Want to upgrade several old SF 9Ns

I can't seem to find anything about upgrading the old Surefire 9N series lights. These came with the rechargeable battery.

Sure would like to put a bright and efficient LED in the three lights I have!

Any ideas?

Thanks.

Cameron Reddy

Back in the early days of CPF, somebody was replacing the low-level lamp w/an LED.

I don't think the light is popular enough that anyone has replaced the main lamp.

-dan

I usually put a 1 Ohms resistor into the leads to the 2ndary bulb, to keep it from too early.
also have thought about putting a led into the main, but imho the reflector is much too wide and thus makes no sense.

Build yourself battery sticks using 4000 mAh Sub-Cs for the 9N,
get/mod a smaller light (2 CR123) with a good led, a good circuit and an 18650 Li-Ion
(kicks even the 9N then)

Cripes, I can't believe this light is down the :toilet: I've got three of them... plus a bunch of extra parts... :mecry::mecry: and one has the smart charger system so you don't even have to remove the battery to charge the thing.

I've even got an infrared filter that I ordered by mistake and have never used! :hairpull: :hairpull:

I would have thought that one of the new LEDs would make the 9N into a cannon

What a massive bummer!

Cameron

The issue with the 9N (like I've been having with the 8X/8NX/8AX) is that the reflector is optimized for use with an incan bulb.

The filament center is the focal point of the reflector itself from an optical standpoint.

An incan bulb radiates light quanta in a full globe type pattern, with some interference with the tower/filament/glass of the bulb. LED's radiate anywhere from a half globe to a partial globe depending on how it's designed.

Because of that, the reflector has to be redesigned from scratch.

So - you need a deeper reflector to take advantage of the LED light pattern from the emitter. This will give you the throw part.

If you've seen Koala's/Yclo's E-MT light tower, you'll see that in the test shots shown it's all flood.

If you look at a light bulb from the side and superimpose a clock pattern in front of it, the spill/flood portion tends to come from the 9 o'clock/12 o'clock/3 o'clock side of the bulb. The throw/spot portion comes from the underside of the bulb, radiating from the 9/6/3 o'clock portion.

Koala/Yclo's tower eliminiates part of the 9/6/3 portion. This, in turn, eliminates the throw. Their own tests prove it....not that it's stopping me from getting one.

This is also why I had to use a totally different reflector for my BMX80 project. Reusing an SF X80 head isn't possible with an LED. And the same thing will occur with the 9N heads - you'd have to totally redo the reflector to take advantage of an LED. Or do a custom tower and lose the spot/throw part.

-Steve

while all of this is totally right,
does it help?


sure, one can mod the head as hell, pushing MUCH time and effort into it, and eventually get to insert a suitable reflector.
THEN comes the problem of sinking the led good, and to put the driver somewhere + get the heat away from there.
There is the space needed, but the whole LA has to be modded (drilled/milled) to get it and then mount these parts
--> MUCH time & effort again

using an 8X instead (to stay with the same batts) --> LA out, sink (with led, reflector, driver, springs) in --> done
a bit less difficult
... more already free space/volumen available


imho the best way is to have a 9N stay in original state (its the best rechargeable incan in "normal" power class available) and get/build better battery sticks (1 hour 30 mins runtime)
Better to mod lights that are much easier to work on. Possibly use one that runs from a single 18650 - which makes a comparable light in output, which is smaller, lighter and offers longer runtime

Steve, thanks for the detailed explanation. And yellow thanks for the suggestion to get better battery sticks...

Cameron

Maybe you could contact Milkyspit to have the light modded for you.

Besides that, I don't know of any drop-in mods.

Gunner12 said:

Maybe you could contact Milkyspit to have the light modded for you.

Besides that, I don't know of any drop-in mods.

Click to expand...

Good suggestion. Thanks.

Cameron