# Hello - Surefire G2 question



## z_GJUK (Jan 1, 2011)

Hello,



I'm a new member and this looks like a really great forum to be a part of.



I might be asking a few 'stupid' questions to start off with but I picku p things quickly.



I have a Surefire G2 which I've had for a while and recently i bought some rechargeable batteries for it, which appear to burn lamp out on the torch, almost instantly 



After googling the problem, i wasn’t meant to use rechargeable with it 



Can you get working rechargeable with this torch?



Also, are there any 'good' lamps to get for a G2, better than standard ones perhaps or any LED conversions which are easy to do?



Thanks guys,



Jon


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## HotWire (Mar 16, 2011)

One solution is to buy a 7.4v dropin from a vendor on the internet. I have a couple like that. The original Surefire bulb will  on 2 RCR123. Ask me how I know that! There are lots of LED dropins as well. I prefer the natural color rendition of the incandescent bulb. I have one that has a stock surefire incandescent, but I run it on a 17650. It's my creep around the house low-level light. :devil:


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## jugg2 (Mar 16, 2011)

Look at Lumens Factory bulbs. You can order direct from their website or better yet order from Lighthound! When you order from Lighthound you avoid having to wait for shipment from overseas... And Lumens Factory really backs up their products! If I have ever had a problem with a bulb they always ship a new one out ASAP! Definitely a great company to deal with!

Caleb Wilson


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## maxndale (Mar 16, 2011)

Im in the same boat I have a G2 and an old 6P thats been a great workhorse. I purchased a R2 Cree Led bulb to drop in off Ebay for $18.00. I dropped in my G2 and it seems to work well, but inn reading about heat it looks like I could have a problem.

I can put in my 6P if needed. My question is how much more lumens have I gained from putting this in my light?

And I also didn't realize you couldn't use rechargable batteries..

thanks.


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## nightcacher (Mar 16, 2011)

maxndale said:


> And I also didn't realize you couldn't use rechargable batteries..
> 
> thanks.


 
The surefire P60 bulb is 6 volts. A cr123a primary is 3 volts x2 =6 volts, a rechargable rcr123 is 3.7 nominal and 4.2 fully charged. So the voltage with 2 rechargable rcr123 is between 7.4 and 8.4 volts that would make a bulb go


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## maxndale (Mar 16, 2011)

Night,

Thanks for the info that makes sense.

Dale


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## bouncer (Mar 18, 2011)

Either go the led route or use a surefire p90 for incan, DO NOT use a P91 for your own safety.


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## Yoda4561 (Mar 18, 2011)

Yep, use either a P90 (or equivalent) bulb, or better yet get an LED dropin for that voltage range, I recommend the malkoff M61WL or M61WLL, they're pricey but the best on the market. Low cost imports may work, but most of them run too hot for reliable operation in a plastic light (the led overheats and kills itself).


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## ampdude (Mar 18, 2011)

A P90 and two IMR16340's is one of my favorite combos in the G2. My backup work light has an unfrosted Lumens Factory EO-9 in it. I also replace the lexan lens with a hardened mineral glass one on all of my G2's.


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## desert.snake (May 9, 2017)

Interestingly, I did not know that the model is so old, they were brought to my nearest store just a month ago, since then I have become interested Surefire


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## Timothybil (May 10, 2017)

desert.snake said:


> Interestingly, I did not know that the model is so old, they were brought to my nearest store just a month ago, since then I have become interested Surefire


There are a lot of reasons to like the original incandescent G2. With the availability of high CRI LED drop ins these days, it is easy to get one and use a 16650 Li-Ion rechargeable cell with it. Lumens Factory sells a drop in Neutral White or 90+ CRI, but it is only a single mode ~700 lumen output. Mountain Electronics has their CUXM/CUXP drop in with a Nichia option, and the choice of several different sets of modes. And, of course, there are the Cadillacs of drop ins, the Malkoffs. Somewhat more expensive, but built to last and fantastic customer service.


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## TMedina (May 13, 2017)

desert.snake said:


> Interestingly, I did not know that the model is so old, they were brought to my nearest store just a month ago, since then I have become interested Surefire



There are also practical benefits to the G2 body as well: not as prone to environmental awkwardness. Unlike aluminum, it won't become uncomfortably hot in the summer, nor uncomfortably cold in winter, or in rainy conditions.

If you like the G2, you might want to snag an extra one, since they're out of formal production by Surefire.


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## ven (May 13, 2017)

Agree, enjoying the g2 myself and also late to the party. I kind of did things the other way around, c2,6p etc 1st, then g2 and g2x later on.
Its good to have a light that bounces...................




Fed on 16650 fuel, as with other surefire's that have not been bored out.


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## scs (May 13, 2017)

Ven, how do you get dependable contact between the lip of the metal sleeve and your drop in? Wrapping wasn't dependable for me, so I've resorted to putting self adhesive copper strips in the socket, one end on the sleeve and the other extending into the socket to make contact with the drop in. Seems to work.


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## ven (May 13, 2017)

I cant remember right now tbh, its in work as well. iirc it may have a cut down spring to aid contact...............


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## Timothybil (May 13, 2017)

I have used three separate drop ins in my G2, one from Mountain Electronics, and two from Lumens Factory, and have never had a problem with making good contact. I guess it just depends on the individual drop ins.


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## desert.snake (May 14, 2017)

Thank all!
I read the forum and ordered the Malkoff M61WL
and for food I took the Skilhunt M2 and two EagleTac 16650 2500mAh.
When I get it, I'll write what happened.


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## bykfixer (May 14, 2017)

Ya know? I had been using a Malkoff drop in with no issue what-so-ever in a G2, and the other day I removed to try in a different light. When I put it back it was plaqued with erratic contact. Weird. 

I carefully tugged on the spring that fastens to the module and it worked fine. I just thought it odd that after a year + of use with no issue it started acting up. 

Those lumens factory P60 style incan replacement modules are fine. I read they darken over time where the SureFire ones do not. But I wanted similar output to the P60 so I bought a Malkoff M61 Warm Low/Low (WLL) for like $40 shipped and it has paid for itself in battery cost. 10 hours of regulated runtime has made it so the cells I put in 18 months ago are still the ones in it as I type this.

For a P61 type output (125 lumens iirc) the WL or neutral tinted NL will give that G2 a bunch of WOW while still running 5+ hours on regular cells. As a bonus Gene builds them to handle RCR123's or those 650 length rechargeables due to allowing a wide range of voltages. 
The beam will differ from a narrow spot of the P60 with great spill to a wider spot with very similar spill. Throw is virtually the same with the WLL and the L... well see-ing is believing.

Good choices desert snake and welcome to the site.
It's great to see new members bring back old threads instead of starting new ones. We get a blast from the past and it shows they at least tried to find answers before asking for help. Good job :thumbsup:


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## desert.snake (Jun 17, 2017)

Thank you, friends!

Batteries 16650 came, they work fine. But the drop-in Malkoff is still on the road.
I think it's time to use the 16650 with the original lamp, but I read that halogen lamps with low voltage lose
their life time faster, since the temperature is insufficient and tungsten does not precipitate back onto
the spiral in sufficient quantity. 

Tell me please, at what voltage should I stop the work and recharge the batteries?


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## Timothybil (Jun 17, 2017)

I know I'll be corrected if I am wrong, but as far as I know, any use with an incan bulb and a single Li-Ion cell will lead to decreased bulb life.


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## Nippy Dye (Jun 17, 2017)

You made a wise decision. After first trying a ????Fire Chinese drop in that didn't impress me at all, I dropped a Malkoff M61NL into my older G2 a couple of years ago, and couldn't be happier.


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## bykfixer (Jun 17, 2017)

DS if you bought a protected cell it'll shut itself off before it harms itself. If you need steady light and haven't top'd off in a while just carry a spare battery.


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## kelmo (Jun 23, 2017)

Hey G2 Fans!

I have a few. I just went camping with a yellow one using a stock P60. That still puts out a lot of light but not a lot of light on paper compared to the spec sheets of a contemporary LED module. If you can afford to feed it keep it stock!

I also have a green G2 with a SF P60L module and a lanyard ring that SF sold that attaches to the bezel. It is a novelty as it negates the bezel o-ring.

Cheers

kelmo


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## ven (Jun 24, 2017)

Agree Kelmo, my G2 is running stock(maybe 50lm as under driven by my 16650/4.35v cell). It's enough light tbh, using it last night around back garden. The warm beam is just so easy and pleasing on the eye(subjective). I had pretty much ruled out Incan a bit back, maybe being spoiled by 219b' and 219c's in various CT's(again subjective). Still there is no replacement imo and that's just a surefire p60 bulb! It's pretty much free to run using 16650 cells.....


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## irongate (Jun 24, 2017)

Can't beat the old G2's on just a simple light with the 16650. Sometimes that is all I need


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## ven (Jun 24, 2017)

To think just a few years back, thats pretty much all we had and managed fine. No reason not to today.............just spoiled with multi mode lights, longer run times and brighter. 

Mine with a c2 head and xeno bezel ring




Lights I had at hand last night for chilling out with



The Olight is a 4500k 219b off vinh which side by side with the incan, looks pure white. This 219b used to look very warm to my eyes being used to cool whites. Crazy how things change and how our eyes adjust. The quad is a 4000k 219b and x65vn 5000k xhp35 HI. Lantern by nitecore is hi cri but cool. Its actually grown on me a tad, just not a prefered colour temp for night use(prefer on warmer side as its is just easier on my tired eyes).




My fav of the nitrolon lights of surefire , is the g2z...............like the look/feel/design. This for now has a sportac triple 219c 4000k in, works great on 20% level.




This is also fed on 16650 fuel. In fact thinking about it, pretty much all my surefires bar 2 are fed on 16650's.


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