Surefire LED conv for G2?

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white_feather

Newly Enlightened
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Sep 29, 2006
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I have twwo Surefire G2 lights and a Streamlight TwinTask light. My G2s eat up batteries. My TwinTask is nice because it has both bulbs in it. I am thinking about upgrading both G2s to LED or selling them and going with just the TwinTask. What to do, what to do? I also see Lowe's selling the G2 with the LED in it. Should I buy that and keep the G2's stock? The G2 at Lowe's are $65. Can I upgrade the G2s (both) for that amount?
 
The main problem with the G2 and LED modules is that LED modules create heat. The G2, being a polymer light does not transfer heat well, so the drop-in can overheat if you use it for long enough. The P60L from Surefire does have a tempreature sensor that tunes down the output if it gets too hot, but IIRC even with that it gets pretty hot.

Check the thread cfromc posted.
 
well first off what do you use your lights for, short range illumination, long range illumination, what kind of runtime do you want, how bright do you want it, also when you are using your lights how long do you use them, short bursts to look at things (30sec.-1 min.), moderate on time (5 min.-10 min.) or long periods of time (anywhere from 10 min-45 min) for the first two a LED should be fine but if you use it for extend periods of time an led will cook its self in the G2.
 
Thank you. I follow the link as best I could. I read the list but all I understand is this:
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It is all greek to me. I want to spend some money, possibly up to $60 for both lights to upgrade them. I am a complete noob to this. If you had two G2s and $60 to upgrade what would you get? Do they make rechargable cr123's that are safe? I appreciate any and all advice.
 
If it were me? I haven't dabbled with rCR123s, so I couldn't tell you.

Civilian side, I probably wouldn't even play with a CR123 light except as an emergency or tactical light.

That said, I'd look at either Lumens Factory, which I'm told has a good product line or the Malkoff Product Line.

I own two Malkoffs and will probably get a couple more - be prepared to spend about $55 per drop-in. With shipping, you're looking at $60, give or take.

The more important questions - what do you use your lights for? What kind of output do you want - bright or brighter? What kind of run-time?

-Trevor
 
Nemo: I mostly use it for 5-10 minutes at the longest. I have a TwinTask light that uses 1 cr123. Being that I know how fast the batteries go I tried to use the three LED's as opposed to the Incand?(if that is the other bulb in there). I rarely use it on full brightness but it is nice to know it is there.
 
I am trying to improve runtime. I just compared the TwinTask and the G2. With the lights on in the house, the TT on LEDs didn't leave a print on the wall from about eight feet. With the single incand bulb I could see a print. With the G2 it was like BAM! I repeated it with the lights off and I can see a huge difference.
A little background: I was a server at a restaurant and carried an Inova. One of my regulars was a security guard. He need cash and sold me his G2. I was impressed. I started carrying that. Another regular of mine gave me the Streamlight TwinTask as a tip. I was in love with my G2 and nothing could compare until I ran through a few batteries. Then I used the TT for a little while and had to replace the battery after a much longer runtime. It has been about a year since I have used the G2 but I picked it up again and miss it. Thought I would see about upgrading it.
 
white_feather said:
I am trying to improve runtime. I just compared the TwinTask and the G2. With the lights on in the house, the TT on LEDs didn't leave a print on the wall from about eight feet. With the single incand bulb I could see a print. With the G2 it was like BAM! I repeated it with the lights off and I can see a huge difference.
A little background: I was a server at a restaurant and carried an Inova. One of my regulars was a security guard. He need cash and sold me his G2. I was impressed. I started carrying that. Another regular of mine gave me the Streamlight TwinTask as a tip. I was in love with my G2 and nothing could compare until I ran through a few batteries. Then I used the TT for a little while and had to replace the battery after a much longer runtime. It has been about a year since I have used the G2 but I picked it up again and miss it. Thought I would see about upgrading it.
Click to expand...

ok... here is a good solution to upgrade one or both of your g2's and stay in your budget.
buy one pair of AWrcr123's for each light...$15.00 ea. light
buy one Lumen factory SR-9 LA ..... $15.00 ea. light
the cost of the charger does'nt count because i'm trying to stay in the budget :D
now you have more output than you ever dreamed the p60 LA could do and in the long run you're saving money on batteries.
better still, just get one SR-9 and a pair of batts to see how you like the upgrade. i wish i could see the look on your face when you crank that LA up. in short ...... you will really appreciate that g2... dude, it's as if the clouds parted from the sky.
i'm suggesting that you not make the g2 something that is is not but make it more of what it is.
if you want to add an LED drop in i can only recommend the L, LF, or LL for the g2. one will eat all of your budget, these are the 1st ones you should consider.
good luck with your upgrade and please let us know your choice and results.
(edit) sorry... the title alludes to an LED conversion. i have offered an alternate solution based on the OP's budget and conditions.
 
Last edited:
Alright sorry to contradict you sappyg but I wouldnt advise a newer member to jump into rcr123's, instead I wouldve directed them to somewhere they can get CR123's cheaply.
Back on topic i would suggest a LED dropin because you dont use you light for long periods of time and burning the LED up wont be a problem if its only 10 min of continous runtime.

now you can get good quality and cheap CR123 batteries here: http://www.batterystation.com/cr123a.htm

And a good drop in here: http://www.lumensfactory.com/cart.php?cat_id=2&sub_cat_id=7 (you dont want the 3.7V one you want the 3.7-13V one)

Or for top of the line drop in: http://www.malkoffdevices.com/shop2/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1_14_15&products_id=34
 
Most LED drop-ins don't recommend more then 10 minutes with a polymer body light, but seems like you don't need more then 10 minutes, they should be fine.

Many can use RCR123s.

All of the drop-ins should give more then 1 hour or runtime that the stock bulb provides while giving more output. If you just want to try, go for something more budget like like this(it does take a few weeks to ship though). It should be fine for normal use, but if you plan on using the light for critical uses(self defense and such) something more reliable might be better(I haven't seen any/many of those breaking though).

If you want lots of runtime(compared to now) for around the same output, go for the Malkoff M60LL. Shipping is much quicker too.
 
I live across the street from brightguy.com. I wonder if he can get me some of the things I need? I do alot of walking at dusk and after dark. I live for the outdoors but I live in the suburbs so I have many vehicles in my paths. I want to use it in the event that something happens and I need to look for something, alert a driver that I am in the road, scare off dogs/racoons/punks. I may use it in the house when I need to find something or need extra illumination for a task. I always have the TT at my side but I want the G2 for 'special' situations.
 
Would it be easier to just buy a different light and just put these as backups or give one to the wife for her purse?
 
That's always an option - a lot of it depends on what you want to do.

A number of folks on here - keep in mind, we're kinda serious about our lights - will buy a "stock" G2 and upgrade. That's what most of our discussion has been about.

You could sell the G2s - there is always a market for people looking for parts or hosts. The run time on Incan G2s has always been abyssmal - which is one of the reasons why they never caught on outside very specific circles. Particularly not when a miniMag was only $8.

On to daily carry: I sport a stock x2 AA magLED or x3 AA magLED - cheap(ish), and bright enough for my casual use with inexpensive batteries.

If you want a more "grrr" AA model, the Fenix TK20 looks interesting at $65ish.

-Trevor
 
Interesting. I have seen the LED Maglites, perhaps I could get one of those and use my Energizer E2 rechargables in it? I don't mind Maglites. As of right now I have been carrying the Streamlight TwinTask and I do like that alot. I just want the best of the best.
 
Ooooh, never say "best of the best" around here. It'll be weeks before the dust settles.

I like the MagLED because, for my specific purpose, it's "good enough": reasonable price point (got mine on sale), decent performance and easily replaced. Different purpose, different light.

As to brands, product lines and specific models - some people will swear by Inova; some will pledge their undying loyalty to Fenix.

You can compare numbers all day and see how well the light matches your need - look at the ergonomics and aesthetic qualities of the design.

But the "best" will ultimately be a personal decision.

-Trevor
 
If you have maglites, check here for drop-ins and mods. A LED swap of the LED maglites(swap previous for current gen LED) will get twice the output for the same runtime.

If you want a new light, look at your uses, what output you would like, how much throw or flood, if you need multimode, what batteries you prefer and so on. If you post taht stuff here we might be able to help narrow down the selection.
 
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