Solarforce tailcaps

I'm looking forward to it. I really like the compact size of the S7, and I assume it's a forward clicky?

Yes, the S7 seems to be a very good switch. Really flat . Push to momentary light, rotate the switch for permanent light. Will be soon available again at the Solarforce-sales store.

That's the same as the standard switch most $urefires ship with. Except that the Surefire one costs more than I'm mostly prepared to pay for whole lights.

I've not seen the insides of one of these types of switches, but I assume there isn't a lot in there?

Not much in there , just a spring , and a aluminum plate that when screwed in makes contact with the body to complete the circuit , or can be pushed in [ momentary on ] via the tail button which is not a clicky .

Yeah, that's more or less what I thought. I can't imagine I'd ever use the momentary, they really should make a straight twisty with no switch.

Have a look here:

http://www.solarforce.hk/PRD/data/8.552/img3.jpg

Updates? I just signed up for this forum for this review lol

Well , I have to go and do a IT course ... So the week end is open , but its on the to do list ...

Dang! All these years, and the same week that I plunk down the cash for my first 2 OEM Surefire twisty/momentary tailcaps, Solarforce comes out with an equivalent!

I apparently burnt out (?) my Solarforce L2 tailcap on my KD XM-L drop-in, and it looks like I'm in the process of ruining my backup DX "replacement tailcap" with the current (?)(now flaky, esp on lower modes, and sometimes switches modes). A friend who owns a Surefire G2 (essentially a plastic version of the metal 6P) told me about his tailcap, and how it was virtually impossible to burn it out, due to the simplicity and robustness of the design (just a flat disc of copper which gets pressed or screwed down and makes contact). The disc inside the Solarforce is aluminum/aluminium, I think I read here or on another thread(?), but sounds similar in design.

Lighthound is the only seller I can find who has them in stock. They're not yet available on Ebay. Lighthound says they're OK up to 5 amps.

It's high time they came out with these. Never quite understood mfr's obsession with reverse clickies (I know you can change modes easier, but no momentary). The concept of a twisty is repugnant to many new flashlight enthusiasts (myself owing to my loved/hated Mini Mag when I was a youth). But I kind of got converted to twisties with my 4Sevens Quark Mini. Between that, and wanting a momentary switch, and wanting high current/simple design that won't burn out... I am ready.

Don't want to commit myself, but I hope review my 2 (different types of) Surefire tailcaps to the Solarforce S7 when/if I get them all. The Solarforce S7 appears to be designed after the Surefire Z41 tailcap, which are not cheap.

BTW if anyone shops for Surefire tailcaps on Ebay, I had a bad experience with seller outfittu.

Also, there is a Spiderfire version of the Z41 tailcap, which is sold on Ebay, BUT it is reputed to not work properly enough on Solarforce torches to be worth it (the degrees between off/momentary/on are too small), though it was reported to work on original Surefires okay. I think it was on CPF, there is a great chart of intercompatibility of tailcaps, extension tubes, and whole flashlights (don't have the link right now). Hopefully that author will add the S7. It saved me from wasting my money on the Spiderfire. So, considering this tailcap comes from Solarforce, it oughta work properly on Solarforce lights (eh?).

Great news, thanks OP.

Check for a short , as the Solarforce Tailcap should handle the current ..

A small short might see you pulling 5A , a bad short , over 10A

The Solarforce clickies melt with too much current , 5A+

Ive got about 4 L2 tailcaps that the clicky has melted internally from shorts [ My fault ]

I'll have to see about getting genuine clicky switches as spare parts ..

Thanks old4570, but how do I check for a short? The only way I've ever measured current is to take off the tailcap and rig up my DMM from the negative of the battery to the back of the battery tube (and I seem to need 3 hands for that!).

Neg to neg batt and positive to body , and yes , you really want 3 hands to do it . 2 just does not seem like enough , especially with smaller lights and Soldering ...

Mcclickys are great. Very low resistance.

And a rather high price....

i don't think I've said so already so welcome srfreddy.

My viewpoint is only one among many. Yours is not one I've seen before. So please do join in - post count is nothing, interesting stuff is everything. So please do tell us what you think.

We may not agree, but we do want to know why. And everyone's viewpoint matters. Every one of us uses our lights for different things, so we all have different opinions on what works for us.

This isn't CPF so none of us here have The Official Answer.

We really do want to know what you think. Not one of us will be using our lights for what you do so your perspective matters.

Please do let us know what it is.

What i find ironic about the Oveready and/or McClicky switch(es) (never quite figured out the difference, or if there was one) is that it was designed to replace the very durable/simple OEM Surefire twisty/momentary switches. Some people just want a clicky. For a long time I think Surefire didn't make them. They do now. You used to send your surefire switch in to have it 'professionally reworked', or buy the guts and put them in yourself. I see it more of a conversion kit, for people who need Surefire quality and are willing to pay the price. Then again, I'd be interested to know more how they work out on 'budget' flashlights, in particular the Solarforce line. Especially contrasted with the inexpensive Romisen forward """tactical""" switch screw-ins at Shiningbeam (not sure if there's a difference between those 2 drop-in switches he sells???) http://www.shiningbeam.com/servlet/the-93/Forward-Tactical-Click-Switch/Detail http://www.shiningbeam.com/servlet/the-92/Forward-Tactical-Click-Switch/Detail full tailcap http://www.shiningbeam.com/servlet/the-72/Forward-Tactical-Click-Switch/Detail Would be *very* interested in the current-handling abilities on any of the above. I think I'm done with reverse clickies, and non-robust switches in general. After 1 year of no problems I had 3 switches go or start to, in the past few weeks (yes, now my Spiderfire P7)... all on my 2 LED's which draw 9 watts or more.

Self-correction... turns out McClicky switches are not expensive. Start at about $7 with no boot at LightHound. Does contain Chinese components. And yes, they are reported as having very low resistance... something about a metal rod inside, or something resembling such. Will have to order one and see. But for now if you can swing 4 extra dollars, it seems a safer bet than the ShiningBeam ones, although there is some question about the shortness of the spring being able to work in Solarforce. Even if so, shouldn't be insurmountable. Will see.

Now bad news... turns out the Surefire original tailcaps are not reputed to work well in Solarforce, owing again to the larger bore of the Solarforce to make way for the wider 18650. Either that or something else involved, whether steel to aluminum or whatever... reports of resistance creating about a .8V drop, which is REALLY bad esp when your battery voltage starts to sag. Oveready makes a 'zero resistance mod' which is a brass drop-in to address this for the Z41 and other tailcaps/switches. Sigh. At least it's available for someone foolish enough to try Surefire on Solarforce so it won't be a complete waste of money :) Again, will see...

BTW it turns out there's a twisty which looks like it'll fit my Spiderfire P7 (specifically sold as replcement tailcap for WF-500, but looks the same). Sold at lighthound.

Will see how everything stacks up when it all gets here. Knee-deep in switches..... You can spend a lot of money on 'budget' flashlight stuff!

I'm gonna bump this guy up... still waiting for that review.

http://budgetlightforum.cz.cc/node/1450 Here

Thanks! Didn't catch taht.