Review: FiveMega's Surefire Deep Turbo C Head

[LuxLuthor]

Just got one of FiveMega's Deep Turbo C Heads from this sales thread today, and intended to use it with one of the 2 x 18650 bodies & AW switches I got from Nite's (FM's) great sale here.

First thing you notice is how far FM has come in the craftsmanship and sculpturing. When I screwed head down over FM's D26 reflector, the edge between the two reflectors, nearly vanishes. I was not sure what to expect with essentially a "double reflector" but the fact that I am taking my time to post this review and ordering a second one shortly should tell you.

I have the FiveMega custom Carley 1794 bulb in this baby, and which Nite is generously selling in his thread here. (Sidenote, PLEASE MAKE SURE TO USE EYE PROTECTION WITH THESE). Anyway, I took some shots which I am posting below.

The two sets of beamshots were with identical settings on white wall with manual settings. First set is regular head & FM's D26 reflector & FM's new Turbo Head from same distance at ISO 80, F-3.5, 1/400 sec

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This next set is with same settings, except F 4.5 (smaller iris opening)

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Obviously, this bulb throws out a lot more light in general, but I wanted to reduce settings to show what this new Turbo does with the same bulb/batteries.

Here are some more thumbs you can click on to see other closeups I took.

 

[QtrHorse]

How well does the color match Nite's/ FM's bodies?

What is the total length of the 2x18650 body and the Deep Turbo C Head?

Thank you for the review Lux. I was still on the fence about getting one of these and those wall shots helped.

 

[LuxLuthor]

How well does the color match Nite's/ FM's bodies?

What is the total length of the 2x18650 body and the Deep Turbo C Head?

Thank you for the review Lux. I was still on the fence about getting one of these and those wall shots helped.

Perfect color match, although the new Turbo head is not the shiny black as Nite's bodies. I had not even noticed it with the fins and grooving breaking it up until you asked.

• Length of my Nite 2 x 18650 with "stock" head is 8 1/8"

• Length with new Turbo head is 9 1/4" (including AW push button cover)

 

[QtrHorse]

The Turbo Head looked to be much taller than the standard SF head. A difference of only 1-1/8in is not bad at all.

Thank you for the quick response.

 

[DaFABRICATA]

Does the hot spot seem to be brighter/smaller, more focused than the KT1/KT2/KT4 turboheads?

 

[bigchelis]

Does the hot spot seem to be brighter/smaller, more focused than the KT1/KT2/KT4 turboheads?

+1

How does it compare to the throw of a KT-1. I noticed my KT-1 had the most throw compared to even my M6 with the 700 Lumen IMR lamp. So, how does it compares against the KT-1?

 

[cenz]

Just my guessing, the beam pattern is slightly thrower than KT1,2

 

[LuxLuthor]

Does the hot spot seem to be brighter/smaller, more focused than the KT1/KT2/KT4 turboheads?

Never heard of them.

 

[maxspeeds]

The KT4 is Surefire's reflector in their M6, M4, M3T and the KT1/KT2 is Surfire's C-series turbohead reflector.

 

[LuxLuthor]

I have not seen SF's version of a Turbohead, sorry. I can tell you that the hotspot on this with the 1794 is the smallest, tightest I have seen of any reflector I have. Is this what you are talking about? If so, I'm 100% sure the FM would be way smaller hotspot.

Maybe FM knows.

 

[snailmeat]

I know this is the incan forum....but did you try this with any LED drop ins?

 

[LuxLuthor]

No, and I wouldn't expect it would work well with one because of the need for light source to be inserted into focal point. I believe FiveMega addressed that question in his sales thread. Almost all LED's are flood lights.

FWIW, that has been one of my long standing objections to LED's. Only thing that has made any real difference are the ones that put an aspheric lens in front.

 

[Jay T]

I know this is the incan forum....but did you try this with any LED drop ins?

With a Deree XR-E dropin. (Same exposure for each shot)

normal

FMCTH

It does grab some of the spill light light and send it to the hot spot, but, not like the way it aims an incan.

I also tried a Dereelight MC-E, it wasn't pretty.:sick2:

 

[fivemega]

Does the hot spot seem to be brighter/smaller, more focused than the KT1/KT2/KT4 turboheads?

Yes, hot spot is brighter, smaller and more concentrated compare to KT-4
The idea of making these turbo reflectors is to get more throw and better heat dissipation compare to similar products and this is achieved by deep parabola design, less textured and fine finned.

I know this is the incan forum....but did you try this with any LED drop ins?

Please find the answer in post #27 here.
---
I would like to see your beam shots comparing same setups (battery/bulb) one with turbo head and another without.

 

[cenz]

I would like to see your beam shots comparing same setups (battery/bulb) one with turbo head and another without.[/b]

Hi FM,

I'm interest to try it to use IMR-9, but I don't know what the accurate ID of placement edge is. Could you / does anyone tell me the dimension?

 

[Justin Case]

Yes, hot spot is brighter, smaller and more concentrated compare to KT-4
The idea of making these turbo reflectors is to get more throw and better heat dissipation compare to similar products and this is achieved by deep parabola design, less textured and fine finned.


Please find the answer in post #27 here.

Unfortunately, my experience with LED drop-ins does not match nailbender's in post #27 of the linked thread. See post #29 and post #30.

Perhaps you benefit only if you use a multi-die emitter. All of my P60 drop-ins are single-die Cree XR-Es. Besides using LED drop-ins, I had hoped that I could use this FM head as a substitute for a SureFire KT1 TH, while still using a standard SF P60 or P61 lamp assembly (the FM head was advertised as working with SF P90/P91 LAs, so I assumed that P60/P61s would also work). But the FM head does not fit over any of my P60 and P61 LAs. So for me, my LED drop-ins don't benefit and my SF incandescent LAs don't fit.

I'll try turning down one of my SF P60s to the same rim diameter as the LED drop-ins which fit. Hopefully, I get a nice beam.

 

[Justin Case]

As an expedient, I decided to hand file a P61 HOLA. All of my SF R30, R60, P60, and P61 LAs, which don't fit the FM head, are just slightly larger in diameter at the rim vs my inexpensive DX P60 LED drop-ins, all of which do fit the FM head (SKU 6090 and SKU 11836). After about 10 minutes of trial and error filing, one of my P61 HOLAs fit into the FM head.

I got a hot spot lux increase from about 6800 lux at 1 meter using a Z44 bezel to about 9000 lux with the FM Deep Turbo C Head. At 1 meter, there is a very tight hot spot -- almost dot-like -- surrounded by a bright corona and then the spill. Upon closer inspection, I can clearly see that the FM head is imaging the filament (I can see the bright coils in the tight hot spot). However, at longer distances, the focus is clearly not optimum. At about 5 feet and greater, there is a small donut as that small hot spot diverges. The overall beam diameter is also less than with a standard Z44 bezel (about 7 feet diameter vs 13 feet diameter at 7 feet from a blank wall).

 

[Justin Case]

SF P61 beam, 1 foot

SF P61 + FM Deep Turbo C Head, 1 foot

SF P61 beam , 7 feet

SF P61 plus FM Deep Turbo C Head, 7 feet (donut visible)

Photo further adjusted to bring out the donut hole

Reflector view of the P61 in the FM Deep Turbo C Head

Size comparison vs an SF Z44 bezel on an SF 6P host

 

[abuhannibal]

Can anyone post some beamshots at long distances, with both single and quad-die emitters? I am thinking that this product would be a great solution for increasing the throw for a weapons light, but would like to get some idea of how it would compare to a dedicated thrower. Thanks!

 

[DimeRazorback]

I am also rather interested in seeing a bit of a throw competition with the Turbo head.

😀