SUREFIRE E1B vs HDS 120 Tactical efficiency .... big surprise !

[radu1976]

I have done a simple ceiling bouncing test with them and, as expected, E1B on HIGH is pretty much as bright as HDS 120 on HIGH , maybe just a bit, but really a bit, brighter. However HDS 120 on BURST is clearly brighter than E1B on HIGH ... that doesn't count though.
So far, nothing surprising ... E1B is known to put 100-110lumens while HDS 120 around 100 on HIGH.

What surprised me was the runtime :
- an E1B would last about 80-90 min with a primary CR123 ... not perfect regulation but good enough according to Selfbuilt's runtime graphic and around 40 min with a RCR123 - 3V or 3.7v ... last one, not recommened -
- I did a runtime test with my HDS 120 on HIGH ... after 40sec on TURBO, of course, and ... guess what : 1:20hrs runtime with a RCR123 !!??

So HDS 120 is putting almost the same lumens like E1B but it has a double runtime with a RCR123 !
That means it's much more effcient - twice -
Not only that but : E1B has a XR-E - Q2, Q3 or R2 ... God knows - while HDS 120 has an Osram emitter.
Aren't the CREE XR-Es supposed to be more efficient than the OSRAMs ??
Somebody must explain to me these results !
Maybe SURFIRE doesn't make the most efficient lights on the market but they aren't definetely at the bottom of the list !

Another ceiling bouncing test I did was with SUREFIRE E1L and FENIX P1CE Q2.
Both lights are in the same range : around 70 lumens ... E1L is rated for 45 lumens but SF lumens are well known as very conservatives while FENIX P1 Q2 was rated for 90 lumens while we know that FENIX estimations years ago were regarding OTF lumens not ANSI lumens.
So, both have pretty much the same brightness.
But FENIX runs in perfect regulation with a primary CR123 for 1:45 min while E1L runs for double : 3.5-4hrs ...
So E1L appears to be twice as efficient . Even if it's using a Q5/R2 vs the Q2 of FENIX P1CE , E1L circuit is still much more efficient despite a 20-25% more efficiency beacause of its more performant emitter.
However if E1L is using the same Q2 ... then the circuit is twice more efficient !

So, in one case a SUREFIRE seems to have half of the efficiency of an HDS light while in the other ... twice of the efficiency of a FENIX.
Conclusion : HDS makes 3-4 times more efficient lights than FENIX :) ... just kidding !

 

[Tommygun45]

Once the HDS steps down after 40 seconds is it still brighter than the E1B? If not wouldn't this explain its greater longer run times?

 

[CarpentryHero]

Your using different battery typs so that's like apples vs oranges when it comes to an rcr123 and a primary cr123.
Try the hds and Surfire both on primaries ;) for apples vs apples

 

[radu1976]

Once the HDS isn't in 40sec BURST the output won't be brighter than E1B one but the same - or basically almost the same -
CarpentryHero ... read again my post more carefully : HDS has double runtime using THE SAME battery : RCR123 !

 

[skyfire]

nice write up.:thumbsup:

i had a high CRI clicky with P4 emitter, rated at 100 lumens max.
my burst mode only lasted about 10 seconds.
a friend of mine has a E1L, and when we compared it to my HDS, the E1L seemed brighter. :thumbsup:

i really miss the efficiency of my HDS. i had switched to EDCing a V10R Ti, and it just doesnt compare in terms of runtime efficiency.
i charge up my AW RCR123 every week now. with my HDS, after a week when i check the cell, its still over 4 volts.
of course, my V10R can push the LED harder, and my HDS was set up for more usage at low levels. but thats part of the reason why its the king of efficiency.

 

[CarpentryHero]

Once the HDS isn't in 40sec BURST the output won't be brighter than E1B one but the same - or basically almost the same -
CarpentryHero ... read again my post more carefully : HDS has double runtime using THE SAME battery : RCR123 !

I didnt think an e1b could handle rcr123, my apologies

 

[Viking]

Thanks for showing us the test results , interesting indeeed.
But I would like to see the test done with primary as well.
E1B is not designed for RCR's.

 

[Tommygun45]

No its not. And it really doesnt run on them. Mine at least. I have the newer 110 version. It will turn on sure but it constantly flickers back and forth between a quasi high and quasi low mode. Traditional switching between the two modes seems to have no effect. The E1L exhibits the same behavior. The only 1 cell Surefire light that runs off an RCR is the L1.

 

[radu1976]

I have used a 3V TENERGY RCR123 :)

 

[Tommygun45]

Ahh yes, I should probably get one of those things so I could use my E1b more often. Is the function normal?

 

[radu1976]

Nope ... on MAX is fine while on LOW it makes both E1L and E1B flickering :(