Surefire LED Collection, missing anything?

Hello all, after getting my first Surefire kinda by accident, a dual mode E2L if I recall, I got pretty addicted and ended up with the following collection, almost all bought off the market place. All current models, except the two extra heads are the discontinued single mode, long running KX1 and KX2. Those were a little tough to find, since they didn't make 'em very long.


My two custom lights, an L2 60/400 lumen Milky MC-E and KL1 E1L modded with SSC P4 but original optic and driver left in. I have a reflectorized KL1 SSC P4 on the way to me too, just because I always wanted to try out a reflectoized E1L.

I don't have a T1A or single mode E2DL, but am not real hot for either of them, as the T1A is a keychain light, and I'm mostly into the E series size lights, and the E2DL dual mode I have is the same as the single mode E2DL if I leave it on high. So is there any other SSC P4 or Cree based small Surefires I am missing? I am not really into the bigger Surefires, just the E series/L1/L2 size lights, and I'm not trying to get the older Luxeon based lights either, except maybe an L2 to put a P4 into, just Cree or SSC based lights. Anyway, let me know if I'm missing something, or if any of you have put a P4 into a L2 and how it came out.

Is your L4 the new version with the SSC P4 or the older LuxV version?
Which one do you like best?

Marlinaholic said:

I am not really into the bigger Surefires, just the E series/L1/L2 size lights, and I'm not trying to get the older Luxeon based lights either

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you also mentioned not being interested in the T1A Titan. i'm enjoying mine very much. at some point in the future, you might want to reconsider. however, until then there is one older SF light that you might want to obtain. it is the L1. it is a very different light from the current L1. it uses optics and takes 1xCR123A, the body is similar, but just a bit longer, and tailcap functions the same, but there the similarity largely ends.

the reason why the older L1 (pre-SSC) might be of interest to you is that it is a LONG burning 1xCR123A light, and if you are not opting to get a T1A Titan which is also long burning at low output levels, then this would be a good older SF to own.

here's a comparison to the current L1 (Mfr. claimed output and burntimes on CR123A):

Old versus New
22lm v. 65lm
1.1lm v. 10lm

obviously, the 65lm of the newer L1 proves to be quite important for some uses for which the older 22lm L1 would prove unsatisfactory. however, where the older L1 "shines", so to speak, is in its burntimes. to wit...


Old versus New
4h v. 1.5h
90h v. 10h [yes, that's right, a "claimed" 90 hour burntime on low.]


i've found the 22lm and the longer (as compared to the current L1 on high output level) burntime bright enough for many tasks, and sometimes the low level 1.1lm output of the older L1 with its extremely long burntime is just what one needs.

obviously, a new E1L addresses the above requirements somewhat, but if you happen to want a light with long burntimes *AND* an L1 type of tailcap (virtually failure proof, is my understanding), then the older L1 is worth obtaining.

also have two Milky E1B Creemator's: a fairly standard one, with both 1cell Li-ion, and 2cell 2xCR123A bodies, and the second being a "Scout" Edition using 1xCR123A only. just right for camping and backpacking with long burntimes on a single CR123A, with a somewhat standard main UI with "Miser"-mode for both UI's, plus the second UI in the "Scout" is a "Theater"-mode UI which ALWAYS comes on first in the lowest of its five output levels - perfect for not blowing away one's dark adaptation.

a Milky E1B Creemator is worth owning (either version, or better yet both! or, provide your own specs [i did for the "Scout"] and Scott will build you your own special Creemator and customize the firmware to your specs).

just off the top of my head (and someone please correct me if i'm forgettin' something), i think the SF T1A Titan is the only other *SMALL* 1xCR123A SF light that can offer a very long burntime. you already know that some of the 2xCR123A lights can burn a long time on their low/lowest output levels (e.g., U2, E2L, E2DL).

just something to consider.

My L4 is the current version and I love it. I don't have the older version, but the new version is really floody. Up close, like say in a small room, it appears to have quite a hotspot, but just take it outside and you'll see it's really a wall of light, and it's supposed to be brighter/cooler running than the older Luxeon version from what I have read. Thanks for the tip on the L1 Half-Watt, ironically I bought one tonight! It was such a good deal I couldn't pass it up (less than $60 shipped). Now what I am wondering, is since the L1 I am getting is a 5th gen one like you described, and since Milky posted:

"I recently measured current draw from the gen6 body vs. gen5 body, and they both behave identically. In other words, a gen6 head on a gen5 host should work exactly the same as a gen6 head on a gen6 host, just in a longer physical package."

what would happen if I put a SSC P4 in my soon to arrive L1 head? I am very happy with my late gen KL1 heads that I have put P4s into, so I would guess that since the 5th gen L1 was rated at 25 lumens on high with the old luxeon emitter, and the KL1 was rated at 30 lumens with luxeon, wouldn't I achieve similar brightness on high to my modded KL1's by putting a P4 into my 5th gen L1, maybe just a little dimmer with some more runtime? I have done some searches but don't find much on how a late L1 with a P4 comes out. Any ideas guys?

EDIT: Doing some more searching, I found that Merlocka posted: "With a SF CR123 @ 3.0V, the light draws 690mA" and I know a KL1 does about 500mA so maybe the L1 on high with a P4 would be even brighter than my KL1 mods? I wonder what kind of runtime I would get versus the original Luxeon emitter?

How does the beam change when using a SSC behind that optic?

How much better do you like it?

WAY better with the KL1, if you want to retain the original optic, just shim the P4 up about .030 with a copper disk from the Shoppe or something else that will draw the heat away from the LED. Shimming it isn't absolutely necessary but it will bring it into perfect focus with the original optic. The new emitter eliminates the squarish beam of the Luxeon and is much brighter too. You end up with a really nice beam that throws far, and the bright center blends very smoothly into the spill. If you go with a McR20S reflector then you don't have to shim up the emitter, and you'll get almost as much throw as with the optic, but more spill of course.