The official PKDL thread

[bykfixer]

I took the clip off my PR-1 the day it arrived. I just preferred it that way. It makes a great work light with or without the clip.

 

[id30209]

Re: Paul Kim's PK-PR1

And i swapped emitter on my PR1. 219B 4500K shines well in this tiny rocket

Sent from Tapatalk

 

[WDR65]

Bykfixer, I had a short reply typed out to your long post above. Not sure where it went. Didn't just mean to quote you.

I meant to say that PK really got it right with this light, especially if you want to run it on high. It just seems to go and go when other brands dim quickly on their highest settings. I like to think of my PR-1's as the spiritual continuation of Surefire's E series in a more general purpose and less task focused design.

 

[bykfixer]

If you go back and look at your post it was in the middle of two paragraphs. Doh!
I do that a lot.

Anyway I agree. It was kinda like PK did a 6P 2.0 with his FL 2 and E1 2.0 with his PR-1.
He had a bunch of stuff on the drawing board for both lights but the lack of interest in them caused him to nix the ideas and go back to a more Scout type direction. PK was really proud to get the amount of output it has and hold it steady. Using an RCR it runs even brighter without stepping down. I ran mine on primary for a while and one night the battery quit. I had a pair of RCR's in a G2 with me so I snatched one out and put it in the PR-1 and suddenly I could see 50 to 100 feet farther away. I've used one or the other RCR from that G2 ever since. (I had a Malkoff M61 NL in the G2.)

He once said he wanted to build a work oriented light. My reply was "you already did, it's called the PR-1".

Very nice 30209. 4500 kelvin is a great tint. Knucklegary had his FL2 modified but I don't recall what he used. Maybe he will pop in and elaborate.

 

[elzilcho]

The PR-1 was a neat idea. Mine was too flaky to use but it was a darling light with some nice features. Even the cool white tint was pleasant enough.

I hope PK comes back to consumer lights some day. I'd like to see if he has other concepts in mind.

 

[bykfixer]

The other day at work a contractor was placing concrete to become a wide island in the median of a road. They wanted to know how much was left in the mixer drum to make sure the last was placed in a fairly uniform line and place a bulkhead at the end point of that load. It was being built under a bridge so it was fairly dark.
The driver looked into his drum and said "too dark under this bridge I cannot tell". I tossed him my PR-1. He shined it in the drum and says "holy **** this little thing is bright, about a quarter yard left" and tossed it back to me.

 

[tech25]

The PR-1 was a neat idea. Mine was too flaky to use but it was a darling light with some nice features. Even the cool white tint was pleasant enough.

I hope PK comes back to consumer lights some day. I'd like to see if he has other concepts in mind.

I would love to see an AA version. The cr123 is an amazing light and one of the few cool white lights that I regularly use.

 

[knucklegary]

Pk AA 😃 I'd buy every color made!

Sorry, missed this thread revival last year. I must of been stuck in the 2020 covid matrix

I did have Randy Brogden do a emitter swap and UI upgrade to my FL2LE.. Changed XML2 for Osram W1. After Randy did some tweeking, focus turned out perfect for FL2 reflector. H17fx Lucidrv2 keeps it simple

Hope Paul Kim is doing well these days. It'd be nice if he'd drop in on CPF to say hello

 

[KITROBASKIN]

Pk AA 😃 I'd buy every color made!

Sorry, missed this thread revival last year. I must of been stuck in the 2020 covid matrix

I did have Randy Brodgen do a emitter swap and UI upgrade to my FL2LE.. Changed XML2 for Osram W1. After Randy did some tweeking, focus turned out perfect for FL2 reflector. H17fx Lucidrv2 keeps it simple

Hope Paul Kim is doing well these days. It'd be nice if he'd drop in on CPF say hello

What a great upgrade. How long ago did Randy do that? Such a dedicated, skilled flashlight master.

 

[knucklegary]

Randy finished my light right before his leave of absence, that was about three years ago (checked date was Oct 2018)

I read he took on a large account with a local LE department supplying flashlights. His website has been down since then..

Agreed, his work is meticulous.. His modded PKFL2LE is my go to light

 

[Flynn's Arcade]

Looks like there isn't any available sources to purchase any of the PK line.

 

[bykfixer]

A place called OPR8 sells the PKDL products available these days.

5+ years of daily pocket carry. Still work flawless

Edit:
The rainbow version Mrs Fixer stole from me 5 years ago still looks new.

The polished raw one with a Streamlight Microstream clip allows tail stand was my first PL2 iirc.

And 6 years later the one that started it all……

 

[bykfixer]

Sometime in or around June 2016 I bought a pair of PR-1's from a place called Bulls Eye WorldWide.

Recently I misplaced the one I carried since day 1 so I cracked open the other one. I found the first one so the other one sets in a drawer just in case.

Some wondered how the PVD coating would hold up against the elements. I have carried the first one in a pocket with coins, a knife and nail clippers to work each day.

I'd say it has held up well.

 

[WDR65]

Sometime in or around June 2016 I bought a pair of PR-1's from a place called Bulls Eye WorldWide.

Recently I misplaced the one I carried since day 1 so I cracked open the other one. I found the first one so the other one sets in a drawer just in case.

Some wondered how the PVD coating would hold up against the elements. I have carried the first one in a pocket with coins, a knife and nail clippers to work each day.
View attachment 26071
I'd say it has held up well.

I was using mine outside tonight and thinking of how I like it. Go on CPF and see the thread notifications, funny how that works. It looks similar to your old one. I think it's one of PK's best designs.

 

[bykfixer]

I agree WDR. It was an instant favorite for me. Too bad they never really caught on.
The foursevens Knight and Paladen were also great, and were the prelude to the PR-1.

 

[tech25]

While the PR-1 is not my EDC light, I always take it when traveling and use it often. There is something about the beam profile and perfectly spread levels as well as the small size that keeps it in my primary rotation.

 

[bykfixer]

6+ years later the PR-1 I posted about in post 55 is still my right pocket EDC and has been flawless. I'm on my 3rd RCR to power it. Two Nitecores and now an Elzetta battery.
The left pocket EDC, the PL-2 is still using the initial eneloop pro.

 

[tech25]

On me now. Using an RCR for nice high but tend to use medium the most.

 

[!mprovise]

The PL2 is still my favorite AAA torch.

 

[nightshade]

Bump...Dry dock modding 2024.
Just lightly repaired two of these, both suffered from assembly issues. The drivers were backing away from the bezel and lens with each activation attempt. I replaced the emitter leads with heavier gauge, new paste and added a bit of thread lock when the engines were properly seated. All in all, it's a very efficient driver, nicely vampire like, would have liked to have seen this in a AA format. Wishing Paul all the best.