Taming the Surefire optic based KL1 beam...

I have an Surefire E1L with the optic KL1 head.

The beam on this thing really is horrible. As many of you know, it is mostly throw with lousy spill. The throw isn't all that great either. It can reach out, but the beam has no touch. It's a tease. The optics help, but there isn't enough juice to truly light things up well. So, in my view, it is a failure...

Now, I get the F04 beam shaper to clean things up a bit.

This beam is kinda lousy also. The diffuser takes away too much light. So now I have about a 15 lumen (compared against my L2) with an hour runtime. The L2 gets 8 hours with 15 lumens (granted 2 batteries...but still...)

I wouldn't mind the lower output if I got better runtime and a smoother beam.. Well, I don't like retarding my output and getting the same runtime. I'm wasting power...

My solution..I made my own Beamshaper. I found a plastic bag from the "Sunglass Hut" that was pretty thick and was clear, but had a slight frosting to it. Kind of like Scotch tape, but a little more transparent. I popped the plastic disc out of the beamshaper and replaced it with this plastic. I cut it a little long so the beamshaper rubber would hold it in place against the side of the head.

The result...Perfection..The beam is real close to the orignal 25 lumens, but it is nicely spread out with a smooth but bright hot spot. It is much better than the supplied beam shaper..The throw is a little less, but it is still there..much more so than with the original F04. I'll take a little less throw in exchange for more spill, especially since the original throw was just a tease anyway..

This light was headed for the sale forum, but I just saved it with a freebie plasitc bag..

Give it a try...

I guess its a lost cause for me. I DO like the HUGE hotspot the F04 makes, but doesn't make up for spill

The plastic trick is a good one. be sure to try other's for different difusion levels. (The protective layer over electronics when you buy them is a favorite.

I am starting to think the newest KL-1 an aquired taste.

I got three of them two very white, and one greenish tint's, and
I consider them to be great thrower's for a 400ma 1watt driving a lux-III.

A very nice CPF member was kind enough to let me borrow his aleph 2 since he had seen me asking question's about them esp, the #II head for use on my 1x123 VG bodies.The light is a 500ma nexgen
TX0J emmiter other then that I don't know much about the spec's.
What a great light! i really want one now! but despite
a beautiful reflectored beam, killer throw, and great spill,
My KL-1's seem to out throw it, esp my greenish one.

And when I got them the one thing i noticed with the TIROS optic seem's to really ad definition, and cut through humidity an ambient light like an incan, but with led tint and wash. KL-1 almost has a search light thing i don't see in my
reflectored LED's. even my personal fav, my HDS basic 60 is not quite as long as the KL-1, or defined in heavy air, or ambient light.

But this is why there are more flavor's then vanilla and chocolate /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif different light's for different applications and all the personal preferences that go with them. VDG

Yes, I noticed that too. The ONLY reson I'm keeping it

Two things they COULD change.
1. Somehow eliminate the rings and smooth things out W/O loosing anythrow
2. make it throw hotter?

Also, is there a reflector with in reasonable size that could cut ambient light like that? (decent throw)

A 27mm reflector (IMS or McR) could do it.

[ QUOTE ]
Toecutter said:

The beam on this thing really is horrible. As many of you know, it is mostly throw with lousy spill. The throw isn't all that great either. It can reach out, but the beam has no touch. It's a tease. The optics help, but there isn't enough juice to truly light things up well. So, in my view, it is a failure...


[/ QUOTE ]

I find the new style KL1 to be more useful on a 2-cell body than with one cell (the E1L configuration). The beam is brighter--not immensely brighter, but enough to notice the difference. It will run at full brightness on a Pila 168S cell. I use mine as a replacement head for my L4 whenever I want more throw.

[ QUOTE ]
GarageBoy said:
Also, is there a reflector with in reasonable size that could cut ambient light like that? (decent throw)

[/ QUOTE ]

It's pretty easy to find reflectors that will beat the KL1 in throw. A 17mm reflector won't, because it's too small relative to the emitter size. My BugOutGear 3W module easily matches the KL1, and my Streamlight ProPolymer Luxeon beats the KL1 handily. You might have to use a reflector that's larger than the KL1 bezel diameter, but it doesn't have to be a lot larger.

So whats "And when I got them the one thing i noticed with the TIROS optic seem's to really ad definition, and cut through humidity an ambient light like an incan, but with led tint and wash. KL-1 almost has a search light thing i don't see in my
reflectored LED's. even my personal fav, my HDS basic 60 is not quite as long as the KL-1, or defined in heavy air, or ambient light. "
about? Thanks! I traded mine for an NX05 Gen III KL1

SureFire's optics are not "TIROS" which is what Inova calls it's optics. SureFire's optics are "TIR Optics" developed with SAIC.

The "KL1" optic is actually pretty good when used by a LuxeonIII driven harder - lets say twice as hard.

Al