Surefire addresses U2 "donut hole" problem. Sort of.....

KDOG3

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I emailed them asking about the "donut hole" problem with the U2. They replied with the rather short statement of "The problem has been addressed." Well. I guess thats' that! I'll have to save my money and get to see for myself!
 

greenLED

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yes, the reflector was tweaked... but you may still get old stock, depending on vendor's stock :nana:
 

IsaacHayes

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wow really? Are they tweaking the L4 as well?
Anyone have the tweaked version? Beamshots?!
 

KDOG3

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I don't know if they are tweaking the L4. I DO know that they are NOT going with a TIR for the L4, at least this year.

I've decided that I really, REALLY want a U2 - just gotta check with vendors to see how new their stock is, if not I'll have to order directly from Surefire - and pay the full MSRP - but I will call them and make sure I get one of the new ones.
 

seattlite

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KDOG3 said:
I don't know if they are tweaking the L4. I DO know that they are NOT going with a TIR for the L4, at least this year.

I've decided that I really, REALLY want a U2 - just gotta check with vendors to see how new their stock is, if not I'll have to order directly from Surefire - and pay the full MSRP - but I will call them and make sure I get one of the new ones.

Why not get an old one that does NOT have the insert which will allow you to run an 18650 without any modifications. If the "donut hole" exists in the older head, have SF replace it with a newer head.
 

KDOG3

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First of all, what does the 18650 do for the U2? Secondly, that seems like alot of nonsense to go thru for a light that should work perfect right out of the box, especially for that much money.

I think I just want a stock one that works perfectly.
 

:)>

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Great news! I sent my U2 back in to correct the donut hole and it arrives at Surefire on Friday. Best light that I have used and I can't wait to get it back without the dark spot!

What could they have done to the reflector to fix the problem? I was very happy with the beam shape except for the dark spot. Does the fix alter the beam? If so, how? Is it further reaching or more floody?

-Goatee
 

:)>

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KDOG3

If that is the case, then I can expect a little less throw. Less throw would not be my first choice but to remove the donut hole... I would accept it.
Have you seen the beam of the new U2?

-Goatee
 

Ty_Bower

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I've been led to believe that Surefire could have designed a reflector that eliminated the Lux V donut, but at the expense of maximum throw. The original design assumed people desired throw over beam perfection. Apparently, that is a flawed assumption.

If it is true they've redesigned the reflector (or most likely, they just shimmed the emitter higher / lower to move it out of the focal point) to "eliminate" the donut, you should see a somewhat larger hotspot and somewhat less throw. This wouldn't bother me in the slightest, but others may not care for this compromise.

On a related note, I recently returned a U2 under RMA for the same exact reason (bad donut). The replacement I received has substantially less donut, but it is not 100% eliminated. If they are truly shipping U2 lights with a different reflector or a shifted focal point, I do not think the light they shipped to me has it.
 

Chris201W

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I would welcome a larger hotspot with no donut with open arms. While I don't have a U2, I use my other lights primarily inside or close range outside where I do not need throw, and actually prefer a larger hotspot that fades smoothly into a nice spillbeam. I find this beamshape to be most useful for me. If I need throw, I wouldn't be going to a light like the U2 anyway.

I think I'll start saving for one, although I don't think I'd ever get away with spending nearly $300 on a flashlight. Strange that I can spend that much on an mp3 player, but not a very nice flashlight...
 

:)>

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Chris201W,

You may want to look into the L2 if you prefer to use your lights inside. I was originally down on the L2 due to the lack of throw but I have since changed my mind about it. My L2 has a beautiful flood beam that is great for distances of around 50 feet or less. Also, the 2 stages is very useful.

-Goatee
 

seattlite

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KDOG3 said:
First of all, what does the 18650 do for the U2? Secondly, that seems like alot of nonsense to go thru for a light that should work perfect right out of the box, especially for that much money.

I think I just want a stock one that works perfectly.

Longer lasting rechargeable compared with a Pila 168S or similar cell. Some people prefer running rechargeables in their lights. If you don't care, cool.
 

KDOG3

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Its not that I don't care, I think rechargeables are the shiznit, but its' just one more thing to remember to do in my already busy schedule....

Anyone know what kind if tint I can expect if I get a new U2? I know they can be different, but are they generally very white?
 

nc987

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Ive used various U2's and their beam is the closest to white it seems when compared to the other SureFire 5w leds. The L6, being my favorite light is still a slight green, and the L5 is a bit blue. All of the U2's I have used have had not much variation in beam color, but thats just my experience, others im sure have had different experiences with this light.
 

wasBlinded

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There has been some very big variation in beam tints. The first two I had were very green - one a fairly pure green but it was extremely bright. I couldn't get over the tint and they replaced it with one that is very white - a WO bin or maybe its a WA bin very close to the WO demarcation.

The second U2 had a very yellow-green tint, and it was 'average' in lumen output. It was replaced by SF with a head that was probably a WO tint but close to the WA side.

Then I got a third one very cheap that was very yellow and very dim. Not only was it yellow, but there was an impressive tint gradient across the beam from hotspot to corona. I'm sure SF would have replaced that one too, it being so dim, but instead I cracked it open and put a WWOT bin LuxV in it which was very nice. Interestingly, the light originally had a moderate donut. The new WO LuxV I put in was one of the 'joker' variants with a slightly lower die height. This put the die a little behind the focal point of the reflector, and there was absolutely no donut with that LED.

So I have had bad luck initially on tints, but never had a clickie switch problem!
 

jmy808

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Ee Gads! Am I the only one with an older U2 (ser#'d A03118) that doesn't have a donut in the beam? WOW!
Jay
 

KDOG3

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Well, I've been thinking all night, and I may go with an L5. Simpler, smaller, still plenty bright (65 lumen) and I've seen no reports of "donut hole" in the beam, and a whopping 100 bucks cheaper. I'm going to start a new thread on it though since this one is dedicated to the U2. Still thinking about that one too though....
 

seattlite

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Funny. I just sold and L5 and bought a U2. I thought long and hard about selling the L5 since it DID have a perfect beam. However, the multi-output selector ring and the ability to accept 18650's were very compelling reasons for me to upgrade. Still waiting for the U2 to arrive, but, HOPEFULLY, the "donut hole" will not be that pronounced, and that I'll get a decent BIN'd LED.
 
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