# Can someone explain the different Solarforce tail switches?



## adept1 (Apr 22, 2009)

On Solarforcestore.com there's several (4) different tailswitches, but not really any good descriptions of them.

Can anybody help?


----------



## jake25 (Apr 22, 2009)

L2-S1 This is the stock tailcap, reverse click.

The L2-S3 which is forward click. Means that if you lightly press on tailcap, before you click the switch, light will come on. Sort of like a Maglite.

The L2-S4 is like the S3 except with the cigar style grip ring. Forward click as well.

Those are the 3 I know of off the top of my head


----------



## Jimdo (Apr 22, 2009)

- - - -


----------



## Jimdo (Apr 22, 2009)

- - - - -


----------



## adept1 (Apr 22, 2009)

Thanks... that solves all the mysteries!

What happens when the AI (forward clicky) switch is used with 5-mode drop-ins that already have a strobe mode?


----------



## kosPap (Apr 22, 2009)

KD sells a tailcap termed LS-*S2,*

it is a combination forward/reverse clickie with a body and appearance similar to the S1


----------



## sygyzy (May 12, 2009)

I received the AI switch today. Can someone tell me what the extra "lock" ring is for? I also noticed that on my 1 cell Solarforce body, when I screw the switch all the way in, it activates the light on a very low mode. This is without pressing anything. Thoughts?


----------



## DHart (May 12, 2009)

On the forward clickies... I believe there is one with a flush button and another with a protruding button. I have the one with the protruding button and its very soft AND silent in operation. Is this one that has been described already?


----------



## SnakeEyes20 (May 12, 2009)

is there a tailcap switch made for the e2dl that can give the flashlight a strobe feature? if so would i be able to keep the 2 state output (5/120), also are there any individiuals/websites taht might make customized tail switches that would incorporate the features aforementioned? thanks for the info


----------



## LightJaguar (Jul 8, 2009)

I have been communicating with Raymond from solarforcestore.com and he told me that the stock switch L2-S1 may not be sold by them anymore. I placed an order and sent me the S2 in all of my flashlights. He also mentioned that the S2 is supposed to be of better quality.
I'm not sure if I like the S2 and seem to be having a problem with of them which I'm currently troubleshooting. Anyone else hear anything about this?


----------



## Ferry (Jul 8, 2009)

Hi,

Is there any tailstand tailcap from solarforce? No matter it's forward or reverse clickie.


Thanks,
FF


----------



## Winx (Jul 8, 2009)

I believe this new(?) L2-S2 let your light tailstand. I ordered one and hope it is just like the one in the picture.

Check the pictures at KD.


----------



## jake25 (Jul 8, 2009)

Hi Winx, that tailcap is not part of the Solarforce lineup and is not found on http://www.solarforce.hk The L2-S2 is a discontinued tailcap, not what you linked.

I'm not sure what to say about the KD link because Solarforce does not have a 3 Mode dropin (Yet ) especially modes "Low/High/Strobe "

The newer L2-S3 can tailstand and is forward click

The L2-S4 can somewhat tailstand and is forward click

Both of the switches are pretty soft to the touch, expect these to be changed to a more firm switch that feels better. Also expect the L2-S4 and S3 to be more sturdy when tailstanding.

Edit: As a side note I've gotten a few (five) previous customers of Solarforce Store with the "L2-S2" tailcap which failed after very little use, I've had to foot the bill on replacing the tailcaps since I do not want people/customers to believe that this is a "genuine" part from Solarforce and that this "genuine" part is of such low quality.


----------



## LightJaguar (Jul 8, 2009)

Winx said:


> I believe this new(?) L2-S2 let your light tailstand. I ordered one and hope it is just like the one in the picture.
> 
> Check the pictures at KD.



Thats the one that got sent with my order. The L2-S2 appears to be a solarforce product since the machining and patterns match the Solarforce L2. Also it looks just like the L2-S1 switch except that the tail switch does not stick out. I believe that the guts of the switch are the same. I have misplaced my L2-S1 switch so I cant compare them side by side.
Maybe its an unbranded Spiderfire product or another company is making them to match the Solarforce L2?


----------



## jake25 (Jul 8, 2009)

From this picture its pretty obvious the knurling is not the same. Not a genuine Solarforce part.


----------



## old4570 (Jul 8, 2009)

Not this one .. Not 

I saw it at KD and thought ?


----------



## Mikey V (Jul 8, 2009)

jake25 said:


> From this picture its pretty obvious the knurling is not the same. Not a genuine Solarforce part.


 

No, this is the new switch Solarforce is shipping from HK. I ordered two lights and two tubes, received this week and they all had that L2-S2 switch. They are reverse click. They will allow tailstanding. Forget the knurling as the latest L2's have different knurling. It is finer and shallower and it matches the new tailcaps. They seem to have changed the main tubes as well. The new caps fit the old models just fine, but I have had difficulty with some older L2-S1 switches and all the L2-S4 types going on the newest Solarforce bodies. The Fenix forward clickie is a straight swap. Drops in with no modification needed.


----------



## jake25 (Jul 8, 2009)

Hi Mikey V

Who did you purchase the Solarforce lights from?


----------



## Mikey V (Jul 8, 2009)

Winx said:


> I believe this new(?) L2-S2 let your light tailstand. I ordered one and hope it is just like the one in the picture.
> 
> Check the pictures at KD.


 

Yes Winx, this is the one I got on my order of 4 arriving from HK this week. Reverse click and will tailstand.


----------



## Mikey V (Jul 8, 2009)

jake25 said:


> Hi Mikey V
> 
> Who did you purchase the Solarforce lights from?


 
From Solarforce in HK: http://www.solarforcestore.com/servlet/StoreFront


----------



## jake25 (Jul 8, 2009)

Mikey

Solarforce Store is not an authorized retailer of Solarforce lights and parts. The name is quite misleading, as you believe they are officially Solarforce the company. If you go to http://www.solarforce.hk You can see the HK retailers, there is only 1, ITC, and Jo. He is a real retailer and he is very good/nice. (You'll also see me under USA).

Solarforce the real company has cut off shipments to Solarforce Store for exactly this reason. Adding parts to Solarforce lights and making people think they are original product.

Also you can see Solarforce Store has a diminishing stock of Solarforce lights and accessories also they no longer have a "Solarforce" section.

I hope this clears things up.


----------



## LightJaguar (Jul 8, 2009)

Mikey V said:


> Yes Winx, this is the one I got on my order of 4 arriving from HK this week. Reverse click and will tailstand.



Well the one from KD is totally different from the one at Solarforcestore.com. The L2-S2 from Solarforcestore matches the knurling and anno of the Solarforce L2 flashlights. Like I said it looks just like the L2-S1 switch except for the very back where the button is located. I also think that the guts of the switch are the same. Once i find my L2-S1 I will compare them.


----------



## Mikey V (Jul 8, 2009)

LightJaguar said:


> Well the one from KD is totally different from the one at Solarforcestore.com. The L2-S2 from Solarforcestore matches the knurling and anno of the Solarforce L2 flashlights. Like I said it looks just like the L2-S1 switch except for the very back where the button is located. I also think that the guts of the switch are the same. Once i find my L2-S1 I will compare them.


 
Agree, the one from KD does look a bit different. I'm holding my new ones now and comparing. The newest L2 bodies match the new L2-S2 tailcaps exactly. They are the ones Winx linked to at Solarforcestore. They do have a different reverse clickie than the L2-S1 tailcap. The inner nylon ring part that the clickie sits in is different too.


----------



## Mikey V (Jul 8, 2009)

jake25 said:


> Mikey
> 
> Solarforce Store is not an authorized retailer of Solarforce lights and parts. The name is quite misleading, as you believe they are officially Solarforce the company. If you go to http://www.solarforce.hk You can see the HK retailers, there is only 1, ITC, and Jo. He is a real retailer and he is very good/nice. (You'll also see me under USA).
> 
> ...


 
Good to know. I thought they were the factory.


----------



## jake25 (Jul 8, 2009)

Just wanted to clear the air. Anyone who carries this "L2-S2" or "Tailstanding L2-S1" tailcap, KD, Solarforce Store, DX(?) is not buying direct from Solarforce. Or they are buying from each other?

This is not a genuine product, however it isn't hard to make something w/ similar threading and call it something else (Solarforce)

Only the forward click tailcaps L2-S3 and L2-S4 can tailstand.

There will be, hopefully soon, a new tailcap coming direct from Solarforce that will tailstand


----------



## Mikey V (Jul 8, 2009)

jake25 said:


> Just wanted to clear the air. Anyone who carries this "L2-S2" or "Tailstanding L2-S1" tailcap, KD, Solarforce Store, DX(?) is not buying direct from Solarforce. Or they are buying from each other?
> 
> This is not a genuine product, however it isn't hard to make something w/ similar threading and call it something else (Solarforce)
> 
> ...


 
Well. not sure if mine are genuine, but the new switches fit even better on my older "known" Solarforce L2 bodies I got from Lighthound than they do on the new bodies, which seem to have finer knurling that is a more exact match. The switches look identical to a regular L2-S1 switch except that the entire switch boot is recessed. If the real Solarforce people do one, maybe you can twist their arms into making it a forward clickie? I converted mine with Fenix forward clickies and these are now the best switches I have found for my L2's yet (Surefires excepted).


----------



## jake25 (Jul 8, 2009)

Mikey

I've been working the past few months on changing Solarforce from a random company making lights based on what they believe people want/like, to a company making lights designed specifically for 99% or the majority of CPFers. You will see these things in a short amount of time.


----------



## dirtech (Jul 8, 2009)

double tap


----------



## dirtech (Jul 8, 2009)

jake25 said:


> Mikey
> 
> I've been working the past few months on changing Solarforce from a random company making lights based on what they believe people want/like, to a company making lights designed specifically for 99% or the majority of CPFers. You will see these things in a short amount of time.



Thanks for clarifying all that. I have one of the non genuine tail caps that tail stands which was a bit wacky but seems to function fine now after a bit of work. I just checked out all the US dealers. One of them, which shall remain nameless, is selling a L2 for $90:thinking:

ETA- are you going to get that T4?


----------



## fatts (Jul 9, 2009)

Jimdo84 said:


> Thanks! I try to keep my prices as reasonable as I can.
> 
> Here are some pics of the L2 with the Recessed Tailcap...
> 
> ...



Hm someone needs to do some digging and because _Jimdo84_ claims that the recessed tailcaps are, i quote

"a L2-S1 Reverse Clicky with the ability to tailstand"?

His phrasing leads me to believe that they are a Solarforce factory part, when _jake25_ has quite clearly indicated that they are not.


----------



## jake25 (Jul 9, 2009)

Hi fatts.

I'm not sure where Jimdo purchases his parts from, since he is an Official dealer, he should be getting these straight from Solarforce. I'm in a conversation with Solarforce company right now and they do not know where these tailcaps are coming from, they are not genuine Solarforce parts.

They are not on http://www.solarforce.hk and the picture I posted above shows the knurling to be different then the L2 body, also you only see this tailcap on the websites known to be "shady" (Kaidomain/DX).


----------



## Tony Hanna (Jul 9, 2009)

I guess this explains why I had to work on the switch on my L2 (from solarforcestore). The plastic insulator ring that sits inside the aluminum ring was too thick and keeping the aluminum ring from making good contact with the board that the switch is soldered to. The result was a light that would flicker between bright and dim for no apparent reason. Filing the insulator ring down a little solved the problem and it's 100% reliable now. Overall I really like this light and I'm glad to hear that the problem was due to a "non-stock" switch and not indicative of poor qc on Solarforce's part.


----------



## jake25 (Jul 9, 2009)

The poor qc part was what I was defiantly worried about, I replaced these mystery tailcaps with genuine stock tailcaps on my tab because I don't want the Solarforce name to be tarnished.


----------



## LightJaguar (Jul 9, 2009)

Tony Hanna said:


> I guess this explains why I had to work on the switch on my L2 (from solarforcestore). The plastic insulator ring that sits inside the aluminum ring was too thick and keeping the aluminum ring from making good contact with the board that the switch is soldered to. The result was a light that would flicker between bright and dim for no apparent reason. Filing the insulator ring down a little solved the problem and it's 100% reliable now. Overall I really like this light and I'm glad to hear that the problem was due to a "non-stock" switch and not indicative of poor qc on Solarforce's part.



Yea mine is having the same issues. I also noticed that my Solarforcestore bought L2 is missing an O ring at the bezel. I recall that another L2 that I had had two O rings were the glass is. There was one O ring underneath the glass and one on top. Mine only has one O ring underneath the glass. I'm a bit worried that without the added cushion the glass might break if the light falls on its head.


----------



## Tony Hanna (Jul 9, 2009)

jake25 said:


> The poor qc part was what I was defiantly worried about, I replaced these mystery tailcaps with genuine stock tailcaps on my tab because I don't want the Solarforce name to be tarnished.



Talk about going above and beyond! :thumbsup:

I wonder why this is being done? Are the mystery tailcaps less expensive for these retailers to buy than the proper Solarforce parts? Am I right in assuming that they're buying parts and assembling the lights themselves? If so, I'm betting the drop-in in mine isn't a Solarforce part either as the sticker on it looks nothing like the stickers on the drop-ins pictured on Solarforce's site (silver "R2" instead of a color sticker with Solarforce, the voltage range, etc on it).


----------



## jake25 (Jul 9, 2009)

Tony, I don't want to speak negatively or on behalf of Solarforce Store but for the most part, you are correct.


----------



## Tony Hanna (Jul 9, 2009)

LightJaguar said:


> Yea mine is having the same issues. I also noticed that my Solarforcestore bought L2 is missing an O ring at the bezel. I recall that another L2 that I had had two O rings were the glass is. There was one O ring underneath the glass and one on top. Mine only has one O ring underneath the glass. I'm a bit worried that without the added cushion the glass might break if the light falls on its head.



Mine only has one o-ring under the glass as well. I just assumed this was normal since this is my first L2. If there's supposed to be two, I'll see if I can grab another the next time I'm at the auto parts store.


----------



## Tony Hanna (Jul 9, 2009)

jake25 said:


> Tony, I don't want to speak negatively or on behalf of Solarforce Store but for the most part, you are correct.



I understand. And thanks for the info on the switches.


----------



## Ferry (Jul 9, 2009)

Thank you all for the information regarding Solarforce's tailstand tailcap. 


Regards,
FF


----------



## Winx (Jul 9, 2009)

Jake,

Good to know. Thanks.

The knurling in that mysterious tailcap looks like in 6P. Very nice looking compared to tailstandable Ultrafire C1 tailcap.


----------



## dirtech (Jul 9, 2009)

Tony Hanna said:


> Mine only has one o-ring under the glass as well. I just assumed this was normal since this is my first L2. If there's supposed to be two, I'll see if I can grab another the next time I'm at the auto parts store.



Mine has one oring at the bezel under the glass. I'm also wondering if this is normal or should I put another one in there? I'm just thinking about that youtube video of someone swimming around a pool with their L2. Did that guy have two orings at the bezel? 

I assumed I was ordering directly from Solarforce so this thread has been enlightening.


----------



## Mikey V (Jul 9, 2009)

fatts said:


> Hm someone needs to do some digging and because _Jimdo84_ claims that the recessed tailcaps are, i quote
> 
> "a L2-S1 Reverse Clicky with the ability to tailstand"?
> 
> His phrasing leads me to believe that they are a Solarforce factory part, when _jake25_ has quite clearly indicated that they are not.


 
That looks like the tailcap in the KD photo posted in the thread. The ones I got from Solarforcestore.com are different. Only one hole in the rim for a lanyard, not two, and different knurling. I'm going to try to post some photos.


----------



## Mikey V (Jul 9, 2009)

Tony Hanna said:


> Mine only has one o-ring under the glass as well. I just assumed this was normal since this is my first L2. If there's supposed to be two, I'll see if I can grab another the next time I'm at the auto parts store.


 
I just checked the two complete lights I recently ordered more closely. They too are missing the plastic fiber washer ring that goes on top of the glass. Also, these two bezels will not screw into the genuine Solarforce lanterns (light's bezel diameter seems too narrow), nor will the cenellated rings screw into the other end of the lantern (too loose). My real Solarforce ones will fit properly. Odd things noted, they came in Ultrafire holsters instead of Solarforce cardboard and blister packaging all my others in the past came in, and a Ultrafire blue 18650 was inside each. I think these may really be the Ultrafire light that looked like the L2 and the nameplates look like they were machined over in the middle, refinished and remarked as Solarforce L2's. So it appears these are counterfeit. (I STILL like the tailcaps they came with though!)


----------



## Mikey V (Jul 9, 2009)

Here are some photos. The two on the left are real Solarforce L2's. The one on the far left wears the new "L2-S2" tailstanding 
tailcap that came on the one farthest right, which is a fake light and bezel. The second from left is all pure real Solarforce. The 
third from left is a genuine Solarforce bezel assembly (came from 
my L2M that now has a A001 bezel) with fake tube and tailstanding tailcap. The last on the far right is a fake tube and bezel that 
has a real L2-S1 tailcap (from the first light on the left). 

Note the different lengths of each tube that is knurled. The real Solarforce tubes have bigger diamonds. The machined 
slots on each tube give clues. The real ones have machining marks the full width of the slot and are nicely polished. The 
fakes look to have center areas that were re-ground, as if to remove a different marking and refinished with Solarforce markings.


----------



## Winx (Jul 9, 2009)

What kind is the anodizing in solarforcestore's tailcap? Thick and shiny, like in real L2, or thin and translucent?

I bought earlier few Spiderfire tailcaps and anodizing is ugly compared to 6P or L2. Fortunately I only needed those retainer rings.


----------



## jake25 (Jul 9, 2009)

I knew about the tailcaps all along, I'm glad you're seeing that now.

I did NOT, however, know about these bodies, that's crazy


----------



## Mikey V (Jul 9, 2009)

More pix:
L2-S2 (fake) with real L2-S1:





Close up of fake L2-S2 tailstand cap. Quality is good, and as a basis for forward clickie conversion (ala Fenix switch), best yet:





Left to right: Real L2 with L2-S3 switch, Real L2 with fake L2-S2 switch, converted with Fenix fwd clickie, Real L2 with L2-S1, Fake L2 tube with real L2 bezel added by me, and fake L2-S2 switch it came with (now with a Fenix f/clickie inside) and at far right, Fake L2 tube and bezel assembly with real L2-S1 tailcap.





Real L2 on left, fake one on right. Note differing relationships between threaded sections and main body lips:





Switches inside. First is a Fenix fwd clickie which I installed in the fake L2-S2 tailstand caps. It is a direct swap, drops right in (but delete the black center ring from the retainer ring). Next, a regular reverse click in the real Solarforce L2-S1, and last, the reverse click that came in the fake L2-S2 tailstand switch.





Standard Fenix forward click drops right in. It will also go into the real L2-S1 tailcap, but you must cut off the nipple inside the rubber switch boot, use the slim washer on top of the plastic switch seat and then screw the retainer rim down without the black plastic center ring in place. Then it works okay.


----------



## Mikey V (Jul 9, 2009)

Well, I have mixed feelings. I got taken on the fake L2's as the fake L2 is really a lesser quality than the real one, however, the tailstanding tailcap is a good find, especially as a basis for converting to forward clickie using a stock Fenix switch. Quality wise, it is about equal to the L2-S1 that comes standard on L2's.


----------



## Winx (Jul 9, 2009)

Thank you for the pictures.

Seems to be a good tailcap for Fenix or Jetbeam clicky. Also for McClicky but the gap between body and tailcap will be bigger.


----------



## Tony Hanna (Jul 9, 2009)

Mikey V,

Are all the threads compatible between the real one and the fake with the exception of the bezel? I'm a little confused because in one post you mention that the fake won't work with the lantern but in another post you have a fake tube with a genuine bezel (or did you swap the entire head?).

The switch didn't really bother me too bad but if there are thread incompatibility issues, that's not cool. The main reason I went with a Solarforce (or what I thought was a Solarforce) in the first place is all the available accessories and compatibility with Surefire parts. Now I'm finding out that I may not be able to use at least one of the accessories (lantern) because I was sold a fake.

Maybe we should start a new thread on the fakes and see if we can get the mods to move the relevant posts into that thread? I'm not trying to make any waves, so I'll let somebody else decide whether or not to run with that idea but it does seem like we've hijacked the switch thread a bit.


----------



## dirtech (Jul 9, 2009)

I took a closer look at all the photos and I definately have a fake one. So I wonder who made it?

Also, I get a decent ammount of battery rattle with a 18650. Do the genuine L2's have this rattle?


----------



## Mikey V (Jul 9, 2009)

Tony Hanna said:


> Mikey V,
> 
> Are all the threads compatible between the real one and the fake with the exception of the bezel? I'm a little confused because in one post you mention that the fake won't work with the lantern but in another post you have a fake tube with a genuine bezel (or did you swap the entire head?).
> 
> ...


 
One of the fake tubes I mentioned has a complete genuine Solarforce head assembly on it. Iin the photos, it has the silver defense ring -Clarification- I put this real head assembly on it, it did not come that way. I just bought a tube and it had the switch with it). The other one on the other fake tube is a faked bezel. This entire light was fake. Those threads that the entire head assembly fits onto the tube are the same. The threads I mentioned on not fitting the lantern were just the lens retaining bezel ring that unscrews. These don't match. Also, the fake has slightly oversized tailcap threads on the tube. It will fit a real L2-S1 tailcap, and the fake L2-S2 will fit a real L2 easily (and it fit my Surefire C2 as well, but it needs adjustment to make proper contact with the Fenix clickie that was in it). The real L2-S3 will not fit on the oversize threads of the fake L2 and Surefire tailcaps will not fit the fake tubes either. So, the bogus tailcap will fit all, but the tubes will only accept the fake L2-S2 or the L2-S1 original tailcaps.

Not sure we need a new thread, as it all centers on tailcaps.


----------



## Tony Hanna (Jul 9, 2009)

dirtech said:


> I took a closer look at all the photos and I definately have a fake one. So I wonder who made it?
> 
> Also, I get a decent ammount of battery rattle with a 18650. Do the genuine L2's have this rattle?



I can't speak for how an 18650 fits in a genuine tube, but FWIW, 1 wrap of electrical tape around the middle of the cell was enough to cut the rattling down to almost nothing in mine.



Mikey V said:


> One of the fake tubes I mentioned has a complete genuine Solarforce head assembly on it (in the photos, it has the silver defense ring). The other one on the other fake tube is a faked bezel. Those threads that the entire head assembly fits onto the tube are the same. The threads I mentioned on not fitting the lantern were just the lens retaining bezel ring that unscrews. These don't match. Also, the fake has slightly oversized tailcap threads on the tube. It will fit a real L2-S1 tailcap, and the fake L2-S2 will fit a real L2 easily (and it fit my Surefire C2 as well, but it needs adjustment to make proper contact with the Fenix clickie that was in it). The L2-S3 will not fit on the oversize threads of the fake L2 and Surefire tailcaps will not fit the fake tubes either. So, the bogus tailcap will fit all, but the tubes will only accept the fake L2-S2 or the L2-S1 original tailcaps.
> 
> Not sure we need a new thread, as it all centers on tailcaps.



So did one of your fake tubes come with that genuine head, or did you swap it over from a genuine tube? The reason I ask is that I'm trying to figure out if I got a genuine head or if I'll need to buy one to make it work with the lantern.
Also, do you have any extension tubes? I'm really curious to see if the body I have will work with the L2-ECR and L2-E18 before I order any. I also wonder if I could chase the threads on the tail of my tube with a die to get it to play nice with all the real SlF and SF tailcaps?
I guess now would be the time to decide whether or not I want to fool with it, or just order a genuine L2 host and throw the fake in the glovebox with a couple primaries and a cheap xenon LA and forget about it.


----------



## Mikey V (Jul 9, 2009)

Tony Hanna said:


> So did one of your fake tubes come with that genuine head, or did you swap it over from a genuine tube? The reason I ask is that I'm trying to figure out if I got a genuine head or if I'll need to buy one to make it work with the lantern.
> Also, do you have any extension tubes? I'm really curious to see if the body I have will work with the L2-ECR and L2-E18 before I order any. I also wonder if I could chase the threads on the tail of my tube with a die to get it to play nice with all the real SlF and SF tailcaps?
> I guess now would be the time to decide whether or not I want to fool with it, or just order a genuine L2 host and throw the fake in the glovebox with a couple primaries and a cheap xenon LA and forget about it.


 
Tony, I bought two bare tubes for a pair of spare genuine L2 heads I already had. They happened to also include the switches on these two tubes unexpectedly. I also bought two complete lights. These were 100% fakes including the bezel assemblies. Do not expect any real L2 bezel assembly on these. 

I don't have any extension tubes to try. I guess you could chase the threads down. the pitch is right, since real L2-S1 switches will fit easily. The more tightly threaded L2-S3 will not. I'm guessing the threads are a bit "fat" but can be chased down if you have the right die. 

As for me, no more fakes. I will make sure to go to real dealers as Jake noted above (I _thought_ I was doing so- found out otherwise - the hard way!) The two 100% fakes are headed for glovebox duty, or maybe give to family members who won't care about fitting do-dads on them. The pair I put the real L2 heads on, I have already converted to forward click using Fenix switches in the tailstand tailcap, so I'm considering this pair salvageable. Can't use Surefire switches or even the fat L2-S3 Solarforce fwd. clickie on these two, but otherwise, they are usable beaters.


----------



## Tony Hanna (Jul 9, 2009)

Mikey V said:


> Tony, I bought two bare tubes for a pair of spare genuine L2 heads I already had. They happened to also include the switches on these two tubes unexpectedly. I also bought two complete lights. These were 100% fakes including the bezel assemblies. Do not expect any real L2 bezel assembly on these.
> 
> I don't have any extension tubes to try. I guess you could chase the threads down. the pitch is right, since real L2-S1 switches will fit easily. The more tightly threaded L2-S3 will not. I'm guessing the threads are a bit "fat" but can be chased down if you have the right die.
> 
> As for me, no more fakes. I will make sure to go to real dealers as Jake noted above (I _thought_ I was doing so- found out otherwise - the hard way!) The two 100% fakes are headed for glovebox duty, or maybe give to family members who won't care about fitting do-dads on them. The pair I put the real L2 heads on, I have already converted to forward click using Fenix switches in the tailstand tailcap, so I'm considering this pair salvageable. Can't use Surefire switches or even the fat L2-S3 Solarforce fwd. clickie on these two, but otherwise, they are usable beaters.



I'm with you. I think I'm gonna use this one as-is for now and then pick up a genuine L2 when I have the extra cash. No sense in wasting the time/effort/money to try to make this thing work with the Solarforce accessories when a genuine L2 empty host is only $17.


----------



## LightJaguar (Jul 10, 2009)

I wonder if this fake L2s are those Spiderfires that seemed to have disappeared a bit.


----------



## Monocrom (Jul 12, 2009)

There's another Solarforce tailcap that should be sold seperately, but isn't. 

It's the momentary / twist constant-on version found on their L600 light. Can't recommend the light. The tailcap switch is rock-hard on that light. But works great on the Solarforce L2 host! 

No clue why Solarforce won't sell the tailcap seperately.


----------



## fatts (Jul 12, 2009)

LightJaguar said:


> I wonder if this fake L2s are those Spiderfires that seemed to have disappeared a bit.



I think you're on to something... The body tubes of the Spiderfire and the fake Solarforce look incredibly similar... 

You can compare photos of the fake Solarforce with that of the Spiderfire in this post by _Black Rose_: https://www.candlepowerforums.com/posts/3011154&postcount=50


----------



## Mikey V (Jul 12, 2009)

fatts said:


> I think you're on to something... The body tubes of the Spiderfire and the fake Solarforce look incredibly similar...
> 
> You can compare photos of the fake Solarforce with that of the Spiderfire in this post by _Black Rose_: https://www.candlepowerforums.com/posts/3011154&postcount=50


 
No, those Spiderfire ones are not the same. They are actually much closer to a real L2 than the fake ones above. Compare the photos by Black Rose you linked to with mine farther up in the thread. In particular, note the length of the tubes' knurled sections and threaded sections. They are different. The fakes have a much longer knurled section and the relationship of the threaded area to the rim that stops further screwing down of the tailcap are also different. The Spiderfires match the real L2, the fakes don't. Also the oval nameplate area is much longer on the fakes, and maybe a little narrower


----------



## Monocrom (Jul 12, 2009)

fatts said:


> I think you're on to something... The body tubes of the Spiderfire and the fake Solarforce look incredibly similar...
> 
> You can compare photos of the fake Solarforce with that of the Spiderfire in this post by _Black Rose_: https://www.candlepowerforums.com/posts/3011154&postcount=50


 
Black Rose's post is a comparison of a Spiderfire and a genuine Solarforce light, not a fake one.


----------



## jake25 (Jul 12, 2009)

Monocrom said:


> There's another Solarforce tailcap that should be sold seperately, but isn't.
> 
> It's the momentary / twist constant-on version found on their L600 light. Can't recommend the light. The tailcap switch is rock-hard on that light. But works great on the Solarforce L2 host!
> 
> No clue why Solarforce won't sell the tailcap seperately.


Isn't that the L2-S4 Monocrom? I don't carry the L600


----------



## Monocrom (Jul 12, 2009)

jake25 said:


> Isn't that the L2-S4 Monocrom? I don't carry the L600


 
No clue what the designation is, but it looks just like the forward-clickie attached to DHart's P7 Room Sweeper, only a bit shorter at the very bottom of the tailcap. (Please see link, below).

Is it possible that this great tailcap will be sold seperately?

LINK: http://www.cpfmarketplace.com/mp/showpost.php?p=2301629&postcount=27


----------



## jake25 (Jul 12, 2009)

Thats the L2-S3 , I have it, it's on my website


----------



## Black Rose (Jul 12, 2009)

jake25 said:


> Solarforce the real company has cut off shipments to Solarforce Store for exactly this reason. Adding parts to Solarforce lights and making people think they are original product.
> 
> Also you can see Solarforce Store has a diminishing stock of Solarforce lights and accessories also they no longer have a "Solarforce" section.
> 
> I hope this clears things up.


I lucked out when I bought my lights from them in late March/early April and received genuine products (lights and holsters).

I wondered what was going on when they started carrying all the other non-Solarforce products....makes sense now.

The 2 sales they got from me will be the only ones.

Any future Solarforce product purchases will go through jake.


----------



## fatts (Jul 12, 2009)

Mikey V said:


> No, those Spiderfire ones are not the same. They are actually much closer to a real L2 than the fake ones above. Compare the photos by Black Rose you linked to with mine farther up in the thread. In particular, note the length of the tubes' knurled sections and threaded sections. They are different. The fakes have a much longer knurled section and the relationship of the threaded area to the rim that stops further screwing down of the tailcap are also different. The Spiderfires match the real L2, the fakes don't. Also the oval nameplate area is much longer on the fakes, and maybe a little narrower



Ah good point. I only noticed that the threading area for both the fake Solarforce and the Spiderfire was less than that for the original Solarforce, didn't think to check the length of the knurled sections. 



Monocrom said:


> Black Rose's post is a comparison of a Spiderfire and a genuine Solarforce light, not a fake one.



Yep I know that. I meant for people to check the fake Solarforce bodies in the photos _Mikey V_ posted against the Spiderfire bodies in the photos _Black Rose_ posted.


----------



## jake25 (Jul 12, 2009)

Black Rose said:


> I lucked out when I bought my lights from them in late March/early April and received genuine products (lights and holsters).
> 
> I wondered what was going on when they started carrying all the other non-Solarforce products....makes sense now.
> 
> ...


Hey BR, thanks for the support. 

It's unfortunate you're in Canada, I'll look more into fixing my International shipping rates.


----------



## Monocrom (Jul 12, 2009)

jake25 said:


> Thats the L2-S3 , I have it, it's on my website


 
Thanks for the clarification. I actually saw that tailcap on your site earlier, but the description was a bit confusing.

It's described as a "Momentary on Forward Click tailcap."

But it doesn't actually click. It's just a momentary switch that has to be twisted in order to stay constant-on. Is that right, or did I get it wrong?


----------



## jake25 (Jul 12, 2009)

I don't know how to describe a Forward click tailcap in lamens terms.

It is a forward click, no twisting, tailcap.


----------



## Monocrom (Jul 13, 2009)

jake25 said:


> I don't know how to describe a Forward click tailcap in lamens terms.
> 
> It is a forward click, no twisting, tailcap.


 
Now I understand. It's the Solarforce forward-clickie that looks like the momentary switch which comes standard on the Solarforce L600 model. I have each version of the same design. 

Must admit, I much prefer the momentary switch version. The forward-clickie clicks on a bit too easily for my tastes.


----------



## jake25 (Jul 13, 2009)

It's too sensitive for my taste too. I passed on the modification one CPF member did too his L2-S4 in shaving off a piece of the tailcap.

They've already looked into and are redesigning the tailcaps. From my conversations w/ Solarforce they thought the customer would like it more sensitive than firm. A bit too sensitive for me.


----------



## LightJaguar (Jul 13, 2009)

I noticed that some of the fake L2s have an extra set of threads where the head and body meet. The head comes off as usual from the body and some have an extra set of threads right underneath it leaving a very small body. You can screw off the the main body and attach the tail cap to the head. It ends up looking like a really small Solarforce even smaller then the L2m (it looks so cute!).
I tried putting a single CR123 battery but it did not fit.
I got two of those L2s and i was able to also put the main battery bodies together to create a big L2 able to take two 18650s.
I'm still a bit confused about all this. Back at the beginning of the year I bought a real Solarforce from an authorized seller. It came in the retail package and it included the L2m bodie. Someone at work saw my L2 and kept on bugging me to sell it to him. I sold it to him for the price that I pay for it minus the L2m body, I kept that one. 
As far as I know its the real thing. I compared the knurling of the L2m to my fake solarforce L2 and it matches. It also matches the knurling on the S2 tail cap.


----------



## Monocrom (Jul 13, 2009)

jake25 said:


> They've already looked into and are redesigning the tailcaps. From my conversations w/ Solarforce they thought the customer would like it more sensitive than firm. A bit too sensitive for me.


 
I know I might be asking a bit much, but if it's possible; could you ask the folks at Solarforce if they'd consider making their L600 momentary tailcap available as a seperate item? It's a fantastic tailcap that worked very poorly on my L600, but ironically works extremely well on my L2 host.


----------



## Tony Hanna (Jul 13, 2009)

I just noticed mine does the same thing!
I read your post and while thinking to myself "that looks like one piece" I twisted on it a little and sure enough it unthreaded. Now I'm left with the head, tailcap, and what looks like a 1x 18650 extension tube. Does that mean I could buy a 1x 16340 extension tube and have a fake L2M? Along those lines, I wonder if there's a li-ion cell that's the equivalent of a 1/3 height 123? If it could be made to work with the tailcap screwed straight onto the head that would be hilarious.
I'm still planning on ordering a real L2, but I might have to keep this fake around as a curiosity.



LightJaguar said:


> I noticed that some of the fake L2s have an extra set of threads where the head and body meet. The head comes off as usual from the body and some have an extra set of threads right underneath it leaving a very small body. You can screw off the the main body and attach the tail cap to the head. It ends up looking like a really small Solarforce even smaller then the L2m (it looks so cute!).
> I tried putting a single CR123 battery but it did not fit.
> I got two of those L2s and i was able to also put the main battery bodies together to create a big L2 able to take two 18650s.
> I'm still a bit confused about all this. Back at the beginning of the year I bought a real Solarforce from an authorized seller. It came in the retail package and it included the L2m bodie. Someone at work saw my L2 and kept on bugging me to sell it to him. I sold it to him for the price that I pay for it minus the L2m body, I kept that one.
> As far as I know its the real thing. I compared the knurling of the L2m to my fake solarforce L2 and it matches. It also matches the knurling on the S2 tail cap.


----------



## jake25 (Jul 13, 2009)

Monocrom said:


> I know I might be asking a bit much, but if it's possible; could you ask the folks at Solarforce if they'd consider making their L600 momentary tailcap available as a seperate item? It's a fantastic tailcap that worked very poorly on my L600, but ironically works extremely well on my L2 host.


 I'm pretty sure the tailcap is the L2-S4, look at my websote Monocrom


----------



## Monocrom (Jul 13, 2009)

jake25 said:


> I'm pretty sure the tailcap is the L2-S4, look at my website Monocrom


 
No, the momentary / twist constant-on tailcap that's standard on the L600 is the one that looks exactly like the forward-clickie L2-S3 tailcap on your site, with one tiny exception. (The momentary version is just a tiny bit shorter than the L2-S3 when I line them up side by side. The bottom portion of the L2-S3 is a bit longer). You mentioned that the L2-S3 clicks for constant-on mode, no twisting involved. 

The L2-S4 tailcap looks completely different from the momentary tailcap that I'd really like to see available as a seperate item. 

I noticed the L600 is not on your site. Did Solarforce discontinue it? If they did, I hope that great momentary tailcap wasn't discontinued along with it.


----------



## LightJaguar (Jul 18, 2009)

It looks like Solarforcestore has stopped selling solarforce flashlights. They seem to be selling Spiderfire models now. I get the feeling maybe thats where the S2 tail cap came from.


----------



## Black Rose (Jul 18, 2009)

LightJaguar said:


> It looks like Solarforcestore has stopped selling solarforce flashlights. They seem to be selling Spiderfire models now. I get the feeling maybe thats where the S2 tail cap came from.


The only tailcap that SpiderFire sells separetely is this one: 







The one you have is listed on the SolarforceStore site as an L2-S2, but it's not from Solarforce or SpiderFire :thinking:


----------



## GrimCreaper (Jul 20, 2009)

I think the solarforce i got from SFS was a fake. the tailcap that came with it had knurling like that spiderfire one and the cap was assembled rather poorly. once i managed to get it apart, half the soldering points were not soldered correctly and the clicky switch died on me pretty quick. The guy from SFS sent me a new one, one of the tailstanders in silver, which didnt work at all. when i screwed it on, my LED would glow very faintly, but wouldnt go any farther than that. when i took it apart, only 1 section was soldered and the other was barely touching the metal to make the connection. bad quality overall, wish i knew more about this stuff so i could just make my own tailcap for it.


----------



## jake25 (Jul 20, 2009)

GrimCreaper PM me your shipping info I'll see if I can get a new one out to you tomorrow.


----------



## JBorneu (Jul 20, 2009)

I bought a Solarforce L2 from Solarforcestore.com in May. The one I got is completely genuine. Real tailcap, real body, real bezel, O-rings, plastic washers etc. all real Solarforce parts. Just the holster and the R2 dropin arn't genuine. But the holster is a very good one and the dropin will soon be modded to direct drive by myself so I don't mind that much. Guess I was lucky.

Jake, you clearly sell Solarforce with a love for the brand. Replacing other people's screwups yourself? Amazing. Next time I'm buying a Solarforce light, it'll be from your store. And it'll be pretty soon because I love their lights. Great quality.

Edit: I just checked again and the tailcap is not a genuine Solarforce tailcap. But it works and I'm using an McC2S modded two stage Z41 tailcap on it anyway. Boy, it would be great if Solarforce made it's own momentary/twist tailcaps, even greater if they were two stage. AFAIK China doesn't care about copyrights. Couldn't you convince them to make something like this, Jake?


----------



## GrimCreaper (Jul 20, 2009)

jake25 said:


> GrimCreaper PM me your shipping info I'll see if I can get a new one out to you tomorrow.



Ive talked with jake a few times, and i have to say, hes one of the best ive ever dealt with for customer service. All of my orders will be through him.
I just wish i had known about his store beforehand. 

Ive had 3 replacement tailcaps sent to me from SFStore and raymond is claiming all are genuine Solarforce, but none of the newer ones have been branded. 


jake, i sent you an email with the info. Thank you VERY much!


----------



## gallonoffuel (Jul 27, 2009)

Does anyone else find it intriguing that there are imported counterfeits of what is essentially an imported clone of a very popular domestic product? I understand the subtle difference placed on 'clone' vs 'counterfeit' but the end result is pretty much the same: producing a product that is a blatant copy of someone else's work without investing the financial or intellectual capital required to bring that product to market and be successful. 

I'm sorry to those that bought and received 'counterfeits' of cloned items, but was anything less expected? There is no honor among thieves.


----------



## GrimCreaper (Jul 28, 2009)

gallonoffuel said:


> Does anyone else find it intriguing that there are imported counterfeits of what is essentially an imported clone of a very popular domestic product? I understand the subtle difference placed on 'clone' vs 'counterfeit' but the end result is pretty much the same: producing a product that is a blatant copy of someone else's work without investing the financial or intellectual capital required to bring that product to market and be successful.
> 
> I'm sorry to those that bought and received 'counterfeits' of cloned items, but was anything less expected? There is no honor among thieves.



Solarforce products are actually pretty good quality overall. i recently found out my neighbor is an electrician and flashlight enthusiast. I asked him to take a look over some of the counterfeit pieces i was given verse the actual Solarforce. He himself only uses Fenix and Surefire flashlights but he had nothing but good to say about my Solarforce. he was pretty happy all around with the construction quality of the tailcap and body, unfortunatly i had a bad quality dropin led (i believe SFS used the cheap 7$ r2 modules from DX as they look identicle in every way including the little silver 'R2' sticker.) he said the tailcap quality was roughly on par with his surefire ones.


----------



## gallonoffuel (Jul 28, 2009)

GrimCreaper said:


> Solarforce products are actually pretty good quality overall. i recently found out my neighbor is an electrician and flashlight enthusiast. I asked him to take a look over some of the counterfeit pieces i was given verse the actual Solarforce. He himself only uses Fenix and Surefire flashlights but he had nothing but good to say about my Solarforce. he was pretty happy all around with the construction quality of the tailcap and body, unfortunatly i had a bad quality dropin led (i believe SFS used the cheap 7$ r2 modules from DX as they look identicle in every way including the little silver 'R2' sticker.) he said the tailcap quality was roughly on par with his surefire ones.



The quality of the product was not in question, it's not out of the realm of the possible to hog out an aluminum rod into the right dimensions to create a flashlight body, especially when you're doing little investment of your own into the design. My comment was merely on the company essentially stealing the capital that another company had invested into their product to bring a copy to market. Although I think you answered the question that people ask when they wonder what makes X product so much more expensive than Y. It's in the details, like most things.


----------



## jake25 (Jul 28, 2009)

gallonoffuel said:


> The quality of the product was not in question, it's not out of the realm of the possible to hog out an aluminum rod into the right dimensions to create a flashlight body, especially when you're doing little investment of your own into the design. My comment was merely on the company essentially stealing the capital that another company had invested into their product to bring a copy to market. Although I think you answered the question that people ask when they wonder what makes X product so much more expensive than Y. It's in the details, like most things.


gallonoffuel, I think you just completely skipped over what grim had to say. Among others, he was a recipient of a "fake" Solarforce tailstanding tailcap. Of course, I replaced it for him but he had his neighbor look at both the fake and real tailcaps. 

The real Solarforce tailcap that I had sent him had a much better construction and fit and finish than the "fake" tailcap.


----------



## gallonoffuel (Jul 28, 2009)

jake25 said:


> gallonoffuel, I think you just completely skipped over what grim had to say. Among others, he was a recipient of a "fake" Solarforce tailstanding tailcap. Of course, I replaced it for him but he had his neighbor look at both the fake and real tailcaps.
> 
> The real Solarforce tailcap that I had sent him had a much better construction and fit and finish than the "fake" tailcap.



I understand your support of your products and applaud it. That was not the point of my post. Grim noted the quality of the dropin may have been subpar. My note was simply to point out that a quality flashlight body can be produced by any capable company, as machining is nothing new and not overly complex when working at this level of manufacturing, but the details (build quality of the light assembly) is how the company saves money and delivers a product cheaper than the competition. The other reason they can do this I pointed out earlier in the thread.


----------



## jake25 (Jul 28, 2009)

gallonoffuel, I hope that you read over what grim stated carefully

What he is talking about is the construction of the tailcap and the poor quality of his "fake" L2-S2 tailstanding tailcap, compared to a genuine Solarforce L2-S1 tailcap. His neighbor who is an electrician made those comments between the 2 tailcaps.

The dropin he received was possibly a "fake" as well which leads to the possible reason why it was such low quality.

It is obvious you have not been following this thread and do not understand the whole idea or general conversation of what is going on.

If you have nothing good to say, why say it?


----------



## gallonoffuel (Jul 28, 2009)

Perhaps I misunderstood the subtleties of the supply chain with these products. When Grim remarked that SFS uses a 'cheap' $7 DX dropin, is he implying that they (the distributor who can be assumed to not be the OEM) replaced the original, supposedly 'genuine' Solarforce dropin with another and relabeled it? My assumption was that the seemingly 'low quality' dropin was original to the light, but perhaps that was not the case. The quality of the dropin is the key topic of my second post, not the tailcap.


----------



## jake25 (Jul 28, 2009)

gallonoffuel, the past few pages of discussion have been my clarifying that Solarforcestore is NOT, the Solarforce company, this is the reason why they do not exist anymore, solarforcestore.

The reason why they offered their products at such low prices was because they took from other sources and relabeled them/re branded them or cut corners to cut cost. 

The tailcap that grim received from them, solarforcestore, the same tailcap that people were led to believe as the "new" Solarforce tailcap was of VERY low quality.

His neighbor compared this tailcap above with a new L2-S1 genuine Solarforce tailcap and stated that the genuine tailcap was almost on par with Surefire in terms of build quality.


----------



## Slash5 (Jul 28, 2009)

Jake25, it's off topic but your efforts in this thread decided me on a small $35 order from your store.
Got the shipping confirmation already.

Thanks


----------



## csshih (Jul 28, 2009)

In my opinion, surefire flashlights have always been mainly for the military sector, and are priced accordingly. That being said, most of their sales come from there. I do not think that these few sales generated from this small consumer base will affect their profit all that much. 
I think that solarforce has been very nice to offer a product that is quite a bit more affordable and more versatile (with the ability of their hosts to use rechargeable Li-ions). and even possibly brighter, comparing the surefire p60L to the solarforce p60.
Think of all the companies that produce P60 dropins. wouldn't they technically be copying surefire, (I think, is the p60 their design?). Many of these companies have created dropins that surpass surefire's design. 
(I also find it a problem than for the price of an incandescent surefire p60 lamp assembly that burns out allot more often than a LED, can buy you a whole new LED dropin)

honestly, what I think is:

if surefire doesnt want me using rechargeable batteries in their lights, 
fine! I'll buy a similar one that does!
if surefire only offers a lower end (output wise) dropin,
fine! I'll buy a similar one that does!
if surefire insists on charging extremely high prices for their products,
fine! I'll buy a similar one that's cheaper!

and about their lifetime warranty... I fail to see what could go wrong in a metal host. :nana:
*
^ of course, above rant may not apply to all situations, and it's a rant. take it with a grain of salt.
or salt substitute.
or even sugar, if you desire.

or, dip it in your morning coffee, and drink it up.*


----------



## Black Rose (Jul 28, 2009)

^ 



gallonoffuel said:


> My assumption was that the seemingly 'low quality' dropin was original to the light, but perhaps that was not the case. The quality of the dropin is the key topic of my second post, not the tailcap.


Not to defend Solarforcestore's actions, but one comment on the drop-ins.

I ordered two different lights from Solarforcestore in late March and early April. Both had 5-mode drop-ins.

My first order arrived with a SuperBright R2 5-mode drop-in without memory. 
My second order arrived with a genuine Solarforce R2 5-mode drop-in (LC-1 red label) with memory.

At this point I contacted Solarforcestore to find out why there was a difference in the drop-ins. 
Solarforcestore sent me a free replacement 5-mode with memory...it was a SuperBright R2 5-mode with memory.

Upon examination of the Solarforce LC-1 and the replacement SuperBright R2 5-mode, I saw that they both used the same driver board and performed identically (slow mode changing), so I was OK with that (I replaced the driver in the replacement SuperBright R2 anyway).

There are only a few factories that produce these drop-ins and they simply put the appropriate labels on them. 
In my case I lucked out, others don't seem to have been as lucky. 

As I mentioned, this was in March/April of this year when Solarforcestore was still sending out Solarforce products that were for the most part complete units.

Due to what I have since learned about Solarforcestore (BTW, they have changed their store name on eBay), I have stopped dealing with them.


----------



## DM51 (Jul 28, 2009)

gallonoffuel... your trollish posts here, and your trashing/troll posts in another thread in the MP, have earned you a 4-day break from here. Please use the time to re-think your attitude and read the Rules, in particular Rule 4.


----------



## kosPap (Aug 5, 2009)

Hello all!

this is a description of the fake Solarforce tailcap...I bought one not only for the tailstanding feature, but also for the matching looks and the board that the switch is mounted one which is perfect for modding with a forward clickie that is found in KD.

here it is dissasemled






do notice the anodized rim inside the tailcap lip

So the *positive*
- Mates well on looks with the genuine Solarforce.
- Really teilstands.

the *negative*...
- Since some room is taken by the rim around the bootie there is less internal threading...that means that it just covers the second innermost o-ring in my SF 6P.
- Does not work with the Solareforce L2M older style bodies.
- Tailcap bootie is a bit thin

the *strange*...
- on my Surefire it sometimes works as a lock-out tailcap and sometimes not????

Anyway here is a pic of how it mates with my 6P







BTW I took some rough comparative measurements of the internal threading of various SF-compatible tailcaps I have.

Ultrafire C1 – 18mm
Ultrafire C1 * – 16mm
Solarforce L2 – 20 mm
Fakeforce L2 - 15mm
Fakeforce L2 * – 15 mm
* = modded with forward clickie on the board

next I measured how much space is available on various flashlight bodies with the Fakeforce tailcap installed 

SF 6P – 5.5mm
L2M – 1.5mm (but it does not function)
L2 extension tube – 4.5mm
G&P extension tube – 3.5mm

so that is all, Kostas


----------



## Bright_Light (Aug 7, 2009)

Monocrom said:


> There's another Solarforce tailcap that should be sold seperately, but isn't.
> 
> It's the momentary / twist constant-on version found on their L600 light. Can't recommend the light. The tailcap switch is rock-hard on that light. But works great on the Solarforce L2 host!
> 
> No clue why Solarforce won't sell the tailcap seperately.


 
Any news if this tailcap will be available or go into production?

My normal L2 switch died on me and I would like this kind of switch comes with the Surefire G2L.

Thanks


----------



## Monocrom (Aug 8, 2009)

Bright_Light said:


> Any news if this tailcap will be available or go into production?
> 
> My normal L2 switch died on me and I would like this kind of switch comes with the Surefire G2L.
> 
> Thanks


 
From what I've learned, that tailcap is no longer available.


----------



## kosPap (Sep 24, 2009)

well here is a new version of the Fake Solarforce tailstanding Tailcap (or better said unmarked Spiderfire whatever), bought from the eBay FlashlighStore_Com store








the good news is that 

- It can work with the OLDER Solarforce L2M short thread bodies
- Screws right down to Solarforce and Surefire bodies (the old version barely covered the O-ring)
- Lanyard does not interfere with tailstanding thanks to the two hole design
- It is a bit shinier than the Genuine Solarforce tailcap
- Uses the same PCB board that readily accepts the Kaidomain forward switches
- It is a bit cheaper than the older version

the only downside is that the retaining ring, its isolator ring and the black bootie were cheaply made…but nothing a dedicated flashholic cannot fix..

So here it is..enjoy, kostas


----------



## Black Rose (Sep 24, 2009)

kosPap said:


> bought from the eBay FlashlighStore_Com store


In case you weren't aware, FlashlighStore_Com used to be SolarforceStore on eBay.

They changed names on eBay after Solarforce cut them off
They still operate on the net as Solarforcestore.


----------



## Winx (Sep 24, 2009)

I believe flashlightstore_com sells both tailcaps. I bought two tailcaps and asked one with two holes.

It pairs nicely with 6P. Unfortunately the machining of threads isn't top quality. Pretty good, but not perfect. Otherwise I would send that tailcap with 6P in picture to modamag for gold plating.






I have McClicky inside the tailcap.


----------



## kosPap (Sep 24, 2009)

nothing better than reeding about a good mod to start my day....congrats


----------



## sabre7 (Sep 25, 2009)

Are the L2-S3 (forward clicky) tail switches available anywhere?


----------



## jake25 (Sep 25, 2009)

No. aaaaa (Apparently saying "No." is too short).


----------



## michiganstud (Sep 28, 2009)

Does anyone know if these tailcap switches are like Surefire's Z59 - with momentary, click on, click off?

Or is it just click on/off and no momentary?

http://www.solarforcestore.com/servlet/the-1531/switch/Detail


----------



## kosPap (Sep 28, 2009)

seems like the standard revrse clickie to me...


----------



## Winx (Sep 28, 2009)

The tailcap with two lanyard holes is made by Ultrafire. Look for Ultrafire 504B at DX.

Another P60 host.


----------



## kosPap (Sep 29, 2009)

damn! for almost double the price you get a host too...the drop-in parts are worth more...
good catch


----------



## bshanahan14rulz (May 12, 2011)

Old thread, but just wondering, it seems like every "genuine" solarforce full flashlight has mismatched tail knurling and body knurling. My solarforce has beautiful diamond point knurling and the tailcap and body match perfectly. Guts of the tailcap look exactly like the guts of a genuine solarforce L2 stock switch, with the two wire hoopajoop things sticking out of it. 
So, what's the concensus with the differing tailcaps?

Edit:
following up, I found a few pics in the show your solarforce thread, don't have time now to dig 'em back up, and that PM to Jake where I sent him links isn't showing up in my sent items. Anyways, I've got a solarforce with knurling matching on tail and body. It's good knurling, though, diamonds going to a point, perfect winter-time twisty action with gloves, etc. As it turns out, this was a limited run, and the tailcaps were quickly changed to the square flat knurling. So, I'm happy that I do have genuine solarforce, and satisfied to know that I even have a "limited run" solarforce!


----------

