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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, E2d 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, diminishing
throughout. The KL1 provides less light than the incandescent
bulb, but provides about 2 hours of regulated output
followed my dim output for a long time thereafter. During
the first 2 hours the light output remains pretty constant
due to the regulation circuitry built in. After about
2 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
1 hour and low output for a long time after that.
The module itself consists of a two piece machined
aluminum body which is permanently sealed. At the front
is a recessed domed Pyrex lens very similar to the E2d
to protect the new LED collimator optics. The dome does
not protrude beyond the end of the bezel, and the bezel
end is crenelated to allow light to escape around the
edges if it is set down on its face while on. This
serves as a reminder to the user that they left the
light on when they set it down.
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 special new collimator optics which
produce a much tighter beam than the older optics. The
collimator also has a curious effect - the beam produced
has a square surround beam - the exact shape of the
light emitting layer of the LED. Since the KL1 uses
a Luxeon III LED, you'll never need to worry about it
"burning out" from regular use or impact.
Output is in the form of a tight square-shaped beam
with very little sidespill and some rings of light far
out in the periphery. The flat sides of the square central
beam have a slightly yellowish border which can be seen
in the beam picture, above.
As for ability to illuminate a target at a distance,
per my readings the new KL1 actually outperforms
the stock incandescent bulb and reflector that come
with the E2e! Now THAT'S pretty sweet! Now keep
in mind that the KL1 doesn't produce as much light overall
as the E2e stock bulb. The special optics in the KL1
take what light is produced and focus it into a very
effective beam which is tight enough to throw a good
distance, but not so tight as to give you "tunnel
vision".
Runtime Plot: KL1 on an E2e (2 cells)
Runtime
completed with Surefire batteries. More information
on runtime plots is available HERE.
Runtime Plot: KL1 on an E1e (one cell)
Runtime
completed with Surefire batteries. More information
on runtime plots is available HERE.
Luxeon LEDs do get warm and as a result,
the whole flashlight gets warm in use. 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.
The KL1 demonstrates skilled engineering on the part
of Surefire and very good quality control. No debris
was seen behind the lens, the Luxeon III appears to
be perfectly centered in the bezel and the output is
simply fantastic.
What I Liked: Much better throw than the original
KL1, regulated, long runtime, great output, great color
temperature, very durable finish.
What I Didn't Like: Not a thing.
Other Things I Noticed: Nothing
significant.
Conclusions: 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. If you
have the older generation KL1 and would like more throw
and whiter light, consider selling your old one to one
of your friends and buy the newer one. If you don't
have a KL1 for your E series light, get one! I sincerely
doubt you'll be disappointed. In fact, I'm pretty sure
you'll put the KL1 on your light, toss the original
head in a drawer, and won't look back.
Comparisons: Some comparison photos
for your pleasure:
Bonus Tip: In case you are interested, the new
KL1 seems to work just fine with the 22 ohm 2 stage
McE2s switch found HERE.
This switch provides 2 stage output, adding a low output
setting to the light for battery conservation and those
times with less light is needed.
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