reminds me, I gotta try the P91, it's been stashed away and forgotten since November!
 

ebow86

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Jan 12, 2010
Messages
1,297
Location
Pennsylvania
Well I just got off the phone with surefire customer service, they are sending me a replacement P90, no questions asked. My respect for surefire customer service just went up a notch.
 

Latest posts

Top