what is the best SMALL luxeon light

I want to get a small luxeon light that is very bright and has little sidespill. Basically, I want a spotlight under 4.5 inches. Under $80. any suggestions? thanks

-David /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

Used TIR KL1 + E1E. Might be more than $80, but will give you the throw you want and is small, and decent runtime.

Take a look at these! . Not the smallest but then almost everything else has a fair amount of sidespill.

You should also consider the Inova T1. It is probably smaller than the SureFire KL1/E1e combo (which is now sold as the "E1L").

Jon

The latest KL1 head on a 1x123 body would work. This is essentially what the E1L outdoorsman is (KL1 head + E1 body + Z57 tailcap, length is just under 4 inches) but I think the cost of the E1L as sold in a single unit would exceed the price limit you set. You may be able to get the parts separately and put one of those together yourself, though.

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StoneDog said:
You should also consider the Inova T1. It is probably smaller than the SureFire KL1/E1e combo (which is now sold as the "E1L").

Jon

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Yep, I forgot about the Inova. They throw very well, and the price $40 is a good bargain given the high quality of Inova.

hmmm, inova T3 is too big. And T1 doesnt throw quite enough. I figured that most of you guys would say E1L. The reason I put this post up is to see if anyone out there can find a small light with the throw (or beam quality) of E1L that costs less. I dont mind if it is 5.5 inches. but that is the limit. I've looked everywhere, I just cant find one.

-David

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cheapo said:
hmmm, inova T3 is too big. And T1 doesnt throw quite enough. I figured that most of you guys would say E1L. The reason I put this post up is to see if anyone out there can find a small light with the throw (or beam quality) of E1L that costs less. I dont mind if it is 5.5 inches. but that is the limit. I've looked everywhere, I just cant find one.

-David

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My opinion says that the KL1 has very bad beam quality to speak of, but it does throw well--and throw was what you asked for.

T1 throws well (also with my opinion says bad beam quality), you really need to try it out before discounting it...


I'm not at all a fan of TIR or TIROS optics. But if you want just throw (at the expense of beam quality), they will do that for you.


Longbow Micra also has good throw for its size, I think what you really need to do is fine someone in your area that can show you each of these lights, and then you could select what works best for you.

yeah, I got some beamshots of a micra from a cpf member compared to kl1. The KL1 was much brighter. The Micra was too floody. I personally LOVE tiros. It is great. And, I love the Kl1 beam. It is great. It has the same brightness throughout the entire beam. its nice. but I dont want to buy a E1L. Too expensive. Which throws better T1 or longbow micra?

-David /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

you could try the orb that is still being offered in the group buys section with the UYOJ binned luxIII its 50GBP around $90 its approx 4.5 inches and smokes the KL1

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cheapo said:
yeah, I got some beamshots of a micra from a cpf member compared to kl1. The KL1 was much brighter. The Micra was too floody. I personally LOVE tiros. It is great. And, I love the Kl1 beam. It is great. It has the same brightness throughout the entire beam. its nice. but I dont want to buy a E1L. Too expensive. Which throws better T1 or longbow micra?

-David /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

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If you are making these observations based off web beamshots (which mostly only show the hotspot--I'll never buy a light based on web beamshots because in most cases beamshots don't show the full picture), then I don't think you've seen a KL1 in person?

The beam is no where close to same brightness throwout--on contrary, its a very inconsistent beam. The center part of the beam is square (with a different color in the center part of the hotspot and the outer hotspot--mine happen to be green in the outer hotspot), and there are voids and a few rings in the corona--lots of artifacts. Most people don't care about this as long as it throws, but I happen to want more than long-range use out of a light.

@357 I have actually seen a KL1 in person. By brother has one. It's spot is consistant. Then light ends. And at the outer part is a few rings. Its a beauty! Selling yours?

-David /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

@ solarflare really, where can I get beamshots of the orb? I've seen it, It looks nice. Is it a twisty though? Also, how do you know that it beats the KL1?

-David

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cheapo said:
@357 I have actually seen a KL1 in person. By brother has one. It's spot is consistant. Then light ends. And at the outer part is a few rings. Its a beauty! Selling yours?

-David /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

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Your original post said "it has the same brightness throughout the entire beam". If this was true, there wouldn't be ANY rings or voids, and the corona would not have artifacts. I don't even agree that the hotspot (spot) has the same brightness throughout itself, on mine the center of the hotspot is brighter than the outer edges (which in itself if no big deal), but I think calling the entire beam (or even just the hotspot) consistant is a major stretch. Then again, everyone sees things differently...

...There are people that thing Maglites beams are consistent, so I guess its all just personal preference.

I might sell mine at the right price, I always sell at the same price that I buy for so its unlikely anyone would want mine (since it is used)--hard to find items like Arcs I would try to make a profit on if I were to ever sell them. I don't have incentive to sell things below the price I pay and lose money, unless I need the money (which I currently don't).

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@357 OK, well, you know, you are probably right. I dont own a Kl1, you do, I'll have to take a look when my brother comes back. But I like that there is no light between the hotspot and the rings. It is nice. What is your KL1 sitting on, E1E?

-David

I have a KL1 also, it sounds more like your brothers with a consistent very white hot"square". The Orb uses a reflector rather than a focusing optic so there is more sidespill, but with that particular bin of lux in the orb it is putting out probably between 80 to 100 lumens. The Orb has a magnetic reed switch in the tail which is activated by passing a magnet on the lanyard into the body of the light, not very practical but very cool. Other switches will be available shortly if you have a look in the manufacturer forums there are some videos of these different switches. The orb also uses 2 123 cells so you get longer runtime. However the orb is raw aluminium so if you're planning on using it in rough conditions the body will get scratched.

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cheapo said:
@357 OK, well, you know, you are probably right. I dont own a Kl1, you do, I'll have to take a look when my brother comes back. But I like that there is no light between the hotspot and the rings. It is nice. What is your KL1 sitting on, E1E?

-David

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Right now, E2E. Its rated at I think 4 hours regulated on-time with the E2E, so for walking the dog its good--area is pitch dark and it has enough throw to let me know if someone or something is coming from a distance away. Street lights are rare and ineffective in my area, so carrying a couple useful lights for night walks is smart.

hmm, orb is a wee bit expensive. But I'll take a look.

-david

Funny, nobody's mentioned the Fire Fly... :scratch:

or the Larry-light for that matter (I forget the official name, sorry, Larry).