Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer: Clumsy Name - Not a Bad Flashlight
Did you know that Glass Fiber Reinforced Plastic (GFRP) was first developed in the mid '30s? If you did, you might also recall that Disneyland's "House of the Future" was built entirely of GFRP in 1956. When the attraction was to be demolished about ten years later, the wrecking ball simply bounced off the structure. Okay; so, we know high-tech plastic can be pretty amazing stuff. Can it make a memorable P60 flashlight. Yes. Is the P1 amazing? Not really. There's nothing wrong with it but whatever advantages it has, I don't think it's worth $26. Since I can find no glaring fault or outstanding weakness, I'm going to give it 75% Foyapproval.
Foyappro
Bottom line: The P1 is a good flashlight. My lengthy research (12 minutes) proves it doesn't need to be treated any differently than a metal torch. It has typical Solarforce quality, its function has been flawless and it's not unreasonably ugly. Some may even think it handsome. Is having the heat effectively isolated from your hand worth $7 more than an L2P? Foy does not think so. $4 more will get you the spectacular new version L2 and an UltraFire XM-L drop-in howitzer. YMMV
Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer: Clumsy Name - Not a Bad Flashlight
Did you know that Glass Fiber Reinforced Plastic (GFRP) was first developed in the mid '30s? If you did, you might also recall that Disneyland's "House of the Future" was built entirely of GFRP in 1956. When the attraction was to be demolished about ten years later, the wrecking ball simply bounced off the structure. Okay; so, we know high-tech plastic can be pretty amazing stuff. Can it make a memorable P60 flashlight. Yes. Is the P1 amazing? Not really. There's nothing wrong with it but whatever advantages it has, I don't think it's worth $26. Since I can find no glaring fault or outstanding weakness, I'm going to give it 75% Foyapproval.
Foyappro
Bottom line: The P1 is a good flashlight. My lengthy research (12 minutes) proves it doesn't need to be treated any differently than a metal torch. It has typical Solarforce quality, its function has been flawless and it's not unreasonably ugly. Some may even think it handsome. Is having the heat effectively isolated from your hand worth $7 more than an L2P? Foy does not think so. $4 more will get you the spectacular new version L2 and an UltraFire XM-L drop-in howitzer. YMMV
What I like:
- light weight
- feels great in the hand
- keeps heat away from the hand, as promised
- head cuts allow light to escape for night-stand duty
- daring design departure
- included 16340 sleeve
What I do not like:
- tail cap switch retaining ring loosens with cap after tightening
- mold lines
- won't accept a Foybezel (unforgivable)
Solarforce P1 P60 Flashlight Host
$25.99 Solarforce-Sales http://www.solarforce-sales.com/product_detail.php?t=FB&s=6&id=434
ordered: 3-22-12
received: 4-7-12
designed for 2 x CR123/16340 or 1 x 18650 lithium-ion battery
Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer (flame retardant added) and aluminum alloy
"HA III" finish
non-tail standing forward clicky tail cap switch with 14mm boot
"waterproof design"
plastic sleeve for 16340/CR123 use
selected manufacturer specifications/comments:
"ventilating" heat isolating grip
tail cap switch rated to 3 amps
34mm head, 136mm length
68g empty
what you get for $25.99:
- P1 host including head/glass lens, main tube and tail cap/switch
- white plastic sleeve for 16340/CR123 use
Flashlight arrived in flawless condition.
Because some folks thought heat from higher powered P60 modules might pose a problem in a "plastic" flashlight, the first thing Foylab engineers did with this P1 was try to melt it. I put a fresh charged Solarforce 18650/2400 under my highest-current-pulling 3-mode UltraFire XM-L drop-in that measured between 3.75 and 4.05 amps at the tail. After testing tail cap current, I turned on my new P1 at 10:48 pm and took the following remperature readings at the hottest point on the head I could find:
10:48 - 96° (fahrenheit)
10:50 - 116°
10:51 - 132°
10:52 - 146°
10:53 - 156°
10:54 - 170°
10:55 - 176°
10:57 - 183°
10:59 - 196°
11:00 - 200°
There was no deformation of any kind and the torch gave no indication of going liquid. While the head was a toasty 200°, the flashlight body was hardly warm at all. Performing this same test with an L2P would result in a battery nearly too hot to touch. The battery in the P1 remained cool as a cucumber. This is why I feel the P1 can handle a drop-in as well as any other P60 host . . . possibly better than most, even.
I must admit; the more I look at it the less ugly it seems. What is interesting about the P1 is that it feels substantial without being heavy. Solarforce says an L2P weighs 93g empty while the P1 is a svelte 68g. Empty, it feels almost like a McDonald's straw and gets most of its heft from the drop-in and battery but even so; the P1 feels very light weight.
Head design allows light to escape for night stand duty and the provided plastic bezel is the only bezel that will thread on. A heavy metal bezel is probably not in keeping with the design goals, I suppose . . . which begs the question; are there activities that specifically preclude the use of a metallic flashlight? Solarforce makes mention of it being chemical resistant so, a hydrochloric acid shower with a P1 in hand shouldn't be a problem.
In certain light you can see the anodized tube, distinct from the GFRP through the "venilations." From what I can tell, the tube and the tail cap switch components are all that is metal on the light.
I think things look a bit too busy up here. Too many cuts, too many lines, too much going on.
The six "flutes" on the head are repeated on the tail . . .
. . . brand logo is a raised design, one opposite the other on each side . . .
. . . the color difference is less noticeable in real life but up close, the P1 simply can not avoid looking like plastic . . .
. . . much less so perhaps, were there no mold lines.
Web address for handy reference . . .
. . . I also think the residual glue on the inside edges of the "vents" are unsightly.
It's a small thing but worth mentioning; the tail cap switch retaining ring sometimes loosens when the tail cap is unscrewed. Also, this is the only bezel you'll be using.
The aluminum tube looks like a press-fit/glue affair. Probably a better solution than a ground strap/wire, I suppose.
Yes, L2/L2P head and tail caps will screw onto the P1, just like Solarforce said they would. What they didn't say was how stupid it would look.
Foy is a sucker for extra stuff and I like that Solarforce included a 16340 sleeve.
My cat "Ted" has absolutely no sense of personal space. Actually he has no sense. Come to think of it, Foy does not have any sense for having Ted.
I'm not including beam shots because this light makes exactly the same beam with this drop-in as another P60 host would with this drop-in.
That sound you don't hear is me yawning every time I look at this flashlight. What's to hate? Nothing. Okay; I don't hate it.
Foy