Discussion of 2 lights.....E1B and T1A

Ahh, choices

I am mulling yet another choice for EDC. Need at least 70 lumens brightness, preferably 80. Traditionally, I carry an E1e with KL1, recently that became TW4 (E1e + KL4) for more light. I definitely want a click switch, the traditional Z52 twist switch as inconvenient to fumble with.

Now I'm considering the E1B, 80 lumens high, 5 low, in a package that won't catch on keys or clothing, that sounds good. The E1B is essentially an upgraded TW4 package to me, it changes very little, and delivers all that I want. How do you E1B owners find yours?

I know I just said I want a click switch, but if the T1A's twist switch doesn't require too much pressure, I am interested. What I like about it is the infinitely variable power - I'm a big U2 fan (the light, that is), and the dial is the best part about it. What are your experiences with the T1A? How much force does it take to operate it one handed? What do you like about it, and what don't you like about it? The bad part is the price tag - $90 more is pretty hefty. I would always wonder about scratching this one up amongst the keys. Yeah yeah I paid more for the U2, but the U2 has been fantastic to me all these years, and even as new lights emerge the U2 still has no replacement - there is nothing better. Will the T1A be able to fill the gigantic shoes the U2 leaves behind?

Also, the T1A's beam - how's it like compared to the L4? I am currently using a L4 head and that level of flood beam is fine with me. I hear the T1A is too floody for some, but if it is L4-ish that's good for my use.


Slightly off topic question: is the Fenix LD10 a forward clickie or still that annoying reverse clickie, and if so, are there any solutions to cure that?


Slightly off topic question that is still relevant to me actually being able to use the information provided: how do international folk get their Surefires now? Does SF ship international for direct orders placed on their website? I am aware that SupremeCo no longer takes Internet orders for the Asia region (thanks.....NOT!)

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts !

I don't have a T1A but do have a E1B. It is a great light but it is a thrower with limited spill. I don't think it would be anything like your E1E+KL4.

The LD10 is a reverse clickie. Foward clickies may be available at 4-7s and other stores -- I seem to recall them being available at some point.

Hope this is helpful.

KevinL said:

I am mulling yet another choice for EDC...Now I'm considering the E1B, 80 lumens high, 5 low, in a package that won't catch on keys or clothing, that sounds good....if the T1A's twist switch doesn't require too much pressure, I am interested. What I like about it is the infinitely variable power - I'm a big U2 fan (the light, that is), and the dial is the best part about it. What are your experiences with the T1A? How much force does it take to operate it one handed? What do you like about it, and what don't you like about it?...the T1A's beam - how's it like compared to the L4? I am currently using a L4 head and that level of flood beam is fine with me....

Click to expand...

I have a T1A and original U2. The T1A's strong point is infinitely variable output, and the low is really low -- I'd estimate about 0.00176 lumens.

IMO one negative of the T1A is the 5-min auto-cutoff, which happens only at very low levels. However at these levels the light would run for a month or more, so what's the point?

To a degree you can bypass the auto-cutoff by twisting it to high, then back to a certain minimum level -- I'd estimate about 0.04 lumens, where it will stay on constantly.

The T1A beam is definitely floody. IMO it should have been more general purpose, like the original Titan, the U2 or the Ra clicky. However the T1A beam works well for close-to-medium range tasks.

Operating the T1A one-handed is possible. It's not hard to turn, and there's a tactile detent for off.

The T1A body is a clever design -- it's smooth so won't catch on clothing. However the longitudinal ridges give ample grip for turning it on/off.

I like the T1A, but if I were head of design, I'd make the beam pattern a bit more general-purpose, and eliminate or change the auto-cutoff.

I agree with your assessment of the U2! I have 3 of the U2A's and I love them!

I have held off on the T1A because of the reports of the cooler tint and also because I don't thing that anything tops the Aeon for size, output, runtime and ruggedness... no matter what I did, I would feel as if I was leaving the better light behind if I carried the T1A instead of the Aeon. I felt this way about the Ti Titan.

Regardless, the T1A still draws me in because it looks awesome and I do love the UI.

Before I get into my thoughts about the E1B, here's a list of my EDC flashlights and the dates I carried them:

Z2 (paid $70 new; 65 lumens): Mar 03 - Dec 03
L4 (paid $140 new; 65 lumens): Dec 03 - Mar 08
E1B (paid $110 new; 80 lumens): Mar 08 - Apr 09
Fenix PD20 (paid $55 new; 180 lumens): Apr 09 - Jul 09
LX2 (paid $195 new; 200 lumens): Jul 1st 09 - ???

Anyway back to the E1B. I bought the E1B because it was rated at a higher output than my old L4 (80 vs. 65 Lumens) and it had much better throw thanks to its TIR optic. I also liked the fact that I could use the two-way clip to carry it bezel down in my front pants pocket until I scraped it on a doorway as someone else was entering (I hit the door frame trying to avoid hitting the person). The clip spread apart and I couldn't bend it back. I still carried it anyway but the clip would just hang it on my pants pocket rather than hold it in place. I don't recall it ever falling out of my pocket even though the clip was spread apart. Another nice feature is the 5 Lumen low mode, which I used most of the time. After a year of use some of the HA rubbed off on the bezel, but the rest of the body is still good, with the exception of the two-way clip as already discussed. The forward clicky switch seems very solid and I liked the 2 second time out feature so that the default high setting was available again after using the low mode. Since I used low mode most of the time, the battery would last several months.

So here's my recomendation. Buy the LX2 for only $46 more than the E1B ($195 vs. $149)! Its the best two cell EDC flashlight ever built in my opinion. :twothumbs You get 200 vs. 80 Lumens and a UI that I personally like even better. Need to navigate through a dark area? ... use the low setting (press lightly). Need to blind a bad guy? ... use the high setting (mash the button as hard as you want). Thanks to the two-way pocket clip you can carry it bezel down in your pocket if you want. There is a huge thread (separated into two parts!) and a good review as well elsewhere on CPF, so I'll stop my sales pitch of the LX2 now! Good luck. If you can't make up your mind buy 'em all!

I've got both the E1B and the T1A but I'm currently carrying the terrific new 4Sevens Quark 123.

My E1B had very bad tint, brownish green, and I parked it in a drawer while I pursued other luminary interests. Reports about SF policy on an exchange of a working light for tint issues have been mixed here. Someone on this forum remarked that the Nitecore Extreme was 'E' series compatible so I put the NEX head on the E1B body to make a great little frankenlight.

I've ordered another E1B for my wife's purse, it has a simple interface unlike the initial Quarks. She goes out for church duties late at night sometimes and I want her to have a light she can use quickly. Of, course, I'll play with the new E1B for a while before I give it to her just to make sure it's working properly.

The T1A is nice but very pricey, you could get an LX2 for less as Robert_M suggests. My T1A does have a cold tint, almost like grape juice but not objectionable to me. I keep the T1A on a lanyard to make it harder to lose, I travel a lot. The interface is simple and smooth like an iPod but you do pay through the nose for the 'quality' and the SF name. It is a flood like the L4, nice beam but not a lot of throw if you need to check out something more than a few yards away.

I find the forward clicky on the E1B to be just about right and easy to operate with one hand. Similarly, the T1A has smooth twist operation with just the right amount of friction to operate with your fingertips and stay put in the off position. Both lights have issues with RCR123's so I use primaries.

I agree that the U2 is great, would love see the Octopus, or whatever it's called, with a higher max output if it is ever released. I've got three U2's, one still NIB that I plan to give to a relative who is a mariner if our paths ever cross.

I bought the Titan a couple of months ago and at first was only impressed with the switch. In fact I didn't even EDC until I packed it instead of my EZAA by mistake. After carrying it for a week I loved it. That was three weeks ago and I now EDC the Titan. The beam is very floody much like the L4. In fact it has the most even flood I have seen I also have an E1B and they seemed to be designed for different things. If you want throw, use the E1B but to flood a medium room with light the Titan is better IMHO. The Titan is also easier to carry. If you have the room, carry the Titan and try one of the Quark tacticals with it. Just my .02.

I would get the Titan and the LX2... best of both worlds at least until the new A2Z or whatever it is called comes out.

Great replies, many thanks and keep them coming!

A few thoughts (don't mind if I ramble a bit).......yup I checked out the new LX2, but if I wanted a light of that size I would be packing my classic U2. There is something magic about my U2 that has made it the one constant in my life since 2004. Actually, now that I realize it, has it really been five years? Even more interesting, with li-ions supposedly only living three years, I've never changed the pair of 18650's acquired at the same time as the U2 and they still retain most of their charge, at least 80%? Wow.

OK, back to the point. Medium or L4 type flood is ok with me. I would probably favor the T1A over the E1B because of this. I'm very clear that I'm not a tactical user, and the likelihood that I'd need to break down doors seems remote at best (and anyway I can always use my M3 for that. The SRTH is too rare a collector's item to risk for that role *shudder* )

Thanks for the comments about the beam and the Fenix LD10. One issue I find is Surefire's availability in other parts of the world - it's not very available. The LD10 is another candidate if I can change it to a forward clickie.

Will check out the Quark too - looks interesting.

Assuming I am not interested in the other fancy modes (just max and min), if I tighten the bezel down all the way, the Quark works just like a standard click-on click-off one-mode light?

Assuming I am not interested in the other fancy modes (just max and min), if I tighten the bezel down all the way, the Quark works just like a standard click-on click-off one-mode light?

Click to expand...

It actually has two modes with the tightened bezel, max and strobe. The max setting blows both the T1A and the E1B out of the water. The Q123 is only a little larger than the T1A and has a great beam with a lot of throw. And, the Q123 does fine with rechargeables so you can save the polar bears. Unlike the T1A and E1B, the Q123 will tailstand nicely but on the downside, the clicky is reverse, you push it in lightly, it turns off the light off rather than turning it on. Just as Surefire is abandoning knurling, other manufacturers like Fenix and 4Sevens seem to be embracing it in new lights.

The Quark Tacticals are just coming out, they have a simpler but programmable interface from what I've read here. I may have a couple in the mailbox when I get home, I'm in Asia at the moment.

Ugh, if I wanted programmable, I would get something with a full keyboard.

public static void dontWantTo.Code(me)



(I am aware that is probably totally messed up but that just comments on how good my [virtually nonexistent] programming skills are anyway )


The ordinary Quark uses a reverse clickie, which is a deal breaker for me (I've had many a Fenix). I'm reading stuff about how the threads have issues and Turbo mode is a concern. Hmm.

The T1A is an extremely well-made light with very smooth operation, but unless you have a real use for the infinitely-variable low settings, you would probably be better off with the E1B. Once you have turned the T1A down from its not very high maximum, it is then pretty low and just keeps getting lower.

The T1A is a perfect light to use on a night flight to minimize disturbance to other passengers, or on your nightstand for the same sort of reason, but for other purposes its relatively low maximum limits its usefulness.

Other factors that may affect your choice are that the T1A has a very blue tint; and the T1A is mainly flood vs. the E1B's throw.

The E1B is a wonderful light! Tint issues aside, a great usable light with a simple interface and great beam. I personally got a great tint on mine, but have heard some horrible stories of the aforementioned green :sick2:

I EDC'd my E1B for a while until I got an RA Clicky pretty much purely for the RCR compatibility and indestructibility... (Primaries cost too much in Oz)

My vote goes to the E1B for the Simplicity... Unless you particularly have a use for the Infinite brightness and floody beam...

DM51 said:

The T1A is an extremely well-made light with very smooth operation, but unless you have a real use for the infinitely-variable low settings, you would probably be better off with the E1B. Once you have turned the T1A down from its not very high maximum, it is then pretty low and just keeps getting lower.

The T1A is a perfect light to use on a night flight to minimize disturbance to other passengers, or on your nightstand for the same sort of reason, but for other purposes its relatively low maximum limits its usefulness.

Other factors that may affect your choice are that the T1A has a very blue tint; and the T1A is mainly flood vs. the E1B's throw.

Click to expand...

+1 very well said.

Again, some very good points. But isn't the 70 lumens of the T1A just a bit shy of the E1B's 80?

Yes, it is. However the T1A is almost 100% flood, so it's spread out wide, therefore really only for close-range use, The E1B hotspot reaches much further out. Imagine putting a F04 diffuser on a E1B - it will put out almost the same amount of light, but it won't reach as far and won't look as bright. That's not an exact analogy, but it's not far off.

Aside from the tint "issues" of the T1A (angry blue), I think this really comes down to your personal needs. If you really only want flood, I think you would probably be pretty happy with the T1A. If there is a chance you might want it to throw occasionally, the E1B with an F04 beam diffuser would possibly be the better route. You can always make a thrower floody with a diffuser, but you can't really make a floody light a thrower. I use my F04 with the E1B and E1e and find it extremely useful.

Personally, I've owned my E1B for about 1.5 years and still feel that it is an excellent light. I posted a review of mine a while back that you can read here. I was really excited about the T1A, but the really floody, cool (blue) tint has kept me from purchasing one.

If I were starting over looking for a single CR123 LED light for EDC, I'd skip both and wait for the LX1 (for its excellent UI) and use an F04 when you need flood.

-Robert

joema said:

IMO one negative of the T1A is the 5-min auto-cutoff, which happens only at very low levels. However at these levels the light would run for a month or more, so what's the point?

Click to expand...

Good point, or change to pulsing every 3 sec, that will last forever.

Also don't be put off by the cool tint, if you're looking at a PC monitor right now, it's probably set to 9300K (which is very blueish). Most people actually prefer cooler tint when working in door, because it looks brighter and has better contrast.