# Budget thrower



## HeyGuysWatchThis (Jul 21, 2010)

I have a Husky 2D cell flashlight (here's a review if you're unfamiliar). A coworker has borrowed it and was quite impressed with the performance. Now he wants one that is similar, but is not willing to spend $100 for a DBS or the like. Is there anything out there I can recommend him?


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## Zatoichi (Jul 21, 2010)

Solarforce Skyline 1. You can find it for under $30 shipped on ebay. It doesn't throw as well as some of the well known throwers but it's cheap, very well made, and is a dedicated thrower.


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## TooManyGizmos (Jul 21, 2010)

~

HGWT ,

You'd get better response in the "Budget light" forum ..... about a budget light.

~


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## UpChUcK (Jul 21, 2010)

HeyGuysWatchThis said:


> I have a Husky 2D cell flashlight (here's a review if you're unfamiliar). A coworker has borrowed it and was quite impressed with the performance. Now he wants one that is similar, but is not willing to spend $100 for a DBS or the like. Is there anything out there I can recommend him?



Go to Meijers and see if they still carry the Dorcy 220 Lumen Rechargeable. I bought it when it first came out for $50  . A couple months later they were on sale for $24 so I picked up another one :shrug: . Then a couple months later they were on clearance for $12 so I pick up 2 more :sick2: . Anyways, a great little thower. It has a big deep reflector and a NiCad cell :thumbsdow but you it does last for quite a while. Plus you can "upgrade" to 5-cell 2/3A NiMh stick pack for ~2x the runtime.



Zatoichi said:


> Solarforce Skyline 1. You can find it for under $30 shipped on ebay. It doesn't throw as well as some of the well known throwers but it's cheap, very well made, and is a dedicated thrower.



I'm eying this one. The price is definitely right. I wonder if it'll beat my Tiablo A9S?

Oh, I forgot to add - The new MagLite MagLED 2D/3D Rebels are decent throwers too.


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## Zatoichi (Jul 21, 2010)

UpChUcK said:


> I'm eying this one. The price is definitely right. I wonder if it'll beat my Tiablo A9S?



If you look at the Skyline reviews (there's only a couple), I seem to remember one reviewer stating the Skyline 1 will out-throw the Tiablo 9, but only _without_ the aspheric.


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## bigchelis (Jul 21, 2010)

Zatoichi said:


> If you look at the Skyline reviews (there's only a couple), I seem to remember one reviewer stating the Skyline 1 will out-throw the Tiablo 9, but only _without_ the aspheric.


 

I had both Skyline I and Skyline II = no throw and low lumens

Well; they do throw but because of the 150 lumens they have low lux numbers.

The Solarforce Masterpiece also had low OTF lumens( 240~250 expected), but at least it threw similar to a Tiablo A10:thumbsup:


_______________________________________________________________________________Lumens________time__________5m lux_____1m cal lux_____ 
Solarforce Skyline I______XR-E R2_____________1 AW 2600mAh_________ 121.5 ______ 1 sec_______753______18,825___
__________________________________________________ _____________ 123.8_______30 sec_______________________
_______________________*_______________*_______________________________________ 125.4_______1 min________________________
__________________________________________________ _____________________________126.2_______2 min________________________
________________________*___________*___________________________________________125.4_______3 min________________________
Solarforce Skyline I______XR-E R2___________2 CR123 Primaries_________147.7 ______ 1 sec_______800______20,000___
__________________________________________________ _____________ 143.8_______30 sec_______________________
_______________________*_______________*_________________*___________*_________ 144.6_______1 min________________________
__________________________________________________ _____________________________148.5_______2 min________________________
________________________*___________*___________________________________________149.2_______3 min________________________
Solarforce Skyline II______XR-E R2___________2 CR123 Primaries________ 185.4 ______ 1 sec_______527______13,175___
__________________________________________________ _____________ 176.2_______30 sec_______________________
_______________________*_______________*_________________*___________*_________ 177.7_______1 min________________________
__________________________________________________ _____________________________179.2_______2 min________________________
________________________*___________*___________________________________________184.6_______3 min________________________
Solarforce Skyline II_____XR-E R2_____________1 AW 2600mAh__________147.7 ______ 1 sec_______294_______7,350___
__________________________________________________ _____________ 146.2_______30 sec_______________________
_______________________*_______________*_______________________________________ 144.6_______1 min________________________
__________________________________________________ _____________________________143.8_______2 min________________________
________________________*___________*___________________________________________143.8_______3 min________________________
Solarforce Masterpiece_____XR-E R2___________2 IMR 16340____________226.2 ______ 1 sec_____1,947______48,675___
__________________________________________________ _____________ 215.4_______30 sec_______________________
_______________________*_______________*_______________________________________ 213.1_______1 min________________________
__________________________________________________ _____________________________211.1_______2 min________________________
________________________*___________*___________________________________________210.0_______3 min________________________


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## red02 (Jul 21, 2010)

thanks for the info bigc, I was on the fence because of the recent hype over the skyline. I guess that 30 going towards another light now.


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## UpChUcK (Jul 21, 2010)

Zatoichi said:


> If you look at the Skyline reviews (there's only a couple), I seem to remember one reviewer stating the Skyline 1 will out-throw the Tiablo 9, but only _without_ the aspheric.



As BigChelis posted some lux readings, I think the Skyline I is right on par with my Tiablo (~21,000 lux?). But for $27 shipped!?!? Nice! I paid $70 for my A9 back in the day.


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## Pacecar (Jul 21, 2010)

The Uniquefire HS-802 is a budget thrower.


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## Zatoichi (Jul 21, 2010)

bigchelis, I'm curious about the difference in lumens between the Skyline 1 and Skyline 2. I expected they'd be very similar, as the circutry and led are the same, I think? Could the deep reflector cause that much of a loss, or is the loss somewhere else?

Anyhow, I thought it worth a mention as it's a nice quality (well built) budget priced thrower with an interesting UI... albeit not much use on a dedicated thrower. Low-low on a thrower? :shrug: :naughty:


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## bigchelis (Jul 21, 2010)

Zatoichi said:


> bigchelis, I'm curious about the difference in lumens between the Skyline 1 and Skyline 2. I expected they'd be very similar, as the circutry and led are the same, I think? Could the deep reflector cause that much of a loss, or is the loss somewhere else?
> 
> Anyhow, I thought it worth a mention as it's a nice quality (well built) budget priced thrower with an interesting UI... albeit not much use on a dedicated thrower. Low-low on a thrower? :shrug: :naughty:


 
As you saw with 2 CR123 cells the Skyline II was better doing it. I think it was a circuitry tolerance issue. The light worked and works good it just doesnt have the lumens to back it up.

If I had to get one for myself I would want a high quality low vF XR-E R2 EZ900 in it. 

They have an awesome build quality and feel great in the hand. I would say they are really pretty and tough feeling lights they just lack where it counts:nana:


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## Zatoichi (Jul 21, 2010)

bigchelis said:


> They have an awesome build quality and feel great in the hand. I would say they are really pretty and tough feeling lights they just lack where it counts:nana:



I haven't tried mine outside yet, but from what I've read I expect you're right. A focused beam but lacking power. I couldn't resist both though at their DX-ish prices. I'm thinking they might still have uses for, say, finding my tent (or whatever) on a campsite without flooding the whole site with light. A tightly focused but not too powerful beam still has uses.


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## red02 (Jul 21, 2010)

The problem is not the 1m lux, thats great. But the 5m lux is much less than the Tiablo or DBS. The DBS gets about 2000lux a 60% difference in throw. You don't need IMRs in the case of the Tiablo or DBS. In fact the skyline seems on par with some Eagletacs and the G5 which are not classically dedicated throwers.


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## alpg88 (Jul 21, 2010)

imo 2d magled rebel is a great thrower, and as budget as it gets


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## HeyGuysWatchThis (Jul 21, 2010)

After talking with my coworker, he is willing to go to ~$50 for more quality, which should open up the options some, no? I was looking at the EagleTacs for their reputation and 18650/123 capabilities. Any other thoughts?

ETA: We're looking at identifying critters at 100 yards or so for range.


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## red02 (Jul 21, 2010)

https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/283966

Some beamshots at 100yd. Looking again at it the exposure is 4s so these will be less bright in real life. For 50 a great thrower is not easy to find.


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## bigchelis (Jul 21, 2010)

alpg88 said:


> imo 2d magled rebel is a great thrower, and as budget as it gets


 

I have a 2D Mag Rebel tested too. The hotspot is super tiny and intense, but due to the low lumens the lux is super low on it. I bet a K2 TFFC at 1.4A would make it scream.


The cool thing is that with 3 NiMH C cells in my 2D Rebel the lumens are the same. 



2D LED Mag________Stock Rebel____________2 NiMH C Tenergy___________ 115.4______1 sec____80_________2,000____
__________________________________*________*______________________ 96.2_______30 sec_______________________
*_________*__Stock Deep Rebel Mag Reflector___________________________ 92.3_______1 min_______________________
_____________________________________________ 800mA at tail________ 86.9_______2 min________________________
__________________________________________________ _______________ 85.4_______3 min________________________


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## bigchelis (Jul 21, 2010)

HeyGuysWatchThis said:


> After talking with my coworker, he is willing to go to ~$50 for more quality, which should open up the options some, no? I was looking at the EagleTacs for their reputation and 18650/123 capabilities. Any other thoughts?
> 
> ETA: We're looking at identifying critters at 100 yards or so for range.


 


The EagleTac will deliver the performance you need with a small price and a small light. T100C2 I think its the XP-G R5 model.
http://flashlightconnection.com/Eag...Kit-w-SMO-Refl-Tailstanding-Tailcap-p189.html


Just check my thread and you will see lux figures on many throwers both expensive and inexpensive ones.
https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/260659


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## fishx65 (Jul 21, 2010)

The Dorcy 220 is a nice budget thrower. I think it's still a pretty good deal at Dorcydirect.com. I've got a Skyline1 waiting for me to get back from a fishing trip. I'll soon find out how the Skyline stacks up to the Dorcy 220.


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## skyfire (Jul 21, 2010)

how about the MG X-thrower from shiningbeam? it uses a sst-50:devil: and priced at about $65-70.


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## Wiggle (Jul 21, 2010)

I got the Skyline and I can recommend quite easily at that price point. It actually projects a beam tighter than my Masterpiece Pro-1 but less spill and less overall lumens. These are shot at about 40-45 yards with the sun almost completely set but not quite.

Masterpiece Pro (1 x 18650)







Masterpiece Pro (2 x 18650)






Solarforce Skyline (1 x 18650)





Edit:
As a control I am adding a Lumens Factory R2 drop-in. Which is actually pretty throwey for a P60 drop in and probably on par with most mid-sized XR-E lights. It was shot on a different night but same settings. I snapped a MPP-1 shot that night and it looks really close to the one above so I think it's a fair comparison:






The Masterpiece Pro-1 is generally considered (alongside the Tiablo A10) to be the king of throw in the non-aspherical LED category right now and the Skyline does not look terrible next to it. Especially when you compare it to the MPP-1 on one cell and remember how much our eyes adapt. The beam patterns are alot different though, the MPP-1 is much ringier (only noticeable on wall) and has slight donut. Skyline beam is alot smoother with only one noticeable ring and a very tight, uniform lux hot spot. The MPP-1 hotspot is actually 2 levels, the very brightest center portion which has about same size as Skyline and a nearly as bright corona (you can see this especially in the 2-cell shot). I suspect if someone could drive the Skyline harder it could compete but the OTF lumens are below average, perhaps due to heavy reflector losses. Another note, the Skyline looks almost tunnel-vision like in all the pictures but it is not as bad when in actual use, it's quite natural actually.

From a build point of view, both lights feel very solid. Masterpiece Pro-1 is obviously more versatile with all the body/extension/switch/cell options but the Skyline feels very nice in hand and creates a good sense of value, especially at the current bargain price of $30.


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## Tractor man (Jul 21, 2010)

Nice beamshots wiggle :thumbsup:, you are right, the skylines are well worth the money ITC were charging for them, and I am glad that I picked up one of each when I did. Unfortunatly ITC seem to have ended the cheap prices on these now and they are back up to full price...


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## Zatoichi (Jul 21, 2010)

Wiggle said:


> I got the Skyline and I can recommend quite easily at that price point. It actually projects a beam tighter than my Masterpiece Pro-1 but less spill and less overall lumens. These are shot at about 40-45 yards with the sun almost completely set but not quite.



It looks like on 2 x CR123 the Skyline would be on par with the Masterpiece on 1 x 18650, from those pics. I suppose the real test is over distance though.


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## Wiggle (Jul 21, 2010)

Zatoichi said:


> It looks like on 2 x CR123 the Skyline would be on par with the Masterpiece on 1 x 18650, from those pics. I suppose the real test is over distance though.



I'd do that test right now, but my skyline says max input is 6V. I only have RCR123 but no CR123 to test.


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## Zatoichi (Jul 21, 2010)

Tractor man said:


> Unfortunatly ITC seem to have ended the cheap prices on these now and they are back up to full price...



Oh yes! Well whatever the consensus on them, I'm also glad I got mine when I did.


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## Wiggle (Jul 21, 2010)

If they were able to hit near 200 OTF on 18650 in regulation I'd prob pay almost the normal asking price for them instead of the bargain I got. That beam pattern with those lumens behind it (and possibly neutral white ) would make a serious competitor to a lot of the great throwers.


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## bigchelis (Jul 21, 2010)

The Skylines already have awesome build quality and looks they just need more horsepower.

If I had one I would put a pill from Nailbender with his 1.3A drivers. I saw 290 OTF from those XR-E R2's. I can only imagine that tiny hotspot in those pictures would go alot further and nealy double the lux. Well it should with 290 OTF


Great pictures it clearly shows how much more intense the hotspot is on the Masterpiece.


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## Zatoichi (Jul 21, 2010)

Wiggle said:


> If they were able to hit near 200 OTF on 18650 in regulation I'd prob pay almost the normal asking price for them instead of the bargain I got. That beam pattern with those lumens behind it (and possibly neutral white ) would make a serious competitor to a lot of the great throwers.



I know this is slightly off topic, but I really like the fact Solarforce have a go at things like this. Other than the L2's they never seem to get anything quite right, but it seems clear to me they have a go at introducing something a bit different. Okay a P60 host isn't original, a big throwing head isn't original, infinitely variable brightness isn't, and I don't think they were the first to produce the flashlight/headlamp/lantern kit(?), but they have a go at something new without totally ripping off someone else. I like that.


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## Wiggle (Jul 21, 2010)

Also to the OP, I really wish my RQ (Spear Clone) wasn't torn apart or I'd toss up shots of that. That's a pretty good light around $50. Bigger hot spot than both those lights I posted but probably similar range to the skyline.


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## Wiggle (Jul 22, 2010)

I added a P60 drop-in picture to my beamshots as a control, as you can see both of those lights have way way more throw than a good P60 drop-in (which is not bad as a medium range light)


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## HeyGuysWatchThis (Jul 22, 2010)

bigchelis said:


> The EagleTac will deliver the performance you need with a small price and a small light. T100C2 I think its the XP-G R5 model.
> http://flashlightconnection.com/Eag...Kit-w-SMO-Refl-Tailstanding-Tailcap-p189.html
> 
> 
> ...


 
I did end up recommending the T100C2, thanks, everyone. Actually 2 of my coworkers ended up ordering them, so I'll report back with their findings later. It's really fun to spend other people's money :twothumbs


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## red02 (Jul 22, 2010)

ET T100c2 is great light, pretty much unbeatable at 50. IIRC it uses the XPE, I could be wrong though. Be sure to get the Smooth reflector for maximum throw.


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