Review of Fenix P1 flashlight - Thread - Urban Exploration Resource


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UER Forum > Journal Index > Av's Bloggy-thing. > Review of Fenix P1 flashlight (Viewed 9969 times)

Review of Fenix P1 flashlight
entry by Avatar-X
9/27/2006 3:48 AM

I recently received, as a gift from the owner of Fenix Flashlight, a Fenix P1 "Rocket" light.

It's a very small flashlight, as you can see in the comparison photograph with an AA battery below. (note: the light does not use AA batteries) Weighing in at only 48 grams with battery and key ring, it's one of the lightest flashlights I've ever used that packs this much of a punch.

The P1 features a 3-watt Luxeon LED. In my experiments, I've found that 1 watt of Luxeon power is about equivalent to 10 LED's. So, in this case, the light is about as bright as a 30 LED light. Suffice to say, it is plenty bright.

The P1 uses CR123 batteries. You may not be familiar with this type of lithium battery -- they're most commonly found in older point & shoot film cameras. If you go to a camera store, expect to pay as much as $15 for a single battery, but if you know where to look, you can get them for as little as $1 each.

Using a timelapse camera to do the test, the light ran for exactly 1 hour and 20 minutes before starting to dim significantly. After that, it ran an additional 20 minutes before it hit the point where the regulation circuit cut out, and went dimmer than a single LED. So aim for about 1 1/2 hours of bright light with this flashlight.

The light does get quite warm when in use. In the video below, you'll see the light climbs to 20 degrees celsius higher than the room temperature. When in actual use, this number is lower as the heat is absorbed by your hand and by the surrounding air. Having used it for a few hours, it does not get uncomfortably warm.

I really like the beam that the P1 casts. It's tight, but not too tight. It's very usable as a regular flashlight that you can carry around with you, especially since it's so tiny. The P1 also has a neat feature: The base is flat, so you can stand it on it's base to use it in "Candle" mode. The light temperature is also very white, with less of a blue tinge than most LED lights have.

As an added bonus, I was offered the chance to have a custom logo engraved (not printed) onto the side of the P1. This is the result:

The Fenix P1 is a pretty neat all-around general light. If you're interested, I think members of UER get a 5% discount at the Fenix store, using discount code UER5.

To sum up:

Pros

Small
Light
Bright

Cons

Uses a specialty battery that may be too expensive or hard to find for some
Runtime is alright, but it wouldn't hurt if it was longer.

Watch a video of the light running on a brand new, fresh battery, with a temperature probe.
The top number on the display is runtime (12:00 is 0), the second number is room temperature, and the third number is the temperature of the light casing about halfway down the body of the light (not right at the tip)

fenix.avi 550k xVid or diVx required.

[last edit 10/9/2009 3:14 PM by Avatar-X - edited 7 times]
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Comments: (use Reply to add a comment)

blackhawk This member has been banned. See the banlist for more information. Location: Mission Control Total Likes: 3996 likes UER newbie \| \| \|	Re: Review of Fenix P1 flashlight < Reply # 1 on 9/27/2006 4:20 AM > \| Reply with Quote

	Your not only one AV that gives this little light a big rating. http://www.flashli...views/fenix_p1.htm Still I want one that runs on AA or AAA MH bats, but it's a sweet tactical light.
	Just when I thought I was out... they pulled me back in.

ArmchairExplorer Location: Vancouver Total Likes: 0 likes \| \|	Re: Review of Fenix P1 flashlight < Reply # 2 on 9/28/2006 7:27 AM > \| Reply with Quote

	I believe this light will accept 3.0v 123A rechargables. Runtime will, however, be less than half that on primary 123A cells. There have been a number of Fenix reliability problems reported on CPF. Definitely take a backup light if using a Fenix when draining (etc). Blackhawk: Fenix's L series lights use AA batteries and are otherwise very similar to the P1. Be advised that NiMH or lithium batteries are strongly recommended for L series lights. You might also want to look at http://www.flashli...s/liteflux_lf1.htm http://www.flashli...tbeam_jet-1mk2.htm

Mark

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Location: South Carolina
Gender: Male
Total Likes: 16 likes

What is a lion, king of the savannah, when hes at the south pole?

Re: Review of Fenix P1 flashlight
< Reply # 3 on 9/28/2006 4:40 PM >
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Posted by ArmchairExplorer
I believe this light will accept 3.0v 123A rechargables. Runtime will, however, be less than half that on primary 123A cells.

There have been a number of Fenix reliability problems reported on CPF. Definitely take a backup light if using a Fenix when draining (etc).

Blackhawk: Fenix's L series lights use AA batteries and are otherwise very similar to the P1. Be advised that NiMH or lithium batteries are strongly recommended for L series lights.

You might also want to look at
http://www.flashli...s/liteflux_lf1.htm
http://www.flashli...tbeam_jet-1mk2.htm

On a side note I know alot of guys that took them to Iraq and love the damn thing. I plan to get one when funds become available, but I will probably get the larger version. Not saying their isn't any issues, but alot of guys that have them that I know of like it and abuse it alot.

"If the threat level goes up its probably because of me." "I am looking for a girl who enjoys headbutting beltbuckles"

Deuterium Location: PNW Gender: Male Total Likes: 290 likes \| \|	Re: Review of Fenix P1 flashlight < Reply # 4 on 9/29/2006 2:59 AM > \| Reply with Quote

	I once had a thought of buying their L series, but after having bought the MiniMag LED, I'm not going to. That was before MiniMag LED was around. I ended up buying the LED Minimag when it came out, because it offered a substantial competitive advantage, one is being half the price of their L series and you can buy it at Wal-Mart. If I found a $20 generic brand I don't even know, I probably wouldn't have bought it, but Mag is a well known, quality, American made light.

THWN2 Location: MIDWEST CHICAGO NW SUBURBS Gender: Male Total Likes: 5 likes \| \|	Re: Review of Fenix P1 flashlight < Reply # 5 on 1/23/2008 2:43 AM > \| Reply with Quote

	What about the surefire 6p led or the 9p with the sf led dropin this is a good light. they make a red filter so you dont ruin youre night vision

AnAppleSnail Location: Charlotte, NC Gender: Male Total Likes: 49 likes ALL the flashlights! \| \| \| \|	Re: Review of Fenix P1 flashlight < Reply # 6 on 10/21/2010 10:46 PM > \| Reply with Quote

	It's crazy how far lights have come since then, all. New lighting playground on UER. Now my AA pocket light (3 inches long, .7inch diameter) is brighter for a bit less long on a rechargeable AA. The brother light with a RCR123 is as bright for 3x longer. Oh, and that's in neutral white, a more natural color for seeing colors of things (Is that rotted wood or dusty wood? Hmm).
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UER Forum > Journal Index > Av's Bloggy-thing. > Review of Fenix P1 flashlight (Viewed 9969 times)

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