The Fenix P1D and P1D-CE is the new generation of the
venerable P1. These new lights run on a single 123A
cell like the P1, but have multi-purpose circuitry inside
allowing for three levels of output and two strobe modes
(strobe and SOS). The P1D standard model uses a Luxeon
III T-bin for light while the P1D-CE uses a Cree 7090
XR-E LED. The Cree LED model is almost twice as bright
as the Luxeon model, but has, for all intents and purposes,
the same runtime. This means that the Cree LED gives
all appearances of being twice as efficient as the Luxeon
LED.
Body: The body of the Fenix P1D is machined
aluminum with type III hard anodize finish and is available
in black and natural. The outside of the body has six
flat panels around the central area of the body for
texture and display of the company logos. The head has
a ring of knurling for grip (the head is the switch).
The tailcap has an unusual raised 4 pointed star configuration.
One of the "arms" of the star has a hole for
attachment of the included small split ring and lobster-claw
keychain attachment. The raised base is large enough
to allow the light to stand on end.
Bezel/Head: The head of the P1D and P1D-CE includes
a coated glass lens, a metal reflector, a T-binned Luxeon
3 watt LED or Cree 7090 XR-E LED, and a regulator circuit,
all permanently installed. The lens is slightly recessed
which serves as some protection from impact and abrasion.
The LED is perfectly centered in the reflector.
Luxeon left, Cree right
Output: Output is very good. The white light
produced by the LED in both lights produces good color
rendition. No tint is detectable in either beam. The
beam itself is a excellent multipurpose beam with a
tight central spot surrounded by a wide corona and spillbeam.
The P1D-CE has a slightly tighter beam with a few slightly
noticeable rings in the beam.
As noted before there are 5 output modes. When using
the three different constant output modes, the light
does not appear to use a PWM for dimming. Many LED lights
use a PWM circuit for dimming which causes the light
to flicker very rapidly. This fools the eye into thinking
the light is dimmer, while allowing the light to conserve
power since it is actually "off" part of the
time (the space between the flickers). This flicker
can often be seen by moving your eyes or the light very
rapidly and some people find this flicker to be quite
annoying, especially when reading. The output of the
P1D is constant with no visible flicker, even while
on the "Low" mode.
Fenix P1D
Level
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Primary
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730 (27.02)
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2220 (22.20)
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Max
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1330 (34.47)
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4000 (40.00)
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Low
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200 (14.14)
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550 (5.50)
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All throw readings are in Lux
at one meter. The numbers in parenthesis are for comparison
in the Comparison
Charts.
Fenix P1D-CE
Level
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Primary
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1400 (37.42)
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4200 (42.00)
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Max
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2700 (51.96)
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7850 (78.50)
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Low
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370 (19.23)
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1040 (10.40)
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All throw readings are in Lux
at one meter. The numbers in parenthesis are for comparison
in the Comparison
Charts.
Beam at one meter at target center.
Runtime Plot: Runtime with a standard 123A cell
shown below. Both lights were tested in "Primary"
mode only. "Max" will give shorter runtime,
while "Low" will provide longer runtime. Third
party tests have shown that you should expect runtimes
of about 45 minutes in "High" mode and a little
over 10 hours in "Low" mode.
Runtime
completed with "Titanium"
brand batteries. More information on runtime plots is
available HERE.
Runtime
completed with "Titanium"
brand batteries. More information on runtime plots is
available HERE.
It is interesting to note that the P1D-CE
with the Cree LED uses the same power source, has almost
the same runtime, but produces nearly double the light
output of the Luxeon P1D. This equates to almost double
the efficiency of the Luxeon LED.
Runtime
completed with "Titanium"
brand batteries. More information on runtime plots is
available HERE.
Switch: The head of the lights is the switch.
Tighten for on, loosen for off. The P1D-CE has a slightly
larger gap between the head and the body which is filled
by an extra O-ring at the base of the head. When first
turned on, both lights are in "Primary" mode.
A quick off-on cycle switches the light to the next
mode in the series. The modes are as follows: Primary,
High, Low, Strobe, SOS, (repeat).
Seals / Water Resistance: The lights are protected
from the environment by an O-ring and a sealed bezel.
Fenix advertises them as "waterproof" with
no specific depth rating. I would call them "dunkable"
but not "diveable". I would recommend lubricating
the O-ring with a Teflon based lubricant. This may be
found in many hardware stores (and Radio Shack) in a
precision applicator and is often labeled as "Super
Lube". I find it works extremely well.
If either gets wet inside, just disassemble as much
a possible without tools and let it dry before using
again.
Ergonomics: Nothing special to report here,
except that they are very small and easy to carry in
the pocket or on a keychain.
Size compared to a common 2 AA aluminum light
Batteries: One 123A cell powers each light.
I would recommend Titanium
brand cells for $1.00 each (here's
a review) or BatteryStation
or Surefire
brand cells for less than $2 each. I would not recommend
purchasing these cells at retail stores since they cost
$10 a pair or more in most retail stores!
To change out the battery: unscrew the head, drop out
the old cell, place in new cell observing proper polarity.
Reattach the head and you're ready to go.
Accessories: Several accessories are included
with the light. Inside the box you will find a spare
O-ring, key ring/lobster-claw type clip and belt sheath.
What I Liked: Waterproof, Tough/impact
resistant, Bright, Easy battery change, Lightweight,
Stands up
What I Didn't Like: None
Picky Little Things: None
Conclusions: Will the Cree LEDs
be the new "Jack the giant killer?". I'm not
sure, but with twice the output and same runtime as
Luxeon LEDs using the same power source, it looks to
me that the folks at Cree will soon need a lot of wheelbarrows
- for carting their money to the bank! These new Cree
LEDs display a wonderful step-up in efficiency and Lumileds
is probably scrambling to catch up. After dominating
the market for so long it looks like Lumileds may have
fallen a little behind in innovation.
The utility of these little 123A powered
lights is great with the multiple output levels. Personally
I think the SOS mode is completely useless, so I'm glad
it's the last in the switching sequence. It'll never
see any use from me. If you can, go with the Cree LED
version for twice the efficiency for your buck.
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