Review/Overview: LumensFactory Seraph P7 M Series Turbo Head

[uhsodium]

Originally Posted by Kiessling

Just got mine.

Interesting, head, relatively small. The design looks clumsier than the SF bodies, but apart from that I have no complaints regarding the exterior.

It is bright. Really bright. In an unofficial test by me and my wife, it was almost as bright as a SF M6 HOLA. Outside, it is outshined by the M6, but not by a large margin. Beam pattern is smooth, no donut. Relatively small hotspot and large corona.

You get a better field of vision with different beam patterns, but the head does well.

I like it. Single mode, KISS, no BS straight forward and bright. If it turns out to be solid and durable, IMHO for th eprice on ecan't go wrong.

I have it on an M3 now.

bernie

could you post some pics of the head with M3 body?
I would like to see if it looks better in M3 than M6

[Echo63]

mine arrived today along with a c-m adapter.
i have an old cheapo "ledpro" 4x123 c head body, that i bored slightly to allow this thing to fit,
im very impressed, it pumps out a lot of light a fairly large hotspot, that easily throws to the end of the street.

will write a review of it up when i have had a good play

mine took 10 days to get to australia

very impressed for a less than a hundred bucks (although i need to buy a matching body, tailcap and a pair of 18650s to run with it)

I am also new to the world of high output lights, pila gl3xr (130lu) stock magcharger (200ish ?) and pelican m11 (165lu)
this is smaller, lighter and stomps all over them

[Kiessling]

Originally Posted by uhsodium

could you post some pics of the head with M3 body?
I would like to see if it looks better in M3 than M6

Unfortunately I don't have my camera available, so no pic. Looks better than on the M6, I am getting used to it. But the looks is more raw and less refined than the M3 body.
But what does it matter. It makes light

[Flipside]

Looks like a nice alternative to incan... Except for the proportions. But, they ARE back in stock.

[Eric242]

Originally Posted by uhsodium

could you post some pics of the head with M3 body?

I received mine today, here you go:

[Echo63]

Ok, i have had mine a week or so, and im loving it.
its bright as, and throws pretty well.

Just for a laugh i tried sticking my C-M adapter and head on a SF G2, it actually fits fine, just screwed straight on, and fired up with 2x RCR123
didnt look or balance right though.

[Outdoors Fanatic]

I have some exciting news for y'all...

























The Seraph P7 Turbohead WORKS ON LEEF BODIES 'C' Head to 'C' Tail!!!

No, it will not screw on a C Leef, but it does fit securely as the LED Pill slides in tightly all the way down the neck of the Leef tube, making perfect electrical contact. It will not fall down even if you shake hard...

I will try to take some pics later.

[Eric242]

Hm, that´s not working on both of my 2x18500 Leef bodies. They are too tight for the Pill.

Eric

[Outdoors Fanatic]

Originally Posted by Eric242

Hm, that´s not working on both of my 2x18500 Leef bodies. They are too tight for the Pill.

Eric

Sorry about that, I guess I got lucky with my loose Leef 2x18500 HA Natural. Try some sandpaper on the pill a little.

[uhsodium]

Originally Posted by Eric242

I received mine today, here you go:

it looks much better than the M3TL prototype
would it be great with a 2-stage tailcap?

[Echo63]

Originally Posted by uhsodium

it looks much better than the M3TL prototype
would it be great with a 2-stage tailcap?

with a 2 stage A2 style tailcap, it would be the best thing ever, maybe 60-100lu and flat out would be great (although thats what the M3tl is supposed to be)

[Fusion_m8]

Does anyone know if this head is water resistant? I tested mine in a warm bath(40'c or 104'F) tonight for over 20mins and the inside of the lens fogged up considerably.

Initially, I thought that water had entered the module but upon disassembly I could not find any droplets of water inside the body. I then used the cool air fan function on a hairdryer to dry the head, the condensation inside the lens cleared up within 2mins.

My initial thoughts about water entering the head were probably wrong, because if it were so, the lens would not have only fogged up, but there would also be droplets of water inside the head, and the other components would have also been damp or wet.

I have a theory about what happened: Since the head was manufactiured in Hong Kong where its a warmer tropical climate compared to South Eastern Australia. The humid air captured between the lens and reflector was heated up by the emitter and condensed on the cooler glass surface rather than the warm surface of the aluminium reflector. Other flashlights I have that have been exposed to the cooler and less humid here in South Eastern Australian did not fog up like that at all.

That being said, I'm still concerned about the water resistance of the Seraph P7. I cannot find any literature on CPF or Lumens Factory's website about the water resistance(or lack thereof) of the Seraph P7 turbohead.

FYI: My Seraph P7 was mounted on a Surefire L6 body with a SW02 tailcap. Upon inspection I did not detect any damage on the O-rings of the L6 body or on the rubber shroud of the SW02 tailcap which could have led to water leakage. The 2 AW17500 cells also appeared dry and void of any water droplets or condensation.

Does anyone have another theory on why/how this happened?

[uhsodium]

Originally Posted by Fusion_m8

Does anyone know if this head is water resistant? I tested mine in a warm bath(40'c or 104'F) tonight for over 20mins and the inside of the lens fogged up considerably.

Initially, I thought that water had entered the module but upon disassembly I could not find any droplets of water inside the body. I then used the cool air fan function on a hairdryer to dry the head, the condensation inside the lens cleared up within 2mins.

My initial thoughts about water entering the head were probably wrong, because if it were so, the lens would not have only fogged up, but there would also be droplets of water inside the head, and the other components would have also been damp or wet.

I have a theory about what happened: Since the head was manufactiured in Hong Kong where its a warmer tropical climate compared to South Eastern Australia. The humid air captured between the lens and reflector was heated up by the emitter and condensed on the cooler glass surface rather than the warm surface of the aluminium reflector. Other flashlights I have that have been exposed to the cooler and less humid here in South Eastern Australian did not fog up like that at all.

That being said, I'm still concerned about the water resistance of the Seraph P7. I cannot find any literature on CPF or Lumens Factory's website about the water resistance(or lack thereof) of the Seraph P7 turbohead.

FYI: My Seraph P7 was mounted on a Surefire L6 body with a SW02 tailcap. Upon inspection I did not detect any damage on the O-rings of the L6 body or on the rubber shroud of the SW02 tailcap which could have led to water leakage. The 2 AW17500 cells also appeared dry and void of any water droplets or condensation.

Does anyone have another theory on why/how this happened?

Try opening the bezel , and put into the box with silica gel?

[mdocod]

On water resistance:

I'd imagine that the unit is probably pretty well sealed up. When dissembled, you find that the bezel of the unit is double-o-ring sealed, and it's a very tight fit there, the lens also appears to be O-ring sealed to the bezel. The O-ring on the M series heads is pretty fat, and provided it is properly lubed up, should provide good moisture resistance.

If you are having trouble with water, best bet would probably be to disassemble the unit, and lube up all the O-rings really good with one of the non-petroleum based lubes out there, (I think most are just based on a silicone grease of sorts).

I dunked mine a few times in the hot tub without any ill effects loaded on the M6 body, have had it in the rain a couple times now. I'd be curious to hear more water experiences if anyone has them to share on these units.

[M.S]

Originally Posted by Eric242

I received mine today, here you go:

I have been using mine on 2C bigleef setup. The head looks ugly on 2x18650 leef body, but it seems to fit M3 body really well. The best part is that I have one M3 body somewhere... Does anybody know if M3 can be bored to take 2x18500, mine does not fit even 17500:s..

[Bullzeyebill]

Originally Posted by M.S

I have been using mine on 2C bigleef setup. The head looks ugly on 2x18650 leef body, but it seems to fit M3 body really well. The best part is that I have one M3 body somewhere... Does anybody know if M3 can be bored to take 2x18500, mine does not fit even 17500:s..

Yes, it can be bored. Do a search for "boring", or "6P bored", or something like that. Use google, cpf only, at the top of every CPF page. Some of our people provide the service for a fee. If using AW protected 17500's, take off the outer label cover. Another cover is underneath label cover. Many threads available on "boring" over the last two years. Good luck searching, and that is what CPF is about, information available for the looking.

Bill

[Fusion_m8]

Eric: Thanks! Just cleaned and lubed my unit, tested again in hot bath, all OK with no fogging so far...

Just another question: The retaining ring that holds the LED tower to the body, can that ring be tightened/loosened to adjust the height of the emitter relative to the reflector? Wouldn't that allow the focus of beam to be adjustable?

Originally Posted by mdocod

On water resistance:

I'd imagine that the unit is probably pretty well sealed up. When dissembled, you find that the bezel of the unit is double-o-ring sealed, and it's a very tight fit there, the lens also appears to be O-ring sealed to the bezel. The O-ring on the M series heads is pretty fat, and provided it is properly lubed up, should provide good moisture resistance.

If you are having trouble with water, best bet would probably be to disassemble the unit, and lube up all the O-rings really good with one of the non-petroleum based lubes out there, (I think most are just based on a silicone grease of sorts).

I dunked mine a few times in the hot tub without any ill effects loaded on the M6 body, have had it in the rain a couple times now. I'd be curious to hear more water experiences if anyone has them to share on these units.

[mdocod]

Originally Posted by Fusion_m8

...
Just another question: The retaining ring that holds the LED tower to the body, can that ring be tightened/loosened to adjust the height of the emitter relative to the reflector? Wouldn't that allow the focus of beam to be adjustable?

That's correct. It comes from LF pre-focused pretty well, though you can play with the focus and surprisingly, there is some useful variation possible before things get ugly. You can definitely change the average beam "angle" a few degrees while maintaining a good clean looking beam in my experience.

-Eric

[Echo63]

Originally Posted by mdocod

That's correct. It comes from LF pre-focused pretty well, though you can play with the focus and surprisingly, there is some useful variation possible before things get ugly. You can definitely change the average beam "angle" a few degrees while maintaining a good clean looking beam in my experience.

-Eric

+1 - its adjustable

little tip - to stop having to pull your light apart, adjust it a little, put it back together, test and pull it back apart again, a power supply (or 2xlions taped together) with crocodile clips clipped to the springs (positive to centre - Negative to outside) makes it much easier to focus.
get it adjusted, lock it down, and reinstall on a body.

[BugOutGear_USA]

These have finally brought some new life to my favorite L6!

Regards,
Flavio

[Bullzeyebill]

Originally Posted by BugOutGear_USA

These have finally brought some new life to my favorite L6!

Regards,
Flavio

You mean it has brought new life to your L6 body, which is a good thing.

Bill

[BugOutGear_USA]

Originally Posted by Bullzeyebill

You mean it has brought new life to your L6 body, which is a good thing.

Bill

Roger that...

Flavio

[Eric242]

The head just dissapeared from the Lumens factory shop with the following note: "Due to the great responses from our customers, the Seraph P7 M Series Turbo Head has been temporary sold out. We have arranged the production of a new run, so keep checking back. Thank you for your support." Good to know it´s coming back again.

Eric

[Kiessling]

I have three sets of batteries through it (on M3) now and it still works
I like the simplicity of this unit. The brightness, too

[digitaldave]

Originally Posted by Eric242

The head just dissapeared from the Lumens factory shop with the following note: "Due to the great responses from our customers, the Seraph P7 M Series Turbo Head has been temporary sold out. We have arranged the production of a new run, so keep checking back. Thank you for your support." Good to know it´s coming back again.

Eric

Good news indeed, I was planning on getting a Turbo Head (and a Seraph to put it on).

[Mikey V]

Originally Posted by digitaldave

Good news indeed, I was planning on getting a Turbo Head (and a Seraph to put it on).

Best solution is what you plan-the P7 Turbo head and a three cell Seraph light (cheap at under $50 bucks). You don't have to bore out a Surefire or use a pricey Leaf tube. The three cell Seraph gives you all you need, plus two tailcap choices, matches the Turbo head. Just be sure to also get the C to M adaptor ring Seraph makes. I use two 18500's in mine. It's a beast!

[digitaldave]

Originally Posted by Mikey V

Best solution is what you plan-the P7 Turbo head and a three cell Seraph light (cheap at under $50 bucks). You don't have to bore out a Surefire or use a pricey Leaf tube. The three cell Seraph gives you all you need, plus two tailcap choices, matches the Turbo head. Just be sure to also get the C to M adaptor ring Seraph makes. I use two 18500's in mine. It's a beast!

To be honest, I was planning on getting the 2 cell version with extenders, as that would still give the 3 cell capacity option (or as you have the 2x18500), but I could also use it as a 2 cell light with a D26 or D36 module. But if I'm likely to be using the turbo head on it, then the three cell option makes more sense I guess.

How is the performance on 2x18500, in terms of output and run time? And have you used a D36 head on it?

Thanks,

Dave.

[mwaldron]

I received mine today (Lighthound was resupplied late last week and still has stock $96.04 shipped with CPF discount) and I'm very impressed.

This was supposed to make my M6 "day-to-day useful" (currently my M6 is 1185), but as it turns out I lucked into a 3x18650 Megallenium (arriving tomorrow I hope, maybe Thursday) so this is now permanently installed on my M6 body with 33x17670.

It looks really good on the M6 body, and it feels really good in the hand. Great balance.

The tint is somewhat neutral although unquestionably on the cold side. I will be looking for a warm binned P7 at some point as a mod. I may loose a few lumens but I'll be happier. I'm completely adjusted and in love with my M60W and Ra 100WW. Warm is the wave of my future.

Mine arrived completely dry on all joints. When I loosened the bezel I could feel it grinding. I'll be taking it apart and lubing it up as soon as I'm done with this post.

While I'm in the shack I'm going to take current measurements for everyone at various voltages, I'll be sure to post my results later this evening.

[socom1970]

Good News!!! I was on the fence about getting one of these for a while. I read this review and that did it!

The good news is that I just ordered one of the Seraph P7 M series heads, so they are apparently back in stock again!

Just to give myself another lego piece to mess with, I also bought one of Leef's M-C 3x18650 bodies for the Seraph head.

Great review, Eric! I really appreciate your attention to detail regarding every aspect of the product under review. A positive review from you makes it nearly impossible to resist buying whatever you're reviewing. Great job!!!

[mwaldron]

Ok, as promised here are my current measurements over 5V->13VDC.

Voltage(V)    Current(A)
   5.00        1.51*
   5.50        1.98
   6.00        1.78
   6.50        1.60
   7.00        1.45
   7.50        1.30
   8.00        1.18
   8.50        1.08
   9.00        0.99
   9.50        0.90
  10.00        0.83
  10.50        0.76
  11.00        0.74
  11.50        0.76**
  12.00        0.73
  12.50        0.69
  13.00        0.66

Notes:
* No regulation at 5.00V, driver was making awful whining sound until about 5.48V
** There was a perceptible brightness increase at 11.40V, a small increase, but noticeable.

And the corresponding pretty graph...




A pretty good power sipper, I should get some great runtime off of my 3x17670 pack!