Surefire bulb burn out question

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MXDan

Newly Enlightened
Joined
May 3, 2003
Messages
76
Location
Kent Co., MI
I bought my friend a G2 as a wedding present a few months back, which he loves. He has used 2 or 3 sets of batteries on the P60 LA, and now it doesn't work. I tested it in my G2, with different batteries, and nothing. There appears to be no problem with the filament. I had a P91 explode on me, that was very noticable. Do SF bulbs stop working randomly, without sign of what's wrong? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/help.gif
 
I remember reading in the forum that sometimes a LA just goes out without warning, probably a defect or a fluke. Just send it back for a free replacement. GOOD LUCK
 
I emailed surefire about my exploded P91 and they sent a new one no questions asked. But I feel awkward about sending two failure emails in one month. I don't want them to think I'm trying to scam or something.
 
[ QUOTE ]
MXDan said:
I emailed surefire about my exploded P91 and they sent a new one no questions asked. But I feel awkward about sending two failure emails in one month. I don't want them to think I'm trying to scam or something.

[/ QUOTE ] Just send it back. You're not actually trying to scam them.
 
My friends and I compared notes on our Surefires for the first time in a long time -- we're all seeing lots of bulb failures. Burnout in one or two sets of batteries, breakage on even short drops, etc. Quality of a flashlight means quality of the lamps as well, especially when the lamps are as expensive as the P6*/P9* lamps. I don't think it's there.

That's why I'm trying to wean myself off Surefire incandescents -- the beam and machining quality may be there, but bulb quality isn't. My exception is the E2, whose bulbs have been holding up really nicely for me. None of my other friends own an E2 so I can't compare with anyone else.

Joe
 
Just let me tell you my personal experience. I have run through about 6 dozens of CR123s in my M2 Millennium with the supplied P61 bulb and 2 dozens CR123s in my G2Z with P60 bulbs and have no problems with it. My E2e has only been through about 3 battery changes so I have nothing to wow about.

Andy Ho
 
Had a P60 in a G2 with less than half-hour of run time go out on me (on New Years Eve, shooting fireworks, after I had just bragged to my friend about the "ultra-bright, small flashlight)! Emailed SF and they are sending a replacement, basically no questions asked, didn't even want me to send in the blown one.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Joe Talmadge said:
That's why I'm trying to wean myself off Surefire incandescents.......My exception is the E2, whose bulbs have been holding up really nicely for me...



[/ QUOTE ] I'm SF incandescent free myself. I realised their bulb problem a while ago and have avoided them. If I were to buy an incandescent it would be a streamlight. For now I've been happy with my L4 and E1e/KL1.
 
I got both a P90 and P60 failed on my D3 and 6P.

Since then no other lamp problems arrised.
A point to note is that you should change the batteries once you noticed any sign of dimming; I learnt that running my P60 all the way down with depleted batteries caused the failure.
 
My E2 bulb burnt out after 6 sets of batteries which is about ~6 hours of total use. I called Surefire, told them how it burnt out after 6 battery sets, and they asked for my address, and they said "We're sending you a new bulb right now." Sure enoegh i got it in 2 days. Isn't that nice?

I also back-up what llvo just said in the previous post. Change your batteries as soon as you see yellowing or dimming of the light. There's something about how the bulb cannot burn the gasses and buildup as the voltage drops. I've noticed that running my bulbs on low juice leaves a greyish film on the insides of the bulb. This (i think) decreases the bulb's lifespan and efficiency.
 
Ya, I know about changing the batteries when the light starts dimming. I'm even willing to believe most of these "bulb burned out in 2 sets of batteries" stories are due to that. I specifically keep an eye out for it, but sometimes it's difficult to tell when you light is yellowing. Often, I don't notice until I shine the light next to another Surefire which I know has fresh batteries. In fact, that's become part of my monthly process, shining lights I've used next to a light with known good batteries so I can catch the yellowing sooner.
 
I'm posting this in the B/S/T, but if anyone has any of the following blown lamp assemblies, I'd like them:

P60, P61, R30, P90, P91

MN10, MN11, MN15, MN16, MN20, MN21

I will pay the postage too.
 
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