Post #1 VDG 03/16/05
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KL-1+ VG FB-1: I rate A1! (with one exception)
#866924 - Wed Feb 09 2005 02:24 PM Edit Reply Quote Quick Reply
I got to use my KL-1 with the vital gear FB-1 in the right setting (night ) And as of now, my favorite setup. I have encountered no problem's with the FB-1 switching, and since i got screwed by SF,(charged for 2 KL-1's, got one, won't send me 2nd) at christmas time i never got use my soon to be wife's KL-1 except indoor's, before it went into her purse, and I went on the road. got back and ordered from meridian tac(thank's Chris you rock!) and got it monday.
I played a 10k seat venue in which i could light up the back wall, and knew i found my new EDC.
PLUS's:
throw,throw, throw, this thing is a flame thrower, and I am all about throw. i have a hard time believing it's 15 lumen's.
The Beam:
exactly the beam I would design if i had a FL company.
It's bright,
tight beam broaden's at the right point for the amount of light given, in other word's, the point at which it begin's to
lose power, it's opened to a bit more flood and bath's whatever your marking, with beautiful white light! (not the laser beam i was expecting, some of you guy's exagerate a bit too much )and at that point it's farther then i can focus my eye's anyway.
I also noticed when using it up close that the very outside part of the corona, is plenty bright to say check the wall thermostat, or watch. yeah it a dead between the hot spot and the outside ring, but by pointing the hot spot hard to the side that corona edge is perfectly fine for low light
need's in a pinch. (no, you wouldn't want to use this light for all closeup work just saying if it's all you got it will do the job.)
I only own a few bright luxeon's, and tried other's, but this is the whitest i have seen, and i wonder how much the tiros (SP)is responsable for the color, and beam shape. i have tried a new inova with that and it was similar beam, but not as good color wise, SF has this down. (the inova was rated much higher in lumen's too, but wasn't nowhere near as bright and far throwing)blow's my ARC LSH-P and Q-III away.
THE EXCEPTION:
SF HA-III? not "III" enough. I dropped it last night from knee high on concrete and it hit the bezel top, then rolled a few feet before i got it. there is now, a good amount of nick's outta the the rounded battery end of the KL-1, NONE outta the tail of the VG body. I don't now if it's the aluminum being softer, or the HA not as good as it could be. I have had drop's worse on my ARC LSH-P, E2d and E1e and not had the carnage. I even checked the site and packaging to make sure it was HA-III. Sorry surfire, not good enough, your slipping.
since i got the E1L put away in my nightstand drawer for home use I haven't compared beam's, so maybe i won the lux lotto on this one, but none the less, the whole small setup
kill's, and i intend to order another one just like this.
as always imho, ymmv, never pet a burning dog VDG
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In nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti."
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Quote:
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Stuart@surefire said:
Lux,
Please contact me directly so I can research the delay. You can email me.
[email protected]
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I love my SF's big time.. my favorite light's, since I understood HA-III from musical instrument hardware, i
know and expect "rainbow" HA-III from SF especially since the light's are modular and not everything is coated at the same time.
what really bothers me is the "quality" of the coating as of late. I dropped my E2d off a 4 1/2' ft amplifier stack on marble and it had one spot the HA came off, and nothing else. Last week i droped my KL-1/Vital Gear FB-1 combo from knee high, and it landed on the bezel shearing lot's of spots on the bezel edge, and then rolled, just rolled moderately across the sidewalk. when i picked it up it had more then a dozen
nicks out of the finish (HA-III is stated for the Kl-1)
while the VG came away like new looking on the end that was in contact with the concrete and all that kept it from looking new was the scratched chrome clip.
This is not right. I could pick HA off with a finger nail.
though the machining seem's fine, I am flabbergasted by this. I even did a "recreation" with my mini mag and lost a chip on impact, but none on the roll. unexcusable!!
Add to the **** poor CS in which i was charged for two KL-1, and only got one, and then told they didn't have a record of ANY order in there computer of me buying anything even though i did buy batt's (5 of 12 which died premature death, after very little runtime) last fall and the one KL-1.
what other explaination can one have for these thing's other then a company turning complacent?
I Again love surefire, truly do, but frankly between the poor CS (i can't stand to see there sig on E-mail's: If you have any further questions do not hesitate to write back or call us at 1-800-828-8809. We are dedicated to providing world-class customer service and welcome future inquiries or comments. it sends my belly acid boiling)
And the HA coating that particular KL-1 has (I have bought two more Kl-1's, one being attached to a new E1L, another also on a VG body, all bought from a source other then SF)
I see them creeping into pride, and soon maybe getting called "magfire" if this slipping is not checked soon
One other point i, amoung others have used in SF's defense for some of these gripes, is there military involvment. I have a cousin in the army in Iraq.
He is a tank gunner on an abrams but spent some time working PX a few weeks back. I asked him about light's since I am a flasaholic, and touched on SF light's and the price/quality/availablity in the US.
Acording to him there the third most used brand, and anyone that has bought one only need's lamps and batt's (not even SF batt's at his station) basically saying that a good light is not bought over and over. so with the amount of troup's having to no longer have to go looking for light's and a couple of other brands being more in demand, the military angle
no longer can be used as an excuse.(interestly, those two other more popular maker's don't seem to have the problem's SF does in the U.S.)
I do truly hope SF brings up it's game up to better, past standards. great light's that don't need to go the way of other brands. VDG
(sorry for the war and peace sized post, just had a lot to say on this subject)
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In nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti."
