Cree Bulbs

[Littlelebowski]

Very interesting so far and thank you for the sharing of your knowledge. Do the aftermarket LEDs help battery life as well? Can the Malkoff drop into a G2 incan?

[Byron]

The Malkoffs will fit into incan SureFires that use the P60 module. For my carbines, I bought new SF incan G2's since they are cheaper than the G2L (and use a plastic head instead of metal) and then dumped the incans out of them for Malkoff Low (140 lumens).

The G2 is just basically a battery tube with a switch. All the electronics that decide performance are in the Malkoff. Even the low module will give me more brightness for a longer time than the stock incan bulb.

As for aftermarket improving battery life, it all depends on what you are replacing with the aftermarket. Different units will be more or less efficient not only because of their emitter but because of the circuit. For example, two manufacturers could built units with identical emitters, but they could perform differently in brightness, runtime, overall efficiency, and acceptable battery types based on the circuit that is used. This info should be presented when you look at the specs though (the Malkoff I linked to, for example, is rated at 3.8 - 9 volts input).

Some will let you get away with a very low input voltage and use a boost circuit to provide enough power to the LED. Some will let you use a very high voltage input and use a buck circuit to lower it for the LED to safely use. Some will use a buck/boost and allow you a wide range in both directions.

[markm]

You're really trying to win hearts and minds these days in the flashlight threads, eh?

Indeed. This stuff is making such rapid advancements, that IMO, anyone whose already replaced all his shit with what's available now is a fool.

Tomorrow there'll be something even better, and next week... you'll be able to leave it on for 50,000 hours like an aimpoint.

I have a little bit of LED, but the INCAN lights I still run are no dimmer than they were yesterday.

[Iraqgunz]

I have about 2K in Surefire lights so I think I classify as a flashlight nerd. Just not overly nerdy.

Or not a flashlight nerd

[NCPatrolAR]

I still hve a few lights in incan. bulbs in them. For me and my needs, around 120 lumens is ample light for me. I think some people are going for more and more output and not realizing that great amounts of light can be as much of a hinderence as it is help.

[Byron]

Good point.

When the Cree emitters first came out a few years ago, I was one of the pack that was racing for the brightest. I finally came to my senses and realized that a wall of light that blinds me as much as it illuminates things is pretty stupid. The great thing about using such efficient emitters though is that you can choose a unit that has scaled the brightness back down to sane levels, in exchange for insane run times. That "low" Malkoff linked above provides 140 lumens for 4.5 hours on two 123 cells. Compare that with the SureFire P61 incan (which used to be one of the gold standards for a bright light) which gives you 120 lumens for 15 minutes.

LEDs also offer more flexibility for multi-level lighting, with flashlights that offer dimming or multiple levels of brightness.

My daily pocket carry light, a NiteCore PD10 (with Q5 emitter), offers me 130 lumens for 50 minutes at its highest setting, or 3 lumens for 45 hours at its lowest setting. It can be ramped to any level between those two for my preferred combination of brightness and runtime and it does all of that on a single AA cell! Such things were unheard of just a few years ago.


As for incans still offering the same performance they did a few years ago: that is true. They have not gotten any worse. If you are happy with their performance then there is no need to spend money for something else. With that said, one of the most enticing reasons to switch over to the dark side of LEDs (outside of performance) is the fact that they don't burn out. They don't pop or shatter. They don't care if you accidentally drop them or hit them with too much recoil.

I used to use SureFire incan bulb assemblies so I'm not just making blind accusations. I know that it's not as if they blow out every two seconds, but they do have a limited running life. We all know that eventually you'll hear that stomach churning hiss-pop as the bulb burns out.

[DBR]

What is the difference between the the Cree Q5 and R2 emitter? Is one better than the other for flashlight purposes?

[toasterlocker]

You're really trying to win hearts and minds these days in the flashlight threads, eh?

Yeah, I suppose I could have provided a bit more explanation. I'm so used to the flashlight forum I go to where such stuff is common knowledge I get a bit ahead of myself.

I should have gone on to say the Malkoff drop-in has been the dominant replacement drop in for the "P60" for awhile, and there really isn't anything on the horizon right now that looks like it will pass it up. And seeing as how the incan P60s will burn out or break sooner or later anyway, it does make sense to get one.

[ProMed]

I just picked up a Surefire E2DL Defender. It is bright as hell imo, but are there any upgrade kits available for it?

[jmart]

Any input as to how Wolf Eyes compares to Malkoff?