# BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part XI)



## bessiebenny

*UPDATED SEPTEMBER 25th 2009*
- 4 new beam/kitchen shots finally added for AKOray K-106 review.

*UPDATED SEPTEMBER 23rd 2009*
- Small Sun ZY-C60 single RCR review posted.
- ROMISEN RC-29 AA Q5 & TANK007 E07 OSRAM AA ordered! Hope to review it next month. =)

*UPDATED SEPTEMBER 1th 2009*
- I have started transferring my reviews to my own little website. http://www.jayki.com (just copy & paste)
- 100% non-commercial personal bog/homepage that hopefully will allow me to update more often more easily.
- I will still update this thread with links to my newer reviews whenever available.
- My interest in flashlights is still there. It's just set to 5 lumen low mode instead of 200 lumens temporarily. =)

*UPDATED JULY 5th 2009*
- Many flashlight photos added to the EastwardYJ YJ-18WA Q5 2-mode 18650 review!

*UPDATED JULY 1st 2009*
- I really didn't do much on the last PART10 thread and it's already PART11..!! Wow.
- *New Review* - EastwardYJ YJ-18WA Q5 2-mode 18650
- I got tons of lights to review and put up. Really sorry for being 
- Even with such backlog, I just received Aurora SH0030 XP-E Q5 1-mode AA.
- It looks and feels like Ultrafire C3. Feels well made, good throw, bright and tail stands.
- Will review it when I can as always..... Sorry...

*UPDATED JUNE 14th 2009*
- Bryan is selling new Romisen RC-G2 Q5 II. 75% brighter than the last Q5 model!
- 4 new budget flashlights will be reviewed and posted within next week or two. (I hope)


----------------------------


*[Budget LED DX/KD Flashlights Review Roundup]*


Continued from Part 1 , Part 2 , Part 3 , Part 4 , Part 5 , Part 6 , Part 7 , Part 8 , Part 9 & Part 10.
FYI - This main initial post carries over. (Except Part 4 that includes many of my older reviews)
But I will try and make sure you don't need to go back over time. (By re-posting them separate)

*[BESSIEBENNY REVIEWS] *

I will try to keep this list as much as in sync with my website. But may not be all the time.
So I do recommend you to visit my site *www.jayki.com* for latest reviews / updates.

*Older Reviews *- Check here and here for now. All of them will be transferred to my new site *www.jayki.com* over time.

[09 20 2009] *★★★*★★★ - Small Sun ZY-C60 RCR Review 
[07 01 2009] *★★★★*★★ - EastwardYJ YJ-18WA Q5 2-mode 18650 (Body photos)
[05 15 2009] *★★★★★*★- AKOray K-103 AAA CREE Q5 1-Mode (Body & Beam photos)
[04 25 2009] *★★★★*★★ - MTE SF-22 SSC P7-D-SXO 5-Mode (Body & Beam photos)
[03 28 2009] *★★★★★★*- Akoray K-106 3-mode Q5 AA/14500 (Body & Beam photos)
[03 15 2009] *★★★★*★★ - Kaidomain 2-Mode HAIII Long Throw Q5 (Beam photos)
[02 22 2009] *★★★★★*★- planet bike blaze 1W w\ superflash 
[02 18 2009] *★★★*★★★ - TANK007 TK-702 P4 (Beam photos)
[12 17 2008] *★★★★★*★- KD Buckle V5 HAIII XRT 
[12 10 2008] *★★★★★*★- MTE C2-1 Q5 AA (Beam photos)
[11 16 2008] *★★★★★*★- Romisen RC-T6 (Beam photos)
[08 24 2008] ★★★★★★ - Quick 6 flashlights Impressions
[08 10 2008] *★★*★★★★ - Romisen RC-A8
[06 21 2008] *★★★★★*★- Romisen RC-A3
[06 06 2008] *★★★★★*★- Romisen RC-F4 Q5 Shiningbeam (Beam photos)
[05 01 2008] *★★★★★★ *- Romisen RC-I3 (Body & Beam photos) Runtime graph link
[04 16 2008] *★★★★★*★- Romisen RC-G2 Q5 Shiningbeam (Body & Beam photos)
[04 11 2008] *★★★★★*★- Ultrafire C3 Stainless Steel P4 (Body & Beam photos)
[04 09 2008] *★★★★*★★- Eastward YJ-XAQ5 18650 (Body & Beam photos)
[03 27 2008] *★★★★★★ *- Romisen RC-N3 (Body & Beam photos)
[01 05 2008] *★★★★★★ *- Romisen RC-G2 P2 (Beam photos)

fyi - If it doesn't say "*New* Lightbox", it is the OLD lightbox which is very different.

*[REVIEWS POSTED BY OTHER MEMBERS IN THIS THREAD]*

[SEP 11 2009] AkoRay K-109 quick review by Superpila
[Aug 27 2009] AkoRay K-106 comparison review by CampingLED 
[Aug 26 2009] Spiderfire P7 Review by randomlugia
[July 21 2009] Aurora SH0030 mini-review by Superpila
[May 31 2009] AKOray k109a Review by Wiggle
[May 20 2009] Ultrafire A20 Q5 Cree 5-mode RCR by old4570
[May 02 2009] Romisen RC-N3 v SmallSun ZY-C61 by Luau
[Apr 15 2009] *RCR123A Battery Test Roundup* by old4570
[Apr 04 2009] Ultrafire 503B & Trustfire TR-C2 Pics and 503B REVIEW by kramer5150
[Mar 29 2009] Ultrafire WF-502B / 501B by old4570
[Mar 28 2009] AKOray K-106 beam shot comparison by vali
[Mar 13 2009] Ultrafire 602C vs KD Cree Q3 by old4570
[Mar 09 2009] Akoray K-102 / Romisen RC-H3 / MTE C2-1 by copperfox
[Mar 04 2009] SacredFire NF-011 Cree P4-WC by Phill
[Feb 18 2009] Akoray K-102 by Hrvoje
[Feb 18 2009] Romisen RC-A3 by seaside
[Feb 18 2009] Kaidomain 2-Mode HAIII Long Throw R2 (sku:S004798) by skyva 
[Feb 17 2009] Romisen RC-G2 (non-Q5) Review by rockz4532 
[Feb 12 2009] Romisen RC-N3 & Akoray K-102 by vali

- PM me if I missed yours. Some I didn't include as I wasn't sure what light was reviewed or was just a bit too short etc.
- If your review is in the closed thread but you want to update/modify it, just copy your review into this new thread as a new post then PM me.


---------------------------- 

*



PLEASE SEE PART 4 FOR ALL THE REVIEWS THAT ARE NOT LISTED ABOVE. EXCEPT LOW RATED ONES WHICH ARE HERE INSTEAD. 

Click to expand...

* 

*[RESULTS AT A GLANCE]*

*Star Rating*
*★★★★★★ - Buy it now! Amazing bang for the buck!*
*★★★★★ - It is excellent. A great buy! Won't regret it.*
*★★★★ - Pretty darn good. It's not the best but not bad either.*
*★★★ - It's 'ok' but there's nothing that great about it imo.*
*★★ - Not good. Avoid if if you can coz it's not worth it.*
*★ - Why am I even reviewing this?! Total waste of $$$.*

*Chart Download Links*
High* - http://sharebee.com/67ec17d1 *(Uploaded April 5th 2009)
Low* - http://sharebee.com/94696242 *(Uploaded April 5th 2009)

*[HIGH PERFORMANCE / HIGH RATED LIGHTS]* - *- Link to reviews prior to Romisen RC-T6 are **HERE*







*[LOW RATED, LOW PERFORMANCE or DISCONTINUED]* - *Link to reviews for below lights **HERE*





*NOTE:* Output values are for the near absolute peak while batteries are fully charged at its highest voltage.
Always check the runtime graph if available as you cannot expect all light to maintain such values for very long.


*[FLASHLIGHTS]* _- Not all flashlights reviewed may yet be shown below. (very outdated now)_


 

 

 


 

 


Submitted by MetalZone

_*[FYI]* _

_- GITD silicone tailcap I mention throughout are all __DX sku 5714__ unless stated otherwise. (Orange ones are not GITD but are same size)_
_- Measurements are using my own DMM and Light Meter in near-identical controlled conditions. (Still assume around plus or minus 10% error)_
_Throw_ = Firing the center of the hotspot directly at the sensor from 1m away using fully charged batteries. (Close to initial peak)
_Lightbox_ = My own cardboard box where I fire light in through a hole and measure the lux reading inside after 1 minute. (no direct light to the sensor)

_*[Output Photos]*_
1. Wall Shot - Taken in a near pitch dark room with lights firing at a white wall from around 40cm away. (F5.0 1/60sec ISO 400)
2. Kitchen - Taken in a near pitch dark room with lights firing at the back corner of my kitchen from around 7m away. (F2.8 1/25 ISO 800)

*[Runtime Graphs]*
Light is shone on to the light meter's sensor from about 1 inch away.
There is a small camera lense in between to collect most of the light.
Current output of the light sensor is measured by my datalogging DMM.
Current output is close to the overal amount of light and not just throw.
So it is relatively comparable with graphs of other lights in my review.
But do take into account that my graphs may have up to 10% of error.

Just an FYI - Any reading of 0.005mA or higher is still quite useable.
It's enough to find a key hole or see stuff in very dark environments.

*[Batteries]*

Some tips/recommendations for some battery types.

RCR123A
Check out Raymond's RCR123A battery test thread.
Also *RCR123A Battery Test Roundup* by old4570.

AA/AAA
If you use the lights very often and recharge often, get high capacity ones.
It should at least cost you about ~$5 for 2 AA or AAA if it's a decent battery.
LSD (Low-Self-Discharge) or 'Ready' batteries are better if you intend it as an emergency light. (Recyko, Eneloop etc)
Coz it holds around 80% of its charge even after not using it for a whole year.
Use a smart charger whenever possible also for best rssults.

*[Glossary]*
*OP Reflector* = Orange Peel reflector. Also called a rough / textured reflector. It helps in smoothing out the beam so there's less of ugly rings or black holes / artifacts. But it results in less throw output.
*EDC* = Every Day Carry light. For most people, it means it fits in their desired jeans/jacket/bag pocket and it's their most often used light. For me, it's a small enough light which fits in my jeans pocket. =)
*Forward clicky* - It's a switch which turns on the light when half-pressed while the light is off. So you can simply tap the switch to light it up without needing to press it fully and turn it on permanently. Good for manual flashing signals and quick usage. It's also called a positive clicky. 
*Reverse clicky* - It's the opposite of above. Generally what everyone would think a normal switch would do. You need to full depress the switch to turn on the light permanently. While on, you can do half presses to turn the light off.
*Throw* - The ability to throw the center hotspot a long way. The intensity or the brightness of the center hotspot determines how far it can light up things. Usually, higher the throw value means smaller the hotspot or a less bright spill. So it may not be as useful for short distances. Flashlights that use smooth reflecters generally have more throw than ones with OP reflector.


*[help~!] [help~!] [help~!]*
I am constantly running short on funds to buy and review more recent lights. :mecry:
Feel free to send me *$2* or *$4* or *$8* donations so that I can keep adding new lights. :devil:
(fyi - Paypal takes away ~40 cents per donation which sorta sux.)

All new lights from FEB 2008 will be bought with the addition of your donations. (if any ) 
I thank you for all for the amazing support so far. It helps greatly to keep this thread alive!

You may instead opt to use my referral id at DX. It doesn't cost you anything which is the best part. =)
To use my id, just add ~r.29749062 directly to the end of any product url address. (without "" of course)
Every ~$1300 spent using my referral id, I get $10. Not a lot but better than nothing I guess. =P

*Donations received:*
crescendopower < JULY '09 toby1275 crescendopower < JUNE '09 SleepEXE < MAY '09 bensonm < APRIL '09 tommy_tiger66, old4570 < MARCH '09 dp62 < FEBRUARY '09 AndreD, lenny, waddup < NOVEMBER '08 JEFFSR < OCTOBER holeymoley < SEPTEMBER FlemingWak < AUGUST gunnut, PhantomLights, tmlwyb, Dandan, Crescendopower < JULY RafS, ScottM, SteveZ, Rizky ,WarriorZ, kostas, yekimak, JoeBob, smootik, RepoUK < JUNE stinky, Wolf359, alohaluau, johnnyngo, OCDGearhead, Wagen < MAY Wolf359, Centropolis, amdaxiom, t3h, Deks, SPRocketman, Flash25296, Fabio, tip61 < APRIL Wolf359, dudu84, marcus, Pokerstud, wmissen, RecycledElectron, qtaco, fizzy, briiansd, meuge, SportyBen, Raymond < MARCH Schierle, HenryL, Andres(ocau), baconheist, Dougmeister, linterno, anarchocap, saedwards, docian37, violatorjf, MikeSalt, Debbie, Luke, dulridge, martinSE, mmbeller191, ReGet, Mascione, Probedude < FEBRUARY '08

*I would like to sincerly thank everyone who supported this thread and my reviews. (donation or not)*
*P.S. Every dollar is put forward to purchasing more lights/equipment for this thread and nothing else!*


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## sol-leks

*Romisen RC-T7*

First time I noticed this light. Doesn't really look like what I'm looking for in an mc-e light but I do like the romisen brand. Anyone gotten one of these yet?


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## DM51

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 11)*

Part 10 reached 400 posts, so here is Part 11.


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## PlayboyJoeShmoe

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 11)*

My RC-G2 and RC-F4 do not have the same LED as each other.

The bond wires come in different and 2 in G2 vs. 4 in F4.

What do you make of that?


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## MerkurMan

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 11)*



PlayboyJoeShmoe said:


> My RC-G2 and RC-F4 do not have the same LED as each other.
> 
> The bond wires come in different and 2 in G2 vs. 4 in F4.
> 
> What do you make of that?


I believe the G2 has a P2 and the F4 comes equipped with a P4.


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## PlayboyJoeShmoe

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 11)*

Funny... every Cree P that I've yet seen has blue except this P2 is rather neutral.

Never realized it before but the F4 is within spitting distance of the size of a UF 505B or EagleTac P10C2.

And I'll be darned! Whatever DX pill (Q5 I'm sure) that I cobbed into this 505B has no apparent PWM!!!


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## MerkurMan

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 11)*



PlayboyJoeShmoe said:


> Funny... every Cree P that I've yet seen has blue except this P2 is rather neutral.
> 
> Never realized it before but the F4 is within spitting distance of the size of a UF 505B or EagleTac P10C2.
> 
> And I'll be darned! Whatever DX pill (Q5 I'm sure) that I cobbed into this 505B has no apparent PWM!!!


I think that's just a product of the DX tint lottery. I have a couple of G2s, one is sickly green, and the other has a nicer neutral tint. My sole F4 has a fairly nasty green tint to it as well. Sure is bright on 2 RCRs, though.


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## sadtimes

*DX MCE Drop in ??*

Hi guys, I have one of the DX MCE's in a Solarforce L2 and I really like it.

I was curious to know how hard it would be to change the driver to one that only has 1 mode.

I need to be able to use the light monmentarily (less than a second) and I cant do it with the different modes... 

Any suggestions on which driver? It can have more than 1 mode but it cant change from momentary power.. does that make sense?


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## PlayboyJoeShmoe

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 11)*



MerkurMan said:


> I think that's just a product of the DX tint lottery. I have a couple of G2s, one is sickly green, and the other has a nicer neutral tint. My sole F4 has a fairly nasty green tint to it as well. Sure is bright on 2 RCRs, though.



My G2 as I said is pretty neutral with maybe a hint of green when shined into the kitchen from here although anyone would say WHITE.

My F4 tends to blue. As do MOST of my DX Cree drop ins. My MTE and Xtar P7 lights do the blue. My Ultrafire MC-E does some green but mostly WHITE. Shame it's too big (fat head) to EDC.


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## bessiebenny

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 11)*

*As always (sorry), it's not 100% but better late than never so here it is.

*★★★★ EastwardYJ YJ-18WA XR-E Q5 2-mode *DX(Posted on Jul 1st 2009)
*Throw @ 1m:* High *10500 **lux* (18650 @ 4.15v) Low *2000 lux *(18650 @ 4.15v) 
*New Lightbox: *High *620 lux *(18650 @ 4.15v) Low *120 lux *(18650 @ 4.15v) 

*Initial Impression*
- Solid feeling light. Firm reverse clicky on rear. Very bright output with nice throw.

*Build Quality*
- Direct drive with 2 mode resistor-for-low-mode switch.
- Cree XR-E Q5 emitter. Textured OP aluminium reflector. (but fairly smoothly textured)
- Reverse slightly recessed clicky. Need to click it using nail end.
- Unscrewable nice and quite heavy brass-looking pill. 
- Cree emitter on standard star board. Screw mounted to the pill.
- Has white thermal paste on the bottom of star to the pill.
- O-ring infront of glass lense. O-rings on threads.
- Apparently it's HAIII anodized. It seems to be the case but quite thin.
- It can be scratched easier than other better HAII anodized lights.

*Output*
- Super bright. Great throw but still has bright spill as well.
- It's brighter than the old Eastward YJ-XAQ5 I had. (maybe not the recent XAQ5's though)
- Sample I have came with quite a cool-white tint to the beam.

*Usage *
- Switch is very slightly recessed. Sample I have can tail stand flat without issues. 
- Switch requires quite a firm press. Well, it does feel better than being flimsy.
- It doesn't get extremely hot. Gets quite warm after 10 minutes but not hot hot.

*Conclusion*
- To LED flashlight newcomers, this is a monster bright solid feeling light.
- Overall, this is an excellent non-premium priced 2-mode 18650 Q5 light.
- As it is right now, I can't really fault it for what it is and what it costs.
- Hence I give it 4 stars. Nothing special but nothing bad either. (more like 4.5)

*[Measurements]*
- Pulls 1.23A with 18650 @ 4.15V

*[Photos]*
- Just snaps of the flashlight from various angles using my new macro lense. =)

1. Tail thread.





2. Inner side of the tail piece.





3. After taking the plastic cap off the inner side reveals the spring. You can unscrew further for the switch module.





4. The switch module. Notice the resistor for the low mode. Black switch can be bought from DX/KD separately.





5. Rubber clicky end.





6. Aluminium reflector.





7. The star base with the Cree Q5 emitter. As you can see, it's easily swappable by unscrewing the 2 screws.





8. Fron bezel. There is an O-ring infront of the glass lense.







*[Runtime Graph]*
- Only tested High mode currently.


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## Wiggle

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 11)*

Has anyone mentioned anything about the AKOray k109s connection to this light? Could these be the same light? Perhaps its one of those spin-offs like the spear clone from KD?

Oops, found out some more info in this thread. Seems to just be a re-brand rip-off. Its funny, I think the K109 could be marketed as a more expensive light, but I think $140 is pushing that a bit far


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## Painkiller1009

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 11)*



Wiggle said:


> Has anyone mentioned anything about the AKOray k109s connection to this light? Could these be the same light? Perhaps its one of those spin-offs like the spear clone from KD?



Are we even aloud talking about that light in this thread since its the budget led thread.:nana:

Looks just like it though. 6x the price


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## vali

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 11)*

So you get what you paid for?


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## phlowcus

*Re: BB's EastwardYJ YJ-18WA XR-E Q5 2-mode review*

I got that light from KD (it is only 22 bucks there so cheaper than DX, which is quite unusual, for that price it deserves at least 5 stars methinks).
Well, I fully support BB's impressions: this is a nice and solid and very bright torch!


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## bessiebenny

*Re: BB's EastwardYJ YJ-18WA XR-E Q5 2-mode review*

I'm slowly going through my backlog of reviews and taking photos.
I hope you like my new better quality macro shots of flashlight bodies. =)

But I do know that beam shots are more important. =P
So I'll try and get that done soon for some old lights and new ones.

Can't believe my thread is still going strong (thanks to you all) after nearly 2 years! Time flies....


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## Kantt

*Any review of DX TANK007 HC-508?*

A newbie’s saying hi,

What I want of an 1AA light is just for around/in house, car and walking. Lot of AA lights produce a tie hot spot which doesn’t please me. Been searching for an inexpensive 1AA cree, no mode with flood beam and think I just found one: 
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.19619

The 100 lumens might be over rated, however it’s a cree so it shouldn’t be dim. What I like it most is the beam as shown:






I guess the big hot spot like that means it’s more food than throw. What do you experts with trained eyes think? And if anyone has the light please share some info like how good, reliable, tint color etc.. Or recommend me the other (inexpensive) one. Greatly appreciate!


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## PlayboyJoeShmoe

*Re: Any review of DX TANK007 HC-508?*

I have a Tank 007 HC-316 that uses a 3.7v Li-Ion.






It's a three mode (high,low & strobe).

I think it's said to be HAIII. The build quality is nice enough but the finish has issues.






Tint is quite good. Spot is a bit tighter than your example.






My only gripe with it is that low has noticeable PWM flicker.

It has no memory and comes on in high every time so can be used as a single mode.

Let's see if I can get a picture or two up in a little while.


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## Meganoggin

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 11)*

Just got an AKOray 102.... I ordered an AKOray 103 from KD.. oh well 

But I am very impressed, if you need a great backup / navigation lite this is the budget bomb. Very bright, very small and very frugal on an alkaline AAA.
My brother in law is a LEO and thinks it will be perfect for paperwork attached to a stab vest or back up to a larger flashlight.

Also if you pay the right price it is well cheapo!!!! :sick2:


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## PlayboyJoeShmoe

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 11)*

Worthy of note: I'm still learning my Nikon P60 and white balance was auto for my beam shot.

My 'office' is well light by soft white CFL and sunshine. Blue shows up well on my walls. This has very minimal blue.


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## asutherland

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 11)*

Hey! I just wanted to give my thanks for this very informative thread. It's really helped me with my DX decisions on LED lights! lovecpf


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## Fichtenelch

*Original MTE vs. DX MTE*

Hi,

as i just took some pictures to compare original MTE lights with the ones DX is selling, i just do a review about.
So, i started selling the dx mte lights at work, i sold around 30 of these yet and had only minor problems yet. Biggest problems are that the emitter loosens itself and the light starts flickering or the pill in the bottom of the light, holding the switch starts loosening and the light starts flickering.
However, the light i took at home from work today, was the worst ever. The screw, which was already heavily damaged by using the wrong screwdriver (from the factory), had loosened and so the emitter was missing ground, which results in...no output 
So, i started disassembling the light in search for the fault and figured out, that also the switch was really poor soldered and also the heatsinking was almost a joke, so i put some heatsinking epoxy below the star and put it back together. In comparison to the original mte lights, with the same batteries, they are similar in heatsinking to the body.
Now, the biggest differences between the lights are, pretty obvious. Heatsinking looks a lot better on the original mte light in my opionion, also the whole mte light is a litte bit bigger, the reflector and the whole body has a bigger diameter. The original mte lights are also only sold as 5-mode, with a pretty annoying memory-mode.

Now, enough text and time for pics:





































The detailed pictures of the threads belong to the original mte light. All seems pretty well, O-Rings are fine, threads look good for the price (30$+ shipping), some lubrication would be useful maybe, however, you see that the differences are not really big.
You can get the original lights at www.mteccd.com, but since the website is claimed as attacking by google, you can also just email them at [email protected]
I got mine within around 2-3 Weeks, they also told me that they have problems with copies and asked me where i bought all the mte copies...
The original mte lights also come with a lifetime warranty.

I was thinking about doing some beamshots, but the beams don't look that different, just the spill is a bit more wide on the original one, due to the bigger reflector.

I will do more pictures in a couple of days of my other dx mte, which i bought end of last year and use every day at work..it looks really used and is a bit demolished, but is still working really fine.

However, any Questions? I would like to get some feedback about my review


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## kramer5150

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 11)*

Hey bessybenny...
Can you easily access the EastwardYJ YJ-18WA XR-E Q5 2-mode driver board?
Is it a 17mm board?

It looks like a nice light for DIY mods.

In fact... paired with that tailcap in this light I think my 1400mah single mode boards will turn into a 2-mode. The resistor would just throttle the current from the cell.

thanks


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## MerkurMan

*Re: Original MTE vs. DX MTE*

Interesting note about the genuine article being a 5-mode. I ordered an M3-2 from DX about a year ago, and it was a 5-mode (high-med-low-strobe-sos), which I gave away. It was ridiculously bright, pulled 2800ma from an 18650, and seemed solidly built. I'm sorry that I gave it away, as when I ordered a replacement for myself, I got the 8-mode (med-high-strobe-low-slow flash-fast flash-sos-pulse strobe) which only draws 2300ma and is quite a bit dimmer. Also, the emitter isn't as nicely centred as the genuine one, and the threads don't feel as smooth. It does, however, have the proper labelling on the body (with the URL below the logo) and has the proper knurling as shown in your pics.

Wish I'd kept the original!


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## PlayboyJoeShmoe

*Re: Original MTE vs. DX MTE*

My MTE SSC P7 two mode has the same logo as your 'fake' or clone.

It came from DX around a year ago.

It has a LED that gets less bright in two of the dies and a rather blue tint.


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## Loobz

*[HELP] Super Thrower Far Projection 3W Cree P4 Flashlight*

Hi,

I bought a Super Thrower Far Projection 3W Cree P4 Flashlight from dealextreme (warranty expired) and t appears to be faulty.

Basically when I turn it on, it gives 100% output for a split second, then reduces to about 1/4 of its original output and stays like this. Both the 18650 batteries are fully charged and I have also tried another set. I can only break the torch down by removing:
1 - Tailcap (its a on/off clicky)
2 - extension tube.
3 - glass lens and reflector.

It was working 100% for a while, now its gone like this.

Any ideas? When this torch is working its very impressive.


----------



## Changchung

*Someone try Ultrafire SSC P7 3X18650 already?*

I just find this

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.22573
*[hotlinked image deleted - DM51]*
* *
I am thinking in mod this and put 3 P7, but I think the battery holder is in parallel, I must mod this too and put in serie...


----------



## Fichtenelch

*Re: [HELP] Super Thrower Far Projection 3W Cree P4 Flashlight*



Loobz said:


> Hi,
> 
> I bought a Super Thrower Far Projection 3W Cree P4 Flashlight from dealextreme (warranty expired) and t appears to be faulty.
> 
> Basically when I turn it on, it gives 100% output for a split second, then reduces to about 1/4 of its original output and stays like this. Both the 18650 batteries are fully charged and I have also tried another set. I can only break the torch down by removing:
> 1 - Tailcap (its a on/off clicky)
> 2 - extension tube.
> 3 - glass lens and reflector.
> 
> It was working 100% for a while, now its gone like this.
> 
> Any ideas? When this torch is working its very impressive.



Maybe you should check the proper heatsinking of the emitter or check the driver...


----------



## bigchelis

*Re: Someone try Ultrafire SSC P7 3X18650 already?*

If the battery holder is in parrallel you would get 4.2v input and about 6000mAh plus. Likely; the P7 is direct drive and if you make the holder in series you will have 12.4v input and then you need to change the driver otherwise your P7 will turn blue.

A P7 with 3 18650's is awesome, but I hope the heatsinking is there otherwise say goodbye to the potential lumens. 3 18650 cells will have less voltage sag which makes it more important for that P7 to be well heatsinked.

If the holder is in parrallel the 3 cells share the current.
If the holder is in series the 3 cells each get hit with the same current.


----------



## funkychateau

*Re: Any review of DX TANK007 HC-508?*



Kantt said:


> A newbie’s saying hi,
> 
> What I want of an 1AA light is just for around/in house, car and walking. Lot of AA lights produce a tie hot spot which doesn’t please me. Been searching for an inexpensive 1AA cree, no mode with flood beam and think I just found one:
> http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.19619
> 
> The 100 lumens might be over rated, however it’s a cree so it shouldn’t be dim. What I like it most is the beam as shown:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I guess the big hot spot like that means it’s more food than throw. What do you experts with trained eyes think? And if anyone has the light please share some info like how good, reliable, tint color etc.. Or recommend me the other (inexpensive) one. Greatly appreciate!


 
Looks like it could be very handy as an emergency room/area light, or as a camping lantern. 

The pictures seem to show that the reflector can be unscrewed while leaving the entire light engine intact in the main body. In this configuration, you could hang it from the lanyard and have a decent floodlight substitute for a lantern or light bulb.


----------



## Wiggle

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 11)*

Just got an Ultrafire C1 in for use as a P60 host. I also own a Solarforce L2 so now I can keep 2 different configurations. Here are some impressions:

Pros:
Is a SF C2 clone
Clip seems decent
Takes P60s and makes good thermal contact
Can tailstand

Cons:
Body came with some small nicks (must be pre-anno because the nicks are still black)
Stock switch was lame (swapped in a forward clicky and orange boot, much better)
Rubber ring doesn't look too durable
Lens not great quality

Neutral:
Matte Finish
Lanyard hole
Threads anodized
Threads are so-so, with lube they're ok not as smooth as Solarforce
Stock Q5 driver was pretty typical: High->Med->Low->Strobe->SOS, swapped in my Lumens Factory D26 LED and put the stock one on the shelf. Not a bad module but won't see any use since I have so many other ones I'd rather use.

Conclusion: Not a bad little P60 host if you want one that looks like C2. If this is your first/only P60 host I'd spend the extra and get Solarforce L2.


----------



## Changchung

*Re: Someone try Ultrafire SSC P7 3X18650 already?*

I was thinking in mod the holder for make it in serie because I want to mod the light and put 3 P7 in there...:devil:



bigchelis said:


> If the battery holder is in parrallel you would get 4.2v input and about 6000mAh plus. Likely; the P7 is direct drive and if you make the holder in series you will have 12.4v input and then you need to change the driver otherwise your P7 will turn blue.
> 
> A P7 with 3 18650's is awesome, but I hope the heatsinking is there otherwise say goodbye to the potential lumens. 3 18650 cells will have less voltage sag which makes it more important for that P7 to be well heatsinked.
> 
> If the holder is in parrallel the 3 cells share the current.
> If the holder is in series the 3 cells each get hit with the same current.


----------



## Mjolnir

*Re: Someone try Ultrafire SSC P7 3X18650 already?*

SO you would wire the P7's in series?


----------



## tedshred

*Re: Someone try Ultrafire SSC P7 3X18650 already?*

I like that you can charge the batteries individually. With the Tactical P7, the batteries are all wrapped up.

FYI:
$109.95 shipped domestic, you can get this pretty amazing light. I have one and love it.
http://tacticalhid.info/led-store

reviews here: :twothumbs
https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/227187


----------



## bessiebenny

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 11)*



kramer5150 said:


> Hey bessybenny...
> Can you easily access the EastwardYJ YJ-18WA XR-E Q5 2-mode driver board?
> Is it a 17mm board?
> 
> In fact... paired with that tailcap in this light I think my 1400mah single mode boards will turn into a 2-mode. The resistor would just throttle the current from the cell.


 
Well, it's accessbile if you pull it out. (or push it out of the pill)
I haven't pulled it out myself off the pill but looks standard size.
(Don't have a ruler right now. Doh. I'll see if I can measure later)


----------



## hyperloop

*Some beamshots from DX dropins - DX R2 programmable and DX R2 single mode*

This isnt technically about budget flashlights so i'm not too sure if it should be posted in Bessiebenny's thread but mods feel free to move it there if needs be.

I first bought this single mode Cree R2 module (for $9.10) just to see how bright it was and i was pleasantly surprised. The tint appears to be whiter and brighter than my Jet III Pro ST on max but then again it must be noted that my P60 host (Hugsby B2 from DX) is using 2xRCR123s (3.6 volts) while met Jet III is using 1x18650.

After that, i bought the so called 3 mode + 0-100% Cree R2 module (for $11.39) and discovered that it *isn't* 3 modes but a single programmable mode. I'm alright with that and in fact am getting to enjoy it more and more.

The minimum on this is LOW, how low? my E01 is blinding compared to it and none of my lights have a lower low. I am getting an Akoray K-106 in and probably going to buy a Nitecore D-10 R2 to replace my lost Jet I Mk IIx (first light ever and i lost it on a cab :mecry: :mecry: :mecry so maybe i can compare those and post them later if anyone's interested, but believe you me, this is one LOW mode, its JUST enough to see what's at my feet in a dark room.

How does the programming work? Simple as simple can be, turn off and on within a second, the light starts ramping from 0% (or as low as can go) to 100%, it blinks twice at 5%, 50% and 100% then starts again. NO strobes, SOS, blinkies. Note that i just said turn off and on without reference to clickies be they forward or reverse. I personally feel this module works best with twisties with momentary switches.

Let's call 'em R2-S for the single mode (duh) and R2-P for the programmable (double duh) for short.

As stated, the R2-S is in a Hugsby B2 (twisty with momentary button) and the R2-P is in my Surefire G2 (stock and my very first SF, just came in, woo hoo).

I had read that programming the R2-P to get absolute minimum was a pain as the ramping speed is pretty quick and if one were to use a reverse or forward clicky for example, i would have to:

click (on) - click (off) - within one second - click (on) - as quickly as possible - click (off)

in order to set it at minimum, for other levels it wouldnt be that much of a problem.

with the Surefire G2's momentary button, setting minimum is a breeze, two quick taps on the momentary and you're good to go.

Here's some beamshots.

2 pics below are control shots of my room, taken at 3.30 pm with a sunny sky outside, curtains drawn but loads of ambient light. Unless otherwise stated, pic stats are as follows [F3.5, ISO80, 1/30, 0.0 (whatever that means) and white balance was the pic of the sun]. The pictures were taken *about 7 feet* from the wall *except* for the minimum which was so low i had to move till i was about 1.5feet from the wall.

(below) Control - with flash






(below) control - no flash






(below) Surefire G2 - DX R2 programable module on max.






(below) Surefire G2 - DX R2 programable module on min (i had to move to about 1.5 feet from the wall to capture this pic)






(below) Surefire G2 - DX R2 single mode







(below) comparison of both modules on max






It seems that their outputs are nearly the same but that the single mode R2 has a bigger hotspot and a more spill but it doesnt have the versatility of programming. I like both and guess i will be carrying both when i go out





There is also a video that i took of the ramping and it can be seen here pardon the quality of the video, the blinks seem to not be captured properly but i hope the general idea gets across.

Will take some more beamshots in darker conditions and try to get outdoor beamshots too but those may take a while as i live in Singapore which is light polluted and i have to really hunt for darkness here.

thanks for taking the time to look at this and hope its been in some way useful.


----------



## Wiggle

*Re: Some beamshots from DX dropins - DX R2 programmable and DX R2 single mode*

Any chance you could use a multimeter to see how much current it pulls from the battery in the lowest mode?


----------



## p moore

*Re: Some beamshots from DX dropins - DX R2 programmable and DX R2 single mode*

thanks Hyperloop, Keep it comming. I'm all ears...I mean eyes.


----------



## xeonsaga88

*Re: Some beamshots from DX dropins - DX R2 programmable and DX R2 single mode*

:thumbsup:Good beamshot. Could you post outdoor beamshot?


----------



## hyperloop

*Re: Some beamshots from DX dropins - DX R2 programmable and DX R2 single mode*



Wiggle said:


> Any chance you could use a multimeter to see how much current it pulls from the battery in the lowest mode?



i could if you can teach me step by step HOW to 

I am technically inept with zero tehcnical background and have jsut learned how to use a DMM to measure my cell's voltage, embarassing innit?


----------



## Justin Case

*Re: Some beamshots from DX dropins - DX R2 programmable and DX R2 single mode*

For one of my DX11836 drop-ins, I measured ~1.4A (initially) at the SF 6P tail for 2x123A Duracells. The draw increased steadily and finally settled at about 1.66A. I measured 0.97A at the 6P tail for 2xAW16340. IMO, this is horrible driver efficiency. If we assume that the AW16340 cells run at 3.7V each under the ~1A load, the DX11836 is pulling 7.4V*0.97A ~7.2W of power. The Cree R2 is probably around 3.5V Vf at 1A If, or about 3.5W. So the DX11836 drop-in driver looks to be less than 50% efficient. No wonder that drop-in gets very hot very fast.


----------



## Wiggle

*Re: Some beamshots from DX dropins - DX R2 programmable and DX R2 single mode*



hyperloop said:


> i could if you can teach me step by step HOW to
> 
> I am technically inept with zero tehcnical background and have jsut learned how to use a DMM to measure my cell's voltage, embarassing innit?



Here's what you do:
Plug the red cable into the hole that says "Amps" or "A" or "Current" on your meter
Turn the dial to the DC current (A or mA ratings), also the symbol for DC is usually 2 parallel lines versus some kind of wave shape for AC.
Pull remove the tail cap and connect one probe to the bottom of the battery and the other probe anywhere you see bare (not coloured) metal around the threads or the end of the body.
Read the number.

Remember to move the probe back to the Voltage/Ohms slot if you want to do something different.


----------



## bansuri

*Re: Some beamshots from DX dropins - DX R2 programmable and DX R2 single mode*

I've got the 17593(R2-P) 3-mode (1-mode really) and the 14442 5-mode.

The 17593 shows 8.5 mA on super-low and .38A on high. Be aware that even on high, PWM is visible. I second your statement that the low on this is insanely low, just checked against my D10 and it's lower by _at least_ half.

The 14442 shows .75A, .35A, and ~.1A. The response time of my VOM is too slow to capture the draw of the flashy modes but it looks like full output to my eye.

I've included the information on the 14442 just because it was sitting right there, please forgive any perceived threadjacking.


----------



## jawnn

*Solarforce p7*

*Is ther a light available with side by side batterys that has all the run time and lumins? or at least most of the lumins....around the same price?????????*



*Solarforce L1000 P7 D bin single 1-mode Flashlight (3*18650) SKU: S007406 *


----------



## bigchelis

*Re: Solarforce p7*

The batteries do not have to be side by side to get more runtime. Side by Side lights might have the cells in parrallel in which case the 2 cells mAh capacity is added. If it is 2 18650's then you can be looking at about 5000mAh and 4.2v imput, but the P7 will still have 2.8A of current and likely direct drive.

If the 2 18650's are one on top of each other the current is less because the cells are in series. In series the voltage is 8.4v and the mAh is that of a single cell, but the current will be a lot less.

Both scenerios can give you the same runtime, I rather have a side by side only if it is regulated at say 2.5A. If the light has no regulation and houses side by side 18650's the heatsinking better be super awesome to cool the P7. If you recall the Leggion II it is regulated and has the 18650's side by side and it is the only light I would get as a side by side light.

Here are MrGman readings on a good side by side 18650 light. The leggion II

NeoFab Legion II_______,__3X_18650____________level 5 turbo,__616.8______3 sec_______,
NeoFab Legion II_______,__3X_18650____________level 5 turbo,__609.3_____30 sec_______,
NeoFab Legion II_______,__3X_18650____________level 5 turbo,__607.5_____60 sec_______,
NeoFab Legion II_______,__3X_18650____________level 5 turbo,__603.7____120 sec_______,
NeoFab Legion II_______,__3X_18650____________level 5 turbo,__600.0____180 sec_______,


https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/229135


----------



## BurlyEd

*Ultrafire C3 Stainless Steel Cree Q5-WC 5-Mode*

I just received:
Ultrafire C3 Stainless Steel Cree Q5-WC 5-Mode 190-Lumen Memory LED Flashlight (1*AA/1*14500) $14.69 DX SKU 26122

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.26122

This is my first SS light.
It seems much better than I expected, especially for the price.

Pros:
Superb build quality. Beautiful! Perfect fit and finish.
The brightest light I have with an NiMH.
About as bright as my AkoRAY K-106 with 14500. I hope it does not overheat like K-106.
A much lower than average low.
GITD tailcap and all 3 O-rings (why GITD INSIDE?).
It tailstands.
Easier to operate than K-106.
No flickering or other problems typical of other C3s.

Cons:
Battery compartment is a few mm too short for any UF and most TR protected 14500s. Blue Trustfire fits perfectly.
Cannot spell SOS (it is SO SO SO SO ...).
Did not come lubed.
No extension tube for 2AA - yet?
High > Med > Low > Strobe > SOSOSO (I prefer Low > Med > High > Strobe or Med > Low > High > Strobe > SOS SOS SOS ... *optional*).
PWM on low and medium.

Other:
Smooth, slick, matt finish with NO knurling - no "grip".
The loudest clicky I have ever heard!
Slightly yellow tint beam.
Rings at 0 - 2 feet, nice after that.
Totally unlike my other 3 UF C3's (that is a compliment).
After playing with it for a while I ordered a second one!

Highly recommended!


----------



## Tom_123

*Re: Solarforce p7*

There’s the Ultrafire MCD-WF 2000F (KD Product Id 7781) 
and this one (KD Product Id 5573).

Can’t say much about quality and performance though.


----------



## jirik_cz

*Re: Solarforce p7*

Don't get fooled by the numbers. The real luminous flux is around 700 lumens and is similar to other SSC P7 and MC-E flashlights.


----------



## phlowcus

*Re: Ultrafire C3 Stainless Steel Cree Q5-WC 5-Mode*

@BurlyEd: Thank your for your nice review - seems to be an interesting light indeed. When you say...


BurlyEd said:


> About as bright as my AkoRAY K-106 with 14500.


... do you compare 14500 with 14500 or with NiMH?

PS: Btw, is it allowed for reviewers (other than BB that is), to post their referral ID within reviews? I'd gladly use that in case I purchase stuff due to a good review. And it might motivate more guys (yes, including me) to review their lights in this thread. BB can't cover it all alone after all.


----------



## hyperloop

*Re: Some beamshots from DX dropins - DX R2 programmable and DX R2 single mode*



Wiggle said:


> Here's what you do:
> Plug the red cable into the hole that says "Amps" or "A" or "Current" on your meter
> Turn the dial to the DC current (A or mA ratings), also the symbol for DC is usually 2 parallel lines versus some kind of wave shape for AC.
> Pull remove the tail cap and connect one probe to the bottom of the battery and the other probe anywhere you see bare (not coloured) metal around the threads or the end of the body.
> Read the number.
> 
> Remember to move the probe back to the Voltage/Ohms slot if you want to do something different.



Hi there, thanks for the pointers, I'm enclosing some pictures of my cheapo DMM and how its set up after reading your post. 

With the black lead to the flat part of the cell and the red lead to to exposed metal of the tailcap i get a reading of 0.04 at the minimum output, just to cover all bases i did it on max and got 0.45

For the single mode R2, i got 0.69

Now that i have followed instructions  please explain what the heck these figures are and how they relate to the efficiency of the modules


----------



## Wiggle

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 11)*

Looks like you got it setup ok. If you're feeling up to, try to remeasure the low mode with the probe in the mA slot and and meter in the "200m" position. This will provide a more precise figure for the low currents. Just make sure to change it back before measuring anything with higher currents. In terms of efficiency,you're looking for how much power is being delivered by the battery relative to how much is actually getting shoehorned through the LED in the end. Now, measuring the current of the LED is not easy to do, you'd need to break the circuit and put the meter in series. However, a good number to work with for a decently driven XR-E is about 3W delivered to the LED. 

So to figure out how much power is going in, you multiply the voltage by the current to get a value in watts. For example, if you have a single cell Li-ion light (3.7V nominal, or 4V to make the math easier) providing 1.5A current you would be drawing around 6W. If the LED is recieving 3W, the driver is about 50% efficient. Interestingly enough, the forward voltage of many LEDs is close to the voltage provided by a single Li-Ion so you can almost think of the efficiency as a ratio of currents. A well driven XR-E will typically be about 1A or just above, that means the further the current input gets from 1A, the worse the efficiency. Drivers also can have different efficiencies depending on the voltage because of their specific topologies.

Your measurement of .69A, was that 2 RCR123 or an 18650?


----------



## hyperloop

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 11)*



Wiggle said:


> Your measurement of .69A, was that 2 RCR123 or an 18650?



all measurements were taken on 2xRCR123s. Bottom line, so were those measurements good or bad? 

I assume this is what you wanted me to do






Reading was 29.3 kindly explain what these figures mean, i feel like one of those cave men surrounding the stone monolith :shrug:


----------



## Wiggle

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 11)*



hyperloop said:


> all measurements were taken on 2xRCR123s. Bottom line, so were those measurements good or bad?
> 
> I assume this is what you wanted me to do
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Reading was 29.3 kindly explain what these figures mean, i feel like one of those cave men surrounding the stone monolith :shrug:



So .69A with 2 x RCR means that the driver is sending about 5.5W into the light. Assuming 3W to the emitter that'd be 55% efficient, but we'd need to know the actual power to the emitter to fully calculate that.

For the second reading 29.3 means 29.3mA or .0293A. Assuming a realistic capacity of 500mAh on the 16340s, run time could be more than 30 hours, which is really pretty decent. It also means the possibility of 70+ hours on any of the 2400 mAh+ 18650s assuming that the lights circuitry draws twice as much current on one Li-ion as 2.

Looks like you're getting a good hold of all this meter stuff  The reason you should measure the lower currents using that other slot is because there is less precision on the big one, which isn't an issue when you're measuring big currents but at low currents the rounding will significantly affect the readings. Kind of like weighing a shoe with a scale meant to weigh people.


----------



## BurlyEd

*Re: Ultrafire C3 Stainless Steel Cree Q5-WC 5-Mode*



phlowcus said:


> @BurlyEd: Thank your for your nice review - seems to be an interesting light indeed. When you say...
> 
> ... do you compare 14500 with 14500 or with NiMH?
> 
> PS: Btw, is it allowed for reviewers (other than BB that is), to post their referral ID within reviews? I'd gladly use that in case I purchase stuff due to a good review. And it might motivate more guys (yes, including me) to review their lights in this thread. BB can't cover it all alone after all.


I was comparing 14500 in both - they look about even (except C3 is yellower)
With an NiMH in each, C3 is much brighter than K-106.
I am starting to prefer the C3's yellow tint.
I fear it might bias the review to reward the reviewer for "over-selling".
But I would like to see more mini-reviews of interesting new lights.
And news, like:

I also just received a NEW model SolarForce L2. It has a new switch assembly with a recessed tailcap (similar to the SS C3), it has two holes and includes a lanyard! Modding to a GITD tailcap is different than before. Now you can tailstand an L2. I got it from solarforcestore ($25 with holster, battery and lanyard).
I think both the L2 and C3 are among the best bargains that I know of.


----------



## taivox

*Ultrafire WF-1000L MC-E help*

Hi everyone!
I'm new to LED flashlights...so I though I can find help here 
I want to buy a new flashlight..it should be at least 500 lumens...
My friend has a Ultrafire WF-1000L and I like it..
1)So I'm planning to buy one myself too. People are complaining about its tail-cap clickie switch. I think that if i buy new one this flashlight would be perfect for me. Anyone know witch one will fit this flashlight in www.dealextreme.com?
2)Also I would like to have new O rings to make it waterproof. Anyone know witch ones fit this flashlight?
3)As this flashlight uses 2x 18650 or 4x CR123 batteries does anyone know with witch of them flashlight is brighter? I think it would be with CR123's because of highter voltage, but at a rewiew one guy said that it is as bright as his fenix tk11. I think that he used 18650 batteries...tk11 uses 2x cr123 and so the voltage is same. Am I right or not?
4) And the last thing is...Anyone can recommend a bike mount for this flashlight? Or pressure switch to use it on my airsoft gun?

Sorry for my bad english...
...and thanks for help!


----------



## Changchung

*Re: Someone try Ultrafire SSC P7 3X18650 already?*

Just two of them, the other Led is drive with a circuit board...

Check here

https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/201392



Mjolnir said:


> SO you would wire the P7's in series?


----------



## Fichtenelch

*Re: Original MTE vs. DX MTE*

I just got time to post the pictures of my work-edc, also an mte-dx light with p7, 8 mode.
I have to say that it looks a bit demolished, but it still is working really fine and it never made problems yet...

Also i just did some pictures to compare against the other mte-dx p7 and the original mte light, to see the differences in size again...














































dual o-rings on the body, just needed some lubrication, also an o-ring under the glass. High mod is a bit lower than on the other two, i think 2-2.3 amps instead of 2.8, but still bright enough.
Heatsinking is also working good and looks better than on the other mte-dx p7. Hadn't not yet to look for the soldering on the switch, but propably it will be poor, but still it's only a 35$-light. And it's working now for around 8 months under hard circumstances. I dropped it a lot of times, as you might think when you see the pictures..

So, if you need a cheap and bright light, get one in the flavor you prefer  But think about that the 2-Mode is dd and low mode with a resistor, and also the threads in the body don't look that nice on the one in the pictures, yesterday i had to disassemble another one and it was a pita to get the brass metal piece out of the body, i had to unsolder the emitter and then use some pliers to get it out...So, i'd prefer the original mte ones


----------



## Rexlion

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 11)*

Over in part 10 I posted a comment about my KD purchase of "ship in 1-3 days" items rolling into a long "backorder" status upon payment. Just wanted to update. KD finally (after a couple weeks) refunded the one item I'd cancelled, and showed the rest shipped. The tracking number showed shipment took place the last week of June (I forget exact date). Unfortunately 2 weeks later the AkoRay and batts have yet to arrive. I hope it's just stuck in customs; it would be a bummer if someone along the route decided they liked the light very well, thank you, and pocketed it!


----------



## tomacco

*Should I be impressed with this Solarforce from Kai?*

ok, so I already had 2 l2g Solarforces and was happy, but I ordered the new version that can handle a 18650 or a 16340.

Just for kicks, I did a run test on the new dropin using just the single 16340 rechargeable 880mah trustfire.

Here's my question, though the low setting seemed lower than my other 2 Solarforce dropins, the new one ran for 10 hours before I started to notice dimming. Should I be impressed?

One of my other Solarforce droping only lasted about 4 hours on the lowest setting. It started strong but dimmed, and soon the newer dropin was giving off more light, and continued to do so for at least 2 times as long.

I actually had to turn off the flashlight because I had to go to work the next morning, I guess it could have kept going some more.

Do you guys have this version from Kai? and does it last that long on low with a single 16340?


----------



## old4570

*Re: Should I be impressed with this Solarforce from Kai?*

10 Hours on a 16340 ? Yeah thats good ...


----------



## Wiggle

*Re: Ultrafire C3 Stainless Steel Cree Q5-WC 5-Mode*



BurlyEd said:


> I just received:
> Ultrafire C3 Stainless Steel Cree Q5-WC 5-Mode 190-Lumen Memory LED Flashlight (1*AA/1*14500) $14.69 DX SKU 26122
> 
> .....
> 
> Highly recommended!



Thanks for the review. Decided to take a chance on this light for my younger brother. I was going to get him a K106 but I was a little weary of giving him a light that he may reprogram accidentally.


----------



## hoongern

*Romisen RC-T7 (MC-E)*

Hey all, I did a search and couldn't find anything on this - 

I was looking around Shiningbeam's website earlier today and came across the Romisen RC-T7 (http://www.shiningbeam.com/servlet/the-154/**NEW**-Romisen-RC-dsh-T7-MC-dsh-E/Detail)

I'm wondering if anyone knows anything about it. I was actually looking for the MG RX-1 MC-E which seems to have been out of stock for quite a while now, and I was wondering how this Romisen would compare.

It seems that it only takes 2x18650s though.. which could be good or bad.. (makes it longer) I guess that's fine since I'm not going to EDC it.

Or if anyone else knows a 'decent' <$80 MC-E thrower which is mostly going to sit at home except when needed, please tell me! (I already EDC a Fenix PD30, LD01, E01 & Romisen RC-N3 Q5)

Thanks!


----------



## Tom_123

Sorry, can’t help with the RC-T7.
I own a Romisen RC-N3 and I like it a lot, so I’d be very interested as well
how the RC-T7 compares.

As an alternative:
I got myself an Epsilon ED-P71 and I’m quite happy with this light.
Over all output is less than from my Solarforce L900m, but the ED-P71 throws further.

The ED-P71 is sold here at the marketplace, there’s also a review somewhere here.


----------



## fstuff

*rc-g2 broke *

my rc-g2 broke 
the clear round dome on top of the emitter came loose.
i tried to superglue it back, but i guess i got some glue on the emitter. it's not as bright anymore 

i've also come to realize that i need a belt holster. leaving it in my front pocket is getting to be a pain when you have to pull it out often. (this is for work.)

these 3 inexpensive lights have free holsters:
1) People's Cree Q2 (3xAAA) $9.56
http://dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.13442

2) Ultrafire C3 (P4, 1xAA) $10.73
http://dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.1993

3) Handy Q5-wc (3xAAA) $11.50
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.13974


Anyone know how's *the throw* of these vs the RC-G2?

Thx!


edit:
i'm trying to keep costs down. since i use my flashlight for work, it gets banged up, dropped, etc.
i expect it to break or lost (ie: down a hole)
2 of these inexpensive lights = 1 Shining Beam rc-g2 II 

i dont think the rc-g2 casing is designed to take a beating


----------



## Zatoichi

*Re: rc-g2 broke *



fstuff said:


> Anyone know how's *the throw* of these vs the RC-G2?
> 
> Thx!



I have an RC-G2 but don't have the others to compare. I'd guess though, that the G2 probably out throws the C3 due to it's bigger reflector. I would pick the C3 out of that lot though because it's the only one that dosen't use 3 x AAA. It also has loads of good comments, I'm tempted myself.


----------



## PlayboyJoeShmoe

*Re: rc-g2 broke *

RC-G2 has been known as a thrower...

How about a Q5 G2 from Shining Beam?


----------



## kosPap

*Ultrafire twisties question....*

hi all!

does anyone has one of the Ultrafire twisties (c1 or C5)? What is the board diameter? 17mm?

BTW, I will buy yours if you are willing to part with it (PM me)


----------



## kavvika

gstuff, if you have the know how and a good soldering iron, you can replace the emitter. Otherwise, sent me a PM if you're willing to sell it as I've been looking for a RC-G2 to mod for a while now.

It's a shame the Akoray K-103 now includes a reverse clickie. I was this close to purchasing one until I read this thread. Hopefully I'll find a used one someday. I just cannot stand reverse clickies.

I'm impressed with the heatsinking on theat MTE P7. Looks like that slug is copper and the star makes solid contact with it as long as there's thermal grease underneath. The screws would make for easy uprading once brighter bins are released. I still won't buy one however; I haven't seen a slim (non-turbo head) Chinese P7 light that I find good looking.


----------



## richardcpf

*Greatest Ultrafire of all times: New C3 Q5 SS, Quick review.*

Just got my Ultrafire C3 Q5 SS 5 modes, this is the new version SKU. 26122. 

*Before you continue:* I suggest you to immediately stop reading and get one if you have $15 to spend, and if you don't like it, I will give you those $15 back myself. Im serious. 

I wanted to write a quick review about this little awesome SS beauty, because this is truly the best AA deal in the market, to me, at least. *Sorry mods if I posted this in the wrong section, but I should clarify this ain't another DX/KD whateverfire cheapo.*

So how great is this "budget" flashlight? It is so great, I have nothing to complain about, for the first time in my flashaholic life. To be precise, the machining and threads are perfect. Looks very classy and high end, feels heavy and resistant in hand, performs great on either AA or li-ion. On AA NiMh is overall brighter than the Romisen G2, and *with li-ion it is brigther than my P2DQ5 on turbo*. Can you believe it? Because I can't.







Pill, switch, reflector and all components are removable. Came with all GITD orings, including one in front of the lens. This is a quick beamshot I took:





Romisen G2 NiMh, Fenix P2DQ5 Turbo, Ultrafire C3 Nimh high.





Fenix P2DQ5 turbo with fresh charged li-ion, Ultrafire C3 High with 10440.

While I was taking this last beamshot, I went into panic and thought my P2D was damaged: _"Please come one.. this ultrafire can't be brighter... P2D's battery must be drained.. something must be wrong... I havent switched to turbo yet right?... impossible..."_ And I changed batteries 3 times, got the same results. So I had to dealt with it: My $15 ultrafire is brighter than my $50 Fenix. It might get less runtime and heat up faster, but heck, its brighter. Both spot and flood.





Size comparison

DX is not paying me to write this review, this flashlight is simply amazing. As I said, the best AA deal in the market, best deal under $15, and the best flashlight I've ever bought, value-wise of course (Nothing has been able to beat the LD01SS yet). Im ordering 10 more to give them to my friends and family.


----------



## MerkurMan

*Re: Greatest Ultrafire of all times: New C3 Q5 SS, Quick review.*

Nice review! I was impressed by another member's post on this light and had to order one myself. Hopefully it won't take too long. :thumbsup:


----------



## m16a

*Re: Greatest Ultrafire of all times: New C3 Q5 SS, Quick review.*

Do you have a comparison of the levels in output? What would you estimate them to be? Also, how is the tint? I may consider buying one or two of these as gifts for my buddies.


----------



## Mockingbird

*Re: Greatest Ultrafire of all times: New C3 Q5 SS, Quick review.*

Sounds like a great light, and I suppose you _could_ run it with a 10440. But, if it will hold a AA, I'm guessing you meant to say 14500 rather than 10440?


----------



## Crenshaw

*Re: Greatest Ultrafire of all times: New C3 Q5 SS, Quick review.*

It is a good light, i have the one mode version, but its only a P4, ive wanted to replace it, but i cant figure out how to open the pill.

Crenshaw


----------



## richardcpf

*Re: Greatest Ultrafire of all times: New C3 Q5 SS, Quick review.*



m16a said:


> Do you have a comparison of the levels in output? What would you estimate them to be? Also, how is the tint? I may consider buying one or two of these as gifts for my buddies.


 
My guesses are... compared with my many other flashlights

Alkaline:
Low: 15 lumens
Med: 40 lumens
High: 80 lumens

Li-ion
Low: 25 lumens
Med: 90 lumens
high: 190 lumens

Tint is white, perfect white. Doesn't get yellowish in low modes, which really amazed me.



Mockingbird said:


> Sounds like a great light, and I suppose you _could_ run it with a 10440. But, if it will hold a AA, I'm guessing you meant to say 14500 rather than 10440?


 
I dont have any 14500, just throw an 10440 inside and turn it on. The spring is long enough to reach it, and put some tape around the battery to prevent it from moving. I also used 14250 from my Raw al and some magnets.


----------



## brik

*Akoray AK-16 better than K-106*

I recently bought a [PDC] Akoray AK-16 (from KD) and a K-106 from DX. I gave the K-106 to a friend, i thought i'd share why. 

These are similar lights: look almost the same, K-106 is a fraction smaller, and most important to me both can run on a AA sized alkaline, eneloop, or Li-on cells. Same very good build quality on each. 

I think the beam pattern is better on the AK-16 but that is preference; on my samples the spot is smaller and the wash dimmer with the K-106 but others may prefer that way. The AK-16 beam also seems a little smoother.

I also have a liteflux LF3xt so i have those (expensive) CR123A cells around. A strong selling point for me is the AK-16 can also use CR123A size cell, due to springs and centering cones at both ends. The AA size cell is held snug by the cones, the 123A size is snug against the tube walls. That's a nice feature, but the length of the AK-16 springs are rather annoying (to me) when installing a AA size cell, it always feels like the top spring is slopping to the side. I think the K-106 is better for casual users. 

So, the big difference. The max output from each light is the same (looks like the same level by eye, no lightbox here) but the lowest level on the AK-16 is much lower. See images below. I love a low setting on my lights. Oh, and one more thing - the Fenix diffuser cone fits exactly on the AK-16!

Note: Kai Domain lists it as the PDC AK-16, not Akoray AK-16.

below: AK-16 on low (alkaline), K-106 on low (alkaline)






below: AK-16 and K-106 on high setting (alkaline)





below: AA cell in the Akoray/PDC AK-16






below: AK-16 with Fenix diffuser tip, fits perfectly


----------



## hazna

*Re: Greatest Ultrafire of all times: New C3 Q5 SS, Quick review.*

I'm dubious about the consistency of the ultrafire build quality. I bought one the earlier ultrafire c3 (one mode, cree P4)... It stopped working properly after a gentle knock. Sure, it was a cheap $15 flashlight, but that is still $15 down the drain.


----------



## MerkurMan

*Re: Greatest Ultrafire of all times: New C3 Q5 SS, Quick review.*



hazna said:


> I'm dubious about the consistency of the ultrafire build quality. I bought one the earlier ultrafire c3 (one mode, cree P4)... It stopped working properly after a gentle knock. Sure, it was a cheap $15 flashlight, but that is still $15 down the drain.


There was a generation of C3 that was absolute garbage. I bought both the 2AA 5-mode and a 1AA single-mode last year sometime. The single-mode took some filing of the solder bumps on the driver as well as cleaning of the tube ends to work properly, and the 5-mode just up and packed it after about 10 minutes of runtime. The driver had scorch marks on it.

Hopefully they've resolved these issues.


----------



## MerkurMan

*Re: Akoray AK-16 better than K-106*

Hmm, looks like I'll have to make a visit to KD soon! 

One of my minor niggles with the K-106 was that the Fenix accessories didn't fit snugly. This light brings me one step closer to perfection.


----------



## BigBluefish

*Re: Greatest Ultrafire of all times: New C3 Q5 SS, Quick review.*

I was lucky and got one of the good SS C3s back in early '08. Don't know if it was a P4 or Q2, though I'd guess a P4. Very cool color temp, but flawless beam, which is suprising for a cree. Mine was a very nicely made light, and mine has proven reliable.


----------



## RGB_LED

*Re: Greatest Ultrafire of all times: New C3 Q5 SS, Quick review.*

I have 3 of the 14500 version (thought it may be able to handle AA but turned out it couldn't... ) but, for the price, they're awesome. I'm glad to hear that it can now handle AA batteries. 

I did have to clean / lube the threads on each of the lights and buy holsters for them but this is a great, reasonably priced AA light! Stock up for gifts!

Btw, what's the input voltage on this light? Just curious if it can handle 3.7v Li-ion's as well...


----------



## hyperloop

*Re: Greatest Ultrafire of all times: New C3 Q5 SS, Quick review.*



richardcpf said:


> *Before you continue:* I suggest you to immediately stop reading and get one if you have $15 to spend, and if you don't like it, I will give you those $15 back myself. Im serious.


 
can i just *tell* you that i don't like it, keep the light and your $15??  

just kiddin', i have an old Ultrafire C3, the P4 one with an extension tube, its a great light, i must have gotten one of the good ones in the DX lottery, it's been dropped, kicked about and generally abused as much as a light brought for shoreline saltwater fishing can be abused and it works fine, its been relegated to my dad's nightstand now so i guess its time to get a replacement.

thanks for the great short review, definitely an influencing factor to hear from a fellow CPF-er. Better get 'em while they're hot!

*EDIT: *you're an evil influence you are, just ordered 2


----------



## LightJaguar

*Re: Greatest Ultrafire of all times: New C3 Q5 SS, Quick review.*

Well now you've done it. I'm going to haffta log into DX and buy this flashlight and see if it truly is the the greatest Ultrafire of all times. 
I'm under the impression that the Ultraifire 008 Recoil flashlight is the greatest Ultrafire of all times. This thing is so sweet and well made that the only major issue that I have with it is the Ultrafire label on its side. 
However that thing is a bit too big too carry in my pocket so it needs a lil brother.


----------



## Wiggle

*Re: Akoray AK-16 better than K-106*

I believe the AK16 takes 17500s as well which is a pretty good feature.


----------



## Wiggle

*Re: Greatest Ultrafire of all times: New C3 Q5 SS, Quick review.*

I ordered one of these for my brother last week, now I kind of want to keep it for myself:sigh:


----------



## ergotelis

*Re: Akoray AK-16 better than K-106*



Wiggle said:


> I believe the AK16 takes 17500s as well which is a pretty good feature.


and that is what is gonna make me buy it!


----------



## MerkurMan

*Re: Akoray AK-16 better than K-106*



Wiggle said:


> I believe the AK16 takes 17500s as well which is a pretty good feature.


Hmm. I don't have any experience with 17500s. Are their capacity ratings usually pretty accurate (like cheap 18650s) or a little overstated (cheap 16340s)? They look like the perfect compromise in size and cap.


----------



## romteb

*Re: Akoray AK-16 better than K-106*

I have both, and both have the same low output, wich similarly depends on one ability to quickly press the switch when the ramp up starts.

Your K-106 may be faulty.

Edit: This message is a response to message 74 from Brik


----------



## aljsk8

*Re: Greatest Ultrafire of all times: New C3 Q5 SS, Quick review.*

i also have this flashlight and i have the stainless steel P4 version

the new Q5 one is very good - i liked the p4 one but this new on is better

the quality and flinish is very good - i have 6 stainless steel flashlights and some cost well into 3 figures and this new ultrafire C3 has external quality to match some of them

the brightness is as good as all the crop of $40 - $60 AA lights

i do have 2 complaints:

the sos mode is actually "so so so" insted of "sos sos sos" not sure whats gone wrong there 

the tailcap spring is to long and strong it means that when you thread the tailcap on there is a lot of pressure and this makes threading less smooth

i changed the spring on mine - problem solved

i also do preffer the internals parts on the c3 ss p4 single mode
but they are not compatable with this new light - i am really talking very subtle things here

the finish and quality is outstanding and they have made some tweeks to the way it looks over the p4

i also think it is the best DX/KD light ive had


----------



## strinq

*Re: Greatest Ultrafire of all times: New C3 Q5 SS, Quick review.*

Looks good.
I'm guessing most of the ultrafire lights need a little tweaking and they usually run oerfectly fine after that.
Gotta have at least a years worth of regular usage before we can actually comment on the durability.


----------



## Zatoichi

*Re: Greatest Ultrafire of all times: New C3 Q5 SS, Quick review.*



hazna said:


> I'm dubious about the consistency of the ultrafire build quality.



This is my concern too. When buying multiple products from DX, the quality isn't always consistant. I'm almost tempted to gamble on this, but I don't really need it.... or do I? :thinking:


----------



## ergotelis

*Re: Akoray AK-16 better than K-106*

romteb,do you have any 17500 to test?Thanks!


----------



## Wiggle

*Re: Akoray AK-16 better than K-106*



romteb said:


> I have both, and both have the same low output, wich similarly depends on one ability to quickly press the switch when the ramp up starts.
> 
> Your K-106 may be faulty.



Press the switch before the ramp-up to get the lowest-low.


----------



## hyperloop

*Re: Greatest Ultrafire of all times: New C3 Q5 SS, Quick review.*

yes u do  all flashaholics can use other lights


----------



## romteb

*Re: Akoray AK-16 better than K-106*



Wiggle said:


> Press the switch before the ramp-up to get the lowest-low.



I have a MUCH lower low when i wait for the ramp-up to begin on both my AK-16 and K-106, i can consistantly have 0,04A that way.

Do you have an idea of the amperage you get when pressing before the ramp up begin ?

My akorays may be lemons oo:


----------



## romteb

*Re: Akoray AK-16 better than K-106*



ergotelis said:


> romteb,do you have any 17500 to test?Thanks!



I don't but Xcnick succesfully used 17500 in his AK-16 see here in the dedicated akoray thread


----------



## underconstruction

So I am on the fence about weather to buy the SS ultrafire c3 or the ak-16/akory-106. 

Does anyone have both and could give me their pick? Also, which has a lower low?


----------



## delsol

I have the c3 ss and the akoray-106 and for the price the c3 is hard to beat. the low is about the same on both.


----------



## Vikas Sontakke

I believe Akoray are programmable but costs more. Usually SS lights costs more than HA-III lights except in this case.

- Vikas


----------



## bessiebenny

underconstruction said:


> So I am on the fence about weather to buy the SS ultrafire c3 or the ak-16/akory-106.
> Does anyone have both and could give me their pick? Also, which has a lower low?


 
SS Ultrafire is sexy enough. But it's much heavier than K-106.
For me, I would rather the AKOray K-106 as it's more practical.


----------



## oldtimer

Why does the Akoray have a 6 star rating in the review but only a 5 star rating on the chart? Which one is more updated?


----------



## superpila

*Aurora SH0030 mini-review*

I’ve just received an Aurora SH0030 from DX. 
I wanted a cheap single mode light for my mother, but before giving it away I thought to share my thoughts on this flashlight.
The Aurora SH0030 features an XPE Q5 emitter, instead of the XREs we’re used to find in cheap DX lights. I expected this emitter format to grant a good throw to the flashlight, but I was wrong. Looking at the OP reflector, it’s immediately clear that it was designed for an XRE emitter. The XPE is simply “patched” with a flat reflective frame to fill the gap in the hole. Although the throw is not the strongest point of this flashlight (it’s not that bad either), this weird reflector design, together with the small emitter, gives the SH0030 one of the best beam patterns I’ve ever seen in such a small package, with no artifacts or CREE rings at all.
The build quality seems good. Threading is perfect, orings don’t look cheap, and finish is very good, with no noticeable defects. I’ve also tested the flashlight to be waterproof, using it underwater for 10 minutes or so. Finally, the flashlight is very slim and light. Overall, it’s one of the smallest AA flashlights I’ve owned. 
The tint in my emitter is rather cold/white, much better looking (according to my taste) than my yellowish LD10.
With a single NiMh the Aurora SH0030 looks as bright as the LD10 in Turbo mode, or perhaps only a little dimmer, although I could be fooled by the different tint. On 14500 it looks as bright as the LD10 on 14500. Unless you are interested in long runtimes (but then being a single mode could be a cons), this light gives its best with 14500.
Overall, I’m really happy with this light, and I think that it is worth its price. It’s not in the same league of the latest Ultrafire C3 SS, which is currently my preferred AA light, but if you are looking for a cheap single mode AA, I can see few better choices than this one (if any). Perhaps the Ultrafire A10 (which I own), can be a comparable bargain.

I measured current at tailcap for the SH0030, the Ultrafire A10 and the fenix LD10.

NiMh
Ultrafire A10: 1.90A
Aurora SH0030: 1.70A
Fenix LD10 (turbo): 1.55 A

14500
Ultrafire A10: 1.15A
Aurora SH0030: 1.10A
Fenix LD10 (turbo): 0.85 A

Aurora and LD10








Aurora reflector on the left. LD10 on the right





14500: Aurora (left) VS LD10 on turbo (right)







Underexposed:







PROS:
Can tailstand
Nice build quality and finish
Slim and light.
An XPE emitter (can be a pro if you are a collector and you don’t have any XPE light yet  )
Very bright on 14500

CONS:
Perhaps could be more efficient (although comparing it to a Fenix was a bit unfair) 
XRE reflector (this is not really a cons, just something I feel unfair!)


----------



## sandos

That aurora case is exactly the same body as my C3 if I'm not mistaken?


----------



## superpila

sandos said:


> That aurora case is exactly the same body as my C3 if I'm not mistaken?



I don't own the regular C3, I only have the C3 SS but right now I borrowed it to a friend, so I can't shoot pictures of the two together. As far as I remember, besides being made of SS, the Ultrafire C3 SS's body is pretty similar, if not identical to the Aurora.
As soon as I get it back I'll run a comparison.


----------



## aljsk8

the alu c3 and the aurora look the same but the ss c3 is different

for external looks, quality and feel the ss q5 5 mode c3 is the best dx aa size you can get

but for the program ability the akoray is a great buy too

really depends what you want it for 

bling always wins for me so i preffer the c3 ss q5 5 mode


----------



## Pococino

*Noob question - TrustFire P7-F16 SSC P7-WC*

Hi Guys, 

i just ordered my first "high powered" flashlight. 
TrustFire P7-F16 SSC P7-WC 3-Mode 900-Lumen.

Now i've read that the reflector is strucutured and i was wondering if there 
is a descent replacement on the market to have it clear like a mirror. 

Maybe some of you have already tried modding this flashlight and can refer to some linke on this forum. 

I already used the search function but with not much success apart from the thread where someone compares it to the wf-600 and some other fl's.

Every hint, advice, secret link etc... will be very much appreciated.

Greetz
Poco


----------



## nfetterly

*Re: Noob question - TrustFire P7-F16 SSC P7-WC*

Not the right spot for this (custom B/S/T) - you should have posted this in the Flashlights / LEDs section.

Suggest you change title to "Closed" and put this in right area


----------



## LEDninja

*Re: Noob question - TrustFire P7-F16 SSC P7-WC*

A P7 has 4 dies in it. A smooth reflector creates a lot of artifacts in the beam. That is why everybody went to the textured reflector for the P7/MCE lights.

It ain't broke. Don't fix it.

I ended up replacing the smooth reflector in my P7 Mag with a DX textured reflector to smooth out the beam.
When I focussed to the tightest spot possible with the smooth reflector I got a really nasty donut hole in the beam.


----------



## deefed

*Re: Akoray K106*

I just received my K106 and have a few questions.
1. When programming how do you ensure that you have reached the brightest setting?
2. How do you remove the clip?
3.Where can I buy nonrechargeable 14500 batteries?
4.I just read about the Akoray AK16. DX & KAI don't show it. Is it available somewhere? Also, does it actually take either cr123 or AA?


----------



## Cemoi

*Re: Akoray AK-16 better than K-106*



romteb said:


> I have both, and both have the same low output



I understand from former posts that the AK-16 can use NiMH, correct?
The description page on KD is a bit confusing:

The text says: "Batteries: Alkaline battery, Ni-MH battery, Li-ion battery
Working Voltage: DC 0.7-4.5V"
The table says: "Voltage input range: (3.7V~4.2V)"

On the other hand, can someone confirm that the only current source for the three-mode K-106 is KD? Although people seem to be getting the 3-mode from DX despite the description saying 6-mode, there is a risk of getting the 6-mode and being denied an exchange because this is what the description says.


----------



## MerkurMan

*Re: Akoray K106*



deefed said:


> I just received my K106 and have a few questions.
> 1. When programming how do you ensure that you have reached the brightest setting?


To ensure you're at 100%, wait until the light reaches max brightness on the ramp-up, and as soon as it turns off, tap the switch. Works for me.


> 2. How do you remove the clip?


Remove the tailcap (actually, you just need to loosen it) by pushing the tail end of the light in to a mousepad, or similar soft, grippy surface, and turning the body of the light counterclockwise. After you get it loose, you can slip off the clip, and re-tighten the tailcap.


> 3.Where can I buy nonrechargeable 14500 batteries?
> 4.I just read about the Akoray AK16. DX & KAI don't show it. Is it available somewhere? Also, does it actually take either cr123 or AA?


I'm not sure if they make 3V 14500 primaries. You can get 1.7v lithium AA primaries at most hardware/drug stores, or from one of the CPF supporting online dealers.

As for the AK-16, I'm pretty sure it's KD sku 6671, but I could be wrong, as I don't yet own this unit. And yes, it does accept both 16340s/CR123A and 14500/AA in the same body tube without modification. :thumbsup:

Hope that helps!

edit: corrected sku #


----------



## hyperloop

*Re: Akoray K106*



deefed said:


> I just received my K106 and have a few questions.
> 1. When programming how do you ensure that you have reached the brightest setting?
> 2. How do you remove the clip?
> 3.Where can I buy nonrechargeable 14500 batteries?
> 4.I just read about the Akoray AK16. DX & KAI don't show it. Is it available somewhere? Also, does it actually take either cr123 or AA?



i can't answer all so i'll answer what i can

1. check this link
2. sorry my K106 hasnt come yet
3. no such product exists as far as i know
4. link to the PDC AK 16 strangely enough its not called the AKORAY AK-16.


----------



## Wiggle

*Re: Akoray K106*



MerkurMan said:


> And yes, it does accept both 16340s/CR123A and 14500/AA in the same body tube without modification. :thumbsup:



Don't forget 17500:huh:


----------



## p moore

I am currently running my K-106 on a NiMH battery. Much better runtime, and still pretty damn bright. Turn protection off. 3 soft clicks, for those who don't know. 

Paul


----------



## Cemoi

*Using a budget flashlight body as a waterproof battery case*

I plan to build very compact bike lights (one white front light, and one rear red light), using a very small optic (elliptical beam) in the smallest possible aluminium casing. As I am unable to find a waterproof battery case for one or two AAs, I thought I might use a budget flashlight for this: removing the LED, and replacing the front lens with a plastic or aluminium disc with a hole to let the power wires go out. I would then have a very compact, waterproof battery case, with an integrated switch.
I need this flashlight to be decently waterproof (i.e. rainproof), and the head should be easy to open so that I can remove the LED.
I could buy one of the very cheap 1xAA light on DX "Other LED lights" page, like e.g. sku.5383 or sku.5384.
Or I could use a better one like Ultrafire C3, a Romisen, or another <$15 AA light, and use the LED for my bike light project.
Any suggestion for such a flashlight (easily removable head and LED), preferably 1 or 2 modes (no strobe or beacon modes), and >3h runtime (I'd like the LED to be driven around 100 mA to limit the need for heatsinking and long runtime)?


----------



## bessiebenny

oldtimer said:


> Why does the Akoray have a 6 star rating in the review but only a 5 star rating on the chart? Which one is more updated?


 
Sorry. Think I made a mistake. Thanks for letting me know. 
It's supposed to be 6 stars. I'll fix it later. =)
(for value, 3 programmable modes, AA/14500 usage etc)


----------



## old4570

*Ultrafire 501A*





Well it's taken a long time , but at last I have a Ultrafire 501A .

I put my XPE pill in it , as it has a nice low current draw , just right for 1 x CR123A use .. Build quality is very nice . 

Pictured next to a 501B [ 18650 or 2 x CR123A ] 

Counterfeit or not , I just wanted one , and Im so glad I did , a very nice P60 host , and is just a little smaller than a Solarforce L2Mini .

Anodizing = Very nice and even , Glosy
Threads = Clean and smooth 
Wrist strap = Yes and usable 
Tail clicky - Reverse - Very nice - not overly sensitive or mushy .
P60 drop in = dx/sku.25369

Over all , very nice ...
:thumbsup:


----------



## Zatoichi

old4570 said:


> Counterfeit or not , I just wanted one , and Im so glad I did , a very nice P60 host , and is just a little smaller than a Solarforce L2Mini .



I haven't seen that one before, it looks quite interesting. I'm coming to prefer single cell lights these days, particularly with RCR123's. 

A question about the counterfeit though: I remember you saying you bought an Ultrafire that Ultrafire don't even make, which leads to the conclusion there are 'fake' Ultrafires. I was then told there are no genuine Ultrafires and it's just a brand name anyone can use. It isn't really important to me with these ***fire brands if they're fake or not as long as they're okay, but I'm curious how you come to the conclusion there are genuine and counterfeit Ultrafires.


----------



## old4570

Zatoichi said:


> I haven't seen that one before, it looks quite interesting. I'm coming to prefer single cell lights these days, particularly with RCR123's.
> 
> A question about the counterfeit though: I remember you saying you bought an Ultrafire that Ultrafire don't even make, which leads to the conclusion there are 'fake' Ultrafires. I was then told there are no genuine Ultrafires and it's just a brand name anyone can use. It isn't really important to me with these ***fire brands if they're fake or not as long as they're okay, but I'm curious how you come to the conclusion there are genuine and counterfeit Ultrafires.



Hmmm good question ...  Go here , they claim to be genuine Ultrafire


----------



## phlowcus

Guys, what's the best approach to (non-destructively) removing a press-fit driver pcb like this one, please?


----------



## superpila

phlowcus said:


> Guys, what's the best approach to (non-destructively) removing a press-fit driver pcb like this one, please?


 that looks like a tipical DX head. In this case, most probably the PCB is not pressed, but screwed. If you remove those two soldering points, you should/could find two holes and in any case you should be able to unscrew it.


----------



## BurlyEd

phlowcus said:


> Guys, what's the best approach to (non-destructively) removing a press-fit driver pcb like this one, please?


I have used 1 or 2 map pins stuck in the tiny holes to unscrew the driver from UF C3 and other heads. I have also used a tiny screwdriver to push sideways on the solder pad to help rotate the disc.

Your mileage may vary.


----------



## BlueFlix

*Aurora SH0030 mini-review*

superpial,

Tks for the Aurora SH0030 mini-review. I've been keen to buy it for a while but hesitated due to the lack of reviews.

Took the plunge and bought one today (with the extension tube) for US$16.12

In your assessment, what is the Aurora SH0030's Out-The-Front (OTF) lumen using 14500? and also for NiMH?

I've a AKroay K-106 and its OTF lumen using 14500 seems to be about 130 lumen. So I am keen to see if the Aurora can equal or exceed the AKroay's max brightness.

Based on the specs it looks doubtful as digital regulated current output for the AKroay is 900mA vs 700mA for the Aurora.

On another note, as the voltage input for the Aurora SH0030 is max of 4.2V it seems possible for it to take 3 1.2V NiMH batteries if using two extension tubes.

I feel very tempted to buy another Aurora SH0030 (with extension tube) just to test out the use of 3 NiMH...

Damn, the bug of flasholicness is addictive...


----------



## old4570

New Romisen's @ DX ??

RC-A4 / RC-C6 / RC-D5 and RC-D6 ?


----------



## dealgrabber2002

*Romisen RC-C6 head fit RC-N3 body?*

Wonder will DX SKU: 26792 head fit the RC-N3 body? Anyone know?

The N3 is 1.1 in
The C6 is 1.18 in

BTW I like tint on the C6.


----------



## Black Rose

old4570 said:


> New Romisen's @ DX ??
> 
> RC-A4 / RC-C6 / RC-D5 and RC-D6 ?


All with Q3-WC emitters.

At least from the pictures, they all seem to have the new ez900 die.


----------



## radar45

*AKOray K-106 AA Flashlight Problem*

Hi, I have a problem with my AKOray K -106 AA LED 3 mode flashlight. When using new AA Alkaline batteries it works ok in strobe, when switching to high mode it stays on high for about a second or two then drops to low mode. With rechargeable Li - iron 14500 it works fine with new fully charged batteries but after a short time it starts to flicker on and off ( it dose this with AA Alkalines also.) Any suggestions?


----------



## Wiggle

Is the protection circuit on? Turn the light on and then do 3 quick half presses and retry. The current draw on high may be too much for the Alkalines as well. Do you have an NiMH or Lithium primary you can try?


----------



## richdsu

Looking for reviews on Romisen RC-C5 flashlight ( any out there ?? )



http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.14332


Looks like a flashlight with very good throw, a good candidate for modding like RC-G2.


----------



## dealgrabber2002

old4570 said:


> New Romisen's @ DX ??
> 
> RC-A4 / RC-C6 / RC-D5 and RC-D6 ?


 

Yea, I am thinking of getting the RC-C6. But was also wondering is the head exhangeable with the RC-N3. Because I have the RC-N3 2 modes with great runtime. I really hope the C6 head can fit a N3 body.


----------



## Slash5

old4570 said:


> New Romisen's @ DX ??
> 
> RC-A4 / RC-C6 / RC-D5 and RC-D6 ?


 
Ordered the A4 and C6 yesterday. Show "Waiting for Supplier".
Figured they were worth a try since they are Romisen's.


----------



## Black Rose

I'm thinking about getting a RC-D6.


----------



## old4570

A4 looks tempting , but i only just got the 501A . :thinking:


----------



## kramer5150

Black Rose said:


> All with Q3-WC emitters.
> 
> At least from the pictures, they all seem to have the new ez900 die.




Is that a good or a bad thing?... or has it not been determined yet?

:thumbsup:


----------



## Black Rose

Not sure if it's a good or bad thing.

Based on what I read in a thread about it in the LED section, it seems the smaller die results in more output.

The downside is that the smaller die will not react well if highly overdriven.


----------



## SpinDrift

First post here...

I just wanted to thank Bessie for this (and the other) threads full of great reviews! :thumbsup: I'm a total newbie to flashlights and want to start with an EDC budget LED (although I'm already interested in some larger and more costly lights :devil. I've been poking around this forum for around a week learning all sorts of new terms and brands I didn't even know existed, and I am deciding between the AKOray K-106, Romisen RC-N3 II, Ultrafire C3 Q5, and now MARATAC AAA due to this thread and forum. 

So thanks for all the helpful reviews and info! :thumbsup:


----------



## TheInvader

*Akoray 106 from DX -- questions*

I'm looking into the Akoray 106, from DX - sku 16607.

It's in my shopping cart, but I'm going to ask more knowledgeable people than DX (great prices, horrible cs) about it. lovecpf

This is my first non Maglite-light (lol), and would like to ask anyone with a few beamshots (if you can find em) comparing the two, that is, the 106 and a MiniMag AA (stock). They seem comparative in size.

The programmable stuff seems so cool, so can I guarantee I'll get a 3 mode programmable (sku 16607)?

(Geek inside screamed!, didn't know flashlights were so customizable!!!) :twothumbs:twothumbs

I also would like to know if LiIon's (14500) are better than NiMH rechargeables? I don't own any exotic battery flashlights, so I don't want to be stuck with them. I'm getting 14500's sku 3435 with a DSD charger sku936. I think I can handle making a spacer. 

Can anyone take some measurements for me, if they own a 106?
I'm wanting to replace the ugly off-orange tailcap for a gitd one, and DX has 14mm (measured from the top) caps. Is this the right size?
I can roughly guess that a 20.52mm flashlight, a 14mm clickie sounds right. Less than half a cm clearance on each side.

I would love a water-resistant or even waterproof light, this is definitely going to be an EDC light for me, so kindly, what are the measurements on the original O-rings? If no one cares to measure, I can always go to Ace and trial and error.* DX sells 16mm-24mm, except 17mm.
I don't trust original anything* *that I can easily replace with better and super cheap.* This category would include tailcaps, o-rings, and modding for better performance. Not dropping in a HID bulb, or even a new emitter. I'm _really_ bad at soldering. _Really bad._


If anyone's wondering why I want everything from DX, it's because they are soooo cheap, and I _really_ dont want to order again and wait 14 days for shipping. I would like to get everything in one go. 

Sorry for making this too long.


----------



## deefed

*AK 16 Cree Q5 3 Mode*

I'm thinking of getting the AK16 from KD and have some questions.
1. Can I achieve hi and lo mode only, ie, no strobe?
2. Do I need any kind of spacers to accommodate the different battery sizes?
3. Which battery will give the brightest throw?
4. Is there a household lube that can be used for the threads.
5. Being a non flashaholic, what do they mean by protected vs unprotected?


----------



## higbvuyb

*Re: AK 16 Cree Q5 3 Mode*



deefed said:


> I'm thinking of getting the AK16 from KD and have some questions.
> 1. Can I achieve hi and lo mode only, ie, no strobe?
> 2. Do I need any kind of spacers to accommodate the different battery sizes?
> 3. Which battery will give the brightest throw?
> 4. Is there a household lube that can be used for the threads.
> 5. Being a non flashaholic, what do they mean by protected vs unprotected?


 This thread has information about the closely related k-106 light, and some discussion about the ak-16.
1) This light should be programmable, so you can set the 3 levels to whatever you want. So, you can have hi/mid/lo and no strobe.

2) The light has an extra spring and a plastic collar which allows it to accomodate a 14500 or a 16340.
If you remove the plastic collar and the spring, you can apparently use a 17500.

5) Protected/unprotected refers to the battery you use. It applies to rechargeable 3.7v lithium batteries. If you over-discharge a lithium battery or over-charge one, you can damage the battery or it may explode. A protected battery contains a protection circuit on the bottom of the battery which 'cuts off' the battery before it gets over-discharged or over-charged.


----------



## Wiggle

*Re: AK 16 Cree Q5 3 Mode*

1. It's programmable, but there are 3 mode slots so you can do low, med, high. Each slot can be anything from 5-ish lumens up to 150, strobe, sos your choice.

2. I believe it comes equipped with any spacer you'll need if any

3. Any of the 3.7V Li-ions will provide the same brightness. But the 14500 will run longer than the 16340 in most cases. Edit: Poster above reminded me, 17500 will give longer run time than either of the other two.

4. I just use vaseline

5. Lithium Ion cells are designed to be operated roughly only in the 3.0V to 4.2V range for acceptable lifetime and safety. A protected Li-ion has circuitry built it to protect it from being charged or discharged beyond these ranges. It may also protect against excessive short circuit current.


----------



## higbvuyb

*Re: Akoray 106 from DX -- questions*



TheInvader said:


> The programmable stuff seems so cool, so can I guarantee I'll get a 3 mode programmable (sku 16607)?


You should check the latest reviews. I ordered one 16 June, shipped 21 June, and it was the 3-mode programmable. You probably will get a 3-mode, but it isn't guaranteed.

The K-106 is 5cm shorter than the 2AA minimag and is a little thicker than the barrel of the minimag.

LiIons should be much brighter than NiMH or Alkaline. The brightness isn't too good on alkalines, but great on 14500.

The tailcap is a nonstandard size, so the DX GITD it doesn't fit. 
If you really want a GITD tailcap, you can take the DX tailcap, cut the 'rim' around the button off and cut most of the central inside 'post' off.
Then, you get a 'cup' sort of shape which fits right over the original tailcap and doesn't fall off easily. This also makes the button stick out more, so it's easier to press.

The o-rings are 16mm outer diameter, and 13mm inner diameter.
When on the light and stretched, they are 18mm outer diameter.


----------



## CathastrophiX

richdsu said:


> Looking for reviews on Romisen RC-C5 flashlight ( any out there ?? )
> 
> 
> 
> http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.14332
> 
> 
> Looks like a flashlight with very good throw, a good candidate for modding like RC-G2.


 
I have one. Compact and very well made, the only negative is that it's a bit to smooth, it could use some knurling.


----------



## superpila

*Re: Aurora SH0030 mini-review*



BlueFlix said:


> superpial,
> 
> Tks for the Aurora SH0030 mini-review. I've been keen to buy it for a while but hesitated due to the lack of reviews.
> 
> Took the plunge and bought one today (with the extension tube) for US$16.12
> 
> In your assessment, what is the Aurora SH0030's Out-The-Front (OTF) lumen using 14500? and also for NiMH?
> 
> I've a AKroay K-106 and its OTF lumen using 14500 seems to be about 130 lumen. So I am keen to see if the Aurora can equal or exceed the AKroay's max brightness.
> 
> Based on the specs it looks doubtful as digital regulated current output for the AKroay is 900mA vs 700mA for the Aurora.
> 
> On another note, as the voltage input for the Aurora SH0030 is max of 4.2V it seems possible for it to take 3 1.2V NiMH batteries if using two extension tubes.
> 
> I feel very tempted to buy another Aurora SH0030 (with extension tube) just to test out the use of 3 NiMH...
> 
> Damn, the bug of flasholicness is addictive...



Thanks for your kind words BlueFlix.
After more use of this flashlight, and further comparison with my Fenix ld10, I'd say that with 14500 this flashlight does not reach the 150 lumens it promises, but it gets close. I think it's in the nearby of 130 or even more (considering the fenix LD10 on 14500 is between 140-150). It can definitely be as bright as the Akoray, regardless of the measured current, because Akoray is not famous for its efficiency. Furthermore, on 14500 I've measured this light to drain 1.1A at tailcap. With NiMah it's noiticeably dimmer than with 14500s of course. It still behaves similarly to an LD10 with the same battery, so I'd say it does not output more than 80-90 lumens off the front. This is not the brightest AA light I have. Ultrafire A10 is brighter for instance. But this flashlight is certainy "bright enough", and is the one with the best beam pattern I've ever seen.
The flashlight can run with 3 nimh. I've tested it with some nasty wireworks in open air, just to answer your question, although I could not test an actual setup with extension tubes, that I didn't purchase, so I cannot swear on the reliability of such setup in real use. As soon as you make some more deep tests on this regard please let us know (and possibly pass back the "bug" to me :-( ).
In the end, I'm sure that you'll love this light. I ended up using it a lot because of its size and nice beam. For that price, I think you'll never complain!


----------



## gem

*Re: Romisen RC-T7 (MC-E)*



hoongern said:


> Hey all, I did a search and couldn't find anything on this -
> 
> I was looking around Shiningbeam's website earlier today and came across the Romisen RC-T7 (http://www.shiningbeam.com/servlet/the-154/**NEW**-Romisen-RC-dsh-T7-MC-dsh-E/Detail)
> 
> It seems that it only takes 2x18650s


Yea, I saw that too, 700 lumens and with 2x18650. 
Now that should reach fine and with 2x18650's it should last a few hrs too?
I wonder how long the Surefire 3000mAh would last?
Not a pocket light but for everything else from house, car, camping, biking, caving(on hemet).
And all for just $61.75. Now them toiz are getting much more light for much less cost.


----------



## pekcle

*Re: Akoray 106 from DX -- questions*



higbvuyb said:


> The tailcap is a nonstandard size, so the DX GITD it doesn't fit.



The baby blue ones from DX do fit the K-106. I can't give you the SKU because their site is down at the moment. As for me, I prefer the Fenix tailcaps, which are a perfect fit. It's so much easier to press while maintaining the tailstanding capability. The blue DX protrude a bit, even after cutting the nub, due to the dome shape.


----------



## higbvuyb

*Re: Akoray 106 from DX -- questions*



pekcle said:


> The baby blue ones from DX do fit the K-106. I can't give you the SKU because their site is down at the moment. As for me, I prefer the Fenix tailcaps, which are a perfect fit. It's so much easier to press while maintaining the tailstanding capability. The blue DX protrude a bit, even after cutting the nub, due to the dome shape.


Do you mean sku.7321?
I didn't realise that the blue one was GITD, thanks for that!

Yes, DX is down, but often, you can access it if you use https://www2.dealextreme.com instead. That one's working for me at the moment.


----------



## Wiggle

Just got the Ultrafire C3 Stainless Steel light in, very nice Good hefty feel, GITD boot and bezel o-ring, nice finish quality. Still waiting for my 14500s but it's already pretty bright on just an NiMH cell. Mode memory is nice, but I think the light could be even better without the Strobe/SOS non-sense. Clicky has a positive feel on this light too, alot like that on my Fenix L2D. Overall I'm impressed, and for the price I'm blown away If only I could have this body with the AKOray programming I'd be in budget heaven.


----------



## Painkiller1009

Hows the tint on that c3?
I debating on getting it.
I already have an A10 using 14500s and gave away the akoray 106 as a gift.
How does it stack up to these lights?


----------



## Wiggle

Don't have my 14500s yet, but it seems like it's reaching near full brightness on just an NiMH. Output wise it is almost matching my k109 at 100% output in it's high mode. The beam is also a bit prettier. Tint I'm not crazy about, little blue but so was my AKOray before I modded it so can't complain there. Low is pretty good too, just a little above my AKOrays "0%" setting, probably around 8 lumens. Build wise, it's close but I give the edge to the C3 for the SS even though it is slippier than the knurled AKOray. The stock lens is surprisingly clear too.

I'll try to get some beamshots and current measurements in the next couple days.


----------



## QtrHorse

*Kaidomain T1/ TLS light*

I promised to post some pictures of the Kaidomain T1/ TLS light for a few members.

The body of the light is junk. The color does not match the head, bad machining and lots of nicks/ scratches/ blemishes in the body. The head/ bezel is much nicer. I do not own a TLS head from Opticshq but from the pictures I have seen, it looks exactly like it and at a much cheaper price ($28 compared to $80). I did have to wait about two weeks for it to arrive but the savings was worth it. At the moment, KD only offers it in one mode and either a one or two cell configuration.

The complete light as I received it and then a few shots of the body.

















Now for how I am using it.







Next to a Surefire for a size comparison.







The internals of the head/ bezel. The reflector has threads on the top and screws into the bezel. The pill is easily removable and most P60 type pills screw into the reflector. 

I'm wondering if Nailbender can get these exact pills and mod them with your favorite LED for your E series bodies?


----------



## DHart

*Re: Kaidomain TLS T1 light*

QtrHse... how's the output? How about the beam? Does it look like and perform comparably to other Q5 head/emitters?


----------



## QtrHorse

*Re: Kaidomain T1/ TLS light*

It has a very noticeable hot spot and decent spill. From 5ft, it has a 11in hot spot and a 54in spill outer ring. At about 50in, there is a ring and then it fades out to the 54in outer ring. These are not lab type measurements but close enough.

The output seems to be on par but I do not own another Q5 LED at this time. From what I remember, it seems to be about the same brightness as my old Fenix P1D Q5.


----------



## Zeruel

*Re: Kaidomain T1/ TLS light*



QtrHorse said:


>



:sick2: I understand you pay for what you get...but that looks like a beat up light?


----------



## horizonseeker

*Re: Kaidomain T1/ TLS light*

the one I received is much better quality than that. It also comes with a forward clicky which is a nice surprise.


----------



## QtrHorse

*Re: Kaidomain T1/ TLS light*



Zeruel said:


> :sick2: I understand you pay for what you get...but that looks like a beat up light?


 
I did not buy it for the body but it would have been nice to get one in decent condition. I originally thought it was a used body but after closer inspection noticed all the marks were under the coating.



horizonseeker said:


> the one I received is much better quality than that. It also comes with a forward clicky which is a nice surprise.


 
Did yours come with an extra clicky, what about a box? I received just the light wrapped in small bubble wrap inside a padded envelope.


----------



## Monocrom

*Re: Kaidomain T1/ TLS light*



QtrHorse said:


> I promised to post some pictures of the Kaidomain T1/ TLS light for a few members.
> 
> The body of the light is junk. The color does not match the head, bad machining and lots of nicks/ scratches/ blemishes in the body. The head/ bezel is much nicer. I do not own a TLS head from Opticshq but from the pictures I have seen, it looks exactly like it...


 
No, not quite. The TLS heads that come with scallops are much more aggressive than those in your pic. They literally taper down to sharp points. The ones in your pic are blunted, like a traditional scalloped bezel. 

Also, perhaps it's an optical illusion created by the pic itself, but the forward portion of the bezel (closest to the scallops) appears to be of a very slightly narrower diameter than where the "TLS" lettering begins. The ones from Optics HQ have the forward portion of the bezel as being the same diameter. Not very slightly narrower.

The deal also seems too good to be true. Something just seems fishy with those TLS heads from KD. When it comes to lights, I trust Optics HQ _far _more than I do KD.


----------



## DHart

*Re: Kaidomain T1/ TLS light*



Monocrom said:


> The deal also seems too good to be true. Something just seems fishy with those TLS heads from KD. When it comes to lights, I trust Optics HQ _far _more than I do KD.



No doubt OpticsHQ is a great and reputable company. Everything I've bought from them has been excellent and shipped same day. Good people there!

The T1/TLS offered by KD is definitely a very low cost option. But it would seem that for the money it may well be worth it, for the head alone. But not having one, comments are pure speculation. I'm looking forward to mine arriving and putting the head through it's paces. As for the body, it's quite dispensable; I've got a couple of spare E1 bodies and an E2 body just waiting for another TLS head to come along. For $23, it may well turn out to be a really great buy for an E-series LED upgrade.... for those who don't want to spend $80+ on a TLS from OpticsHQ.


----------



## pekcle

*Re: Akoray 106 from DX -- questions*



higbvuyb said:


> Do you mean sku.7321?
> I didn't realise that the blue one was GITD, thanks for that!




Yep, those are the ones. They are indeed GITD (look at the 4th picture). They are very soft compared to all the other tailcaps, so it may feel a little less durable.


----------



## Monocrom

*Re: Kaidomain T1/ TLS light*



DHart said:


> No doubt OpticsHQ is a great and reputable company. Everything I've bought from them has been excellent and shipped same day. Good people there!
> 
> The T1/TLS offered by KD is definitely a very low cost option. But it would seem that for the money it may well be worth it, for the head alone. But not having one, comments are pure speculation. I'm looking forward to mine arriving and putting the head through it's paces. As for the body, it's quite dispensable; I've got a couple of spare E1 bodies and an E2 body just waiting for another TLS head to come along. For $23, it may well turn out to be a really great buy for an E-series LED upgrade.... for those who don't want to spend $80+ on a TLS from OpticsHQ.


 
I hear what you're saying. Especially with regards to getting a good deal on TLS heads. But something seems a bit off. 

When I used to work as a Sales Associate in a high-end pen shop, we used to get customers who would sometimes complain that their MontBlanc pens had leaked. And we knew why!

First question: "Did you recently replace the refill with a MontBlanc refill from a pen shop?"

Answer was always "No." 

They got the refill from an office-supply chain store. Far less expensive than getting an MB refill from an actual pen shop. But what the customers didn't know is that MontBlanc had a habit of selling their factory-seconds refills to the major office-supply chain stores. Oh yes, they were indeed genuine MontBlanc refills... But they were the ones that didn't pass MontBlanc's Q.C. standards. And those refills had a nasty habit of leaking. If you wanted a quality MontBlanc refill, you had to pay extra at a genuine, dedicated, pen shop.

It's been a few years since I've worked as a Sales Associate in a pen shop. While I hope that MontBlanc no longer does that sort of thing, especially since no other pen company engaged in that practice, the situation with the much lower-priced TLS heads on KD that don't look quite right... Just brings back bad memories from my days as a pen salesman.


----------



## QtrHorse

*Re: Kaidomain T1/ TLS light*



Monocrom said:


> No, not quite. The TLS heads that come with scallops are much more aggressive than those in your pic. They literally taper down to sharp points. The ones in your pic are blunted, like a traditional scalloped bezel.
> 
> Also, perhaps it's an optical illusion created by the pic itself, but the forward portion of the bezel (closest to the scallops) appears to be of a very slightly narrower diameter than where the "TLS" lettering begins. The ones from Optics HQ have the forward portion of the bezel as being the same diameter. Not very slightly narrower.
> 
> The deal also seems too good to be true. Something just seems fishy with those TLS heads from KD. When it comes to lights, I trust Optics HQ _far _more than I do KD.


 
I have never seen a picture of the TLS Opticshq heavy scalloped head, only the non aggressive on their website.

Yes, the most forward part of the head with the scallops is slightly more narrow than the rest of the head. I have never seen the aggressive scalloped head from Optics to compare it to.

Again for the price, you cannot beat it even if it is a knock off. For a $52 savings, you can't go wrong. I would buy a Optic head to compare it to but see no reason because of the price difference. 

I am patiently waiting for DHart to receive his bezel/ head to compare it to the Opticshq version. 

I have purchased what I would call a Surefire knockoff and they are very cheaply made compared to a real Surefire. These real/ fake TLS heads seem very well made. You can always tell by the machining. Everything is very smooth.

I was in sales for many years until recently as well. We sold a lot of electrical, LED, Acrylics and vinyls that we knew were produced in China/ Korea. We would purchase these through US vendors because we did not know the exact source/ producer. Recently (past 2-3 years), I guess the Asia market has decided to cut one of the vendors out and go direct to companies like the one I work for. The savings are between 20-60% for the exact same product. Sometimes the only difference is the packaging or a slight varience in the way one certain vendor/ importer wanted a product made so it could technically be called their own design. The internals are the same but the casing sometimes differs slightly.


----------



## M.S

*Re: Kaidomain T1/ TLS light*



QtrHorse said:


> The pill is easily removable and most P60 type pills screw into the reflector.



Nice find... 

I screwed a pill from Dereelight 3SD 5A Q3 to my TLS head, added an extra E1L body and got a really nice EDC light...


----------



## DHart

*Re: Kaidomain T1/ TLS light*



M.S said:


> Nice find...
> 
> I screwed a pill from Dereelight 3SD 5A Q3 to my TLS head, added an extra E1L body and got a really nice EDC light...



M. S. Nice mod. Is your TLS head from OpticsHQ or taken off a T1/T2 from KD?


----------



## edap617

*Re: Need comments on Ultrafire A1 & A10?*



Spence said:


> I'm considering the Ultrafire A1, Q5, 230 lumen and the A10, Q5, 220 lumen flashlights just for kicks, but I've never owned an Ultrafire before. I'm looking for comments on them. Thanks.:candle:


 
I have both the A1 and the A10. I am not very impressed with the A1, particurly its build quality. Mine has a dent on the besel and has no lens O-ring. 

If I have to choose between the A1 and A10, I will go for the latter because it has a better build quality and thicker body. Bright on AA and extremely bright on 14500.

If you want a multi-mode light with the same form factor as the A1, the A20 is a better option in my own opinion.


----------



## allburger

*Re: Need comments on Ultrafire A1 & A10?*

I had the ultrafire a10. It was a great light. I ran it on 14500's and also aa's. It was a bright light for the size, and had a nice beam. The only complaint that I had was the threads. They were gritty. I remember that the contact was through the threads and not the end of the body. I found that weird. The button was also hard to get at because of the lanyard holder. It was by far the hardest button to get to. 

Even though i pointed out some disadvantages, I still liked the light. If I was going to get a cheap aa light, I would get the stainless steel ultrafire c3. I got that one for my girlfriend and it is solid. For that matter, the black one is fine too.


----------



## M.S

*Re: Kaidomain T1/ TLS light*



DHart said:


> M. S. Nice mod. Is your TLS head from OpticsHQ or taken off a T1/T2 from KD?



It is from KD... The head does not have "TLS" printing and the scalloping seems a little smaller than in the other pictures.


----------



## DHart

*Re: Kaidomain T1/ TLS light*



M.S said:


> It is from KD... The head does not have "TLS" printing and the scalloping seems a little smaller than in the other pictures.



Sweet!


----------



## Cemoi

*Romisen RC-I3 runtime*

In the Romisen RC-I3 review (browse down the page to "Romisen RC-I3 CR123A/1AA/2AA/14500"), there is no runtime graph, and the review says:
_- It pulls TBA from 1 x 1.2v NiMh AA.
- It pulls TBA from 2 x 1.2v NiMh AA.
- It pulls TBA from 1 x RCR or 14500._
Could an owner of this light kindly measure the current draw with 1 and 2 NiMH AA, or report on runtime?


----------



## Caesis

*UltraFire Cree C3 or Romisen RC-N3 II ?*

The ultrafire is only 1 mode, and has a shorter battery time, but is brighter.
The Romisen is 2 mode, has a better battery life, is water resistant, but costs 10USD more. I'm not broke, but I'm a teenager, so poverty is imminent. 

I have no idea which to pick.
And to complicate things even more, this little voice inside my head keeps telling me I just want a cool black flashlight so I can feel like Jack Bauer.


EDIT:
OH yeah, can anyone tell me if I can adjust the beam size of the ultrafire(The flood/throw ... like on maglites?) Thanks =D

Thank you for your time
- Caesis


----------



## Nos

*Re: UltraFire Cree C3 or Romisen RC-N3 II ?*

C3 is a piece of crap!!!!!

after 3 broken switches and contact problems on every single torch!!!! 

i purchased three C3's....none was working out of the box...... *&$% the C3! 

but the stainless steel C3 is a charm, exept for the pwm flickering on middle and low



if it has to be low budget buy a SS C3 or even better, the Romisen :tinfoil:


----------



## sol-leks

*Re: UltraFire Cree C3 or Romisen RC-N3 II ?*

Don't buy ultrafire, they are really poorly made. If you really want to save even more money, just get the original 1 mode p4 rc-n3 from dx.

If you want a light that is focusable, your best bet is the fenix e20, but it costs like 35 bucks. Its still worth considering though.


----------



## DHart

*Re: Ultrafire C3 Q5 Stainless Steel 5-mode*

Thanks for the info on the new C3 Q5 SS version... I just ordered one. 

It sounds like the AKOray K-106 and this C3 Q5 may be two of the very best choices for low cost, versatile lights. I love the K-106 (bought one for a friend as well)... and now I can't wait to get the C3!


----------



## lightmyway

*Re: UltraFire Cree C3 or Romisen RC-N3 II ?*

Caesis,Stay away from the Ultrafire , The Romisen may suit you , are you planning on useing AA batteries, If your going to use rechargeables plan on also buying a Charger, Some advice spend some time on these forums and read reviews on the light you choose to purchase,you'll save money and be happy,Very few of these lights have adjustable beams.


----------



## vali

*Re: UltraFire Cree C3 or Romisen RC-N3 II ?*

They are not single mode anymore. DX sells now a 3 mode (High, Medium, strobe) wich is similar to the one that SB sells but with an added strobe and a lower cree. Its advertised as P4 in DX, but I got one of the first 3-mode and I doubt it was a P4 (probably a Q2 like the Romisen homepage states). I have to say its bright enough for most tasks and the runtime in high are good too.

The C3 was one of the first cool and cheap powerled flashlights, but with every new batch the quality seems to be even lower.


----------



## TONY M

*Re: UltraFire Cree C3 or Romisen RC-N3 II ?*

I'd go for the RC-N3, I have had a few of them and they have all been good unlike both of my C3s... which were garbage in comparison. The RC-N3s I have had are not waterproof due to a badly fitting O-ring at the head but are great value and nicely made (_athough I have no experience with the 3 mode version_).

If you can afford it then go with a Fenix or similar quality brand as it might be worth it in the long run.


----------



## BigBluefish

*Re: UltraFire Cree C3 or Romisen RC-N3 II ?*

I'd get the Romisen RC-N3. I have the older, P4 model, and it is nicely made, and plenty bright enough. With the two mode, you should get some good long runtimes on the lower (not really very low, though) setting on 2 x AA's. I've heard no complaints about the quality on any RC-N3s, but I've heard plenty of gripes about the UltraFire C3. 

And in the 1 x CR123 form, it is a cool little black fhashlight, though I've never seen a single episode of "24."


----------



## bessiebenny

*Re: Romisen RC-I3 runtime*



Cemoi said:


> In the Romisen RC-I3 review (browse down the page to "Romisen RC-I3 CR123A/1AA/2AA/14500"), there is no runtime graph, and the review says:
> _- It pulls TBA from 1 x 1.2v NiMh AA._
> _- It pulls TBA from 2 x 1.2v NiMh AA._
> _- It pulls TBA from 1 x RCR or 14500._
> Could an owner of this light kindly measure the current draw with 1 and 2 NiMH AA, or report on runtime?


 
Unfortunately, I do not have that light anymore to measure them. (gave it away as present) But I do have the runtime graphs still saved up on my harddisk. As long as Romisen didn't change the driver since my review 1 year and 3 months ago, it should be the same or very similar. =)


----------



## bessiebenny

*Eastward YJ-XAQ5 18650 Review*

** Reposting for direct linking on main page **

*★★★★ Eastward YJ-XAQ5 18650 **KD* / *DX* (Reviewed Apr 9th 2008)
*Throw: *_High_ *9500* lux _Low_ *1800* lux (1 x 3.7v 18650 @ 4.15v) 
*OLD Lightbox: *_High_*195* lux _Low_ *36* lux (1 x 3.7v 18650 @ 4.15v)
*Intro*
- It's a 2 mode 18650-only light that is very bright and has solid feel.
- It is overall a bit smaller than the DBS V2. Same length as WF-400.
*Build Quality*
- Uses a silver core Cree Q5. Not sure what exact bin code. Neutral tint.
- Textured aluminium reflector. Thick 37mm glass lense. Flat rubber seal.
- 2-mode reverse clicky with resistor. Tail stands though not 100% stable.
- The clicky isn't that easy to press without using the tip of your thumb.
- It uses a standard looking 3 way clicky switch. Feels nice and solid still.
- Nothing seems glued. Cree Q5 is on a star base screwed on to pill.
- Pill easily rotates out. Big copper-like pill. Seems very easily moddable!
- Finish is great. No faults. Perfect square indents on the head. Quality!
- Grade 1 anodizing has a good thick "feel". But it scratches still...
*Light Output*
- Beam is clean. Big and wide bright spill. No distinct artifacts/rings.
- Hotspot is quite tight and well defined. Very bright hotspot. No holes.
- This light can throw. Even if it's an OP reflector. It does a great job.
- I was able to light up building tops in Sydney CBD over 150m away at night!
- Light tint is very good. Not too white. More neutral to warm tint.
- In Low mode, the output is significantly less. But it's not super low.
*In Use*
- Fits protected 2500mAh Trustfire 18650 without any issues. No rattle.
- Gets quite hot after about 15 minutes of use. But it's still bearable.
- Runtime graph is very similar to the DBS V2 graph. Similar output also!
- Comes with a decent man-sized thick round lanyard. One hole in tail.
- In low mode, it runs for over 7 hours of super constant brightness so far.
- More exact low mode runtime will be tested when time allows.
*Final Notes*
- It's an excellent 2-mode 18650 LED torch for this price. But no HAIII.
- I give it 4 stars coz it's extremely bright and well built but not the best.
- Mny report that it gets too hot and possibly killing the emitter coz of it!
- FYI - Eastward YJ-18WD / YJ-18WF has HAIII but is same price!
*UPDATE*
- The Cree emitter is now not as bright as before. Output is halved.
- Pulls same current (~1.5A) from battery still. Just the LED is half-dim.
- Either driver is killing the LED over time or I'm unlucky on the Q5 emitter.
- I've now put in a replacement Q5. All is good again and super bright.
- My Fenix T1 did the exact same thing within 3 days. Bad batch of Q5?
- Wolf359 also reported the "dimming" effect. Seems to be common???
*RECOMMENDATION*
- For those who are inclined, try improving the heatsinking of the LED.
- By dismounting the star and applying thermal paste on the bottom of it.
- or.. Use it up to ~15 minute bursts at a time. Over an hour is not good.
*◎* *Measurements*
- It pulls 1.50A from 1 x 3.7v 18650 @ 4.15v


----------



## bessiebenny

*Ultrafire C3 Stainless Steel P4 Review*

** Reposting for direct linking on main page **

*★★★★★ Ultrafire C3 Stainless Steel P4 **LINK* (Reviewed Apr 11th 2008)
*Throw: **800* lux (1 x AA NiMh) *830* lux (2 x AA NiMh) *1150* lux (1 x 3.7v 14500) 
*OLD Lightbox: **60* lux (1 x AA NiMh) *60* lux (2 x AA NiMh) *89* lux (1 x 3.7v 14500) 
*Intro*
- This is a 1-mode stainless steel version of the Ultrafire C3 Cree P4.
- First impression was "wow, it's really nice" and "wow, it's really heavy!"
*Build Quality*
- In terms of finish / feel of the new look, it's top notch. Very nice.
- Nicely engraved markings on the head. Looks professional and expensive.
- Easy to press reverse clicky. Switch is in its own pill. Good quality.
- Comes with a black rubber clicky. It looks much better with GITD clicky.
- Barrel is thick. Has good quality threads. Wasn't lubed but it's smooth.
- Glass lense. No O-ring infront of lense! But there is in other places.
- Has a OP aluminium reflector but it's much smoother than most OP's.
*Light Output*
- Brightness is about the same as original 1 mode Ultrafire C3 P4 to start.
- But the brightness drops with AA compare to non-SS C3 P4. Different driver?
- However, the output pattern using 14500 is very similar to original C3 P4.
- The tint is much whiter/cooler now. Old UF C3 P4 has a neutral/warm tint.
- Hotspot is well defined with soft blended edges. Faint yellow halo ring.
- No holes in the hotspot. Spill is very clean and still bright.
*In Use*
- It's heavy. It feels heavier than normal UF C3 with 2AA extension!
- Looks nice but as a pocket sized EDC, it's a bit too heavy for my liking. 
- UF C3 2AA extender fits perfectly. Becomes a two tone body. =P
- Can use both 1AA and 14500 and also the extender so it's quite versatile.
- With my Trustfire protected 14500, it was a bit too long for the tail cap to close fully.
- It gets quite warm but not enough to say it's hot even after 20 minutes.
*Final Notes*
- I give it 5 stars as it's of excellent quality and quite bright / regulated.
- It's a really nice candidate if you need to give someone a present. =)
*◎* *Measurements*
- It pulls 1.60A from 1 x 1.2v AA NiMh @ 1.4v
- It pulls 0.45A from 1 x 3.7v 14500 @ 4.15v


----------



## bessiebenny

*Romisen RC-G2 Cree P2 AA Review*

** Reposting for direct linking on main page **
 
*★★★★★★ **Romisen RC-G2 Cree P2 AA **DX**KD* (Reviewed Jan 05 2008)
*Throw: 1250* lux (1 x 1.2v AA NiMh)
*Lightbox: **25* lux
- Small smooth-edged concentrated hotspot. Good thrower for AA light.
- Spill is clean with no rings / artifacts. Not very bright though.
- So it's not for those who wants a bright spill. Coz it really is dim.
- But the centre hotspot is very bright still so it can still light up things nicely.
- I wish Romisen updated this light with at least a P4. But it's good even with P2.
- Looks and feels expensive. Very good finish and coating. Excellent!
- Big turbo aluminium textured reflector. Glass lense. O-rings throughout.
- Forward-clicky! So it turns on with half-press. Responsive also.
- Nothing is glued at the threads. Cree P2 on 16mm round base.
- Excellent build quality. Feels more like a $25 light. I'm serious.
- For only around $11, it is one of the best AA light to get. Great a a present also.
- It's excellent for DIY'ers trying to make an ultimate throwy EDC AA light.
- FYI - There is a huge thread about this light. Many many followers. =)
- BTW - Now there is a Q5 version of this light at shiningbeam.com
- I have reviewed the Q5 version up the top so check it out also.
- It's also available in BLACK and GRAY color.
- 2009 Update - I have to assume it's brighter now due to more efficient LEDs even in the lower end.
*◎* *Measurements*
- It pulls 1.60A from 1 x 1.2v NiMh AA.
- It pulls 1.40A from 1 x 1.5v Alkaline AA.


----------



## scbeering

*I NEED A FLASHLIGHT*

Hi I'm looking to get my first "quality" flashlight after my maglite 2xaa just broke. I'm looking for a 2xaa or a 2xaaa flashlight with these requirements:

- multi modes
- 2+ hour
- 100+ lumen strength on high

i'm pretty sure LED is the way to go... i've been looking at dealextreme.com and I cant narrow it down. Can anyone recommend a flashlight for less than $30?

thanks


----------



## Slash5

The first page of this thread tells you everything you want to know.

Personally I think there are more interesting lights out there but the Romisen RC-N3 meets your requirements and is highly recommended.

I'd go with a single AA light and carry spare batteries when I needed more runtime - lots more variety in single AA lights and easier to carry.


----------



## js

*Re: UltraFire Cree C3 or Romisen RC-N3 II ?*



Nos said:


> C3 is a piece of crap!!!!!
> 
> after 3 broken switches and contact problems on every single torch!!!!
> 
> i purchased three C3's....none was working out of the box...... *&$% the C3!
> 
> but the stainless steel C3 is a charm, exept for the pwm flickering on middle and low
> 
> 
> 
> if it has to be low budget buy a SS C3 or even better, the Romisen :tinfoil:



Nos,

You should know better than to use that kind of language in this forum! Go underground if you want to swear like that, or replace the swear word with *&%(^ type characters or similar sort of thing, as I did in my edit of your post above. Don't do this again, please. Thanks.


----------



## Jeffdau

*Re: UltraFire Cree C3 or Romisen RC-N3 II ?*

Thanks bessiebunny. Your reviews helped with my first flashlight purchase; a romisen rc-n3


----------



## old4570

*Re: I NEED A FLASHLIGHT*



scbeering said:


> Hi I'm looking to get my first "quality" flashlight after my maglite 2xaa just broke. I'm looking for a 2xaa or a 2xaaa flashlight with these requirements:
> 
> - multi modes
> - 2+ hour
> - 100+ lumen strength on high
> 
> i'm pretty sure LED is the way to go... i've been looking at dealextreme.com and I cant narrow it down. Can anyone recommend a flashlight for less than $30?
> 
> thanks



Under $30 .. To much to chose from ..
I would suggest 1 x AA , I ordered a MTE 1 x AA myself from KD as its a dedicated AA light rather than a 14500 that can run AA ..
I need a good AA for the collection , and when it comes to higher voltage ill stick to 16340 . Hopefully will have it by the end of next week . 

But 1xAA , dx/sku.16607 Akoray , The darling of the AA lights ATM ..
ProductId=1017 @ KD , this is the one I got , its new so ?


----------



## patrickbateman

What about this one ? 

http://kaidomain.com/ProductDetails.aspx?ProductId=9517

Design is nice...


----------



## BlueFlix

*Aurora SH0030 mini-review*



superpila said:


> After more use of this flashlight, and further comparison with my Fenix ld10, I'd say that with 14500 this flashlight does not reach the 150 lumens it promises, but it gets close. I think it's in the nearby of 130 or even more (considering the fenix LD10 on 14500 is between 140-150). It can definitely be as bright as the Akoray, regardless of the measured current, because Akoray is not famous for its efficiency. Furthermore, on 14500 I've measured this light to drain 1.1A at tailcap. With NiMah it's noiticeably dimmer than with 14500s of course. It still behaves similarly to an LD10 with the same battery, so I'd say it does not output more than 80-90 lumens off the front. This is not the brightest AA light I have. Ultrafire A10 is brighter for instance. But this flashlight is certainy "bright enough", and is the one with the best beam pattern I've ever seen. The flashlight can run with 3 nimh. I've tested it with some nasty wireworks in open air, just to answer your question, although I could not test an actual setup with extension tubes, that I didn't purchase, so I cannot swear on the reliability of such setup in real use. In the end, I'm sure that you'll love this light. I ended up using it a lot because of its size and nice beam. For that price, I think you'll never complain!


I just canceled my DX order as many buyers stated that it was actually only a one-mode flashlight... I was so looking forward to playing with the Aurora SH030 as it had most of the factors that I want:

- Good price (less than $20)
- Greater than 120 in actual Out-The-Front lumens
- Includes High, Mid, Low power output
- Uses AA and 14500 batteries
- Can use extension tube to take 2AAs (or 3AAs if use 2 ext tubes)

Ahh... back to the long search for the "perfect" flashlight...


----------



## BlueFlix

*SmallSun ZY-C41 Cree Q3 (Mid-High-Strobe) - $10.55*

Almost everything I look for in an AA flashlight.

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.26930

The price is incredible for just $10.55

Has anyone bought it? What your assessment of the actual Out-The-Front lumens emmitted?


----------



## SpinDrift

*Re: SmallSun ZY-C41 Cree Q3 (Mid-High-Strobe) - $10.55*



BlueFlix said:


> Almost everything I look for in an AA flashlight.
> 
> http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.26930
> 
> The price is incredible for just $10.55
> 
> Has anyone bought it? What your assessment of the actual Out-The-Front lumens emmitted?



Wow that does look nice, can tailstand, holes for rings, nice bezel, great knurling...


----------



## deefed

*Re: PDC AK 16*

First, I want to thank those who provided me info on my K106. I programmed it and love it. Now I'm going to purchase the AK 16 and have a few questions.
1. What is the outside dia of the bezel? I'm thinking of getting a fenix diffuser and adapt it like someone else did on this forum.
2. Can I use a primary li ion AA size 3.6v 2400mah non rechargeable in it, and, by the way, can I use this in my K106? I want to use this to give me the highest brightness when I go afield where I won't have the opportunity to recharge. I assume this will be as bright or brighter than a 14500. On my K106 it says 0.7-4.5v. Does this mean I can use a battery up to 4.5v? What does the AK 16 read?

Thanks. I think I'm becoming a flashaholic.


----------



## xiejol

*UltraFire RL-118 Stainless Steel Osram 2-Mode Flashlight*

I came across a new UltraFire RL-118 Stainless Steel Osram 2-Mode Flashlight on KD, but they don't list the actual LED used. Anyone got any ideas? SKU S008552


----------



## datiLED

*Re: UltraFire RL-118 Stainless Steel Osram 2-Mode Flashlight*

From the pictures on the site, it looks to be either a Golden Dragon, or a Golden Dragon Plus LED.


----------



## Wiggle

k106 and AK16 both work with Li-Ions. If you want, you can even put 17500 in the Ak16.


----------



## phlowcus

*Re: SmallSun ZY-C41 Cree Q3 (Mid-High-Strobe) - $10.55*



BlueFlix said:


> Almost everything I look for in an AA flashlight.
> 
> http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.26930
> 
> The price is incredible for just $10.55
> 
> Has anyone bought it? What your assessment of the actual Out-The-Front lumens emmitted?



I've got that light since some days and I love it. The body is quite lightweight but I do like the grasp of it a lot anyhow.

All I can say about the output: it is brighter than an unmodded RC-G2 and it was VERY bright on a 14500 before it exploded with a loud bang (actually it just stopped working). So, even though DX sells them as 14500-proof: DO NOT use this with 3.7v, it took me just some seconds to kill mine. (I still didn't manage to get the driver pcb out of the head. See https://www.candlepowerforums.com/posts/3021874&postcount=121 - maybe someone has another hint?)

The clicky is a black (and afair it is even gitd, that would be rare wouldn't it) reverse clicky, fortunately you don't need to fully click it to cycle through the modes.

The threads are ok, they needed cleaning and came unlubed but are without flaws. Also you can feel the o-rings have the right size when screwing.

In case you are not aware: the UltraFire A10 CREE Q5 has the same body as this one and comes as single mode light for 16 bucks at KD - should be noticably brighter (sh*t I think I might need that one too ).

EDIT: I think the biggest weak point of this light is the plastic lense.


----------



## xiejol

*Re: UltraFire RL-118 Stainless Steel Osram 2-Mode Flashlight*

Thanks for the help. My normal pocket light broke, so I might replace it with this one. Looking at some comparisons the GD looks light it would work as well as the Cree it would replace.


----------



## seaside

*Re: SmallSun ZY-C41 Cree Q3 (Mid-High-Strobe) - $10.55*



BlueFlix said:


> Almost everything I look for in an AA flashlight.
> 
> http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.26930
> 
> The price is incredible for just $10.55
> 
> Has anyone bought it? What your assessment of the actual Out-The-Front lumens emmitted?


 

It looks like cheapy clone of ultrafire A10, which is NDI clone. 
If quality of this flashlight is about the same with that of A10, I think $10.55 is a great deal even with plastic lens. It should be bit brighter than C3 and bit deemer than A10, so I assume about 80 to 90 lumens range with 1AA. The quality of driver in this kind of cheap clone is kind of inconsistent. One of my A10 can handle 14500 fine, while the other goes off in a minute. Yours may or may not work with 14500.

This flashlight should be ok for EDC using 1AA. Nothing special, simple and cheap. It's not like expensive highend stuff, so you won't lose your sleep when you lost it. The thread inside this flashlight is not adonized, so you shouldn't have flickering issue with it.


----------



## taivox

Hi everyone!
I'm new to LED flashlights...so I though I can find help here 
I want to buy a new flashlight..it should be at least 500 lumens...
My friend has a Ultrafire WF-1000L and I like it..
1)So I'm planning to buy one myself too. People are complaining about its tail-cap clickie switch. I think that if i buy new one this flashlight would be perfect for me. Anyone know witch one will fit this flashlight in www.dealextreme.com?
2)Also I would like to have new O rings to make it waterproof. Anyone know witch ones fit this flashlight?
3)As this flashlight uses 2x 18650 or 4x CR123 batteries does anyone know with witch of them flashlight is brighter? I think it would be with CR123's because of highter voltage, but at a rewiew one guy said that it is as bright as his fenix tk11. I think that he used 18650 batteries...tk11 uses 2x cr123 and so the voltage is same. Am I right or not?
4) And the last thing is...Anyone can recommend a bike mount for this flashlight? Or pressure switch to use it on my airsoft gun?

Sorry for my bad english...
...and thanks for help!


----------



## Slash5

I've ordered this light from KD. Looked interesting. $22 for a stainless flashlight can't be too bad - famous last words.
CREE Q5 5-Mode Stainless Steel Head Flashlight (1*18650)

http://www.kaidomain.com/ProductDetails.aspx?ProductId=5664

Anyone have it or seen one in action?
Did a search and got no hits.
Looks like a P60 host but from the pictures, it's not.


----------



## old4570

*Re: SmallSun ZY-C41 Cree Q3 (Mid-High-Strobe) - $10.55*



BlueFlix said:


> Almost everything I look for in an AA flashlight.
> 
> http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.26930
> 
> The price is incredible for just $10.55
> 
> Has anyone bought it? What your assessment of the actual Out-The-Front lumens emmitted?



Ordered mine today .. For the price it looks interesting , might be a better option for non flashaholics ... 

Also doubled my stock of AA rechargeables today . So I need something to stuff them into


----------



## BlueFlix

*SmallSun ZY-C41 Cree Q3 (Mid-High-Strobe) - $10.55*



phlowcus said:


> I've got that light since some days and I love it. The body is quite lightweight but I do like the grasp of it a lot anyhow.
> 
> All I can say about the output: it is brighter than an unmodded RC-G2 and it was VERY bright on a 14500 before it exploded with a loud bang (actually it just stopped working). So, even though DX sells them as 14500-proof: *DO NOT use this with 3.7v*, it took me just some seconds to kill mine.
> 
> The clicky is a black (and afair it is even gitd, that would be rare wouldn't it) reverse clicky, fortunately you don't need to fully click it to cycle through the modes.
> 
> The threads are ok, they needed cleaning and came unlubed but are without flaws. Also you can feel the o-rings have the right size when screwing.
> 
> In case you are not aware: the UltraFire A10 CREE Q5 has the same body as this one and comes as single mode light for 16 bucks at KD - should be noticably brighter.
> 
> I think the biggest weak point of this light is the plastic lense.





seaside said:


> It looks like cheapy clone of ultrafire A10, which is NDI clone. If quality of this flashlight is about the same with that of A10, I think $10.55 is a great deal even with plastic lens. It should be bit brighter than C3 and bit deemer than A10, so I assume about 80 to 90 lumens range with 1AA. The quality of driver in this kind of cheap clone is kind of inconsistent. One of my A10 can handle 14500 fine, while the other goes off in a minute. Yours may or may not work with 14500.
> 
> This flashlight should be *ok for EDC using 1AA*. Nothing special, simple and cheap. It's not like expensive highend stuff, so you won't lose your sleep when you lost it. The thread inside this flashlight is not adonized, so you shouldn't have flickering issue with it.


Thank you for sharing your reviews. Much appreciated.

A really pity it cannot take 14500 batteries. I really want a good (and under $20) AA form-factor LED flashlight that is multi-mode (High, Med, Low) that can take 14500 yet has good lumen even with AA. Best if also can use extension tube to take 2AAs.


----------



## BlueFlix

*Beamshot Comparison 10 Budget Flashlights*

At the DX flashlight forum, geek1 has done an excellent beamshot comparison of the following 10 budget flashlights:

https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/238134

http://www.dealextreme.com/forums/Forums.dx/Forum.-209~threadid.389543

9 LED Flashlight 20000mcd - 3xAAA - SKU 1255 

 
Romisen RC-C3 Cree P4 - 1xRCR123A - SKU 6103 

 
SmallSun ZY-C60 Cree Q3 - 1xRCR123A - SKU 20341 

 
UltraFire A30B Cree Q5 - 1xRCR123A - SKU 21478 

 
Romisen RC-G2 Cree P2 - 1xAA - SKU 3607 

 
Romisen RC-G2 II Cree Q5 - 1xAA 
Romisen RC-N3 Cree P4 - 2xAA - SKU 9070 

 
Romisen RC-F4 Cree P4 - 2xRCR123A - SKU 7999 

 
X2000 Cree P4 - 1xR18650 - SKU 14450 

 
SpiderFire SSC P7 - 1xR18650 - SKU 19767

The X2000's flood mode is very impressive.

But a much cheaper version would be the C30 Flood-to-Throw Zooming Glass Optics Cree P4 at only $9.9

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.18697

A newer version even has 3-modes (Hi - Mid - Fast Strobe) with digitally regulated 600mA current output for under $10.

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.26798

Really wish geek1 had included the above 2 flood-to-throw zoom flashlights in his review also.


----------



## BlueFlix

*C30 Flood-to-Throw Zooming Cree P4 100-Lumen LED Flashlight (3*AAA)*

http://www.dealextreme.com/feedbacks/BrowseReviews.dx/sku.18697

* Even Wide Flood*

*Pros*: The special thing about this flashlight is the very even bright flood that it will put out. Very useful and different than other led flashlights. Easy to use. Gives off a good amount of light. The construction on mine seems to have no problems. Uses 3 AAA batteries so fairly cheap to fill with batteries. I use NIMH rechargeables. Can also project a tight square of light.

*Cons*: The lens that focuses the light is made of plastic not glass

*Other Thoughts*: For me this light is all about being used on wide, so that the light is a very even blanket at close range. People have suggested it is very good as a bike light. I could see that is likely true. There are several models of this flood-to-throw flashlight. Basically the difference seems to be the type of batteries used to power them up.I would have ordered the 18650 battery model, but at the time the 18650 was much more expensive than this AAA model. My NIMH AAA batteries seem to run this light for a decent amount of time.


*Awesome Flashlight! * 
The LED inside is very bright! It throws a big circle of pure light were you point! At night if you zoom to the max the square is visible on the other buildings! It's a small projector (like in Batman).


* Very, Very Good Value * 
Very bright, very cheap, very compact, very versatile. Good flood if you want flood, but a little ringy at outer edge of beam. Good spot/throw if you want that. Uses convenient AAA (direct drive, not even a resistor)


*A Lot of Torch for Little Cash * 
This is an immense amount of torch for less than $10. The perfect EDC torch for most people as you get the best of all worlds - a nice open spread for general lighting and a spectacular zoom for when you need it. More than bright enough for 90% of people - on full zoom - this lights up items more than a (UK) football field length away.

I still can't get over how eye-wateringly BRIGHT this little light is, even reflected in a mirror way across the room, it's like looking into a camera flash.


*Cons*: I read in reviews of these zoom type lights that the zooming head moved too easily, and they were right! The head slides in and out to change from spot to flood, but it just slides way too easily. It needs more tension, or maybe even mild clicks to hold it in position.The other problem is that even though the main flood area is very even, there is a big nasty ring around the outside of the flood. It's kinda yellowish/greenish and quite obvious. More so inside on a wall, not as much so outside on the ground, so I can live with it. The spot mode has that weird little square. Not really a con, just weird. But it does have some nice throw in spot mode.


----------



## BlueFlix

*SmallSun ZY-C61 Cree P4 100-Lumen LED Flashlight (2*AA) - $11.66*

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.15457

*Worth The Money **- Very Powerful Light * 

*Pros*: I chosed this light for it's price. I like it for it's light. I was very impressed by the quality. The light is very bright. Extremely bright - it can light up an entire room.

*Pros*: Fairly well built. Not on par with a Romisen but better than I expected for the money.The threads are deep and clean but the contact plate in the tail seems cheap. Rear clickie is firm and definite. Doesn't feel like it will break any time soon. The head unscrews if you want to modify the light but be forewarned that the clip fits in a groove, held down by the head when it is screwed in. The clip is under pressure and will pop loose when you remove the head and it takes some fiddling to get it back into place. Nice bright light! My WF-606A (sku.14909) is a little brighter but not much. In fact, given the cost, I'd say this light is a better deal if you are not wanting to use CR2, allowed by sku.14909. This is a thrower with fairly decent spill.

*Cons*: Neither the threads nor o-rings were lubricated but that's to be expected. O-rings are very thin and flimsy and are easily distorted when loosening and tightening the head or tail so be careful. Get extras just in case but I don't think this light would be waterproof even with better o-rings as there doesn't seem to be one around the lens. The clip is almost too tight but a clip on a light this size doesn't make much sense. If you want, you can just unscrew the head and remove it.

*Other Thoughts*: This is a nice light! I got it because it was one of the cheapest 2*AA lights available at under 13! It is noticeably brighter than the Ultrafire C3 1*AA P4 light. Probably around 100 lumens compared to 70-80 on the C3. When compared to my LD20, this light is as bright or slightly brighter than the Fenix LD20 on High mode. Turbo on the fenix is brighter though. However, I turbo mode isn't used as much cause of battery life making the Small Sun a much better bargain!

*Bottomline*: Probably one of the brightest, inexpensive 2-AA flashlights offered by DX. Brighter than any single AA that I have purchased here so far. Buy some while they are still available.

*
Actual Run-Time Results* by *FlightInWinter *

This test was done using fully charged Sanyo Eneloop batteries

After 5 minutes
The flashlight body was warm and the head was noticeably warmer but heat dissipation appeared to be evening out fairly well.

10 minutes
Heat dissipation had evened out across the head and body evenly and the flashlight was warm but not uncomfortable to handle. The light output dimmed dimmed slightly. Barely noticeable.

20 minutes
The flashlight was getting quite warm to the touch and there was still no noticeable difference in light output.

30 minutes
The light was quite warm to the touch and beginning to get uncomfortable to hold. The light output had not changed.

50 minutes
The flashlight was very hot and you couldn't hold it in your hand without rolling it around to dissipate heat.
You don't want to hold it at this stage. Output is still very bright and it is difficult to discern much dimming if any.

1 Hour
No change in heat or light output.

1 hour and 10 minutes
The light began to dim rapidly. I don't have a light meter but I would say that it dropped quickly to about 25%.

One hour and 15 minutes
Light output was virtually unusable except at very close distance. It was actually possible to look at the LED without causing pain.
You still get spots in front of your eyes, but even those go away after a few seconds.

All in all, the flashlight performed admirably given the amount of light output. I didn't expect more than one hour and it was still solid at that point.


----------



## NathanF

*TK40 vs. 900 Lumen Cheapies on DX?*

I presently own a Fenix L2D which has been a great tool that has served me well. I find myself yearning for something with more power, however.

Given how much I've loved my Fenix, I am considering going with the TK40. It's just that it is damned expensive, especially compared to the allegedly brighter "900 lumen" lights that are all over DealExtreme.com

That being said, I have a few questions:

1) How close to 900 lumens is the actual output of these lights? How about the general power output and throw of, say, a SSC P7 compared to the TK40?

2) How's reliability? I wouldn't be too surprised if their overall build quality is less then a Fenix, but are they pulling any tricks such as running LEDs with more current than they are rated?

3) Are there any other 350+ lumen AA lights out there? The TK40 using AAs is a nice touch in my opinion, though I can see where the wind is blowing.

While Fenix seems to make quality stuff, they're still a relatively unknown Asian company whose price premium may simply not come with any real gains. (If they had a lifetime warranty I wouldn't hesitate for a moment, but 2 years is nothing to get too excited about.) So if I'm overpaying for some illusion of quality when one of these cheapies would do, I'd like to know about it. I don't really care about fancy SOS/Strobe modes, but I do care about quality and reliability.

Thoughts?


----------



## AusKipper

*Re: TK40 vs. 900 Lumen Cheapies on DX?*



NathanF said:


> While Fenix seems to make quality stuff, they're still a relatively unknown Asian company whose price premium may simply not come with any real gains.



I would strongly disagree with that statement. Fenix are a fairly reputable company now that is known to make quality lights. Sure some go wrong from time to time, but so do some lights from all manufacturers.

Having owned the TK40 I can tell you its a very good light, though having not owned a cheapie 900lm from DX I cannot answer your question.

If you like AA i would say the TK40 is for you though.

I have written how much I love mine all over the place on these forums 

As this is your first post, I am wondering what other lights do you currently own? ie, what would your TK40 be complimenting if you got one? or would it be your first torch?? (if so, thats one big leap for non-flashaholic kind!!!)

Goodluck with your choice.


----------



## superpila

*Re: Aurora SH0030 mini-review*



BlueFlix said:


> I just canceled my DX order as many buyers stated that it was actually only a one-mode flashlight... I was so looking forward to playing with the Aurora SH030 as it had most of the factors that I want:
> 
> - Good price (less than $20)
> - Greater than 120 in actual Out-The-Front lumens
> - Includes High, Mid, Low power output
> - Uses AA and 14500 batteries
> - Can use extension tube to take 2AAs (or 3AAs if use 2 ext tubes)
> 
> Ahh... back to the long search for the "perfect" flashlight...



The item I reviewed is indeed a single mode. But it seems like DX also sells a 5 modes version of the same light: sku.26421. It's 2$ more. Although the table says single-mode, the headline claims 5 modes, which has been verifyed by some reviewers.


----------



## neal.a.nelson

*Re: Ultrafire WF-502b CREE just flashing*

I might need some help. 5 days ago, before I saw this thread, I ordered 3 502B's and 3 pairs of #5776, Trustfire Protected 18650's. Are they really this incompatible? They will be gifts, so I thought protected was the way to go.


----------



## old4570

*Re: Ultrafire WF-502b CREE just flashing*



neal.a.nelson said:


> I might need some help. 5 days ago, before I saw this thread, I ordered 3 502B's and 3 pairs of #5776, Trustfire Protected 18650's. Are they really this incompatible? They will be gifts, so I thought protected was the way to go.



Incompatible how ? 

My 502B will run on any 18650 .


----------



## NathanF

*Re: TK40 vs. 900 Lumen Cheapies on DX?*



AusKipper said:


> I would strongly disagree with that statement. Fenix are a fairly reputable company now that is known to make quality lights. Sure some go wrong from time to time, but so do some lights from all manufacturers.



I do love my Fenix and it seems to be a quality product, but they're still a no name for all intents and purposes. They've only been around since 05' if I'm not mistaken, and that's not exactly a long time. I have no reason to doubt them, but we still can't forget that they are yet another mystery Asian company that could disappear at any time. $150 is a lot to spend on a product from such a young company - I'd feel a lot better if they had been around for 20 years and have a record of good customer service. Then again, I may be having serious delusions of granjure about what support I can reasonably expect to get out of a company nowadays. 



AusKipper said:


> As this is your first post, I am wondering what other lights do you currently own? ie, what would your TK40 be complimenting if you got one? or would it be your first torch?? (if so, thats one big leap for non-flashaholic kind!!!)
> 
> Goodluck with your choice.



As I mentioned, I currently own a Fenix L2D. It has been an absolutely incredible light, and I still remember the glee I felt the first time I compared it to my 4D maglite, which it utterly destroyed in every possible way. And the time I compared it with the diffuser to my large Coleman lantern which it also trounced.

I'm just now yearning for something even more crazy to satisfy my unquenchable thirst for power. I just don't want to drop a huge amount of money on something that could possibly be beaten (in terms of output) and matched in general reliability, though not necessarily features/modes, by a $50 light.

Thanks for the input! Much appreciated.


----------



## deefed

*Re: PDC AK 16*

First, I want to thank those who provided me info on my K106. I programmed it and love it. Now I'm going to purchase the AK 16 and have a few questions.

1. What is the outside dia of the bezel? I'm thinking of getting a fenix diffuser and adapt it like someone else did on this forum.
2. Can I use a primary Li ion AA size 3.6v 2400 mah non rechargeable in it, and, by the way, can I use this in my K106? I want to use this to give me the highest brightness when I go afield where I won't have the opportunity to recharge. I assume this will be as bright or brighter than a 14500. On my K106 it says 0.7-4.5v. Does this mean I can use a battery up to 4.5v? What does the AK 16 read?


----------



## pekcle

*Re: PDC AK 16*



deefed said:


> First, I want to thank those who provided me info on my K106. I programmed it and love it. Now I'm going to purchase the AK 16 and have a few questions.
> 
> 1. What is the outside dia of the bezel? I'm thinking of getting a fenix diffuser and adapt it like someone else did on this forum.
> 2. Can I use a primary Li ion AA size 3.6v 2400 mah non rechargeable in it, and, by the way, can I use this in my K106? I want to use this to give me the highest brightness when I go afield where I won't have the opportunity to recharge. I assume this will be as bright or brighter than a 14500. On my K106 it says 0.7-4.5v. Does this mean I can use a battery up to 4.5v? What does the AK 16 read?



1. According to xcnick's post (#121) in the Akoray thread, the diffuser is a perfect fit. https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/223332&page=5

2. If the non rechargeable has the same voltage as a rechargeable lithium ion, it seems like you'd be ok. I believe you are correct with the voltage assumption, though I wouldn't want to risk mine to verify that 4.5v is the the actual cut-off.

I went down the same path as you, getting the K-106 first. Now I'm waiting on the AK-16 as it has been backordered it was originally ordered (over a week ago). Their "Ships in 1 - 3 business days" status is a joke.


----------



## CathastrophiX

*Romisen RC-C6*

Received mine today, very nice light. 
Smaller than the RC-N3. VERY bright, blows the RC-N3 away completely! 
Zoom is adjusted by turning the head, similar to the [email protected]. 
Front ring is copper coloured on mine, not gold. 
Typical Romisen, excellent value.
Pulls 780 mah @ 4,04 volts. 
Sorry for the blurry pics..


----------



## CampingLED

*AKOray K-106*

Decided to order the new sku @ DX labeled as NKOray (28546). Will let you know if it is the real thing shown in the pics.


----------



## superpila

*Re: AKOray K-106*



CampingLED said:


> Decided to order the new sku @ DX labeled as NKOray (28546). Will let you know if it is the real thing shown in the pics.



DX just added some more flashlights. They look like akoray clones but cheaper and with slight differences such as the GITD oring. I guess they are not programmable either.

akoray k-106 clones:
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.28546
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.28544

Akoray k-109 clone:
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.28545

I'm taking the 28546


----------



## deefed

superpila, Did they discontinue the K106? Do you recall if the ad on dx for the K106 read programmable because I don't recall but my K106 certainly is.


----------



## Cemoi

*Re: AKOray K-106*



superpila said:


> akoray k-106 clones:
> http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.28546


Maybe a typo in the title and description?
The picture still shows "Akoray" on the light body.


----------



## superpila

deefed said:


> superpila, Did they discontinue the K106? Do you recall if the ad on dx for the K106 read programmable because I don't recall but my K106 certainly is.



THey still sell the programmable k106:
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.16607
It's not advertised as programmable, but this is what you get when you buy it (or at least this is what I got).


----------



## pekcle

*Re: AKOray K-106*



Cemoi said:


> Maybe a typo in the title and description?
> The picture still shows "Akoray" on the light body.



The threads in the pictures are not square nor are they anodized. It's obvious to me that this is a clone. I would stick with SKU #16607 and SKU #15877, the ones that started the Akoray hype.


----------



## vali

I wonder how much time we will have to wait to se the new "Nkorays" sent when you buy one of the "older" SKU. After all they never advertised it as programmable.


----------



## spider-cricket-hater

*Thrower for under 25 at DX ?*

I am thinking of getting a nice thrower from DX. I haven't looked at the site for a while and I am sure some new, cool lights are out there right now.

can someone point me to a few kick butt lights, throw matters the most. It can be either led or xenon or space gas of any kind . It just needs to shine like crazy, and use batteries found in local Walmart !

My budget is MAX $25. Any suggestions ?:wave:


----------



## phlowcus

*Re: AKOray K-106*



pekcle said:


> The threads in the pictures are not square nor are they anodized. It's obvious to me that this is a clone. I would stick with SKU #16607 and SKU #15877, the ones that started the Akoray hype.


The Trustfire version (sku 28544) does seem to have square threads (not anodized though), don't you think? And the new "Nkoray" k-109 (28545) seems as good as the original Akoray.


----------



## CampingLED

*Re: AKOray K-106*



phlowcus said:


> The Trustfire version (sku 28545) does seem to have square threads, don't you think (not anodized though)?


 
Agree. Wonder if it has programming modes. The title has changed from 5 lumen to 5 modes. 

EDIT: Sorry, I was refering to 28546


----------



## omyon

Hi, have a question

what rechrgeable batteries and charger would you receommend for CR123A batteries - I have the Fenix PD30.

thanks


----------



## CampingLED

omyon said:


> Hi, have a question
> 
> what rechrgeable batteries and charger would you receommend for CR123A batteries - I have the Fenix PD30.
> 
> thanks


 
:welcome: You should search/look @ this thread http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/forumdisplay.php?f=9 If you do not come right post a new topic there.


----------



## Slash5

*Re: AKOray K-106*



pekcle said:


> The threads in the pictures are not square nor are they anodized. It's obvious to me that this is a clone. I would stick with SKU #16607 and SKU #15877, the ones that started the Akoray hype.


 
If you compare the image to an original Akoray K106, the threads look the same - I held my original up to the screen and they look identical.
However, they do look un-anodized in the picture - we'll see. 
I've got a couple on order to have a look at them.


----------



## musicalfruit

*Re: Greatest Ultrafire of all times: New C3 Q5 SS, Quick review.*



richardcpf said:


> Just got my Ultrafire C3 Q5 SS 5 modes, this is the new version SKU. 26122.
> 
> *Before you continue:* I suggest you to immediately stop reading and get one if you have $15 to spend, and if you don't like it, I will give you those $15 back myself. Im serious.



Haven't bought any lights in awhile but was buying some misc. stuff from DX and decided to pick up that C3 (sku 26122) as an impulse purchase since it was getting such good reviews.

Just got it in and for the price, I like it just fine.

What's the best way to compare output? From eyeballing the output, it doesn't seem brighter than my L1D (P4, smooth reflector) on 14500.

But for $15, it's a pretty good deal. Especially since it fully supports a 14500, unlike the L1D.


----------



## DHart

*Re: KaiDomain T1/ TLS light*

The KD TLS T1 flashlight arrived today. I bought it for the head, which at $29 is a steal compared to the OpticsHQ TLS head at $80. The body is a throw away... I didn't need it nor want it. The head is a Surefire E-series compatible head with a Q5 emitter.

The $29 TLS T1 Q5 head appears nearly identical (with some slight variations) to the Optics HQ TLS head I bought for $80. Output as measured in ceiling bounce test is identical and beam is pretty much a dead ringer as well. I think it's a great buy to upgrade a Surefire E-body to a Q5 LED for $29.

Here are pics showing my Optics HQ TLS head on a Fivemega 18500 body and the KD TLS T1 head on a Surefire E1e body.


----------



## Black Rose

*Re: KaiDomain T1/ TLS light*



DHart said:


> Here are pics showing my Optics HQ TLS head on a Fivemega 18500 body and the KD TLS T1 head on a Surefire E1e body.


That KD TLS head looks better to me, but it's probably just the colour.

The Optics HQ one does not look right to me - the colours on the head look mismatched.


----------



## fatts

*Re: KaiDomain T1/ TLS light*

Has everyone ordered the Kaidomain TLS T1 and no one tried the TLS T2 from Kaidomain? I noticed how the pictures of the TLS T1 on Kaidomain's website are "natural" coloured whilst everyone here seems to be receiving the black coloured ones, and I was wondering if that applied to the TLS T2 that Kaidomain sells as well.


----------



## ANDREAS FERRARI

Can anyone tell me the best bargain priced light with sideswitch/momentary-on running 18650 or RCR123-LED or Incan?


----------



## CampingLED

*Re: AKOray K-106*

Just for interest sake: the new light @ DX is about 2mm shorter.


----------



## xenonk

*Re: AKOray K-106*



CathastrophiX said:


> Received mine today, very nice light.


Thanks for the mini-review. Dang it, now I have to get one of these to check out.



Slash5 said:


> If you compare the image to an original Akoray K106, the threads look the same - I held my original up to the screen and they look identical.


Maybe they wanted better conduction and changed the design. Though I'm holding mine up to the picture but the picture's threads look kind of thin and not really square. I look forward to seeing the findings from all of you investigating these.

edit: Correcting myself, the threads on the Trustfire version do indeed look square, and the K-109 "Nkoray's" are both square and anodized.



ANDREAS FERRARI said:


> Can anyone tell me the best bargain priced light with sideswitch/momentary-on running 18650 or RCR123-LED or Incan?


A budget side forward clicky? I've never seen such a beast, but I would also be interested to know.


----------



## wykeite

*Re: AKOray K-106*

I came upon this thread by a link from another thread, then started following it down. I noticed quite a few comments regarding the poor quality of Ultrafire lights.
My experience has been the total opposite. A year and a half ago I bought a C1, the Centurion clone, from DX because I knew it was going to get beaten up and it has. The big surprise for me has been how well the finish has lasted considering it's only Type II anodising, it's been dropped onto concrete, survived a drop down 2 decks of a ship hitting every obstacle in the way until it landed in a foot of oily bilge water. The switch must get used over 50 times a day and has yet to fail. The only thing to fail with this light has been the Dereelight drop in I bought as an "upgrade" which turns off with the slightest bump, back to the cheap and nasty original 5 mode, not ideal but so far 100% reliable.
Yes I do have a real Surefire Centurion and I'd be prepared to risk damaging it, it's a tool after all to me, but why bother when the Ultrafire C1 is coping so well? And sub $20.


----------



## Hrvoje

*UltraFire RL-168*

Looks very nice, takes both AA/14500, and only 2 mode! Just ordered one 
Review coming soon (I hope).






Hrvoje


----------



## Zatoichi

Just thought I'd let you know my SS Ultrafire C3 arrived today. I have to agree with whoever it was who incited me to buy one, that the look and feel are excellent. It worked fine out of the packaging. The GITD ring behind the lens is a nice touch, the high is bright and the low is pretty low. Everything about it seems to be spot on. I don't know how bright it is with a 14500 as I don't have any, but on a lithium primary it's quite impressive.

A very nice light for the money, and no complaints here.


----------



## phlowcus

Zatoichi said:


> A very nice light for the money, and no complaints here.



A very nice light for the money without a doubt! Being picky though, the threads aren't too good on mine, they leave small partial gaps in between the parts. Plus the driver is very noisy. In quiet surroundings you can easily hear the pwm.

Thought I'd mention that.


----------



## cruud

*Akoray k-106*

I've been using an Akoray k-106. I really like it. Just a few questions.

Is it waterproof?
What kind of rechargeable battery do I want to get max output and where can I get one? I would like to pick one up at an electronics store if possible.

Thanks,

Cruud.


----------



## MerkurMan

*Re: Akoray k-106*



cruud said:


> I've been using an Akoray k-106. I really like it. Just a few questions.
> 
> Is it waterproof?
> What kind of rechargeable battery do I want to get max output and where can I get one? I would like to pick one up at an electronics store if possible.
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> Cruud.


I would call the light "splash-proof." It has two beefy o-rings between the battery tube and the head, but fairly thin single o-rings between the lens and head, and at the tailcap to body tube junction. I wouldn't doubt that under perfect conditions, it could be a very waterproof (dunkable) design, but due to the manufacturing tolerances, etc., I wouldn't freely submerge the light repeatedly.

As for the battery question, look no further than the 14500 rechargeable li-ion. I have the blue Trustfire protected cells from DX, and they work wonderfully. I also have the Ultrafire dedicated 14500 charger, and it hasn't failed me yet. I don't know where you could pick up similar batteries at a brick-and-mortar, but maybe someone else can point you in the right direction.

Hope that helps! Enjoy the light. I wouldn't part with mine for the world.


----------



## xenonk

*Re: Akoray k-106*



cruud said:


> Is it waterproof?
> What kind of rechargeable battery do I want to get max output and where can I get one? I would like to pick one up at an electronics store if possible.


Seconding the 14500. The light is designed with li-ion in mind and output on it is much higher. Note that despite being made of pretty beefy aluminum for an affordable light, it will start to overheat if run too long at high power.

Mine has been dunked on many occasions and run over once with no ill effects, but YMMV.


----------



## vali

My K-106 rested in a cup of water for about 6 hours without leaking. BTW, my tailcap doesnt have any O-ring (will try to get one).


----------



## xenonk

vali said:


> My K-106 rested in a cup of water for about 6 hours without leaking. BTW, my tailcap doesnt have any O-ring (will try to get one).


I almost completely missed the thin black o-ring on the tail when I first disassembled mine to remove the clip. I thought it was going to have another red one there. :thinking:


----------



## Zatoichi

phlowcus said:


> A very nice light for the money without a doubt! Being picky though, the threads aren't too good on mine, they leave small partial gaps in between the parts. Plus the driver is very noisy. In quiet surroundings you can easily hear the pwm.
> 
> Thought I'd mention that.



Mine fits together perfectly. Iconsistant QC is to be expected though, I guess I got lucky.

I'm not sure about the noise yet, I haven't noticed any but at the moment I've got workmen in the front garden so I'll have to check later. You can get noise on some of the more expensive and respected lights too though.


----------



## flatline

*Re: Akoray k-106*



MerkurMan said:


> I don't know where you could pick up similar batteries at a brick-and-mortar, but maybe someone else can point you in the right direction.



If you want 14500's, you pretty much have to buy them online. I called up the local BatteriesPlus store and the guy didn't even know what I was talking about. The only 14500's they have on their website are lithium primaries, not rechargeables!

Turns out that BatteriesPlus really only sells laptop and cell phone batteries and packs for RC hobbiests...


----------



## p moore

In my AK-106 I have been running a Energizer E Squared Lithium Primary. Brighter than a NiMh, and better runtime than a 14500. Been running for about 3 weeks used almost daily at work and home. 

Paul


----------



## oldtimer

What does PVM mean?


----------



## Hrvoje

oldtimer said:


> What does PVM mean?



Pulse-width modulation

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pulse-width_modulation

Hrvoje


----------



## oldtimer

Thanks! So what does it mean when a light has PVM on low and medium?

In additional, did anyone notice that the glowring only glows after the light had been turned on and the tailcap does'nt at all? What is that? Kind of defeats the purpose of having it glow in the first place.


----------



## xenonk

oldtimer said:


> Thanks! So what does it mean when a light has PVM on low and medium?


That usually refers to a light that is constant current on high, but uses PWM to achieve low and medium perceived brightness modes. This is easier to build, but you lose out on better LED efficiency at low current because you're using high current in a duty cycle.


----------



## BlueFlix

*NKOray K-106*



CampingLED said:


> Decided to order the new sku @ DX labeled as NKOray (28546). Will let you know if it is the real thing shown in the pics.


 


CampingLED said:


> Just for interest sake: the new light @ DX is about 2mm shorter.


 
Pls help comment whether its brightness on 14500 batteries is as high as that of the AKOray K-106 on Max.

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.28546

And whether it is really 3-modes (High-Mid-Low). Tks.


----------



## CampingLED

*Re: NKOray K-106*



BlueFlix said:


> Pls help comment whether its brightness on 14500 batteries is as high as that of the AKOray K-106 on Max.
> 
> http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.28546
> 
> And whether it is really 3-modes (High-Mid-Low). Tks.


 
The real one that I bought a few months ago was for a friend, but I will ask him to get together to test the two lights. The new light was shipped:
"On 8/10/2009:
Shipped"

Now 1-2 weeks before it is in my post box. I am very curious to see if it is programmable.


----------



## Zatoichi

oldtimer said:


> In additional, did anyone notice that the glowring only glows after the light had been turned on and the tailcap does'nt at all? What is that? Kind of defeats the purpose of having it glow in the first place.



Well that's how glow in the dark things work, they need to be charged by light. It can be useful if you have it in a lighted room and there's a power cut, as the button will glow assuming it's been exposed to light.

The only thing I can think of that doesn't need charging with light is tritium, but it's _much_ more expensive to fit tritium vials to something than GITD o-rings (more expensive than many budget lights).


----------



## Wiggle

xenonk said:


> That usually refers to a light that is constant current on high, but uses PWM to achieve low and medium perceived brightness modes. This is easier to build, but you lose out on better LED efficiency at low current because you're using high current in a duty cycle.



Efficiency should be the same as lower current I'd think. The emitter doesn't go "now I'm off, now I'm on for a bit but with low-efficiency", it's the integrated effect of current over time pushing the emitter into a less efficient state. That's just my intuition anyway.

Any experts want to comment? 1 LED is driven at 500mA, another one at 1000mA /w 50% duty-cycle PWM, is the efficiency the same? This is assuming the switching is pretty fast obviously.


----------



## Slash5

*Re: NKOray K-106*



CampingLED said:


> The new light was shipped:
> "On 8/10/2009:Shipped"
> 
> Now 1-2 weeks before it is in my post box. I am very curious to see if it is programmable.


My lights show the same - however if you click the Hongkong Post Office link, it shows they won't ship until the 13th.


----------



## CampingLED

*Re: NKOray K-106*



Slash5 said:


> My lights show the same - however if you click the Hongkong Post Office link, it shows they won't ship until the 13th.


 
I only had the one light in the order and therefore below the price for them to ship with HKP tracking.


----------



## PlayboyJoeShmoe

*Re: NKOray K-106*

Regarding PWM. If the frequency is fast enough it doesn't bother me.

Some of them are SLOW. Fenix LOD comes directly to mind!

Anyhow I should think you'd want FAST PWM or Current Control in any light!


----------



## hellrazorone

*Romisen RC-T6 vs Ultrafire WF-016*

Hi all!

I'm a total newbie to the forums and have been reading the advice given as to purchasing some flashlights from DX and others. I've ordered a few of the Akoray Cree Q5-WC but would also like something a little more powerful.

I was going to purchase the Romisen RC-T6 6*Cree Q4-WC 3-Mode 500-Lumen Mega LED Flashlight Black (US$58.99) but noticed that a new model was released which is supposedly brighter, the UltraFire WF-016 SSC-P7 5-Mode 800-Lumen LED Flashlight with Assault Crown (US$31.50) and seems to be significantly cheaper.

Is this just a bargain, or is the extended battery life and light quality much better on the Romisen?

Thanks!


----------



## xenonk

Wiggle said:


> Efficiency should be the same as lower current I'd think. The emitter doesn't go "now I'm off, now I'm on for a bit but with low-efficiency", it's the integrated effect of current over time pushing the emitter into a less efficient state. That's just my intuition anyway.


You're thinking of long term heating, which is more or less like that. What looks like an imperceptible PWM frequency to your eye, though, is more than long enough for current density to matter to the silicon. Running 1000mA through the emitter 50% of the time winds up being less efficient than tunning 500mA through all of the time.

Heat sinking and circuit efficiency can completely change the game, but those are entirely different things.


----------



## oldtimer

Would PVM cause it to have a buzzing sound? I don't hear anything on high but on medium and low there is a loud whine/buzz.


----------



## xenonk

PWM can provoke it if conditions are right, but the whine is actually caused by the inductor in the driver. It's basically being vibrated by its own magnetic field, and sometimes the frequency of that is within the range of human hearing.

Whine will vary from light to light due to manufacturing tolerances on the components. A loose coil is more likely to whine.


----------



## oldtimer

Ahh so how will I go upon fixing it if it's possible? This is the Ultrafire C3 on any mode except high and it's VERY loud and noticable. I don't notice this on the Akoray.


----------



## Slash5

oldtimer said:


> Ahh so how will I go upon fixing it if it's possible? This is the Ultrafire C3 on any mode except high and it's VERY loud and noticable. I don't notice this on the Akoray.


What worked for me - buy a motorcycle, some guns, and listen to loud music. Working with heavy machinery doesn't hurt too. After 30 years, no problem with funny little noises.:wave:


----------



## xenonk

oldtimer said:


> Ahh so how will I go upon fixing it if it's possible? This is the Ultrafire C3 on any mode except high and it's VERY loud and noticable. I don't notice this on the Akoray.


You could get at the driver and pot the inductor with epoxy to reduce vibration, but this of course requires the requisite tools and likely won't eliminate the whine entirely.



Slash5 said:


> What worked for me - buy a motorcycle, some guns, and listen to loud music. Working with heavy machinery doesn't hurt too. After 30 years, no problem with funny litle noises.:wave:


There's the truly reliable solution right there.


----------



## oldtimer

Does anyone elses SS C3 whine or should I be returning mine?


----------



## hoffmand

My SS C3 has a barely audible whine on medium and low, and the whine ticks on and off with strobe and SOS. I can't hear it unless I hold the light directly to my ear, which doesn't happen a lot in normal usage 

Also, it looks like someone learned Morse code over there because mine appears to work properly (...---...). I am very impressed with this light so far. Better than my RC-A3 in every way.


----------



## Egsise

Ordered a K-106 and a lux meter, heres the results for comparison.
My K-106 is 3-mode programmable so the med mode is in the chart for runtime test.
To set the low mode I waited that the ramping started, if I clicked before ramping the reading was ~80.


----------



## CampingLED

Egsise said:


> Ordered a K-106 and a lux meter, heres the results for comparison.


 
Nice comparison, tks. Just for interest sake, can you also please show some of the lights with Li-Ion cells pls.


----------



## Egsise

CampingLED said:


> Nice comparison, tks. Just for interest sake, can you also please show some of the lights with Li-Ion cells pls.


Sorry I don't have any 14500 Li-Ions, i have been thinking of getting a few but 99% of my flashlight use is on lo-med-hi modes.


----------



## tr098a

*Ultrafire Lantern ZF-60147 - Remove top?*

Does anyone know how to remove the top of this lantern?




The packaging shows it removed.





I presume it has notches that lock when you twist it, but I can only rotate it about 1 degree. 
I've tried pretty hard to rotate it further but it's only plastic and I don't want to break it.

I've seen other images of it with the top removed on the internet, but they are all silver, mine is more grey/gunmetal colour, maybe they changed production?

edit: nm, it was just really really tight


----------



## fstuff

*Need Headlamp*

i'm now working at a construction site, and the sun is rising later, and later.

can someone recommend a good cheap head lamp for my hard hat? (preferably from dealextreme?)

THX!


----------



## Painkiller1009

I was just looking for a headlamp a few weeks ago. Here are a couple I had picked out as candidates.

SKU 20763- Looks like a winner from the title but when you look closer its really AAA and not AA. Looks like the reflector is deep to so it will be more of a spot light then flood.

SKU 26250 - I like the flood to zoom feature of this one but the flood has very bad rings in it. Zoom looks to be very tight though.

SKU 18477 - I really liked this one. Only thing was the price...ouch. Nice short reflector for good flood. I like it takes a 18650 battery but I already have some and dont need a charger which this includes. If lower the price and exclude the charger this looks like a real nice headlamp.

I ended up going to wallyworld and getting a Coleman Max headlamp. It has a Cree XR-E in it with 2 modes and two 5mm red leds for night vision. This has worked out real well since it is mainly used for night fishing trips. Price was around $25 and had it when I need it....not a month later.

KD has some nicer headlamps, but I wont order from them agian after the headace of my first order. 
Let us know which one you decide on.


----------



## superhornet59

*Getting a Higher Amperage in a DX Light..?*

Hey everyone, so I bought an MTE SF-15 (5-mode, P7-D bin) off DX and got it a around a week ago. I have to say I'm pretty impressed with it, it's my first 'high power' LED light. Now, I'm not sure what 900 lumens is supposed to look like, because there are always factors like throw vs. flood and whatnot, but i always imagined 900 lumens to be a bit brighter... so I want to realise its potential. I understand that there are reflector losses, but I at least want the LED itself to be running at full capacity.

I also bought a multimeter earlier today, so I cant test amperage and voltages until it arrives.

So, here are some things i think I know about these lights.. the driver is supposed to be direct drive on Hi right? for that matter, is the driver behind the LED, or in the tailcap? I don't want to unscrew *that* much just yet (besides.. the heatsink is GLUED to the flashlight body? what kind of idiot thought of that..) Theres a thread that keeps coming up about a guy with his SSR-90 and AW IMR18650 powered light that pulls about 8 amps with the stock driver (which does 71 max apparently?).. so why am I constantly reading about people barely getting 2 amps when their (regular) 18650's can do more (around 3 i understand).

I'm really not an electronics, or electricity in general for that matter, genius. I understand volts and ohms.. but throw in amps and watts and i'm getting a little mixed up.

I've heard thicker wires leading up to the star board will allow for a higher amperage. As well. the fellow in the ssr-90 sf-15 thread mentioned the stock springs (SS?) have a high resistance and should be switched for something better like copper.

How much will one of these 18650's put out if there was almost no resistance (coppers wires straight from battery to LED board), so I know where to aim. for that matter, how many amps *can* you run through a P7-D before it fries?

This is stuff I'm just getting started in, and I don't want to wreck an LED and wait another month for a new one.

I've also heard people found.. like.. parallel resistors in these (maybe im mistaken and it was a different kind) drivers and jump-wired them and got a brighter light (with all 5 modes intact?).

I want to get every bit out light out of this thing before buying a more powerful LED someday.. so for now I'm thinking copper springs, and thicker gauge wires going to the LED board... but is the driver (on high) a big source of amp loss, and if so should i get a different one (in that case, which?) or is there something I can do with this one, or is it good just the way it is?

Haha these are pretty noob questions.. but you gotta start somewhere right.. Once I figure out this modding stuff.. I'll try some pretty crazy stuff soon after haha, luminus has some pretty powerful LED's I'd love to mess with someday.


-Matt


----------



## Slash5

*Review of UltraFire RL-118 Stainless Steel OSRAM light*

Here is a quick newbie review of the DX UltraFire RL-118 Stainless Steel OSRAM LUW-W5AM 2-Mode 150-Lumen Memory LED Flashlight (1*CR123A), SKU 26992. $25.80
First of all, I really like this light. Just ordered the companion to this light, SKU 26991.
It's full stainless steel. The body is polished with very faint machining marks. The head is a bit odd, looks almost cloudy with swirl marks. Someday when I have nothing to do, I'll polish it. There are various shallow curves and rings machined into the body to give a good grip without getting too swoopy. It's heavy but feels good in the hand.
Threads are good and well formed and come lubed. Seem kind of fine but haven't had any trouble with them.
It has a stainless clicky switch button - no rubber boot - looks very cool. Reverse clicky of course, just nicely stiff.
The clip is chromed steel, held on with two allen screws screwed into the body.
The clip has a fairly pronounced curve at the tip, makes it easy to slide back onto your pocket one handed. Holds on tight, very useful.
Comes with a tiny split ring throught the clip for a lanyard. Looks odd, a real afterthought, I cut it off as soon as I got it.

It has o-rings at both joints as well as a GITD o-ring above the lens. It's advertized as having a coated lens - it may be, looks clearer and seems to have a bit less reflection than I would expect.
Has a single gold plated spring at the switch end. Body doesn't screw together tight with a Trustfire 16340, leaves a slight gap but useable. An AW 16340 or primary scews up tight. Rated for 0.9~4.2V, 4.2V max.
The light will tailstand and the head will screw off leaving the emitter in place for candle mode.
The Osram emitter is amazingly tiny. Combined with the deep, smooth reflector, throw is great for a light this size. High and low with memory is a good combination - no stobes - yea!

Medium is very useable, high is amazing. Draw with a 16340 is 115 ma om medium, 975 ma on high. Fairly close to the advertized 1 amp. Haven't played with runtime. Gets fairly hot on high, no issues on medium. Haven't tried leaving it on high for a while yet.
The hotspot is very small and much brighter than all of my Akoray lights. It is as bright as any of my Solarforce P60 lights (not counting the multi-die lights), although I'm sure they put out more lumens. Beam is a bit ringy but not noticeable in use. Tint is cool white.
Since I got this light, this is the one that goes in the pocket when I'm going to be out after dark.


----------



## burns

*Ultrafire C3 Stainless arrived today - doesn't work...*

Here is the email I just sent Deal Extreme Customer Service: 

"Good day,

I received the Ultrafire C3 Stainless Steel Cree Q5-WC 5 mode flashlight today. Out of the first 10 or so times I turned it on, it failed to work 4 times. No light was emitted. 

If I just tap the light gently on a pillow or tap it with my finger while it is on, it turns off about half the time. It often even shuts off if I roll it over on a surface or gently bump it or turn it in another direction. I have tried removing the rear end of the light, where the battery goes in, and when I screw the end back on it goes on, then off, then on, then off, as I screw it in. Sometimes it works fine when I turn it on 3-4 times in a row, but then the 5th time it will fail to turn on, at which point I have to unscrew the rear end until it comes back on. I have tried several different types of AA batteries including Kirkland, Duracell and Energizer Alkalines. There is clearly a point of electrical contact that is not properly attached. The light has not been dropped or abused in any way since I received it. Note, I have had the light for about two hours. 

Finally, the light makes a buzzing noise which emits close to the lens. I am not sure if this is normal; it doesn't bother me but perhaps this fact will help you to pinpoint the problem with my light. 

This item is CLEARLY defective and completely unreliable. I hope this is just one bad apple, and that you will assist me by sending me a light that works, because I honestly plan to buy more of these as gifts (this was my first order from DX). Based on the reviews I read on the light before purchase, I assume this is just one bad light that got through QC. This would be a great light if it worked!!! In it's current state it is more trouble than it is worth, making it virtually worthless. 

I want to send you a couple videos which show part of the problem but your attachment mechanism does not accept video. I included a photo, since it is required, but you can't see this problem via still photo. Please send me an email address and I will provide the videos. 

Please assist me by providing a functional copy of this flashlight, which is what I paid for. 

Thanks!" 

If you guys have any suggestions on how to fix this while I wait for a response, please let me know. I can attach videos if it is allowed on this site and if you guys want to see them. It's really a shame - this light would be GREAT if it just worked. I have bought several lights over the years at the flea market for under $2, all of which were more reliable than this particular Ultrafire. 

Thanks, 

Burns


----------



## burns

*Re: Ultrafire C3 5-Mode*

My email to DX today, 

"Good day,

I received the Ultrafire C3 Stainless Steel Cree Q5-WC 5 mode flashlight today. Out of the first 10 or so times I turned it on, it failed to work 4 times. No light was emitted. 

If I just tap the light gently on a pillow or tap it with my finger while it is on, it turns off about half the time. It often even shuts off if I roll it over on a surface or gently bump it or turn it in another direction. I have tried removing the rear end of the light, where the battery goes in, and when I screw the end back on it goes on, then off, then on, then off, as I screw it in. Sometimes it works fine when I turn it on 3-4 times in a row, but then the 5th time it will fail to turn on, at which point I have to unscrew the rear end until it comes back on. I have tried several different types of AA batteries including Kirkland, Duracell and Energizer Alkalines. There is clearly a point of electrical contact that is not properly attached. The light has not been dropped or abused in any way since I received it. Note, I have had the light for about two hours. 

Finally, the light makes a buzzing noise which emits close to the lens. I am not sure if this is normal; it doesn't bother me but perhaps this fact will help you to pinpoint the problem with my light. 

This item is CLEARLY defective and completely unreliable. I hope this is just one bad apple, and that you will assist me by sending me a light that works, because I honestly plan to buy more of these as gifts (this was my first order from DX). Based on the reviews I read on the light before purchase, I assume this is just one bad light that got through QC. This would be a great light if it worked!!! In it's current state it is more trouble than it is worth, making it virtually worthless. 

I want to send you a couple videos which show part of the problem but your attachment mechanism does not accept video. I included a photo, since it is required, but you can't see this problem via still photo. Please send me an email address and I will provide the videos. 

Please assist me by providing a functional copy of this flashlight, which is what I paid for. 

Thanks! "


----------



## coolperl

*Re: Ultrafire C3 Stainless arrived today - doesn't work...*

If I were you, I wouldn't buy lights for gifts from DX/KD. I have bought several light from these shops and about 70% of them needs a "little fixing". :scowl:

I know, that price is very low. But so is the quality.

The buzzing noise you hear, is from circuit board and it has nothing to do with your defect. It's audible on most modes, except "high". You just have to live with it.

As for solving your issue, this is probably bad contact somewhere. It may be the switch - you need to remove it, check solder joints (and maybe re-solder them once again). It may be the joint between flashlight body/driver pill/driver itself - it's good to put some solder on joints to make better contact. 

Hopefully, you'll get a new flashlight ...but prepare some tools for it  I'm always surprised, when I receive a flashlight from DX/KD (in 15-20$ range) and it's 100% functional :thinking:


----------



## burns

*Re: Ultrafire C3 Stainless arrived today - doesn't work...*

I suppose I shouldn't have expected much for the price - but the body of this light is fantastic and the brightness is great, so you would think that they could handle making sure the light turns on and off successfully; at least as good as a flea market light. 

I would pay $30 or more for the same light if it were just reliable. It is as bright as my Fenix P1D which I got on sale for $35 and the body is sturdier and (IMO) cooler looking than the Fenix. If only it worked!!! Urgh!


----------



## dandism

I'm looking for a single AAA flashlight, but there are so many to chose from 

For you flashaholics, what is THE BRIGHTEST AAA light on DX under $20?


----------



## oronocova

*Re: Ultrafire C3 Stainless arrived today - doesn't work...*

I've had good luck with DX, not so much KD (poor communication.) DX's communication is pretty good and the only time I had to contact them they responded. Within a few days I had it resolved by going through their channels. (They did not include one item and sent it right away after I sent them the pictures they wanted etc...) Hope it works out for you, btw.. if you just e-mailed them it is better to use their customer service link and select the appropriate option (defecting, not shipped, etc...) That's what I did anyway.

HTH


----------



## oronocova

dandism said:


> I'm looking for a single AAA flashlight, but there are so many to chose from
> 
> For you flashaholics, what is THE BRIGHTEST AAA light on DX under $20?



The Akoray 103 is really good for the money in both output and build quality. You'll have to run 10440 lithium rechargables to get max output, but it (like any AAA sized light) will generate a LOT of heat on max. I run mine on L92 energizers and it does great, it's not usefull on 10440 for more than a few minutes.. just the wow factor. Another option is the iTP AAA lights available at goinggear.com. They have one with 3 modes and one with 2 modes. The high is higher than the Akoray on a L92 but not as high as the Akoray103 on 10440. 
Personally I'd go with the iTP, they are so small, probably 2/3 the length of the Akoray. But you can get the Akoray, two 10440 batteries, and a charger (14885) for just a tad over 20 bucks.


----------



## dandism

oronocova said:


> The Akoray 103 is really good for the money in both output and build quality. You'll have to run 10440 lithium rechargables to get max output, but it (like any AAA sized light) will generate a LOT of heat on max. I run mine on L92 energizers and it does great, it's not usefull on 10440 for more than a few minutes.. just the wow factor. Another option is the iTP AAA lights available at goinggear.com. They have one with 3 modes and one with 2 modes. The high is higher than the Akoray on a L92 but not as high as the Akoray103 on 10440.
> Personally I'd go with the iTP, they are so small, probably 2/3 the length of the Akoray. But you can get the Akoray, two 10440 batteries, and a charger (14885) for just a tad over 20 bucks.


 So the ITP is brighter than the Akoray when both have standard AAA?


----------



## oronocova

^ Mine is, the iTP and the Maratac high are virtually the same. The Akoray 103 is just slightly dimmer. This using 1.7V Energizer Lithium Primaries "L92." I don't know if it would be the same with alkalines or not. This is all just via my eyes in a ceiling bounce test in a dark room.


----------



## dandism

oronocova said:


> ^ Mine is, the iTP and the Maratac high are virtually the same. The Akoray 103 is just slightly dimmer. This using 1.7V Energizer Lithium Primaries "L92." I don't know if it would be the same with alkalines or not. This is all just via my eyes in a ceiling bounce test in a dark room.


 Just ordered the iTP


----------



## musicalfruit

Just got an AKOray K-106 from DX (DX 16607) today (along with a couple of protected 14500s). First impressions are positive. Pretty bright and I like the programmability but it seems hard to program the lowest low. Any tips on how to get the lowest low? Also, even on 14500s, it doesn't get very warm. Is this a good thing or bad? In comparsion, My SS Ultrafire C3 (DX 26122) gets super hot on 14500s.

Otherwise, I'll echo what everyone else is saying about it. Despite the lack of HA, it's a nifty light. Super bright and the ability to remove the flashy modes is a huge plus.


----------



## DHart

Just got my Ultrafire C3... wow, nice, solid, stout light! Great price. DX came through for me with flying colors as they have on the eight to ten orders I've placed with them. For the money the C3 is a nice light. Economical to toss in your toolbox, glovebox, kitchen drawer, RV, whatever. The stainless steel case is beautifully designed and makes a nice hand pacifier as well!


----------



## oldtimer

I just received a light that did not work and I have to ship it back to them to get it replaced. Shipping alone with tracking would be half the cost of the light! Grr.


----------



## how2

*Will 1300mA Current Output blow a Q5-WC*

Hi I'm new would like to know the 

I see two flash lights on DX SKU 28545 NKoray K109 and SKU 16844 Ultrafire A1 they both use Q5-WC led one is regulated at 1300mA and the other 1000mA. Had a look at Cree data sheet http://www.cree.com/products/pdf/XLamp7090XR-E.pdf. 

It states the 

　
Maximum drive current: up to 1000 mA Will the LED on the NKoray k109 not blow?

Thank you


----------



## hyperloop

*Stainless Steel Ultrafire C3 help needed.*

Hi all, based on the things that i heard here on CPF about the SS Ultrafire C3, i decided to get two, one as a gift and the other to keep.

Mine has been working pretty well but after i dropped it once, its been acting strange.

When i screw the tailcap in all the way, the light simply will not work, i have to unscrew it till its nearly off THEN it works. I'm not technically inclined, for me a flashlight is pop in the cell(s), click the switch, twist the head and that's all i know 

Any hints or help would be appreciated


----------



## berry580

*Re: Stainless Steel Ultrafire C3 help needed.*

something might have gone loose?

You might know this already, but I'll say it again just in case you didn't know.

Generic brands are NOT to be trusted. IMO, Trustfire is pretty much next to a generic brand, treat it as a disposable and get a REAL flashlight.
If you like SS, try Jetbeams E3P. Some people may recommend Fenix LD01 SS, but I've had one myself first hand and the flickering is unbearable @ medium & low.

Remember: YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR


----------



## jimmy1970

*Re: Stainless Steel Ultrafire C3 help needed.*



hyperloop said:


> I'm not technically inclined, for me a flashlight is pop in the cell(s), click the switch, twist the head and that's all i know /QUOTE]
> 
> With a high quality light, that's all you should have to know. These Ultrafires seem only suited to people with the know-how to rebuilt the damn things when they go bad - one drop and it now is unreliable? IMHO consider a Surefire 9P - nothing to go wrong.
> 
> P.S. Sorry I couldn't help you. Anyone else out there with Ultrafire knowledge??
> 
> James...


----------



## Crenshaw

*Re: Stainless Steel Ultrafire C3 help needed.*

With a high quality light, that's all you should have to know. These Ultrafires seem only suited to people with the know-how to rebuilt the damn things when they go bad - one drop and it now is unreliable? IMHO consider a Surefire 9P - nothing to go wrong.

P.S. Sorry I couldn't help you. Anyone else out there with Ultrafire knowledge??

James...[/QUOTE]

Actually, thats pretty much what we all like ultrafires for. 

Crenshaw


----------



## jimmy1970

*Re: Stainless Steel Ultrafire C3 help needed.*



Crenshaw said:


> With a high quality light, that's all you should have to know. These Ultrafires seem only suited to people with the know-how to rebuilt the damn things when they go bad - one drop and it now is unreliable? IMHO consider a Surefire 9P - nothing to go wrong.
> 
> P.S. Sorry I couldn't help you. Anyone else out there with Ultrafire knowledge??
> 
> James...


 
Actually, thats pretty much what we all like ultrafires for. 

Crenshaw[/QUOTE]
Fair enough!!

James....


----------



## hyperloop

*Re: Stainless Steel Ultrafire C3 help needed.*

lol!!

that was what i was pretty much expecting, ah well, may as well just use this as a host for my first attempts at modding then.

I'm not too sure if something's loose as it works when the tailcap's loose and stops when tightened.


----------



## richardcpf

*Re: Stainless Steel Ultrafire C3 help needed.*

Seems like a switch problem.

Same thing hapenned to me.. just disarm and rearm everything. I do this when my cheapos fail, and it works! oh well most of the times.


----------



## CampingLED

*AKOray K106 SKU:28546*

Received my latest light 10 minutes ago. AKOray K106 SKU:28546. Just tried it quickly with 14500 battery.

Name is AKOray and not NKOray as on website
Very bright in High mode (brighter than my modified C3 SS wit R2 emitter driven @ 700mA)
Square threads that are not anodised (do not have the other K106 to compare it with, but it seems finer threads than the other light)
ONLY the threads are not anodised, the rest of the light is. Great for good contacts.
Five modes H-M-L-Fast strobe-SOS
Light has last mode memory
Reverse clicky
Tried the programming process by tapping it six times while on, tried a few other options as well. Does not seem to be programmable.
One O-ring on lens, two on top of barrel and one on tailcap. All light green & glow in the dark.
Driver is definately different and looks like the typical underside of a normal circuit board (red).
OP reflector.

Cons:
Threads not lubricated and dirty.
Switch is inserted skew and spring therefore also skew. Removed spring and inserted it correctly, solved.
Flashing modes (Aaaagh!!! No!!!)
Not programmable
+- 1mm Gap between battery tube and battery. Does rattle when shaken HARD
Cree rings on white wall, but not a problem in normal use.

Current draw on 14500 LiIon (battery side):
H - 1.3A
M - 600mA
L- 75mA

Beam shots will have to wait till I get the other K106 to comare it with.

Pictures of light:














































EDIT #3:
Great news, got my friend's K106 (SKU 16607) to compare it with the new K106 (SKU 28546). With all photos I will refer to the SKU 28546 as the "new" light and SKU 16607 as the "old" light. Camera was set to 200 ASA

In short:
Same length
Heads can be swapped
New light has darker anodising (not all that visable in the flash photos)
New light has green glow in dark switch button, old one orange
No anodising on threads of new light

Both lights were tested as received from DX (old light has not been programmed)
Both lights were tested with new fully charged 14500 batteries (opened them today and fully charged them together on same charger)

Here are the photos:

New light bottom with larger text. Note the slight change in the clips (extra bend).





New light bottom, other side of lights





Switches, new light LEFT





Reflectors, new light RIGHT (Looks like the old light uses a Cree EZ900 and the new light a EZ1000 LED)





Threads, new light LEFT





Beam shots on high (Manual exp 1/30 sec F5.6, AWB, 2.5m from wall) New light left





Beam shots on high (Manual exp 1/30 sec F8, AWB, 2.5m from wall) New light left





To me and my son the new light is brighter and has a warmer colour tone.


----------



## Yucca Patrol

*Re: Stainless Steel Ultrafire C3 help needed.*

I had similar problems with mine. I bought it from DX just because I didn't have a SS light and wanted something cheap to play with. It was DOA on arrival. I found that I could get the head to light up by connecting it to a battery with a wire and that the switch worked, but it had problems getting the current to pass through the body. 

I'm going to end up fixing it but I contacted DX and they are sending a new one to me. Hopefully between the parts of the two and some work, I should have one working light for a while until it breaks.

Cheap lights from DX are like junk food. They are fun once in a while, but you need some good nutrition you can count on.


----------



## Slash5

*Re: Stainless Steel Ultrafire C3 help needed.*

There is a thread on troubleshooting - do a search.
If you unscrew the bottom of the flashlight and short the battery to the casing, does the light work ok?
If so, you've isolated the problem to the switch.
Uncrew the brass ring (use tweezers, needle noe pliers, dividers, or even nails) in the bottom of the flashlight and remove the switch parts. Examine for damage and if you have a multimeter, check the switch for continuity.
Reassemble making sure everything is clean.
If it's not the switch, unscrew the head and try to loosen and tighten the pill.


----------



## DHart

*Re: Fenix LD01*

Off topic as this is not a cheap, budget light...



berry580 said:


> Some people may recommend Fenix LD01 SS, but I've had one myself first hand and the flickering is unbearable @ medium & low.



Flickering? I've never heard anyone mention that before and there are a bazillion LD01 lovers here. I've got two, a regular and a SS and they're absolutely phenomenal lights on any of the three levels... no flickering of any kind. Solid as a rock, reliable as the sun, brighter than you can believe on a 10440. Highly recommended to anyone who doesn't have one yet.

While the SS version is really cool, the regular one is a bit more practical because it's so much lighter and you can always have one in your pocket without any awareness of it's presence. The SS one makes it's presence in the pocket a little more noticible due to weight.

The LD01 is a wonder to behold!


----------



## PlayboyJoeShmoe

*Re: Fenix LD01*

Do you mean to say there is no PWM flicker or no connection trouble flicker?

Because LOD Q4 would be a MUCH better light without that darn PWM.

So if THAT is what you mean I'll simply have to pine for one of those as well.


----------



## Egsise

AKOray K-106 3-mode programmable version sku.16607


----------



## BlueFlix

*AKOray K106 SKU:28546*



CampingLED said:


> Received my latest light 10 minutes ago. AKOray K106 SKU:28546. Just tried it quickly with 14500 battery.
> 
> Name is AKOray and not NKOray as on website
> Very bright in High mode (slightly brighter than my modified C3 SS wit R2 emitter driven @ 700mA)
> Threads are not anodised, but are square (do not have the other K106 to compare it with, but it seems finer threads than the other light)
> ONLY the threads are not anodised, the rest of the light is.
> 5 - Modes of which two are flashing modes (Aaaagh!!! No!!!)
> Light has last mode memory
> Tried the programming process by tapping it six times while on, tried a few other options as well. Does not seem to be programmable.
> One O-ring on lens, two on top of barrel and one on tailcap. All light green.
> Driver is definately different and looks like the typical underside of a normal circuit board (red).
> 
> Threads not lubricated and dirty.
> Switch is inserted skew and spring therefore also skew.


Tks for the review. I've been waiting for it to determine whether to buy this light.

In terms of Max Brightness, it seems to be as bright as the original K106.

What is the Out-The-Front lumen when used in Mid and Low mode with 14500 batteries? And what is the run-time for Max, Mid and Low?

Last question: What is the sequence of the modes? High, Mid, Low then the last two flashing modes?


----------



## steinstern

need some help:

i´m looking for the cheapest, most reliable aa (2aa is ok, but i would prefer 1aa) dx-light

it will be a little present and best would be a not to complicated UI.

i was thinking about the C3 SS but iv'e red some stories of it getting brokeen after just one drop. 

what do you thing would be the best? 

thanks a lot, steinstern


----------



## Zatoichi

steinstern said:


> need some help:
> 
> i´m looking for the cheapest, most reliable aa (2aa is ok, but i would prefer 1aa) dx-light
> 
> it will be a little present and best would be a not to complicated UI.
> 
> i was thinking about the C3 SS but iv'e red some stories of it getting brokeen after just one drop.



The Romisen RC-G2 is okay for a single AA, if slightly bulky. Personally I like the SS C3 better, but I haven't dropped it yet. There is the risk of any DX light having problems after a drop, or even on arrival. Most problems seem to be easily remedied though, and involve bits needing tightening up or cleaning.


----------



## Aarifin

I have a few lights from DX and the latest is SS C3 Q5. The exterior craftsmanship is unbelievable for such a cheap light but the driver quality has a big question mark all over it. Why i hear you asking.

It is so bright (white light) and versatile 5 modes with memory make it a bargain when it works but then i accidentally dropped it and it is no longer working. I feel cheated as my $15 flew away down the drain which initially looked like deal of the decade. I have not dismantled the driver for further investigation tho.

In terms of brightness, although practically the same Q5, SS C3 is noticeably brighter than my Akoray k106 but Akoray reliability are several light years ahead of ultrafire. I dropped my akoray couple of times on tarmac with dents here and there and its wroking great, still.

I have other non working Ultrafire C3 after a gentle accidental knock. Ultrafire QC, while seemed ok on the out side, is in fact, KO on the inside. No more ultrafire for me.

In standard stock form, build quality & throw of my romisen R2-G2 are miles ahead of Ultrafire C3 SS Q5.

My Akoray k 106 is a versatile little light that doesnt go distance and can be programmed to save power consumption when battery is low

My vote goes for Romisen for quality stuff at reasonable price. If i were to rank it, first place goes to R2-G2 followed by K 106. Then there is a huge gap and at distant bottom, it's ultrafire c3.

I have other romisens too and Romisen has been my standard for cheap china made flash light. Now, If only R2-G2 could tail stand, that would be perfect:thinking:.


----------



## CampingLED

*Re: AKOray K106 SKU:28546*



BlueFlix said:


> Tks for the review. I've been waiting for it to determine whether to buy this light.
> 
> In terms of Max Brightness, it seems to be as bright as the original K106.


 
The original that I bought was for a friend. We will get together in a few days to compare. My feeling is that it IS as bright. It is much brighter than my modified C3 SS wit R2 emitter @ 700mA.



BlueFlix said:


> What is the Out-The-Front lumen when used in Mid and Low mode with 14500 batteries? And what is the run-time for Max, Mid and Low?


 
Do not have the tools to measure, but on H the current draw from the 14500 battery is as high as 1.3 A. Med 600 mA & Low 75 mA.



BlueFlix said:


> Last question: What is the sequence of the modes? High, Mid, Low then the last two flashing modes?


 
Correct, H - M - L - Fast flashing - SOS

@ the price I feel that this is a good value for money light. Pitty that it does not have the programmable driver and for the strobe modes.


----------



## steinstern

CampingLED said:


> The original that I bought was for a friend. We will get together in a few days to compare. My feeling is that it IS as bright. It is much brighter than my modified C3 SS wit R2 emitter @ 700mA.



are you talking about nimh or lion?! because i just orderd a c3 ss....

so you think sku.28546 would be the better choice?!

whats about the build quality? any negative things about this light?

thanks, steinstern


----------



## CampingLED

steinstern said:


> are you talking about nimh or lion?! because i just orderd a c3 ss....
> 
> so you think sku.28546 would be the better choice?!
> 
> whats about the build quality? any negative things about this light?
> 
> thanks, steinstern


 
Used 14500 battery to test (Li-Ion). The negative things I mentioned are in the review, problem with scew switch and flashing modes. Found that the spring was inserted wrong and fixed it with little effort. Switch is fine now.

I have an original P4 Cree C3 SS that I modified. Have a few more of the latest ones on order and cannot at this stage comment on the latest C3 SS light. My feeling is that the SS C3 is a great host, but it does have quality problems that can be sorted out (contact problems and a poor quality switch). I would say that the latest K106 will be better in quality if you want a light that works out of the box. Output should also be higher on H mode.

If DX can just deliver on their orders within a short period of time I would have had most of the answers for you. I have outstanding orders from 13 July and 9 June (only partially shipped). :thumbsdow


----------



## DHart

The case on the C3 SS is really fantastic!

When dropped, what part is it that is so delicate? The driver? The switch?

How big of a deal would it be to replace the driver and switch with something more durable/better? The case is so cool, it would seem worth it to mod the light for extra durability of the internal components.


----------



## CampingLED

DHart said:


> The case on the C3 SS is really fantastic!


 
Agree, that is the reason why I modded it and it is my current EDC. The SS is very durable. I also have three more on order, one or two as hosts to mod and one as a gift.



DHart said:


> When dropped, what part is it that is so delicate? The driver? The switch?


 
The replacement switch that I used to mod my original C3 SS is SKU 5588. It has a rating of 0.5A 36VDC, which could be better. Externally the switch looks exactly like the original. From the five bought one was DOA. Quoted from DX: "Electrically Life: 50,000cycles" they should talk to their suppliers. Will appreciate it if anybody can direct us to a better direct replacement switch.



DHart said:


> How big of a deal would it be to replace the driver and switch with something more durable/better? The case is so cool, it would seem worth it to mod the light for extra durability of the internal components.


 
That is what most CPF members will probably do over a period of time, what about the users who just want a good light that works well without modding?


----------



## musicalfruit

*Re: AKOray K106 SKU:28546*



CampingLED said:


> Do not have the tools to measure, but on H the current draw from the 14500 battery is as high as 1.3 A. Med 600 mA & Low 75 mA.



Is it OK to draw 1.3A continuously? The other K106 (sku.16607) seems to be rated at 900mA so how much brighter would this K106 be if it draws that much more voltage?

Thanks.


----------



## CampingLED

*Re: AKOray K106 SKU:28546*



musicalfruit said:


> Is it OK to draw 1.3A continuously? The other K106 (sku.16607) seems to be rated at 900mA so how much brighter would this K106 be if it draws that much more voltage?
> 
> Thanks.


 
I removed the switch and it is fairly difficult to measure current, and keep the contact with my large multimeter probes. Current was therefore only measured for a few seconds. I think that it will reduce quite quickly. My feeling is that the battery capacity will be the limiting factor. With the true capacity of a 14500 battery of around 650mA this light wants to draw about 2C. The light gets quite hot on High when left on for 5 minutes, but you can still comfortably hold it in your hand. 

PS: I updated the review with a bit more info and will do so over time.


----------



## randomlugia

*SpiderFire P7 Review*

First of all, sorry this isn't in the "Reviews" section. For some reason I don't have rights to post a thread there. Can someone explain...?
Anyways, I got the light from DealExtreme. Packaging was ok, it was just bubble wrapped in a small rectangular box (sorry no pics). It seemed
pretty tight, and no scratches on the light, so I'm happy. :twothumbs

http://i870.photobucket.com/albums/ab266/randomlugia/P8200338.jpg
Pros:

-First impressions were good, worked right out of the box

-Aluminum reflector feels solid

-Emitter is centered (pic)

-long battery life on high and low

-can tailstand

Cons:

-reverse clicky is sort of a con, because I still really like the momentary off

-directly driven, so it gets pretty hot off fresh batteries on high

http://i870.photobucket.com/albums/ab266/randomlugia/P8200298.jpg

http://i870.photobucket.com/albums/ab266/randomlugia/1.jpg

http://i870.photobucket.com/albums/ab266/randomlugia/2.jpg

http://i870.photobucket.com/albums/ab266/randomlugia/SC2.jpg

Anodization is perfect, with only one microscopic flaw.

http://i870.photobucket.com/albums/ab266/randomlugia/3.jpg

The head doesn't unscrew, just the crown, which holds the glass and reflector in. The crown isn't too sharp, definately not enough to cut you
(which is a good thing in my case). But you could probably use it for breaking glass.

http://i870.photobucket.com/albums/ab266/randomlugia/TakenApart.jpg

The light has a nice finned heatsink, with an anti-roll bezel. It also came with good wrist lanyard, which appears to be pretty good quality.

http://i870.photobucket.com/albums/ab266/randomlugia/Wrist.jpg

The glass lens is nearly invisible. Probably not the best considering it's from DX, but it's really clear. The knurling is good and makes it easy to
grip.

http://i870.photobucket.com/albums/ab266/randomlugia/P8200351.jpg

Standard reverse tail clicky.

http://i870.photobucket.com/albums/ab266/randomlugia/Clicky.jpg

Machining looks sharp.

http://i870.photobucket.com/albums/ab266/randomlugia/1inch.jpg

I'm also impressed with the printing, as it is perfectly sharp on both sides.

http://i870.photobucket.com/albums/ab266/randomlugia/Writing1.jpg

http://i870.photobucket.com/albums/ab266/randomlugia/Writing2.jpg

Here's a pic of the emitter, WAY stepped down:

http://i870.photobucket.com/albums/ab266/randomlugia/ECO1.jpg







Output is good-not as stated, of course-but still impressive. Based on what I've seen, and on ceiling bounce, I would guess 600-700 lumens OTF. The low mode looks to be about 80 lumens. The is probably the smallest SSC light on the market, as it puts out at least 600 lumens from a light less than 6 inches. This makes it very easy to impress people.  Although, it can also lead to heating problems.

The beam pattern is great, with no rings or spots.

http://i870.photobucket.com/albums/ab266/randomlugia/Stepdownbeam.jpg

http://i870.photobucket.com/albums/ab266/randomlugia/P8200341.jpg

I don't have any comparisons besides the 3D Maglite at the moment, so this will have to do. This is adjusted so it looks like what I saw.

http://i870.photobucket.com/albums/ab266/randomlugia/SC1.jpg

http://i870.photobucket.com/albums/ab266/randomlugia/PB3.jpg

http://i870.photobucket.com/albums/ab266/randomlugia/PB1.jpg

http://i870.photobucket.com/albums/ab266/randomlugia/100_3210.jpg

http://i870.photobucket.com/albums/ab266/randomlugia/100_3212.jpg

http://i870.photobucket.com/albums/ab266/randomlugia/PB2.jpg

Absolutely no donut on the white wall, unless you turn it on low and get about an inch away from the wall. Removing the reflector turns it into a big solid circle. Low mode without the reflector is perfect for reading. This picture also shows the color the best (neutral/vanilla tint).

http://i870.photobucket.com/albums/ab266/randomlugia/P8200287.jpg

Very floody. If you are looking for a flood light, this is good, but it only reaches to about 300-400 ft, completely lighting up the area 50 feet across. It has a deep OP reflector, so it's mainly flood with a hotspot in the middle (perfect transition!). Sometimes instead of holding the light I just set it down 15 feet away from me, as it it lights up the entire yard. =D Ceiling bounce:

http://i870.photobucket.com/albums/ab266/randomlugia/Ceiling.jpg

The UI is ok, it's click high, click low, click off. No mode memory.

Again, the size is great. I use it as an EDC, as it fits into my pocket pretty well.

That's pretty much it, hope this helped. You flashaholics probably already knew this, but Nikon filters help adjust the tint.

http://i870.photobucket.com/albums/ab266/randomlugia/P8180219.jpg

Sorry about some of the pictures; the camera was on ISO3200 so I wouldn't have to use a tripod.


_
Over sized images changed to links_


----------



## musicalfruit

After using the SS C3 (DX 26122) on 14500 for awhile, I noticed that it gets pretty damn hot. Hot enough to melt the GITD ring around the head.

Whoops. Oh well, it's still usable if a bit ugly...


----------



## steinstern

how hot does it get when using eneloops/ nimhs?


----------



## musicalfruit

steinstern said:


> how hot does it get when using eneloops/ nimhs?



Not very. Just warm to the touch.

When on 14500/high and tailstanding, it gets hot enough that you wouldn't want to grab it by the head portion with your bare hand.

In comparison, the AKOray K106 (DX 16607) only gets warm to the touch when on 14500/high and tailstanding.


----------



## CampingLED

*AKOray K106 comparison*

Great news, got my friend's K106 (SKU 16607) today to compare it with the new K106 (SKU 28546). With all photos I will refer to the SKU 28546 as the "new" light and SKU 16607 as the "old" light.

In short:
Same length
Heads can be swapped
New light has darker anodising (not all that visable in the flash photos)
New light has green glow in dark switch button, old one orange

Both lights were tested as received from DX (old light has not been programmed)
Both lights were tested with new fully charged 14500 batteries (opened them today and fully charged them together on same charger)

Here are the photos:

New light bottom with larger text





New light bottom other side of lights





Switches, new light LEFT





Reflectors, new light RIGHT





Threads, new light LEFT





Beam shots on high (Manual exp 1/30 sec F5.6, AWB, 2.5m from wall) New light left





Beam shots on high (Manual exp 1/30 sec F8, AWB, 2.5m from wall) New light left





To me and my son the new light is brighter and has a warmer colour tone.

I have the old light for a few days (borrowed my modded C3 SS to my friend) so if you have any questions, SHOOT 

EDIT: Forgot to mention that my camera is set to 200 ASA


----------



## dandism

Is the K106 the brightest AA on DX?


----------



## CampingLED

Most likely the brightest 14500. I will leave it to others to comment on the brightest AA.


----------



## steinstern

sounds great!!

i realy would like to know how it compares to the "newest" C3 SS (sku.26122) when it comes to brightness on NIMHs..

does somebody have both and could do a quick check?! would be great!


edit:

the main question is: which is the better light for NIMH use? which should i buy?!

(the weightdifference is no problem for me and actually i don´t mind if its aluminim or ss)


----------



## oldtimer

musicalfruit said:


> After using the SS C3 (DX 26122) on 14500 for awhile, I noticed that it gets pretty damn hot. Hot enough to melt the GITD ring around the head.
> 
> Whoops. Oh well, it's still usable if a bit ugly...



Do you notice that it doesn't glow in the dark until you actually turn the light on for a while?


----------



## musicalfruit

oldtimer said:


> Do you notice that it doesn't glow in the dark until you actually turn the light on for a while?



Yeah.

What happened was that the light got so hot that the GITD ring around the lens puffed up and began to flow out of the head. I shut the light off and tried to push the ring back in but it's hard & cracked now so it didn't work.

Not a huge deal as the light still works. I just have to remember not to leave it on 14500/high for a long time.


----------



## BlueFlix

*SmallSun ZY-C41 Cree Q3-WC 3-Mode*

Nice review. I was keen on buying this flashlight when it first came out. But according to some users/buyers, it cannot take 14500 batteries.

https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/240455



old4570 said:


> SmallSun ZY-C41 Cree Q3-WC 3-Mode 130-Lumen LED Flashlight (1*AA/1*14500) $10.55 Free Shipping dx/sku.26930
> 
> Brand: SmallSun
> Model: ZY-C41
> Emitter Brand/Type: Cree
> Emitter BIN: Q3-WC
> Color BIN: White
> Total Emitters: 1
> Battery Configurations: 1 x AA or 1 x 14500 Ii-on battery
> Voltage Input: 0.9~4.2V, 4.2V max
> Switch Type: Clicky (Clickie); Glow-in-the-Dark
> Switch Location: Tailcap (Tail-cap)
> Modes: 3
> Mode Memory: -
> Mode Arrangement: Hi > Low > SOS
> Circuitry: Digital Regulated 600mA Current Output
> Brightness: 130 lumens maximum brightness (manufactuer rated)
> Runtime: -
> Lens: Plastic Lens
> Reflector: Aluminum Textured/OP Reflector
> Carrying Clip: -
> Carrying Strap: Strap Included
> 
> Performance
> 
> Eveready General Purpose AA = Lo 0.42A / 800Lux - Hi 0.72A / 1400Lux
> Super Cheap AA = Lo 0.45A / 800Lux - Hi 0.7A / 1200Lux
> Varta Hi Energy AA = Lo 0.5A / 850Lux - Hi 1.3A / 3200Lux
> Alkaline AA = Lo 0.5A / 850Lux - Hi 1.5A / 3500Lux
> Sony Cycle Energy Rechargeable AA = Lo 0.5A / 850Lux - Hi 1.44A / 3500Lux
> 14500 Trustfire = Lo 0.12A / 870Lux - Hi 1A / 10,000Lux
> 
> Quality = I was impressed with everything but the lose internals , the tail clicky has something rattling away , and when you slap the light in your hand it turns off , another slap and it turns on again . Opening up the head to see what’s lose is not possible due to the lack of slots to put something in , to turn and twist out the pill .
> 
> Overall a nice light , especially for $10 USD shipped , its freakin dirt cheap , it needs fixing to make it a good light , but for the money ? Anyhow , Im going to have to drill into the driver so my pliers have something to grip to remove the pill . Ive already had the tail clicky open for adjustment . If your not into fixing things , spending a few dollars more for something possibly more reliable may be the go .
> 
> I have one more AA light on order , the Akoray 106 5 mode [ not programmable ] .
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I dont know why people like AA , there massive lights , both the SmallSun and the MTE dwarf my 1 x CR123A lights , and output with a single AA is really not that impressive .
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Overall , nice , but a darn shame about the lose internals , if it was all OK this would be a fantastic buy , butt!  , unfortunatley all is not ok so I hesitate to recommend this light , if your good at fixing stuff , and dont mind doing repairs to make it ok , then for $10USD , it might be a good buy.
> 
> I have mixed feelings about this light , it could be very good , but as received it has sorely disappointed .


----------



## Painkiller1009

Is it lose? or loose? :thumbsup:
Looks just like a ultrafire A10.
(Edit) Looks like dx has a new A10b out 5 mode R2 But looks like its a 18650 battery.
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.29096


----------



## nsx

*Re: AKOray K106 comparison*



CampingLED said:


> Great news, got my friend's K106 (SKU 16607) today to compare it with the new K106 (SKU 28546). With all photos I will refer to the SKU 28546 as the "new" light and SKU 16607 as the "old" light.


Thank you very much for the info and reviews on these lights, CampingLED. I pulled the trigger on both the 16607 and the 28546 to play with, and EDC if they're good enough. I can't wait to get them, but it seems like the 28546 is the better value for the money IMO. I think $6 is a lot to pay for programmability (and reduced output) when we're talking about sub $20 lights. I hope they satisfy my new addiction to cheap & bright LED flashlights for a long while!


----------



## CampingLED

*Re: AKOray K106 comparison*



nsx said:


> Thank you very much for the info and reviews on these lights, CampingLED. I pulled the trigger on both the 16607 and the 28546 to play with, and EDC if they're good enough. I can't wait to get them, but it seems like the 28546 is the better value for the money IMO. I think $6 is a lot to pay for programmability (and reduced output) when we're talking about sub $20 lights. I hope they satisfy my new addiction to cheap & bright LED flashlights for a long while!


 
Both are great lights and you will be pleased with them. I do however miss my C3 SS that my friend has, since it has a more rugget host and is more suitable for my EDC purposes. In the mean time I keep my TR-803 in my pocket again as EDC and the "new" K106 is my ENC light.


----------



## LED Cool

I put in a freshly charged Sanyo eneloop (1.42V) and after about 5 mins, my 28546 (the new K106), on high, started to flash slowly. it looks like a low battery warning to me. i switched to medium output and the flashing stop.
i tried again with a new alkalinie and the same thing happens.

anyone with the new K-106 can repeat the same behaviour as mine? or is my 28546 defective?

thanks.
khoo


----------



## pekcle

LED Cool said:


> I put in a freshly charged Sanyo eneloop (1.42V) and after about 5 mins, my 28546 (the new K106), on high, started to flash slowly. it looks like a low battery warning to me. i switched to medium output and the flashing stop.
> i tried again with a new alkalinie and the same thing happens.
> 
> anyone with the new K-106 can repeat the same behaviour as mine? or is my 28546 defective?
> 
> thanks.
> khoo



What I have noticed on mine is that when it can no longer pull enough current on high, it turns right off. I would have to switch to a lower mode to keep it going. However, this is on Li-Ion. I never ran it down on AA.


----------



## CampingLED

LED Cool said:


> I put in a freshly charged Sanyo eneloop (1.42V) and after about 5 mins, my 28546 (the new K106), on high, started to flash slowly. it looks like a low battery warning to me. i switched to medium output and the flashing stop.
> i tried again with a new alkalinie and the same thing happens.
> 
> anyone with the new K-106 can repeat the same behaviour as mine? or is my 28546 defective?
> 
> thanks.
> khoo


 
Fully, but not freshly charged 2500GP AA battery (charged 2 weeks ago). Intensity stayed the same for about an hour whereafter it started dimming fairly fast. No flashing or flickering on High. You should contact DX.

Correction: It was a 2300 GP battery and not 2500.


----------



## LED Cool

thanks CampingLED.

i just want to make sure we are talking about the same light. mine is SKU 28546 (the new K-106).

looks like i will have to open a ticket to DX.

again, thank you.
khoo


----------



## CampingLED

Same light that I used for the test and the one I reviewed. The old light will be returned to my friend tomorrow.


----------



## vali

Egsise said:


> AKOray K-106 3-mode programmable version sku.16607



I really appreciate the runtime chart as it answers one of my questions about the K-106 (How good its regulation is?) but... are you sure you get programed it to the very minimum?

I did a runtime test in minimum with an eneloop and got about 37 hours. At first was not sure if it was to 50% due my luxometer (human eye, lol), but seeing the flat regulation the runtime should be near those 37 hours. 10+ hours difference seems too high to be the Vf.


----------



## elwood

I just want to thank you, BessieBenny! Because of you i have started lighting up (Flashaholism)! 

I bought my first (besides cheap LED's and maglites) real flashlight, an RC-G2 Q5 II. I was nearly blown away by this single AA flashlight!! At the time I had no idea this much light could be produced from a single AA! 

It's been about two weeks since i got the Romisen in and i already bought another flashlight (i feel the flashaholism slowly taking over!), a T100C2 MkII which is a great flashlight for it's runtime, size, and decent throw.

I'm already searching the forums and doing research for my next light, a massive thrower! :naughty:

Thanks again for this really thorough and in-depth round-up! :twothumbslovecpf


----------



## superpila

*Re: AKOray K106 comparison*

I've just received the "new" akoray k106 and k109. 
It seems like they have exactly the same driver of the Ultrafire C3 SS. All these three heads light properly with any battery in the 0.9V - 4.2V range.

Actually, It seems to me that even the reflector is the same. So in the end you can have a choice of the same great light in AA format, In CR123 format and in SS 




From left to right: original K106. New "nkoray" k106, new "nkoray" k109 and and ultrafire C3 SS


----------



## Painkiller1009

So the new AKOrays are not programmable? 
Now they just have 5 modes to cycle through? 
What a bummer if so...:thumbsdow
Being able to program what modes you want is one of the key features that made the AKOray so popular.


----------



## nsx

Painkiller1009 said:


> So the new AKOrays are not programmable?
> Now they just have 5 modes to cycle through?
> What a bummer if so...:thumbsdow
> Being able to program what modes you want is one of the key features that made the AKOray so popular.


I think the original K106, which is still available (SKU 16607), *IS* programmable (3 mode only though). There's another version (SKU 28546) misspelled Nkoray, that is not programmable, but is $5.13 cheaper and looks to be slightly brighter.

So if you want the programmable version, you can still get it. I ordered both versions to play with.


----------



## Painkiller1009

Ok, thanks for clearing that up.
I didn't know the old light was still available.

When you get your new lights be sure to post which is brighter, since both will be new.


----------



## J_C

The new AKORay 106, http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.28546 is like many DX lights claiming both AA and Li-Ion 14500 support but is stretching the truth, in that it way overdrives the LED and driver board for what it is (minimalistic AA sized light).

If you put a freshly charged low impedance Li-Ion battery in you have a fair chance of destroying it. It is simply not a 5W driver board nor heatsunk for 5W drive. Granted it's inexpensive and some only want really bright for a few minutes but random chance has left some facing this situation with an immediately damaged light. It wouldn't be surprising if it's a little brighter but not enough to pay this kind of penalty as risk and battery drain.

The old K-106 http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.16607 on the other hand has a much better driver not just in being programmable but in actually working properly with a good fully charged Li-Ion battery.

About that Smallsun ZY-C41, it's misleading. Based on current measurements with various batteries it cannot be driving the LED as high as they claim, it also cannot safely run from a ~ 4.2V charged Li-Ion, and those who have torn one down may have noticed the driver pill does not heatsink the LED star at all except for a tiny area on the sides where it is pressed in, not on the back at all as the driver pill is just a hollow threaded tube with no mating insert or anything like that besides the driver PCB under it.

For the money I suppose you can't complain much, but unlike some other lights with this one it's not just a matter of cleaning it out, checking contacts and lubing the threads, it takes a lot more work to make it equivalent to the others which only cost a few dollars more. Mine is not remotely as bright on AA Eneloops as the old version K-106 either, even before the K-106 is driven by Li-Ion where it really shines for the money, but at least it's not overdriven so even if it underperforms it'll run awhile, not overheat while doing so.

I don't mean to knock the new K-106 though, having the square cut threads makes it one of the nicer AA NiMH powered lights for it's price if you're splitting pennies.


----------



## J_C

vali said:


> I really appreciate the runtime chart as it answers one of my questions about the K-106 (How good its regulation is?) but... are you sure you get programed it to the very minimum?
> 
> I did a runtime test in minimum with an eneloop and got about 37 hours. At first was not sure if it was to 50% due my luxometer (human eye, lol), but seeing the flat regulation the runtime should be near those 37 hours. 10+ hours difference seems too high to be the Vf.



I have not done a runtime test on the old K-106 on low w/Eneloops, but I might have observed something relevant. When I first tried to program the lowest low setting possible the Eneloop was sitting between 1.3 and 1.35V. At that battery voltage during programming mode it would not start driving the LED until about 110mA current draw from the battery.

Someone else had reported a lower low so after a few attempts reprogramming without any luck I tried a freshly charged battery and the higher voltage suddenly made the lowest low setting possible available to program, which during the battery voltage range it saw during a few different measurements, resulted in between 32-45mA current from the battery. Once it was programmed with the higher voltage NiMH battery, the lower (charged) voltage battery was able to run it in lowest low mode.


----------



## Cemoi

I've just placed an order with Kaidomain for a 1-mode Ultrafire C3 Q5 (2AA). I have not found the same product at DX, who only carry the 5-mode version.
I have little experience ordering with KD (I usually order from DX). When I placed my order the item was said to "ship right away". Now when I check my order status it says "back-ordered", and the item description has changed to "ship in 1-3 business days". Does this mean I have to expect a (very) long wait?
How about cancelling an order with KD, do you actually get your money back and when?


----------



## J_C

Cemoi said:


> I've just placed an order with Kaidomain for a 1-mode Ultrafire C3 Q5 (2AA). I have not found the same product at DX, who only carry the 5-mode version.
> I have little experience ordering with KD (I usually order from DX). When I placed my order the item was said to "ship right away". Now when I check my order status it says "back-ordered", and the item description has changed to "ship in 1-3 business days". Does this mean I have to expect a (very) long wait?
> How about cancelling an order with KD, do you actually get your money back and when?



You're going to have to contact KD, only they will know if that particular part has a shipment coming in soon or not or ever, "IF" anybody knows. I meant it may not be directly applicable how long someone else had to wait for a different product or at a different time.

Lots of times I get the feeling KD and DX amass a bunch of orders then make a volume order from a supplier instead of carrying stock of a lot of things. Unfortunately if that is true, those ordering at the last moment before they have enough volume to reorder, will wait the least amount of time but there's no way to know when that is since we can't trust the # days to ship estimates.

Unless you're desperate for it I would wait the # of days they listed, then required a refund since you shouldn't be penalized for their inability to update webpages as to stock status.


----------



## Wolf359

Just visited DX website and mcafee threw up this warning

McAfee has automatically blocked and removed a Trojan.
*About this Trojan*
Detected: JS/Exploit-Packed.c.gen (Trojan)
Location: C:\Documents and Settings\X59\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\Content.IE5\F0NAMGUW\globaljs[1].js
Trojans appear as legitimate programs but can damage valuable files, disrupt performance, and allow unauthorized access to your computer.

anyone else getting this message or should i goto KD to order the SS C3's i want ?

i know not "on topic" but figured most people using this thread would be visiting DX


----------



## nsx

Are you sure it wasn't a different site that might have caused the warning?

I just used McAfee's SiteAdvisor to test the DX site and it didn't find any problems:

http://www.siteadvisor.com/sites/dealextreme.com

Google Chrome didn't throw up any warnings either.


----------



## Essexman

Wolf359 said:


> Just visited DX website and mcafee threw up this warning
> 
> McAfee has automatically blocked and removed a Trojan.
> *About this Trojan*
> Detected: JS/Exploit-Packed.c.gen (Trojan)
> Location: C:\Documents and Settings\X59\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\Content.IE5\F0NAMGUW\globaljs[1].js
> Trojans appear as legitimate programs but can damage valuable files, disrupt performance, and allow unauthorized access to your computer.
> 
> anyone else getting this message or should i goto KD to order the SS C3's i want ?
> 
> i know not "on topic" but figured most people using this thread would be visiting DX


 
Oh snap! Same here, what does it mean then?


----------



## nsx

UPDATE: Yup, looks like a false positive according to McAfee:

http://vil.mcafeesecurity.com/vil/content/v_218755.htm



> McAfee Avert Labs has found a false detection with JS/Exploit-Packed.c.gen and will be releasing the 5729 DAT Files to correct this issue. The false detection is being seen on websites containing certain types of javascript obfuscation


----------



## PlayboyJoeShmoe

I guess being unable to afford to even LOOK at the DX site has it's advantages!


----------



## LightWalker

Has anyone bought one of these Nitecore Extreme knockoffs from Shiningbeam.com yet?
http://www.shiningbeam.com/servlet/the-167/**NEW**-Romisen-RC-dsh-A4-II/Detail


----------



## DHart

LightWalker said:


> Has anyone bought one of these Nitecore Extreme knockoffs from Shiningbeam.com yet?
> http://www.shiningbeam.com/servlet/the-167/**NEW**-Romisen-RC-dsh-A4-II/Detail



Looks great. And Romisens are generally well made lights. Trying to resist. flashlight


----------



## LightWalker

DHart said:


> Looks great. And Romisens are generally well made lights. Trying to resist. flashlight


 Yea, I'm just looking for now, I'm pretty well stocked up but may pick up a budget light if the dollar doesn't go


----------



## old4570

Nkoray K-106 Cree Q5-WC 5-Mode 230-Lumen Memory LED Flashlight (1*AA/1*14500)

Mine arrived today , havent given it the once over yet , but threw in a Alkaline and it seems to be ok , not brilliant , but ok .


----------



## superpila

New Akoray K-109 quick review.

I've been playing for some days with the new Akoray (the infamous “nkoray”) k-109, sku.28545 from DX. I think it's a very nice flashlight for the price, so I decided to share some brief thoughts with you.


My first impressions were immediately positive: the light seems very well built and it's extremely bright. It comes with double GITD o-rings at the head, a GITD o-ring right under the glass, a single o-ring at the tailcap, but there's room to fit another one. The glass is real glass. The body has very nice threading and knurling. Also, I've tested the light to be water-proof. 


The driver + emitter + reflector block is exactly the same of the Ultrafire C3 SS and The new akoray/nkoray K-106. This means that the voltage range for this flashlight is 0.9V-4.2V. This comes handy when using CR123 primaries, because you can really suck every drop of juice from them. In fact, I tried an old primary removed from my PD20 which was no longer able to light it, and It gave 20 more minutes of very bright to usable light in the K-109. On the other side, when using RCRs you must make sure that you use protected ones, otherwise this flashlight will overdischarge them.
The new K-109 comes with the usual 5 modes of the bulk DX lights. The sequence is HIGH->MEDIUM->LOW->SOS->STROBE. The driver has memory, which I find useful because of the annoying strobe modes. Med and low modes make a low but audible noise, typical PWM.
As I said, this flashlight is extremely bright. On RCRs it easily outperforms my Fenix PD20's turbo mode running on the same battery. With primaries, the PD20 seems brighter instead, but the K-109 is a close second. 
The modes are well arranged. The HIGH is extremely Bright (did I say it already?). The Med is still very bright, and it's probably the mode you'll use more often (at least this is what I do). The Low is fine for indoor use. The strobe modes are useless for me, but I know that many people here have a different opinion on this.
One more interesting thing about this flashlight is that the Fenix diffuser fits perfectly on its head.


I measured current at the tailcap with a freshly charged RCR 123, measuring 4.22V
HIGH: 1.45A
MED: 0.58A
LOW: 0.10A


The HIGH is probably too high for the led, but such a current is just the first burst of the cell. As soon as the cell voltage drops to 4.1V and lower, you get a more reliable and sustained 1.3A.
Since 1.3A still seemed too much for me, I let the flashlight discharge entirely a cell while tailstanding. I checked the head once every while and in the first 5 minutes it was very warm, but still touchable/holdable. Then, as the cell discharged, it got colder until the end. On a regular use, holding the flashlight in your hand, there shouldn't be any overheat problem, unlike the C3 SS with the same driver which becomes EXTEMELY hot when running at HIGH on 14500 for more than some minutes, probably because of the SS.


This flashlight is not a thrower, because of the AA-size reflector. The beam pattern is comparable to the one produced by the PD20 OP, including the same artifacts. Being brighter, even with the same hotspot size, it probably throws a little more. Sorry but I'm still waiting for my lux-meter to arrive, so I can't be more precise here.
I will post beamshots later if you want them, but since this light has the same reflector/driver/led of the C3 SS and the new Akoray k106, I think you've seen them some times already.


For the price, I think that this is easily one of the best <15$ cr123 format flashlight available, and overall a very nice flashlight.


PROS:
Can tailstand
Well built
GITD o-rings everywhere
GITD button
Smaller than PD20
Removable clip
Extremely bright on RCRs.
The Fenix diffuser fits perfectly



CONS:
Not a thrower (reflector is the same of the AA model and it does not take advantage of the larger head), although it still seems to me that it throws a bit better than the PD20 on RCRs, because of the brightness.
Cannot be used safely with unprotected cells.
Not as bright on primaries (but still bright).


The flashlight:







VS Fenix PD20









Details:













Fenix Diffuser:


----------



## Sailhome

I think I will have to add an AKOray 109 to my next DX order. I am sure that my wife will grab it as a purse light, my K-106 disappeared into her purse.


----------



## xenonk

superpila said:


> On a regular use, holding the flashlight in your hand, there shouldn't be any overheat problem, unlike the C3 SS with the same driver which becomes EXTEMELY hot when running at HIGH on 14500 for more than some minutes, probably because of the SS.


Other factors could include the lower internal resistance of 14500s and the Vf lottery of budget lights, as I believe this driver goes into direct drive above Vf.


----------



## post tenebras

*Re: Kaidomain T1/ TLS light*

It looks like I'm not getting this light :mecry:

I ordered it from KD about a month ago. I received no communication whatsoever (which I understand is standard for KD) then, last night, my payment was refunded (again, without any explanation).


----------



## Egsise

vali said:


> I really appreciate the runtime chart as it answers one of my questions about the K-106 (How good its regulation is?) but... are you sure you get programed it to the very minimum?
> 
> I did a runtime test in minimum with an eneloop and got about 37 hours. At first was not sure if it was to 50% due my luxometer (human eye, lol), but seeing the flat regulation the runtime should be near those 37 hours. 10+ hours difference seems too high to be the Vf.



I have tried everything else but 14500 to program it to minimum.
I know that Fenix LD10 low runtimes can vary from 20 to 28 hours, so I believe it is possible with AKOray too.
Oh one thing changes the runtimes, I just discovered that my Sanyo MQH02 charger charge completeness is around 85% compared to 0.1C/16h charge.
So if I would use slow charger the AKOrays runtime on low would be around 28 hours.

QAAW med runtime is 10h 47min vs. AKOray K-106 5h 13min(same brightness)
And if I compare the LD10, QAAW and K-106 runtimes on high they are roughly the same, but K-106 regulation is not flat.


----------



## AndrewZorn

*Just got my DealExtreme stuff*

In an earlier thread, I ordered the DX MC-E and a WF-502B. I was disappointed to find out the WF is not "Surefire Size" and ordered a Solarforce L2.

Now that I got everything, with the exception of compatability which I really don't need, I might like the WF more! Works out better anyway for more reasons than I should talk about, but basically the fact that the MC-E can only handle one 18650 anyway.

The UV drop-in that came with the WF is awful. Sent a message to DX about it. Barely works, and the 'pill', if that's what it is called, only screws into the reflector about half a turn before it stops, crooked... the threading seems wrong. Working it out now.

Can't find ANY foil around here... but I DID have an all-actual-foil chocolate wrapper that seemed to make a good gap filler for the MC-E (that's all I had enough for).

Long story short, I don't know if the MC-E is like it should be. I set myself up for disappointment by expecting a handheld sun and ordering from DX... I know... I still like it and all, but comparing it to the R2 (which is the cheap/new one on DX) and the STOCK 6P incan (which is what, 65lum?):






Adjusted camera to show the difference.
I shouldn't have to say which is which, because I expected the MC-E to blow the others away, and I thought the 65lum SureFire incan would look like a pocket Mag Lite.
But Left to Right is R2 (1x3.7v 18650, even though it's rated at up to 18v, two 18650 doesn't seem any brighter, so I'm guessing it's a regulated thing), then MC-E (1x same 18650, on high...), then the 6P (2x123A primary, bulb is only rated for 6v so I didn't want to chance two 3.7v rechargables).

Does this look right, for DX, for the LEDs at all? I won't consider myself jipped if this is normal for DX, that's fine, but it this is nowhere close to right...

Thanks again!


----------



## kramer5150

*Re: Just got my DealExtreme stuff*

Can you list the SKU: numbers for the items you ordered? Don't post the DX URL links, mods will delete them.

Are your cells healthy? and fully charged? Many of the DX MC-E lights draw currents in excess of 2A, so if the cells are spent and can't deliver the current the lights will not perform optimally, even if they are fully charged to 4.2V.


----------



## Yucca Patrol

*Re: Just got my DealExtreme stuff*

I am still waiting for my MC-E drop-in to arrive from DX (sku 21037), but I'm not surprised with your results. Any quad-die emitter is not going to focus a bright hotspot, but will create a wide flood beam. 

Notice that although it doesn't have the brightest hotspot, it does light up a much larger area than the other two lights that focus most of the light into one spot. The total output of your MC-E drop-in is more than the R2, but since it is not focused in one spot, it doesn't appear as bright.

If mine performs about the same as your's I will be happy enough.


----------



## AndrewZorn

*Re: Just got my DealExtreme stuff*

The batteries aren't hot off the charger (I thought this stuff was going to get here weeks ago), but have seen equal use between the R2 and MC-E (less than 10m total each, maybe more like 5m, total/combined). I also have used each in each host. None of these tests are very scientific, just judging quickly... which I know isn't enough to complain about, but again, just starting with the basics...



2*1*037 - MC-E
11836 - R2
05776 - Two protected gray Trustfire 18650

(10709 is the WF-502B with the hopefully-just-this-one crappy UV light)

I know the area is more spread out, I knew the R2 would have a brighter hotspot (but after I found out I got the crap version, I thought it might be equalish). I can maybe kind of see that the R2 to MC-E is right, but maybe not 410lum-but-actually-350lum to 250lum-but-actually-130lum. Not that I think the advertisement was false, but these are numbers I've seen on here.
This is all not really that bad, whether my one DX light is better than the other... what I don't get, and maybe it's just the color, is why a 65lum SF incan looks nearly as bright as both!

EDIT by the way, there's plenty of 'spill' on the MC-E and R2 that you cannot see in the pictures, but the SF incan is pretty much all there.


----------



## kramer5150

*Re: Just got my DealExtreme stuff*

Gary measured the DX:21037 MC-E drop in as follows:
385L when cold
345L when allowed to warm up

I bought this module from bigchellis and use it in my 18650 modded 6P. Its more than enough light for my needs, even though I am under driving it with non-IMR cells. Hot spot intensity can play tricks on your eyes, do a ceiling bounce comparison in a small bedroom and compare the lights then. The DX-MCE drop in doesn't really have a hot spot, so white wall comparisons are not that impressive.

Too bad about the 11836 module, its not as good as it once was. You can read about it here... Its barely 120 Lumes OTF, as the DC-DC circuit severely over-drives the XR-E.
https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/236337


----------



## AndrewZorn

*Re: Just got my DealExtreme stuff*

Sorry, fixed the SKU...

Trying wall test now...
EDIT and yeah, MC-E is MUCH brighter. I first said "twice as bright", which would be disappointing considering the way it's a crappy R2, but then I realized this is incredibly subjective and means nothing.
Roommate got a mini AA flashlight off DX too, P4 based I think, almost as bright as my 18650 R2. He didn't research or anything! Disappointing...

And yeah, found out about that R2 too late. But still don't see any better SINGLE MODE R2s there (wish my MC-E was single mode, or maybe high-low, i guess it only has ONE stupid mode...).


----------



## OfficerCamp

*Re: Just got my DealExtreme stuff*

I miss my bunk bed....


----------



## AndrewZorn

*Re: Just got my DealExtreme stuff*

I never had one in my childhood...
or do you miss Iraq?


----------



## old4570

*Re: Just got my DealExtreme stuff*





Take it outside , rather than pointing it against a light absorbing couch . 
That way you may really see the difference .


----------



## J_C

xenonk said:


> Other factors could include the lower internal resistance of 14500s and the Vf lottery of budget lights, as I believe this driver goes into direct drive above Vf.



Even using 3 series Alkaline or NiMH against the board + LED will make many of the DX lights draw over 1.2A due to the direct drive issue. Opinions differ on whether they are overheating based only on how hot they feel in your hand, that doesn't tell you the temperature of the transistor on the driver board only the total thermal density within the flashlight.

I suspect you are right though, that random luck results in some of these having higher (or bad luck, lower) Vf specimens of LED and this is why some flashlights of the same model survive Li-Ion cells, some live short lives, and some die right away.

It also suggests that LiFEPO4 14500 might be an ideal battery for these, despite the lower capacity.


----------



## J_C

Egsise said:


> I have tried everything else but 14500 to program it to minimum.



Mine was very sensitive to battery voltage, only a fully charged NiMH or fresh Alkaline gave it enough voltage to even enter the lowest current ranges during programming so they could be set. 

Otherwise you might try holding two ~ 1.2-1.5V cells in series to program it, once I got mine programmed it would run the lowest mode ok with a more drained single NiMH.


----------



## bessiebenny

*UPDATED SEPTEMBER 12th 2009
*- Been a while since I actually posted something here!

- This thread is becoming soooo big, it's very hard to manage or keep up these days. It's nearly a forum of its own within CPF and although I love ALL the participation, so many good information just gets lots deep within the thread with just annoys me. So many quick reviews, detailed reviews and so on just stacks up all in 1 thread. I did try to link them as I go but as you've noticed, I've not been so up to date with it all... 

- So I have started transferring (just copy & paste) my reviews to my own little website. *http://www.jayki.com* 
- 100% non-commercial personal bog/homepage that hopefully will allow me to update more often more easily and better organised.

- I will still update this thread with links to my newer reviews whenever available.
- My interest in flashlights is still there. It's just set to once a week strobe mode instead or MAX-on mode temporarily that's all. =P
- Everyone is welcome to come and read/post/comment in my site!!

BTW, I believe this is one of the biggest continuous thread in CPF "ever". (this is part 11 of this thread and every one of them had over 300 posts each I think around 300000 hits all up!!) The 'budget' flashlights are definitely a big market that's for sure. =)


----------



## Painkiller1009

bessiebenny said:


> *UPDATED SEPTEMBER 12th 2009
> *- Been a while since I actually posted something here!
> 
> - This thread is becoming soooo big, it's very hard to manage or keep up these days. It's nearly a forum of its own within CPF and although I love ALL the participation, so many good information just gets lots deep within the thread with just annoys me. So many quick reviews, detailed reviews and so on just stacks up all in 1 thread. I did try to link them as I go but as you've noticed, I've not been so up to date with it all...
> 
> - So I have started transferring (just copy & paste) my reviews to my own little website. *http://www.jayki.com*
> - 100% non-commercial personal bog/homepage that hopefully will allow me to update more often more easily and better organised.
> 
> - I will still update this thread with links to my newer reviews whenever available.
> - My interest in flashlights is still there. It's just set to once a week strobe mode instead or MAX-on mode temporarily that's all. =P
> - Everyone is welcome to come and read/post/comment in my site!!
> 
> BTW, I believe this is one of the biggest continuous thread in CPF "ever". (this is part 11 of this thread and every one of them had over 300 posts each I think around 300000 hits all up!!) The 'budget' flashlights are definitely a big market that's for sure. =)



It distasteful this is where the mods throw anything DX/KD. 
Seems there not good enough for there own thread??!!??

Do you feel your thread has been manipulated into something it wasn't meant to be? Almost forced on you and your thread by the mods.


----------



## kramer5150

bessiebenny said:


> _So I have started transferring (just copy & paste) my reviews to my own little website._



I always thought there was some rule (perhaps unwritten) against doing this... Might want to PM the moderators about this, before you get into trouble over it


----------



## J_C

Painkiller1009 said:


> It distasteful this is where the mods throw anything DX/KD.
> Seems there not good enough for there own thread??!!??
> 
> Do you feel your thread has been manipulated into something it wasn't meant to be? Almost forced on you and your thread by the mods.



I've seen this in other website topic forums, hopefully I don't offend anyone but the general problem is this:

People engrossed in something enough will eventually gravitate towards high end products and become somewhat snobbish about the budget alternatives, citing minor things that sometimes cause problems, ignoring that the problems are faced by a minority, and suggesting everyone should pay a premium for *ultimate* performance.

It's true that sometimes a higher price is warranted, but a disservice to ignore the great value in budget alternatives and to not accept that most of the time the products are not used in some end of world severe duty combat, life and death, etc., scenario.

These users want to segment and corral all the lower end (Priced) products, and the manufacturers and distributers of more costly products as well, even when it gets to the point that their lower price causes them to be more popular than major brands. 

I do blame DX/KD a bit for this, it doesn't help them that they make up brand names, using several for lights that seem to come from the same manufacturer. Then again they don't put the brand name on the lights the manufacturer does. If they kept them all the same brand and put together a fancy website and literature including *accurate specs*, it would essentially duplicate the professional appearance made by other brands even if we still accept that when buying a budget light you have to do your own QC checking and occasionally resolve problems yourself.

Even then, keeping same brand and a website doesn't always help enough, if the products are sold primarily on a limited or especially only one or two websites. People are funny that way, arbitrarily categorizing things.


----------



## CampingLED

kramer5150 said:


> I always thought there was some rule (perhaps unwritten) against doing this... Might want to PM the moderators about this, before you get into trouble over it


 
I do not want to change this into a copyright law discussion, but my understanding was that the original author may copy and paste his/her own written info as he/she wishes.


----------



## bessiebenny

kramer5150 said:


> I always thought there was some rule (perhaps unwritten) against doing this... Might want to PM the moderators about this, before you get into trouble over it


 
Doubt it. Especially considering it's my reviews. If it is that strict (which it seems it is already for these so called "budget" or no name lights), how can we freely share information? It was never my intention to hijack or takeover the "entire" DX or KD or other budget shop light threads or posts at CPF. One day, mods just started moving nearly ALL of them into this thread without my consent. Hence you see some people complaining why their review or question post got moved into my thread. I don't know myself. 

It's also not so 'free' in posting links from shops directly. To me, 99.99% of posts with links to products that are sold on DX etc isn't for advertising at all. It's to share good information and it just happens that DX/KD is either the cheapest or the only place to buy them etc. To me, that's good information itself. Individuals still have all the power in deciding where to purchase their lights. I just link to DX as it's convenient and as an example of how much it can be had for and where. (I've never received a single dollar benefit directly from DX directly and I'm sure my thread did wonders for their sales)

All I wanted to do was share information for free. (well, later on, I started receiving free-will donations which I have spent every dollar to benefit this thread) I will continue doing so whenever I can get my hands on new flashlights and whenever I can make the time.

Hence I re-created my JAYKI.COM website (which I've had for past 8 years) to post up my reviews there instead to allow myself to express more stuff without any restriction. People are also free to post up stuff there. DX web address and all. It's not a competition to CPF. Just a simple add-on site to this thread that's all.

This thread will continue as long as CPF will allow me to share.


----------



## qwertyydude

I just got my DX C78 flood to throw zooming 1xAA light item 29095. It's pretty good. On zoom the throw is outstanding. Better and tighter than the recoil light I got from DX and the flood is nice and smooth. After dismantling it sadly it is not a good candidate for hot rodding with high current as there is not great heatsinking as the pill does not make complete contact with the star. Only the edges of the pill contact the star. But as it is it works great. The throw is about equal to or a little better than my HS-802 although it does diverge more so at extreme distances it loses out some but we're talking 250 yards or more. Of course it is not as useful since there's zero spill but if you're looking to light up spots really far away with an ultra compact unit this could be it, single AA is a really good benefit too.


----------



## shark_za

qwertyydude said:


> I just got my DX C78 flood to throw zooming 1xAA light item 29095.



This is the Led Lenser P5 rip off.
What sort of output do you estimate and runtime? 

The switch a LL forward click type? 

For $10 it seems a real steal.


----------



## qwertyydude

Yeah it's the lenser copy.

After taking it apart and measuring the led current it is right around 700 ma. So from that estimate it's probably 100 ish lumens so maybe 70 out the front. It looks about correct since it's just a hair brighter than my C3 on a ceiling bounce. This draws 2 amps from a nimh AA vs about 1.5 on my C3. It has a reverse clickie but with an aluminum button on the cap, very classy on a $10 light. All in all I've got no complaints especially because this thing is very effective at throwing, much better than the aspherical plastic lens you can get from DX to put over a P60. The lens seems better designed for led use. It has a flatter back to minimize internal reflections and let more light through the lens. The focus is very sharp you can even see the bond wires when it's fully focused.


----------



## p moore

Whatever the outcome, Congrats BB on the new site. Looks good

Paul


----------



## joshconsulting

*Heat from AKOray K-106 Q5 14500*

So I bought a K-106, along with 2x Trustfire 14500 and a Surfire charger from DX to replace my Minimag LED. And... Well, this picture speaks volumes:







That's the Minimag LED on the left :laughing:

I have just one concern - on "high" the Q5 seems to heat up the head hot, fast. How high can those Q5s go before shutting off\melting down? If, say, worse case scenario: Hot, humid night on high set on a stand with little dissipation. How long before my Q5 turns into a molten puddle? Will it shut down with no permanent damage, or self destruct? Do I need to worry about where I hold it (i.e. the handle is a lot cooler then the head; does it matter?)

Also, does anyone have runtime graphs\times for the K-106 with 14500 900mah? I've seen one for AAs, but none for 14500s. Thanks for looking


----------



## bansuri

*Re: Heat from AKOray K-106 Q5 14500*

If you work quick you might be able to resize that pic before anyone mentions it...


----------



## joshconsulting

*Re: Heat from AKOray K-106 Q5 14500*



bansuri said:


> If you work quick you might be able to resize that pic before anyone mentions it...


Some of us run dual 2560x1600 monitors and don't notice these things 

Resized, sorry about that.


----------



## hyperloop

*Re: Heat from AKOray K-106 Q5 14500*

darn it: resized before i could chime in 

the head heating up is fine, that shows that its conducting the heat away from the LED. I dont foresee situations where i would be needing max output all the time unless im out cycling or something, for hiking and all, if its night you wouldnt want to be blasting away at max output and spoiling your nightvision.

If cycling, the air moving past the head would act as a cooling factor. If you're just wanting to test runtimes on a 14500, do what i do, i get a small handtowel, get it wet, not dripping wet but really damp and wrap my light with it with just the tip of the head exposed, that provides more than ample cooling.

as for runtimes, i'd think the 14500 would be running for shorter than an eneloop. Glad you like the light, is yours the 3 mode programmable or the 5 mode fixed output?


----------



## joshconsulting

*Re: Heat from AKOray K-106 Q5 14500*

Mines the DX version which is 5 mode, the flashing\SOS modes I probaby won't touch but it works nice (I like the memory). I tend to run my lights at full power at all times, which is why I'm asking - I was wiring some ethernet cables in my basement this evening by setting my light down on a desk pointing at my work; high works best for me, but it seemed awfully hot after sitting on a desk 5-6 minutes. I'm just wondering if I'll know when its overheating - will it melt down, go dimmer, or shut off?


----------



## sparkysko

*Re: Heat from AKOray K-106 Q5 14500*

Well. 160F will harm NIMHs and Li-ion cells. 160F is hot enough to burn you within a few seconds, so you'd know when it's this hot. 

I think the sulphur coating, or something gets damaged on the LED when it gets too hot, and I think it loses efficiency and just goes to crap. I have no idea what temperature this happens at, but I can imagine that it's not uncommon for alot of LED lights to exceed the 'safe' temperature and diminish the '100,000 hours' lifetime of the emitter.


----------



## p moore

Yea, if you lost half that time. That would be just 5.7 years of continued runtime. That would suck :laughing: What will a hotwire last, couple of hours?

Paul


----------



## J_C

When in doubt about overdriving versus good thermal conduction to the flashlight body, measure the battery current. An AA sized light made to a budget price will generally overheat at roughly 1A (w/ ~4.2V Li-Ion) battery current. At that level not enough to die right away, usually, but the higher you go from there the more likely.


----------



## sparkysko

I noticed in the SKU 16607 Akoray 106 that Trustfire protected 14500's rub a small bit when inserting them (Rub on the strap that goes to the protection circuit). Over time I'm concerned this will eat through the heatshrink and short out the battery.

Anyone using any other 14500's that slide into the light easier? I can't bring myself to use unprotected cells in my pocket.

On a more on topic note, I measured my 106 and it draws 600-700 mA on high w/ a 14500, 40 mA on low. This bumps up to 1.4 A high and 150 mA low with nimh. Soo approximately 70 minutes on high and 15 hours on low or so.


----------



## Omega Man

I'd like to add a quick fix to a flickering problem I had in my Romisen RC-G2. It did not light when trying two different cells, and finally it lit up but flickered horribly. The thing that fixed it for me was not the tail cap, but to unscrew the pill from the body, clean the positive terminal with a pencil eraser, and screw the pill in tightly. Now it works no matter how hard I bang it against my hand or shake it about.


----------



## bessiebenny

*Small Sun ZY-C60 single RCR Review*

*NEW UPDATE*
- Small Sun ZY-C60 single RCR review posted at my website.
- I've actually written it a while back, just never got around to posting.
- No beam shots and as I don't have it anymore, I cannot post them.
- All my future "new" reviews will always have a beam shot. I promise. =)


----------



## bessiebenny

*Re: Small Sun ZY-C60 single RCR Review*

*NEW LIGHTS ORDERED*

Following 2 flashlights have been ordered from Kaidomain today:

- ROMISEN RC-29 AA Q5
- TANK007 E07 OSRAM AA

I expect them to arrive in about 2-3 weeks from now. =)
I will do a full review with beamshots and all once received.




p moore said:


> Whatever the outcome, Congrats BB on the new site. Looks good
> 
> Paul


 
Thanks Paul. I don't see any specific review sites that review these budget flashlights. 
Most review sites only review brand name ones such as Fenix / Nitecore etc it seems.
So I hope my site helps those who need reviews / info on the lesser brands. =)


----------



## alfreddajero

I recently got the Romisen RC -A4 X Q5 from Shiningbeam...shipping was fast as usual. So far im really liking this light even though it looks like that other light we all know about. The clip is sturdy and there are two screws that hold it in. It came lubed and there was no squeaking whatsoever when i unscrewed the head to put the cell in. The only thing that i have done to the light is change out the boot to a gitd cap which too me looks way better then the black cap. Brightness is on par to the single mode RC-N3. BB i hope you get this light sometime soon.


----------



## bessiebenny

alfreddajero said:


> I recently got the Romisen RC -A4 X Q5 from Shiningbeam...shipping was fast as usual. So far im really liking this light even though it looks like that other light we all know about. The clip is sturdy and there are two screws that hold it in. It came lubed and there was no squeaking whatsoever when i unscrewed the head to put the cell in. The only thing that i have done to the light is change out the boot to a gitd cap which too me looks way better then the black cap. Brightness is on par to the single mode RC-N3. BB i hope you get this light sometime soon.


 
I would love Romisen to sponsor me and send me lights to review. I'm willing to send them back also. =) 
I just bought 2 lights today so I won't be buying more for a while I think. But never know. hehe.


----------



## sparkysko

Was doing a review of possible failure modes on the Akoray 106.

Since the head is all epoxied, no concern for failure, aside from heat/dirt contacts. 

As far as the tail, upon closer examination, the tail switch is rated for 1 Amp. Looking at similar switches from the same manufacturer, it is rated for 10,000 cycles. Soooo 14500 I guess it the way to go to prolong life. I'm pleasantly surprised how easy it is to disassemble everything without damage. Even tho the switch contacts are just press fitted, it doesn't seem like there's any way for them to fail aside from getting dirty, but we shouldn't be lubing this end of the light anyways.

Have been unable to source identical replacement switches.

http://www.calonsw.com/en/pshow.asp?id=826


----------



## J_C

sparkysko said:


> I noticed in the SKU 16607 Akoray 106 that Trustfire protected 14500's rub a small bit when inserting them (Rub on the strap that goes to the protection circuit). Over time I'm concerned this will eat through the heatshrink and short out the battery.
> 
> Anyone using any other 14500's that slide into the light easier? I can't bring myself to use unprotected cells in my pocket.
> 
> On a more on topic note, I measured my 106 and it draws 600-700 mA on high w/ a 14500, 40 mA on low. This bumps up to 1.4 A high and 150 mA low with nimh. Soo approximately 70 minutes on high and 15 hours on low or so.



By low do you mean as low as it will possibly go, and when you programmed it, what was the voltage of the cell you used?

My sku.16607 would also only go down to roughly 150mA on NiMH, because it would not enter lower modes until I used a battery with higher voltage than a nominal voltage NiMH (or partially drained alkaline).

Others reported lower "low" mode so I kept trying till I found a battery voltage closer to 1.5V or higher is needed for the mode-setting to allow choosing the lowest "low" mode possible. I mean to program the lowest low possible, once it is programmed it will run on a battery voltage lower than needed to program it, like one NiMH, even down to 1.0V it will run that mode if it was programmed at a higher cell voltage.

That lowest low is about 2 or 3 dozen mA on NiMH, and having used the light in lowest low mode again tonight I wish it were even lower, since sometimes you really only want the bare minimum light possible to see what you're doing.

If yours does not respond the same way, it might be an indicator that they have changed the driver module, though the one I speak of I received only a couple of months ago.


----------



## tnforever

Yes BB, who would've known that a simple thread would've grown so much, I love your new site, neat and simple, if without some useful features (like sorting), but your excel tables do help in that department. 

I wonder if there's a way different reviews (both by power users like BB and normal ppl) can be collated into one big easy reference?


----------



## sparkysko

JC. 

After a few reprogramming attempts, I have managed to get the current at 96mA with a nimh and 24mA with a 14500. I used a 14500 to do the programming. Perhaps a few more practice runs at trying to get an even lower low might be in order, the last few times I had cut off power before the light started ramping up.

This thing will indeed happily suck a AA cell dry. I was doing a runtime test, and had dropped a nimh cell down to 0.8 or 0.9 volts after removing it from load for a few seconds (The current had of course dropped to 400mA or so at this point, this was 1 1/2 hours into my test)

Edit:

I just tried reprogramming it about 8 more times. Couldn't go lower than the lows posted above. Of interesting note, is that it somehow got itself programmed into strobe mode instead of low, if i turned off before the three flashes. I had to wait until I saw light ramp up and then turn off before it finally 'overwrote' the strobe mode.


----------



## fatts

alfreddajero said:


> I recently got the Romisen RC -A4 X Q5 from Shiningbeam...shipping was fast as usual. So far im really liking this light even though it looks like that other light we all know about. The clip is sturdy and there are two screws that hold it in. It came lubed and there was no squeaking whatsoever when i unscrewed the head to put the cell in. The only thing that i have done to the light is change out the boot to a gitd cap which too me looks way better then the black cap. Brightness is on par to the single mode RC-N3. BB i hope you get this light sometime soon.



Would you happen to have any Surefire E-series bodies to see if the threads match?

The original Nitecore Extreme, which this copy is based on is E-series compatible.


----------



## alfreddajero

Sorry but i dont......


----------



## kramer5150

alfreddajero said:


> I recently got the Romisen RC -A4 X Q5 from Shiningbeam...shipping was fast as usual. So far im really liking this light even though it looks like that other light we all know about. The clip is sturdy and there are two screws that hold it in. It came lubed and there was no squeaking whatsoever when i unscrewed the head to put the cell in. The only thing that i have done to the light is change out the boot to a gitd cap which too me looks way better then the black cap. Brightness is on par to the single mode RC-N3. BB i hope you get this light sometime soon.



The sihiningbeam site states

"Runs fine with 1 x RCR123A Li-ion, but not recommended by the manufacturer"

I assume thats because it runs direct drive at Vin > 3.7 (like the single mode RC-N3-Q5), so leaving it ON for long times while unattended is not recommended.

Have you noticed any problems running it with an RCR123 cell?
How is this lights mod-potential? Does it come apart easily?

thanks


----------



## alfreddajero

Im digging this light so far....it seems to run well with rcrs no issues at all...i plan to edc it for a while to see how it performs. As to modding it, it should be easy because the pill is not screwed in, kind of like the p60's. If you want me to take a pic then just let me know.


----------



## kramer5150

alfreddajero said:


> Im digging this light so far....it seems to run well with rcrs no issues at all...i plan to edc it for a while to see how it performs. As to modding it, it should be easy because the pill is not screwed in, kind of like the p60's. If you want me to take a pic then just let me know.



Yeah sure, a pic or two would be great.
Will the pill fit a ~17mm diameter DC-DC board?

thanks!


----------



## alfreddajero

Here's the pic....as for measuring it im going to have to do that later since i dont have my digi calipers on me right now.


----------



## kramer5150

Thanks!!
Looks like theres some serious mod-potential... Foil wrapping could help keep emitter temperatures down.


----------



## alfreddajero

Well i just got done measuring the rear side of the pill and got 17.7mm......so i hope that helps.


----------



## pekcle

kramer5150 said:


> Thanks!!
> Looks like theres some serious mod-potential... Foil wrapping could help keep emitter temperatures down.



I modded mine with a 2-mode driver, only to find out the Shiningbeam just stocked up on those. I filed my 17mm driver down as much as I could, since it didn't have any circuitry at the edges. I also took out the ring. I don't think other 17mm drivers will fit. I think 16mm will be a tight fit. BTW, the reflector screws off to give easy access to the emitter (now a Q2 5A from DX). I put arctic alumina around mine. I don't think foil will fit in there since it's quite snug. I barely put any AA in my and had to wipe out excess when sliding it in.

I was able to pop it out without damaging the original circuit, though I'm not sure what I want to use it for.


----------



## alfreddajero

Okay thanks for that, i was wondering how you get that sucker out of there.....the board does look little.


----------



## frankiej

fatts said:


> Would you happen to have any Surefire E-series bodies to see if the threads match?
> 
> The original Nitecore Extreme, which this copy is based on is E-series compatible.


I have this light. The threads are too fine and are NOT E-series compatible. The driver board is ,just eyeballing it, close to 15mm I'd say. Pretty small. It's the same size, and presumably the same driver, as the Romisen RC-N3.


----------



## J_C

*Re: Heat from AKOray K-106 Q5 14500*



joshconsulting said:


> Mines the DX version which is 5 mode, the flashing\SOS modes I probaby won't touch but it works nice (I like the memory). I tend to run my lights at full power at all times, which is why I'm asking - I was wiring some ethernet cables in my basement this evening by setting my light down on a desk pointing at my work; high works best for me, but it seemed awfully hot after sitting on a desk 5-6 minutes. I'm just wondering if I'll know when its overheating - will it melt down, go dimmer, or shut off?



It's overheating. IF you hold the light and your hand absorbs the heat, to the point where the head tube is cooler, that has a direct relationship to a corresponding reduction in temperature of the driver and LED.

I was concerned about this, it seems that the original 3 mode programmable K-106 is ok with 4.2V Li-Ion, but the other two are like many of DX's lights, they direct drive which is fine with a beefy enough driver and large light/pill, not so much with a little AA diameter light. It's possible with a little AA light but you move to purpose specific materials and overbuilt drivers, rasing the cost compared to all alumium pill, barely double sided boards with no vias on heatsinked pads.

Simple answer that will prolong the life of your batteries and your flashlight, don't charge them past 4.0V so the flashlight never direct drives at such a high voltage.

For the benefit of others if you would measure the battery current yours consumes on this high mode, we can add it to the collective knowledge about these new K-106 variants.

I should add, when I wrote it is overheating I am trying to be objective. Subjectively, given some people don't use their light for long periods and that LEDs get better every year, and that the light is so inexpensive, so long as it doesn't go at a critical moment, it could be useful to have it a bit brigher... but too many people feel it is a lottery, it may work one day and be gone the next if it feels that hot that quickly.

How you'll know depends on how hot it gets internally, and can change with random variations in quality control. Running that hot it tends to degrade the LED over time, including immediate reduction in efficiency so you end up using more battery current for little if any more light than if set at a little lower mode (especially since eyes adjust well to a few dozen % difference in output). Worst case is some people see a sudden failure, presumably repetitive overheating of the transistor delaminates the copper on the driver board and it overheats and/or the copper deforms and oxidizes away, opening the circuit.


----------



## J_C

sparkysko said:


> As far as the tail, upon closer examination, the tail switch is rated for 1 Amp. Looking at similar switches from the same manufacturer, it is rated for 10,000 cycles. Soooo 14500 I guess it the way to go to prolong life. I'm pleasantly surprised how easy it is to disassemble everything without damage. Even tho the switch contacts are just press fitted, it doesn't seem like there's any way for them to fail aside from getting dirty, but we shouldn't be lubing this end of the light anyways.http://www.calonsw.com/en/pshow.asp?id=826



Oh there are ways. Given it's 1A rating, the contacts may heat up. Given it contacts bare aluminum which is subject to immediate oxidation, the contact resistance goes up, further heat. Further heat causes faster oxidation, a viscous circle.

Lights like these, I feel are most reliable if you strip them down every now and then. Do that and there is little difference in reliability, but if left like it came from the factory and never stripped/examined/etc, there may be problems down the road of not right away.

I wonder how much it would cost for an interior nickel plated process, on the switch cap and threads and/or tube ends depending on which is the primary electrical conduction path. Some use de-ox to slow down this process but wouldn't it be great if they shipped ready to go. I realize this would add to the cost but I have to think small cost increases targeted at the weak points could be a good value still, that we are exiting the era of exotic prices for what are becoming standard brightness LED flashlights.


----------



## sparkysko

It is interesting that it is a free floating tail switch as opposed to threaded in. Battery pressure holds it in. I suppose it might be easy enough to make a DX switch with a spring already on it work, or forego the switch and just make it a twisty. As is, the anodizing is thick enough to lock out the light if you unscrew it a 1/4 turn. 

On a different note regarding the K106, I'm only pulling 0.6 amps from the battery, whereas BessieBenny's review model pulled 1.2 amps. I just got a lux meter, and at 1 meter, I'm seeing 4,000 lux as the hottest spot, 3,000 being the normal reading of the 'hot' spot (With a worn 14500 at about 4 volts), whereas he was seeing 1900 freshly charged. I would expect to get 1,000 lux or lower.

Am I misunderstanding how lux readings are done? I did it in a room with ambient light of 4 lux. The lowest 'low' i could get was about 200 lux.


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## sparkysko

I have no idea how you guys are making the runtime/brightness charts, so I'll just give my data in text.

Using a Akoray 106 purchased Sept 1, 2009, I wanted to test the regulation on a 14500. I enabled the lights built in protection, and was also using a protected trustfire 14500. I checked on the lux readings every 5 minutes. The light output was constant, and did not change more than 1/10th of 1% during all of my readings. I got 50-55 minutes of fully regulated maximum brightness, and then a few minutes later, when I checked on it again, the light had turned itself off from the lights protection circuit, so this light has a very steep cutoff at the end. After waiting a few minutes, I measured the resting voltage of the 14500, and it was at 3.2 volts. 

I kinda wish they'd set the low voltage cutoff higher, but I don't think this will be in the unsafe zone.
Edit: Actually, I didn't have the LVC enabled.
Edit edit: Behavior of lights LVC is to flash off and go into dim mode with li-ion. I accidentally turned the light on/off again and it appears that the battery LVC then kicked in. Unable to post numbers since I dirtied the test.


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## phlowcus

*Unscrewing glued threads?*

Hey guys, I am owning the MTE C3-907 (sku 26929) since some weeks and apart from it being a general disappointment (I might write a review later) it now started to flicker heavily. The problem is that the head is glued to the body. I tried to simply apply a lot of force but I cannot unscrew the head.
Any tipps please?


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## bessiebenny

sparkysko said:


> I have no idea how you guys are making the runtime/brightness charts, so I'll just give my data in text.


 
I guess others do it similar but her'es how I do ot.

I have a lightmeter that I got from DX and I actually soldered two more wires to the light sensor's output so that I can hook it up directly to the digital multimeter's positive and negative input for uA (micro-amps) reading. This way, I'm just using the light sensor's output directly without going through the actual light meter. My DMM has serial RS232 PC output so I can hook it up to a PC and use an app to take snapshots of the reading every minute. 





http://img29.imageshack.us/img29/5594/p1000361x.jpg



phlowcus said:


> Hey guys, I am owning the MTE C3-907 (sku 26929) since some weeks and apart from it being a general disappointment (I might write a review later) it now started to flicker heavily. The problem is that the head is glued to the body. I tried to simply apply a lot of force but I cannot unscrew the head.
> Any tipps please?


 
Flickering is usually a contact issue. Make sure the switch module is all okay. You should use a multimeter to measure the resistence between points where the current should flow through to make up the circuit. For the head if it's glued, try to warm it up first (leave the light on for a while etc) then if possible, get a plumbing pipe grappler / rubber wrap (I got it for like $5 from a hardware store) to allow for strong grip when rotating. The glue should break and it should unscrew in most cases.


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## bessiebenny

sparkysko said:


> On a different note regarding the K106, I'm only pulling 0.6 amps from the battery, whereas BessieBenny's review model pulled 1.2 amps. I just got a lux meter, and at 1 meter, I'm seeing 4,000 lux as the hottest spot, 3,000 being the normal reading of the 'hot' spot (With a worn 14500 at about 4 volts), whereas he was seeing 1900 freshly charged. I would expect to get 1,000 lux or lower.
> 
> Am I misunderstanding how lux readings are done? I did it in a room with ambient light of 4 lux. The lowest 'low' i could get was about 200 lux.


 
I will try and remeasure as I did have some contact issues before.
Maybe the results might differ if I do it again. Will do by the weekend.

btw, I've posted new photos in my review here:
http://www.jayki.com/1032

Also, the K-106 is a bit weird that if you set it the custom mode to high with the 14500, then it seems brighter also when you change the battery then to a AA NiMh. But If you use AA NIMh to program the mode to high, it's not as bright. Well, that's the case with mine anyways. But seriously, every few months, these flashlights from these brands change the driver without any announcement. So samples over time may differ both in brightness and runtime etc.


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## sparkysko

I am not an expert, but many glues lose their strength at 70C. PVC wire insulation melts at 75 or 80C. You could try boiling it, but risk hurting the wire insulation. Heat from a torch or lighter might work, as you could hopefully heat up the threads enough in a short time, but not enough to get heat inside the device melting the wires. 

Depending on the adhesive used, acetone might work. If they used loctite or something similar on the threads, it is impervious to acetone and most chemicals however.

Careful not to destroy the temper on the aluminum.


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## sparkysko

Thanks for the updated review. That's a *SIGNIFICANT* difference between 14500 and AA. With my new 16607, nimh cells are 80% as bright as 14500. You can't tell the difference. After using the light for 15 minutes or so it drops to about 65-70% of 14500 brightness and stays in that range until the light dies 2 hours later.

I had figured you use a datalogger. I'm just amazed that all of the runtime charts seem to look identical. I'm guessing it's the default chart format for Microsoft Excel or you guys are using a standardized sheet from some webpage. Open Office didn't have any similar looking charts, and I'd be embarrassed to post the charts I made.

On a different note, the lux meter I'm using is the el cheapo 40$ harbor freight 5 in 1 multimeter. When I turned it on, I believe I saw 'RS232' flash on the LCD sceen, although there isn't an external port visible, I wouldn't be surprised if they could be easily hacked for it. Unfortunately they automatically turn off after 30 minutes.


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## bessiebenny

sparkysko said:


> Thanks for the updated review. That's a *SIGNIFICANT* difference between 14500 and AA. With my new 16607, nimh cells are 80% as bright as 14500. You can't tell the difference. After using the light for 15 minutes or so it drops to about 65-70% of 14500 brightness and stays in that range until the light dies 2 hours later.


 
Hmm. It'll be interesting to see how long yours will last with 14500.
Yeah. My sample definitely isn't that bright with AA NiMh as you can see.
But from what I've read of other people's posts, mine seem about right.
Hence many say that this light is better when used with a 14500.
Either they changed the driver significantly or one of ours is not right.


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## sparkysko

bessiebenny said:


> Hmm. It'll be interesting to see how long yours will last with 14500.



Between 50-55 minutes with Trustfire 14500 @ 600mA starting current
2 hours with 2100 mAh NIMh (rayovac 4.0) @ ~1.2 A starting current (1.5A with Hybrio NIMH)

I just rechecked the brightness in a more controlled setting, at an arbritrary distance I got:

2600 lux: 14500
1350 lux: NIMH Hybrio
1100 lux: NIMH Rayovac 4.0

I rechecked several times, including programming the light for max mode with nimh and 14500 inserted and got similar ratio of brightness.

I take back what I said, until today we had originally done testing in a less scientific fashion, two people standing still trying to get max lux readings waving the meter and flashlight around. Today I made the meter and light stationary so that I could get reproducible results.


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## bessiebenny

Ahh. Thanks for those test results. Sounds quite similar to mine now it seems.

I've ordered some new protected 14500's so once received, I'll do the runtime test with it and update the review with the runtime chart. (I only have non-protected 14500 atm)


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## Ozem61

sparkysko said:


> I noticed in the SKU 16607 Akoray 106 that Trustfire protected 14500's rub a small bit when inserting them (Rub on the strap that goes to the protection circuit). Over time I'm concerned this will eat through the heatshrink and short out the battery.
> 
> Anyone using any other 14500's that slide into the light easier? I can't bring myself to use unprotected cells in my pocket.



Check out the comment by mattjs on the http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.19626 page. This cell is slightly thicker than the similarly coloured and labeled item at http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.3435.

I found this while doing a very heavy search while considering the Akoray/Nkoray 106 purchase.

Cheers - Ozzie


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## tty5150

That is very useful info, thanks a lot Ozem61.


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## sparkysko

I am using 3435s. However I noticed while twisting the battery that my tube is slightly oval rather than round. I did the 'rolling on hard table' trick and it makes it less severe. The battery can fall out under its own weight and it doesn't feel like it'll damage the heatshrink now. Nowhere near as tight as in a Ultrafire C3 or something.


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## old4570

*The Other Akoray !*

With so much interest in Akoray , Im surprised no one has taken any interest in the AK-16 .. Programmable 3 mode - CR123A - 14500 - 1xAA capable Light .

I saw this over at KD and for some time ho-humed about it , then finally gave in and ordered one .. Its taken a while to get .

Ive recently taken to multi battery lights , and with so many EDC's not running on primaries I thought this one might make a nice addition to my collection .

I only just got it in the post today : And am just playing with it for now ...

More later :




















Some pictures till I get some performance figures up :

Performance :

Ok lets jump straight to the 14500/CR123A = just over 10,000 lux in my lightbox wich is around 200Lumen ..

AA's 
Cheap Dry Cell = 2000Lux or around 40Lumen 
Alkaline's = 4600Lux to 5000Lux 90-100Lumen 
Rechargeable's = 4600 to 4800Lux or around 95Lumen 

Measuring current is not easy but ill give it a go ...

14500/CR123A = 1.16A 
Rechargeable AA = 1A
Alkaline AA = 1.15A 
Primary CR123A 3v = 2.5A = around 6500Lux 

Build quality is typical Akoray .. Program mode , I need to get used to this , but currently have it set to 3 different light levels ...
Its not dark yet , but ill take a beamshot on high ...
Cree is a little ringy against a white wall , but as usual I expect it to be fine outdoors ... 
+ I think I have the ability to swap heads with my 6 mode KD Q3 ..[ Looks like an Akoray build ] 

Anyhow , id call this one a keeper , I'm not selling it ...

From KD : 

PDC AK-16 CREE Q5 3-Mode Flashlight (1*16340/1*14500) SKU: S006734
$23.27 Shipped 


Product Name: Aluminum Alloy Flashlight
Material: Aviation Aluminum Alloy
Radiant: CREE LED
Batteries: Alkaline battery, Ni-MH battery, Li-ion battery
Working Voltage: DC 0.7-4.5V

Functions:

Adjustable light: Modes adjustable light,
and the brightness of each mode can be made by the user personally,
or to be flash (includes alarm, 1-15 times/second fast strobes and SOS, 
and you can randomly choose any fast strobes in 1-15 times/second)

Battery protection: the product can identify Alkaline battery, Ni-MH battery, 
Li-ion battery, and also has over discharge protection for Ni-MH battery and Li-ion battery.
But for the disposable cell, it can be used in unprotected mode till the discharge completed.

Note: the battery can’t be reversed for a long time, because it will be damaged.
Operation introduction:

1) Turn on, and press the switch 3 times lightly (transfer between protected battery and unprotected battery). Flash 1 time, it will be unprotected battery mode; Flash 2 times, it will be protected battery mode.

2) In any condition, press the switch 5 times lightly to “setting”, functions: from low to high, to alarm, to 1 time/second slow strobe, to 15 times/second fast strobe, to SOS, then cycle again. After enter “setting”, fast strobe 1 time, then enter to be the first mode setting (the second mode, strobe 2 times; the third mode, strobe 3 times), wait 3 seconds, cycle and show the above brightness and functions. If turn off>1 second, it will memory the present mode. 4 seconds later, turn on, it will directly enter to the next mode setting. If do it over 5 seconds, it can’t enter to the next mode setting. In the setting processing, press the switch 1 time lightly, it will skip directly to the next mode setting.
Note:
1) Use rechargeable battery, please do not use battery protected mode.
2) Use disposable battery, please do not use battery unprotected mode.

Introduction

Introduction

1. Description

Emittor Type=CREE XR-E Q5

Reflector = OP Aluminum

Drop-in LED Circuit=Buck Voltage Regulated

Springs = Steel Silver Coated

Modes = Low /High/Strobe PROGRAMMABLE 

Swith Type:=Tactic Click Reverse Swith

Finish Type=Harden Type II

Construction=Aluminum

Lumen/Runtime=230lumen/120minutes

LED Tint=WC

Lens Material=Glass

2.Dimensions:

Length: (9.6cm) Weight50.0g) Head Dia.2.1cm)

3.Regulations:

Battery Type：1*16340/1*14500 Battery + AA 

Voltage input range"=(3.7V~4.2V) [ Actually 0.7-4.5v ]

Voltage & Current (DC Power Supply)=3.7V~770mA,4.2V~610mA,

4.Highlights:

Waterproof & shockproof=YES

O-rings location=Lens, LED heatsink joint,tail cap

BeamType=Medium

Focusing=Fixed

Glued/potted=No


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## Hrvoje

*KD Viewfinder*

This flashlight looks identical to the Ultrafire WF-008 recoil thrower, that means the building quality is excellent. But, this one is 18650 battery only, and has 3 mode driver (high, low and of course strobe). I don't know what led is inside, but description on the KD said 130 lumen, so I guess it is probably Cree P4. Current draw from protected 18650 Trustfire 2400 mAh (voltage 4 V) is 0.6 A on high, 0.08 A on low and 0.3 A on strobe. I will try to replace the original driver with 2 mode 1 A 7135 based driver to see is there any brightness and throw difference. Putting some R2 inside would be also nice, but that would be difficult task. However, for $20 it is a lot of bang for the bucks.

Hrvoje




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## xcnick

*Re: The Other Akoray !*



old4570 said:


> With so much interest in Akoray , Im surprised no one has taken any interest in the AK-16 ..
> 
> I spoke of it in the Akoray thread. The best thing I did was make it work with a 17500. The Fenix diffuser and filters fit perfectly.


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## DM51

*Re: Is this flashlight powered by Cree Q5-WC ?*

Continued...


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