torches for law enforcement

[Maelstrom]

18650 Li-Ion cells are commonplace now many manufacturers have adopted this cell standard such as Jetbeam, EagleTac, Fenix, Olight, Tiablo, Lumapower & of course Thrunite to name but a few

Additionally there's no shortage of modding enthusiasts/machinists willing to perform a rebore on a Surefire 6P host casing, should you not want to go that route aftermartket battery tubes are also available compatible with the Surefire series of lights

FWIW Thrunite actually rate those drop ins @ 300Lm not 345Lm on their site, SST-50 & SST-90 LEDs are where the hype is at now following on from the success of the SSC-P7 and MC/E multi emitters

[black bear]

SUREFIRE WEAPON LIGHT
RECHARGEABLE CONVERSION
345 LUMENS

Hi guys,
A member of another forum has this idea of boring the inside diameter of a Surefire 6P to accept a laptop computer Li Ion battery.
I did my own version and discover that I can get a 345 lumens lamp (LED new R-5) at close to two hours run time.

You can mount this baby in a 5.56 mm a 50 caliber or a shotgun, it will shrug recoil no matter what caliber you shoot.
How come?

The heavy spring on the lamp act as a shock absorber and prevent lamp battering by the battery. And been an LED is not filament to break down.


The special machined Surefire body is a part of the equation.
The Lamp is a new one by Thru Nite, it is the new Cree R-5 and output and incredible 345 lumens (well more than any Surefire weapon light)

http://www.surefire.com/M961XM07-with-Dual-Thumbscrew-Mount

This lamp is a flood/throw and is ideal to clear rooms with the AR.
For night hunting I am changing to a 300 lumens lamp that have a better throw (different reflector treatment) so those coyotes have to watch out.

The tail cap has a remote cable switch with pressure pad, so I can place it on the stock of my rifle or shotgun, under my thumb. Yes thumb pressure will activate the light.

Usually this type of light uses 123’s batteries, they go fast under the power of 345 lumens, so I opted for a long run time computer battery, rechargeable, that will last you close to 2 hours of run time.

Moreover, when I am unsure of how much battery juice is in the battery, I just pop it into the charger and you get a full charged battery, ideal if I practice much night shooting with my AR.
You cannot do that with 123’s primary batteries unless you are willing to dump expensive half used batteries.

Li Ion technology will provide extend use if I don’t use the light, an occasional full top charge every 5 months will keep the battery at full capacity.

I have used a crenellated bezel up front, but I am thinking to put a flat bezel as I think the crenellated is able to catch on brush,
I provided the light with a Weaver ring, but I am thinking to change it to some Quick detach lever mount like the Leupold style Weaver style for the AR, as I don’t want it on the rifle when hunting Whitetails during the day in the laurel tickets ( I hunt with a mini 30).
Yes the Weaver detaches quick but I will need a coin from my pocket.
BEAMSHOT AT 30 YARDS AT MY USUAL LOCATION
So you can compare with any of my other beam shots from the past, I use the same camera setting for all beam shots.



This is the Quick Detach ring that I will use in my AR; it will fit the Picatinny or the Weaver bases.



I mounted a magazine picatinny mount in my home defense shotgun, so I will make another light for the Mossberg and I will have this one with a pressure tape curly cord switch, the curly cord have more reach than the straight 9” cable for mounting way out there under the barrel of the shotgun.

Cheers

Black bear

[Maelstrom]

Instead of measuring light output, which is more or less bogus for the reasons you mention, why not this:

1. Set up a standard white or gray target - e.g. 2 m sq or perhaps even larger, and maybe with concentric black rings out to the edges.

2. Use a range of standard source-to-target distances - e.g. 20 to 50 m

3. Establish standard ambient light conditions - e.g. total darkness, starlight, etc.

Sort of like what they've done HERE but with the added information gleaned by a Luxmeter, please forgive the example it's outdated with a "cheesy" page design


FWIW this "standard" would also need to lock down the camera settings as some use longer exposure times

[SecTrainer]

My pictures show the differences between similar lights against the same target, at the same distance and with the same ambient light. The camera is the perfect tool for comparisons.

For comparing one of your pictures to another one of YOUR pictures, yes...but NOT for comparing your pictures with those of many OTHERS who also publish their own comparative pictures on various forums, takenunder different conditions in their own back yards, using different targets, different distances, etc.

How elaborate measuring systems can help the layman evaluate his light?

The suggestion was for enthusiasts and those who work in the industry. And it's hardly "elaborate".

Nevermind!

[black bear]

Do you have hear about the POLARION HELIOS HID light, that have 5,200 lumens and run for 60 minutes and cost only $2,395 ?

You can read all about the Polarion and the other most powerful lights, in this blog.

http://www.jamesmaurer.com/worlds-brightest-flashlight.asp

Cheers
Black Bear

[black bear]

My pictures show the differences between similar lights against the same target, at the same distance and with the same ambient light. The camera is the perfect tool for comparisons.

How elaborate measuring systems can help the layman evaluate his light?


Black Bear

[SecTrainer]

If everybody in the Industry measured the same way, we will have an standard.

However the accepted method is to put the "bulb" into an Integrated Sphere Spectotometer.

However Surefire put the whole light into the ISS, and the result is published as "torch" lumens.

The difference between torch and bulb lumens could be as much as 33% (in some cases) due to losses from reflector and reflection from the lens, (actually window as it is flat not curved)

But the way Surefires does reflect the "actual" lumens coming out of the torch.

Many manufacturers quote the "bulb" lumens from the spec sheet of the bulb factory, which of course is more than the "torch" lumens quoted by Surefire and a few others.

Cheers
Black Bear

Yes, I understand how the industry measures lumens, but what you and others are trying to do is to show how the lights actually perform in lighting up a target...the whole point being that we can't rely on light output numbers.

By showing us pictures, you're using a "reflected light" comparison method anyway - I'm merely suggesting a more controlled version of the same thing. It would give you a standardized comparison method (standard target, distances, ambient light), as well as a relative measuring scale (the light meter) that's more objective than people shooting pictures of trees, raccoons, tool sheds etc. in their back yards. And it would be pretty cheap for anyone who's "into" this (modding lights, etc.) to set up to test their mods, too.

Then we wouldn't get one guy posting pictures of different lights illuminating his cat at 20 feet, another one with pics of his mother-in-law standing at the end of the garden at 50 feet, etc. etc. It's impossible to compare your pics with pics from someone else who is also trying to illustrate different light performances.

Who knows - maybe if modders, etc. started using a standard method to measure reflected light performance, the industry would think about using something like it. HAM radio amateurs created several standards that were picked up and used by radio manufacturers. Post a standard method like this (or something similar) on a torch forum and see what happens.

[black bear]

If everybody in the Industry measured the same way, we will have an standard.

However the accepted method is to put the "bulb" into an Integrated Sphere Spectotometer.

However Surefire put the whole light into the ISS, and the result is published as "torch" lumens.

The difference between torch and bulb lumens could be as much as 33% (in some cases) due to losses from reflector and reflection from the lens, (actually window as it is flat not curved)

But the way Surefires does reflect the "actual" lumens coming out of the torch.

Many manufacturers quote the "bulb" lumens from the spec sheet of the bulb factory, which of course is more than the "torch" lumens quoted by Surefire and a few others.

Cheers
Black Bear

[SecTrainer]

WHEN A LUMEN IS NOT A LUMEN

A lumen is not a lumen when somebody intends to throw a big bunch of them out of a small reflector the size of a dime or nickel. At least it seems to be that way.

Instead of measuring light output, which is more or less bogus for the reasons you mention, why not this:

1. Set up a standard white or gray target - e.g. 2 m sq or perhaps even larger, and maybe with concentric black rings out to the edges.

2. Use a range of standard source-to-target distances - e.g. 20 to 50 m

3. Establish standard ambient light conditions - e.g. total darkness, starlight, etc.

And then measure the reflected light with a lab-quality light meter positioned at set distances from the target - e.g. 5 m, 10 m, 20 m. Or perhaps it would make the most sense to position the meter at the source distance, since the user will almost always be the same distance from the target as the source.

It seems to me that the reflected (hence, visible) light is what matters, not the output surely?

[ghostguy6]

SUREFIRE LIGHT
# 6

Hi guys,
My wife lost her light that she was keeping in her handbag since 1988.
It was a Surefire 6 (not the Surefire 6P).
The Surefire 6 was a civilian light that Surefire produced before launching the popular 6P.
It was made with no tail cap and to switch it on you have to turn the head (like a mini maglite)

It was of sentimental value to her, and I am looking to replace it.
If you have such a light in new condition and wish to sell it, please contact me at:
jcharles11784(at)yahoo(dot)com

This is how the rear of the light looks like.


All the best

Black Bear

If you havent already, you should post this on candlepowerforums.com. There may be someone there willing to part with one. To the surefire addicts that most likely is a collectors item. Good luck finding one.

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/

[black bear]

SUREFIRE LIGHT
# 6

Hi guys,
My wife lost her light that she was keeping in her handbag since 1988.
It was a Surefire 6 (not the Surefire 6P).
The Surefire 6 was a civilian light that Surefire produced before launching the popular 6P.
It was made with no tail cap and to switch it on you have to turn the head (like a mini maglite)



It was of sentimental value to her, and I am looking to replace it.
If you have such a light in new condition and wish to sell it, please contact me at:
jcharles11784(at)yahoo(dot)com

This is how the rear of the light looks like.



All the best

Black Bear

[Maelstrom]

The cell adaptability is a nice feature (an idea borrowed from enthusiasts) but with a maximum of 65 Lumens (for the Option 60 using lithium CR123 cells) I don't believe I'd be buying one nor recommending it to anyone soon at that price point

Has anyone tried the new 5.11 light that's supposed to charge in 90 seconds?

I have heard great things about this light from one of the deputies near my post. I am looking to pick one up. The price is a little high, but could be worth it.


Also, does anyone have a take one the Gerber Option 50 or Option 60 lights? I looked at them at REI. They are able to accomodate either AA, AAA, or CR123 batteries. Looks cool, but I want to know something before dropping money. Simply having a lumen or CP rating doesn't help me much.

[black bear]

THE BEAR CUB
SMALL LIGHT BIG PERFORMANCE

Not long ago to get magnum illumination out of a flashlight, I had to drop down the tube, six of the big D batteries on a Maglite 6 D size.
That the light weights three pounds one ounce and measures 19 ½ inches was just incidental to the use if I wanted to get a really good, powerful beam.

Later Surefire come up with small lights that could take two and three or four small but powerful 123’s camera batteries, some of those lights, come up and surpass the 181 lumens of the big Maglite 6 D.
I am thinking now of the specialty tactical light than Surefire have as the M-4 that uses four of the 123 batteries for 225 lumens for one hour run time. The M-4 was made famous by been used in the CSI Las Vegas series.
Incidentally the M-4 is not precisely inexpensive, costing $330 USD from Surefire or their dealers.

The only problem is that the little 3 volts batteries are quite expensive, and using four of them for one hour run time can cost you $8.00 for that hour.
And that is if you buy them at discount over the Internet, when purchased in the camera stores (such as Wal Mart) the little 3 volts batteries cost as much as $4 each.

So a light of the size of the Surefire M-4 (9 inches long) was highly desired if it could be made to run on rechargeable batteries, to avoid the big battery expense of the M-4.

Enter the Bear Cub, a nine inches light, with a 13 oz. weight that is rechargeable and uses Lithium Ion batteries.
This little light makes 220 lumens for 90 minutes of run time, and then recharges its two batteries with a fast charger that is included, in three and a half hours.
The Lithium Ion batteries can be recharged up to 1,000 times and when they eventually get depleted can be replaced with $30.

HERE IS A PICTURE OF THE BEAR CUB LIGHT, NEXT TO THE SUREFIRE M-4.



AND HERE NEXT TO THE MAGLITE 6 D



And here a couple of beam shots at 26 yards for comparison.

MAGLITE 6 D



BEAR CUB



Yes the little rechargeable Bear Cub is characterized for an intense white light, and a run time of 90 minutes, all in a small size that can fit in any glove compartment or trench coat pocket.
Best Wishes
Black Bear

[black bear]

SOLARFORCE L-2 LED FLASHLIGHT
5 FUNCTION MODULE

I have lately been using some components of Solarforce flashlights to make me a couple of tactical lights (to use in a Remington 1100 shotgun and in a Kalashnikov rifle).
I bought a couple of loose bodies, heads, and modules, and for the remote cable switch I used a couple of Aimshot tail caps with pressure pads.
The modules are simple one function 200 lumen (or so) R-2’s, and have enough throw to make 50 yard shots possible. As the shotgun and rifle are intended for home defense, 50 yards are all I needed.

The bodies were intended for CR123 batteries and I loaded them with red Surefire batteries before mounting them on a Weaver 1” ring and clamping it to Picattiny’s rails in the long guns.





More recently I received a Solarforce L-2 five function flashlight. It also uses the R-2 module and sports a reverse clicky tail cap, which, when activated, goes to the last function (or level) that was stored in the memory.
The levels are full power (about 200 lumens), medium power (about 100 lumens) low power (about 40 lumens), strobe in the 200 lumen level, and SOS also in the 200 lumen level.
To activate each level, you just press softly on the tail cap.




The claims that I have seen advertised for the lumen output are much higher than the ones I am estimating here, but these estimates are based on my vast use of lights and in direct comparison with my Fenix TK-11 Q-5 flashlight that is billed as a 225 lumen light.

This wild throw of numbers of lumens is because the emitters are measured in Integrated Sphere Spectotometers without the reflector, head or lens, and are of course much higher than when the flashlight is used with these in place.
The true out-the-front numbers are much lower due to losses from the reflector and reflection from the lens.

The Solarforce model I have comes with the larger internal diameter body that will accept 18650 Lithium Ion rechargeable batteries, as well as the RC123’s and the rechargeable RCR123’s.

Having several 18650 batteries and a charger, I prefer to use the large Lithium Ion rechargeable battery.
Fortunately for those that will want to use the light on a rifle or shotgun, the Weaver 1” ring clamps to the 18650 body without a problem.

Prices of body components or entire lights vary depending where you purchase them. Your best bet is to Google the Solarforce name and see what is available and where at the time of your search.

I have been using the Solarforce L-2 for the last two weeks in my pocket and I don’t care for the sharp crenellated bezel that is very rough in my pocket’s liner. It was bothering me so much that I finally removed it in favor of a Z-32 Surefire bezel that I had in my spare parts box.

The strobe function is used in tactical lights with the hope it will bother the opponent more than the straight beam. To me it is of no value as a deterrent, but it is a good function to have if you ever are in need to attract attention and are unable to call for help.

I wanted to take some beam shots but the snow here has been so bothersome lately (we had 26 inches on the ground) and prevented me from doing so. In any case, the beam is so close to the beam shots I have made with other 200 lumen R-2’s that you can see them in the post titled “The 200 lumens battle,” and you can imagine the beams to be the same.

Cheers
Black Bear