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Detailed
Information:
The LightPro Spitfire I is made of Type II anodized
aluminum. Around the head are fine grooves machined
into the aluminum to improve grip and aid in heat dissipation.
Just below the head is a scalloped area which serves
as a mediocre anti-roll device. The head then tapers
to the body in a smooth curve. The main body has circumferential
grooves for grip. The tailcap, which takes up about
1/3 of the overall length and 1/2 of the body length
has wide grooves running part way down its length for
grip. The tailcap also has ultra fine grooves machined
into the surface.
The bezel consists of a custom internal reflection
collimator lens which collects the light from the Luxeon
I high dome LED. Behind the LED is a regulator circuit
for powering the emitter with a single 3 volt battery.
The lens in the bezel is recessed to prevent damage
from impact.
The output from the Spitfire I is a clean, white, medium
spot of light. The collimating optics do a good job
of projecting a very nice beam.
Runtime Plot
Runtime
completed with Surefire batteries. More information
on runtime plots is available HERE.
The switch is a typical "tactical-style"
tailcap switch. There is a button on the end of the
tailcap which, when pressed, momentarily activates the
light. Twisting the tailcap (tightening) will give constant
illumination. I would recommend twisting it until it
stops, not when the light comes on. The light has a
tendency to flicker a couple of times before it comes
fully on.
The tailcap has no texture on the tailcap momentary
button, but around the end of the tailcap are deep grooves
which help the user grip the switch for constant use.
The tailcap button is in a slight recess but the dome
of the switch rises above the recess. The tailcap has
2 O-ring; one for the twist switch, one for the momentary
button. Pressing the momentary button breaks the seal
formed by the button's O-ring, so this light is not
intended for underwater use.
An interesting quirk of the switch I noticed is that
if it is nearly on and you press the entire tailcap
inward, the light may come on. Make sure you unscrew
the tailcap at least 1/2 turn from fully on to ensure
it can only be activated by the tailcap button. Also,
the light is advertised as having "lock out"
capability which should deactivate the switch to prevent
accidental activation. However, twisting the tailcap
backwards far enough to deactivate the switch causes
the O-ring to disengage from the tailcap and the tailcap
to come off... To prevent accidental activation when
packing the light I would just remove the battery or
install it backwards.
Ergonomics: The Spitfire I is a little awkward in the
hand because the head is quite large compared to the
diameter of the body. A "tactical" grip (tailcap
toward thumb) results in the head resting under the
little finger of my hand and then a steep transition
to the body tube for the next finger. In a normal bezel/thumb
forward grip it fits the hand just fine. The grooves
on the tailcap make the light easy to operate with either
one or two hands.
The light is sealed with O-rings for water resistance
and the LED is, by nature, shockproof. The body seems
well designed and it should be able to withstand a pretty
good beating in general.
The Spitfire I takes a single 123A lithium cell for
power. This should power the light for about 3 hours.
The light also contains a regulator circuit which should
produce near-constant output from the light over that
time. I have yet to validate the effectiveness of the
circuit, but hope to do so sometime soon. To change
the battery, simply unscrew the tailcap, drop out the
old battery, place in a new one positive first and reattach
the tailcap.
Included with the light is a convenient wrist lanyard
which attaches to the tailcap. A very nice nylon sheath
also comes with the light. The sheath has an open bottom,
a velcro flap over the top, and both a velcro belt strap
and a sewn belt loop.
What I Liked: Water resistant, Impact resistant,
Regulated (to be verified), Bright, Easy battery change,
Lightweight, Stands up
What I Didn't Like: Switch a little quirky,
but nothing critical. See above.
Other Things I Noticed: A little awkward to
use a "tactical" style grip.
Conclusions: A very nice little light. Great
output from something so small, and good runtime. Small
and lightweight on the belt. I like this one quite a
bit and I think I'll find a lot of uses for it.
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