New L1 questions

I had the old L1 and modded it and subsequently sold it. I now have the KL1 and love it.
Are the KL1(on 1 cell) and the L1 the same in terms of runtime and output?
What's the runtime on Hi and Lo?
I thought it best to clarify before chasing a L1 !
TIA /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif Phil.

I have an E1L and an L1. The E1L is just a KL1 head on an E1E body. I personally think the E1L is just a bit brighter than the L1 but it could just be the luck of the draw/luxon lottery.

I haven't run either of mine down to the point of needing new cells but have talked to quite a few people with well over 30 hours on the low setting of the L1.

I have been "Playing" with my L1 quite a bit and it shows no signs of dimming but I don't just leave my lights on to run time test them since most of my uses for higher power light are short bursts that will last me for a very long time. I do use LED/Low level lights to read by quite a bit and have probably logged five or six hours on low with no perceptible loss of beam strength.

I realize this isn't very helpful but hopefully it gives you a starting point.

Chris

Surefire has the following runtime and output specs on their 2005 catalog:
<ul type="square">[*]L1 - 50 hours @ 0.7 lumens (low) / 2 hours @ 15 lumens (high)
[*]E1L (KL1 head on E1e body) - 4 hours @ 25 lumens
[/list]

Thanks DC,but that seems not to addup? Surely these outputs are the same? So how can the runtimes vary?
The E1L puts out more power for twice as long???
Is this a SF typo?

Differences in the type of LED used, type of optic / reflector as well as the different types of driver circuitry can more than account for the oddities in output and runtimes.

FWIW, since the numbers quoted for the L1 are the same as they were in previous revisions of the L1 that were using a different LED and optic from the latest generation L1's I believe the numbers for the L1 are probably off.

Phil_B,
I can't answer your question about the runtime of the new L1 on high. What I can state is I have been using my "new style" L1 as a night light (on low) and using it during the day whenever I needed to, and my current runtime on a Toshiba 123A on low has been 84 hours 25 minutes and 28 seconds. The light it still as bright on high (to my eyes) when compared to a new E1L Outdoorsman. I will continue using my stopwatch to time its use as a night light and will report back the total time used on low whenever it will no longer support the same brightness level on high as my E1L. I am very impressed with the runtime on low.

Jerry

Ok, surefire says for the KL1, 2 hrs full blast, the other 2 are diminishing

Jerry-WOW! 84 hours is an achievement to measure nevermind run a light on one cell!
Thanks,Phil. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Great Jerry, I was thinking about doing the same thing but I don't have the patience or the equipment. (I don't want to do a runtime test and fall asleep while doing it.) Is it really that efficient on low?

Also, does the 4th gen L1 have a dumb head like the older model? What would happen if I hooked up my L1 head to a FB1 + R123?

Yes, the current (new) L1's bezel does not have any regulation electronic in it.

I have no idea what would happen if you put the L1's bezel on an "FB1". Highly likely it would not like it (even more so when powered by an R123).

Putting the L1 head on a FB1 body would direct-drive the head, as far as I understand. Not sure what a 4.2V R123 direct driving an L1 head would do to the head. Using a standard CR123, the brightness level is somewhere between the L1 on low and the L1 on high.

phil_B: i like the new L1 i just got a week ago, and i've been carrying it more than my A2. the only thing that bugs me is the lack of sidespill, which requires me to pan the beam around. the throw for an LED is very good though. i think the L1 would be perfect if it had used a reflector like in the L4 /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Surefire E1L (left) powered by a 16340 550mAh 3.7V rechargeable cell.
Surefire L1 (right) powered by a Toshiba CR123A cell on high (this same cell has run this light on low for 126 hours)

The L1 beam is yellowish but I am amazed that it can still be this bright (on high) after this many hours on low. After 100 hours on the cell this light (on low) would still light up a totally dark room when the beam was pointed at the ceiling.

While you couldn't read by the light's output (while pointed at the ceiling), you could make out most any object in the room. After three or four minutes of running the light on high, the low setting would barely light up.



Surefire E1L (left) on low (Aleph Trim Tailcap with two stage switch – LOTC resistor value 15 ohms) running same cell as above.
Surefire L1 (right) running new Surefire CR123A cell on low.




Surefire E1L (left) on high running same cell as above.
Surefire L1 (right) on high running new Surefire CR123A.

The distance from lights to wall was 36 inches and the wall is a light shade of beige.

Jerry

I just read on Lumileds that the LuxIII can take a max of 4.47volts at 700mah. So would a 4.2v R123 be safe in a FB1+L1 head?

Jerry,

Has your L1 always been that yellow ?
I just got the new L1 and the beam at
about 30" is bright white with a very
thin hint of yellow on the extreme
outside edge. As the distance
increases it fades away and
disappears.

....... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thinking.gif

Same with my kl1 hear...

-tom

[ QUOTE ]
I just read on Lumileds that the LuxIII can take a max of 4.47volts at 700mah. So would a 4.2v R123 be safe in a FB1+L1 head?

[/ QUOTE ]

I am not any type of authority on this, but from my readings on this forum I would not take the L1 head and place it on any other body and try to increase the voltage. From what I have read, the L1 head is meant to only be used on the L1 body.

Jerry

[ QUOTE ]
Has your L1 always been that yellow ?

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes. It is one of those things I don't notice so much until comparing it with other LED lights. Taking both of these lights outside in the dark, I prefer the color rendition of the "yellow" L1 to the E1L. The L1 beam is very reminiscent of my Surefire A2 incandescent beam color (although the L1 beam is much whiter in comparison). It is surely one of those times when "one man's trash is another man's treasure" as I like the light just fine and am not looking to exchange it.

Jerry