The T1 Report..

[Crenshaw]

Okay, so on various threads the T1 has been bashed, and praised, and dissed, and given thoughful looks....

lets get down to it, most of you who wanted a Fenix T1 from the start will have it by now...and found the

1. Lack of good knurling irritating
2. Prongs irritating
3. clip irrtating
4.ETC

and thought that it would be so much better a light if they would just ______(fill in the blank)

So i want to see what you lot have done. I think i read somewhere
someone took a hobby saw to the prongs, i wanna see THAT picture...
and im sure someone has put big orings, and shink tubing on thiers for grip, potentially violating surefire patents...:devil:
i wanna see that pic too..
tritium anyone?
GITD stuff?
and whatever else you have done....

your time starts.....now

Crenshaw

PS:mine came with the loctite already broken, i think im happy about that....

 

[powernoodle]

. . . most of you . . . found the

1. Lack of good knurling irritating
2. Prongs irritating
3. clip irrtating
4.ETC

Not me. I would make the clip removable, and add a strobe. Thats about it. More aggressive knurling wouldn't hurt, but then folks would complain that it was too grippy. I like the light more than I thought I would. Plus, it is dang bright. And not too spendy. After tearing off the clip, I give it a thumbs up.

If it had a removable clip, a strobe, and a very very low output low setting, it would be on the Powernoodle Top 10 list (if such a list existed ).

I also cut the flap off the holster, as I prefer just a plain drop-in type holster. Its riding on my belt next my LM Wave.

I think i read somewhere someone took a hobby saw to the prongs, i wanna see THAT picture...

I bent mine off. No sweat. [I promise to stop posting this pic eventually ].

right on

 

[ltiu]

How about a 3xCR123 with the R3 and 300+ lumens.

 

[Marduke]

Just a note, the clip is removable on all models if you just apply enough force to unscrew the two halves of the head. Also, the prongs are to protect the forward clickie. Without them, first time you drop it square on the switch, it's in pieces. Fenix learned that lesson from watching what happens when you drop SF clickies.

 

[rhicks]

Just from reading the reviews I think the biggest negative, to me at least, is the clip. Now that the Fenix Store is getting in a batch of clipless models to test the market now is the time for me to buy. The orange cap is not a big deal although I will probably be replace it with a 3rd party GID cap.

It's too bad that Fenix doesn't give the user an option to remove the clip easily. I won't be using the clip so 90% of the time it would just get in the way (thus why I want the noclip version). It would be nice, however, to have the option of using the clip when needed though. So if I get the clip version and can't get the head off then I'm SOL. On the other hand if I get the noclip then there is no way of using a clip if needed because it doesn't come with one. argh!

Still, I believe, regardless of the gripes, that everyone can agree that for the money this light kicks butt.

Robert

 

[garence]

An irritation can always be remedied with a little lotion.

However, a burning rash is a another story.

Grip? Coat it, man. Clip rub? Bend it slightly. Put a plastic surround on the clip end so it doesn't mark up the body.

All of these things are easily possible by the owner. Strobe? Nope. Dammit.

Strobe is just a matter of a little programming. I wonder if there was some host design issue that prevented Fenix from including it in the T1 (like maybe the clicky switch operation) ? :huh2: Otherwise, I'm puzzled because Fenix puts a strobe in practically ALL of their other premium lights. And the lack of it kept me from buying a T1. I hardly use it, but I want it there... it does have a use--part of the defense that goes with that nice bezel.

 

[idiotekniQues]

Just a note, the clip is removable on all models if you just apply enough force to unscrew the two halves of the head. Also, the prongs are to protect the forward clickie. Without them, first time you drop it square on the switch, it's in pieces. Fenix learned that lesson from watching what happens when you drop SF clickies.

if i drop my sf e2l on its butt it will break?

 

[passive101]

This is a tactical light. It's designed to be use by police, military, security guards/forces, and to be used with firearms.

You won't be using strobe or other settings here. The KISS method here is where it should stay. Getting a wrong setting or something going wrong doesn't make you trip or have to get another light in these instances. You can die.

 

[WadeF]

if i drop my sf e2l on its butt it will break?

If it has an exposed clicky switch, it could break. This can happen with any light with an exposed clicky switch if it hits the right way.

 

[woodrow]

Not me. I would make the clip removable, and add a strobe. Thats about it. More aggressive knurling wouldn't hurt, but then folks would complain that it was too grippy. I like the light more than I thought I would. Plus, it is dang bright. And not too spendy. After tearing off the clip, I give it a thumbs up.

If it had a removable clip, a strobe, and a very very low output low setting, it would be on the Powernoodle Top 10 list (if such a list existed ).

I also cut the flap off the holster, as I prefer just a plain drop-in type holster. Its riding on my belt next my LM Wave.



I bent mine off. No sweat. [I promise to stop posting this pic eventually ].

right on

Mine looks just like PowerNoodle's...he told me how to make it perfect. The only thing needed for the light now is a titanium version!.... It is tough as nails, As bright (overall) as a Tiablo Q5 and MRV Q5...with a much nicer beam for short range work. Has forever regulated runtime on low (which is still decently bright) with 123a's or rcr123a's. and has a Forward switch while allowing two levels of output. What else do people want? This is a great light.

 

[KeyGrip]

if i drop my sf e2l on its butt it will break?

I've dropped my L4 on it's tailcap with enough force to dent the aluminum and take a chip out of the anodizing. That being said, I don't recommend intentionally dropping any light on it's tailcap. On the T1, the gripe I have with it is the clip profile. Does anybody else find that the clip is too pronounced?

 

[thermal guy]

It never accrued to me why fenix made the tail cap that way. Now i get it and that makes sense.If you were to drop it on its tail or break out a window with it it should be fine. Nice job fenix

 

[carmatic]

guys you must think im wierd but i use the clip to change it between high mode and low mode with one hand...on my particular light i push it towards the flat logo part on the body with my thumb to get high mode, and push it the other way to get low mode

Also, after a few good drops onto concrete and pavement, i think the switch mustve been shocked out of commision cuz now i cant keep the light turned on, i have to push it in a certain direction sideways to get any power to the light , and pressing on it to click it has no effect at all... The t1 is a great light for me, if only i could just fix this problem...

 

[Saiga]

I love this light. I bent my clip out a tiny bit,wasn't difficult. Sure,it woulda been nice if fenix had foreseen this "problem",but again, no big deal. I can't find any real faults with this light,especially the price.I'm hearing all this moaning and groaning about the T1,but i'm gonna predict that one day this light will be discontinued, then we'll all have to put up with the "wailing and gnashing of teeth" for this lost treasure.:mecry:

 

[woodrow]

One thing I REALLY like about this light compared to the Tiablo/MRV is that the glass is really recessed into the light. I just knew that if I ever dropped my tiablo or mrv on the street, there would be a small piece of gravel, it would fall bezel down, and it would shatter.

I do not remember the last time I dropped a light. But the T1 lets you feel that if you do, everything has more than a decent chance of being ok. (except maybe your: foot, floor, dog, cat, street, or hamster)

 

[carmatic]

so im guessing that nobody else actually has the switch problem then? if nothing else, i think i want to short out the tailcap between the spring and the contact and turn my t1 into a twistie with a 'ooh whats that' rubbery clickety bit at the back
Should i like start a new thread or something about this...

 

[iSleep]

I'm surprised by how tough it really is ... I've accidentally dropped my T1 from waist height and it took a small piece out of the concrete corridor leading to my home, with little damage to the bezel itself (except for a few dings and scratches to the bezel) ... Really deserved the title of "T for Tank" ...

The weight , I wouldn't describe it as hefty but rather re-assuring ... like a husband trying to calm his wife while giving birth ... you get the geist ... it is as though it is telling you : "I'll be right here when you need me ~ " ... really great as I'm a person that can pretty much lose anything (I have lost a Mag 4C before) ...

The clip kind of gets in the way when I tried to change modes , I have to lift up the clip just to avoid scratching the HA-III on mine ... Solved it by wrapping the area affected with Scotch Clear tape a few rounds ...

 

[Leef]

Noticing the observations in this thread regarding vulnerability of tailcap switches to dropping, I recalled the testing I did on the Gotham prototype (same as the production model). Here's what I did (copied from the first posting of the Gotham thread):

The Gotham's "headless" design makes it simple, securely sealed and very rugged. In addition to the ipx7 test (see below), a running prototype was dropped onto a concrete floor head first, tail first, and flat, starting at one foot and going up to seven feet, in one foot intervals (Kids, don't try this at home...). After the 20th drop (seven feet), the light ceased to function. It was disassembled and the battery was found to be damaged and the lens was shattered. A new battery was inserted and the light ran fine.

So these things can be made tough.

That said, I have a T1 and like it a lot. I do wish the hi-lo switching required a bit more turning of the head -- with less force required.

 

[Crenshaw]

Actually the purpose of this thread was to discover what people have done to thier T1s, you mean no one has done anything more severe then snap of the clip? oh well....

But yes, the T1, in sumarry is a great light, deserving of its "solid as a tank" tagline, but with a few irritants/problems here and there...\

Crenshaw

 

[Crenshaw]

Just from reading the reviews I think the biggest negative, to me at least, is the clip. Now that the Fenix Store is getting in a batch of clipless models to test the market now is the time for me to buy. The orange cap is not a big deal although I will probably be replace it with a 3rd party GID cap.

It's too bad that Fenix doesn't give the user an option to remove the clip easily. I won't be using the clip so 90% of the time it would just get in the way (thus why I want the noclip version). It would be nice, however, to have the option of using the clip when needed though. So if I get the clip version and can't get the head off then I'm SOL. On the other hand if I get the noclip then there is no way of using a clip if needed because it doesn't come with one. argh!

Still, I believe, regardless of the gripes, that everyone can agree that for the money this light kicks butt.

Robert

its blue loctite, meaning thats its supposed to break its hold with one good twist...i suggest a strap wrench...

as i said, mine came with the blue loctite already broken, so the clip is removable for me, i must say though i likeit aesthetically more with the clip.

I plan to buy a few large o rings to assist the "rogers/surefire" grip, as surefire calls it. The prongs a really irritating when trying to "feel" for te swtich, but they protect the switch, and also make sure it doesnt turn on under its own weight in the holster, so its bad and good. Its really bright. Like, blind you if you are not careful bright, i looked into it on "low", which is already "enough to impair out an assailants night adapted vision" as surefire says..

Crenshaw