SureFire EB1 Backup 200 Lumen Flashlight

[SoCalDep]

I lost my EB1T a couple weeks ago. I think it fell from my pocket as I took my keys out to get in the car. I'm depressed. It was my favorite EDC light.

All is right with the world! After some subtle hinting, my wife gave me an EB1 for Christmas!

 

[880arm]

Wow, what a woman! :thumbsup:

 

[SoCalDep]

Wow, what a woman! :thumbsup:

Yea...She's a keeper!

And since I have one again, I'll talk a bit about my impressions of the EB1.

When the light first came out I read all the posts here and was disappointed about the output/runtime, etc. I had hoped for greatness from Surefire as I really wanted a smaller tactical light...I like the 2-stage tailcap and have an LX2 so I'm used to the UI. I have an E1B, and while it's a really nice light, I hate the high/low switching.

I ended up just deciding to go for it and ordered a tan EB1 to try out. I ended up carrying that light every day from around march through whenever I lost it (October or November???) and I don't think I ever changed the batteries. It was still brighter (to me) than another 180 lumen light I have and the TIR lens made for a great beam profile.

When I lost the light I went back to my E1B rotating with a Fenix LD12. Both good lights, but the EB1 fits my hand perfectly...I love the instant low or high access, and I haven't noticed any issue with run time. I use the low mode more than anything, but I use high fairly often as I am a weapons instructor for my department and do low-light training fairly often.

Now that I have an EB1 again (black this time) I can say that while it may not have the best performance on a graph, it's my favorite light.

 

[Robin24k]

Both good lights, but the EB1 fits my hand perfectly

I'm with you on that. In another thread, people were complaining about how SureFire lights were getting bigger...

Small lights tend to be difficult to hold securely, and it's easy to block the bezel with your palm. More surface area makes for a better heatsink. :thumbsup:

 

[Maxbelg]

I just bought another EB1 tactical and was in for a surprise:

The electronics in the head are now different.

My first EB1 with serial number A04813 won't run with LiFePO4 cells until they are almost empty but runs well on IMRs. Furthermore it has the "pre flash" issue and sometimes doesn't go on when I repeatedly press for momentary on. It also has a slightly frosted lens and a hotspot which sort of blends into the surrounding beam. I can also put this head on my E1B body and with the clicky tail cap it works like the E1B.

My new EB1 with serial number A11850 runs perfectly on fully charged LiFePO4 cells. It doesn't have any issues when strobing manually and to my surprise it has only 1 level on my E1B body! Furthermore it has a perfectly clear lens and a very well-defined hotspot which is larger than on my older EB1.

So obviously the electronics have been changed in the new EB1 and now the head works like the LX2 head. It would be interesting to see runtime charts with the new head but I'm not equipped to perform such a test.

I like both EB1s and am not even sure which I like more as I'm not in the habit of strobing manually, so functionally the old EB1 was perfect and I quite like the possibility of using the head on an E1B body with clicky. On the new one I like the LiFePO4 compatibility.

This information might be important for someone thinking of buying the EB1 with the idea of using the head on an E1B.

Fun Legos, some functional some not!

 

[Vox Clamatis in Deserto]

I just bought another EB1 tactical and was in for a surprise:

The electronics in the head are now different.

So obviously the electronics have been changed in the new EB1 and now the head works like the LX2 head. It would be interesting to see runtime charts with the new head but I'm not equipped to perform such a test.

Thanks for sharing these discoveries. :thumbsup:

Here's a couple of my earlier posts about the electronics in the initial production EB1:

They do seem to be up to something with the EB1 electronics.

I am puzzled by physical complexity of the EB1 circuitry compared to other LED light designs, e.g. Gene's P60 dropins or David's Quarks. There are perhaps 60 surface mount component packages visible on the two circuit boards in the head of the EB1. Seems like a lot of parts overhead just to get two modes on a single cell LED light in 2012. Is this module also to be used in other small SF lights with a jumper cut or different code for two cell and rechargeable applications, perhaps?

I've looked inside the head of my EB1 and the electronics are indeed more complex than other small lights from the aspect of parts count and circuit board area. There is a Microchip Technology F24K22 microcontroller with 16K of flash memory as I noted on another thread here. We've literally landed on the moon with less computing power.

The SF 2012 catalog released about a year ago shows the 'programmable' icon by the EB1 but the product box doesn't. If the EB1 is indeed programmble through light shining on the emitter as some of the SF ad copy implies on page 29 of the 2012 catalog, does this mean that the light has some click sequence to put it in program mode? Or, does the light from the dongle generate enough voltage on the emitter to power the programming sequence with the EB1 switch turned off?

Or, did this dongle gadget just not work out and will it quietly disappear from the 2013 catalog?

The EB1 circuit boards have 'test points' that look like they could be used for a firmware update, but this would require disassembly of the light.

Anybody want to take a peek at the electronics in the 'new' EB1 head? Is it a redesign in hardware or a firmware upgrade on the original setup? Presumably SF would want to go to a simpler, less costly design after abandoning the user programmability feature. On the other hand, SF is famous for often sticking with legacy parts, for example LED emitters, long after other manufacturers have moved to newer technology.

And, speaking of emitters, is there a new LED in late model EB1's perhaps?

 

[moshow9]

Would someone mind trying to see if a McClicky will fit in the tailcap of a EB1 clicky?

 

[Maxbelg]

!.................., is there a new LED in late model EB1's perhaps?

Yes, I read your previous posts, thanks. I'm not going to try to peek at the electronics, I sent my old EB1 to Vinh for an emitter upgrade and even he couldn't crack the head!!! LED looks like a Cree XPE so no upgrade there.

 

[Random Dan]

Have you tried a 4.2v Li-Ion in the new EB1? My recollection is that in the old EB1 it only worked on low mode with Li-Ion.

 

[BillSWPA]

It would really be nice if Surefire fixed the switching issue on the tactical models so that repeated full presses in rapid succession always result in high. The usefulness is not manual strobing, but is searching multiple areas in rapid succession. For example, coming down a flight of stairs and having to quickly check areas to both your right and left. I would hate to have the light come on low if I happen to find who/what I am looking for in the second of the two areas I check. Knowing that this issue was fixed would cause me to go back to recommending their products.

 

[Maxbelg]

Have you tried a 4.2v Li-Ion in the new EB1? My recollection is that in the old EB1 it only worked on low mode with Li-Ion.

Yes it works at least with IMR , but I only tried for a few seconds as I'm not sure it's a good idea with the new driver. I have been using IMR without problems in my old EB1 since I got it.

It would really be nice if Surefire fixed the switching issue on the tactical models so that repeated full presses in rapid succession always result in high. The usefulness is not manual strobing, but is searching multiple areas in rapid succession. For example, coming down a flight of stairs and having to quickly check areas to both your right and left. I would hate to have the light come on low if I happen to find who/what I am looking for in the second of the two areas I check. Knowing that this issue was fixed would cause me to go back to recommending their products.

I don' think it's an issue. You have to repeatedly press full presses before it happens. You could always look left right left right and left again without issues. Anyway they have "fixed" it now in the new EB1 but have lost the ability to use the head on a clicky body for 2 levels.

 

[BillSWPA]

I don' think it's an issue. You have to repeatedly press full presses before it happens. You could always look left right left right and left again without issues. Anyway they have "fixed" it now in the new EB1 but have lost the ability to use the head on a clicky body for 2 levels.

Let's get back to the example in my previous post. As you are coming down the stairs, knowing that there might be someone in the building who does not belong there, you have two areas, one to your right, and one to your left, from which you will be exposed as you reach the bottom. Which option most appeals to you:

1) Leave the light on as you check both areas, providing a nice target indicator for whoever may be there?

2) Wait at least two seconds after checking the first area before checking the second, providing two extra seconds of warning to whoever might be there?

3) Re-activate the light quickly to check the second area, and risk relying on a mere 5 lumens to provide the 1/2 second advantage that the full power light would normally provide?

4) Spend less than 1/3 of the suggested retail price of a Surefire for a light that will actually function the way it is advertised to function?

If someone wants a head that works on a clicky body, then they can buy a clicky head. These lights are advertised as being built without compromise rather than being built to a certain price point, and currently have suggested retail prices well over $200. At those prices, cutting corners isn't acceptable. Had this been done right the first time, I would still be EDCing an EB!T rather than moving on to FourSevens and Klarus lights.

 

[Robin24k]

Based on that example, I am almost certain that the light would behave properly.

To get a repro of high/low switching on the tactical model, you have to be intentionally pressing the switch very fast (like trying to manually operate a 10Hz strobe).

 

[BillSWPA]

I have had the light come on low at least twice while performing exactly the example I described.

 

[bmenard]

It's going to have to be quite an upgrade to replace my 210 lumen, warm E1B

EDIT By the way, thanks to Glock 22 for the host!

GeoBruin, beautiful upgrade. Might I ask what upgraded head is on your your backup? New to the forum......Thanks

 

[moshow9]

Not GeoBruin, and he would have to answer what Malkoff module he has in his setup, but the head is a Valiant Concepts VME Head.

 

[Random Dan]

Not GeoBruin, and he would have to answer what Malkoff module he has in his setup, but the head is a Valiant Concepts VME Head.

Based on the fact that he said it's warm tint and 210lm it's probably an M31W.

 

[Maxbelg]

..........To get a repro of high/low switching on the tactical model, you have to be intentionally pressing the switch very fast (like trying to manually operate a 10Hz strobe).

Exactly! That's what I have been trying to explain. It is only an "issue" in the old EB1 when manually strobing, although for me this isn't an issue at all. The new EB1 doesn't have this "issue" but loses the ability to be used on a clicky body with 2 levels.

 

[tonywalker23]

so if i was looking for an eb1 with the new firmware how could i be sure i got the correct thing?

 

[tonywalker23]

ill also throw in... i just called Surefire about my k2 rechargeable batteries, one of them is dead after resting for only a week, reads 1.38. while i was on the phone with them i mentioned the firmware and asked if they could fix one. i told him for example when I'm sitting at walmart waiting for my wife to come out and i try to 'strobe' her so she can see where i am in the parking lot the light doesn't work after a few presses. he told me 'you must have bought one of the earlier eb1's. you as a consumer don't need to be concerned with that. the light is functioning normal.'