L4 gets mighty hot!

i've given my A2 and Kroma a rest and have been EDCing my L4 alot recently - it's nice to be able to rotate between one's lights, eh? Funny how I can get bored with one $150 light one week, then bored with a $200 light the next, etc.

anyway i forgot how HOT the L4 gets after only a few minutes of continuous use. Is there a way to prevent this or to lessen it even? I know spot checking for a few seconds here and there should do the trick, but if I want to use the L4 for a few minutes now and again (ie. <5min) the bezel feels almost too hot to hold onto. I've been changing between a 1x123 and 2x123 form factor.

I love the great OUTPUT the deceptive looking KL4 is capable of. It just needs a touch more THROW and less overall heat, IMO.

tks for reading.
CQB

How are you running it? Stock head and body?
What about power? Rechargeable? Primary?

BTW I don't think this is abnormal That is a Big Fat LUX V emitter in there being well driven. they get hot.

Great thing about that is when it is on in your pocket..it is kinda having a hotfoot but in your pocket.
This light runs hot. At least mine do, too.

When it comes down to throw. This light is a wide beam light. You suggest that the KL4 needs to be changed to make less heat and more throw.
I think that is a different light.
The KL4 is fine just like it is.
I love the light up the room aspect of the KL4.

Looking for the perfect light? I guess we keep looking.
Yaesumofo
Yaesumofo

Have you seen 'we were soldiers' with mel gibson? there's that scene with the overheating mortar-tubes, you may try what they do to them ...

Hi all,

I am thinking of getting an L4 to compliment the E1L. Just wondering can we upgrade the tailcap to 2 stage? I am really interested with the Lux V running at 100 lumens, and the body is somewhat longer than the E1L which coinsidently also runs hot after 10min (and its only pushing 25 lums tops). I figure with a 2 stage setup L4 can be powerful as well as longer runtime...right?!

Thanks..

another vote for a two stage switch.

find a LOTC with getting hard to find Mce2s or do the clickie two stage mod. folks have been posting instructions, but I've not found a resister that fits without issues.

Yep cy,

I was hunting around for the mce2s as well the whole day and coudn't find any available to buy. Having christmas round the corner also doesn't help either. Everyone away and all that. Ive read somewhere that a good start for a mod would be with a 22ohm resister that would give a desireable 2 stage output for the L4.

Merry Christmas.

yaesumofo said:

... having a hotfoot but...

Click to expand...

I have never had a hotfoot but before... or a hotfoot for that matter

Just having a little fun:touche:

I have read that the L4 is built to get hot as this is the means that it uses to disipate heat but I have also been bothered by the heat as it makes me FEEL like something is going wrong in the light.

I too wish that it ran cooler but I understand the design and also design limitations.

-Goatee

cy said:

another vote for a two stage switch.

find a LOTC with getting hard to find Mce2s or do the clickie two stage mod. folks have been posting instructions, but I've not found a resister that fits without issues.

Click to expand...

You can cut a slit (I've done it with a dremel-clone, but a glowing screwdriver works too) in the plastic housing of the switch (from the top to the bottom). So the resistor fits perfect without issues.

Best regards

____
Tom

Long John said:

You can cut a slit (I've done it with a dremel-clone, but a glowing screwdriver works too) in the plastic housing of the switch (from the top to the bottom). So the resistor fits perfect without issues.

Best regards

____
Tom

Click to expand...

Interesting... Any pics of this? I've modded a Z57 but it's a little goofy, sometimes it won't turn off when unthreaded.

If your looking for less heat and more throw, I would suggest the KL1-R.

I did an experiment where you take a 12" x1" piece of an old washcloth , dip it in water then wring it out.Tightly wrap it around the head of the L4. It will run much cooler but is awkward. As the water evaporates from the cloth it cools the head of the light.
This solution could use some tweaking ...

Take one old radiator off a Jap bike, attach some copper tubing .....
Mike.

Valpo Hawkeye said:

Interesting... Any pics of this? I've modded a Z57 but it's a little goofy, sometimes it won't turn off when unthreaded.

Click to expand...

Sorry, no pics yet But you know what I mean? The slit should be the same ID like the OD of the resistor. So the resistor is lenghtwise (parallel to the light) inside the switchhousing. So you can solder the resistor connection easy to the contact ring at the bottom of the switchhousing and to the spring at the other side.
When you looks from the side, the resistor is in the same line like the plastic housing.

Hope this helps

Best regards

____
Tom