# Superfire 12V G120 High Pressure Xenon Flashlight $9.99



## john2551 (Mar 12, 2006)

A 12v 4x123a light with a crenelated bezel for $9.99 seems good. Anyone have an experience with these? http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=8766762889&category=106988
BTW, there are enough for all of us. 1000 available!


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## Tjin (Mar 12, 2006)

hmm.. interesting a replacement lamp cost more than the intire light...


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## Paul_in_Maryland (Mar 12, 2006)

That's $25 shipped. Search the forum for "Ultrafire" and "G120". These 12V lamps have amazing output, but they cost upward of $7 an hour to operate. Ultrafire bodies, heads, and tails are not Surefire P compatible.


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## pbs357 (Mar 12, 2006)

+1 to what Paul In Maryland said. I do have one of these lights, and it is what it apprears to be: a bright, 4x123, inexpensive light. The output is impressive for it's price, and it gives a long throwing flood type of output. It's excellent for floodlight searching in the 10-50 yard range but yes you are burning up 4 batteries at a time so it can be pricey to run this light. PS - it'll start to heat up after 5-10 minutes or so, to the point of HOT if you run it extended time. That being said, that particular seller is a good guy - good communication and a fast shipper, especially since he is in Hong Kong and I am in the US.


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## madecov (Mar 13, 2006)

Output is listed as up to 120 lumens.
Sounds very low for a 12v light.

Pila
Wolf-Eyes
Digilight
Microfire 

are all listing over 200 lumens for a 12v

The price is nice though.


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## jclarksnakes (Mar 13, 2006)

....I have one of the Ultrafire 2X123 lights. The Ultrafires and the Superfires seem to be the same lights with the only difference being the name on them. The same couple of Ebayers selling them have both lines for sale. Both brands even have the same flames coming out of the top of the word "fire" on their labels. The 2 and 3 cell versions seem to be trying to copy the Surefire P6 and P9 more than anything else. Mine is a good light for the price. The lamp assembly in my 2 cell Ultrafire looks similar to the Surefire P60 LA and it does interchange with no problem with the P60 from my Surefire G2. The beam quality and amount of light output look about the same to my eye. I run my Ultrafire with 2 of the e-electronics.net 3.0 rechargeable cells and they work fine in it. I think I read somewhere on the forum about someone who uses one of the three cell Ultrafires with the 12 volt lamp assembly from the 4 cell Ultrafire in it and using three of the 3.7 volt rechargeable cells. Seems interesting so I used the buy it now feature on Ebay to get one of the 3 cell Ultrafires and included $12 extra for the 12 volt lamp assembly. I will report back here after this stuff arrives and I see what works. At the very worst I hope the 3 cell light will work with the 9v lamp assembly using two rechargeable 17500 cells.
jc


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## mdocod (Mar 13, 2006)

the ultrafire/superfires seem to have a lot of little variances.... if you look for the ones sold by Ioak, (ultrafire)... he is selling the ones that come with good lamps (HP G&Ps), and glass lenses.. Bought a 9V light from him, long shipment time, but arrived in great shape. The lamp that came in that light is brighter and whiter than the G90 that I got from blackrifles.

most of the B/N and Superfires will *probably* all have the lower output G&P lamps, and plastic lenses.

If you don't mind not being compatable with surefire type threads, then these are very decent flashlights(imho) that support 26mm type lamps from G&P/surefire/digilight/wolf etc. I think they are extremally attractive looking. Just keep in mind, that they won't handle wear and tear as nicely as the harder anodizing found on higher end lights.



> I think I read somewhere on the forum about someone who uses one of the three cell Ultrafires with the 12 volt lamp assembly from the 4 cell Ultrafire in it and using three of the 3.7 volt rechargeable cells.



running a 12V lamp from 3 RCR123s... is hit and miss... seems the best way to do it at this time, is to use a 12V lamp from digilight, (ordered direct from digilight). They draw less current, so can run from the protected rechargables without protection circuitry kicking in. But there have been some issues with instaflashing lamps in other cases (i think when using a G120 and 3 unprotected cells).


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## lexina (Mar 13, 2006)

jclarksnakes said:


> .... At the very worst I hope the 3 cell light will work with the 9v lamp assembly using two rechargeable 17500 cells.
> jc


 
you shouldn't have any problem running the 9v lamp with 2 X 17500s but my friend has already blown his 12v lamp trying to run it on 3 unprotected R123s. I hope you will have better luck! Perhaps, to reduce the voltage, you could try it with 2 R123s and 1 primary first.


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## refractrfractal (Mar 13, 2006)

I wonder how well this would hotwired with an MR-16 halogen? 

Could the 123a's support a 20 or 50 watt lamp, or would it be trickier than that?

re: cheap bright lights, see also: http://www.omniprints.com/super8/camlight.html - here's a teaser:
_All that is needed is a 12 volt quartz halogen bulb known as an MR16 size, a bulb socket ($2.50 or less at an electrical supply house), and an 8 pack AA size battery holder, which would be necessary to supply the 12 volts....I soon discovered that MR16 bulbs are also available in 75 watt versions through mail order, but in all cases these proved to be a disaster. The light was even less bright and the poor batteries got quite hot and smelled hot as well....In all cases, the batteries would be very, very warm at the end of the test and therefore I would never advise running these lights for more than five minutes without a rest.
_​P.S. Yes, this is my first post.... Good thing I'm not a fanatic like you guys, LOL. I just discovered the link above whilst doing some important research on, ummm, hotwiring halogen bulbs in the cheapest, lowest-tech way possible that was portable. In other words, just an everyday, normal sort of household need._ _​


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## mdocod (Mar 14, 2006)

WELCOME

the high wattage MR16s would not run very well from 123 primaries, the lower wattage ones would be ok though. (to run the high wattage ones, you'd want to use sets of 4-5 in series, in parrallel, try to keep the current drain below 2 amps per cell to have any usefull runtime.).. I think a great poormans M6 could be made with a 50W MR16 driven by 10 lithium primaries (2 sets of 5 in series, in parrallel)... Would be a battery eater, but would be very comparable in output to an M6.

To see some MR16s in action... https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/110971

They run great from SLA batteries, and would probably run much better from a high current capable NIMH pack built from C or larger cells, 11 or 12 cells (13.2, or 14.4V).. MR16s are great for overdriving...


we are way off topic here... sorry.


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## DUQ (Mar 14, 2006)

Dae sells them for $23.92 shipped. I've had my eye on them for a while now.

http://www.qualitychinagoods.com/superfire-501d-4xcr123a-p-407.html


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## filibuster (Jun 16, 2006)

FifthUnit has the SuperFire G120 (3 CR123A cell) unit on sale + free shipping for $16.50

link: http://contents.fifthunit.com/html/products.5th/sku.686.html


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## Paul_in_Maryland (Jun 16, 2006)

filibuster said:


> FifthUnit has the SuperFire G120 (3 CR123A cell) unit on sale + free shipping for $16.50
> 
> link: http://contents.fifthunit.com/html/products.5th/sku.686.html


At this rate, by September they'll pay us to take one!


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## Randy Shackleford (Jul 11, 2006)

still at that price, I could not pass it up.


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## igabo (Jul 11, 2006)

And Neither could I. :lolsign:


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## Randy Shackleford (Jul 24, 2006)

received it DOA today  

it was not packaged very well, and it looks like the filament may have disconnection damage during shipping.


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## Bryan (Jul 24, 2006)

filibuster said:


> FifthUnit has the SuperFire G120 (3 CR123A cell) unit on sale + free shipping for $16.50
> 
> link: http://contents.fifthunit.com/html/products.5th/sku.686.html


 
Thanks for the link! Does anyone have any experience with the batteries and charger they have on their site? Pretty good deal they have going! 

http://contents.fifthunit.com/html/products.5th/sku.722.html

I assume those are unprotected?


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## Randy Shackleford (Jul 24, 2006)

Bryan said:


> Thanks for the link! Does anyone have any experience with the batteries and charger they have on their site? Pretty good deal they have going!
> 
> http://contents.fifthunit.com/html/products.5th/sku.722.html
> 
> I assume those are unprotected?



Flashlight arrived DOA...you get what you pay for...unprotected batteries...most probably.


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## Raoul_Duke (Jul 25, 2006)

Yep, The purple ones look like the unprotected cells I have.


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## chadwide (Jul 28, 2006)

I got this light from Fifthunit. The service was great. I like the light alot, however, the hot spot is very lopsided. The beam is also yellower than I expected. This is my first Incadecent, and I have to admit that it is really really bright. I'm now looking to upgrade the lamp. Anyone have suggestions for a 12 volt 26mm lamp that will work with the three rcr123s?


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## mdocod (Jul 28, 2006)

the digilight DRB-12VHP would probably be the *best* choice for a 12V lamp to run on 3xRCR123s... 

assuming they have a low current version available in the 12V like they do in the 9V version then it should tolerate the higher voltage off the charger better than high current lamps... (I assume they would have to have a low current 12V lamp because their 12V flashlight is rated for the same 80 minut runtime that the 9V version is)... seems like these lamps are hit and miss and hard to get ahold of sometimes... often when they are out of stock on the DRB-9VHP they just send a G&P G90 instead.. same might be true of their 12V lineup... best of luck..

[edit in] I forgot... somewhere out there I believe there is a "14V" G&P 26mm LA that is designed with that configuration in mind... might be worth having a look around....

better than fussing with modifying a light to be rechargable and bright... it would be smarter just to pickup a G&P R500 Scorpion... it's about 500 lumens and comes stock with a pair of 18650s built right in... only downside(maybe) is the larger turbo head.. bout $100 shipped.


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## chadwide (Jul 29, 2006)

Well, the lamp is about the same price as the light.... but i think I'll have to get one. Thanks for the info. Does anyone know when to expect the WE 13v lamp?


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## artisticmobile (Jul 29, 2006)

more information here if you need it: http://contents.fifthunit.com/html/reviews.5th/review.001_1.html

*3) 12V flashlight* 


FifthUnit price $12.25​ This "Superfire" flashlight is which people often refer to the "Ultrafire G120". It is obviously not fair to compare incandescent with LED lights directly due to the high power requirement and different construction. However, it would be fun just to see how does this incandescent flashlight compete with some of the top-notch LED flashlight. This light takes 12V or three 3.6V CR123A batteries, suggested by the manufacturer JxD. Let's see how it performs: ​1) Throw number (LUX): *4180* at beam center (64.65  Comparison Chart equivalent)
2) Output number (LUX): *17900* (179.00 Comparison Chat equivalent)
3) Estimated Lumens (Lumens): *248.81*
4) Beam pattern:​ 




Nikon D50, Tamron 90mm Di Marco, 1/100, F8​ After the test comment:
If you don't care about the extra heat, higher power consumption, this 12V flashlight would rock-your-world. I am not saying any bad things about this flashlight. In fact, it's a great one for maximum light output with whopping 248 lumens! This light produces a warm temperature (yellow) shine, and the color is noticeable, but still "eyes-friendly" during normal use. The beam pattern looks fair, with a little "dark-out" in the center due to the bulb or reflector design. The central spot fills almost four middle circles, while the spillbeam starts from the forth circle and extend all the way to tenth circles (it keeps going but it's not showing in the picture). Bravo, this is just a lot of light. Let's move on some real HID flashlights for comparison sake, if someone would care to donate me $300 =).​


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## chadwide (Jul 29, 2006)

Awesome! thanks for the write up. It's really amazing how bright this thing is for the money. Quick question about the Digilight bulbs: If they are getting 227 output lumens (from their T12) with a 12v lamp that draws .8 amps, it should run quite a bit cooler than the superfire (which i measure at 1.28 amps) right? I get concerned with the heat caused by this light.


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## chadwide (Jul 29, 2006)

I just realized that the info above came from someone directly at Fifthunit. Its fantastic to see a vendor providing this quality of information about a product they sell.


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## Trashman (Jul 29, 2006)

chadwide said:


> I just realized that the info above came from someone directly at Fifthunit. Its fantastic to see a vendor providing this quality of information about a poduct they sell.




Ditto that. How many sellers are going to tell you the light gets really hot after 5 or 10 minutes of use? Thumbs up to the fifth unit for their honest product descriptions.


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## Randy Shackleford (Aug 15, 2006)

Finally got a working unit, very bright.  

No donut hole like the one in the image above, but the bulb is slightly skewed off-center from the reflector and it shows in the output.

The Bulb has a orange-reddish band with the markings "High Pressure Xenon - 12V" . Like the one in this image:
http://www.auctiva.com/hostedimages...0341&ppid=1122&image=10317715&images=10317711


It reads 1470 mAh at the tail cap. 

Oh, and it has a glass lens/window.


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## Ironhog81 (Aug 15, 2006)

I got one of these and three primaries did work fine.

Bought extra bulb just in case.
Also got the G&P Scorpion 500 and like it a lot.
So for just ordered another Superfire as I have two chargers and extra batteries.
I also got one of the G&P X-12 that run on 4 primaries.
It lives next to my bed for instant big light and so I can find real protection quickly. Both lights have about the same output in checking down a long hall.
The Superfire clicks on full first and then you can strobe it. (reverse clickie?)
I have some better lights but these are great for the price.
Extras for vehicles and if stolen, I won't cry much.


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## mudman cj (Aug 15, 2006)

lexina said:


> you shouldn't have any problem running the 9v lamp with 2 X 17500s but my friend has already blown his 12v lamp trying to run it on 3 unprotected R123s. I hope you will have better luck! Perhaps, to reduce the voltage, you could try it with 2 R123s and 1 primary first.



In case someone is thinking of running out and trying to combine 3.7V rechargables with 3V primaries, I would suggest thinking twice. A much safer solution would be to purchase 3V rechargables. 

There are many stories in the batteries section of hazards associated with using batteries that are not balanced, and a 0.7V OCV difference is not small! Then you have to consider that rechargables only provide about half of the capacity, so at some point you would probably drive the rechargable into negative territory, which I have personally done using unbalanced rechargables. At that point you just want to get that thing in the trash before something really bad happens.

AW is selling some of the new safer chemistry (LiFePO4) 3V rechargables. At 1A they start around 3.2V and slowly decrease from there. They even hold voltage reasonably well up to 2A. These ought to work in this light (if it will accept batteries having a diameter of 16.85mm), but they do require a special charger.


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## Ironhog81 (Aug 15, 2006)

I have seen these at fifthunit.

http://contents.fifthunit.com/html/products.5th/sku.722.html

He lists both types.


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## hburner (Aug 15, 2006)

I have one of these that says Ultrafire on it. What I did was to bore it out and put in a Surefire P91 and 2 LG2400s 18650s. This thing is killer bright and darn good runtime, 50 min!


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## Bryan (Aug 15, 2006)

hburner said:


> I have one of these that says Ultrafire on it. What I did was to bore it out and put in a Surefire P91 and 2 LG2400s 18650s. This thing is killer bright and darn good runtime, 50 min!



Damn good idea!


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## mudman cj (Aug 16, 2006)

Ironhog81 said:


> I have seen these at fifthunit.
> 
> http://contents.fifthunit.com/html/products.5th/sku.722.html
> 
> He lists both types.



I wonder if these are the old type that do not use the same chemistry (I suspect this for what it's worth). AW's sales thread includes discharge curves proving the current capability. Does anyone know how much current you can safely draw from the older 3V rechargeables that used a different chemistry?


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## mdocod (Aug 16, 2006)

for people mentioning the funny beams of the ultrafires.. please observe...










now go adjust the beam!!! hehe... you can get Surefire beam quality out of any G&P tactical lamp assembly with a little bit of tweaking.. and there is even room for some personal preferance in beam width before artifacts show up.. In fact- many of the G&P lamps are able to produce rounder hotspots than comparable Surefire assemblies when adjusted correctly...


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## DoubleDutch (Aug 16, 2006)

I've used the Ultrafire 3 cell light with G&P 12 V LA and three unprotected RCR123's for a year now (only now and then). Got it from Emil (he doesn't carry them any more). I think this is not the high pressure bulb, but output must be around 200 Lumen, thanks to the rechargeables holding their voltage under load (12 V). 

My simple arithmatic: 12V, 650 mAh, 20 min. runtime. This would make it a 24 Watt pulling 2 Amps. I top off the batteries after more than 5 minutes of use. Did not have any problems. Still on my 1st LA.

Output is very impressive from such a sleek package. Good wow-factor. Very pocketable. Reverse clicky. The brightest I have until now (until the QSP arrives  ! )

Kees


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## mdocod (Aug 17, 2006)

> My simple arithmatic: 12V, 650 mAh, 20 min. runtime. This would make it a 24 Watt pulling 2 Amps.



actually the G120 draws about 1.4 amps and will sag a set of 4 primaries OR 3R123s to anywhere from 10V to 11.5V depending on the quality and tempurature of the cell.. (this is why we see some people instaflashlight G120s on 3xR123, and others having no problems)

R123s loose most of their rated capacity when driven this hard .. Actuall capacity of a 650mah R123 becomes about 300-400mah (depending on brand/quality) when driven at ~1.5A...

on a fresh charge- a G120 is about 13-17W at first.(depending on how hard the cells can drive it... at the 16+W range it is likally to instaflash)


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## Randy Shackleford (Aug 18, 2006)

mdocod said:


> for people mentioning the funny beams of the ultrafires.. please observe...
> 
> 
> 
> ...



My bulb is slightly off-center. 
How *exactly* are you adjusting the beam here?


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## mdocod (Aug 18, 2006)

i meant for those that are getting a donut in the beam due to it not being adjusted forward or back in the reflector correctly to twist the lower part of the LA in or out to adjust.... I haven't seen an off-center one, sorry for the confusion. (many people don't realize that the LA will come apart in this fasion- especially anyone used to Surefire lamps.


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## Bryan (Aug 21, 2006)

hburner said:


> I have one of these that says Ultrafire on it. What I did was to bore it out and put in a Surefire P91 and 2 LG2400s 18650s. This thing is killer bright and darn good runtime, 50 min!


 
I'm kind of new to the custom modding lights so maybe you can help me here. What kind of equipment do I need to bore this light or do I send it out to someone? Also, do the cells you used require magnets or do they make good contact without them? 

Thank you


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## jdriller (Aug 21, 2006)

Talk to hburner.


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## Bryan (Aug 21, 2006)

jdriller said:


> Talk to hburner.


 
lol, he is the one I quoted.


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## jdriller (Aug 21, 2006)

No really, PM hburner. He can bore out the body for you.


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## hburner (Aug 22, 2006)

Sorry Bryan, I must have overlooked this. You need a couple of different size boring bars or adjustable reamers. It will take at least 3 of either one in progressing sizes. An 11/16, and I forget the other 2 without going to look, but any way just start borin out the ID, removing about .007 or .01 at a pass until your cells fit in.

I use 1 1mm magnet to make the LG cells "touch".


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## Bryan (Aug 22, 2006)

hburner said:


> Sorry Bryan, I must have overlooked this. You need a couple of different size boring bars or adjustable reamers. It will take at least 3 of either one in progressing sizes. An 11/16, and I forget the other 2 without going to look, but any way just start borin out the ID, removing about .007 or .01 at a pass until your cells fit in.
> 
> I use 1 1mm magnet to make the LG cells "touch".



I appreciate the reply! Seems like a very inexpensive way to get good runtime with the P91. Thanks again!


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## evidence120 (Oct 16, 2006)

Hey Folks!
I just purchased the SMIDD 14v? Superfire G120 from fithunit.com. I did not however buy the batteries that they sell to go with it. I am not very familiar with the CR123A cells but after searching this forum came to the conclusion that I needed AW's protected 3.6~7 rechargeable CR123A's and charger. My problem is that in the fine print of his post it says "some may not work in high current draw incan lights." Is this an issue I need to worry about? Are protected cells the way to go for this application? Also do any of you experts recommend something else?

I want max performance in a safe application (no explosions).

Sorry if I'm 
-ev


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## Paul_in_Maryland (Oct 17, 2006)

evidence120,

Yesterday I received a pair of G140 lamp assemblies from fifthunit. I powered one up with three 150B cells, which compare with AW's new 17500 cells in capacity.

What a disappointment. The G140 lit on the first try. But its output appears to be about 30 to 50 percent below that of my Wolf Eyes 12V lamp running on three 150A cells (18500). It does, however, produce a broad, even flood, much like the Surefire P91. I think the P91 is brighter.

I'll post beam shots of the G140, Wolf Eyes 12V rechargeable, and Wolf Eyes 13V rechargeable in the Incandescent forum this weekend.

To answer your question: The G140 is not a high-current lamp; high-current usually means a current high enough to discharge the specified cells in about 30 to 40 minutes. On 17500 cells, the G140 should last a good hour or longer.

But if you have the G120 body, no adapter will provide the 1/2-cell length you'd need to hold three 17500 cells. You'd need to buy two Surefire A19 adapter tubes at about $20 each, creating a 6x123A body that would require three 17670 cells. The G140 is an underperformer; it's not worth such an investment.


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## evidence120 (Oct 17, 2006)

Paul thanks for the response.


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## lexina (Oct 17, 2006)

Paul_in_Maryland said:


> evidence120,
> 
> Yesterday I received a pair of G140 lamp assemblies from fifthunit. I powered one up with three 150B cells, which compare with AW's new 17500 cells in capacity.


 
Paul,

Did you have any luck fitting the bulb from the G140 into one of your 42mm mini-turbo reflectors? When I tried mine in an X12 bezel, it didn't focus very well i.e. there were nasty rings.

Alex


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## michiganstud (Jun 30, 2007)

I just got my 3 cell 12v Ultrafire light tonight and it is BRIGHT! I compared it up to my stinger and it blows the stinger away in brightness.


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## carbine15 (Jul 3, 2007)

why the hell do these old threads keep coming up? Stop data mining!


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