Surefire beamshapers

I'm sure you hardcore Surefire owners have already tried them but for those of you who haven't such as myself until today, they are really quite a pleasant surprise. I was placing an order and figured I would try out the $7 and change E series beamshaper for my E2. It really lights up a wide area of light very evenly much like an LED light only stronger then any LED light I currently own. I think it would be great for walking outdoors at night or illuminating a whole room during a power outage or even a small yard. Of course the "throw" factor is greatly reduced but as mentioned still much brighter then my 7 LED Trek which is the biggest LED light I own. If you're placing a Surefire order somewhere, it's really worth it to try it out.

Yup, my wife carries an E1, with the beamshaper all the time, she like the brighter light, and soft beam. Very close to what the Arc LS will do.

I got a BeamShaper for the Millennium TurboHeads - Strange...

I've not had time to explore all the goodies from my order yet.

Al

Does the E2 beam shaper fit the mini mag? If so, does it give a smooth beam?

For those of you reading this & don't have an E1, it really needs the beamshaper to be a useful light. I guess to keep the light as bright as possible, they made the center spot very small. The beamshaper is a real improvement. BTW, if you don't want to lay out the $ for an E1, buy the E1 bulb & a dummy battery, & you have an E1 that's much easier to hold. TX

Yep, I agree. The tactical-style beam, on a light that has neither the power nor form factor to be really useful as a tactical light, just doesn't work on the E1. I didn't find the E1 a very useful light, until I put a beamshaper on it. Now the E1 w/beamshaper has retired a bunch of other lights.

I find that the normal E2 beam is very dispersed to begin with, the most of any Surefire light that I own. I think that a beamshaper would just weaken it, and I'd much rather use my Trek 1400 which is good for hours of walking, and supplement that with more a more powerful Surefire or Asp Taclite. Of course, if the E2 had a decent run time that would be a different story, but these lithium "tac lights" were never meant for long burn time anyway, and that certainly applies to the E2 which really can't be considered a tactical light in the first place.
I do however have a turbohead for my 6P, and that is quite remarkable, but also big and cumbersome. I might consider the beam shaper for my 6P. Are they very bulky? I've never seen one.

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Size15s:
I got a BeamShaper for the Millennium TurboHeads - Strange...
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Really strange....... so how is the beam like??
Like a normal Non-SF TuboHeads?
Linfeng

right now I couldn't tell you.
I hope that the other moderators are doing whatever moderators do because I don't have the drugs to sort me out.........

Clay, Dano, Brock - this'll be my last post until I casdnklkn xczzcxkllllkl']

a

Beamshapers are great for protecting the bezel and lens. I have a beamshaper on my lights for that purpose. Plus I get the additional bonus of having dispersed lighting.

The tip-off beamshaper on my 9P is great--you can go from spot to diffuse lighting in a jiffy. However, I think the beamshaper also contributed to the meltdown of the lens on my 9P.

Recently received the tip-off beamshaper for the M6. It is larger than I expected, but works well. In my opinion, it also makes the flashlight look "lethal" however, so I wouldn't try to take it onboard an airplane. Going off topic, but does anyone know if a "plain" M6 is allowed as a carry-on?

Flashfan,

I can't answer your question definitively, but on a flight to Canada (pre 9/11)my carry on bag was searched after being X-rayed.
I was carrying a UK 4C (with batteries), a SF 6P (w batt) and a turbohead for the 6P.They had never seen lights like that before, but were placated (and impressed)after I demonstrated them.

The next time I fly, I'll take what ever light I feel like taking, but I'll also take the spec. sheet or info-insert that came with it, especially if there'sa picture of the light on it. That will immediately establish that this is a legitimate, commercial flashlight product, with no sinister undertones.

Will it work? I'm betting that it will. Even if it doesn't. demonstrating the light, and opening it up should reassure even the dumbest security type. On the other hand, it might not.

One of our members, who travels "light heavy"gets advance clearance from the carrier.Hopefully more Flashaholics will weigh in on this.

Best regards,
Brightnorm

I wouldn't worry too much about taking SF's on board planes. It's a flashlight for heaven's sake. What's the worst thing those $7/hour guards can do to you. Make you wait and call airport police . In which case the police probably know what a SF is. I guess if you don't want the hassle and wait you can declare it before the flight.

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by flashfan:

Recently received the tip-off beamshaper for the M6. It is larger than I expected, but works well. In my opinion, it also makes the flashlight look "lethal" however, so I wouldn't try to take it onboard an airplane. Going off topic, but does anyone know if a "plain" M6 is allowed as a carry-on?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

How well/diffused do beamshapers work on the M6? Is the beam still "white"? The surefire site says something about the color being infra-red. I think it's a misprint, because I don't want a filter.

Are they pyrex? Will the heat build up melt anything? (beamshaper/lens)

Were is the best/least expensive place to buy one?

The FM24 is a Polycarbonate lens.
The chances of you melting it depends on your useage - perhaps with the MN20 for constant-on hour in a hot, still atmosphere with the M6 left shining close to a wall...

Thinking about it, the FM24 makes the M6 a very useful general flood light for rooms - expensive general light though!

Al

Hi Sean:

The light through the beam shaper remains "white." I like the diffused beam, which as Al noted above, works like a flood light.

The M6 (500lu) I have has a lexan lens, so I try to be careful about prolonged use. I am pretty sure that the lens would melt at 500 lumens, as I melted the lexan lens on my 9P using a 200 lumen lamp, although the beam shaper remained intact.

My M6 beam shaper was purchased through Brightguy.com, but that was before the huge SF price increases. Customer service is second to none at Brightguy, although you may be able to find lower prices from some other "dealers."