Stress_Test
Flashlight Enthusiast
- Joined
- Feb 18, 2008
- Messages
- 1,334
I snagged one of the new SolarForce R5 p60 style drop ins off of Lighthound as soon as they became available. I've had a SureFire 6P for a while that I haven't really been using, so I put the R5 in that. My only complaint is that the outer spring on the module won't fit down all the way in the tapered throat of the 6P. The head only goes on just barely past the o-ring, I think. But that's okay, 'cause I don't plan on throwing it in a lake or anything. I tried it with the spring off, but that turned the 6P into a shake light. Shake it once and it turns on. Shake it again and it turns off. It just doesn't make good contact without the spring.
Anyway, I was very pleased to see that this drop in results in a nicely focused hotspot, ie the light appears to have good throw. I'd just about given up on the hope that any xp-g based light could throw well (without a huge reflector anyway) but the SolarForce module does pretty good! If other light manufacturers would get on the ball, we could in fact have 6P sized lights that do throw well (c'mon Fenix! Give us an xp-g specific reflector for the TK11/12 so they're not just floodlights!
).
So, now for the story about actual usage. I was over at my parents' house, and after dinner I was out in the driveway talking a bit and getting ready to leave. I had brought the 6P with me kind of as an afterthought, in addition to the 4(!) other lights I had on me. I've found that it fits well in the holster made for the Fenix TK10/11 series, so I put it in that and had brought it along.
Anyway, as we're talking my dad goes to throw out some trash; it's pretty dark down that part of the street, so I asked him if he wanted a light, turned on the 6P and handed it over. It was interesting seeing the light in action from a distance. At one point as he was switching hands he had the light pointed up into the leafy tree branches overhead, and even the bounce back off the leaves was enough to light the area around him. Even I was impressed by how friggin' bright the thing was out there. My dad liked it too! He asked me about it and we talked a bit about what it was and how it was powered. I think he's coming around; good thing I didn't mention how much it costs though! (actually the module itself is a terrific deal at about 25 bucks; it's the other components! $$$).
Earlier I was kinda chiding myself for adding the 6P to the ridiculous number of lights I was already carrying, but hey at least it got used!
Anyway, I was very pleased to see that this drop in results in a nicely focused hotspot, ie the light appears to have good throw. I'd just about given up on the hope that any xp-g based light could throw well (without a huge reflector anyway) but the SolarForce module does pretty good! If other light manufacturers would get on the ball, we could in fact have 6P sized lights that do throw well (c'mon Fenix! Give us an xp-g specific reflector for the TK11/12 so they're not just floodlights!
).So, now for the story about actual usage. I was over at my parents' house, and after dinner I was out in the driveway talking a bit and getting ready to leave. I had brought the 6P with me kind of as an afterthought, in addition to the 4(!) other lights I had on me. I've found that it fits well in the holster made for the Fenix TK10/11 series, so I put it in that and had brought it along.
Anyway, as we're talking my dad goes to throw out some trash; it's pretty dark down that part of the street, so I asked him if he wanted a light, turned on the 6P and handed it over. It was interesting seeing the light in action from a distance. At one point as he was switching hands he had the light pointed up into the leafy tree branches overhead, and even the bounce back off the leaves was enough to light the area around him. Even I was impressed by how friggin' bright the thing was out there. My dad liked it too! He asked me about it and we talked a bit about what it was and how it was powered. I think he's coming around; good thing I didn't mention how much it costs though! (actually the module itself is a terrific deal at about 25 bucks; it's the other components! $$$).
Earlier I was kinda chiding myself for adding the 6P to the ridiculous number of lights I was already carrying, but hey at least it got used!
