Solarforce L2X & L2X Extended, Driving Impressions Ø HEAVY GRAPHICS Ø

[TechnoBill]

TBtO ~ START HTML CODE ~TBtO … … …

Solarforce L2X & L2X Extended; Driving Impressions Ø HEAVY GRAPHICS Ø

[EDITORIAL NOTE: Footnotes will follow the format "FNxx:" where "xx" is the Footnote number, with the footnotes being listed at the bottom of Post #1]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


We'll start with a quick view of Solarforce's attractive new packaging, which has a magnetic snap closure.

FN00:

Description and specifications are from Lighthound and are as follows.

Description:

Solar Force is a Hong Kong Company that specializes in flashlights. The L2 series from Solar Force is an extensive collection of flashlights and accessories that all work together.

The L2X is the latest SPECIAL EDITION body in the L2 series. This is a limited run, so buy quickly. Past Special Edition hosts have been discontinued and are not produced on an ongoing basis.

L2X (special edition) - Regular size ( 2 x CR-123 (16340) or 1 x 18650)

Features:

* Special edition of L2 in Mil-spec type III hard anodized in black, in two versions: Regular and Extended
* Flashlight host (head assembly + battery tube + tail switch assembly) without built/drop-in
* Made of aluminum alloy
* Advanced body design with increased surface area for even better heat dissipation
* Can use either a LED (Cree/ IR/ UV)-reflector or an incandescent (Xenon) bulb-reflector module
* Up to 600 lumens of current-regulated output (Cree LED module)
* Different functions depending on the Cree LED module being used: single or multiple output levels
* Uses both primary (CR123A) lithium or rechargeable li-ion (16340 or 18650) batteries (not included) Regular version: CR123A / 16340 x 2 pcs or 18650 x 1 pc
* Input voltage (LED module): 0.8-4.2V, 4.2-8.4V, 3-18V
* Tail clicky switch (can stand stably on its end)
* Weight (excluding batteries): 92g
* Length x diameter (head and battery tube): 140 x 29.5 x 25.5

A side by side comparison shows the L2X and L2X Extended to be identical in every way with the exception of the main body, battery magazine.

The L2X head and body accommodate the standard L2 series drop-ins as well as the bodies being quite suitable for the Solarforce Masterpiece Pro-1 head. Below is the L2X head interior.

. . .

So far, all of this is pretty standard fare, and while the new heads are alleged to have greater heat dissipation, that comes at a price. The new head does not fit in a standard Surefire V70 polymer holster. The good news is that the inter-compatibility with other L2 series components allows fitment of L2P parts, most importantly the L2P head! With the L2P head in place the L2X Extended makes for a great EDC for those of us who like a little something extra. I typically carry a Surefire Centurion C3 in the V70 holster with a Moddoo Triple drop-in :naughty: . Yeah, baby, more power.

Top to Bottom: Surefire C3, Solarforce L2P, Solarforce L2X.

Now we'll swap the L2P Head onto the L2X body, then fit the L2X into the Surefire holster :thumbsup: .

While this Driving Impression is really more just of a "test spin" due to the limited amount one can say about a flashlight body, sans questions from interested parties, I can confirm some questions/comments from the initial thread.
... 1)The knurling is aggressive across the tailcap, body, and head. If you're not planning on holstering the light, this will make for a steady grip and should theoretically improve heat dissipation.
... 2)The head, body, and tailcap are compatible with other L2 series lights as well as the Masterpiece Pro 1 head.
... 3)Personally I like the degree of knurling on the Solarforce Skyline or even the Skyline II, to this more aggressive knurling. Even if the head is swapped, as I did in the photos above, for an L2P head the tailcap is likely to wear a worn spot in your shirt if worn in a holster. This could be a factor for those of you for whom WAF (Wife Acceptance Factor) is a consideration .

... 4)On the other hand, if you are looking for aggressive, the L2X is for you. It's a particularly potent combination with Moddoo's Triple drop-in as seen below (click & click again for full size image).




[/COLOR]

FOOTNOTES:

FN00:
The L2X, as well as other review items, arrive from Solarforce FREE OF DUST and/or MANUFACTURING DEBRIS!
ALL CONTAMINANTS appearing in photos have been introduced by TechnoBill The Obtuse.
{Apologies for the Dust, Dog Hair, etc. We have two German Shepherd Dogs who are insatiably curious and energetic. My goals are to get pictures of flashlights, rather than snout, teeth, GSD nose, and also hopefully keep the flashlights from becoming chew toys }


TBtO ~ END HTML CODE ~TBtO

 

[TechnoBill]

╔═════════════════════════════════════════╗
░ Reserved for comments by TechnoBill The Obtuse.░
╚═════════════════════════════════════════╝
… …

…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

There IS a nice compliant rubber gasket between the bezel and the lens. The lens fits into the gasket, then the entire gasket/lens is seated into the bezel before attaching the bezel ring.

I'm dealing with some Fall allergies that have my own internal bulb running dimly and with heavy occlusions. Apologies for obvious mistakes and blunders. I'll try to catch up with them here in Post #2.

Thanks for your patience.

 

[Black Rose]

No plastic spacer between the bezel ring and the lense?

My L2P came like that.

 

[TechnoBill]

No plastic spacer between the bezel ring and the lense?

My L2P came like that.

That was MY mistake during photography and editing. Yes there is a nice compliant rubber gasket between the bezel and the lens. The lens seats fully down into the gasket, then the gasket/lens combo fit together into the bezel.

 

[don.gwapo]

So, does the moddoo triple works on the L2X without any mods? Coz for what I read is you have to mod on the L2P to make it work. Thanks.

 

[Black Rose]

No, not the rubber o-ring between the bezel and the lense, but the plastic ring that goes between the glass and the bezel ring that holds the lense in.

I think your L2P head has the proper spacer.

EDIT: it does, second from the left.

 

[TechnoBill]

No, not the rubber o-ring between the bezel and the lense, but the plastic ring that goes between the glass and the bezel ring that holds the lense in.

I think your L2P head has the proper spacer.

EDIT: it does, second from the left.

I see what you mean Black Rose. No, a spacer was not included with either the L2X nor L2X Extended. But it seems to work fine as is, without the bezel ring scraping the lens.

 

[TechnoBill]

So, does the moddoo triple works on the L2X without any mods? Coz for what I read is you have to mod on the L2P to make it work. Thanks.

Actually I had to very slightly mod my Moddoo Triple to work in my Surefire C3 Centurion. The conductive copper base around the bottom of the drop-in, near the spring, needed to be shimmed just a hair to make contact. I used the same shim in the L2X. Without the shim, the Moddoo Triple works in neither the SF nor the Solarforce.

 

[don.gwapo]

Technobill,

Does the L2X have a thicker battery wall? Does the battery rattle improved on the L2X as compare to the L2M & L2P?

Thanks.

 

[TechnoBill]

don.gwapo,

I'll check on that and post back later today. Which batteries were you referring to?

 

[don.gwapo]

2x16340's & 1x18650.

 

[TechnoBill]

Technobill,

Does the L2X have a thicker battery wall? Does the battery rattle improved on the L2X as compare to the L2M & L2P?

Thanks.

Using the same drop-in, and the same protected batteries (2 x 16340 and 1 x 18650), I notice a slight reduction in rattle in the L2X as opposed to the L2P. It is discernable but not highly noticeable. In other words I probably wouldn't have detected a difference if I weren't doing back to back "shakes" with the same components in the different bodies.

 

[Linger]

what-ever would your partner say were they to walk in on that...

 

[Nokoff]

TechnoBILL just wanted to say I enjoy your reviews and posts, always a great bit of info and a good lol...

Thanks for doing the lego with other SF, like the MPP1 head. Mine will be geared up similarily, though a little spicier if it works out :devil:

...as for the limited run part, wasn't the L2P a limited run that's still going..I think when SF says limited run, that means if it sells, we'll keep selling it

The L2X is the latest SPECIAL EDITION body in the L2 series. This is a limited run, so buy quickly. Past Special Edition hosts have been discontinued and are not produced on an ongoing basis.

The L2X head and body accommodate the standard L2 series drop-ins as well as the bodies being quite suitable for the Solarforce Masterpiece Pro-1 head. Below is the L2X head interior.

 

[Tally-ho]

The L2P is the "P" version of the previous L2.
The L2X is the "X" version of the previous L2.
So solarforce says that they are "special edition" (of the L2).

Even if a limited (run) edition can be considered as something "a little bit special", "special" doesn't mean "limited"...at least in my native language.