Surefire P3X 1000 lumens!

ForrestChump · Jan 20, 2015

Accidental post, apologies.

Making the best of it:

The circuit is clear coated to resist moisture. It has a foam pad which seems to also be another safeguard against shock.

peter yetman · Jan 21, 2015

Well at least I waited a couple of months before I took my P2X apart.
I expect you've already put it back together, it's a complete s*d to get the tubes on the board to mate with the pins on the led. I have now managed to knock both the tubes off and busted one of the pins, so don't do this too often. Mine doesn't have the foam block between the tubes, so maybe it stops the tubes getting damaged,
I can solder the tubes back, but haven't managed to get at the led board to solder the pin back. I think the black bit that the pins poke through must be loctited in, and can't shift it.

ForrestChump · Jan 21, 2015

peter yetman said:
Well at least I waited a couple of months before I took my P2X apart.
I expect you've already put it back together, it's a complete s*d to get the tubes on the board to mate with the pins on the led. I have now managed to knock both the tubes off and busted one of the pins, so don't do this too often. Mine doesn't have the foam block between the tubes, so maybe it stops the tubes getting damaged,
I can solder the tubes back, but haven't managed to get at the led board to solder the pin back. I think the black bit that the pins poke through must be loctited in, and can't shift it.

SO TRUE. The reason it came apart was to clean that yellow gunk off they say is thread locker. It's like clay. The rest was just so easy and smooth I just kept going. Patience and finesse ( I have neither ) , took me about 15 minutes, no problems at all. I was surprised there was no guide notch / groove to help with that, very challenging going back on. I believe the foam pad was added right when they were overwhelmed with everyone mounting them. It does seem very durable though.

peter yetman · Jan 21, 2015

I'm now officially off Head Removal on X series. Going Malkoff or Elzetta next, I can play with those.

ForrestChump · Jan 21, 2015

peter yetman said:
I'm now officially off Head Removal on X series. Going Malkoff or Elzetta next, I can play with those.

Not a fan AT ALL of removing any head. I just knew that the yellow gunk was in there. Doesn't hurt anything but now it's is clean & lubed, my OCD just won't have it.

ForrestChump · Jan 22, 2015

peter yetman said:
I'm now officially off Head Removal on X series. Going Malkoff or Elzetta next, I can play with those.

If your not Sure about the Fire:

http://flashlightguide.com/2014/03/review-malkoff-wildcat-v5/

Played with one of these. All flood, if I was judging by beam quality alone, I would guess it was some highbred $5k stage light.

Never seen anything like it.

Still lovin the P3X thought!

peter yetman · Jan 22, 2015

Dunno about floods, but thanks for the link. MD4 Hd I think, I like the idea of 105 mins at full throttle with 18650's.
The trouble with me is, I don't feel like anything is mine until I've taken it apart. Goes for cars, lights, audio and on and on. Mostly I don't wreck them, just put the P2X down to experience.

xdayv · Feb 5, 2015

anybody successfully used AA's on the P3X? (just like the on the new PMX). what are your thoughts? does it work well enough?

fivemega · Mar 14, 2015

xdayv said:
anybody successfully used AA's on the P3X? (just like the on the new PMX). what are your thoughts? does it work well enough?

2 NiMH in P3X is useless.
2 NiZn in P3X is little better.
3 NiMH is better than 2
3 NiZn in P3X is brighter
4 NiMH or NiZn in P3X is much brighter but too long.

If you can't remove the P3X head to bore the barrel for 18xxx then using 2x17670 with Ex/Cap will work much better, brighter and longer compare to 3 primary or even 2x17500

Bullzeyebill · Mar 15, 2015

Won't need to bore using 16650's(70's), if you have a charger that well charge to 4.3 volts.

Bill

etc · Nov 11, 2015

Slumber Pass said:
Or, youtube the P3X and there's. VERY NICE heavily knurled version that SHOULD be coming out. If it does come to fruition, that baby may be worth waiting for.

Update on that? The official SF site has it apparently and there is also the smooth version. Can you get either one at this point?

etc · Nov 11, 2015

precisionworks said:
I had to laugh when reading that as my conclusion is exactly opposite ... I have the P2X & P3X both with click switch. Unsure whether to keep the P2X or sell it as it has not been turned on or carried since the P3X arrived.

For a number of people, self included, the grip area on the P2X is uncomfortably short. The additional 35mm on the P3X body makes it feel like the old style Surefire 6P or 9P. The P2X never had that feel from day one & it never will. The shorter length is a positive if you wear the light on a duty belt but that is not in my current job description.

Subjectively, beam brightness & beam quality on the P2X are excellent. The light has run roughly an hour every day since it arrived in February 2013 - about 200+ hours of use. I was very satisfied with the P2X until it was run side by side with the P3X in field conditions - the difference is immediately obvious & it's huge. Everything about the P3X beam is an improvement over the P2X. Where the two cell was excellent the three cell is superb.

Good point. I am in the process of getting the Fury and I like the 3-cell version precisely for these reasons.

etc · Nov 12, 2015

Any more beamshots?

etc · Nov 12, 2015

precisionworks said:
IIRC the protected 17500 is just a fraction too large to fit the standard SF bore diameter. 16500's drop in 100% of the time.

Thanks for the analysis.

etc · Nov 12, 2015

precisionworks said:
I just looked at my P2X under ten power magnification and you are correct - it has the XM-L & does not have the XM-L2. I'm surprised SF hasn't made the switch to the newer emitter, especially with the 1000L model.

Have they switched in the current models?

precisionworks · Nov 22, 2015

Some P3X owners want to run a pair of 18500's & that's easily done after the bore is opened up to the larger diameter. A few owners want to run 2x18650 and that requires a bit more work:

Add a one cell extender
Add a short spacer

The reason for the short spacer is that 2x18650 will not allow the tailcap to seat & the light will not work unless the TC is firmly seated.

Here's the process for making the spacer:
A 1" diameter brass bar is faced off, center drilled & starter drilled:

precisionworks · Nov 22, 2015

Next the starter hole is reamed to size:

The spacer is cut off the bar & finished on an expanding arbor:

Then the ring is installed between the body & the one cell extender:

From start to finish the process takes half an hour.

etc · Nov 22, 2015

precisionworks said:
Some P3X owners want to run a pair of 18500's & that's easily done after the bore is opened up to the larger diameter. A few owners want to run 2x18650 and that requires a bit more work:

Add a one cell extender

Add a short spacer

The reason for the short spacer is that 2x18650 will not allow the tailcap to seat & the light will not work unless the TC is firmly seated.

View attachment 1491 View attachment 1492

Here's the process for making the spacer:
A 1" diameter brass bar is faced off, center drilled & starter drilled:

View attachment 1493 View attachment 1494 View attachment 1495

It's almost easier to get a dedicated 2x18650 body from FiveMega or a Surefire 9P with extender, bored and running a powerful Malkoff module, or something along these lines.
I do understand P60 modules don't have the throw of Fury, or G2x for that matter, due to the deeper bezel.

precisionworks · Nov 22, 2015

etc said:
It's almost easier to get a dedicated 2x18650 body from FiveMega or a Surefire 9P with extender, bored and running a powerful Malkoff module, or something along these lines.

Totally agree.

leon2245 · Dec 7, 2015

The p3x is c tail, c head size too?

Surefire P3X 1000 lumens!

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