# Incan Reborn!



## kelmo (Oct 3, 2008)

The proliferation of small pocketable LEDs, such as the Arc AAA GS, Aeon, Fenix AAA products, and so on have me EDCing my incans again. I don't mind belt carrying my E2d or 9P knowing that the little powerhouse in my pocket will be my workhorse. If the lamp or batteries die so what, I know I won't be left in the dark. My Arc AAA GS puts out an incredible amount of light on a dark trail and the 5 hour runtime makes it a fantastic light all by itself. 

My current favorite combos are Arc AAA GS/E2d and Ion/9P for casual carry.

For serious mischief it's my Arc6 & M6.

kelmo


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## Patriot (Oct 3, 2008)

My brother's EDC light is still the E2D. I did set him up with a Lumens Factory EO bulb and RCR123's though. He loves the guilt free lumens and incan combo.


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## RobertM (Oct 3, 2008)

I hear you about the incans! Recently, I've been carrying around my new G3 and E1B daily (seems to be a great combo). My lights in my sig are listed in order of purchase, so as you can see, I've just recently started into the incans. Man, I was missing out on higher powered incans--I love my new G3.


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## thunderlight (Oct 5, 2008)

As the weather gets cooler here in Phoenix and especially when it gets sufficiently cold to wear a coat, I will sometimes toss a PT tec 40 in a coat in the car with slow self discharge batteries. [Of course, never gets cold enough here that lithiums are essential.]

I like the easy availability of PR bulbs, [especially Magnum star xenon] vs. proprietary lamp assemblies and I keep a spare bulb in one of those toothbrush holders attached to the plastic gizmo at the end of the tec 40 lanyard.


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## Fallingwater (Oct 6, 2008)

(edited, wrong subforum)


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## SureAddicted (Oct 6, 2008)

Fallingwater said:


> Sorry, I'm not with you. I wouldn't even be interested in flashlights if it wasn't for LEDs... incandescent bulbs look to me as practical as 8088 computers with four-color screens and no hard drives: useful if nothing else is available (and if they work, which is not a given in either case), but completely obsolete when compared to newer technologies.



The OP was stating his opinion on how he prefer's incans, if you cant respect that then don't take part in the thread.

I usually edc an incan, sometimes with an LED, but always an incan. Like you, I use my 9P and E2D regularly. I haven't had a LA die on me yet. Dependable and reliable are the first two words that come to mind when describing SF incans. It's highly unlikely, but I hope SF releases some new incans.


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## kramer5150 (Oct 6, 2008)

I'm with you... I just got a P61... WOW what a nice lamp. Such a BIG round hot-spot, that lights up the whole side of my house.

I dont think one is clearly superior to another, its more a matter of preference.

What I really like about the surefore P60 and p61, is that they resolve textures and details in surfaces... despite having less Lumens than an Equal-Lumen LED counterpart.

:thumbsup:


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## kelmo (Oct 6, 2008)

SureAddicted said:


> ...I haven't had a LA die on me yet...



I've had only one die on me. A brand new P90. It's almost jacket wearing time in the Big Sac. I just took my E2x out of storage. Its a E2e head, E2 body, and a clicky (the brand new one with the black guts). The thing practicaly disappears in your hand/pocket. With the MN03 LA it definitely gets the WOW factor. It shall ride in my pocket along with a set of spare cells this Fall and Winter!


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## SureAddicted (Oct 6, 2008)

kelmo said:


> the brand new one with the black guts



I thought the new ones had white guts :shrug:
My E2E pictured below has black guts, but the E2D has white internals. 
I swapped the P90 for the P91 when I bought my 9P and haven't looked back. But nothing beats the E series for lego ability and useability IMHO.


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## Fallingwater (Oct 6, 2008)

SureAddicted said:


> The OP was stating his opinion on how he prefer's incans, if you cant respect that then don't take part in the thread.


Where did I disrespect his opinion? I just don't agree with it. I don't think I was rude, I just expressed my own. You can't open a thread on a forum and expect everyone will agree with you, and I imagine the OP knows this. Polite disagreement is at the root of any civilized discussion, you know.


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## DM51 (Oct 6, 2008)

Fallingwater... this is the incan sub-forum. I suggest, if you have nothing positive to contribute here, you stay out of it. 

Your two posts here are unnecessary and provocative, and any more in that vein will be regarded as trolling.


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## Chrontius (Oct 6, 2008)

I used to be a hardcore Inova fan.

Now when I EDC, I'm carrying a powerful incan and a Nichia showerhead light so I'm not left in the dark...

but I'm only carrying one light 

But the real sleeper star of my backpack-carry lately has been the 8X. Much more carryable than the ROP, guilt-free, and only slightly too bright if at all, for most tasks. (For everything else, either a fauxton is more appropriate, or a HID.) I just desperately wish Surefire would mount a P61 bulb in a X80 lamp assembly - the color temperature is just that much better and whiter. Used to be I'd occasionally swap a P60 back into the Malkoff host, just to remember what a good incan can be like, but then two things happened: my original P60 died (I had two spares, no biggie) and I got a 9z - and I don't think I'll ever go back to P60 lamps ever again. The 8X was just the last nail, giving me 9Z like oomph, tighter throw and the mythical perfect Surefire circle (no football at all!) and free lumens. Here's to an underappreciated classic!

(Edit: the first time I stopped EDCing the Malkoff, it was because I got complaints about blinding bounceback. The second time was after I bought a diffuser, and when going to friends' houses, everyone borrowing the thing without asking. It never got so much as a scratch, but I wondered for a good while how I was going through batteries so damn fast. )


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## Fallingwater (Oct 7, 2008)

DM51 said:


> Fallingwater... this is the incan sub-forum. I suggest, if you have nothing positive to contribute here, you stay out of it.
> 
> Your two posts here are unnecessary and provocative, and any more in that vein will be regarded as trolling.


Whoops. Sorry about that, you're completely right. I thought I was posting in the general flashlight subforum... must have clicked on the wrong link and not realized it 

Sorry Kelmo and everybody, I'll remove myself from this thread.


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## kaichu dento (Oct 7, 2008)

kramer5150 said:


> What I really like about the surefore P60 and p61, is that they resolve textures and details in surfaces... despite having less Lumens than an Equal-Lumen LED counterpart.
> 
> :thumbsup:


As one who doesn't yet have a single incan, does bringing out "textures and details in surfaces" seem to be one of the virtues when compared to LED's as a whole, or does it vary from light to light?

I had a Jet-I Pro IBS for a short time before it got taken from me, but I noticed much better detail and texture when looking at the tops of the trees which got my curiosity as to whether tint was a factor, or something else beyond my comprehension. 

(I will get another Jet-I Pro IBS but haven't yet decided which SF I'm going to get. :huh


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## flashfan (Oct 7, 2008)

Kaichu dento, to my eyes, LED lights provide a very "flat" image, while incandescent light just seems to saturate an area better, and thus (seem to) provide more detail/depth. I believe others on this board have made the same or similar observations.

Eyes and perception vary however, so you need to test it out and see what works for you. Perhaps the best bet is to have one light that emits both types of light at the same time for maximum effect.


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## Hogokansatsukan (Oct 24, 2008)

I have stayed away from incans since the L2 came out, but now... I'm slowly returning to them. I always kept a ROP around, but I'm finding myself drawn to how they do seem to bring out color and depth better. Just ordered a bunch of A2 lights. Have been playing with a E2E and, well, kind have rekindled an old love. Milky is making a special Redeye for me, so I guess we will see how that compares, but I'm going to be keeping some incans around.


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## [email protected] (Oct 24, 2008)

kaichu dento said:


> As one who doesn't yet have a single incan, does bringing out "textures and details in surfaces" seem to be one of the virtues when compared to LED's as a whole, or does it vary from light to light?
> 
> I had a Jet-I Pro IBS for a short time before it got taken from me, but I noticed much better detail and texture when looking at the tops of the trees which got my curiosity as to whether tint was a factor, or something else beyond my comprehension.



Emitter colour temp/range has a great deal to do with our visual perception hence the reason people buy/modify so many lights to the 4300K~5000K range, naturally individual results may vary, performance/behaviour of emitters in this narrow light range may account for the popularity of the SVO~SVN tinted LEDs (which FWIW are just outside of the preferred range @ 5350K) :thumbsup:


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## Monocrom (Oct 24, 2008)

Looking forward to EDCing a legoed E1E. The body and tailcap were gotten off the MarketPlace. The head is off of my E2E that I recently upgraded with a TLS Q5 head. Had a spare head, decided to put it to good use.

I'll start EDCing my E1E.... Just as soon as I get an SF MN01 or LF HO-E1A to put into the head.


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## sappyg (Oct 24, 2008)

this is my kind of thread.... i have never truly been able to appreciate LED's... they have there place and the one LED drop-in i have does make it into EDC but i have to have an incan when the LED comes with me.
the e2e has become my go to light. i added an HO-E2R for guilt free lumens and found what i was looking for..... i think...
i have blown an EO-9 and an EO-4.... no biggy... somebody somewhere is making another one just like them.
my favorite LA has got to be the p90 because of that awesome flood. i think that is why i like my little e2e. it a great spot and an incredible spill. 
the discovery of rechargables have as much to do with the rebirth of incans for me. before that, i was leaning towards LED. but now, who needs em'


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## jumpstat (Oct 24, 2008)

I love my Sf M6....and its rechargeable also. LEDs will still be a favorite too as they are reliable and useful and comes in small form factor. Of course bulbs will blow however, that part of maintenance which we users must appreciate.


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## leon2245 (Oct 25, 2008)

kelmo said:


> The *proliferation of small pocketable LEDs, such as the Arc AAA GS, Aeon, Fenix AAA products, and so on have me EDCing my incans again. I don't mind belt carrying my E2d or 9P knowing that the little powerhouse in my pocket will be my workhorse.* If the lamp or batteries die so what, I know I won't be left in the dark. My Arc AAA GS puts out an incredible amount of light on a dark trail and the 5 hour runtime makes it a fantastic light all by itself.
> 
> My current favorite combos are Arc AAA GS/E2d and Ion/9P for casual carry.
> 
> ...


 
Based on that principle it seems like there should be more of the 2-in-1 incan & L.E.D. models out there than we have now. Use the L.E.D. most of the time, but have a higher power incan available when needed. I guess most would rather E.D.C. a couple smaller lights than something like that, or just pure L.E.D. modes for low and high they are so powerful now, but I like how incans look.


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## bridgman (Oct 25, 2008)

>>Use the L.E.D. most of the time, but have a higher power incan available when needed. 

You mean "use the incandescent most of the time, drop in the LED if the incan blows, and hope nobody sees you", right ?


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## jayflash (Oct 25, 2008)

Happily, I'm still enjoying the best of most lighting worlds in that I appreciate the advantages of each type: incandescent, LED & HID.

When in the woods I'll usually use a lower level LED to light easy trails because of their efficiency. When up on a ledge or tall dune and especially viewing distant objects, incans do it for me. They seem to provide more detail and that's even more apparent at greater distances. Of course HIDs rule for really far or very bright lighting needs.

I like the long runtime and reliability of LEDs, but prefer the incans for bringing out the most detail when in wooded areas. Something seems to be missing when using LEDs to see into dense, foliated, areas.

It was surprising to find that a P60 in my G2 seems to outthrow my P3D on turbo.


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## Illum (Oct 25, 2008)

Incans have their place, I'm sure DM51 would be happy to agree that the A2 at times is more effective than the LED when it comes to "white" light...especially when the MA02 has 500-580nm wave form included

LEDs are fun to play with, but the lack of the green spectrum often limits the usefulness of the LED in outdoor environments


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## Phaserburn (Oct 25, 2008)

I walk daily in my very wooded neighborhood, and incans are usually my choice. The detail, contrast and color are better. I love leds, I do, but there it is. Incans, HID, led, and fluoros too, are all part of my usage. I even like my propane lanterns, still. Heck, I even like candles.

I have been using a WE 13V setup with 12V lamp of late. Massive flood, and nice medium range throw.


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## kelmo (Oct 25, 2008)

I'm going to a cocktail party tonight held on the roof of a building. I strapped on my trusty E2d. I also rotated my oldest spare batteries into the SC3 that will ride in my jacket pocket.


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## chuck4570 (Oct 26, 2008)

While hunting I always have 3 Surefire incans with me, a E1e with a 15 lumen MN-01 in it makes a great little light for finding things in your pack or looking at your watch while on stand, I hang this little light on a landyard around my neck so it is always there and easy to get to. While walking to my stand early in the morning a I use a E2e with a 25 lumen MN-02 in it, this is plenty of light to navigate in the dark woods without drawing alot of attention to myself. With the E2e I always have a spares carrier with extra batteries and a extra MN-03 LA in it for backup. My 3rd light is a C2 with a P61 in it incase I need alot of light, this light sits in my pack just waiting for the time that it is needed. I have dabbled with LED lights for these uses, but for me nothing works as well as a nice warm light from a incan.

Chuck


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## mooman (Oct 26, 2008)

Although I have both. I agree with all of you above that the color spectrum of an incan is a great advange outdoors. I just got an Aviator in a trade. I have been using it as of late for a dog walking light. Nothing is better in helping me avoid "land mines" :laughing:as I walk along the local green belt.


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## Monocrom (Oct 26, 2008)

mooman said:


> Although I have both. I agree with all of you above that the color spectrum of an incan is a great advange outdoors. I just got an Aviator in a trade. I have been using it as of late for a dog walking light. Nothing is better in helping me avoid "land mines" :laughing:as I walk along the local green belt.


 
I know the type of land mines that you mean. Certain outdoor sections of my job site are covered with them, thanks to the wild geese that use it as a rest stop. I tried using a couple of inca lights to navigate past them. But switched to using my 200+ lumens LED lights. Saved my shoes quite a few times.


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## bridgman (Oct 27, 2008)

I just ordered a Fenix TK20 - 2xAA with a warm-tint LED. Should be interesting to see if that puts the first crack in my preference for incandescents (other than the occasional ElektroLumens LED mega-blaster, of course).


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## kelmo (Oct 28, 2008)

I've been using my E2d almost exclusively. It is ironic that it is my 1st Surefire. Man I could have saved literally thousands of dollars if I'd known I would be this happy with a simple incan after all these years!

I've got lots of batteries to burn and pockets to put them in now that the weather is cooler.


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## ZMZ67 (Nov 6, 2008)

I am also seeing the advantage of carrying an incan of late.LEDs are great but a quality incandescent just seems to work better outdoors in many cases.


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## nitesky (Nov 8, 2008)

I had a small LED flashlight that got a lot of use but finally picked up a Strion for work. The size and recharger are positives and I like the incan tint better than my LED lights, at least for some purposes.


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## Tec40 (Nov 15, 2008)

I Think it's cool that we have both LED and incan lights. Having said that,I have recently gone back to using my E2e w/MN02 bulb for work. I love the runtime with the MN02 bulb,and the color rendition can't be beat when doing electrical work. I also,love my INOVA T1 as well. The tint is close to an incan, and the 4 hour runtime is a big plus. My E2e is still my favorite light of all time. You can mod it,or keep it stock. It's awesome to have so many options with this light.


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## Tec40 (Nov 15, 2008)

By the way, The Pelican Mitylite 4AA bulb is great to use in the PT Tec-40.The beam and spill are better than the stock bulb,and the runtime is better than the 4cell Magnum star bulb. As you can tell by my profile name, I also am a big Tec-40 fan. It is my other favorite incan light.


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## Phaserburn (Nov 16, 2008)

Tec40 said:


> By the way, The Pelican Mitylite 4AA bulb is great to use in the PT Tec-40.The beam and spill are better than the stock bulb,and the runtime is better than the 4cell Magnum star bulb. As you can tell by my profile name, I also am a big Tec-40 fan. It is my other favorite incan light.


 
What is the current draw of the Mitylite 4AA LA? I like the Tec 40 too, and use the Mag 4 cell bulb.


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## Tec40 (Nov 16, 2008)

Phaserburn, I think the Mitylite bulb is 3.7 watts.


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## ZMZ67 (Nov 16, 2008)

Tec40 said:


> By the way, The Pelican Mitylite 4AA bulb is great to use in the PT Tec-40.The beam and spill are better than the stock bulb,and the runtime is better than the 4cell Magnum star bulb. As you can tell by my profile name, I also am a big Tec-40 fan. It is my other favorite incan light.


 
Appreciate the tip,I also use the Magnum Star xenon.Maybe I will give the Mitylite bulb a try.Tec40,are you using alkalines or NiMH rechargables ?


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## Tec40 (Nov 16, 2008)

I'm using alkalines. I've used the 4cell Magnum Star bulb as well. I liked the brightness of it but,the runtime was not as good as the Mitylite and the stock bulb.


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