# Got my SuperFire WF501D, very impressed!



## KingGlamis (Aug 1, 2007)

My SuperFire WF501D 4xCR123A from Quality China Goods showed up today. They said 10-15 days shipping, it arrived in 9 days. :twothumbs I put 4 CR123A 3.0v primaries in it (I have read it will take 4x3.7v, we'll see). This thing is VERY bright. And at $21 including shipping, the best money I ever spent. The quality is about what I expected for a Chinese light, good but not exceptional. It's a good looking light, but most importantly, it's BRIGHT! Great throw and a nice wide spill. Standing in the hallway it lights up my entire bedroom. Outside it is just awesome, lighting up the neighbors trees just great. Did I mention that it is bright? My only complaint is that the primaries rattle inside the tube. Hopefully that won't be an issue when I put some protected cells in it.

I'll post more after I get to use it more. And unfortunately my laptop computer died so I can't post beam shots just yet, but I'll figure out a way to get beam shots up by tomorrow.

It's beyond me why brick and mortar stores in the US don't stock these lights. They would sell for 3-4 times as much as I paid once people knew about them. Best money I ever spent...

http://www.qualitychinagoods.com/images/ProPho/407/WF501D.jpg


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## KingGlamis (Aug 2, 2007)

I was able to get some so-so beam shots using my daughters digital camera (since hers has a USB cable).

This first one is on the side of my house. It's illuminating nearly the entire height of the side of the house at close range (maybe 6 feet).







This next shot is lighting up my bedroom (please excuse the mess  ).






About 4-5 feet from the wall.






My daughter's camera is really a "toy" camera so these pics DO NOT do this light justice. It really is very bright. Honestly, it outshines my 4D aspheric Mag when shining at the mega-tall Palm trees the neighbor has (but the camera couldn't get a pic of it).

Another observation is that the head gets pretty hot after a few minutes of use. This will not be a light that I choose to use for long runtime.


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## mdocod (Aug 2, 2007)

I've been using the ultrafire version of the same light for awhile now... It's finally giving me trouble after about a year and a half, not a bad life for a $20 light that got used almost every day.. Ran a P91 and a pair of 17670s in it for awhile there... I'm debating about replacing with another super/ultrafire, or just saving up for a leefbody setup...

If it came with a G140 lamp, then you aren't seeing anywhere near the full potential... It will be way brighter on 4xRCR123s... (You'll want to go with AWs as they are the only protected cells I know of that will light up that lamp without any double clicking required).... If it came with a G120 lamp, then stick with primaries, rechargeables will blow it...

If the batteries really have a lot of room to spare in there.. then you might have one of the oddballs that may actually fit 18mm cells... Might be worth measuring the tube diameter.. if you can fit 18mm cells, you might want to run a pair of 18650s in it driving a P91, will be even brighter, and rechargeable to boot.


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## KingGlamis (Aug 2, 2007)

mdocod said:


> I've been using the ultrafire version of the same light for awhile now... It's finally giving me trouble after about a year and a half, not a bad life for a $20 light that got used almost every day.. Ran a P91 and a pair of 17670s in it for awhile there... I'm debating about replacing with another super/ultrafire, or just saving up for a leefbody setup...
> 
> If it came with a G140 lamp, then you aren't seeing anywhere near the full potential... It will be way brighter on 4xRCR123s... (You'll want to go with AWs as they are the only protected cells I know of that will light up that lamp without any double clicking required).... If it came with a G120 lamp, then stick with primaries, rechargeables will blow it...
> 
> If the batteries really have a lot of room to spare in there.. then you might have one of the oddballs that may actually fit 18mm cells... Might be worth measuring the tube diameter.. if you can fit 18mm cells, you might want to run a pair of 18650s in it driving a P91, will be even brighter, and rechargeable to boot.



Well I just put in 4 RCR123A 3.7v cells and it did seem brighter. But they are not protected cells. I checked and it is a G140 14v lamp.


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## KingGlamis (Aug 2, 2007)

Darn it! Wouldn't you know it... I woke up this morning and the sun is shining again. I guess I'll have to wait until tonight to continue the testing.


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## KingGlamis (Aug 3, 2007)

So I took it in to work today to show the guys in the shop. They were all AMAZED at how much light it puts out. And 10 times more amazed at the price.

DISCLAIMER: The following statement is meant in a joking manner, so please don't firebomb my house. 

I noticed the lack of responses to this thread. Perhaps it is because all of the SureFire and Fenix owners can't accept that a light that cost 1/5th or less of what they paid puts out more light? Just sayin'...


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## KingGlamis (Aug 5, 2007)

Update. Went camping this weekend up on the Mogollon Rim in AZ. Beautiful forest high-country up there. Got to test out the WF501D in "real" darkness, pitch-black, no moon, no lights, nada. All I can say is WOW! This thing is incredible! Great throw but an absolutely amazing flood for such a small light. On night rides in my Yamaha Rhino I was using it as a handheld flood/spot light as it was way brighter than the headlights on the Rhino. Here are some beam shots (sorry for the poor quality, I really need to get a better camera).

This first one is shining up into a tall tree. The pic doesn't do it justice. In real life you can see every branch and every leaf.






These next two are shining into the forest. This light is amazing for lighting up large areas of forest. Unfortunately my camera would not work for showing long-throw, but this light has some serious throw (although it's better at flood than throw).











The best part was my buddy who is not a flashaholic was extremely impressed with this light and said he will be buying one. I have finally turned him to the "light" side.


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## KingGlamis (Aug 5, 2007)

And this is a beam shot through the smoke of the campfire. I thought it was a little different way of getting a pic.


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## sysadmn (Aug 6, 2007)

KingGlamis said:


> I noticed the lack of responses to this thread. Perhaps it is because all of the SureFire and Fenix owners can't accept that a light that cost 1/5th or less of what they paid puts out more light? Just sayin'...


 
Nah, we Fenix owners will tell you a CREE is bright, but not that bright, then start asking about runtimes 


Different tools for different jobs...


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## KingGlamis (Aug 7, 2007)

A couple more beam shots from tonight. This first one is to the far wall by the pool, measured at 50 feet from light to wall.






And this one to the corner of the wall at 50+ feet away (the light doesn't reflect as well since it is not straight on to the wall, so a good comparison).






I sure wish more people would do beam shots outside with a known range rather than against an inside white wall at close range. That would better help us compare beam shots.


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## FlashKat (Aug 7, 2007)

It's brighter to shine on a white wall at 3 feet away. Plus we want to see the PRETTY beam with no artifacts!!!


KingGlamis said:


> I sure wish more people would do beam shots outside with a known range rather than against an inside white wall at close range. That would better help us compare beam shots.


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## KingGlamis (Aug 7, 2007)

FlashKat said:


> It's brighter to shine on a white wall at 3 feet away. Plus we want to see the PRETTY beam with no artifacts!!!



If I were to shine this light on a wall 3 feet away the wall would melt or catch on fire and the camera would show nothing but white.


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## FlashKat (Aug 7, 2007)

No bragging...I'm BROKE


KingGlamis said:


> If I were to shine this light on a wall 3 feet away the wall would melt or catch on fire and the camera would show nothing but white.


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## KingGlamis (Aug 7, 2007)

FlashKat said:


> No bragging...I'm BROKE



I'm broke too, that's why I bought a $20 light! The fact that it is brighter than most $100 lights is just a plus.


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## half-watt (Aug 7, 2007)

KingGlamis said:


> I sure wish more people would do beam shots outside with a known range rather than against an inside white wall at close range. That would better help us compare beam shots.




hear ya', bro. a combo of both white wall + outdoor use is maybe best - especially for those high powered light cannons like yours (1x5mm LED = all indoor shots fine by me!).

some type of standard targeting disk/pattern would be in order though, and still not make for a perfect comparison. 

a white wall is hopefully just that a white wall bearing some measure of similarity from wall-to-wall. outside scenes would all be different to a degree. this would detract a bit (but certainly NOT totally detract) from a comparison perspective.

however, the outside shots, IMO, would still provide some basis of comparison as long the distances were STANDARDIZED and perhaps a standard target disk/pattern employed. that would at least give some small basis of comparision, but...

perhaps i'm missing something. [??? so, anyone, besides the downsides mentioned in this Post what else might impact usefulness of outside beamshots -- many heads are better than one - esp. if that "one" is mine as i'm not the brightest bulb in the bunch]


hey, many thanks for the great outside beamshots. you might have sold me on that light. i have looked at it for a month or two and just haven't bitten yet. now, i'm strongly leaning towards procuring one.

many thanks for your time and [SALES!!!] effort to make such fine Posts.


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## RoyJ (Aug 9, 2007)

Anyone know how this light compares with the WF500? Which one is brighter?


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## KingGlamis (Aug 9, 2007)

RoyJ said:


> Anyone know how this light compares with the WF500? Which one is brighter?



I'm not sure either but would love for someone to post beam shots of a WF500 as I am considering buying one of those too. It has a much larger reflector, which should be an advantage, but it runs off of less volts, so it would be an interesting comparison.


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## mdocod (Aug 9, 2007)

hard to say on that... As I understand the WF500 runs on 2 18650s and pulls somewhere around 3 amps if I remember correctly... The G140 when driven on 4xRCR123s, would be about double the voltage, but I think it runs around 1.3A.... So I think the WF500 is still a higher wattage setup, probably brighter, and definitely going to be more focused for throw... The fact that it uses 18650 cell format gives it a big advantage- 18mm cells have way better power density. So while the G140 only runs around 20-30 minutes on RCR123s, the WF500 should run somewhere around 40+ minutes and be brighter at the same time...


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## KingGlamis (Jan 26, 2008)

*Question about WF501D*

I've had a Superfire WF501D for quite a while and it has been great. No problems at all. On my suggestion my buddy bought two of them from Quality China Goods and has had nothing but problems. He thought it was the tailcap switches, and they sent him two new tailcaps. He still had problems. So he asked me to check out his lights. I tested the tailcaps with an Ohmmeter. They are fine. Put them on my light, they work fine. Then I noticed one of the bulbs looks discolored. So I took the bulb/reflector out and his says 12V, while mine says 14V. I'm pretty sure that's the problem but what is weird is I don't even see 12V bulbs for sale on Quality China Goods. Even though we both use 3.0V RCR batteries, as you all know they are much higher than 3.0V fully charged. So putting over 15 volts into a 12V bulb could be the problem, yes?

Thoughts?

He is going to email them and ask for 14V bulbs. I'm just wondering if anyone else has had this issue.

Thanks,
Doug


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## mdocod (Jan 26, 2008)

*Re: Question about WF501D*

sounds like he has probably fried the bulbs... remember, these are shipped in different variations, the ones that include the 12V lamp are intended to be used with primary CR123s, while the ones that ship with the "14V" lamps can be used with various li-ion rechargeable cells, I've heard reports that the "14V" labeled lamp will run on 4x3.7V cells and is a real screamer at that level..

My suggestion would be to run it on 2x17670 cells and drop an EO-9 in there. More runtime, less cells to hassle with, about the same brightness.


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## kaizer (Apr 21, 2009)

Hi guys, newbie in the world of torchlight.

Bite the bullet after reading the reviews in CPF, but sad to say I'm quite disappointed in the WF501D.

My unit came with the pressure switch and gun mount (dealextreme).

I'm using those off the shelves 3v CR123 primaries. The brightness and throw is no where near as the pix shown. Is there something wrong with mine?

I've checked it's using G&P 14v bulb.

Would a good brand of CR123 makes a big difference?


Thanks in advance guys, really appreciate your help.


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## kaizer (Apr 21, 2009)

*Re: Question about WF501D*

I've check mine comes with 14v bulb, what's the max voltage I can run without burning it?

4 x 3.6v CR123 rechargeables possible?

Thanks in advance.


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## buickid (Apr 22, 2009)

*Re: Question about WF501D*

Rechargable lithiums come off the charger at around 4.2V each, so 4 of those would make for 16.8V. 3 would make 12.6, which I believe is what the bulb is intended to be run at. 3xRCR123


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## gallagho (Apr 22, 2009)

*Re: Question about WF501D*

Please delete


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## gallagho (Apr 22, 2009)

I have a WF500 and have just ordered the WF501D for fun 

I'll post some shots when it arrives.

Owen


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## kaizer (Apr 22, 2009)

*Re: Question about WF501D*



buickid said:


> Rechargable lithiums come off the charger at around 4.2V each, so 4 of those would make for 16.8V. 3 would make 12.6, which I believe is what the bulb is intended to be run at. 3xRCR123



Dear Buickid sir, thank you very much for your reply.

But Mdocod sir has stated otherwise?



mdocod said:


> I've heard reports that the "14V" labeled lamp will run on 4x3.7V cells and is a real screamer at that level..



I'm in no way questioning your knowledge, but just want to make sure I'm running it at it's fullest potential.

TQ


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## mdocod (Apr 22, 2009)

*Re: Question about WF501D*

Hello kaizer,

Ditch the RCR123 concept and ditch the G140... Long term this isn't the way to go... I still have an old 501D and it actually is still kicking amazingly so the host aint bad really. 

First determine if your light will support 18mm diameter cells, (usually the bodies that support this will be bored to right around 3/4"). If it will, then pick up 2 quality protected 18650 cells or a pair of IMR 18650s from AW. then pick up an IMR-9 bulb from LumensFactory and install that instead. FYI ultrafire does not make a quality 18650s. 

If the body is bored to more like 17mm, then you will have to opt for a pair of 17670 cells. Again, quality protected cells, or wait for AW to come out with an IMR version of this cell (unknown if this will happen). You can run the IMR-9 if you want, it's a nice bulb, alternatively, you might try an HO-9 or one of the many cheap "9V" and/or "7.4V" D26 lamp assemblies from DX if you wanted to keep the price down...

-Eric


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## kaizer (Apr 22, 2009)

*Re: Question about WF501D*



mdocod said:


> Hello kaizer,
> 
> Ditch the RCR123 concept and ditch the G140... Long term this isn't the way to go... I still have an old 501D and it actually is still kicking amazingly so the host aint bad really.
> 
> ...



Hi mdocod sir, I did bought 18350 batteries, which is slightly wider than RCR123s.

I'm using it to mount onto my airsoft rifle to be used during night game, therefore longetivity of the batt isn't of an issue (1/2hrs continuous is good enough), but I need it to be as bright (slightly more focused beam with slightly lesser flood).

What would you recommend based on the requirements? Thanks and apologies that I've hijacked the thread.


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## kosPap (Apr 23, 2009)

*Re: Question about WF501D*

Kingclamis does your lamp says 14V xenon?

I tried a similar with *4 *x AW RCRs and got* 1292* lux in my lightbox..

this is close to the KD 773 and the Philips 7388 20W bulb, while the FM G4 with a WA1111 outputs 1530 lux...we are talking hotwire bulbs here!

So this is the poorman's FM Sunlight...


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## lctorana (Apr 23, 2009)

I'm very impressed with mine - I run 4 x AW black protected 16340s with the cheap 14V bulb, and the light output isn't that far short of the RoP-high.

In short bursts, of course. 16340s don't have an awful lot of mAh.

I know the bulb life will probably be very short, but
a) haven't blown one yet
b) they are cheap.


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## kosPap (Apr 23, 2009)

_post contents merged to my other post above_


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## mdocod (Apr 23, 2009)

The G140 does seem to run on 4xRCR123s as more of a lucky coincidence that the cells sag just enough I think, but I would be willing to bet it would pop on 18350s more often than not, or too often to be of any sort of real value in use.


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## kaizer (Apr 25, 2009)

Abit of an update on my WF501D. Took the risk and put in 4 x 18350 in and fire it up. Boy does it shine. The light's more of a flood than a spot. Easily shines up to 150ft or more. And when in total darkness... It's real useful and bright too.

Not sure how long it will last though. Maybe it's a good idea to get a few replacement bulbs as backups on mine.

Another question. Is there a way to make the light slightly more focus (more throw)?


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## Juggernaut (Apr 25, 2009)

Does anyone know how this compares to the LF EO-13:thinking:? Which is 22.88 watts.


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## lctorana (Apr 26, 2009)

Juggernaut said:


> Does anyone know how this compares to the LF EO-13:thinking:? Which is 22.88 watts.


 Brighter.

On a ceiling-bounce test, I get 22.4 lux from my EO-13 equipped B3, and the WF-502D with RCRs yields 26.5.
For comparison, my RoP-high gives 29.5.

With 18350 cells, the WF-502D will give even more lux, nearly matching the RoP, but the bulb life will be very, very short indeed.


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## Juggernaut (Apr 26, 2009)

lctorana said:


> Brighter.
> 
> On a ceiling-bounce test, I get 22.4 lux from my EO-13 equipped B3, and the WF-502D with RCRs yields 26.5.


 
So it’s dimmer then the WF-502D! Wow that light is bright, as bright as the SF M6! Are you using 18650s with your EO-13 though:thinking:? I heard they make a noticeable difference over 18500s.


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## errolc (Apr 6, 2010)

Holly crap...as a newbie...this is getting more involved than buying a target gun...my heads spinning...and I'm still not sure what I want, or need. This is a whole new world.:huh:

As a possum shooter...I'd just need a rifle mounted light with good pentrating at 50-100 yards...just for the 10 secs or so to knock em out of the tree...not a flood light to light the whole tree.

I take it that the WF500 would be the better option...what about batteries and bulb...I also need a charger thats not going to cook everything. I'm sure there's some recommendations out here.

Greatly Appreciated from down under.


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## gallagho (Apr 7, 2010)

:welcome: errolc


Yep the WF500 out throws the 501D

With a Lumens Factory HO-R5 and two AW18650 it's a killer combo.

Don't skimp on the batteries unless you want risk having to 'double tap' all the time to use it.


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## nzgunnie (Apr 7, 2010)

KingGlamis said:


> I noticed the lack of responses to this thread. Perhaps it is because all of the SureFire and Fenix owners can't accept that a light that cost 1/5th or less of what they paid puts out more light? Just sayin'...



People who buy Surefire lights are usually over lumen figures as a deciding factor in buying a light.

I'd suggest you get a pair of 18650s and a decent 9v lamp from LF, like the EO9, or the IMR9 on a pair of IMR18650s.

Multiple RCR123s in series with high drain lamps is kinda asking for trouble.


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## mdocod (Apr 7, 2010)

Holy Thread Resurrection!

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Hello errolc!

Welcome to CPF!

Keep browsing and keep reading. Things will start to come together better in time. If you want to see some of the most useful sources of information in this forum, check out the various "stickied" and "threads of interest" threads that can be found at the top of every major forum category.

Excellent illumination out to 100 yards is often more difficult than one might image, and having a flashlight strapped to a rifle with recoil introduces many more complexities. 

For an incan that is intended to be mounted on a firearm, it would be best to do a build around a SureFire shock isolated head. Considering the range you have in mind, the Millennium Turbo Head would be the best bet. 

To run a good strong lamp in there with a proper remote pressure switch, you are going to want to research your options and decide if you want to run rechargeable cells or primaries. Running primary cells is often easy in the short run, but expensive in the long run. Often it is preferred for weapon mounted systems so that the cells see frequent replacement and are not subjected to recoil for years and years, which translates to spending the money on replacing primary cells and just dealing with it. 

There are tons of great semi-cheap "tactical" grade flashlights out there, but when people start mounting flashlights to weapons, more complications arise. My personal suggestion would be to skip the cheap Chinese stuff and have a good look at some SureFire weapon-mount lighting systems to get a feel for things. You might not necessarily be buying one of those specific weapon-mount configurations, but having a look won't hurt. Something like a M4 on a standard 1" diameter mount with a pressure switch installed could be the ticket. 

For effective illumination to 100 yards combined with decent reliability, be prepared to spend a decent chunk of change. 

You should also check out options using warm LEDs. The M1X from Jetbeam comes to mind, but I'm not sure if it has a pressure switch. 

Eric

[edit in]
Consider the following:
2xAWIMR18500 running a LumensFactory HO-M3T in a Millennium Turbo Head (KT4)
3xAWIMR18500 running a LumensFactory HO-M6R in a Millennium Turbo Head (KT4)

Each configuration would require an aftermarket body (probably an FM C-C body), a C to M adapter, and SF C series compatible tailcap switch or pressure switch, Li-Ion chargers, cells, and the LF lamp called for. 

Most of what I have just said probably doesn't make a lot of sense just yet, so keep on reading. Soon, it will all come together.


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