Where can I find a SureFire T1 or T2 3" Turbohead?

[Sean]

I'm looking for a 9PT w/3" T-Head or just the T-Head, anyone know where I can get one?

 

[Mr Ted Bear]

Sean

Just off the phone with LPS... they have one in stock 9pt with 3' turbo head

 

[Sean]

I know you've tired them both, does the 3" put out more light than the LPS-Special 2.5"? Or is it close enough that the 2.5" compactness makes it the more practical choice?

 

[lemlux]

Sean and Mr. Ted Bear:

I received my used 3" Turbohead yesterday. I love the N2 beam with 3 cells, but am disappointed with Mag-like beam center holes with the 4-cell N62 and MN60 LA's I have when combined with an A19 and the 9P body. Do either of you know a work-around for this beam problem, or do the N62 and MN60 only work well with other turboheads or with the M4?

If there's no work-around, I'd be interested in trading off these two LA's.

 

[Mr Ted Bear]

Sean

The 3' Turbo head produces a marginally tighter spot... I prefer the 2 1/2" because of its size.

You really need to discuss this with Brightnorm... he is the undisputed EXPERT on these turbo head issues.

 

[Size15's]

Even a tiny bit of buildup can cause the beam to become unfocused. Please clean the base of the lamp collar and the TurboHead bezel where the collar base touches.

I am very pleased with the 3" TurboHead on my 12PM running the MN60, MN61 or N62 lamps.
I don't recall anyone before reporting that any SureFire beams have such a flaw as a hole in the beam.

I also was surprised at how great [tight] the N5 is in the 3" TurboHead compared to the X80. Even in the 2.5" KT, and 2.5" 12PM TurboHeads, the N5 produces an superb beam.

With regards to:
"You really need to discuss this with Brightnorm... he is the undisputed EXPERT on these turbo head issues."
I would be so bold as to dispute that he is "the EXPERT". Like me, his experience would make him an expert on these TurboHead issues.

Respectfully,

Al

 

[lemlux]

Al:

I have no visible buildup on my N62 and MN60. I hesitate to experiment by filing away at the mating plane at the base of the LA collar.

If others can get good beam patterns out of all three LA's when I get a good beam out of only one I suppose that I may have to diddle with the two imperfectly aligned LA's.

 

[Josh]

i'm not sure but ver sales might still have 6&9pt's not sure of the phone# or web site

sorry i couldn't be more help.

 

[Mr Ted Bear]

Sorry, VER has no Turbos

 

[Size15's]

lemlux,

Please try a screwing rotation as you insert the lamp against the TurboHead.

What is the nature of the hole in the beam?
How defined?, at what range?

Thanks

Al

 

[txwest]

I never cared for the MN60 or 62 in my 12PM (2 1/2"), so I sold them. Now that I have a 3", I can't try them. But the MN61 w/the 3" is great if you want a large bright center spot. If you put the N2 in the 3", it's a tighter, brighter center spot, but not as clean {on a wall 15' away). I would suspect outside at long range, where you'ld be useing it, the "not as clean" will never be seen. If I could have only one T-head, it would the 2 1/2 LPS special (or 2 1/2" 12PM). The lamp would be the N2. None of this is based on the KT series, as I've never tried one of those. TX
PS
I also like my 2 1/2" on the G2. You get a beam like a 5D Mag with a completely round, clean beam....in a 5 oz, 7 1/2" package.

 

[Size15's]

I was also thinking that perhaps the beams are being studied too closely. The TurboHeads produce tight beams for longer range.
But even at 2 metres range, the MN60, three MN61s & N62 are all flawless in the 3" TurboHead, the 12PM TurboHead, and both KT TurboHeads I have.

Do you happen to have a 3" TurboHead with a mirror reflector rather then a stochastic dimple finish?

Al

 

[txwest]

That never crossed my nind, so I went & looked. The 3" is mirrored, the other 3 are all dimpled. That would make a difference in the output. TX

 

[lightlover]

Just to underline what Al said, if you're checking the LA itself for any dirt'n'debris, then do also check the reflector's LA aperture. I had a slight problem with my M3, and eventually found that it was due to just the merest smidgeon of "something" at the inner stop. Once cleaned off with Isopropanol and a cotton bud, it returned to normal.
[EDIT - please see later post !]

I have no idea how it got there ......

lightlover

 

[lemlux]

My 3" reflector has a very slight orange peel texture.

The hole in the center of the N62 is the shape of a peanut. At 30' the hole is about 20" by 14"

The N62 hole is about 6" by 12" at 30'

Each hole is proportional at greater distances.

I installed both LA's with a twisting motion with no change in beam.

Again, the N2 is beautiful even though the bulb leans to one side. I hope this doesn't mean I should should try to bend the other bulbs.

Edit:

I wiped away at both the LA bases and the 3" Turbo mating surface without changing the holes in the center of the 4 cell lamps.


Txwest: I agree with your characterization of the N2 beam with the 3" reflector. Nonetheless, it beats the pants off of any other long reach beams that I own.

 

[Josh]

this is truly odd, my T2 came from ver sles with CRUSHED LAMP FRAGMENTS INSIDE!!! and after i cleaned it and waited for my new la from ver, i saw a perfect beam as noted by others. still very odd like K-t's(i think it was k-t???) cloudy one. i think we do tend to over examin the pattern of the beam just a little(i'm so guilty).

 

[brightnorm]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Size15s:

With regards to (Ted Bear's comment)
"You really need to discuss this with Brightnorm... he is the undisputed EXPERT on these turbo head issues."
I would be so bold as to dispute that he is "the EXPERT". Like me, his experience would make him an expert on these TurboHead issues.

Respectfully,

Al<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Jeff and Al,

So I shined a few flashlights around and observed the results. If that makes me an "expert" then my Aunt Tillie's an astronaut!

Put that in yer pipe and smoke it!!

Brightnorm

 

[Sean]

I certainly makes you more of an expert than me.

 

[K-T]

I agree that it might be a little bit too much blub studying whe do, on the other hand if a product claims to be that good and costs a lot hte bulbs should be able to survive that studying.
It was me who had some tiny

difficutlties with a T2 and its beam pattern. The black hole in the centerbeam sounds familiar to me. I guess a reason why SF didn't sell these Turboheads very well was because (it looks like) they had difficulties keeping a high level of quality. That's what I assume since I emaild SFCS with my troubles (remember that strange plastic spacer) and all I got back was a one-line email telling me my bulb was defective and I will receive a new one (haven't received anything so far). I wonder which of the 5 bulbs I tested the T2 with was not defective?

Nevertheless the other T1 I have has a perfect beam, it doesn't matter what bulb you use it with.

Lemlux: Regarding the look of the base of the T-head: how does it look like? My good T1 has a blank base while the bad T2 had some strange plastic spacer glued onto it which I only found out on very,very close inspection.

Jahn: How did you clean your reflector without scratching it?

Klaus.

 

[Size15's]

Interesting...

I think Jahn was not talking about cleaning the reflector surface. Any attempt to make contact in anyway with the reflector surface has always made things worse in my experience.

Al