next light...either a E2L or a E2L AA

[Cascade Range]

Not sure which one I should go with. I need a two stage light for my lengthy walks at night. The lower lumen mode will just let people know I'm there in relatively lit up areas. Of course the higher lumen is nice for other times when required.
I'm just wondering if I should wait for the E2L AA's to arrive? I do have rechargeable AA's so it's tempting although I as well have a box of 123's.

If you guys could either choose which of these two lights to go with which one would you pick? Why?

 

[KevinL]

Not sure which one I should go with. I need a two stage light for my lengthy walks at night. The lower lumen mode will just let people know I'm there in relatively lit up areas. Of course the higher lumen is nice for other times when required.
I'm just wondering if I should wait for the E2L AA's to arrive? I do have rechargeable AA's so it's tempting although I as well have a box of 123's.

If you guys could either choose which of these two lights to go with which one would you pick? Why?

I am not sure whether the E2L AA shares the same tailcap and head threads as the conventional E-series lights, but IF it does, I would definitely pick an E2L AA. Why..

Well, 80 lumens - it's brighter. And if the threads are compatible you can always pick up any of the CR123 options of your choice here on CPF. E1e body, E2e body, mix and match colors with the E2D, the options are limitless.. just check that the threads match and it's a no-brainer decision :)

Then whenever you want a smaller or larger light, just build the flashlight and away you go!

 

[pjandyho]

Hi Kevin,

Not too sure if the AA is really brighter. Was at the local dealer and had a chance to play with the E2L AA. Compared it to my E1B, also rated at 80 lumen, and it seems slightly dimmer. Compared it to the E2L (CR123 ones) and it seems the same in brightness.

 

[Cascade Range]

thanks Kevin you raise some good points. :)

 

[pjandyho]

Also, do note that the head that comes with the E2L AA is a KX1 head for use with 3 volts battery or slightly more than 3 volts. Can't match it on the E2e or E2D body unless you are using a dummy battery, in which case I would rather use it on an E1e body. The E2L (CR123) comes with a KX2 head.

 

[Cascade Range]

thanks pjandyho, what is the main difference between the two kx heads?

 

[pjandyho]

KX1 is for single CR123 and KX2 for two CR123 batteries. As for E2L AA, since it uses two 1.5v AA batteries which works out to about 3v total, Surefire opted to use the KX1 which is rated for 3v instead of 6v in the KX2.

 

[KevinL]

Oops, my bad. I stand corrected.. I am way outta touch.. old KL1's used to take everything and anything you threw at them!

Yup, looks like you will be stuck with an E1e 1-cell body. Don't over-power the emitter. Thanks Andy, for pointing that out before anybody let the magic smoke out of the LED!

 

[pjandyho]

Oops, my bad. I stand corrected.. I am way outta touch.. old KL1's used to take everything and anything you threw at them!

Yup, looks like you will be stuck with an E1e 1-cell body. Don't over-power the emitter. Thanks Andy, for pointing that out before anybody let the magic smoke out of the LED!

Yup, I like the way the old KL1 works. It is able to take one to three CR123 batteries. Just awesome. Unfortunately the emitter is kind of outdated. But if you ask me, I prefer the new TIR optics in the newer lights compared to the NX05 optics in the old KL1.

 

[KevinL]

Yup, I like the way the old KL1 works. It is able to take one to three CR123 batteries. Just awesome. Unfortunately the emitter is kind of outdated. But if you ask me, I prefer the new TIR optics in the newer lights compared to the NX05 optics in the old KL1.

The emitter is definitely outdated. I have a finned, satin gray KL1 that came with a low dome. Due to its rarity and the likelihood I'd never get a second chance at one I bought it.. and upgraded it to a RX0H Lux1 (supposedly more efficient being R output and H bin with a nice tint).

Recently I just gave them Crees. Even at 350mA, a XR-E delivers about 110+ lumens at the emitter, so 80 OTF on par with my E1B Backup. Looks close enough. Preserves the KL1's reputation for being efficient, too.

The NX05 physically fits but the beam looks like a lopsided onion that got partially flattened. It's pretty awful actually. I'm waiting on some new reflectors from DX..

 

[pjandyho]

I wonder what output and runtime you would get if you had changed it to an XP-G R5? It must be a WOW light.

Anyway, this thread has gotten me interested in the E2L-AA again. I am on my way now to the dealer to see if I could strike a good deal with him.

 

[KevinL]

I wonder what output and runtime you would get if you had changed it to an XP-G R5? It must be a WOW light.

Anyway, this thread has gotten me interested in the E2L-AA again. I am on my way now to the dealer to see if I could strike a good deal with him.

Same runtime, but that's because the power and the drive current are nearly the same (3.5 volts, 350mA) as the original emitters. But light output, definitely much better than Lux1s :)

I did evaluate the XP-G, but I found that the XP-G is only about 10-20 lumens brighter than the XR-E at lower power levels such as 350mA. Where it truly shines is at high power, 1A-1.5A. I went for cheaper XR-Es as a result, also because the optics were readily available.

Apologies to the OP for drifting off track... let us know how your E2L-AA turns out!

 

[pjandyho]

Was at the local dealer earlier and realized that the head on the E2L-AA is marked as KX1B instead of KX1. Whatever that is...

 

[Cascade Range]

Pjandyho, thanks for the head clarification!

Having the TIR optics gives the 60 lumen light more throw than without it? I was just curious what TIR really is and does?
And hey no apologies necessary if it strays off topic here guys. :)

 

[pjandyho]

Pjandyho, thanks for the head clarification!

Having the TIR optics gives the 60 lumen light more throw than without it? I was just curious what TIR really is and does?
And hey no apologies necessary if it strays off topic here guys. :)

TIR is the acronym for Total Internal Reflection. Basically the optic within gathers all the light emitted and throws them forward to maximize light output so that no light is wasted. Earlier TIR optics from Surefire are horrible in that the light projected does not contain any spill beams and looks just like what one would see from a theatre spotlight. Very good for throw but useless in most application. Newer TIR optics was redesigned to allow some level of spill lights making it more useful for general use. Don't expect a super smooth flood beam though but it does produce a very good throw for a small light.

 

[Cascade Range]

Thanks for that. :)

 

[jaws revenge]

i have both lights. the e2l (both the older single mode and 2 mode), and the e2l AA. i just received the e2l AA a couple of weeks ago from BJ, comes with 10 L91's.

these are more of my emergency and keep in the car lights. i like the way the clip has the bezel down so that i can clip them to a baseball cap.

with the optic, they are great throwers. and easy to switch from low to high.

the e2l AA is a tad "longish" so to speak though. and nice to use eneloops in.

as a reference, the only other surefire i own besides these 3 is the lx2, which is a lot brighter.

 

[kramer5150]

I think it boils down to size constraints. E2L = smaller.
FWIW bc tested my E2L-KX2 at 110Lumens. I am not sure what the E2L-AA emits.

 

[Imon]

I own a E2L but I've messed with a E2L AA before and I have to say I'm not impressed. As for the brightness on my E2L they advertise 60 lumen of output but I'm convinced mine is closer to 110. Output aside, the size of the E2L is more suitable I believe for everyday use and you can still use the E2L with rechargeables - either 2x16340s or 1x17670.

I'm also convinced that the runtime of the E2L AA is very poor with alkaline batteries - if I remember correctly it's somewhere in the neighborhood of 2 hours on high. Lithium AAs on the other hand are even more expensive than what I pay for 123s so I hate buying AA lithium primaries and 14500s are out of the question because the voltage in series would be too high.

Just my opinion but I'd stick with the E2L.

 

[Cascade Range]

Some good info to consider here fellas thanks very much. I'm looking at either one of these two lights, leaning towards the e2L with 123's. I've even entertained the idea of the Quark AA2 but I don't really like the looks of it, and on top of that it just seems like it might be a bit too
fiddly for my use. Just an opinion that might be subject to change. :)