Surefire L1-E1L combo

Hello,
This will be my first posting like this, as I have mostly read the forums. A while ago I purchased a Surefire E1L 90/5 lumen model, and really like the light. However, the body was a bit small. I looked around and decided that the styling of the L1 was nice, and thought it would go well with the newer E1L head. Once I purchased the L1, I began to mod it to get compatibility.
I removed the driver, and tried a few ways to bridge the gap between the battery and the head, but ultimately removed the circuitry and soldered a wire between the posts. Next, I disassembled the tailcap, and removed the resistor that limited the amperage through the light, and soldered a connection. So, now I have a L1/E1 body/head combo, that functions like the E1, but has a nicer size for the hand. I like the two way clip, so I swapped that too. I also think it looks much better than the two original lights. I would like to return to a click switch, and have been experimenting with getting a McClicky to fit. If anybody knows how, please let me know, and if I figure it out, I will post how.
Thank you

That is certainly an interesting solution. I tried an E1 for a while, but always had a 'hand-preference' for the L1 body and sold off the E1 a long time ago so I know where you're coming from.

For whatever reason SF put out quite a bit of effort to maximize incompatibility between the E-series and L-series heads, despite the fact that they were threaded very similarly.
I know that if they were more electrically compatible, LEGOing them could get folks into trouble with the different driver locations, but that did make the well-thought-out mods more difficult than they could have been otherwise.

I see that you are using the earlier L1 body; I've gotten a comparable L1 bored for 17670, but the electrical is the harder part as the head needs to be both 'shallower' and modded for a driver at the same time.



Hasn't been a priority so it's been like that for a while.
I definitely love your modded driver module though.

kssmith said:

Hello,
This will be my first posting like this, as I have mostly read the forums. A while ago I purchased a Surefire E1L 90/5 lumen model, and really like the light. However, the body was a bit small. I looked around and decided that the styling of the L1 was nice, and thought it would go well with the newer E1L head. Once I purchased the L1, I began to mod it to get compatibility.
I removed the driver, and tried a few ways to bridge the gap between the battery and the head, but ultimately removed the circuitry and soldered a wire between the posts. Next, I disassembled the tailcap, and removed the resistor that limited the amperage through the light, and soldered a connection. So, now I have a L1/E1 body/head combo, that functions like the E1, but has a nicer size for the hand. I like the two way clip, so I swapped that too. I also think it looks much better than the two original lights. I would like to return to a click switch, and have been experimenting with getting a McClicky to fit. If anybody knows how, please let me know, and if I figure it out, I will post how.
Thank you

Click to expand...

So...how does your end goal differ from an E2L? You sound like you gutted everything L1 battery tube had and you are now looking to gut the L1 switch mechanism as well.

So...how does your end goal differ from an E2L? You sound like you gutted everything L1 battery tube had and you are now looking to gut the L1 switch mechanism as well.

Well, outside of aesthetics, probably not much. The light is slightly shorter than the E2, and may be slightly larger around. I'm not sure of this. But, I like the body of the L1 better than the regular E series lights. Also; it's fun to play with the guts and see what one can do!


Sent from my iPhone using Candlepowerforums

Now that they are discontinued, it's bit of a shame to see L1s being chopped up to be just a dummy donor tube.

But whatever works for you.

I have to say, it makes me sick. I just ordered a couple of Malkoff M31's yesterday, to convert 2 more L1's I have. Why anyone would destroy one, is beyond me, as it is the finest UI I have ever seen on a flashlight, simple and reliable!

This is actually quite amusing that people are upset over this. We are talking about a piece of aluminum that has been cut into a flashlight, that I purchased. I should post a video of me just drilling random holes in it...for "aesthetics"
lol

Kestrel said:

That is certainly an interesting solution. I tried an E1 for a while, but always had a 'hand-preference' for the L1 body and sold off the E1 a long time ago so I know where you're coming from.

For whatever reason SF put out quite a bit of effort to maximize incompatibility between the E-series and L-series heads, despite the fact that they were threaded very similarly.
I know that if they were more electrically compatible, LEGOing them could get folks into trouble with the different driver locations, but that did make the well-thought-out mods more difficult than they could have been otherwise.

I see that you are using the earlier L1 body; I've gotten a comparable L1 bored for 17670, but the electrical is the harder part as the head needs to be both 'shallower' and modded for a driver at the same time.


Hasn't been a priority so it's been like that for a while.
I definitely love your modded driver module though.

Click to expand...

I too thought of modding the head, but decided after reading other posts on it that it was a bit much involved.

RWT1405 said:

I have to say, it makes me sick. I just ordered a couple of Malkoff M31's yesterday, to convert 2 more L1's I have. Why anyone would destroy one, is beyond me, as it is the finest UI I have ever seen on a flashlight, simple and reliable!

Click to expand...

While I most certainly agree on the L1 UI, the Gen5 L1 flashlight as a whole is most certainly ripe for full-scale modding:

• The driver module resides in the body and takes up the same volume as an entire CR123 cell, rather wasteful IMO. It doesn't have to be that way - the SF Gen6 reduced the length of the driver module by ~half, creating the gold-standard L1, the Gen6.
• The LED & driver combo delivered ~22 lumens on 'high' - a moderately-driven Lux3 is by now quite obsolete. Not only are modern emitters more efficient, but a driver that delivers such a small current on 'high' doesn't compare to the high-current drivers we have now.
• The aspheric lens is another issue - it isn't a good match at all to modern emitters. Virtually no modern general-purpose LED flashlight uses an aspheric lens these days because that beam profile is just too specialized for most uses IMO. This situation was no surprise to SF because they developed their wonderful TIR optic for the updated Gen6 L1.

'Chopping up' a Gen6 would be one thing, but the earlier L1's aren't in the same league and the LED, driver, and optic all beg for an update IMO.

----------

Edit: What someone has yet to do with a Gen5 L1 however (which never been done on CPF), is to use the ~6v boost driver module from the SF L2:


... and install it in the driver module compartment of a Gen5 L1 body, and upgrading the emitter with a ~6v XML2-EZW or MTG2 (replacing the aspheric lens with a reflector at the same time). The result would be an extraordinarily-high output L1 utilizing a single IMR123. :devil:

Nice execution there, kssmith...

I'm with Kestrel on this one... although it sure is nice to have older stock L1 in collection, there are people who like them and want to use them as EDC... but as previously mentioned, they don't compare to latest and greatest lights around us... except for one thing - user interface...

So why not upgrade an oldie to 500 or 1000 lumens with single XPL or triple XPG2/219B and have proper UI still at disposal, twisty 2-stage that L1's are famous for...

To me, more logical way of upgrading would be to go with LX2 and upgrade as it gives proper size body (L1s are slightly shorter as mentioned, extra space is available by allowing cell to get into bezel deeper than with LX2 for example)... but lots of people like knurling and whole feel of old L1s... they do offer a beautiful base for modding (even installing McClicky could be possible but it might require some serious tweaking to the tailcap)...

Here are two L1's getting ready for major surgeries, one with KL1 and McR-20 with XPL and 4-flat with KL4 bezel and triple XPG2, both at 3 amps for around 1000 lumens on high (only to be used with 17760 or 16650 cells)...

kssmith said:

This is actually quite amusing that people are upset over this. We are talking about a piece of aluminum that has been cut into a flashlight, that I purchased. I should post a video of me just drilling random holes in it...for "aesthetics"
lol

Click to expand...

It's your property, and you have every right to do whatever you want to it. It is also everyone else's right to criticize you for fundamentally changing a now discontinued piece of flashlight history, since you chose to put it on a public forum. Different folks, different strokes.

Personally, I don't really get it:

Con:
You now have a momentary only switch on a two mode head that was designed for a click type switch (effectively removing what was the L1's greatest feature)
You have done nothing to extend/increase runtime, despite increasing the size of the light

Pro:
You have increased the size of the light (this could be seen as a positive or negative, depending on personal preference, but I see why you did it)

Tana said:

Nice execution there, kssmith...

I'm with Kestrel on this one... although it sure is nice to have older stock L1 in collection, there are people who like them and want to use them as EDC... but as previously mentioned, they don't compare to latest and greatest lights around us... except for one thing - user interface...

So why not upgrade an oldie to 500 or 1000 lumens with single XPL or triple XPG2/219B and have proper UI still at disposal, twisty 2-stage that L1's are famous for...

To me, more logical way of upgrading would be to go with LX2 and upgrade as it gives proper size body (L1s are slightly shorter as mentioned, extra space is available by allowing cell to get into bezel deeper than with LX2 for example)... but lots of people like knurling and whole feel of old L1s... they do offer a beautiful base for modding (even installing McClicky could be possible but it might require some serious tweaking to the tailcap)...

Here are two L1's getting ready for major surgeries, one with KL1 and McR-20 with XPL and 4-flat with KL4 bezel and triple XPG2, both at 3 amps for around 1000 lumens on high (only to be used with 17760 or 16650 cells)...

[url]http://i1233.photobucket.com/albums/ff392/Tana2001/Surefire/TNTxDSC09814_zps6c3pcubk.jpg[/URL]

Click to expand...

Tana, you really are gifted. You do some amazing work!

kssmith said:

I too thought of modding the head, but decided after reading other posts on it that it was a bit much involved.

Click to expand...

I don't know about that. You already gutted the driver module and now you are willing to turn an L1 switch into a single stage clickie switch, but opening a dummy head and swap LED is too hard?

I have long believed that L1s are prime hosts for custom heads for better LEDs, bigger heads+TIR optics, etc. The older gens might actually be better candidates since given the limitation of pre-Cree LEDs they were set up to deliver more current than later ones that had more efficient LEDs. But sounds like you went the other direction and ended up with a light the size of an E2L, with E2L clip, but with the output an E1L, runtime of an E1L.

Again whatever works for you but it's what it is.

270winchester said:

I don't know about that. You already gutted the driver module and now you are willing to turn an L1 switch into a single stage switch, but opening a dummy head and swap LED is too hard?

Click to expand...

Well, my understanding of electronics isn't much. I looked into it, but saw where others had desoldered the LED, etc, and felt this was a bit out of my league. As I said, I know that pos goes to pos, etc. but not much more. Now, I get criticism, and it is cool, I was being facetious earlier. I love this forum and the people on it, I have learned a lot from them. Let me explain my situation for modding this light;
I have had some E2s in the past, and did not really care for them. I got the E1, which meets my needs as an EDC, however the body was a bit small IMO. I saw the L1, and really like the the look to the light, I realize that looks aren't everything, but they do matter to me. Anyway, only after I paid for the L1 did I realize that the driver was all inside the body. I tried to keep it intact, however only after failing with other spacers, did I decide to mod the driver.
On to the tailcap, the clicky is not a priority. I prefer them, but not necessary for most of my tasks. I did have to remove the resistor because of interference with the newer head. It was causing a low-low mode, then a low mode. I could get full output, but it was more difficult. I found out about the resistor, and removed it. Now the light functions great.
Trust me, my heart sank after I realized that the light was going to have to be modded to get it to work, but as that money doesn't grow on trees for me, I had to do what I could to save my investment. Yes, I could have sold it again, but eventually I would have ended up buying another one, and trying it then.
So, I love this place, the people, and never would have tried it had I not been hanging around here learning from others.
And who knows, I may still try to mod the head!

Well, I like legos. Any kind. If you got it, and can afford it, lego it! I am a firm believer in what one wants to do with their money they can. Keep the pics flowing. lol Now, personally I wouldn't have done that body.......But, you did and you like it....So carry on brave man! BTW, mail it to me when you want those holes drilled. I will hack away at it for you! Then fill them with glow powder epoxy mix. If you gonna go for it, gooooooo for it!

kssmith said:

Well, my understanding of electronics isn't much. I looked into it, but saw where others had desoldered the LED, etc, and felt this was a bit out of my league.

Click to expand...

But see in all seriousness that's why I say the L1 is perfect candidate for better heads because the worse you can do is mess up soldering a positive or negative lead, not much more complex that what you did with soldering a wire in the body spacer.

I have an L2 body that I modded the tail cap with a McClicky and put an E2C on it for an incandescent "E3e" and I will say that the McClicky didn't work out as well as I hopped.
I think that the rubber boot is too big and floppy for it now.

The only thing your conversion really will give you in the end is a slightly larger light, with no more battery life and the ability to load batteries from the tail end. Seems like you should get a 6 volt head and cram another battery in there

Str8stroke said:

Well, I like legos. Any kind. If you got it, and can afford it, lego it! I am a firm believer in what one wants to do with their money they can. Keep the pics flowing. lol Now, personally I wouldn't have done that body.......But, you did and you like it....So carry on brave man! BTW, mail it to me when you want those holes drilled. I will hack away at it for you! Then fill them with glow powder epoxy mix. If you gonna go for it, gooooooo for it!

Click to expand...

Now THIS is funny!, but actually I kinda like the idea of small glow in the dark spots around the light!!

BTW kssmith, no offense was intended toward you, you own it and I certainly think you should do with it as you please. I do hope it becomes the light you want.

RWT1405 said:

BTW kssmith, no offense was intended toward you, you own it and I certainly think you should do with it as you please. I do hope it becomes the light you want.

Click to expand...

None taken, It is all good!