there are options for ready to use one.
just need to read the description carefully as the page layout and information presentation are easily misread or even not read at all…
They’re really hard to beat. I have 5 L2Ps and an P1D for the wife. Great lights, tough and well made. The assembly process is no more than dropping in a battery, just from the other end. Unscrew the head, drop in the P-60 module, screw the head back on. Unscrew the tailcap, drop in your cell/cells, screw it back on and you’re done. Can’t get much simpler than that.
I personally like the L2P as it’s clicky is inside the rim of the tail cap, making for a safer option and it tailstands. Watch for the ones with the clicky protruding from the tailcap, they get turned on accidentally much easier. The L2P is usually around $17 US, and a nice drop-in can be had for around $8-10 US. Cells are available to you in the CR123 format, they’re also readily available in 18650 rechargeables. The latter should have longer runtimes in the higher capacity (3400mAh) cells. Also pretty easy to carry a spare 18650, you’d be able to go all night in an rescue type situation with the 2 cells and be making 700-800 lumens.
Edit: By the way, the “tube” you buy without the drop-in led assembly is the complete light, sans the light engine. So it will be the tail cap w/clicky switch, battery tube, head w/lens. Good deal actually, comparable to big name lights without the price tag.
I’m not familiar with the various drop-ins, I’ll let someone else address those.
Edit: also, I believe they are sold through a few dealers as well, not sure about shipping to Canada, never bought one.
Thanks for all the awnsers. Will probably order one this afternoon. Just need to be sure I am not buying bad parts hehe… Heres is what I am looking at so far:
Like them all. What would be the main difference in the L2N vs L2M… L2M has 2 tubes I think wich L2N doesnt. Also read that the L2M will work either on 1 or 2 CR123a… So would that make it that the light just works longer with 2 vs 1 or will be weaker ?
L2P is really nice also but it’s a bit longer. Not a biggy tought since my current one is around 130mm I think
L2N is 12.99$ while L2M 10.99$ + the light at 15$ is around 25$. Could live with that. I dont usually loose my gear but if it would happen a 25$ lost is acceptable.
Foy's (our resident Solarforce king) review of the Solarforce L2N. I really like the style of the L2N (though I'd prefer a reverse clicky - solarforce sells the switch guts to convert it too). I still haven't ordered one myself.
I usually hear that the Solarforce drop-ins aren't that great, though I think the newer XM-L U2's have been decent.
One of the nice things about ordering it direct, it’s always $2. You have to wait a bit for it though.
The L2N I believe has the exposed clicky switch. So that might be concealing the length a bit, while the L2P has the switch recessed into the tail cap for better safety. The exposed switch you can turn on with a bump, the recessed one takes an intentional press down into the tail cap.
That second drop-in has 3 modes, the first one only on/off. For your line of work the on/off might be better, but then again the lo mode makes it easy to check paperwork in the car without blinding yourself. If the driver has memory, you can be pretty confident that it will come on in hi if that’s what you want. I have 3 mode drop-ins that have no memory and always start on hi, just have to weigh what means the most to you.
I ordered the S2200 literally a few hours before they went on their “2 week” vacation. Got it in 6 days to Texas. It’s not always like that, but they’re not usually real slow.
Also, there are many people here that could custom build you a drop-in (or a few different drop-ins) with custom drivers programmed the way you want. Want it to always start in high? No problem. Want a very dim moonlight low? No problem? Want 5 different level brightnesses with no blinkies? No problem. There are even different "strobes". (I've not seen the Dr. Jones strobe though.) The 4A ramping driver Gords1001 loves so much has a really awesome police strobe. Would be really cool if someone could program a driver with that one in a second group (so you only activate it if you want it).
I'm not sure of the going rate and who exactly is doing them, but I'd check with TomE if you're interested. Not sure if relic builds them or not and can't remember if he does the programming. Some of the Dr. Jones programs (free for others to program drivers with) include the ability for the user to program what they want.
Just throwing this information out there so you are aware. P60 custom driver builds are very common.
with regards to holsters one of the german members is an leo and showed some shots of a real cool looking quick release holster, cant remember where I saw it though, maybe post a new thread asking about that. I’m really not a p60 fan but I agree with the above, the original design was literally written with your line of work in mind. I would suggest getting both an xp-g2 and xm-l2 drop-in to see which suits your need best, and try a neutral white light for that reason, you may find that nw suits you better than cool white (cw), for this fasttech’s convoy range is pretty good, I would suggest an m1 or m2 as both are nice hosts, a couple of sanyo 2800mah protected cells and an xtar wp2 ii charger as a good set up.
I have not done any programming of drivers yet. I could build a drop in easily enough. I have enough parts here to build one easily.
Does anyone know if the empty dropins on FT fit in SF hosts?
Thanks for all the input. Think il just try an order something for starters and then see where it leads.
As I stated above, I do not want to concern myself to highly on building and such since work gear gets ruffed up quite a bit even with someone as carefull as I am. I like the looks of the L2P models but to be honest I wouldnt try to smash a window with the tip of my flashlight or similar uses, I would rather use my baton for that…hehe.
I will have my Vest light that you guys helped me to pick out with strobes effects and such (wich i rarely use)
Make sure you wrap any P60 drop-in in aluminium foil for a snug fit in the head to stop it from overheating, and that you get one with a buck driver rated up to at least 6v for use with 2x CR123s.