30 Lumen E1L, worth considering?

Hi all, just wanted to hear from some of you that own one of these Cree 30 Lumen KX1 heads. I own the two level E2L and recently got a single level E2L for its super runtime (9 hours regulated) and really love it. I also own a dual level E1L, but was thinking about getting one of the single level 30 lumen versions, again for the extended runtime. Is the 30 lumen E1L Cree that much dimmer than the 45 Lumens that the current version can put out? What kind of regulated runtime will I really get out of the 30 lumen version? Just trying to get a feel for wether or not this E1L is worth trying and how much added runtime I'm looking at for the trade off. Any info as always is appreciated.

IMHO it would be a waste of money to buy a 30 lumen E1L if you already have the 45/3 lumen E1L, a 45 lumen E2L, and a 60/3 lumen E2L.

I sold a 30 lumen E1L and now have a 45/3 lumen E1L which is brighter and whiter. (I also have a 45 lumen E2L, which has great runtime as you mentioned.)

Do you want the name or the performance? I don't think there will be a lot of runtime difference.

since there is such a large runtime difference in the KX2 A and B heads, I was thinking the KX1 difference might be substantial too. I've been trying to find runtime graphs for both versions, but no luck.

I never liked the older version. Run time was not that good and it used the older style TIR that had a square beam.

Now was that the cree based version? I found this doing a little research:

First generation KL1 Head - this is the earliest variant, with the flashlight head having cooling fins to cool the LED assembly. This only produced about 15 lumens of effective light at a 4 hour max runtime. The LED used was a first generation Luxeon Star 1 Watt module.

E1L with the second generation KL1 Head - flashlight head having a smooth contour with a crenelated strike bezel. This variant gives at least 25 lumens of effective light (slightly more with very fresh batteries) and at least a 4 hour runtime. This variant uses a third generation Luxeon Star 3 Watt module that is more efficient.

E1L with the third generation KL1 Head - this is what I would call a transition model; it's got a Luxeon Star 3 Watt module that gives 30 lumens of effective light at max, then tapers downward from there. Effective light times are 4 hours.

E1L with the first generation KX1 Head - this was announced at the 2007 SHOT show and is the most current variant. This unit uses a Cree LED set and provides 30 lumens at a 10 hour runtime.

Marlinaholic said:

Now was that the cree based version? I found this doing a little research:

E1L with the first generation KX1 Head - this was announced at the 2007 SHOT show and is the most current variant. This unit uses a Cree LED set and provides 30 lumens at a 10 hour runtime.

Click to expand...

I believe the KX1 is a two-stage head: 45 lumens on high and 3 lumens on low. It also uses the newest version of Surefire's TIR.

I re-read your original post and realized you were looking for the 30 lumen cree version. I don't know of such a thing. But that doesn't mean I'm not mistaken. It may be like the KX2 "A" version, but a KX1 instead. Maybe Al can help here.

The one I was thinking about was this one: http://www.geocities.com/da_shwartz/flashlighte1l.html

IMHO, not worth even bothering with the 30 lumen single-level Cree E1L/KX1. It was only on the market for a short while until SureFire upgraded them to the newer 45 lumen dual-level KX1. Unfortunately they didn't change the model number, just upgraded the guts.

From a quick Google search on CPF it looks like folks with the 30 lumen E1L/KX1 were getting about 5 hours of runtime. Prior to those two versions were the Luxeon-based E1Ls.

For the same $100 or so, I'd pick up an Ra Lights EDC Executive light.

I agree there, giving $100 for an "outdated" E1L would be too much, but I just nabbed one in nice shape for $75 shipped, and for that I can try one just for fun. Parnass, you said in a recent post:

"I estimate a 4 hour runtime for the dual mode version at the 45 lumen setting and about 7 hour runtime for the 30 lumen version.

The 45 lumen version draws 76% more current than the 30 lumen version. Current drain:

198 mA at 30 lumens

348 mA at 45 lumens
46 mA at 3 lumens"

So now I'm interested again if those figures are accurate. I figure I can always sell it if its not bright enough for my use, we'll see :shrug:

Remember, the 30 lumen KL1 can be used with 1 or 2 CR123 cells and can be used with one RCR123. It is very versatile.

Marlinaholic said:

.... Parnass, you said in a recent post:

"I estimate a 4 hour runtime for the dual mode version at the 45 lumen setting and about 7 hour runtime for the 30 lumen version.

The 45 lumen version draws 76% more current than the 30 lumen version. Current drain:

198 mA at 30 lumens

348 mA at 45 lumens
46 mA at 3 lumens"

So now I'm interested again if those figures are accurate. ...

Click to expand...

To clarify, I was writing about the current consumption of the Cree versions, not the older Luxeon versions. Enjoy your "new" E1L.

Dan FO said:

Remember, the 30 lumen KL1 can be used with 1 or 2 CR123 cells and can be used with one RCR123. It is very versatile.

Click to expand...

that is true, at a price. The KL1 had less-than-top reulation in one cell mode due to the efficiency loss inherent to buck-boost circuits. In fact the KL1s could be run witn up to 3 CR123s..

But the 30 lumen KX1 has a quality that is rare: it runs great on 2 alkaline AAs. If you have an extender for the E-series lights, the low current draw makes it perfect for alkaline batteries.