# Anyone tried the G8 Alpha USA 390 Lumen LED For Surefire 6P?



## Kevin1322 (Mar 25, 2009)

The Arctic Trader on Ebay has a G8 Alpha USA For Surefire 6P / LED Bulb that they say is getting 390 Lumens, cost is $34. I can't find anything on CPF about this seller or the G series Alpha drop ins. Has anybody used these and if so, what do you think about them? Thanks.


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## Gunner12 (Mar 25, 2009)

Haha, what a LIE! I'm wondering if he knows what LED the drop-ins uses, much less what it can actually do.

The best Cree XR-E LED (R2 bin) get around 260 lumen at max recommended drive current. The LED will be severly overdriven to get 390 lumen and neither the batteries nor the LED will last long at all. The R2 bin is hard to find, the drop-in probably use a Q5 or lower bin.

Also $34? I'd suggest you get a few of these drop-ins. They are probably similar performance wise (for all you know, the eBay seller might be buying that drop-in, taking off the sticker, and twisting the spring a bit). It probably doesn't have an R2 bin emitter either but it's much lower in price and has proven to be a good budget priced drop-in (judging by what has been posted here).

:welcome:


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## Kevin1322 (Mar 25, 2009)

Thanks for the welcome and info Gunner. I had a feeling about these. I was more surprised that there were not more posts against this place than anything. I have been looking at that drop in. Seems to be a good budget one. Dave seems to be making some real power pact ones, and then there are the Malkoffs. I might end up going with the Dree R2 for $41. It sounds like it is getting more throw. Still, what a great way to upgrade lights for $10! Sweet!:twothumbs


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## bigchelis (Mar 25, 2009)

Kevin1322 said:


> Thanks for the welcome and info Gunner. I had a feeling about these. I was more surprised that there were not more posts against this place than anything. I have been looking at that drop in. Seems to be a good budget one. Dave seems to be making some real power pact ones, and then there are the Malkoffs. I might end up going with the Dree R2 for $41. It sounds like it is getting more throw. Still, what a great way to upgrade lights for $10! Sweet!:twothumbs


 
I have the Alpha G8 and at least 3 of the Cree R2 and Cree Q5 at Deal Extreme. IMHO they are the same overall. The Alpha G8 probably makes around 150 lumens. I also have the Dereelight Cree R2 at 1.2amps and it it makes right under 200 lumens as tested by MrGman. My R2 from Dereelight was the 4.2v max 3 mode white warm version.
Alpha G8: Way to expensive for a low quality bin. Also, the board on mine went out after about 10 hours of use. 
Deal Extreme R2: best bang for the buck.
Dereelight R2: Great beam with OP reflector and the 3 modes allows for longer runtimes when needed. 
Malkoff M60: to my eyes it seems brighter than all of the ones previously mentioned. It has the greatest side spill and the beam quality is arguably the best in the industry. I would pay the extra $15 and get the Malkoff M60 over the Dereelight. It has heatsinking technology that no other P60 uses and the beam is just amazing. If you absolutely have to have 3 modes then go with Dereelight. I think the Dereelight with a smooth reflector out throws the Malkoff M60, which is why I have the Dereelight R2 4.2v max.


When the alpha G8 worked I compared beamshoots of it against the Malkoff M60. The Malkoff was brighter, threw further, and had more side spill. The Alpha G8 at least had a huge donut, but it was clearly no where near 200 lumens.

lovecpf:welcome:lovecpf


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## kramer5150 (Mar 25, 2009)

No first hand experience.
Pricey and questionable output specs. Stick with the more reputable brands, or DX if you are on a tight budget.


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## Kevin1322 (Mar 25, 2009)

Thanks bigchelis,

Great info!:thumbsup:


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## Kevin1322 (Mar 25, 2009)

Thanks kramer!:thumbsup:


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## foxtrot29 (Mar 25, 2009)

There is another thread on this drop in and their ridiculous claims. I just don't know where it is. lol


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## bigchelis (Mar 25, 2009)

foxtrot29 said:


> There is another thread on this drop in and their ridiculous claims. I just don't know where it is. lol


 
For a Surefire 9P it says over 400 Lumens.:devil:

It must be a super duper high quality R2. lol.....


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## Marduke (Mar 25, 2009)

bigchelis said:


> For a Surefire 9P it says over 400 Lumens.:devil:
> *
> It must be a super duper high quality R2.* lol.....




Must be T5 bin.....


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## Mjolnir (Mar 25, 2009)

Maybe they are insinuating that their LED is of bad quality and will explode if used, which could theoretically result in a short burst of 400 lumen light...


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## LightJaguar (Mar 26, 2009)

Maybe its one of those MC E drop ins like the one from DX. If thats the case then 300 lumens is about right. Right?


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## bigchelis (Mar 26, 2009)

LightJaguar said:


> Maybe its one of those MC E drop ins like the one from DX. If thats the case then 300 lumens is about right. Right?


 

I have it and just sent it over to Nailbender in the custom section to look at, since it stopped working

I can assure you it is 100% a single Cree emitter. The vender doesn't disclouse what type of Cree it is.


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## kramer5150 (Mar 26, 2009)

bigchelis said:


> I have it and just sent it over to Nailbender in the custom section to look at, since it stopped working
> 
> I can assure you it is 100% a single Cree emitter. The vender doesn't disclouse what type of Cree it is.



Oh noes!! which one died? the DX MC-E or Alpha G8 ?


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## bigchelis (Mar 26, 2009)

kramer5150 said:


> Oh noes!! which one died? the DX MC-E or Alpha G8 ?


 

The Alpha G8 was the one that died. I am having Nailbender make it run at 1.4amps. He thinks it is a Q5. 

I also want to try out the P60 Diamond Dragon he has. He said initially it is 2amps then drops to 1.5 due to not enough heatsinking. It must be a thrower for sure.


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## LEDAdd1ct (Apr 1, 2009)

DM51, PM sent.


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## Convert (Apr 1, 2009)

I unfortunately dropped dime on one of the G8's a couple weeks ago, before I signed up here and knew any better. When it arrived, it was actually marked G9 (??), not G8. I had to pull off the outer spring for it to fit in my G2, even though they advertise a "perfect fit" right out of the box. With 2xCR123s, it appears to be putting out right around 100 lumens. Maybe a little more...I'm still new at this whole flashlight thing (which is quickly become a rampant addiction), so my eyes might not be able to tell a huge difference yet. 

One thing in the positive for The Arctic Trader - their shipping was LIGHTNING fast. I had this thing in my hands in 3 days, and they are supposedly in China. As for the bulb, I will say that it is quite a bit brighter than the P60 lamp, but thats not saying much lol. 390 lumens is an out and out lie though. I sent them several e-mails after I bought the light asking them questions about it, but never got any response. After I recieved it, I gave them positive feedback but stated my opinion in the comments section: "Brighter than P60 bulb but NOWHERE near 390 lumens. 100 at most. Wont buy again."

The next day, I got an extremely pissed off e-mail from them spouting a whole bunch of nonsense about how I can't compare xenon to LED because the output is so different, and that I needed to do my research before "slandering" their company, blah blah blah. Here, let me dig up what they sent me...



TheArcticTrader said:


> Hi there,
> You really should do your research before making permanent comments on ebay. You made the Big mistake of comparing a Xenon to and LED.. The Surefire LED is 80 lumens and the Surefire Xenon is 60 BUT the Xenon is 250% brighter ...That is because Lumens is NOT a measure of brightness of a light beam it nothing more than Volume... Our LED that you recieved is about 500% brighter than the Surefire 80Lumen led...and that is an LED to LED comparison. You were simply wrong Scientifically provably wrong.. We sell Alpha Because their brightness is Guaranteed! Please be carefull next time to not slander a company as you did,,, but thank you for at least keeping it positive.


 
I ripped these guys pretty good in response...which I will not post here lol. I haven't heard from them since, nor will I ever do business with them again.


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## foxtrot29 (Apr 1, 2009)

Convert said:


> I unfortunately dropped dime on one of the G8's a couple weeks ago, before I signed up here and knew any better. When it arrived, it was actually marked G9 (??), not G8. I had to pull off the outer spring for it to fit in my G2, even though they advertise a "perfect fit" right out of the box. With 2xCR123s, it appears to be putting out right around 100 lumens. Maybe a little more...I'm still new at this whole flashlight thing (which is quickly become a rampant addiction), so my eyes might not be able to tell a huge difference yet.
> 
> One thing in the positive for The Arctic Trader - their shipping was LIGHTNING fast. I had this thing in my hands in 3 days, and they are supposedly in China. As for the bulb, I will say that it is quite a bit brighter than the P60 lamp, but thats not saying much lol. 390 lumens is an out and out lie though. I sent them several e-mails after I bought the light asking them questions about it, but never got any response. After I recieved it, I gave them positive feedback but stated my opinion in the comments section: "Brighter than P60 bulb but NOWHERE near 390 lumens. 100 at most. Wont buy again."
> 
> ...



I didn't buy one, but did question the seller about the drop in. Initially he refused to tell me what kind of emitter was in it, saying something along the lines of "Surefire doesn't release their emitter type, so why would we... blah blah... proprietary, blah, big secret, blah..."

Then later admitted it was "probably a cree" but stuper duper high quality. lol


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## SFG2Lman (Jul 9, 2009)

I did happen to purchase one of these as well, but I got the "Alpha G10 Supra" rated at 10000 lux, i guess they gave up on the lumens thing because it wasn't good to compare against the surefire's out the lens lumens. It seems to work well in my little G2 with no overheating. Their shipping was fast, and the light is considerably brighter to my eyes. I would guess 2-3 times brighter than the stock P60L pill, but thats an eyeball guess. I might throw a beamshot comparison in here when i find the charger for my camera. As my first drop-in I am impressed. I just can't seem to find anyone else who knows anything about what kind of bulb they use...etc etc. Hopefully this will drum up some attention.


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## bigchelis (Jul 9, 2009)

SFG2Lman said:


> I did happen to purchase one of these as well, but I got the "Alpha G10 Supra" rated at 10000 lux, i guess they gave up on the lumens thing because it wasn't good to compare against the surefire's out the lens lumens. It seems to work well in my little G2 with no overheating. Their shipping was fast, and the light is considerably brighter to my eyes. I would guess 2-3 times brighter than the stock P60L pill, but thats an eyeball guess. I might throw a beamshot comparison in here when i find the charger for my camera. As my first drop-in I am impressed. I just can't seem to find anyone else who knows anything about what kind of bulb they use...etc etc. Hopefully this will drum up some attention.


 

If you go to Dealextreme.com, you could purchase the Cree R2 for under $10 delivered and you are likely getting the same LED, but for alot less money.:wave:


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## kramer5150 (Jul 9, 2009)

SFG2Lman said:


> I did happen to purchase one of these as well, but I got the "Alpha G10 Supra" rated at 10000 lux, i guess they gave up on the lumens thing because it wasn't good to compare against the surefire's out the lens lumens. It seems to work well in my little G2 with no overheating. Their shipping was fast, and the light is considerably brighter to my eyes. I would guess 2-3 times brighter than the stock P60L pill, but thats an eyeball guess. I might throw a beamshot comparison in here when i find the charger for my camera. As my first drop-in I am impressed. I just can't seem to find anyone else who knows anything about what kind of bulb they use...etc etc. Hopefully this will drum up some attention.




You can also DIY the same thing, from $15 in DX parts.


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## hyperloop (Jul 9, 2009)

bigchelis said:


> If you go to Dealextreme.com, you could purchase the Cree R2 for under $10 delivered and you are likely getting the same LED, but for alot less money.:wave:



+10 on that, just do a seach on "Cree R2" and it pops up at least 3 modules, a 5 mode, a single mode and a purportedly 3 mode programmable (do NOT be fooled, its ONE mode but porgrammable)

i have the single mode and the single programmable. The programmable is in my G2 and i really like it as now i can balance output with runtime. I'd rather take a chance on DX / KD than trust some Ebay seller making wild claims that are not possible given current technology.


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## bigchelis (Jul 9, 2009)

I just went to ebay and saw the infamous "Alpha G10 Supra", sorry to say but is the same one called the Alpha G8. In fact, it is the same video used to sell the Alpha G8 too.


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## SFG2Lman (Jul 10, 2009)

*shrugs* i just bough a whole light/charger/battery for less than that drop-in, i guess its a lesson learned on being over-eager....i guess i need to devote more time to reading CPF much to my wife's dismay


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## bigchelis (Jul 10, 2009)

SFG2Lman said:


> *shrugs* i just bough a whole light/charger/battery for less than that drop-in, i guess its a lesson learned on being over-eager....i guess i need to devote more time to reading CPF much to my wife's dismay


 
Did you get the Trustfire WF-139 charger? This one stops charging cells at 4.15v (at least my IMR 18650's)

Also,
You should invest in some AW cr123 or AW 18650 cells. These have true mAh capacity and when your cells reach that dangerous low they stop giving out juice due to protection built in them.

I go to lighthound.com and purchase the charger, AW and IMR cells from them. It takes 2 days to reach my paws from Texas to California.:thumbsup:


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## Mjolnir (Jul 10, 2009)

I would suggest the Pila IBC charger, but it definitely costs more than the cheap DX chargers (including the WF-139). However, I have owned cheaper chargers, and they don't consistently terminate the charge when they should, especially with unprotected cells.


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## SFG2Lman (Jul 11, 2009)

haha although highly off topic i got the solarforce l2 combo (flashlight with R2, charger, 18650 battery, holster) on ebay for $37ish i already have the dereelight 3sd drop-in (R2 SMO), but i figured i would get a combo now so i have everything to START playing, and then upgrade to the AW batteries, better charger, etc etc, later. i'm trying to build one throw light and one flood. The 3SD will be my throw, and I am looking for a drop-in for my G2 for flood (M60 MCE?) but for now I definitely am sticking with the Alpha G10 in my G2 as it is definitely brighter than the stock P60L and my 3SD won't run on 2 primaries. (i don't have or want a dummy, or a 17670) But it seems reliable, though the fit isn't perfect, after some fiddling it will get in there. Seems to be properly heat-sinked and all that. It probably was not worth the money. But look how much i learned. (Like how i brought it back on topic there at the end?)


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## Mjolnir (Jul 11, 2009)

Is your G2 the LED version? If it isn't, then it won't have enough heatsinking to run that LED dropin.

You should look at the Malkoff flood models, like the M60F.


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## SFG2Lman (Jul 11, 2009)

yeah its got the metal (aluminum i believe) bezel


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## kramer5150 (Jul 11, 2009)

bigchelis said:


> I just went to ebay and saw the infamous "Alpha G10 Supra", sorry to say but is the same one called the Alpha G8. In fact, it is the same video used to sell the Alpha G8 too.



!!! $42 Thats insane!! his modules used to be in the $25 range + S/H.

I hope no one here buys one of these.


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## Canonista (Jul 11, 2009)

bigchelis said:


> I have the Alpha G8 and at least 3 of the Cree R2 and Cree Q5 at Deal Extreme. IMHO they are the same overall. The Alpha G8 probably makes around 150 lumens. I also have the Dereelight Cree R2 at 1.2amps and it it makes right under 200 lumens as tested by MrGman. My R2 from Dereelight was the 4.2v max 3 mode white warm version.
> Alpha G8: Way to expensive for a low quality bin. Also, the board on mine went out after about 10 hours of use.
> Deal Extreme R2: best bang for the buck.
> Dereelight R2: Great beam with OP reflector and the 3 modes allows for longer runtimes when needed.
> ...


 

Get a Malkoff and get your money's worth.


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## SFG2Lman (Jul 11, 2009)

a malkoff is what i'm leaning towards, but i want my G2 to be a flooder as my L2 is the one that will host an 18650 for the dereelight 3SD...which malkoff would be a good replacement for my alpa G10 i wonder...the MCE is obviously the one for bragging rights...but G2s have enough trouble staying cool and blowing up a 125 dollar LED scares my wallet...perhaps just the M60F and forget the bragging rights? that doesn't seem light the CPF way...either way when the L2 gets here i'll compare the 3SD with the G10 and see if its even worth continuing this thread or leaving it as "don't buy"

a quick physical comparison shows the dereelight R2 having a noticeably larger die than the alpha G10. prolly a Q5 or lower in the G10, unless different bins of R2 have different die sizes, but based on what i have gathered its most likely not an R2. also, I ordered the g8 or the g9 i can't remember, but they gave me the free "upgrade" to the g10. so it is prolly exactly the same, but that british guy in a cave seemed so convincing (if you don't know watch the movie on ebay)


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## SFG2Lman (Jul 22, 2009)

as a quick update, DON'T buy this Alpha series G8 or G10 or w/e, its pretty low grade. The tint as compared to my solarforce light is almost purple and my solarforce blows it away in terms of output on the same batteries. My new light even beats it when the G10 bulb is running on 2x3.7V batts and the solarforce is running 2x3.0V batts, the output isn't even comparable. The craftsmanship is pretty low too as the solder on the base of the drop has cracked and the board holding the contact spring has been pushed further into the drop by the batteries. It still works, but I now stand unimpressed. Also, my solarforce complete flashlight+rechargeables+recharger was still the same price as 1 of these dropins. If you are looking budget like I am, go solarforce or something, but the drops mentioned in this thread are junk. Anyone that won't advertise/reveal what components they are using are not using anything to be proud of. Too late for me, but hopefully a more savvy shopper will check CPF first and this thread can save them some dissapointment. 


-SFG2Lman


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## Dee_NY (Oct 14, 2009)

Almost got the G8 tonight on ebay, almost that is... but thanks to you guys... I think notlovecpf


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## WILSON (Mar 7, 2010)

Sorry about floating an old thread - _I'm not sure where to start..._ :duh2:



What _was_ decided here,.. I mean, *is* there a proven way to convert my (brand-new) five year old incandecent 6P to LED (hopefully 200+ lumens)?

Is the Malkoff M60 reliable?


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## John_Galt (Mar 7, 2010)

^^^Generally things that are popular on these forums are popular for a reason. They generally are reliable, user friendly, and well made.

Malkoffs drop-ins are extremely well received here on CPF. They are well made, well warranted, very reliable, and very efficient. I can truthfully say (ok, type) that I have only heard of about 1 incidences where one of his drop-ins had failed, and only because (IIRC) the owner over-volted it. 

Look for the new M61 if you want 200+ out the front lumens.


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## Yoda4561 (Mar 8, 2010)

WILSON said:


> Sorry about floating an old thread - _I'm not sure where to start..._ :duh2:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Yeah, almost any of the QUALITY P60 dropins available today will do an easy 200 OTF. This includes the dereelight, Malkoff(my favorite), nailbender, and I'm sure a few other great makers that I'm not remembering at the moment. I'd wager the malkoff dropins are at least, if not more reliable than surefire's own P60L, and in the case of the M61 do it at 3-4x the output.


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