Surefire 6P & 9P mods? Recheargable, strobe, etc.

[forumname05]

I'm pretty new to the whole flashaholic game

I'm in the NYPD and work midnights.
I currently have a SF 8AX Commander as my duty light. I've had it for about a 1 1/2 yrs and like the light a lot, but it seems lately my batteries have been dying out a bit quicker. My only real gripe with the light is the switch set-up, it's a momentary tailcap push switch and to keep the light on you have to spin the head of the light. I'd like to be able to fully operate the light with one hand, the way it is now it's tactically not the best set-up.

I've been thinking of maybe selling the light and running a modded 9P as my duty light and keeping a modded 6P in my cargo pant pocket as a back-up.
I like both the 6P & 9P due to the fact that they are simple and seem to have many mods available.

Here's what I'm looking for...
Re-chargeable w/ quick charging and also would like to be able to use the same batteries for both
100+ Lumens (maybe not as important on the 6P, but more than 100 on the 9P would be great!)
1hr + runtime (the longer the better!)

So, what would be the best way to accomplish this with each?
I've also found the G&P A.I. Switch with STROBE Function which would work with both. Anyone run one? I REALLY like the idea of having a strobe function and dual function switch (momentary & locked on)

 

[matrixshaman]

Welcome to CPF - You'll find there's other LEO's here too. One person here I know is also NYPD I believe (CPF handle Mercop ). One thing I'll mention is the Cree XR-E module for these from Dealextreme.com (China so not real fast to order - couple weeks) is really great - very bright and of course no more bulbs to burn out. And at $12.50 there's no reason not to have one (that includes shipping I believe). And this module will run off anything from 3.7 volt to 9 volt (double check the high end volts?).
There's lots of battery options with that setup that can be rechargeable and anything from single longer style Li-Ions to two RCR123's. G&P seems to have a fairly good rep around here. Stay safe.

 

[ScooterBug]

welcome sir. i too am LEO. i carry a Z2 at work that has a lumens factory led installed along with a G&P strobe tail cap. i like the set up and it works great. i don't use recharables though.🙂

 

[sween1911]

Mercop is actually from MD. 🙂

http://www.mercop.com/

 

[matrixshaman]

You know as I was writing that I had this nagging idea I might have been wrong - just was sure he was East coast. I haven't been on the USN as much lately and all the stories from there start getting a bit fuzzy at my age 🙂

 

[springbok]

I too am a LEO.

I carry a surefire G2, with AW's 3.7v rechargeable setup.
I also carry a SF 6P, with a dealextreme cree dropin module. I use 2xrcr123 AW 3.7v.

batteries in both charge quickly.

I also carry a modified mag lite. a mag85.

you are welcome to PM me.

 

[GeorgePaul]

i carry a Z2 at work that has a lumens factory led installed along with a G&P strobe tail cap.

I don't think Lumens Factory sells LEDs. You must have a replacement incandescent bulb. Which one do you have?

 

[Gunner12]

You can get a Seoul modded LED Logic - Striker VG HC Tactical Flashlight , has strobe and is really bright with lots of throw(projecting ability) and can also dim. You can also run a Fenix L1D-CE(AA battery) with 14500(3.7V rechargeable) batteries and get 100+ lumen and strobe, but less then 1 hour runtime. There are many lights depending on your price range.

Welcome to CPF!

 

[NotRegulated]

"Here's what I'm looking for...
Re-chargeable w/ quick charging and also would like to be able to use the same batteries for both 100+ Lumens (maybe not as important on the 6P, but more than 100 on the 9P would be great!) 1hr + runtime (the longer the better!)"

I you don't mind adding an A19 one cell extender to your 9P you can standardize your batteries around the 17670 li-on rechargable battery. Choices are Pila 600s, AW protected 17670 and others. One 17670 will fit the 6P and power an XR-E based CREE LED drop-in bulb. Two 17670's will fit in the 9P with A19 extender and you can power a P90 bulb. If you want a brighter light look to the Lumen Factory E-09 (highly recommended for use with the H-09 or E-09 which is like the P91) or the Surefire P91. Configuration choices can be found here.
The only downside to using the li-on battery's for duty is when the battery's are finally depleted the light goes out without really any warning. At least the NiCad's in your 8AX give you some warning by dimming. I got some great replacement battery packs from Silverfox for my 8NX that run 1.5 times longer and brigher than the stock Surefire battery.

 

[mdocod]

Welcome to the forum... glad you found us! hold on to your wallet, pretty soon you'll be running around with more light than you know what to do with! On the bright side, you are in the company (at work) of people who can appreciate it! (rather than make fun of you like the rest of us with less intense career choices, lol)

anyways, you have a TON of rechargeable options. On the up side, you can make both your 6P and 9P well over 100 lumens if you wish. Or you can make 1 really bright and one more conservative with more runtime.

Click on the link in my signature, I've got most of the bases of rechargeable tactical lights covered, the 6P and 9P and similar configurations are shown in the compatibility chart below the guide with all the potential options.

Before you take the rechargable plunge, you might consider upgrading the bodies to some leefbody's with room for thicker cells.

PM me with any questions if you like and have a look at the guide, enjoy and welcome 🙂

 

[ScooterBug]

"I don't think Lumens Factory sells LEDs. You must have a replacement incandescent bulb. Which one do you have"?


you're right. my mistake. i ordered a cree lamp from PTS along with a lumens factory blub. any way it does work great.🙂

 

[nanotech17]

My G2 with AW 17670 protected cell and this - http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=161471

 

[michiganstud]

I'm an LEO as well. I've tried a lot of different lights, and this forum turned me into a flashaholic!!! Lots of GREAT advice here with a wealth of knowledge.

I Just purchased a Surefire 6p - I went with the cheaper xenon light and then got a dropin Q5 bulb and now I have a 6p LED!! Works great and I paid half the money I would have paid if I would have purchased the LED model.

Anyway...this setup has been the best thing for me, its actually just as bright if not brighter than my old Streamlight Stinger.

You CAN operate the 6P with one hand. I can't explain it but I can twist the tailcap with one hand, just leave the tailcap twisted just a hair away from the on point.

I use ultrafire 3.7 rechargeable's in it.

 

[Justin Case]

For rechargeables, I suggest going the the CPF Marketplace Dealer's Corner (or to lighthound.com) and ordering some "AW" protected RCR123A (the so-called 16340 size) cells. These are the same size as regular CR123A Li cells, such as from SureFire and Duracell. They have a black wrapper with a silver and red label. Buy a Pila IBC Li-ion charger (many vendors on the Internet). For the short length of the RCR123A, you'll have to make a spacer so that the Pila's charging terminals touch the battery's terminals. You can use a machine screw of the right length, some magnets, whatever.

I would recommend against the G&P AI tailcap. IMO, the user interface is poor. It is somewhat backwards in operation vs a SureFire, which can cause you problems, especially under stress.

For the G&P, a momentary click-press and release gives you constant-on. Holding the click-press for about a second or longer puts the tailcap into strobe mode. I don't think there is any sort of momentary-on mode, except if you manually cycle the light on and off.

If you need a strobe and want to stick with a SureFire 6P/9P, I recommend two approaches. The simplest one is to use a "wrist wobble" method. By rocking the light about its axis, you mimic a strobe function, kind of like how the old cruiser light bars created flashing lights by rotating the reflector around.

If you go with the wrist wobble method, I would get a Malkoff M60 for the 6P. For the 9P, you can still go with the M60, but you need to use two 17500 sized Li-ion rechargeables because the maximum voltage that the M60 can take is 9V (three RCR123A Li-ion cells would be around 11V-12V). The AW brand comes in the 17500 size as well.

If you want commonality of parts, I would get two 6Ps, two Malkoff M60s, four pairs (one pair for each light, and two pairs as backups) of AW's RCR123A (16340) Li-ion protected cells, and one Pila IBC charger. If you want to stick with the 6P/9P pair, I'd get two M60s, two pairs of AW's RCR123As, two pairs of AW's 17500s, and one Pila charger.

If you want a tailcap with a strobe function, I would suggest looking at the OpticsHQ reverse multifunction tailcap and matching LED drop-in. The tailcap user interface is excellent. Regardless of the mode you are currently in, you can always access either high or strobe immediately. IMO, that is critical for a tactical light. You can't waste time cycling through 3, 4, or 5 other irrelevant modes to get to high mode.

Unfortunately, the OpticsHQ tailcap doesn't seem to be compatible with the Malkoff M60 drop-in (the M60 doesn't turn off completely -- it stays in a low "moonglow" state). Plus, you can't buy the tailcap separately. Thus, I would get two of the OpticsHQ reverse multifunction tailcaps and LED drop-ins, one each for the 6P and 9P. You can run the 6P with 2xAW RCR123A, and the 9P with either 3xAW RCR123A or 2xAW17500.

Another downside to the OpticsHQ tailcap is that the internal electronics draws power even with the light turned off. I estimate that 2xRCR123A cells would last about a month (without any flashlight usage) before you should recharge the cells. As long as you know that and establish a regular flashlight status inspection and charging routine, you should be good to go.

 

[nzgunnie]

I don't think Lumens Factory sells LEDs. You must have a replacement incandescent bulb. Which one do you have?

Yes they do.

http://www.lumensfactory.com/products.php?cat_id=2&sub_cat_id=7

Unfortunately, the M60 voltage range tops out at 9V, which is too low for a 9P running Li-ion rechargeables. So you need a different LED drop-in for the 9P

This information is not correct, 17500 size cells are the answer here, and will give you far more run time than the smaller RCR123s, but with the correct voltage for the M60.

If you are happy going with the size of the 9P, a Malkoff M60 running on two AW17500 cells is exactly what you want.

As for reliability, I'd stear clear of DX LED drop ins, and I'd also be weary of the G&P strobe tailcap. There is virtually nothing to go wrong with the standard surefire z41 tail cap. However if you are dead set on that feature for your primary light you can always carry a standard SF 6PL as a back up. If you really want strobe, perhaps buying a GLadius or the Insight Typhoon would be better.

You are not going to get surefire reliability by buying a surefire then replacing everything but the body and bezel! Malkoff drop in LED modules are considered the highest quality, but as I said, I'd be weary of DX drop ins.

 

[Justin Case]

I don't think Lumens Factory sells LEDs. You must have a replacement incandescent bulb. Which one do you have?

Lumens Factory sells LED drop-ins. See their web site and follow the links for Product Showroom, D26 Series, LED Series.

 

[michiganstud]

One thing I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to see is a new tailcap for the surefire 6p.

A tailcap that FIRST has a momentary on/off like it does now, but THEN when you press just a bit further it clicks on/off!!! (like a streamlight stinger or mag lite)

That would make many cops a very happy man.

 

[Bruce B]

I don't think Lumens Factory sells LEDs. You must have a replacement incandescent bulb. Which one do you have?

Actually Lumens Factory does sell LED bulbs. Some of their individual bulb series have LED bulbs. Thanks Justin Case for beating me to it. 🙂

 

[Kestrel]

[...] 17500 size cells are the answer here, and will give you far more run time than the smaller RCR123s, but with the correct voltage for the M60.

If you are happy going with the size of the 9P, a Malkoff M60 running on two AW17500 cells is exactly what you want.

As for reliability, I'd stear clear of DX LED drop ins, and I'd also be weary of the G&P strobe tailcap. There is virtually nothing to go wrong with the standard surefire z41 tail cap. [...]

You are not going to get surefire reliability by buying a surefire then replacing everything but the body and bezel! Malkoff drop in LED modules are considered the highest quality, but as I said, I'd be weary of DX drop ins.

I considered posting individual +1's here, but I would run out with nzgunnie's great post.:huh:

SF 9P & the standard Z41 tailcap / Malkoff M60 / 2xAW17500(protected) is pretty close to the perfect bomb-proof rechargeable flashlight. Period. Great reliability, great customer service, great output, great runtime.

 

[flip]

Guys, if you will look at the dates on the posts, you will see that it was about 2 years ago when the Lumens Factory LED comments were made.