SureFire KL1: Greenish, purplelish white.

[Catapult]

I know there has been inconsistencies with the color of SureFire's white KL1's. So what would constitue a good KL1?

I got a colorful one, as far as I know. It's greenish white when it's two inches away from the target. From two inches to two feet, the hotspot is slightly purplelish with surrounding pee green. At distances farther than two feet, the hotspot is purplelish with some whitish light surrounding it, with more greenish light surrounding it.

Is this a "good" KL1, an "average" KL1, or worse? Should I contact SureFire CS?

I have an L4, and I'd have to say that it is the whitest LS that I've seen, and it is nothing like my KL1.

 

[Penguin]

I recently got a replacement from SF, my first KL1 was the best! Only slightly purple and a bit brighter than my LSHP! A little soldering would have fixed it right up, but Surefire decided to replace it /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif Now I'm stuck with a blueish beam and a green halo. I remember people were modding KL1's with High Domes for a fee... Anyone still do that?

 

[Chop]

I've HEARD of a few white stock KL1's, but have never seen one myself. I've probably had 5 or 6 or them and wound up modding them all to one extent or another.

I've modded a few KL1's myself. It's not hard at all to do. It's really a matter of what you want your KL1 to do. If you want to keep your 4 hour runtime, just change the LED. Go with another batwing if you like the characteristics of the low dome, go with a high dome to get more throw out of the stock NX05 optic with an ample amount of sidespill or replace the NX05 with a Fraen Low Profile optic to virtually do away with sidespill and maximize throw.

If you really want to squeeze some performance out of your KL1, you can have it overdriven to 700mA and change the LED. Going to 700mA will yield about 50% more light, of course YMMV. Going to 1A yields little over the 700mA, but produces ALOT more heat. In my opinion, too much heat for a KL1 to handle. If you're interested, CM and yclo do the overdriving and LED replacement mods. You could contact them and see if either are available.

 

[rickdm]

LED's are such a crap shoot. I am a big Arc fan but I bought the KL-1 for my E2E because I wasn't going to use it much with the incandescent bulb. I wasn't expecting a lot. It turned out to be my best LS flashlight. Brighter and whiter than my three LSL-S and one BB400 Q3. It is a very cool little light.

Rick

 

[Penguin]

Ooo, thanks Chop! I'll talk to one of them asap. What is the LED in the KL1 being driven at stock?

 

[Chop]

Penguin,
Unless I'm mistaken, they're driven to spec which is ~350mA. Just keep in mind the law of diminishing returns, although I'm sure that many here could get much more technical. Doubling the current to 700mA will get you 50% more light (YMMV). Anymore current and you're talking about alot of heat. 700mA in a KL1 will make you go, WOW. I did. It makes for a nice little package, especially on an E1e body, but the runtime is not impressive. I'm getting about 45 minutes on a battery, but it's nice while it lasts.

 

[Penguin]

Sorry about highjacking your thread Catapult /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif, your KL1 seems to be a lower than average one, it's all a lottery. If you're unhappy with it, then talk to SF CS.

 

[this_is_nascar]

[ QUOTE ]
Catapult said:
I know there has been inconsistencies with the color of SureFire's white KL1's. So what would constitue a good KL1?



[/ QUOTE ]

Based on touching over 20-KL1's, there is no such animal as it relates to color and tint.

 

[Chop]

Catapult,
If you're not happy with your KL1, you could try to contact SF CS, but then, what would they do? Send you another KL1? On the other hand, you could obtain an LED of your choice and do a swap. There are a number of posts here that will provide all of the information that you may need to do it yourself. All that's required is a soldering iron and some basic skills with it. All else can be improvised. If you'd like, you could contact me and I'd be glad to walk you through it.

 

[andyz]

I have 2 KL1's arriving so im hoping i get at least one decent one, I have never seen a 1W Led in action so I wont have much to compare them to

 

[Stanley]

Well, if its any comfort, my KL1 has a slight violet tinge to it, and I don't really care, cos 1) I don't own anything else quite as bright AND white at the same time and, 2) Its BRIGHT!! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif

I can only imagine it running off 2 x 123s... but I think I'll wait till most vendors are carrying the E2e or E2O with the Z57 tailcap as stock... also need to save up some $$ first!! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/broke.gif

Edit: Btw Andyz, you should be thankful that you're in Melb, cos one of our modders, yclo is there too. If your KL1s are not to your satisfaction, drop him a PM/email and I'm sure you guys can work out something for him to mod your KL1s into smooth WHITE beams...

 

[yclo]

Someone called? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Catapult]

[ QUOTE ]
Chop said:
Catapult,
If you're not happy with your KL1, you could try to contact SF CS, but then, what would they do? Send you another KL1? On the other hand, you could obtain an LED of your choice and do a swap. There are a number of posts here that will provide all of the information that you may need to do it yourself. All that's required is a soldering iron and some basic skills with it. All else can be improvised. If you'd like, you could contact me and I'd be glad to walk you through it.

[/ QUOTE ]

My residence is definitely not the place to be doing any soldering. I will have to contact SureFire CS and play the lottery again.

 

[Chop]

Catapult,
If you don't like what you get back from Surefire, let me know. I'd be glad to help, if I can. Swapping the LED is a relatively simple and easy process.

There are also others far more knowledgeable and experienced than I. When I sent my KL4 back to Surefire, it took about 4 weeks total before I had a new one in my hands. Luckily I got a good one. On the KL1, even if you get a good one, it will still be a low dome LED. If it suits you, great. If not, there's something to be done about it.

If you do a search on eBay for "luxeon" you will run across a guy selling Q3J's. You could also go to the Sandwiche Shoppe and get an R2K. My R2K is my brightest KL1.

To mod your KL1 you're looking at about $7-$8 in priority shipping (I always use this cause it's pretty fast), another $15-$25 for an LED plus the labor, whatever that may be. I guess it depends on who you contact.

 

[Minjin]

Hmm, I only have one KL1 and its as white as my q2h Ill Pill. Only thing I have thats whiter is my Blaster II+. I'm very pleased with it. Currently running on 3 2/3A nicads.

Mark

 

[andyz]

So very refreshing to talk to helpfull PPL, and a couple of locals as well. I have a good quality Hako Bench Soldering Iron and have done a fair bit of work on Leds and stuff, Its just that when my lights arrive I will be placing them amongst my treasured gadgets and using my wifes makeup brush to dust em off from time to time. But eventually one of them will have to be sacrificed and come to work with me, after its had a few battle scars I will probibally get the tools out and have a go at it, I will be sure to do some detailed step by step pics on my web site as I usually do when its something I think is worth sharing. Great to see a Melbournian on these forums yclo.

 

[CM]

I've seen about 25 KL1's and none of them had anything I consider a worthy LED. They range from purple to purple with green corona which to me is the worst of both worlds. I suppose that's why so many KL1's are modded. None of mine are in its stock configuration anymore. They're all high domes with various degrees of overdrive. 700mA is probably the point where any more current will get you very little in incremental increase of light output. And all you probably get is 50%-60% increase in output. Not much but it is noticeable.

CM

 

[Chop]

andyz,
It sounds like your a natural for modding. Why don't you take that KL1 and crank it up to 1A, then let me know how it runs. I've been toying with the idea, but I'm afraid to mess with the two perfect KL1's that I have. I just recently got another KL1, but I don't have the necessary resistors to overdrive it yet, so I'm patiently waiting.

 

[CM]

Hey, Chop, I thought you do mods for others /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Chop]

CM,
I do, but I thought I'd give the guy a chance to go with the pros first. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif I am game, though.