With SolarForce out of the game, what budget tube to consider for LED drop-ins?

[pnwoutdoors]

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Am a big fan of the Malkoff P60 type LED drop-in units. Have a number of the old SolarForce L2 bodies and heads. I've been out of the flashlight buying mode for years, now, so I'm unfamiliar with contemporary options.

With SolarForce gone, my question is: What fairly basic, inexpensive bodies/tubes are you folks using for such lights?

Light body
Head & crenelated ring
Extension to the tube, to go from 1x cell to 2x cells
Clicky/cap

 

[bykfixer]

Solar Force was a unique situation. They capitalized on the popularity of the P60 (or D26) platform very nicely. That slice of the flashlight world has seemingly gone the way of the vinyl record. Some still buy them but nothing like it's peak period so the outfits still catering to that platform have all but dried up.

Lumens Factory has a real nice host called Seraph. Mark also sells a bunch of "E" type products along with some items for the P60 platform, but not at the bargain basement prices of say……solar force. But that is largely because he is building rock solid, SureFire-esque items but at much less the cost.

I used to buy parts and pieces from SolarForce knowing I got what I paid for with durability. So far (at least to me) the Lumens Factory products have been worth the extra coin.

 

[pnwoutdoors]

Lumens Factory has a real nice host called Seraph. Mark also sells a bunch of "E" type products along with some items for the P60 platform ...

Lumens Factory. Hadn't known of them.

They've got an overview write-up of the different lights they offer: Seraph SP-6 LED Setup Guide @ LumensFactory.com.

Looks like two particular LF Seraph-bodied options exist: the Seraph SP-6 body for 1x18650 operation; and the Seraph SP-9 for 2x18650 operation via addition of a 1x extender.

From the Setup Guide and the descriptions of those two Seraph products it seems they should support standard P60-type parts and drop-ins. According to LumensFactory these are "Fully compatible with all Surefire P/Z/G/C Series accessories and modules."

Am considering the following:

• SP-6 body (head/body/tailcap) -- for 1x18650 operation; most compact variant; add P60-type LED module.
• SP-9 body (head/body/tailcap -- for 2x18650 operation (with 1x1 extender added); add P60-type LED module.
• 1 Cell Extender HA3/BLK -- to allow for 2x18650 if used with SP-9 body.
• And then dropping one of my existing Malkoff M61 LED modules into each, to complete the setup.

@bykfixer , do you happen to know whether there are any fitment issues with the basic Malkoff P60-type LED drop-in modules fitting properly in these Seraph tubes? From LumensFactory's description it seems there shouldn't be any issue with that, so long as they're P60-compatible parts (which they are).

Hard to beat the price. Currently discounted to <$19. Not all that more than the SolarForce bodies from a decade ago. Don't really want to go the Malkoff MD2 route, which is far more than my basic needs justify. And much prefer accommodating the Malkoff M61 LED drop-ins I already have.

I'll think on it. Thanks for the tip.

 

[bykfixer]

If you ever had an M61 in a solar force light and had a fitament issue solved by either the big spring of a P60 or an o'ring between the lens and M61 module, the seraph has the same issue for the same reason. The head is made for a D26 module that has a wider shoulder near the battery

The solution can be as easy as a plumber o'ring or a Scout head adapter from Malkoff that is sandwiched between the lens and module to shove the drop in far back enough to make proper contact.

 

[texas cop]

There are still a few out there. Not quite Solarforce but close. http://kaidomain.com/Flashlight-DIY...shlight-host/KDLITKER-E6-P60-Flashlight-Shell Want it in 21700 http://kaidomain.com/Flashlight-DIY...t/KDLITKER-E6-21700-P60-Flashlight-Host-Black Dropins are stable with low voltage cut off http://kaidomain.com/Flashlight-DIY-and-Tools/led-drop-in/KDLITKER-P6-LED-Drop-in Host are $6-$8 dollars if ordered with a dropin. Their host use a non standard thread for the head but the crenelated ring is standard.

 

[neutralwhite]

Solar Force was a unique situation. They capitalized on the popularity of the P60 (or D26) platform very nicely. That slice of the flashlight world has seemingly gone the way of the vinyl record. Some still buy them but nothing like it's peak period so the outfits still catering to that platform have all but dried up.

Lumens Factory has a real nice host called Seraph. Mark also sells a bunch of "E" type products along with some items for the P60 platform, but not at the bargain basement prices of say……solar force. But that is largely because he is building rock solid, SureFire-esque items but at much less the cost.

I used to buy parts and pieces from SolarForce knowing I got what I paid for with durability. So far (at least to me) the Lumens Factory products have been worth the extra coin.

are one of those outfits Malkoff ?

 

[bykfixer]

I had figured the gist of this thread was about inexpensive hosts with options to install P60 type modules from various companies.

I suppose Malkoff could fit in, sure. A VME head for example opens up all kinds of options, but they are meant to thread onto an "E" size body like an old Vital Gear or the lumens factory "E" type.

I'm not sure what options there are for threading say, a solar force or lumens factory head onto a Malkoff body. Or what modules fit into a Malkoff host (if you will). I do know a Malkoff tailcap can fit a Pelican, or a SureFire body. And a SolarForce head can thread onto a Rayovac 2aa Indestructable. But for plunging into the world of high output P60 style modules it seems things have gotten pretty limited due to "user serviceable" lights going the way of the powdered laundry soap.

 

[Buck91]

I can vouch for the lumens factory. I have a couple seraphs- one sp-6 with a M361w/219 and another sp-9 with their xhp50 turbo head. Great stuff. The black is supposed to be HA3 but I'm pretty doubtful the grey is. Mine has seen pretty light duty and shows a few wear spots.

Actually I need to check if their cell extender will work with my Malkoff md3…. Run 2x18650 and easily convert to 17500, cr123 or even 2AA…

 

[Chicken Drumstick]

Just got the KDLITKER 21700. Really very nice for the money. Easily as good as my Solarforce L2M, maybe better anodising even. Got it with their quad SST-20 4000k. Quite a nice setup.

 

[snakebite]

Does Convoy still have p60 based lights?
Their stuff has always been good.

 

[Chicken Drumstick]

I don't think so.

The KDLITKER looks pretty good. They do the E6 (18659) E6S (2 x 18650) and E6 21700 (21700). The drop in looks well made too, no PWM that I can see. They do a range of drop ins.

Have a look on Kaidomain. The Seraph looks like it should be good from Lumen Factory, but that'll be another payday.