# Show us your KROMA/PKEF/DARPA lights!



## socom1970 (Sep 7, 2009)

I believe the KROMA/PKEF/DARPA lights are some of the coolest looking, yet underrated Surefires I've seen yet. Black HA, multi-color/multi-level output, great-looking optics, etc... I can't seem to get enough of them. 

So, if you have pics of your KROMA, DARPA, and/or PKEF lights, show 'em off!!!

Here's my little collection so far:


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## Eric242 (Sep 8, 2009)

My regular Kroma is already gone, but I (still) have my Kroma-Milspec with PK logo [now it´s sold too]:


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## DimeRazorback (Sep 8, 2009)

This thread is really bad for me :shakehead


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## Monocrom (Sep 8, 2009)

DimeRazorback said:


> This thread is really bad for me :shakehead


 
Agreed!


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## Kiwi_sg (Sep 8, 2009)




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## DimeRazorback (Sep 8, 2009)




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## Solscud007 (Sep 8, 2009)

Here you go.













Here is a old post with more pics, when i got my PKEF.
https://www.candlepowerforums.com/posts/2691718&postcount=398

Compared to std Kroma 
https://www.candlepowerforums.com/posts/2695178&postcount=422

And when I got the Darpa body. Traded PKEF body to Dafab for it.
https://www.candlepowerforums.com/posts/2735638&postcount=487


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## 1wrx7 (Sep 8, 2009)

I've always loved the look of these SureFires. I don't think they'd be too useful for me though. At least that's what I tell myself whenever I get the itch to buy one


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## socom1970 (Sep 8, 2009)

1wrx7 said:


> I've always loved the look of these SureFires. I don't think they'd be too useful for me though. At least that's what I tell myself whenever I get the itch to buy one



That's what I told myself for a long time. I held out for years after the KROMA was released. Honestly, they are so very versatile that I wish I would have bought one a long time ago. 

The Turbo versions have completely different beam patterns from the KROMA due to the 5mm LED's in the Turbohead, which have lots of rings and artifacts. The KROMA has the 3mm LED's, which produce a MUCH smoother and even flood beam. Also, the KROMA having high and low output levels for each color are very useful, compared to single level output for the colors on the PKEF/DARPA Turbohead. (Milspec KROMA has twice as many colors, single level outputs only) 

All have high and low white main beams, just that the KROMA uses a LuxIII and the PKEF Turbohead uses a LuxV. Both use optics that produce beams similar to aspheric lenses, but with a small amount of spill.

I love them all...


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## Solscud007 (Sep 8, 2009)

My DARPA has high and low modes. Low= blue and IR. I thinknt has a low white too then at full pressthere is high white. Which pkef are you refering to?


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## 1wrx7 (Sep 8, 2009)

Shortly after I got into lights, CPF had a pass around for the Kroma... it was a new light then. When DaFabricata had it I got to play with it.

I thought it was was of the most innovative lights I had ever seen. Not to mention... I love HA-BK. Unfortunately I find every SF LED light needs to be modified for me to really love it. With a light like this, if I mod it and something goes wrong with the electronics... I'm screwed. If something goes wrong with the other SF's I've modded... I take them apart and put a little more $$$ into them to make them work again. Perfect example... the T1A. What a great design:thumbsup:... but poorly executed. At least in the example I saw this weekend. Very blue... or purple... and completely out of focus. Nothing like the original Titan. Of course I could swap and shim the emmiter... but with the potentiometer... if something goes wrong I'm screwed.

I'm not trying to bash these lights... they're great... just not for me. Thankfully here at CPF plenty of people will post pretty pictures for me to drool over. Keep them coming people... I want to see morelovecpf

BTW... thanks for trying to get me to stimulate the economy Socom1970:nana:... apperently you know I have a weakness for SureFire's.


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## socom1970 (Sep 8, 2009)

Solscud007 said:


> My DARPA has high and low modes. Low= blue and IR. I thinknt has a low white too then at full pressthere is high white. Which pkef are you refering to?



I'm referring to both of my PKEF's in the pictures. (Small fib regarding the pictures: the DARPA light is just the DARPA body with a PKEF B5K turbo head on it... not a true DARPA light, but it looks good in the picture. ) 

You've got the DARPA equivalent of the PKEF C5K like I have. (BTW, if I am wrong about this, someone please correct me. I think I'm correct, though...:shrug: ) 

I have the PKEF B5K (Turbohead only) and the PKEF C5K. Both have a three-position selector ring. 

B5K: Low Blue (Pos. 1) or Low Red (Pos. 3), High White. (Pos. 2-Low White/High White) 

C5K: Low Blue (Pos. 1) or Low IR (Pos. 3), High White. (Pos. 2-Low White/High White)

The brightnesses of the single Low levels are in-between the KROMA low and high levels, kind of like a medium brightness level.

The High is always the White main beam on them. No High Level colors at all.


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## socom1970 (Sep 8, 2009)

1wrx7 said:


> BTW... thanks for trying to get me to stimulate the economy Socom1970:nana:... apparently you know I have a weakness for SureFire's.



No Worries!:thumbsup: Glad to try my hand at helping out! Chances are fair to good that if you are here, you probably have a weakness for Surefires.

Remember, I'm pulling for you... We're all in this together!:grouphug: - Red Green


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## Solscud007 (Sep 8, 2009)

Ahh so you were refering to low red/high red like the std kroma as well as low/high blue. 

Also my Darpa is technically a darpa. originally it was a PKEF. I just traded bodies to DAFab. One nice thing is that my darpa body markings match the head. DEF3C. 

DEF3 = turbo kroma.
"C" = Blue/White/IR

Here is a new pic. I picked up a M2 beam shaper. I didnt know this, but the M2 filter is the same as a M3 filter. the only difference is the rubber shroud that slips over the bezel.


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## [email protected] (Sep 18, 2009)

DimeRazorback said:


> This thread is really bad for me :shakehead




Yeah... and even worse for your wallet! 


* tries not to look at the beautifully crafted lights with sensational output colour range  *


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## EV_007 (Sep 19, 2009)

The business end of the K2.


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## socom1970 (Sep 20, 2009)

EV_007 said:


> The business end of the K2.



OMG!!! That is a BEAUTIFUL shot of the K2 KROMA!!!:rock:

Great photography job, EV_007!


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## EV_007 (Sep 20, 2009)

Thanks, that was shot with a point and shoot in macro mode.


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## DimeRazorback (Sep 21, 2009)

My new PK Kroma


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## socom1970 (Sep 21, 2009)

oo: So you're the one who bought it off of BST? Excellent!!! Great buy!

You're lucky I'm strapped for funds right now or that PK beauty would be in my collection right now!:naughty:

Excellent light and thanks for posting it!:thumbsup:

BTW, DimeRazorback, the green LED's don't appear very bright in contrast to the other colors. Is this correct or are the pics a bit misleading? 

And what is the little plastic thing on the back of the tailcap? A tail-stander piece? Is it aftermarket or did it come with the light?


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## DimeRazorback (Sep 21, 2009)

Thanks and no worries! :thumbsup:

They are actually yellow-green but I was in a hurry and didn't get a chance to make them look the correct colour 

They are certainly not as bright as the red or blue ones.

The little piece on the tailcap is a tail standing mod.
I also have the original piece :thumbsup:


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## socom1970 (Sep 21, 2009)

DimeRazorback said:


> This thread is really bad for me :shakehead



I guess I'm partially to blame for you buying your little beauty, eh?

You didn't have it at the time I started the thread, now look what happened!:devil:

I wanted that one sooo badly... I'm glad you enjoy it!


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## DimeRazorback (Sep 21, 2009)

I also bought a normal MilSpec Kroma the same day... it should be here soon


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## socom1970 (Sep 21, 2009)

WOW!!!! Good for you!!!:rock:

It's good to see some real appreciation for these "underdog" lights.:goodjob:


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## DimeRazorback (Sep 21, 2009)

I really want a DARPA 5K now


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## socom1970 (Sep 21, 2009)

Hey DimeRazorback!

Check your PM's.


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## Solscud007 (Sep 22, 2009)

DimeRazorback said:


> I really want a DARPA 5K now




Good luck. not too many Darpas runnin around. I had to piece mine together. Check with DAFAB he might still have some Darpa bodies. but be warned. the darpa bodies dont work very well. std K2 tailcaps dont work with the body. the UI gets all screwed up due to weird thread lengths. It works fine as a U2 host. There was a different tailcap, that SG no longer makes, that came with the DARPA lights. I dont have it. but I suspect it might solve the Darpa body problems.


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## socom1970 (Sep 22, 2009)

Like Solscud007 said, they are VERY hard to find. By the way, notice they all have the Z59 click-on tailcaps, not the PKEF/KROMA-type twisties. That could explain the twisties not working on the DARPA bodies. My twisty did not work on my DARPA body, either.

These DARPA lights, as shown below, are three versions that some of us know of so far. These are not mine and these are not my pictures. I don't know where I got the top pic. The two bottom pics were posted by CPF'er ATSUSMC, in one of the very few threads he posted back in 2007 and hasn't posted for a while.















I wouldn't mind having the DEF2. That TIR optic is beautiful!


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## Entrope (Sep 23, 2009)

_(Post Removed)_


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## Solscud007 (Sep 23, 2009)

Actually the DARPA DEF3 have a prototype click dual stage tailcap. contrary to the picture. DARPA kromas have a special tailcap.


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## socom1970 (Sep 23, 2009)

Solscud007 said:


> Actually the DARPA DEF3 have a prototype click dual stage tailcap. contrary to the picture. DARPA kromas have a special tailcap.



Right. The elusive two-stage twisty/clickie that seems as hard to find as the DARPA DEF2.

I knew about the prototype twistie/clickie for some of the PKEF lights already. I did not know about the DARPA lights having them.

Collecting discontinued/specialty/prototype lights can be just as frustrating as collecting "vaporware" lights.:hairpull:

I've been trying to collect the UB2 and the P61L for a while now!


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## KROMATICS (Sep 25, 2009)

Prototype for the KROMA:




















It has BLUE, GREEN, UV and IR LEDs.


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## Rat (Oct 10, 2014)

I have been digging around again. So many cool old threads. Its been five years for this one.

Here is my DEF-3D-8K It came from a Captain on a US aircraft carrier.





:wave:


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## bound (Oct 10, 2014)

DARPA DEF1 & DEF2 & DEF3D 5K










DEF 2 bezel 2.5inch







left to rightKEF-5K ==>PKEF 8K ==>DEF3D


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## bound (Oct 10, 2014)

Rat said:


> I have been digging around again. So many cool old threads. Its been five years for this one.
> 
> Here is my DEF-3D-8K It came from a Captain on a US aircraft carrier.
> 
> ...


Hi Rat,
C00567!
Very nice!!!:thumbsup:


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## bound (Oct 10, 2014)

Hi Rat, 
DARPA out of it, we are looking forward to go again:wave:


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## baseballfanatic (Feb 19, 2019)

*
Hello,

I know this is an old post but maybe it's worth bringing back to the top.

I have 2 DARPA and a Kroma Mil-Spec Surfire lights in like new condition. The DARPA's are the DEF 2 8k SN B00089 with the huge head and the DEF 1 SN A00177 and the Kroma SN is A62153. They're all in like new condition with the original boxes and warranty cards, but some moron took the Surefire labels off of the box.

I love these lights, I've had them since 2006 - 2008, I heard they've become hard to find, so I thought I'd share them with you guys. 

I have excellent pics on my phone, but I'm an old analog guy trapped in a digital world, so if someone can tell me how to post pics, I'll put them up here.

The link to the photos is https://postimg.cc/gallery/znk95f8w/

Thanks 




*


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## id30209 (Feb 20, 2019)

You can use postimage.org webpage for posting pictures


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## desert.snake (Oct 23, 2022)

There were 800 of them, so it shouldn't be rare



StackPath


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