Busting a myth! KL3... my impressions.

Thanks to Topper, I recieved a KL3 on a black G2 via the Postman today.

First impression? KL3 is a BIG and somewhat HEAVY item!
It is just under 2 1/4" long, and just under 1 1/2" wide. This compares to 1 1/4" Long by 1 1/4" wide.

It weighs 2 1/2oz. compared to about 3/4oz. for a stock bezel and P60 LM.

And lastly, after getting it home and testing against something... It doesn't give TOO much away to my minim*g with a Madmax+. It is brighter and slightly tighter. And probably OWNS on runtime.

But the G2 is much handier to carry and use with a stock LM, and a Minim*g carries damn easy too!

I like the KL3, and it IS staying. But it ain't the end all be all I thought it was!

And THANKS! to Topper! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/buttrock.gif

Personally I think the brightness of the KL3 isnt worth it's huge size. Maybe if it was a 5watter, but there are many other 1watter's id rather carry... Just my $.02

Mod it! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Mine runs at 1A with a TWAK LuxIII and a Fraen LP optic installed.

Much better than stock... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinser2.gif

A stock KL3 was never meant to be an optput king.....

Honestly, if you mis-judged that, then you haven't truly considered the implications of the various reviews out there regarding this replacement bezel. Even by reviewing SureFire's published stats on this piece as applied to either a 2x123 or 3x123 body, you'd have seen this to be true.

It's simply a long-runtime alternative for "general" lighting needs.

If you want power, you should've gotten the L4, L5, or L6 (and respective KLX) units.

Allen
aka DumboRAT

Yeah, and I'm MADE of money and a KING with a soldering iron. Uh Huh.

So what kind of runtime am I looking at? I sure as heck can't mod it!

I guess the KL3 just never fit anywhere in my practical light uses. Id rather use a minimag with a sandwich than a 2 or 3 cell SF with the KL3. If I wanted long runtimes I wouldnt be using 123's in the first place.

It'll run about 4 hrs on 2-123.Surely you read enough about this combo to know what you were getting.A medium output long run general lighting tool nothing more and certainly nothing less.

OK, as always a slightly contraversial view coming...hopefully to add clarity...

The KL3 on an M2 or C3 body provides a highly resilient good overall "indoor" output light with (C3) over 7 hours good strong light and bags more after that.

Frankly, I've yet to be convinced that anything stock LED has much use for long throw outdoor use yet - so much easier to just replace a quick incandescent bulb every now and then - and there really isn't much of a step forward in run-times - viz the recent thread about 70 minutes output on an L6 on Pilas...big deal...

I'm sure that LEDs will get there, clearly the PK1 shows that this is approaching possible, but I just don't think they're there yet. Just compare against a simple A2/E2/M2 and keep a couple of spare bulbs handy...

I love the KL3+C3 combo because nothing else that I know of let's me have 10 year standby, excellent indoor output and SF LED indestructability with a 7+hour run-time.

Horses for courses - use the LEDs for that stuff, use a bright incandescent for the other stuff - at least for now...

I think the big failing with many of these LEDs is actually not the output but the inability to have a lower level option. Mostly indoors - a KL3, even KL1 is too bright for normal task use or even looking around a car at a traffic stop at night, yet you have to put up with 70 minutes run-time because it is "trying" to be "quite bright". That's why my other favorite (hopefully soon to be replaced by the U2) is my L1 (white) (ARC4 would probably fit here too - I ust don't have one). Most of the time, its low level is well adequate for indoors and lasts me well over 100 hours on 1x123 like that with a quick snap to 'bright' all the way along (KL1 style output) for those other tasks - but only when I need it.

I can use the low level for physical exams (like a hi-tech penlight) and yet use the same light to fill a room of a dark house at night.

To go searching for ejected bodies from a car wreck, I'll take a Tigerlight or an M6 or even the truck's Litebox - LED just has no place there...

We love where LEDs are going, but right now, I fear that there is a little of the "for a boy with a hammer - the world appears to be full of nails" syndrome going on...

I'm off to Haiti and total unpredictability in a few weeks and my line up will likely be L1, KL3+C3, M6... with that lot I can cover most bases...whatever ends up happening and for however long...

Simon

I shudder to think of going to Haiti! BE SAFE! And be sure you have something lethal along!

I guess my point after all is said is...

I understand the output. I did think there should be more, but I understand.

What I don't get is why it is so frikin' huge? It's lovely, don't get me wrong. All those ridges and scallops and shiny black finish.

But we can get Pelican M6 with bright LED (stock) or VERY bright LED (McModule). Without changing the size one iota.

A Madmax makes a Minim*g WAY better without changing the size.

The KL3 would actually make more sense on a 3x123 Aluminum body. It kinda overwhelms the G2.

And it looks like it has enough meat to sink 5W EASY!

And no, I read recommendation after recommendation about getting a KL3 for a G2. I don't recall being told to prepare to be underwhelmed!

I guess one day I'll have to either learn to do the mod, or send it to someone to hot rod it! It has a rather strong pink tint to the LED anyway.

Its just a beautifully crafted chunk of Aluminium. Its probabley my most tinted luxeon light, but i still love it /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

I can't stop buying them. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

I agree, it's a wonderful piece of work. I do appreciate quality and craftsmanship. But in all practical usefulness, there are better options.

For me, they are the ideal mod platform until I can afford a lathe...

The trickiest thing to mod on a KL3 is adding a reflector (more metal cutting).

The ones that have been modded are meant for a 9P body. While the head is bulky, it is perfect for sinking and dissipating the heat generated by a 5W Luxeon.

I have an M2 with a KL3 for only one reason, children. That is the light they use for chores etc and I never have to worry about it getting damaged. Heck, it would damage the driveway if it were dropped.

[ QUOTE ]
symes said:
...Frankly, I've yet to be convinced that anything stock LED has much use for long throw outdoor use yet... Just compare against a simple A2/E2/M2 and keep a couple of spare bulbs handy...


[/ QUOTE ]

I agree in general, but fascinating developments are occurring now even though they aren't technically '"stock". Here's an excerpt from my post titled "Closing the Gap".

My EDC has always included a 2x123 long throw incandescent, initially one of the "big three" and more recently the TL-2 xenon as a more compact but still long throwing compromise. I didn't believe that a 2x123 LED could fill this role for at least two or three years but I was wrong, or at least partly wrong. The E2E mounted McLux PR917 will out-throw my E2E/MN03 and maintain its brightness for about 1.5hrs. It is a little heftier than the E2E but still a very compact light.

Is it a true "long-throw" light? That depends on your definition, but I consider any 2x123 that can equal or surpass the classic three (TACLITE, TACM, PM6) to be a genuinely long-thrower. The TL-2 xenon, though an excellent thrower, is still a distinct step or two below that standard, while the McLux PR917 is two or so steps behind the TL-2 and the E2E perhaps a half step or more behind the PR. So by those stringent standards I'd have to say the PR isn't a true long throwing light, but it beats the E2E, which used to be our favorite and smallest incandescent and it runs at full brightness many times longer, which is why I carry it.

Incandescents are far from dead, but day by day, week by week manufacturers and modders are closing the gap.

Brightnorm

I am smitten with the looks of the KL3. In stock form it gives decent indoor or close range illumination for several hours.

However, I think this retro looking head begs for modding.

Chop did this one for my son's G2. TWOK Lux III at 1200ma.
It's a whole 'nother beast. This one uses the Fraen LP, but the next one I have him do will be with a Pelican Reflector and down at only 1000ma to give more runtime.

Britt

I have one on a 9P body, with a Z49 clickie as (one of) my bedside lights, and it gets a fair amount of use. I got fortunate on the Luxeon lottery, as mine is quite bright, and blue-white, with no violet that I can see.

I always assumed that SF was going to put a 5W Luxeon in the KL3 head, since it is so much heat sinking, far more than the stock KL3 needs. Still, it's a real work horse with the 3 cell body, and the Z49 sort of balances the front heavy body.

On a G2 I doubt that I would care for it either... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon3.gif

PlayboyJoeShmoe,

Ah ! Now I get what you were saying. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Modding is definitely one potential plus, but you're right, for guys like us, who cannot solder ro save a life, well, that point is pretty much buried.

The more practical "factory" plus for me is that this LED bezel truly is embedded in its design as a long-run-time general-purpose light that doesn't generate any apppreciable heat at all.

It fits a niche, and that's all.

Like others have cited above, a flashlight is a tool, the right tool for the right purpose is what we all seek. With my KL3/C2/Z48 combo this past summer/fall during the NA Blackout, I went two entire nights with this light on just one set of Toshiba 123 cells.....and it took until halfway into the second night, at about 6-hours of continuous-burn, before it finally dipped into moon mode.

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

That's why I keep this light combo around.

Allen
aka DumboRAT

How is the emitter driven? (Current)

A BB400 gets around 3 hours of runtime with a set of AA rechargeables.

PlayboyJoeShmoe, you are welcome. If you decide to keep it we can work something out, I think it will grow on you time will tell.
Topper /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif