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Reviewer's
Impressions:
The KL1 is an excellent long-burn time option for anyone
with an E series light, new or old. The module will
fit on any E series body. This includes the E2e, E2,
E1e, E1, E2o, and any others I forgot to mention.
The usual burn time for an E2 series light with the
standard incandescent bulb is about 90 minutes. The
KL1 provides less light than the incandescent bulb,
but provides 4 hours of regulated output, about another
11 hours of moderate output, followed my dim output
for a long time thereafter. During the first 4 hours
the light output remains constant due to the regulation
circuitry built in. After about 4 hours the batteries
cannot supply the needed energy to the regulation circuit
to keep the LED lit brightly. The module then provides
diminishing light output as described above.
On the E1/E1e lights the module drops out of regulation
very quickly since its power is being provided by only
one 123a battery. It will provide very good output for
1½ hours, moderate output for about another 8
hours and low output for a long time after that.
The module itself consists of a two piece machined
aluminum body which is permanently sealed. Around the
outside is a hex shaped base and 4 cooling fins. At
the front is a Pyrex lens to protect the LED optics.
The lens is sealed for water resistance and because
it is Pyrex it has better light transmittance properties
than the usual plastic lens you see on many lights.
This means that more light reaches your subject. Inside
you can see the 1 Watt Luxeon Star collimator optics
which produce the module's smooth beam of light. Since
the KL1 uses a Luxeon Star LED, you'll never need to
worry about it "burning out" from regular
use or impact.
Luxeon Star LEDs do get warm, hence the need for cooling
fins on the module. The heat produced is conducted to
the exterior surfaces of the module to prevent the LED
from overheating and suffering thermal damage.
The module is very lightweight, is essentially one
piece, and is very durable. The exterior finish is hard
anodize type III which is much harder than that found
on common aluminum lights. The finish can really take
a beating.
Occasionally, colored KL1 LEDs can be found. Some folks
prefer a monochromatic light for various tasks. The
green KL1 would be a good companion for night vision
equipment as it does not cause the NV equipment to overload
as easily as white light does. Blue light is commonly
used by hunters to track wounded game since blood shows
up black against the background in blue light. Red light
can help preserve natural night vision.
The green KL1 was extremely bright, producing almost
double the output of the white module. However, although
brighter, you shouldn't expect to have the ability to
distinguish between different colors as is possible
with white light when using a monochromatic module.
The KL1 demonstrates skilled engineering on the part
of Surefire and very good quality control. No debris
was seen behind the lens, the Luxeon Star is perfectly
centered in the bezel, and there are no signs of the
dubious "farkle"; a blob-like inclusion found
around the center of many Luxeon optics which is the
result of the emitter not being cleaned before assembly
with the lens.
Since this review is only for the KL1 module and not
the body of the light that it resides on, there is not
much more to mention. Suffice to say that if you have
an E series light, this makes for an excellent addition
for times when extended burn time are needed or for
general use. If you're thinking about getting an E2e,
get one of these as well. You won't be disappointed.
In fact, you may use it more than the incandescent bezel
and bulb that come with the light!
+ + + Pluses: Water resistant,
Tough, Regulated, Bright
- - - Minuses: None
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