Lumens Factory HO-9 saved me today

Or rather saved my Malkoffs.

I had a close friend of mine eye my collection and demand a gift. The friend doesn't know much about lites. I gave the latest greatest MiniMag, the 272 lumen version. The friend was not appeased, not sure why. I thought it was a great lite, especially for a novice. I was told "I want one of your fat lites". So eyeballing my collection, I knew I had to part with one of the many FiveMega / Malkoff combinations. *sigh*

One of the dozen of so had to go. I have a double of Malkoff M61LL and I was white-walling both of them, trying to decide which tint to give away. Sigh, they both are pretty good.

Until I realized I could give out the Surefire 9P with the Lumens Factory HO-9 incandescent bulb rated at 320 lumens - but honestly feeling brighter than that. We got appeasement. The lite got loaded with Primary CR123A cells. I thought about including some Li-Ions with it but we have a highly functioning case of ADD here so the Li-Ions wouldn't last 10 minutes.

Everyone I have given out lites to has either lost them or damaged them (via leaky batteries)

If the bulb burns out, which is doubtful, I will include either another one, or throw in a Malkoff. We shall see. In actuality, I am inclined to give out the EO-9 module, I think I have one laying around somewhere.

The friend is of a persuasion that loves to loose stuff, but turning them down was not an option. On top of it, I never really got the hang of the 9P format. Theoretically it's cool. But in reality, the aftermarket 9P body rules, better knurling, and pre-drilled for 18mm. You can always run 18650 with a spacer.

So, were you "saved" because the SF 9P with the LF HO-9 was your least desirable light? :thinking:

I couldn't fathom ever parting with my user 9P (also w/HO-9) after having it bored-out and carrying it in my bags for so long, years ago.

May your friend never lose his gifted Surefire 9P...and someday develop an appreciation for it.

*sigh*

I am not so sure of its future, in fact I have my doubts.

It was a plane-jane Surefire 9P without any customization. I recently got a brand new 6P for $20 so decided this was a good way to share some good karma.

I also have a FiveMega 9P clone with something Malkoff in it, which I prefer over the "genuine" thing.

Yeah, HO-9 is HO-9 but it's not a Malkoff. I wouldn't give up *any* of my Malkoffs over it. HO-9 is for mass consumption. A malkoff is a piece of art. I got off easy, it seems.

Note I am posting this in the LED section. The meaning is, how lucky I am, I got to keep my Malkoffs. The Gods of CPF-ism have been good to me.

These Lumens Factory are a cheap way to get into the trade, and if you lose one, you are not going to cry over it. It's a truism. I am being honest here yet diplomatic.

Too bad your friend wouldn't use rechargeable cells. That HO-9 on a pair of 17500's is a sweet combo...

My friend barely knows which end of the light to twist to cut it on.

Your friend is lucky... I love 9v Surefires. You can run just about any Malkoff drop-in with one. 3xCR123s for the M60/61/91s or 2xAAs for the M30/M31s with a sleeve.

And here I thought it was supposed to be a thread of a story telling us how the HO-9 saved you from a dangerous situation or something.
Glad my stuff saved your Malkoffs though.

How does one become your friend? I would like to guilt you into gifting me a few out of your collection! :santa:

Seriously, the 9P & HO-9 is a sweet set up. I love my 9Ps almost as much as my M3s.

I *was* in a dangerous situation. I was on the verge of losing a valuable member in my collection and had to think fast.
I took a FiveMega 6p loaded with a malkoff m61LL, panasonic 18650 cell and a stock surefire 9p with primaries and a high output lumens factory incandescent module. Shined them next to each other and inquired which one do you want?
The friend had no hesitation.
M61LL, as good as it is, looked weak, dim, pale and downright sickly compared to the vibrant and color rich lumens factory that wanted to burn a hole through the wall. It was one of the higher output modules, either the 320 lumen or the 380 lumen one.
The choice was made but it was a close call.

If someone was nice enough to give me something I would just smile and thank them not demand more. Heck I wouldn't have asked for anything in the first place.

Demand a gift??? really? that's odd, and to get picky about it too. I think the AA mini mag is a great light for people who don't know lights and batteries and don't take very good care of them. Oh well, at least you had something you could sacrifice to save the stuff you really like.

Think of it as a symbiotic relationship, not so much a demand.

Today I got a confirmation that the lite works well. What a relief.

I think there may be more than just ADD going on there. Although, as I explained to my kids (one ADD, one ADHD [and yes, it was a quite exhaustive diagnosis, not just a snap judgement by a teacher, etc. There were four trained professionals involved in each diagnosis]) we all have an internal censor that controls what we say to others and how we behave, to fit to the norms we have learned. It is just that with ADD/ADHD that censor loses some power and things sometimes slip out without them really realizing what they are saying or doing. Takes some getting used to, and leads to a lot of talks and comforting on the part of the parents some times.