SF L1 Lumamax, always 3 Watt??

I was looking on the SF website and noticed the L1 Lumamax description says 3 watt LED. Has this always been the case? Why does it say the output is only 15 lumens with a 3W LED. Is this way understated?

Thanks.

They have always been 1W. I also read the website and saw that they had switched to 3W, but Size15 says the web is wrong and they have not yet released any with 3W......

Go figure!

Marc

Thanks marcspar:

I'll check-in with the "world renowned" SF customer service department to clarify this issue.

Believe me they have a good costomer service departments. I didn't have a problem with it.

-tom

Alright, here's the answer from SF on the question of whether the L1 Lumamax has a 1 watt or a 3 watt LED:


Sir,
The L1-wh with the 3 watt LED is already shipping from the factory. The rated output has not changed from the 1 watt LED. If you have any further questions do not hesitate to write back or call us at 1-800-828-8809. We are dedicated to providing world-class customer service and welcome future inquiries or comments.

SureFire Technical Support
800-828-8809
714-545-9444
714-545-9537 FAX

Interesting, is there a way to tell the difference between a 1 watt L1 and a 3 watt L1?

-Mike

[ QUOTE ]
Xrunner said:
Interesting, is there a way to tell the difference between a 1 watt L1 and a 3 watt L1?


[/ QUOTE ]

I just checked with SF CS and they said the "old" 1W LED L1 looks exactly like the "new" L1 with a 3W LED.

SureFire Customer Service are wrong.

SureFire are not [yet] shipping the L1 with LuxeonIII.

I hear that you will be able to tell the difference between the current 1W Luxeon and the new L1 featuring the LuxeonIII.

I felt so strongly about this that I've spoken to PK about it about ten minutes ago.

Al

Alright, Al. Sometimes one hand doesn't always know what the other one is doing, that's for sure. Happens around here, too. I keep thinking I need an L1, but I don't guess I'll scratch that itch until the fat lady has a chance to add her 2 bits worth to all this. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon3.gif

Confirming what Size15 said:

The Luxeon III version of the the L1 does exist, just like the U2..... and like the U2, it is anyone's guess when it will actually ship .

why do some cpf-member know more about what surefire delivers than the inhouse surefire customer service?

i planned to buy a L1 because the website says its a 3 watt and the surefire customer service confirmed that.

now whom can i trust? should i always write an email to pk?

I wouldn't sweat too much about whether it's a 1W or 3W. If you get one that has a good tint to the LED, just roll with it.

Getting a 3W in the L1 wouldn't get you anything but being able to say that you have a 3W. It won't get you any performance because the L1 runs at around 350mA anyway.

What I would be most concerned about is getting a high dome, whether it's a 1W or 3W. Then I'd put a reflector in it and leave it alone.

My L1s have terrible tint. I hope the change to 3-watt (when they do make the change and start shipping) improves the tint.

Chop,

Do I understand it correctly? Performance of the light will not change in any way (output, etc.) from the 1-watt? If so, why change? I would guess this has been discussed before--thanks for a point in the right direction!

As I re-read the posts in this thread, and having checked with SF customer service, and having discussed it with Al who discussed it with PK who should know as much or more about it than anyone, the only thing that's clear to me is that the new L1 is supposed to look different. That much I know. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/popcorn.gif

I'm sure that more will become clear in the fullness of time. I have questions about the L1 as well. We'll have to wait.

Al

[ QUOTE ]
flashfan said:
Do I understand it correctly? Performance of the light will not change in any way (output, etc.) from the 1-watt? If so, why change? I would guess this has been discussed before--thanks for a point in the right direction!

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes, you are correct. Swapping the 1 watt Luxeon with a Luxeon III ( Please note the name. There's no such thing as a 3 watt Luxeon) will *not* make a light run at 3 watts unless you also change the drive level.

My own opinion of Surefire's move to the Lux3 part is because the Lux3's seem to be more plentiful and have a more consistant tint.
Also, underdriving a part made to handle between 3 - 4 watts seems in line with Surefire's policy of driving their LED lights below spec, presumably for reliability/longevity reasons.

kakster:

Just to clarify, the L1 description on the SF website doesn't say Luxeon III. It says "3 watt LED".

Lumiled's Luxeon family

There's the Luxeon, Luxeon III and the Luxeon V. Calling it a 3 watt LED doesnt tell you much. You can overdrive the 1.2 watt part to 3 watts, or similarly, underdrive the Luxeon V.