Just got my L1--is it defective?

I love this light, it's just what I hoped. But the functioning of it is not exactly as I expected. Can you guys tell me if this is how your L1 functions too (I'm wondering if mine is defective in operation)?

Starting from the screwed in all the way in a clockwise direction (constant on high beam):

#1.) if I unscrew (counter-clockwise) until the witness marks line up, constant-on low beam occurs. If I press the button, I get high beam. Sometimes, if I push the button to get high beam and then let go the button, the light goes out completely. But if I lightly push the button again constant on low beam comes back on. (Does everyone's do this sometimes?)

#2.) From the #1 position, unscrewing (counter-clockwise) again a full turn so the witness marks line up again, there is no constant-on beam. But if I press the button I get low beam. No high beam is possible.

#3.) From the #2 position, unscrewing (counter-clockwise) again a full turn I get complete lockout. No light is possible.

Is this how everyone's L1 functions? I was expecting there to be a setting where the witness marks line up and one can press lightly for low beam and press heavy for high beam. But instead to achieve this setting, I have to move a half-turn past the #1 witness mark lineup.

I've never owned an L1, but I can tell you, the witness marks of the other SF lights I've owned have never been reliable. Find the proper position that gives you the feel you want and leave it there.

My advise: forget the witness marks.

Twist (or press) some for low, twist (or press (some more) for high - done. There is a position of the tailcap where you will only get low. If that's the case, screw the tailcap half or a full turn, and the switch will engage both stages.


Funny, TIN sneaked his post while I was typing. The witness marks on my L1 do match up and work as advertised, but there are plenty of other reports here of that not being the case with SF light.

this_is_nascar said:

I've never owned an L1, but I can tell you, the witness marks of the other SF lights I've owned have never been reliable. Find the proper position that gives you the feel you want and leave it there.

Click to expand...

+1. You gotta play with it.

greenLED said:

The witness marks on my L1 do match up and work as advertised, but there are plenty of other reports here of that not being the case with SF light.

Click to expand...

How are the witness marks advertised? How is the L1 supposed to work (how does yours work)?

Those things are pretty dang useless. I think they are just there for lock out.

[QUOTE?jtodd939]How is the L1 supposed to work (how does yours work)?[/QUOTE]Here's how it works:

Twist (or press) some for low, twist (or press (some more) for high - done. There is a position of the tailcap where you will only get low. If that's the case, screw the tailcap half or a full turn, and the switch will engage both stages.

Click to expand...

I don't worry about the witness marks.

jtodd939 said:

How are the witness marks advertised?

Click to expand...

That was more a figure of speech on my part. They serve as rough guides to indicate lock-out, but they are worthless to tell you how many turns you've inserted the tailcap, and is no guarantee that the switch mechanism is lined up with them.

On my L1, from full engagement (tailcap tightly turned on - high is on), I can loosen the tailcap one turn (or was it 2, or 1.5?) and I get high/low/off operation by pressing the switch button. This point is more or less around where the witness marks match up, but it's not exact, and the switch works the same half a turn back or forward from the witness marks (or more) so I don't worry about them. Turn once (or was it twice more?) and the light locks out.

LOL Here's how my L1 RD lines up:

Full lock on (witness marks align): Full on
1/3-1/2 twist counter-clock wise: Low on, click for full on
1 twist counter-clock wise (witness marks align): all off, click for low, click harder for full on
2 twists counter-clock wise (witness marks align): click for low on only
3 twists counter-clock wise (witness marks align): lock out

Chronos said:

Here's how my L1 RD lines up

Click to expand...

Mine seems to work the same.

SRacer2000 said:

...I think they are just there for lock out.

Click to expand...

Ditto!