A little off topic here but my big "SF assault" occurred when the Pelican M6's were experiencing cell explosions and everyone was commenting on how dangerous those lights were because there was no vent hole in the early versions. When I asked why the 6P was considered to be safe even though there was no vent hole the thread removed without an answer. I got hateful PM's from a certain mod and a few other members of the old boys club. When I asked the mod why the thread was removed I was told it was because I questioned the integrity of SF or something to that effect. I think SF made good lights at the time just a little overpriced considering you need to buy expensive cells for a short run time and you practically needed to upgrade the P60 modual to a LED drop in.
Goodbye OLD CPF Friend From An Old CPF Friend! A Tribute To Greta And History Of A Great Forum!
- Thread starter Gene
- Start date
Help Support Candle Power Flashlight Forum
Before I get flamed, I know it is coming btw, I would like to say as a normie flashlight user back then Surefire was the cheap source for CR123.
You go to a pharmacy to buy Duracells and they were $20 or $30 for a 2-pack. Energizer was like $9.99 or so at Walmart or Lowes yet Surefire was just under a fiver. They were what I ran in my Glock GTL, Streamlight Scorpion, 6P, and Led Lenser F1.
I think they sold them nearly at cost or even subsudised them so that the CR123 made it as a flashlight battery. Expensive batteries only make sense in a weaponlight that is rarely used. Back then they seemed to be of the same value that say a Duracell or Energizer alkaline cell was in the 90s.
Of course if you was on CPF and had paypal or a CC you could get them online cheap in bulk but that wasn't most people's experience. Or if your agency was cool you could trade in 2 CR123s and get two new ones for free which was how a relative ran his Scorpion LED. But yes Surefire was awesome for the cheap batteries. I still buy them from Walmart. It isn't the cheapest compared to online but it means my hobby helps my local economy. Also they haven't went up in price to match inflation. I paid like 29$ with tax for a six pack of Duracells from True Value.
You go to a pharmacy to buy Duracells and they were $20 or $30 for a 2-pack. Energizer was like $9.99 or so at Walmart or Lowes yet Surefire was just under a fiver. They were what I ran in my Glock GTL, Streamlight Scorpion, 6P, and Led Lenser F1.
I think they sold them nearly at cost or even subsudised them so that the CR123 made it as a flashlight battery. Expensive batteries only make sense in a weaponlight that is rarely used. Back then they seemed to be of the same value that say a Duracell or Energizer alkaline cell was in the 90s.
Of course if you was on CPF and had paypal or a CC you could get them online cheap in bulk but that wasn't most people's experience. Or if your agency was cool you could trade in 2 CR123s and get two new ones for free which was how a relative ran his Scorpion LED. But yes Surefire was awesome for the cheap batteries. I still buy them from Walmart. It isn't the cheapest compared to online but it means my hobby helps my local economy. Also they haven't went up in price to match inflation. I paid like 29$ with tax for a six pack of Duracells from True Value.
Hey! You guys are spelling Suefire wrong. 🤓
In the US they were, In Canada at the time they were the most expensive. A 12 pack from the local supply was around $90. When Cabela's finally arrived here I think the price dropped down to $54 for a 12 pack. I remember ordering the Energizer bulk packs from Battery Junction and it worked out to around $3.30 per cell by the time I paid shipping and customs fee's. When they came out with true 3v rechargeable's that was a game changer except often with a further reduced runtime. I want to say runtime with a standard P60 dropped to 40 minutes on 2 rechargeable cells?
Got Lumens?
Flashlight Enthusiast
There was a heavily dominated family friendly attitude that did not correspond with heavy moderation of those days.
Members that had problem's were either banned or moderated heavily due to their views which became adverse to the CPF admins views of maintaining a family oriented forum of that time. Regardless of the members views, CPF acted fairly in their moderating choices of the membership. At those times, their were too many who thought they could just post allout opinions here that had or were not moderated on other similar other forums. I can only suspect the comments other members wished to post were not adhering to the values Kelly/Sasha had put in place and were moderated that had worked well back then. This had kept CPF up and running. I have, and always will respect others opinions, but agree there were some CPF members that pushed it to limit, and their comments simply were not allowed due to non-respect of the CPF policies of the time. Hence the CPF VS BLF had been started. I appreciate Beamheads comments and agree. We all here need to respect other CPF members and supporters point of view. moving forward with the new forum.
Hope You are able to post.
I am one who appreciates the time and energies of those who provide valuable info and reviews to the CPF community here.
I have done my share of reviews, and acknowledge your point of view point. Hoping You will consider continuing to provide your insight and trueful posts and comments in your reviews.
GL
I'm sorry, but coming from the single biggest critic of SureFire on CPF from years back; that was just a rumor started by the haters. I know because not once did I get banned, suspended, admonished, or even given a hazy warning to back off of my negative SF-related comments by any Admin. or moderator.
Didn't happen a single time. "Bought the SureFire _______ model. There's an issue with it. Here it is...."
Not once did anyone try to muzzle me. Criticism wasn't the problem. You could do that to any brand. If it was blatantly obvious that someone was bashing just for the sake of doing so, well that was a different story. Greta would give offenders numerous chances to comply with the rules. She was never a wall-flower. Wouldn't put up with anyone trying to push her around. Lots of respect to her for that. Those members who got perma-banned brought it upon themselves.
Welp others told me different.
Genuinely sorry you got lied to.
I mean, true; I can only relate my personal experience on CPF.
But literally nobody criticized SureFire back in the day more than I did.
I only stopped doing it because I bought literally every SF model I wanted to about two years ago. Haven't added a new one to the collection in a good while.
MrMom
Enlightened
I'm starting to feel old here. It has been a good rum from the time CPF was an incandescent modding forum.
Got Lumens?
Flashlight Enthusiast
Animosity, Not liking the rules of respect, and had been allowed to say what ever on their minds in other non-family oriented forums, brought on the problems of many who were against and despised the moderation here in the past. A feud if you will.
Respectfully disagreeing with any manufacturer of the problems that were had, did not get You automatically perma-banned.
Regardless if it were Surefire or not. I am biting my tongue, I did take offense in the past reasons of how Surefire had acted.
I have one of their lights, and wish them no harm. They are in fact one of the leading manufactures that supply the military that is swore to protect us. There are others, but Surefire tops the list with an all American made product, to the best of my memory.
I will add that Surefire lights have been one of the most easily modified lights to have been made, and widely posted and discussed here on CPF. I do consider them as one of the CPF Founder's here in our flashlight world, even with the distaste they have caused me to feel due to previous decisions/actions they have taken place. Here on CPF's it all boils down to respectfully posting your points of view.
Take Care
GL
Respectfully disagreeing with any manufacturer of the problems that were had, did not get You automatically perma-banned.
Regardless if it were Surefire or not. I am biting my tongue, I did take offense in the past reasons of how Surefire had acted.
I have one of their lights, and wish them no harm. They are in fact one of the leading manufactures that supply the military that is swore to protect us. There are others, but Surefire tops the list with an all American made product, to the best of my memory.
I will add that Surefire lights have been one of the most easily modified lights to have been made, and widely posted and discussed here on CPF. I do consider them as one of the CPF Founder's here in our flashlight world, even with the distaste they have caused me to feel due to previous decisions/actions they have taken place. Here on CPF's it all boils down to respectfully posting your points of view.
Take Care
GL
Still have my custom modded SF M6 from quite a few years ago.
Love me a good inca.
Though if I'm completely honest, I don't sell it because I'd get pennies on the dollar for what she cost back then.
Got Lumens?
Flashlight Enthusiast
Is she still under the Surefire warranty?
Not even remotely with its modifications. 🙂
Bimmerboy
Flashlight Enthusiast
Good to see you! Thought ya' disappeared. Tried emailing a couple years ago.
The period I speak of was before 2006. And it was not that management would outright ban a member for disagreeing that SureFire the greatest but that other members would lash out, ridicule, flame, troll, whatever it's called... the non SureFire worshipping member either until they said "screw this place I'm gone" or would in relatiation produce an attempted argument using perrsonal attacks or other behavior that resulted in the member being removed due to behavior policies.
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The major changes I think the OP was discussing, as well as many others in this thread, occurred in 2021 when the site changed ownership. But certainly others could be recalling assorted experiences from over two decades of CPF as well.
When i first started posting here i had more of the impression that surefire was hated by most people rather than protected by them. I never really paid attention to any of that though. I've always had good experiences with the company and while having a warranty repair done at their headquarters, spent a half hour talking with an old English guy out front in the rain. We started to chat about weapon lights and he went into a mind numbing explanation on excessive lumen output and the way it affects your situational awareness, especially when indoors... causing tunnel vision, among other things. The guy was fascinating and after about 30 minutes he said "oh... break time is up. the good thing about being the boss is there's nobody to get mad at you when you get lost in conversation". I then realized i had not introduced myself, and after i did he replies that he's Dr. Peter Hauk, and gave me his card. Though i only spoke with him for a short while, i can confidently say he was one of the most brilliant men i've ever met. I hear he passed away two years ago.
bigburly912
Flashlight Enthusiast
I'm not trying to start anything but I've read this exact post on this forum several times from several people haha.
