Quick help please - Surefire G2

[thesmacker11]

Hello the item I am bidding on ends in two hours and it is a black G2 Surefire and this is my first time buying anything like this so I had a few questions. How bright is the g2 really? what is the brightness of 60 lumens as in how bright is it in the dark and in the light. Also can I use rechargable cr123a's like http://www.all-battery.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWCATS&Category=198 and how well will they do, how long will they run, and will I get maximum light with those and are there better ones I can order? Also what if I just buy the Model B65 Battery thing and put in AA's?

 

[Manzerick]

check out: www.flashlightreviews.com

 

[highorder]

just buy the G2 and start reading the forum.. the options are endless.

 

[Manzerick]

the G2 i the basic entry level light

http://www.flashlightreviews.com/reviews/surefire_g2.htm

UPDATE: Surefire has affirmed that all current Surefire lights should be waterproof to about 33 feet/10 meters. Some reviews were posted before Surefire made the affirmation that their lights were watertight to 1 atmosphere depth. Any new Surefire lights you purchase now should be considered waterproof to 33 feet/10 meters.

UPDATE 2: The G2 now comes with a Lock Out Tail Cap! YESSSSS!!!! Something a lot of people have been waiting for. Now the least expensive Surefire has all the operational characteristics of their more expensive lights. Be careful, though, there are a lot of older G2's on the market still to cycle through before you can be sure that every G2 has the LOTC. I bought one of the new LOTC G2 lights and it's great! No more accidental activations in your pack or bellybag.

Short Description:

The G2 is made by Surefire as a (relatively) low cost alternative to their other personal lighting products. It has all the features of the standard 6P, but is made of a special plastic called "Nitrolon", making it lightweight and very impact resistant. The unit reviewed is labeled as a "CandlePowerForums CPF 50 Special", but other than the label on the bezel, it is identical to production run G2 lights.

The G2 is available in black, yellow, or olive-drab. As mentioned, the body of the light is made of Nitrolon, a very tough plastic compound exclusive to Surefire. The body tube has a waffle pattern molded into it for grip. Inside the body tube is a metal sleeve for conducting electricity and completing the circuit when in use. The bezel has ridges around its base, again for grip, and also to serve as an anti-roll device. The tailcap likewise has ridges and the rubber pushbutton switch is checkered for grip. The light is sealed throughout with o-ring seals.

The G2 accepts the standard P60 Surefire lamp assembly for 60 minutes of runtime at 60 lumens on a set of batteries. You can replace this with the P61 Surefire high output lamp assembly for a runtime of 20 minutes at 120 lumens. The reflector is integral in the lamp assembly and is textured to smooth out the beam of light.

The switch is a combination switch on the tail of the light. Push the button for momentary on-off or twist the entire tailcap for constant-on. (See "UPDATE 2" at top of page)

The G2 uses 2 123a lithium batteries for power. These provide a total of 6 volts with a runtime of 1 hour with the standard lamp assembly. Batteries are included.

The light has O-rings on the head and bezel and inside the tailcap switch assembly and is only considered "water resistant".

A wide variety of accessories are available for the light from Surefire.

 

[thesmacker11]

So its alright if i Drop it a lot and it wont scratch? Also what should I do about the battery situation? Go normal or go rechargeable? Also what options are there? Can you name a few please

 

[Manzerick]

What's your budget?

If it's going to be dropped a lot I would say LED all the way!

So its alright if i Drop it a lot and it wont scratch? Also what should I do about the battery situation? Go normal or go rechargeable? Also what options are there? Can you name a few please

 

[Manzerick]

**slightly dated... from our friend Quickbeam

Q: What's the big deal about LEDs?
A: LEDs are 1) Easy to work with. 2) More battery efficient than incandescent bulbs. 3) More environmentally friendly than incandescents (less battery waste). 4) Don't "blow" like a regular bulb can. LED's can last 11 years continuously on. 5) The white LEDs are much more "white" than a typical "yellow" incandescent bulb. Also, they don't turn more yellow/orange as battery life diminishes, they get dimmer but stay white.

Q: Are there any disadvantages to using LEDs?
A: Yes. You tend to need a lot of 5mm LEDs to produce light anywhere nearing that of an incandescent bulb. Also, if you overdrive them you need to keep them cool with either heat sinks or ventilation. They are also currently much more expensive that using incandescent bulbs.



I would say check out Fenix...they are good

 

[thesmacker11]

Okay well ill rephrase myself.. dropped sometimes, ill drop it like once every 5 times I use it. Also is it scratch resistant? And how often do I need to replace the bulb and what is the closest "g2" alike in LEDS? Also what about the battery situation? Can I use rechargeables or should I buy one times

 

[thesmacker11]

New question Should I get the Surefire G2 or the Fenix PID-CE? The fenix is smaller and uses 1 battery and it SAYS it is brighter but is it really that much brighter? and which one is cheaper in the long run

 

[highorder]

different lights for different purposes...

 

[thesmacker11]

Well I just need it for general purposes or power outages etc. But which one is more with it hte G2 or the Fenix PID-ce? Which is actually brighter and which one is cheaper in the long run in replacement bulbs and batteries etc

 

[chmsam]

In a nutshell, incans tend to be brighter but more fragile when dropped and usually consume batteries and bulbs faster. The G2 is pretty stout but the bulb may fail if dropped, and any light can get scratched if you try hard enough.

LED's like the Fenix are usually more durable, usually run longer on batteries, and LED's themselves will not "burn out" for a very long time. While LED's are usually not as bright as an incandescent bulb, the Cree is very, very bright.

So, the Fenix would be more durable and run longer but the G2 could be brighter depending on what lamp you put in it (you have options).

Knowing that money really does not grow on trees, and that most of the trees around here are pretty bare at this time of year anyway, neither of these lights is really expensive (well, the Fenix with the Cree is sort of getting there, I guess) both serve different purposes, so, and in the best CPF tradition, save up and buy both eventually. You will find a use for both. Think of it as having flat screwdriver blades as well as Phillips or Torx. They are all screwdrivers but are needed for different jobs.

I have several G2's (among other SF's) for when I need to light things up with really bright and white light, but the Fenix P1D CE does look pretty nice and it is very small, even at about twice the cost of G2. Now, how can I hide that expense from the wife...?

*** BTW, I just noticeed that this is a duplicate thread (the other's in LED's) and that's a No-No! ***

 

[thesmacker11]

No, this one is about the g2 that one is about the fenix and now that I bought BOTH, what kind of things/mods can I do to them and what kind of rechargeables and if I use normal batteries which ones?