TK-20 - Surefire

I just picked up my TK-20 from REI (I had a gift card). WOW!! I have primarily used Surefires at work for years, and I am impressed with this TK-20. I have a couple of questions if someone can help me....

Is the Surefire P6 drop in LED equal to/better/or not as good as the TK-20? I also have a Surefire C3 incandescent, should I also get a LED drop in for it? Is there any reason to continue to use incandescent lights? Any advantages to them? I have 2 P6 incandescent Surefires.

Where is the best place to buy a clicky on/off tailcap piece for my P6 Surefire's (2 of them) plus the C3 centurion.

Is there another 2 AA and a 1 AA light that has the same color tint as the TK-20. I don't want a light that washes out colors.

Sorry fo all of the questions, I'm new here.

Oh yes, damn you people who started me down this road. Ignorance was bliss. I love this new LED technology.

I am 5Sport and I am a flashaholic, coming out of the closet.

I'll start by saying I don't have a TK20, so I can't say any of this for sure, but:

There's a HUGE selection of P60-compatible LED drop-ins that you could put in your C3 and 6P's. There's a sticky thread at the top of the LED forum here that would be a great jumping off point. And before you jump in and buy one, figure out what it is you like about the TK20 that you want your SureFires to have (or perhaps what you'd like them to do differently) with the new module(s). For instance, would you prefer a floody or throwy beam? A cool or warm tint? Artifact-free, or better throw? Single-mode, or multi-mode? Blindingly bright, or longer running moderate output?

As you look around at the P60-compatible modules, you should be able to narrow down your search. Or if you figure out all the specific characteristics you'd like, but are still overwhelmed by all the info out there, give us your specifics, and we should be able to steer you towards the appropriate products.

Of course, I'll get it out of the way here and now: Probably the most common answer you'll see to your question is to get a Malkoff M60 module of some sort (he makes them with different optics, different emitters, and set for different brightnesses). They're extremely well built and reliable, though relatively pricey. And my personal piece of advice: don't even bother with SureFire's LED drop-in (P60L). Its output is weak, it's not the most efficient, has a relatively poor tint, and is overpriced considering the competition.

(Wow, I sounded awfully negative towards the P60L there... Sorry about that; I actually own one and like it a lot, and it does have its strengths. But still, its output/runtime efficiency is lacking.)

As to warm-tinted AA lights, I know there are a number of them out there. I believe there have been runs of 4Sevens Quarks with warm emitters. As well as one or two NiteCore models. I think Fenix has also had a few such offerings other than the TK20, but I'm not sure. ZebraLight offers the H501w, which has the warm tint, but it's a very different beast from your TK20.

5Sport said:

Is the Surefire P6 drop in LED equal to/better/or not as good as the TK-20? I also have a Surefire C3 incandescent, should I also get a LED drop in for it? Is there any reason to continue to use incandescent lights? Any advantages to them? I have 2 P6 incandescent Surefires.

Where is the best place to buy a clicky on/off tailcap piece for my P6 Surefire's (2 of them) plus the C3 centurion.

Is there another 2 AA and a 1 AA light that has the same color tint as the TK-20. I don't want a light that washes out colors.

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The P60L (Surefire P60 LED replacement) is different from the TK20. It will not have anything close to a neutral tint. It will look very blue compared to your TK20, but have a prettier beam shape, with a well-defined spot and broad spill that are both fairly bright, and shouldn't have any rings.
If you want a LED replacement for your lights that has a tint like the TK20, plus better build quality than any other dropins(and possibly better components), check out www.malkoffdevices.com, the M60 "Warm" dropins. They are available in full power and low versions, and also with a standard optic that produces a strong spot that fades into a wide spill, or a "F"lood model that puts out a wall of evenly dispersed light. You probably won't be using your incandescent bulbs in your Surefires any more after you try a M60W.
Dereelight also offers dropins for your Surefires that have the same tint, and are also available with multiple modes, and your choice of smooth or orange peel textured reflectors. The smooth ones will be like your TK20, with strong spots and good throw, but with some rings and/or artifacts in the beam. The "OP" reflectors will have a nicer beam without the rings, and brighter, more even spill, but the spot will be larger and not as bright, so they will have less throw. www.flashlightconnection.com is who I would buy my Dereelight stuff from.
I only recommend and buy dropins from Malkoff or Dereelight.

For your tailcaps www.tacticalsupply.com
Look in the Marketplace under "more CPF forums" up top, and in the dealers section for a thread dedicated to dealers who offer a discount to members here. Surefire Z59 is the black clicky. If your C3 is the hard anodized version, the Z58 is the one for it.

For other lights that have similar tint to your TK20 look for ones with "warm" designations(even though they're neutral tints, not warm-some may actually say neutral), or anything that specifies a Q3-5A or Q4-5A emitter. 5A refers to the tint. Actually anything with a 4A-D or 5A-D is going to be in the right ballpark, but 5A is what we see the most of. I can't recommend any particular AA models, because I haven't tried most of them, and the ones I have tried were unfortunately not reliable.
:welcome:

Another 2xAA light that has a warm tint like the TK20 (or even slightly warmer) is the Romisen RC-N3 WW. Great little light too.

ANY orange peel type reflectored P60 style module will not be able to out throw the Tk20, unless the light itself is significantly more powerful.

however, a P60 module with a smooth reflector...that puts you in business...:thumbsup:

Crenshaw

Dang, I read the title of this thread and started to get excited because I though that SureFire was coming out with a TK20 type light!







Oh well, wishful thinking.

Thanks for the responses so far.

For the two 6p lights (1 is a nitrolon), I would like a LED that is moderately brighter than the Surfire's drop in, with a longer run time. I can get a Surefire LED drop in for 37.00, so I am hoping to spend less for an aftermarket drop in. Reliability is important, so I ruled out E-Bay stuff. I would like more of a throwy beam.

For the C3 Centurion, I would like the same type of LED module. Would I need a different LED for this one because of the three CR123's in it?

The Malkoff's I undersatnd everyone likes, but they are a little pricey for me especially since I'm looking for three modules to buy. Are there still good alternatives for me?

As far as the tailcap switches, who has a simple on/off, that is reliable and cheaper than surefires?

I found a Fenix LD20 and LD10 and Fry's for 54.99. Is that a good deal?

Sorry for all of the questions, I have been searching and reading for quite some time, but much of this is confusing. Lots of technical info. I'm still trying to sort out AA battery recommendations for my use.

Thanks

The Malkoff M60L or M60LL might be what you are looking for. As long as the drop-in can take 9v or more then it should work on the C3.

I know the switches you want exit, but I don't recall where to buy them. I think the Solarforce switches will work.

The LD20 and LD10 body for $55 is a pretty good deal.

5Sport said:

For the two 6p lights (1 is a nitrolon), I would like a LED that is moderately brighter than the Surfire's drop in, with a longer run time. I can get a Surefire LED drop in for 37.00, so I am hoping to spend less for an aftermarket drop in. Reliability is important, so I ruled out E-Bay stuff. I would like more of a throwy beam.

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For these, I personally think that the Malkoff M60WL would work best for you - They're throwy, yet have great usable spill, and should have color rendition comparable to your TK20. (The M60L and M60LL would work as well, but they don't have the warm tinted emitter.) I can't think of any other drop-ins offhand that have a moderate output (~100 lumens) and only one mode. Of course, if you're willing to go for a multi-mode drop-in, there should be various options available (check out Dereelight's drop-ins, for instance).

5Sport said:

For the C3 Centurion, I would like the same type of LED module. Would I need a different LED for this one because of the three CR123's in it?

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As Gunner12 mentioned, as long as the drop-in is rated for 9V, then it's fine for your C3. All the Malkoff M60 modules work for this, SureFire's P60L is fine with this, and Dereelight (and most other manufacturers) list the input voltages of each drop-in they sell.

5Sport said:

As far as the tailcap switches, who has a simple on/off, that is reliable and cheaper than surefires?

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I'm not terribly familiar with the makers of non-SureFire C-series parts, but there are various options out there. If you want SureFire's tailcaps, I would first check for them on the CPF MarketPlace, as they'll sell there for less than you'll find at retailers. However, I've not had good luck with the reliability of SureFire's clicky tailcaps, so you might have better results with something aftermarket, even if it's not top notch. Only advantage of SureFire's switches is that you get the warranty repair included, so if it fails, they'll repair or replace it.

5Sport said:

I found a Fenix LD20 and LD10 and Fry's for 54.99. Is that a good deal?

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$54.99 for each, or both together? Each, that sounds about the same as you'd find in online stores, so it's certainly not a bad deal. And if it's for both together, it sounds like a fantastic deal. Either way, you'd save the time and money spent on shipping.

Thanks again. Anything out there of quality cheeper than the Malkoffs. I know that everyone likes them, but X3, 50.00 a LED is brutal.

Someone also recommended a Romissen, how do they compare to the Ultrafires for a 1AA or 2AA light. Looking for something for family members