torpeau
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If a Malkoff M60 is installed in a Surefire 6P or 9P, there wouldn't be any power regulation, right? How about if it went into a Surefire 6P LED?
The Malkoff M60 drop-in has it's own regulated circuitry built in as does other led drop-ins. It doesnt matter what light you put it in(that is if it's made for it) it will work the same. It depends on what batteries are used for it though as different led drop-ins are made with different input voltage range(3.8V+ to stay in regulation for M60) to stay in regulation. The surefire 6P and 6PL are identical. The only thing different is that the 6P comes with a incan drop-in whereas the 6PL comes with a Led drop-in module.
Very few incandescent lights contain regulation circuitry, since an incandescent bulb inherently consumes a fairly constant power as the voltage changes over a moderate range. There are a few regulated incandescent lights such as the Surefire A2, but they're very much the exception.
In contrast, the current through an LED changes dramatically -- exponentially -- with small changes in voltage. And not only does the battery voltage change as it discharges, but the LED voltage changes as it heats up. So some sort of regulation is important. The crudest sort is "direct drive", where the internal resistance of the battery provides rudimentary regulation. Good regulators like the Malkoff drop-ins keep the LED current constant, providing a constant light output.