P3D CE Temperature, quick tests. Turbo setting.

Room temp 22ºC.

P3D CE (smooth reflector) on Turbo. Using RCR123's

P3D CE head temp after 15 mins, stable @ 40.2ºC

Hand held for a while, stable @ 38.2ºC

With fan blowing across P3D, after a few minutes, reducing @ 28.3ºC. Initially quite quick reduction, then slowing down later (10 mins)

This interested me, as it appears that hand holding does not in fact reduce head temperature by much, and surprisingly, the fan reduced it by around 12ºC. I did not think a simple fan would reduce it by much.

I suspect that this is similar to using the P3D outside in cold weather.

Or being used on bicycle whilst in motion.

Update, @ 30 mins, head temp is now 46.5ºC, stand alone.

abvidledUK said:

Room temp 22ºC.

P3D CE (smooth reflector) on Turbo. Using RCR123's

P3D CE head temp after 15 mins, stable @ 40.2ºC

Hand held for a while, stable @ 38.2ºC

With fan blowing across P3D, after a few minutes, reducing @ 28.3ºC. Initially quite quick reduction, then slowing down later (10 mins)

This interested me, as it appears that hand holding does not in fact reduce head temperature by much, and surprisingly, the fan reduced it by around 12ºC. I did not think a simple fan would reduce it by much.

I suspect that this is similar to using the P3D outside in cold weather.

Or being used on bicycle whilst in motion.

Update, @ 30 mins, head temp is now 46.5ºC, stand alone.

Click to expand...

Because your body temperature is 37°C, so it won't go any lower than that no matter how efficient blood circulation is at removing heat. Whereas room temperature is probably 25°C or so.

I remember burning myself when I accidentally turned on the P3D on turbo in its holster. I do not know how much minutes it was on. It would have been nice to have a better heat sink on the P3D.

Spypro said:

I remember burning myself when I accidentally turned on the P3D on turbo in its holster. I do not know how much minutes it was on. It would have been nice to have a better heat sink on the P3D.

Click to expand...

That's where I got my avatar from :mecry:

P3DCE P4 on turbo in my pocket for who knows how long. but it was very hot, had to take the cells out as I thought they may cause problems.

I also could not hold it for long.

Perhaps I have asbestos hands.

I've been able to hold a hot P3D, even when run alone for a while, it is hot, but not too hot to hold.

I did notice that as time went on, unheld, the head temp did not rise too much, but the body got gradually hotter. As if the heat was being heatsunk further along the body.

The cells throughout were quite cool though.

Unsure of how long mine was on in my pocket on the 2 occasions it happened.
But the first time it happened it was like it had been in the oven.

fluke said:

Unsure of how long mine was on in my pocket on the 2 occasions it happened.
But the first time it happened it was like it had been in the oven.

Click to expand...

Possibly the batteries overheating, rather than the P3D head ?

abvidledUK said:

Possibly the batteries overheating, rather than the P3D head ?

Click to expand...

More likely because it was in a holster, therefore insulated, so all of the heat kept building.

Spypro said:

I remember burning myself when I accidentally turned on the P3D on turbo in its holster. I do not know how much minutes it was on. It would have been nice to have a better heat sink on the P3D.

Click to expand...

If it's getting that hot then it is heat sinking fine. If it was staying cold, then it wouldn't be doing a good job at heat sinking. The only way to keep the temp down would be to add more metal, which would result in a larger and heavier flashlight, and that would defeat the purpose of buying a P3D. Those of us that want a small, slim, high powered LED flashlight will have to realize they only have so much metal to absorb the heat. Our hand has to come into play as additional mass to help absorb the heat being generated. So letting something like a P3D turn on while in our pocket, or in a holster, isn't a good idea, and not how the light was intended to be used. Of course these situations are accidental.

So this isn't a design flaw by Fenix, it's just the way things are. The only solution to reduce the heat is to run the emitter at a lower current (NO THANKS), or make the aluminum body thicker (NO THANKS).