Should I mod my Surefire 6P or buy a new flashlight?

[ven]

Charger wise, xtar do some cheap/decent chargers as well as the opus btc100(this can charge 4.35v). If you buy standard(naked) 16650 cells, so not wrapped by keepPower etc etc(protected), then you can charge them to 4.35v and squeeze a bit more run time out.

Malkoff speak for them selves, another good value alternative would be sportac(triple). Have a look on illumination gear, have some nice 219b and 219c 4000k triple options. I prefer the 2 mode (20%/100%)over the single mode drop ins(100%), simply because the 20% is ample for most tasks at around 160-180lm. The triples are like a large hot spot, so floody biased with moderate reach. Topped with 3x nichia's makes for a nice useful hi cri beam for under $40.

Also(works well on the 219c 4000k but not so well on my 219b triple) you can pop out the optics and have a mule(just a little wall of flood light)

 

[Timothybil]

When choosing LEDs there are a couple different things to decide upon. One is tint, or color temperature expressed as degrees Kelvin (K). Tint is usually broken down into Cool White (around 6000K and up), Neutral White (4000K to 6000K), and Warm White (less than 4000K). The other major variable is Color Rendition Index (CRI). A CRI of 100 has been described as afternoon sunlight, and is the benchmark all artificial lights are measured against. Almost all incandescent lamps are considered to be close to or at 100 CRI. Current LEDs range from around 70 CRI to 90+ CRI. Since higher CRIs are created in LEDs by adding additional phosphors to the mix to produce a more even spectrum of light, and thus the higher CRI, as the CRI increases, the total available lumens decreases. An example would be that for a currently popular LED, the highest output version is Cool White, with a CRI in the low 70s, and an output of about 1200 lumens. The same LED formulated to produce 90+ CRI would fall between Warm White and Neutral White, and have an output around 700 to 800 lumens. Many purchasers want the maximum output possible regardless of CRI, while others want the improved color rendition of the higher CRI and are willing to accept the lower output to get it.. If you Google Color Rendition Index, you should be able to find examples of how the different CRI levels affect the visibility of colors.

One other point to keep in mind when choosing lumen levels is that the human eye's response to increases in light is not linear. It takes a four-fold increase in light level to appear to be twice as bright to the eye. Thus differences of a couple hundred lumens between various lights don't really translate to easily visible differences in visibility.

 

[peter yetman]

Nice explanation Tim. I read so many posts from people looking forward to upgrading their lumens by 10% or so. They ain't gonna see nuffin' different.
P

 

[Timothybil]

I know. So many times I see someone post that they are going to take the Cree option because the Nichia is so much dimmer. In the example I used, yes, the Nichia emitter has a 40% lower lumens output, but that really translates into about a 10% or so lessening in perception. Or they are trying to decide between two lights, and decide to go with the one that has 200 more lumens output, even if it has fewer of the features they want. Oh well.

 

[peter yetman]

There's an emoticon for banging your head on a wall, that'd do.
P

 

[archimedes]

Gotta learn one way or other ...

 

[cp2315]

I would highly recommend drop ins from PFlexPro. Just google PflexPro and it will come up. Randy (owner) makes brilliant P60 drop ins, possibly as reliable as Malkoff but way brighter and has UI options.
There are some testimonies on this forum too.


Disclaimer: I have both malkoff and PflexPro. They are both my favorites. Which one is on me for the day is random. I just want to give OP another option.

 

[lightbalb]

Hey guys, I ended up ordering a Nitecore D2 charger and two KeepPower 16650 batteries.

Still scratching my head on the drop in though, I may use the stock incandescent for now while I learn more about the LED drop ins!

Thanks.

 

[bykfixer]

^^ Good move X3.
Charger, battery and the learning thing.

Bravo

 

[Timothybil]

Still scratching my head on the drop in though, I may use the stock incandescent for now while I learn more about the LED drop ins!
Thanks.

Be prepared. Due to the voltage difference between two CR123 cells and one 16650, you will probably not get full brightness out of that incan P60.

 

[fyrstormer]

Should you mod your Surefire or buy a new flashlight? Which one do you like better? This is a hobby, do whatever you feel like doing. Maybe do both and sell the one you don't like as much.

 

[cp2315]

If you use 2x16340 and a 9V incan drop in, it will be brighter than before.

If you use 1x16650 and a 6V or 9V drop in, it will be dimmer.