# Surefire P60 Life



## Filament (Jan 1, 2004)

Happy New Year from a new member! Last night I was showing a friend my G2 while setting up some fireworks. He was impressed with the output for the size of the light and I was filling him in on all the details of Surefire in general. Things were going well when the light just completely dropped off. Since it is a new light (an early Christmas gift less than 2 weeks old with virtually no runtime - maybe 15 minutes) I thought maybe I had gotten a set of the "bad" Surefire batteries. So I brought out my spares (in the orange Wal Mart waterproof match holders - thanks CPF!!) but - nothing. Tried a third set of batteries - nothing. Luckily I had my E2e so we could finish the job, but is this a "common experience" or did I just get a statistical anomoly? Do you think Surefire will do anything? My other G2 is still fine after 6 months of use. Thanks for any help.


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## Sharp (Jan 1, 2004)

I'm EDCing some SureFire's that are almost an year old and I use them all time. Maybe it's just your the Lamp Assembly. Try calling SureFire. Maybe they'll send you a new one.

Richard


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## Size15's (Jan 1, 2004)

Welcome to CPF!

I suggest you swap bulbs just to confirm that it is the bulb that has died. If this is the case I suggest you call SureFire 800 828 8809.

Al


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## madecov (Jan 1, 2004)

My P60 in a G2 has been going strong for almost 3 years. I don't even know how many batteriy sets I have gone through, but it's at least 8 sets.


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## thesurefire (Jan 1, 2004)

I'd have to say you got the one in a million bad bulb. I've burn 2 full sets of batteries and am on the 3rd since christmas and its still working perfectly.


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## Gene (Jan 1, 2004)

I had an early Surefire 9N, (with the dual bulb LA), explode on me many years ago. Surefire admitted they had a problem with 9N LA's when they first came out and replaced it with an improved model which proved ultra-reliable. Other than that, I've NEVER had a SF LA go out on me and I've used them extensively for 19 years. I even sold my old 6P about a year ago, (that I had purchased in 1985), with the ORIGINAL LA with many, many hours of use. I've heard that people have had a lot of SF LA's blow on them when dropped but I dropped many of mine, many times, and never even experienced that. Maybe I've been lucky but I sure have had good luck with them.


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## Filament (Jan 1, 2004)

Thanks for the inputs. I've swapped my working G2 lamp with the suspect one, and sure enough, it lights up, so it is the lamp and not a switch, bad batteries, etc. I've emailed SF customer service, but don't expect a reply soon due to the holidays. I'll keep you posted on what happens next. How about the P61? Anyone have any issues with it? I've ordered one for my G2 and am a little concerned about the heat and the Lexan lens combination.


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## Hornet (Jan 1, 2004)

Check out www.flashlightlens.com he has b270 and UCL replacement lenses for the G2. (its size 29.1) simple to install and then no worries. I love mine even thou it's only 2 days old. He also has GREAT Service.
Dana


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## Dave_in_PA (Jan 1, 2004)

I just blew the P60 lamp in my 15 year-old 6P. It's a duty light, although not used everyday. When I do use it, it's for very short bursts of light. My understanding is that using the light for that type of operation is harder on the lamp than longer run times.

Dave


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## Size15's (Jan 1, 2004)

SureFires are intended for short periods of flashing and bursts. I don't think it will damage the bulb. Running a bulb on flat batteries will make it age faster though.

Al


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## ResQTech (Jan 1, 2004)

Seem like SF bulbs typically either blow in the first 5 mins of use, or they last many many sets of batteries.


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## Dave_in_PA (Jan 2, 2004)

Al, thanks for the info. I got my information from a recent advertisement for a SF Aviator, where the text said the lamp was regulated (or digitally controlled?), which provided a "softer start" and lengthened the lamp life. 

Regardless, 15 years for one lamp sounds good to me!

Dave


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## chamenos (Jan 3, 2004)

surefire will probably send you a new lamp, no questions asked. i've had a bad P60 before (on my first surefire, no less), and it blew overnight. i left it on a table, and the next morning it just stopped working. as long as it doesn't blow within the first few sets of batteries or drops, it will last you a very long time. i have a few such examples in my possession. i feel old repeating this everytime someone posts about a bad surefire lamp /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif


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## Double_A (Jan 3, 2004)

My experience has been pretty much the same as others. I've been using Surefires regularly for over 13 years. I've only had one lamp go on me, it was from my M6 and it went in the first 5 or 10 mins of use. The second time was from a several yr old 6P I sold to a coworker it died within a week of him having it.

GregR


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## DarkHelmet (Jan 3, 2004)

Your experience is not at all typical of Surefires.

My P60 has 38 lithiums through it, and 8 of those were run constant on end-to-end (4 hours burn, constant except batt changes) while caving.

Surefire will most likely replace your lamp. It seems that these things really do die right away or last ages.


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## brightnorm (Jan 3, 2004)

My original P60 in my original 6P that I bought about 10 years ago is still going strong. I don't know how many battery changes it has endured but I tend to change batteries pretty often and I never wait til the light is really dim. I own many Surefires and so far I've never had a bulb failure. I don't use my lights as long or as often as some CPFers but even so that's a darn good record.

Brightnorm


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## Filament (Jan 3, 2004)

Thanks for all the feedback. The P60 I've been using since July (first Surefire for me) hasn't had any trouble, neither has my two-month old E2e. I just put the P61 in to replace the blown P60 - waiting on SF to get back from the Holidays. Based on _most_ of the feedback in CPF on SF, I have confidence they'll do the right thing. In the meantime, that P61 is bright!


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## madecov (Jan 3, 2004)

While on duty I dropped my G2Z and shattered the pyrex. called SF and they said they would replace the bezel N/C. recently they sent me a new lexan bezel for my 4 year old 8NX as it was scratched to hell. Great service. you get what you pay for


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## **DONOTDELETE** (Jan 4, 2004)

The last time that I regularly used a P60 bulb was in the late 90s. I used it in a model 6P and for just about everyday during that year. I didn't pay attention to the number of battery sets that I used at the time, but now I suspect it was well over ten.


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## Filament (Jan 7, 2004)

Surefire came through. Sending a replacement lamp right away. Chalk another one up for SF Customer Service.


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