LSH-P or LS4?

Should I get a LSH-P now or wait for the LS4? I really want an Arc LS, but will probably wait for the LS4. Is the LSH-P worth getting now? And what is the best place to get the Arc LSH-P? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/help.gif

Both are great lights, by the sound of the Arc LS4, but if you are itching for a light, the LSH-P will not disappoint you! I recommend either Tactical Warehouse or Vicomptel. Good luck!

Dan

Get a LSH-P and EDC it. When the LS4 comes out you can always sell the LSH-P or keep both. I will always keep at least 2 LS series lights. That way if I need to send one in for service I will not be left without one in the pocket.

If you want an LSH-P amd think it's worth the money then buy one. What's the big deal? As others have said, you can resell it later and get back most of what you paid.

That said, I find the LSH[P] a little bit large for EDC. I'm waiting for a DSpeck-made Firefly (a/k/a tvodrd mini-123). The LS4 is interesting because of its dimmability and because it may be smaller than the LSH. The LSH is a real nice light and I'd be happy to own one, but I'm doing ok without it. I edc an Arc AAA (wonderful!) and back it up with a UKE 2L (weighs about the same as an LSH-P, costs 4x less, and is much brighter, but is a little bit larger and is a 2-cell incandescent). For the time being (until finances get better) I see a good 123-powered 1W Luxeon light as something that would just be nice to have because of its coolness factor, but not as something really important. Incandescents are less sexy but they're still very functional.

How abut LS5?

I think the LS5 is supposed to run around 2 watts (maybe more in burst mode). I'm more interested in a Surefire E2+KL4 or something like that, which will run at the full 5 watts.

Your sure the KL4 will run at the full 5 watts?

I for one will be shocked if it isn't.

To see the words 'underdriven' and 'Surefire' together, seems like an oxymoron to me.

Pat

The Kl4 is not a full 5 watts. In fact, I do not know of any production true 5 watt flashlight.

The LS5 will run at about 3 watts on high and 6 watts on boost.

The LS4 will be 1.25watts on high and 2.5 watts on boost. The LS4 is scheduled for October and the LS5 will be sometime in the first part of 2004.

Peter

Treek13,

SureFire conservatively runs all of their LED's. I believe the KL6 will be the hardest driven of the 5W's but depending on the Vf of a particular LED, unless it is high, it is likely that it too will be under 5 watts. It would have made a lot more sense if Lumiled had called the 5W a 4W!

- Don

Well shut my mouth. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ohgeez.gif
I knew they wouldn't overdrive it but I never guessed they would underdrive it.

Learn something new every day, often from Don.

Thanks for setting me on the straight and narrow,
Pat /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Treek13,

I think PK said the KL4 was slated to run at around 660 or 680 mA. If the LED has a Vf of 6.8 that's about 4.6 watts. Now if the LED has a Vf of 7.4, that's 5 watts. In this example, I'll take the 4.6 unit because it's more efficient. Now underdriving is a relative term and I chose to say SF conservatively drives their LED's. I believe the KL1 is driven at 360 mA which is 10 mA over spec but given what everybody around here is doing with the 1W's, calling the KL1 an overdriven unit is misleading, I think.

I think SF looks at all the parameters in chosing how and at what level they want to drive their lights. If they can pump out more photons without risk to the reliability and expected longetivity of the product, you can count on them doing just that. They look at the bottom line; net lumens out the front end and they will tweak their circuits and materials to maximize this yield within the realm of stability and reliability. At least this is the impression I am under.

- Don

EDIT: It sounds like Peter is taking the governer off on his LS4 and LS5! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif I also think he has thermal protection designed to keep lead foots from doing any permenant damage.

This OT shouldn't continue in the Arc forum, me thinks. Sorry Peter.

How many lumes will a LS 5 put out?

Will a 5 watter driven at 6 watts beat a SF P61 LA for overall output?

Not even close. More like a P60.

I thought the 5 watters were rated at over 120 lumens. Is this figure wrong?

Those lumen figures are fantasy. Look at total power consumption. LED's aren't really more efficient than good incandescents yet.

Battery station also looks like a good place to get the Arc LS.