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



## bessiebenny

** Re-posting for direct linking **
** 
*★★★★★ Romisen RC-A3 **DX* (First reviewed in June 21st 2008)
*Throw: TBA lux *(1 x 3.7v 17670)
*Lightbox: 45 lux *(1 x 3.7v 17670)
*Intro*
- This is Romisen's AA light which has now all been upgraded to a P4 bin Cree.
- It's a nice AA EDC sized flashlight with good build quality and price.
*Build Quality*
- Solid Romisen quality. Bit over 1mm thick aluminium barrel.
- Good threads. No rattle. Mine came slightly lubed.
- Both the light engine pill and reflector is threaded. can be rotated out.
- No threads are glued. So it is mod friendly in that sense.
- Firm press required but easy to press reverse clicky as it sticks out.
- Due to this, it does not tail stand however. It's a black rubber clicky.
- In hand, it feels solid, not cheap, grippy. Three flat sided body.
- Small square shaped knurlings on head/tail. Good quality machining.
- There is a thin non-visible-from-outside o-ring infront of the glass lense.
- Cree LED is thermal paste glued on to the pill. 16mm round base.
- Cree LED was a silver-backed model with 4 wires. (minimum P4 bin)
- Nice and fairly deep textured OP aluminium reflector.
- Unusually thick O-ring on both sides of the battery barrel. Nice.
- One small and round hole in the tail for the lanyard.
- Enough room in the barrel to fit any AA sizes. 
*Light Output*
- Not super bright but still useful output brightness. Nice runtime.
- Smooth blended hotspot with nice and bright spill.
- Has a neutral to cool tint to the beam. No bluish feel still.
- Slight yellow corona around the hotspot but not visible in use.
- No visible donut hole in the centre of hotspot from over 2 inches away.
- As you can see from the graph, it has a initial drop then nice flat output.
*In Use*
- Doesn't get too hot during long extended use. Gets fairly warm.
- Can easily roll off tables as it's just round cylindrical in shape.
- Nothing to really highlight or fault. Nice simple 1 mode AA light. =)
*Final Notes*
- Not as bright as the single mode P4 Ultrafire C3 nor can support 2AA.
- And for around $1 more, you can get a RC-I3 which is far more versatile.
- But RC-A3 still has good runtime and has a solid quality feel to the light.
- So I give it a 5 star rating. Very nice, well priced, good as gifts also.
**Alternative lights in similar category/price**
- Ultrafire C3 1-mode AA/2AA P4. (great runtime, brighter, versatile)
- Romisen RC-I3 (Can use 1 or 2AA as well as 1RCR for extra brightness)
- Romisen RC-H3 (which I haven't yet reviewed but many recommend it)
*◎* *Measurements*
- It pulls 1.6A from 1 x 1.2v AA NiMh


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## bessiebenny

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*

** Re-posting for direct linking **

*★★★★★ Romisen RC-F4 Q5 **ShiningBeam* (First reviewed June 6th 2008)
*Throw: 4300 lux *(1 x 3.7v 17670) *5050 lux *(2RCR) (Both are peak only)
*Old Lightbox: 120 lux *(1 x 3.7v 17670) *150 lux *(2RCR) (Both are peak only)
*New Lightbox: TBA lux *(1 x 3.7v 17670) *440 lux *(2RCR) (Both are peak only)
*Intro*
- This is ShiningBeam's customized Romisen RC-F4 with Cree Q5 emitter.
- Output is brighter by around 30% over the original RC-F4 at DX/KD etc.
- I have also reviewed the standard Romisen RC-F4 previously.
*Build Quality*
- Build quality wise, it's identical to the current RC-F4 that you can buy elsewhere.
- Switch module is inside it's own aluminium pill. Meaning less contact issues.
- Head is not glued. So you have full access to the emitter and light engine.
- Uses a silver-backed Cree emitter and has a nice deep Alumnium OP reflector.
- The emitter is thermal glued to the pill and the emitter is on a 16mm round base.
- Has "Q5" painted on the side instead of the usual "CREE" sign.
- There is a nice grippy knurlings on the head and on the tail. None on body.
- It does not have HAIII. So expect it to get scratched over time.
- Has O-rings in all the required places. So it should be at worse splash proof.
*Light Output*
- Noticeably brighter than the P4 version with both 2RCR and 17670.
- Has a brighter hotspot and a brighter spill also. Smooth looking output.
- Soft edged due to OP reflector but still clearly brighter round hotspot.
- Output with 17670 is about the same or brighter than original RC-F4 with 2RCR.
- With 2RCR, it's constantly 20-30% brighter than the original RC-F4 with 2RCR.
*In Use*
- Single mode reverse clicky. Easy to press with flat part of the thumb.
- It does not tail stand. It rolls off the table if on an angle or gets momentum.
- It fits the non-protected 17670. A little tight but no problems.
- It fits any RCR batteries I've tried so far. Trustfire/KD/Ultrafire etc.
- Even after 30 minutes on constant power, it does not get hot at all!
- It barely gets warm. So it's great for extended use. 
- Runtime with 2RCR is great. And it has a super flat regulation after the initial 3 minute burst.
- With 17670, it has a direct drive characteristic but has a very long useable runtime of over 3 hours.
*Final Notes*
- Brilliant "cheap" 2RCR light. It's very slim and light. Feels great in hand.
- The original version at $15 is one of best flashlight you can get for $$.
- But this Q5 version is definitely still worth it if you want yours brighter!
- Also, ShiningBeam ships it to you much faster than shops from HK. =)
- I give RC-F4 "Q5" 5 stars overall. Well, 6 star performance still. =P
- But I gave it 5 stars due to it being around $10 more than P4 version all up. (including shipping)
- FYI: Get 6% discount using coupon code "CPFuser" at Shiningbeam! =)
*◎* *Measurements*
- It pulls 0.50A from 2 x 3.7v RCR123A
- It pulls 0.52A from 1 x 3.7v 17670 (yes. Not much difference to 2RCR)



 

 

 

 


.................................................. ...........RC-F4 Q5 vs RC-G2 Q5......2 stops lower




>> New Kitchen Shot


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## bessiebenny

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*

*★★★ TANK007 TK-702 P4-WB **DX* (Posted on Feb 18th 2009)
*Throw: TBA lux *(1 x AAA NiMh) 
*New Lightbox: 64 lux *(1 x AAA NiMh) (This is the NEW lightbox. Result cannot be directly compared to other non-new Lightbox results)

New lightbox results to compare for now: 
- Nitecore D10 = 250 lux (on high)
- Fenix E01 = 14 lux
- Romisen RC-G2 Q5 = 120 lux 
- Eastward YJ-XAQ5 = 500 lux (on high)
- Blaze 1Watt = 180 lux (on high) 100 lux (on low)

*Intro*
- It's a tiny AAA flashlight with a Cree LED.
- One thing which stands out is that it uses a clicky switch.
*Build Quality*
- Anodizing is very smooth, glossy. A bit slippery.
- It's not HAIII. I can scratch it "very" easily. Maybe DX got it wrong?
- Tail switch is not rubber. It doesn't feel that solid.
- Shallow smooth reflector. Might be plastic. Looks it. But not sure.
- No springs on either end of the battery tube. Not a good design there.
- I can see o-ring in-front glass lense and at the tail thread. 
- The tail thread O-ring broke on mine after a few open/close attempts.
- One small round lanyard hole on the switch end. Sharp edges so it'll tear the lanyard over time imo.
*Light Output*
- Silver Cree XR-C (I believe) LED (2 wires)
- Not the nicest looking beam. Not a nice smooth hotspot. 
- Spill is bright and smooth enough. Also wide. Not bad at all.
- To my eyes, the output is at best around 50 lumens.
*In Use*
- Has a reverse clicky. It can tail stand although not 100% stable.
- It gets quite warm after about 10 minutes. But not hot.
*Final Notes*
- It's not bad but nothing exceptional either. You get what you pay for.
- But don't expect this to last a long time. It doesn't feel that reliable.
- So I give it 3 stars. It's not something I will be recommending to many if at all.

*◎**Measurements*
- It pulls 1.15A from 1 x AAA NiMh (fully charged)

*◎Photos*
** 



>> New Kitchen Shot

*◎Runtime*
- It keeps a nice output level all the way till around 80 minutes.


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## richardcpf

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*

A poorman's LD01 :naughty:


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## davidt1

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*

The Tank007 isn't that great a light after all. Mine is coming. Too late for me to do anything about it.


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## bessiebenny

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*



davidt1 said:


> The Tank007 isn't that great a light after all. Mine is coming. Too late for me to do anything about it.


 
Yeah. Well, I really didn't put much hope into it when I ordered mine. hehe.
I expected it to be made cheaply. But hoped that it was still HAIII. Seems it's not. Doh.
One thing I didn't mention is that it still does have O-rings in fron of lense and in tail thread.
So they did do a lot for what it costs. And there's not much competition really. (AAA with clicky)


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## 7ender

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*

The Tank007 tk-701 does not claim to be HAIII. I have been reading through the discussions at DX and looking at the specs, and it is only the Tank tk-702 that is HAIII. They actually have some other slight differences as well, not just the LED.

Trying to figure out which one to get.


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## VegasF6

*Tank tk-360 no heat sinking*

I received my replacement TK-360 today after the first one burned up. I really like it for the 15 minutes or so that it lasted. Once it did, (burn up) I removed the head. The led is convered by a white plastic insulating ring, quite thick, from the metal reflector. Carefully pushing the led around I could tell it was just floating loosely around so I stopped there and started an RMA. 

So, today I got my replacement, as I said, and before even putting a battery in it I removed the reflector to check for the same. Sure enough, the led was floating around. I managed to pry out the insulating disk, and there is a 14mm round PCB on top of a pill. At first I thought there was no metal under the PCB at all, ala the "tonch" which required the penny trick. But, I did manage to pry up the pcb just enough to see there is metal. It is bone dry underneath, no heatsink glue, grease, monkey snot, or anything else. 

Now, theoriticaly when the head is screwed on tight, the reflector should place pressure on the led, pressing it to the heatsink. However, in practice, I don't think it works out that way at all. I will have to unsolder the emitter and put some sort of compound under it. I am trying to decide between AS5, ceramique, or artic alumina. I am leaning towards the ceramique because I actually know where that is, and the others are floating around god only knows where in the house during the remodel.

There is no reason to believe that other TANK007 models will have the same deficiency, but, if yours is still working, I suggest you check just in case.


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## bessiebenny

*Re: Tank tk-360 no heat sinking*

Yeah. Most of these cheaper branded lights do not have great heatsinking of the LED. I noticed that few of my lights now have much more yellowish beam than before. (most likely due to overheating)
If going above $40 on a light, I would strongly suggest to maybe spend a little more for the more respected branded lights such as EagleTac, Fenix, Tiablo, Nitecore etc etc.
Then you are more guaranteed that it will survive everyday use and also get that peace of mind of reliability. But my thread is about a cheap-but-still-great flashlights. hehe. =P


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## VegasF6

*Re: Tank tk-360 no heat sinking*



bessiebenny said:


> Yeah. Most of these cheaper branded lights do not have great heatsinking of the LED. I noticed that few of my lights now have much more yellowish beam than before. (most likely due to overheating)
> If going above $40 on a light, I would strongly suggest to maybe spend a little more for the more respected branded lights such as EagleTac, Fenix, Tiablo, Nitecore etc etc.
> Then you are more guaranteed that it will survive everyday use and also get that peace of mind of reliability. But my thread is about a cheap-but-still-great flashlights. hehe. =P


 
Well, yah I get that. But I am just saying a little heat sink compound would go aways. I have quite a few DX lights, I think Tank just ran out of grease the day they assembled mine


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## davidt1

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*



7ender said:


> The Tank007 tk-701 does not claim to be HAIII. I have been reading through the discussions at DX and looking at the specs, and it is only the Tank tk-702 that is HAIII. They actually have some other slight differences as well, not just the LED.
> 
> Trying to figure out which one to get.



I ordered the 702. I hope it's better than the 701. It should be. It cost $.20 more LOL. 

It was shipped on 2/10, according to DX. But no tracking number was provided. Hope they didn't lie about shipping it.


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## cheetokhan

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*



bessiebenny said:


> **
> I've received the TANK007 TK-701 AAA light today.
> I'll do the review when I can but here's some quick impressions.
> 
> - Anodizing is very smooth, glossy. A bit slippery.
> - It's not HAIII. I can scratch it "very" easily. False advertising. =<
> - Tail switch is not rubber. It doesn't feel that solid.
> - It's a reverse clicky. It can tail stand although not 100% stable.
> - Shallow smooth reflector. Might be plastic. Looks it from the front.
> - No springs on either end of the battery tube. Not a good design there.
> - I can see o-ring in-front glass lense and at the tail thread. (Not sure about the switch module yet)
> - Has a single lanyard hole on the switch end. Sharp edges so it'll tear the lanyard over time.
> - Not the nicest looking beam. Not a nice smooth hotspot.
> - Spill is bright and smooth enough. Also wide. Not bad at all.
> - For what it is and what it costs, I can't complain. =P



I have a TANK007 TK-701 SSC, DX 18630. 
The tailswitch is a metal cap over a typical plastic switch body. The whole assembly is just pressed in from the front of the tailcap. There is absolutely no seal of any kind around my switch or around the aluminum cap. It does have o-rings at the threaded junction between the end cap and the body. 
The switch on mine works very smoothly. The switch cap is recessed a couple of mm under the end of the body so mine tailstands perfectly.
The beam on mine is flawless. A very wide bright hotspot that smoothly blends into the bright spill. 
The only real disapointment I have is the lack of battery contact springs. With an Eneloop AAA cell, the endcap can not be screwed all the way down against the body without crushing the battery. My eneloop now has a dented tail end, but it seems to be working fine anyway.


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## bessiebenny

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*



7ender said:


> The Tank007 tk-701 does not claim to be HAIII.


 
Oops. Seems I wrote TK-701 instead of TK-702 by mistake. hehe.
I have the TK-702 which at DX claims to be HAIII. But clearly isn't.


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## 7ender

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*

Iv'e never owned a AAA cree light before- how much light would you say they put out, in comparative terms? I've had an L1P, would it be something like that (AA LuxIII)?


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## bessiebenny

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*



7ender said:


> Iv'e never owned a AAA cree light before- how much light would you say they put out, in comparative terms? I've had an L1P, would it be something like that (AA LuxIII)?


 
From just looking at the output, it seems it's around 60 lumens at best.
Similar to 1AA Cree P4 lights such as Ultrafire C3 AA P4 etc. (old one)

You can obviously get brighter AAA lights however at the cost of runtime.
Such as the KD Buckle V5 Cree Q5 which can do over 100 lumens. (~1.5W)


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## Hrvoje

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*

Received today Akoray K-102 from DX. As others already noted, excelent light for that price. I managed to disassemble this thing. Led is SSC P9, and in reality looks brighter then stated 28 lm. Good throw, but also useful spill. Tint on my flashlight is pretty cold white. Glass lens is not AR coated, as stated on DX item description. Reflector is aluminum. I measured current draw, and from Konnoc 1000 mAh AAA cell draw is 0.38 A. From 10440 cell current is 0.28 A. Only drawback is hard to press forward clicky switch.

Hrvoje


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## fstuff

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*



bessiebenny said:


> *TANK007 TK-702 Q5 **DX* (Posted on Feb 18th 2008)
> 
> I'll do the review when I can but here's some quick impressions review.
> Once this is a bit more finalized (week or so), I will remove this line.
> 
> *Intro*
> - It's a tiny AAA flashlight with a Cree LED.
> - One thing which stands out is that it uses a clicky switch.
> *Build Quality*
> - Anodizing is very smooth, glossy. A bit slippery.
> - It's not HAIII. I can scratch it "very" easily. Maybe DX got it wrong?
> - Tail switch is not rubber. It doesn't feel that solid.
> - Shallow smooth reflector. Might be plastic. Looks it. But not sure.
> - No springs on either end of the battery tube. Not a good design there.
> - I can see o-ring in-front glass lense and at the tail thread. (Not sure about the switch module yet)
> - Has a single lanyard hole on the switch end. Sharp edges so it'll tear the lanyard over time imo.
> *Light Output*
> - Silver Cree XR-C (I believe) LED (2 wires)
> - Not the nicest looking beam. Not a nice smooth hotspot.
> - Spill is bright and smooth enough. Also wide. Not bad at all.
> *In Use*
> - It's a reverse clicky. It can tail stand although not 100% stable.
> *Final Notes*
> - For what it is and what it costs, I can't complain too much. =P
> 
> *◎**Measurements*
> - It pulls 1.15A from 1 x AAA NiMh (fully charged)


 
your link says it's a p4?

and your review says 2wire LED, which suggests a P2?!


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## fstuff

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*

has the rc-g2 changed since 12months ago?

the emitter on mine looks nothing like what Rockz4532 reviewed:
https://www.candlepowerforums.com/posts/2838578&postcount=377

his emitter pic:





or is this not the emitter?

edit:
it's not the emitter. it's the bottom of the battery. 
<-------- needs to get his eyes checked


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## Zatoichi

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*



fstuff said:


> or is this not the emitter?



No, that's the bottom of the battery.


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## Superorb

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*



Zatoichi said:


> No, that's the bottom of the battery.


Made me :lol: Thanks for the chuckle.

Nice camera BTW.


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## bessiebenny

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*



fstuff said:


> your link says it's a p4?
> 
> and your review says 2wire LED, which suggests a P2?!


 
That's correct. It's a silver backed Cree with 2 wires. Which to me is P2 also.
So either DX has most of the specs wrong or there's something else going on.
(Even pics on the DX website shows the LED with only 2 wires instead of 4)


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## Cemoi

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*



Hrvoje said:


> Received today Akoray K-102 from DX.



Thanks for the close-up pics. Does it looks like the emitter can be upgraded easily?

FYI, there is a review thread about this light here.


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## fstuff

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*



Zatoichi said:


> No, that's the bottom of the battery.


 
lol.... <FACEPALM>... oops.. lol


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## Hrvoje

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*



Cemoi said:


> Thanks for the close-up pics. Does it looks like the emitter can be upgraded easily?
> 
> FYI, there is a review thread about this light here.



Thanks, I looked for Akoray K-102 all over CPF before ordered mine, but missed that review.
I'm not sure that emitter can be easily upgraded. One thing for sure, the driver is not accessible, there is a plastic cover over it, I almost broke mine trying to pry this plastic off.

Hrvoje


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## alfreddajero

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*

Yup thats the bottom of the battery....lol....Can't believe this thread has grown so huge.


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## Deadman

*MTE P7 Vs Ultrafire WF-1000l MC-e Kbin*

LOL first post, Anyway for anyone who is intested this is a v. quick comparison between two DX bought flashlights. 
The MTE p7 super 5mode torch and the Ultrafire WF-1000L MC-e Kbin 2 mode both of the following photos are with the torches in the highest setting. The camera is a Cannon a560 powershot and has been set to manual mode and forced into iso 800 mode. 

Controal 
http://i727.photobucket.com/albums/ww275/Wastred_i_sacrifice/IMG_0027.jpg

MTE
http://i727.photobucket.com/albums/ww275/Wastred_i_sacrifice/IMG_0035.jpg

Ultrafire WF-1000L
http://i727.photobucket.com/albums/ww275/Wastred_i_sacrifice/IMG_0028.jpg
Lol im new to photobucket so i'm unsure if this worked 

*[over-sized images replaced by links - DM51]*

BTW The Tree which is the target is around 80 - 120 M away from torch


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## bessiebenny

*Re: MTE P7 Vs Ultrafire WF-1000l MC-e Kbin*

*Deadman* - Thanks for the pic comparisons! Very bright. Wow. Which one do you like better?

One thing I noticed is that according to the EXIF info of these pics, the last two pics were using different ISO values and shutter speeds which makes it hard to compare. (WF-1000L pic was taken at ISO 1600 @ 1sec while MTE pic was taken at ISO 800 @ 0.8sec exposure) Aperture was same at F2.6 for all pics though. This makes the WF-1000L pic around 2/3stops brighter than it should be. Unless my exif reader is showing me wrong info, it seems the manual exposure wasn't fully fixed?


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## baterija

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*



fstuff said:


> your link says it's a p4?
> 
> and your review says 2wire LED, which suggests a P2?!



Or it's an XR-C. Benny you can confirm by looking at the differences in the post here.


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## old4570

*MXDL LUX REadings - No Beam shots*





4 MXDL Flashlights I own + Romisen RL-B7 [ Luxeon 7W ] 

Got me a light meter [ Could be a bad thing ] .

So I decided to take some readings @ 1 Meter , and I tried to center the hot spot on the meter .

MXDL 3xAAA Claimed output 5W . Fresh Alkalines / 800Lux , Fresh Dry Cells / 500Lux

MXDL 2xAA Claimed output 5W , Fresh Alkalines / 350Lux , Fresh Dry Cells [ Eveready ] / 180Lux 

MXDL 1xAA CLaimed output  5W , Fresh Alkaline / 150Lux , Fresh Dry Cell / 100Lux 

MXDL 1xCR123A , claimed output 3W , CR123A Pictured / 450Lux + 250Lux , yes I have 2 of them .

Now for a comparison , the Romisen has 2x3v CR123A [ Pictured ] , and pumped out a lousy 3600Lux 

I guess there is cheap , and then CHEAP ! 
To date [ Buying a Romisen ] I was happy with the MXDL 3xAAA and the small CR123A powered ones .

Now ? , hmmm , I think I need a new torch .
lovecpf


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## stevoman

*Kai's RQ vs long throw R2*

Just wondering if anyone has done a comparison between these - they are the same price, and seem to be aimed at the same market.

Search has thrown up a few reviews of the RQ, but not so much for the long throw R2, and no comparisons.

My gut feeling is the RQ is probably a better light, but it has an older emitter. Shrug.


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## H.Roark

*Filtzer I-Beam X4 2xAA Rebel - Anyone know who makes it?*

Kind of a Noob here.


Since a lot of people here have a good eye for this thing, does anyone have an idea who manufactures this light? I'm just curious how the price compares to the discount sources.

http://www.mec.ca/Products/product_...older_id=2534374302696981&bmUID=1235099615863

The light itself is a little hefty but it is nice and bright. In my nooby opinion of course. It claims 100 Lumens and 8 hours runtime.


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## nuron

*Just got RC-G2...*

It's a very nice light...when it works. I'm not sure why, but it randomly doesn't turn on when I want it to. When it did work, I shook it and stuff to try to get it to turn off but it still runs fine. Unscrewing the tailcap doesn't seem to do anything to help it turn on either. Is this a common issue that I can fix? I know this is what's to be expected of DX lights but just wondering if anyone has experienced this before and implemented a fix. :thumbsup:


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## cerberuss

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*

I had a similar decision and ended up ordering the RQ, simply because it is well documented on CPF and has been shown to have great build quality(as well as being easy mod). The long throw might throw a bit further.. I have no idea, and build quality seems good. What I do know(from cpf testing) is that the RQ can exceed stock DBS throw with an upgraded driver .Also I just love the form factor.


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## L_Darklighter

*Re: Just got RC-G2...*

I bought an RC-N3 and it worked for about 2 minutes before not working. I shook the s hi t out of it, threw it on the ground, everything. Once out of 15 times it would work for a little, flicker, and die again. I returned it.


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## H.Roark

*Re: Filtzer I-Beam X4 2xAA Rebel - Anyone know who makes it?*

Hmm, seems I may have found it myself, thanks to another post pointing me to "Flavour Light".

It looks like a Nu-flaRE ALX-80R92AA. I suppose it could be some other manufacturer's versions of the same basic design.

1-4 zoom
Rebel 90
8 hours runtime
Regulated output
Momentary clicky

Seems to sell in Northern Europe for prices between 39-46 $CDN equivalent.


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## optodoofus

*Re: Just got RC-G2...*

A common problem with the RC-G2 is the reflector shorting out the LED. Try loosening the head a little. If that works, then you should probably remove the head and insert a small home-made washer of plastic or paper to keep the reflector from shorting the LED leads.

The other potential problem is that the switch retaining ring could be loose. Remove the tailcap and short the battery to the bare metal part of the falshlight body with a piece of wire or a paper clip. If the light comes on, the switch is your problem.  You can tighten the retaining clip by inserting a pair of needlenose pliers or tweezers into the small depressions in the the tailpice (looking down as if from the inside of the flashlight) and turning clockwise. 

If all else fails, return it. Good luck.

optodoofus


----------



## Zeruel

*Re: Filtzer I-Beam X4 2xAA Rebel - Anyone know who makes it?*

.


----------



## blinky

*Re: MTE P7 Vs Ultrafire WF-1000l MC-e Kbin*

Thanks for the comparison. However the WF-1000L shot appears brighter than it should be. The exposures on the 2 shot are different. MTE = 1sec at is800, WF-1000L = 0.8sec at iso1600. Thus the WF-1000L shot is getting 1.6X more exposure than the MTE shot.



Deadman said:


> LOL first post, Anyway for anyone who is intested this is a v. quick comparison between two DX bought flashlights.
> The MTE p7 super 5mode torch and the Ultrafire WF-1000L MC-e Kbin 2 mode both of the following photos are with the torches in the highest setting. The camera is a Cannon a560 powershot and has been set to manual mode and forced into iso 800 mode.
> 
> *[images removed from quote - DM51]*
> 
> Lol im new to photobucket so i'm unsure if this worked
> 
> BTW The Tree which is the target is around 80 - 120 M away from torch


----------



## klas1

*Re: MTE P7 Vs Ultrafire WF-1000l MC-e Kbin*

Did anyone who ordered UltraFire TH-1300L light at DX think it's a good deal? I decided to cancel the order until I read some reviews. Some one said that it wasn't impressive for its size.


----------



## davidt1

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*

I received the Tank007-702 today. 

A little background: I already have a good light the Microstream, but I wanted a wallet light and it is a little long for that. I did not want to spend a lot of money, so a DX light came to mind.

So far this light is a big disappointment. The Microstream has a better, more even beam and is way brighter. The Tank007 has a black hole in the center of the beam. It's a little brighter than my Lighthound Fauxton. It fits in the wallet though.


Side by side with the Microstream


----------



## stevoman

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*

Cerberuss - Yeah, I've ordered the RQ as well, as there was more test info on it around here.

Have you actually modded yours, or are you planning to?


----------



## TheIceMaster

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*



davidt1 said:


> The Tank007 has a black hole in the center of the beam.


Really? My TK-702 has a perfect spot without rings or artifacts and has been on my keychain for about 2 weeks now (see pic below).


----------



## 7ender

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*

Nobody has the tank 701? It seems as if this is the better light of the two...at least according to most of the reviews on DX.


----------



## nuron

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*

I'm interested in the brightness and runtimes between the SSC and Cree versions of the Tank also, as I'm looking for another AAA light after just ordering a Microstream.


----------



## old4570

*The Challenge = Best Multi mode under $20*

Ok , I know , Im going cheap , but here is the challenge .

Best Multi mode under $20USD .
Must be AA - AAA - CR123A / CRC123A 
Id really like a clip . 

So to date : 
MTE CREE P4 LED 4modes Flashlight(RCR123A) SKU: S002353 
KD CREE Q2 5 Modes Flashlight (1AA) SKU: S002437
2Modes CREE LED RC-E4 Flashlight Grey(3V-8V) SKU: S002922
UJC B-6 2Modes CREE LED Flashlight Grey(1xAA) SKU: S003956
Ultrafire 602C Q5 5-Mode LED Flashlight (CR123A) SKU: S004381
KD CREE P4 LED Flashlight 5 mode SKU: S004410
CREE Q3 Mode 6 Flashlight (1*CR123A) SKU: S005824 . Has a clip !
UniqueFire WF-502B CREE R2 LED Mode 3 Flashlight (1*18650) SKU: S005961 also has Clip !  Got my eye on this one . 
UltraFire WF-501B CREE Q5 Mode 5 Flashlight(1 x 18650) SKU: S006065
UltraFire WF-502B CREE Q5 Mode 5 Flashlight(1 x 18650) SKU: S006066
TK-566 CREE P4 5-Mode Flashlight (1*AA) SKU: S006339
TK566 CREE P4 LED 5-Mode Lengthen Flashlight (1*AA/2*AA) SKU: S006378
TANK007 HC-316 CREE P4 3-Mode Flashlight (1*CR123A) SKU: S006676

SKU is for my reference so I can go back to buy !


----------



## old4570

*Re: The Challenge = Best Multi mode under $20*

After carefully looking things over , only one met my requirements .
CREE Q3 6 Mode .


----------



## stefanj

*problem with Romisen RC-K4?*

I just got my package from DX (yea yea my first mistake- but I have never had problems with them in the past). My Romisen RC-k4 came (along with a Hugsby Tricolored) I had 2 rcr123s fresh off the charger (showing 4.08 volts each) Popped them into the light and got a very dim (aprox. the same as and Incan Mini Mag). Hmm so I tried the AAA configuration (and foolishly looked at the LED as I flipped it on) BLINDINGLY bright (brighter than my RC-N3 in rcr123 mode). Tried the the LiIons again and back to the dim output. I have a couple 18650's on order that I want to try but has anyone had probles like this with a ROmisen (this is my 5th Romisen product and I've never had problems- I even gave 7 RC-N3's for Christmas presents and they are all working flawlessly) I double checked the specs on the light and it is rated for up to 8.4 volts. Either way it is a nice bright AAA light. On another note- The Hugsby tricolored is a pretty amazing light (considering it cost all of $12) It is almost as big around as a C-cell mag- and as long as a Mini mag- nice bright 5mm Leds (3 red, 4 green, 4 white). SHould be a good backup Astronomy light (if my Peak Pacific ever gets here) and just a fun 3 colored light!


----------



## vali

*Re: The Challenge = Best Multi mode under $20*



old4570 said:


> Ok , I know , Im going cheap , but here is the challenge .
> 
> Best Multi mode under $20USD .
> Must be AA - AAA - CR123A / CRC123A
> Id really like a clip .



If you buy from DX you can get a RC-N3 3 mode now. Its not the brightest nor the most modern emitter, but has a good runtime. *BUT* be aware of his 30 secs "memory" mode.


----------



## old4570

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*

Only saw the RC-U4 3 mode , + a few 2 modes + I have 2 flashlights on order from DX , a SAIK 3 mode , + a Ultrafire WF-502B R2-WC 3 mode .

But Im still , hmmm thinking , about the Trustfire Alpha - C1 / TR-C2 / Ultrafire C1 cree R2-WC .


----------



## vali

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*

I forgot it... The description says 1 mode but now its 3 mode. Just see the comments. 

sku.9070 is the one I got and its 3 mode now.


----------



## stefanj

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*

OK I feel stupid. I checked the voltage of my rcr123s- lets see 4.08, 4.08, 3.05- Hmm guess this light only works well with BOTH batteries CHARGED. I swapped out the low one and now it works pretty darn good. I bit brighter than the RC-N3 and a bit floodier (the RC-N3 probably has a better throw- waiting till it gets dark to tell for sure). All in all the RC-K4 is a neat light- too big for an EDC- but a keeper none the less!


----------



## bessiebenny

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*

*UPDATE*
- TANK007 TK-702 review has been updated with runtime graph.
- NEW LIGHTBOX created and used finally!! (Check TK-702 review for it)
- The new lightbox will be mentioned as "New Lightbox" in my reviews.
- This new lightbox is made out of a cardboard box with white internal walls. =)

Some New lightbox results to compare for now: 
- Nitecore D10 = 250 lux (on high)
- Fenix E01 = 14 lux
- Romisen RC-G2 Q5 = 120 lux 
- Eastward YJ-XAQ5 = 500 lux (on high)
- Blaze 1Watt = 180 lux (on high) 100 lux (on low)

As you can see, it still is comparable and is fairly accurate for what it needs to achieve.
Roughly, it results in ~2.5x the lux value of old lightbox due better light catching.
So it should give a bit more detailed results than before for low output lights. =)


----------



## old4570

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*



vali said:


> I forgot it... The description says 1 mode but now its 3 mode. Just see the comments.
> 
> sku.9070 is the one I got and its 3 mode now.



Thanks , I remember looking at this model , and I may still be tempted to get it one day .

But I have 3 Flashlights on order ATM


----------



## bessiebenny

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*

*planet bike blaze 1W w\ superflash* PRODUCT LINK (Posted on Feb 22nd 2009)
*Throw: TBA lux *(1 x AAA NiMh) 
*New Lightbox: 120 lux *(high) *65 lux *(low) (2 x AA NiMh)
*New Lightbox: 180 lux *(high) *100 lux *(low) (2 x AA Alkaline)

* This was just borrowed from my friend. I do not ride bikes. =P
* So I'm only going to comment on how it is in my hand with results.
- I'll ask my friend how it is after he has used it for a while. =)
* More reviews with photos are available at the product link above.

New lightbox results to compare for now: 
- Nitecore D10 = 250 lux (on high)
- Fenix E01 = 14 lux
- Romisen RC-G2 Q5 = 120 lux 
- Eastward YJ-XAQ5 = 500 lux (on high)

*Intro*
- This is a nice looking bike headlamp that clamps onto the bike handle.
- It's a 3 mode light with supposedly a Cree LED inside powered at 1W.
*Build Quality*
- Solid rock-hard plastic outer casing. This looks and feels it's made to last.
- Thick plastic collimator lense at front. It's hard to see the LED coz of it.
- Strong plastic belt-type clamp. Has metal components in the screw/hinges.
- The clap part can be removed off from the main flashlight body.
- Rubber covered reverse clicky switch on the top of the head portion.
- Just twist the head portion to open and you can fit 2 AA batteries inside.
*Light Output*
- Although it's 1W, most of the light is concentrated in the hotspot.
- So it is quite bright and I'm assuming this is perfect for a bike use.
- Due to this, there isn't much spill. Maybe this is a good thing?
- Low output mode isn't that much lower. But should allow better runtime.
- The light is brighter with Alkalines. (Most likely due to higher voltage input)
- Strobe has an interesting flashing sequence. Every 3 or so flashes is a brighter flash.
- I expect this to be more noticeable than a constant brightness strobe at night.
*In Use*
- The rubber clicky on top is easy enough to use and press.
- Sequence is Low - High - Strobe - Off. (Have to go through all of it)
- It does not get hot during use. not even warm. (Thick plastic casing....)
*Final Notes*
- It's specifically made for bike use so it's not really made for handheld use.
- Although with the clamp removed, it could be used easily as a handheld. =)
- My friend paid $26 Canadian dollars. So it's not expensive at all.
- If I was a bike rider and ride at night, I think this is a decent choice.
- Although if you wanted more brightness, just go for a flashlight with a bike mount strap.

*◎Runtime
*- Here's the runtime test on High. I had to give it back to my friend before it finished unfortunately. =P
- After this 4 hours of running, the new lightbox reading was 70 lux. (with the same 2 x NiMh on High)


----------



## richardcpf

*Re: WF-1000L... Swapping driver*



bstrickler said:


> I absolutely LOVE the output of the light compared to my dinky TR-801's from DX. It puts both of my 801's to shame


 
Then why whould you want to swap the driver? I own the WF-1000L and it is a nice flashlight. I don't really know if it is anywhere close to 900 lumens but it does actually output ~2.4A. If you swap the driver it may perform worse than the stock one, KD is claiming 2.8A output but some people who got it said it only ouputs 1.2A.


----------



## cheetokhan

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*



davidt1 said:


> Side by side with the Microstream


Interesting. I can see the tailswitch protruding on your Tank007, but mine is recessed by a couple of mm.


----------



## bstrickler

*Re: WF-1000L... Swapping driver*



richardcpf said:


> Then why whould you want to swap the driver? I own the WF-1000L and it is a nice flashlight. I don't really know if it is anywhere close to 900 lumens but it does actually output ~2.4A. If you swap the driver it may perform worse than the stock one, KD is claiming 2.8A output but some people who got it said it only ouputs 1.2A.




Partially because the driver claims to give it a better runtime. If you say it's unfeasible to do that, I'll just set it aside for my LED mod for my motorcycle, until i get 3 P7 LED's and 2 more drivers (after testing its usefulness with 1 P7).

~Brian


----------



## 7ender

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*

You have the tank tk 001 then. The 001 has the recessed tailswitch.


----------



## jhc37013

*Favorite inexpensive LED light(s)?*

After ordering 3 or 4 new flashlights this week trying to get caught up with some of the new Q5 R2 stuff and with already receiving two of them (thanks 4sevens) I find myself still picking up and playing with one of my least expensive lights,its a 1 watt aluminum tube from Dorcy, cost me $20 at target here it is exactly http://www.flashlightreviews.com/reviews/dorcy_super1w.htm 

I don't know what it is about this little light light I like so much, maybe the material, ergonomics and size.It had me wondering do other CPF members also have a inexpensive light they are drown to even though you may own a couple or many more expensive LED lights


----------



## bstrickler

*Re: WF-1000L... Swapping driver*

GRRRR!!! The flashlight doesn't turn on anymore! WTF?!

Edit: After ripping it apart completely, then re-assembling it, then leaving it on for about 2 minutes, it works again... VERY ODD! *keeps an eye on that*

~Brian


----------



## bessiebenny

*Re: Favorite inexpensive LED light(s)?*

Some good "inexpensive" LED flashlights are:
- Romisen RC-F4 (super bright using 2RCR)
- Romisen RC-G2 (Awesome ~$10 light)
- Romisen RC-N3 (Cheap, bright, versatile)

You can check out my thread for many other possible candidates also. =)


----------



## jhc37013

*Re: Favorite inexpensive LED light(s)?*



bessiebenny said:


> Some good "inexpensive" LED flashlights are:
> - Romisen RC-F4 (super bright using 2RCR)
> - Romisen RC-G2 (Awesome ~$10 light)
> - Romisen RC-N3 (Cheap, bright, versatile)
> 
> You can check out my thread for many other possible candidates also.
> =)



Awesome thread bessiebenny thanks


----------



## Zeruel

*Re: Favorite inexpensive LED light(s)?*

Solarforce L2 R2 and incoming L2M.


----------



## deranged_coder

*Re: Favorite inexpensive LED light(s)?*

My Photon Freedom Micro continues to be EDC'd everyday since the day I first got it many years ago. Cost me ~$15 at the local REI and when I consider how much use I have gotten out of it I think it is one of the best flashlight purchases I have ever made. Of all the multi-mode lights I have personally ever used, I think it has the best UI. :twothumbs


----------



## kramer5150

*Re: Favorite inexpensive LED light(s)?*

Home Depot 3AAA modded with an 18650, direct drive into a Q2 XR-E






ceiling bounce comparison with a malkoff M60









Its one of my brightest lights (although not quite as bright as the M60). Its been reliable through 10-11 charge cycles. I have said a lot of negative things about direct driven lights, and flat regulation is still my preference... but theres something about this one that I really enjoy. I think its the bare bones simplicity of the circuit.


----------



## jhc37013

*Re: Favorite inexpensive LED light(s)?*



Zeruel said:


> Solarforce L2 R2 and incoming L2M.



I have been thinking about putting a light together with the Solarforce stuff from light hound,just not sure if I just wanna order one of the assembled lights or put my own together.I think I want to go with 3xCR123,I guess I need the body extension for that,but was wondering how their LC-5 drop in w Cree R2 would handle 3x123.


----------



## bstrickler

*Re: WF-1000L... Swapping driver*

Now it's not working anymore! 

It seems to be the driver that crapped out. I took the black shield off, jerry-rigged my Li-Ion charger (400 MA input max, so I knew it was safe for short bursts) to let me use it to test if the LED crapped. The LED lights up happily, but I try to touch the positive lead to the positive spring, and the negative lead to the heatsink/pill, and nothing happens, I even tried tapping to switch modes. Then I touch the positive lead to the positive pad on the LED, and it lights up perfectly fine. 

I even checked if the switch was bad by doing the simple test of using my tongue. Healthily tingled my tongue, so the switch isn't the problem.

Now to figure out how to pull the pill out and swap or fix the driver!

~Brian


----------



## ichoderso

*Re: WF-1000L... Swapping driver*

There is a diode (one or two side by side) in the mid of the driver , in my light, this was defective after short time. You can short circuit the two ends if this is the reason! (the diodes are only for reverse polarity protection, I heard, but i am not shure, but I have no problem with this mod...

Jens


----------



## ez78

*Re: WF-1000L... Swapping driver*

I had a driver failure with my WF-1000L. Then I ordered the super output P7 driver from KD and it seems to work nicely. I measured it takes 3.0 amps from the batteries and seems to give very good output. Maybe brighter than the original even. But I suspect this driver might fail too since it gets so hot and I have read about many failures.


----------



## ichoderso

*Re: WF-1000L... Swapping driver*

3A from two batteries (around 8Volt)??? If the LED is driven with around 2,[email protected] around 3,7Volt, the efficiency of this driver is very bad (under 50% only) and it's no question that this must go very hot....

Jens


----------



## richardcpf

*Re: WF-1000L... Swapping driver*



ichoderso said:


> 3A from two batteries (around 8Volt)??? If the LED is driven with around 2,[email protected] around 3,7Volt, the efficiency of this driver is very bad (under 50% only) and it's no question that this must go very hot....
> 
> Jens


 
Mine pull 1.3 from 2x18650.

Have you checked the new driver at DX? they are supossed to be have true 2.8A output. KD is offering many of the same products, with no description vary..


----------



## ez78

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*

You are right the numbers don't make sense. It can't be that inefficient. I think I wired the driver incorrectly... This was my first ever driver swap operation to an led light. 

I also have one of those new P7 drivers from DX coming to me.


----------



## old4570

*Cheap 1xAA from Ebay - Test / Report*





Price = $5.99 USD Free Shipping ! 
Build = Very Good 
O rings = Yes 2 / front and back 
Rear Clicky = Yes , very nice and positive !
Overall rating as it stands - 8 out of 10 

Batteries Pictures 
1. Ultracharge [ Super Cheap = 24 for $3 Australian ] About $2USD
2. Eveready Blue 
3. Alkaline 
4. Nicad

Current Draw 
1. o.17A
2. o.16A
3. o.19A
4. o.16A

Lux output @ 1 Meter , best reading that would hold .

1. 360Lux [ Lux to Lumen Converter ] 33.4 Lumen
2. 400Lux / 37 Lumen
3. 480Lux / 44.6 Lumen
4. 450Lux / 41.8 Lumen

Run Time :
1. After some 1.5 Hours the Ultracharge is fading / down to 60Lux output , I was expecting less than an hour , but it seemed to put out for a good Hour , and shortly after seemed to start fading slowly .

2. Eveready Blue , 1.5Hours and fading slowly / Down to 140Lux .

lovecpf


This torch has a very tight beam , and it seems to have very little flood , but night time will tell more .

I wanted this flashy to run the cheap Batt's , and it seems to do so OK for an hour or so , but as can be seen , the better the battery , the longer it puts out usable light . Still a few more hours till dark . 

















This first one is my 2xAA LED Maglite , its my Control Light ! 





Like I said , very narrow beam , with very little flood . 
I hope this helps , if you chose to go Cheap , I had a look on Ebay , and you can do better price wise than I did + Free shipping , I think that for the money , it would be hard to go wrong . 
:thumbsup:


----------



## john2551

*UltraFire TH-1300L 7*SSC U2 3-Mode 1300-Lumen LED Flashlight (3*18650)*

Has anyone gotten one yet? I like the short stubby look vs the long 3 in row 18650 look. The price of $126 is good as long as it performs well.

*[hot-linked image removed - please read the Rules]*http://javascript<b></b>:window.close();


----------



## jhc37013

*Re: Cheap 1xAA from Ebay - Test / Report*

Thats a good looking light $5.99 or not 3watt nice...Do you know who is the maker/brand


----------



## old4570

*Re: Cheap 1xAA from Ebay - Test / Report*



jhc37013 said:


> Thats a good looking light $5.99 or not 3watt nice...Do you know who is the maker/brand



Sold by sky21cn on Ebay


----------



## jhc37013

*Re: Cheap 1xAA from Ebay - Test / Report*

Thanks for the link I think I will order a couple,wish I could find the group who make these light,but 3watt Police flashlight is such a general term its hard to find it in a google or CPF search.Is there any other markings on light or box and also was wondering how long did it take for you to get it.


----------



## ruriimasu

*Re: DX X2000 focusable P4 - beamshots - stay away from this*



Jesseri said:


> I got my CR123 version today. Yes, the light feels quite cheap but I can't see the reason why the focusing mechanism would/could fail anytime soon. The light is not waterproof.
> 
> I measured the current with my cheap DMM and got about 0.6A with full battery. Then i decided to take the light a part and noticed that there's no driver at all. There's just a series resistor limiting the current to the led.
> 
> I thought why not to add better driver for it and try to improve the heat sinking. Unfortunetely there isn't room for the better heatsink on the pill, so I just added some thermal grease to edges of the star. If the led will burn it will burn .
> 
> I had a Tiablo A9 driver left from my previous A9P7 mod so I decided to use it. I know, it's not the best driver for single cell but it was the best I had.
> 
> The positive contact extrudes quite lot on the A9 driver so i had to do some modifications to tailcap so the R123 battery will fit. I removed the first retaining ring from the tailcap and grinded that extruding plastic off from the second retaining ring. That metallic cup is also gone.
> This modification gave enough room for the battery and the tailcap will close completely.
> 
> Wow this sucker is quite bright and throws quite well. It throws almost as good as A9 and the hotspot is bigger, there's no spill tho. I'll try to take some beamshots today.
> 
> I begin to like aspherical setups more and more.



do you have the pics ready already? 
im thinking of getting the 3x AAA 3-mode version but does anyone know whether 18650 will fit? am also thinking of changing the LED to a nicer tint, is it possible? i think i read from somewhere here that someone changed to a better LED but burnt out some part. i just cant find that thread now.


----------



## old4570

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*

Came in about a week , if you search Ebay for LED flashlights , I think you can find them cheaper and with free shipping . No marking except for whats in the picture . [ Police 3W ] But as you said , thats as generic as it gets . 

Im coming up on another 90 minute run , time to do a lux reading .


----------



## jhc37013

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*

Cheaper than 5.99..thats great,What do you think the max lumen's is.


----------



## old4570

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*

Yeah , I think you can find them as low as $4 USD + Free Ship ! 

But , could they be 2nds ? So beware ! 

Also seen Blue Red for $5 + Free Ship ! Watch the feedback . 

Check out the Lux readings , 30 to 40 Lumen depending on Battery ! 
Luxt to lumen converter sais = 44.6Lumen on Alkaline Battery .
Lowest reading = 33.4 Lumen on super cheap Dry Cell .


----------



## jhc37013

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*

Yeh sorry I missed your lumens readings the first time.Its not very good power consumption to output ratio...but for 5.99 who can complain right.I bet some Nimh duracell or similar would help out.


----------



## neoseikan

*Re: UltraFire TH-1300L 7*SSC U2 3-Mode 1300-Lumen LED Flashlight (3*18650)*



john2551 said:


> Has anyone gotten one yet? I like the short stubby look vs the long 3 in row 18650 look. The price of $126 is good as long as it performs well.
> http://javascript<b></b>:window.close();


 
I heard about it a few days ago. Quite interesting, so I contacted some manufacturers who also produce "ultrafire". They never seen it. Well, it looks like this is the real "ultrafire". Good job, except for the huge diameter of tube: 47 or 48mm (from different sources). I like the battery holder, which contains 3*18650 in series. But it maybe the season why they need a 48mm tube.

The diameter of head is about 70mm. I have no idea about it because I don't have any light with a 60mm+ head.

The total current to LEDs might be 4900mA or 5000mA+, I believe. If there is a regulated driver, that's great. Of course I also believe they are not regulated. It may be a good light to be modded. Forget maglite!


----------



## old4570

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*



jhc37013 said:


> Yeh sorry I missed your lumens readings the first time.Its not very good power consumption to output ratio...but for 5.99 who can complain right.I bet some Nimh duracell or similar would help out.



Its Cheap , and the Dry Cells do restore themselves with a bit of rest , but its only fair to do continuous runs . + The batteries tested so far are nothing flash . 

I think a real 2000+mAh battery might give better results , esp considering the current draw is under 200mAh , so in theory you should be looking at 10 hours of use out of a good rechargeable . 

I have 2 AA chargers , but both are so so , Im waiting on some new chargers , and hopefully I can set them up to charge the AA's to full capacity .


----------



## davidt1

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*



nuron said:


> I'm interested in the brightness and runtimes between the SSC and Cree versions of the Tank also, as I'm looking for another AAA light after just ordering a Microstream.



I know you get what you pay for, but still I can't recommend the 702.


----------



## rmteo

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*

Mini review of 19768 here:
https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/223332


----------



## Abyssos

*Just received my Romisen RC-G2 Q5 and RC-F4 Q5*

Just received my Romisen RC-G2 Q5 and RC-F4 Q5 from Shining Beam. I have a question for those of you who have the RC-G2 Q2. I noticed that the hot spot has a dark spot (maybe you call it a donut hole) just offset of center. It only shows up if the light is less than foot from the your target surface. Is this normal ? :thinking: I did notice that the emitter is not centered and the reflector is very deep. Maybe this combination causes the dark spot in the hot spot?

As for the RC-F4 Q5, all I can say is wow this is one bright light. Just before receiving my lights, I was reading up on exploding Lithium batteries. So, when I am handling this light, this voice keeps telling to be careful and not to drop it...hehe. Perhaps I am over doing it. Anyways, one thing I did notice about the RC-F4 Q5 is that the 2xCR123 batteries does rattle around in the battery tube if I shake it. I didn't like that so I cut a sheet of paper and lined the tube with it. Now, the 2xCR123 batteries fit snug. No more rattles. Hopefully, that is a no no.

I appreciate your feedback and guidance.


----------



## nuron

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*

I'm trying to decide between the Akoray and the Tank. Akoray is less bright and has a (supposedly) longer run time. I just received my Microstream and that produces 20 lumens. Go brighter?


----------



## old4570

*Recommend a $10 Flashy*

Ok , PLZ recommend me a $10Flashy , must not be priced over $10.99USD + must have free shipping . 

So far looking at : 
SmallSun ZY-C60 Cree Q3-WC 180-Lumen LED Flashlight with Strap (1*CR123A)

UltraFire C3 Cree 1xAA 1x14500 Flashlight (with Holster)

MX Power 3W Cree P4-WC 120-Lumen LED Flashlight - Silver (1*AAA)

SacredFire NF-012 Cree P4-WC 120-Lumen LED Flashlight (3*AAA)

SacredFire NF-025 Cree P4-WC 100-Lumen LED Flashlight (3*AAA)

MX Power ML-300 Cree P4-WC 90-Lumen LED Flashlight - Grey (1*AA)

SacredFire NF-015 Cree P4-WC 120-Lumen LED Flashlight (3*AAA)

TANK007 TK-702 Cree P4-WB 80-Lumen LED Flashlight with Strap (1*AAA)

SacredFire NF-011 Cree P4-WC 120-Lumen LED Flashlight (3*AAA)

MX Power ML-300 Cree P4-WC 90-Lumen LED Flashlight - Black (1*AA)

SmallSun ZY-C55 Cree Q3-WC 170-Lumen LED Flashlight (1*CR123A)

UltraFire WF-602C Cree Q2-WC 5-Mode 150-Lumen LED Flashlight with Strap (1*CR123A)


From this list , and without ever seeing one , the ultrafire WF-602C looks to be the best buy for 10Bucks . 
:wave:

Found one more = Ultrafire WF-501B Philips Luxeon K2 White LED Flashlight (1*18650/2*CR123A) ??


----------



## seaside

*Re: Just received my Romisen RC-G2 Q5 and RC-F4 Q5*

About that dark spot inside the hot spot, I do not think that will cause any problem. 

All batteries out there are dangerous in some degree. Don't have to get panic. Just make sure you're not overcharging over 4.25V or overdischarging down more than 2.7V to be safe. Stay there when you're charging it, take it off when charging is done, store it at cool place. 

Shake your worry away, keep tight.


----------



## qwertyydude

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*

Since you're going for a budget light I would suggest you purchase one that takes regular sized cells as a couple battery changes and you'll have spent much more on the batteries than the light.


----------



## old4570

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*

I have CR123A Chargers + Batt's on the way 
I have AA Chargers 
I have a 18650 Charger on the way + Batt's 

+ I hope to set up some mods to charge AA + AAA with the new chargers . 

Im not planning on buying any more non-rechargeable's , what non RC I have will be used for Testing [ Run times ] only . 

I still need 2 really high mAh AA's , so 2 Batt's more and Im done for now .

+ I have a Sub $15 flashy , and 2 sub $20 flashy's on the way , I need the best $10 flashy to round things out . 

FOr the money ? Ultrafire WF-502B R2-WC 5 Mode + Memory / Under $20 USD 
Cant wait to get this one :twothumbs


----------



## Hrvoje

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*



nuron said:


> I'm trying to decide between the Akoray and the Tank. Akoray is less bright and has a (supposedly) longer run time. I just received my Microstream and that produces 20 lumens. Go brighter?



I have both. Tank (SSC version) is smaller, and has floodier beam. On the other side, Akoray is pretty good thrower for its size, and building quality is awesome. Run time is longer, and you could use AAA or 10440 cells. 

Hrvoje


----------



## stefanj

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*

Old- I got 4 of those 501B with the K2's on the way- but I only ordered the colored LEDs- I'll let you know when they get here what I think of them. Honestly for the price ($9.90) it is hard to turn down. THe White K2 is rated at 100 Lumens- (figure around 90 actual as UF always seems to rate stuff about 10% high). I think they are a prime target for moding also.


----------



## alfreddajero

*Re: Just received my Romisen RC-G2 Q5 and RC-F4 Q5*



Abyssos said:


> Just received my Romisen RC-G2 Q5 and RC-F4 Q5 from Shining Beam. I have a question for those of you who have the RC-G2 Q2. I noticed that the hot spot has a dark spot (maybe you call it a donut hole) just offset of center.


 
That is perfectly normal......so thats nothing to worry about.:twothumbs


----------



## vali

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*

Akoray's runtime is good for a single mode AAA light. I just ordered sku.19622 too and will try to compare with the Akoray.


----------



## old4570

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*



stefanj said:


> Old- I got 4 of those 501B with the K2's on the way- but I only ordered the colored LEDs- I'll let you know when they get here what I think of them. Honestly for the price ($9.90) it is hard to turn down. THe White K2 is rated at 100 Lumens- (figure around 90 actual as UF always seems to rate stuff about 10% high). I think they are a prime target for moding also.



I seen em , and it took a lot of willpower not to buy .
What are you upgrading them with ? 

I checked the prices and its cheaper to just buy a 501B with Cree R2-WC , but at 9.90 as is :candle:

I might need to buy the 501 and a UltraFire WF-602C Cree Q2-WC .


----------



## old4570

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*

Ok - got the UltraFire WF-602C Cree Q2-WC 5 mode .
I cant see myself buying another single mode flashy :

https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/224010

My first Charger arrived with Batt's . These single modes get warm , very warm . :lolsign:

SpiderFire Protected Cells just arrived [ RCR123A ]


----------



## zigz

*Considering Romisen RC-F4, questions*

DELETE


----------



## richardcpf

*RegalLight EDC for $28? Real deal?*

_To mods: Move or delete this topic if this doesn't belong here._

Was visiting KD and clicked in the What's new link and saw the Regal Light EDC for $28. Just wondering if this is the real deal, since the original cost $75+. If this light can perform as the original one, I would order without hesitation.

I'm wondering about the SP logo, looks like the real EDC doesn't have it.


----------



## jirik_cz

*Re: RegalLight EDC for $28? Real deal?*

Looks genuine from the pics. But it doesn't have the Hawk snipe head...


----------



## chadvone

*Re: RegalLight EDC for $28? Real deal?*

KD ?


----------



## Mjolnir

*Re: RegalLight EDC for $28? Real deal?*

That's interesting, the price now says 31 dollars, not 28. Either way, how can they sell it this cheap if it is in fact an authentic light?


----------



## old4570

*Re: RegalLight EDC for $28? Real deal?*



chadvone said:


> KD ?



KaiDomain.com :wave:


----------



## richardcpf

*Re: RegalLight EDC for $28? Real deal?*



Mjolnir said:


> That's interesting, the price now says 31 dollars, not 28. Either way, how can they sell it this cheap if it is in fact an authentic light?


 
Jerry probably saw this thread... I guess this is not an autentic light, or a cheaper batch maybe? The box seems original.


----------



## chadvone

*Re: RegalLight EDC for $28? Real deal?*

where are they located ?

found it.


----------



## big beam

*Re: Considering Romisen RC-F4, questions*

Member shinningbeam sells them with Q5 bins in them.The one I got from him had a nice tint WC I think and it's only a few dollars more than a regular F4.If you're looking for a well built bright light at a good price you can't do much better than a F4.
DON


----------



## hyperloop

*Re: RegalLight EDC for $28? Real deal?*

Hong Kong if i am not wrong


----------



## selfbuilt

*Re: RegalLight EDC for $28? Real deal?*

Looks the same in the pics, but the specs are way off from the original (reviewed here).

This one is 14500-only (3.7V-4.2V), no sign of continuously-variable (high and strobe only?), and cheaper finishings (i.e. reverse clicky, type II anodizing, steel springs). From the markings, could potentially be original body tubes/heads ... but the innards sound pretty basic. :thumbsdow


----------



## Abyssos

*Re: Considering Romisen RC-F4, questions*

I recently received my Romisen RC-F4 Q5 from Shining Beam. It is my first CR123 light and it is bright.:twothumbs I think it is worth it for the price. 

I do notice that the light gets rather warm in just a couple minutes of use. I think this is normal??? :thinking:


----------



## Tec40

*Re: Considering Romisen RC-F4, questions*

I've got the RC-F4 Q5 from shiningbeam as well. It's a GREAT,inexpensive,well built light. I've got quite a few of them in fact,and the tint is a cool white,and I think ,it's a great thrower as well. Two thumbs up! Note--If you ever have a problem with the clicky not turning the light on,just unscrew the head just a little bit. That's what fixed a few of mine.


----------



## offroadcmpr

*Re: RegalLight EDC for $28? Real deal?*

Those sites have been known to sell fakes, I wouldn't bet on it being real.


----------



## concept0

*Re: RegalLight EDC for $28? Real deal?*

Honestly, I'd probably rather have the 14500 only knockoff... the real EDC has a terrible UI and sub-par output.

Course, now I love mine because it runs FluPIC v2.2 with Q3-5A!


----------



## old4570

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*

Your going to have to do a review now 

Maybe some beam shots ? 

Let us know which one you like


----------



## nuron

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*

Hahah alright, I figured I had to anyways .


----------



## macguyver4u

*inova bolt II vs ultrafire? help me pick one*

My gf wants a cheap flashlight I'm thinking of either a inova bolt or ultrafire. I've never seen a ultrafire up close and personal, but I like inova build quality on some on most of their products. Anyways, which one would you guys go for? Inova has luxeon k2 and Ultrafire has cree. I know the cree is suppose to be way better than the K2 but I assume that circuitry etc.. plays a big role as well. I would greatly appreciate feedback from those who either have one or the other or both. 

thanks ahead of time


----------



## jhc37013

*Re: inova bolt II vs ultrafire? help me pick one*

Well I have the Bolt 2A and its fantastic,sits beside me in my living room.I dont have the the Ultrafire but the bolt is tough as nails has a nice white light with no dark rings around the hot spot.It has a rubber grip and an anti roll bezel.Its is a twisty tailcap with momentary on if that matters to you.It has a very long rung time you can see it on Inova website.


----------



## STi

*Ultrafire A1 R2 upgrade?*

Can the Ultrafire A1 single cr123a flashlight be upgraded from Q5 to R2 with a drop in off ebay or something?


----------



## macguyver4u

*Re: inova bolt II vs ultrafire? help me pick one*

yes I realize that but one of the things that i've realize about inova is they tend to over estimate lums and run time.


----------



## phantom23

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*

BessieBenny are you sure your ReCyko's are fine? I just did runtime test (and graph) for my MTE C2-1 on Sanyo 2700 and it was running for 88 minutes to 50% (yours for only 43 minutes). 2700s don't have 2x more capacity.


----------



## old4570

*Re: BessieBenny's Light Box*

BB , how bout some details on your light box . 

Size , location of light meter , where the flashy points/goes in ...

I think its called a schematic ! :thanks:


----------



## bessiebenny

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*



phantom23 said:


> BessieBenny are you sure your ReCyko's are fine? I just did runtime test (and graph) for my MTE C2-1 on Sanyo 2700 and it was running for 88 minutes to 50% (yours for only 43 minutes). 2700s don't have 2x more capacity.


 
Hmm. That's interesting. Thanks for letting me know. I will try again with a different battery and update. 
BTW, I actually expect about 40-60mins runtime with C2-1 as it's brighter than the Nitecore D10 Q5.
Nitecore D10 with AA at High only lasts around 60mins with an Eneloop. (80mins with 2650mAH AA NiMh)
See this runtime results by Selfbuilt. I expect Nitecore D10 to have a more efficient driver also.....



old4570 said:


> BB , how bout some details on your light box .
> Size , location of light meter , where the flashy points/goes in ...


 
I'll see if I can measure it and let you know. hehe.
It's roughly a 40cm x 30cm x 30cm cardboard box.
Light sensor is located on the bottom of the box.
Hole is about 2/3 way up on 1 side and I stick the flashlight in.
Then I take the highest result I can get at a similar upward angle.
(I make sure the spill never directly go to the light sensor of course)
It's cheap but the end result is quite consistent and comparable. =)


----------



## old4570

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*



bessiebenny said:


> Hmm. That's interesting. Thanks for letting me know.
> I will try again with a different battery and update. =)
> 
> 
> 
> I'll see if I can measure it and let you know. hehe.
> It's roughly a 40cm x 30cm x 30cm cardboard box.
> Light sensor is located on the bottom of the box.
> Hole is about 2/3 way up on 1 side and I stick the flashlight in.
> Then I take the highest result I can get at a similar upward angle.
> (I make sure the spill never directly go to the light sensor of course)
> It's cheap but the end result is quite consistent and comparable. =)



Thats what im looking for , "Comparable" , would be nice have a standard test anyone can use , and have comparable results :grouphug: 

:twothumbs


----------



## seaside

*Re: Looking for the brightest light under 50 bucks*

There are plenty of other MC-E lights though, MC-E light usually is not small and its beam pattern is rather wide than tight. 16051 probabaly is the brightest one you can find in that site. Not very tight beam though, it is like the beautiful wall of beam and it still throws quite well. Only problem with it is it's 8 mode light. Too much unnecesary modes including stupid strobos.


----------



## jusval

*Re: Looking for the brightest light under 50 bucks*

https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/223240

Sticky right at the top of this forum. Budget lights. No MC-E in there.


----------



## FlashlightsNgear.com

*Re: Looking for the brightest light under 50 bucks*

OK, Ill ask this then, for the best/tightest/brighest beam what should I buy???????????????? Again Ill spend alittle more if I need to.


----------



## jusval

*Re: Looking for the brightest light under 50 bucks*

Ok you might want to look at places like KD and DE, but those are cheaply made lights. You might get a good one, or a bad one. Quality control is not there. There are other lights out like fenix and there are some good ones, but when you get to "brightest", that's really so hard to pin down, that lots of people here won't even attempt to answer you. My suggestion from learning my newbie mistakes is to read the stickies in the forums, then start looking at beam shots from many of the links there, to "get a feel" for what bright really is and what you really need.

If you could learn some more here about LED and Incan, stock vs custom, etc. Then you will be better off saying "hey I'm looking for a light with a 6' diameter spot at 100' and I prefer the cool white LED over the incan look. I want to use NiMH batteries, etc." See that way it's a lot easier for someone knowledgeable to say, hey looks at this light or that light, but lots fo brightness for less than $50 bucks is a lot harder to answer, because there's literally Hundreds out there.......


----------



## FlashlightsNgear.com

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*

Yo Benny, what is the brightest light under $50?? Your top 3 would be nice, Ive ordered a few lights (still yet to see them ship) but want several more lights, Ill give the ones I dont like to family and friends


----------



## FlashlightsNgear.com

*Re: Looking for the brightest light under 50 bucks*

Your exactly right, I need to read some more before ordering anymore cheapos, just thought someone might lead me in the right direction, I read some and then spend abunch of money on cheapos then lol, or maybe just find something for around 500 bucks and call it quites, thanks guys..


----------



## bessiebenny

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*



d1live said:


> Yo Benny, what is the brightest light under $50?? Your top 3 would be nice, Ive ordered a few lights (still yet to see them ship) but want several more lights, Ill give the ones I dont like to family and friends


 
Hmm. There's tond of bright lights under $50.

If you want just bright output period, go for SSC P7 or Cree MC-E lights.
They are like quad core CPUs. Beats ANY single-LED flashlights in output.
There's so many different brands, shapes, sizes and some good, some bad.
Also up to luck as even same brand/model have varying quality / output. =P

If you want a nice compact but bright light and don't mind using lithiums, shiningbeam sells Romisen RC-F4 Q5. (Or even the cheaper P4 version from DX etc is still bright and is awesome value) 

If you want "the one" for yourself that you want to really EDC all the time and want a reliable one and don't need multiple lights, I would recommend a better-made light such as a EagleTac or Nitecore etc.

fyi - EagleTac has released 2 new lights that are actually quite affordable. 
http://www.cpfmarketplace.com/mp/showthread.php?t=190972

I personally like Nitecore SmartPD lights as it has no "sound" when you use it. =)
As it doesn't have a clicky switch, it is much more reliable also. I have a D10.

Anyways, it's way too hard to just recommend 1 light. Need more requirements. hehe.

Such as:
1. Multi-mode or single? Need strobe? Or just High/Low etc.
2. Good throw or good flood output?
3. What battery type?
4. How big or small you want it?
5. Need one which tail stands by itself on a flat surface?

etc etc.


----------



## old4570

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*

Highly recommend multi mode , esp if you plan on running the flashy for more than 10 minutes at a time . My single mode Romisen gets very warm @ the 15 minute mark , it has taught me much , Ive ordered 4 more flashy's and there all multi mode .


----------



## FlashlightsNgear.com

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*

I just ordered the Romisen RC-F4 CREE Q5 LED Flashlight 215 Lumens "Gray" from ShinningBeam Ebay site. I may try a EagleTac and or a NiteCore later. Ive now ordered about 5 different flashlights in 3 days and still wanting a MC-E or P7 light to just have around when the dog trees something at night. Thanks Benny


----------



## bessiebenny

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*

_Reposting here as the other thread is now closed and modifying is not possible._

*★★★★ MTE C2-1 Q5 AA *LINK (Posted on Feb 18th 2009)
*Throw @ 1m: 1750 lux *(1 x AA NiMh @ 1.4v) 
*New Lightbox: 310 lux *(1 x AA NiMh @ 1.4v) 

- Cree Q5 emitter. AA battery. (not 14500) 1-mode flashlight.
- Plastic Collimator lense. Reverse Clicky. O-rings all around.
- Costs ~$20 at DX or KD etc.

*First Impressions: *
- Whoa. It might be the first MTE light that I really like. (nice start)
- It's slightly longer/bigger than a usual AA light of this class.

*Build Quality: *
- Solid rattle free platic collimator lense. Very clear. Looks great. 
- Collimator lense is surrounded by an aluminium pill which also acts as a semi-smooth reflector.
- That reflector-pill also holds the collimator lense in place. 
- Double O-rings on both head and switch threads. Nice touch.
- There is an O-ring infront of the collimator lense. So it's well sealed all around.
- Threads are well lubed, smooth and good. Very similar to Romisen threads.
- Smooth yet grippy knurlings on both ends of the flashlight. 
- Cheap looking rubber clicky. Easy to replace wih common replacement ones.
- Reverse clicky switch. Gold spring. Switch feels big when pressed = good. (I'll add more on this later) 
- PCB Board for the driver says NANJG ROHS-103 on the positive end. (Seen through the tube)
- Silver backed cree. On a round 14mm base. No if it's glued to the pill yet.
- Overall, it's better built and feels more solid than Ultrafire C3 or the RC-A3 imo.
- Bundled lanyard is just a standard cheapo. It's okay but doubt it's reliable.

*Light Output:*
- Bright. It's brighter than Nitecore D10 Q5 on High.
- Gradually gets darker from the hotspot to the spill. 
- White beam. No bluish tint. Just white.
- Nice clean beam overall. No significant rings or black spots in my sample.
- Hotspot area isn't as smooth as some. But in use, you don't notice it anyways.
- Still has a very bright hotspot. Not very tight or small but still good due to its bright overall output.
- Has a bright hotspot center, then a second tier of slightly less bright area around the hotspot. 
- Then there's the third tier which is pretty much the spill. Spill is quite bright/wide and floody also. 
- It's more smoother and floodier in the spill than most AA lights of this size.

*In Use: *
- Simple 1 mode light with a reverse clicky. Turns off if half depressed while on.
- During the run time test, it got very hot after about 20 minutes. But not burning hot.
- But if you use it in real life, it won't get as hot due to heatsinking of your hand.
- Rolls off tables if pushed or if table is slanted. 
- It tail stands but the clicky sticks out enough to be not 100% stable. (leans to one side)

*Conclusion: ★★★★ *(For what it costs and what it is, it's great and I recommend it)
- MTE really stepped up and made a good quality light although not cheap for 1-mode AA light.
- Still, it feels expensive in hand. Definitely not the usual MTE quality I'm used to. It's solid.
- Overall, it's an excellent 1AA 1-mode light. Above average brightness and great beam!

**BONUS**
- CPF member Kenzo has found that RC-G2's tailcap works perfectly with MTE C2-1.
- I can also confirm this. 2 Benefits are forward clicky and makes it more compact.

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

*[Beam Shots] *
*- *New kitchen! Photos are taken with identical exposure settings as previous kitchen ones.
- To compare with something similar, here's a 1AA Nitecore D10 Q5's high output kitchen and KD Buckle V4 Q5 photos.





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

*[Output / Measurements]*

*Throw @ 1m: 1750* lux (1 x AA NiMh @ 1.4v)
*New Lightbox: 310 *lux (1 x AA NiMh @ 1.4v) 
*Current:* *1.75 *Amps (At the battery)

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

*[Runtime Tests]*

- Runtime using 1AA NiMh. Vertical axis is output. Horizontal Axis is in minutes.
- Output is a multimeter reading of the light sensor's output in micro amps. (uA)
- I've ran the test TWICE with Recyko 2050mAh and EniTime 2100mAh LSD NiMh batteries. Both had near identical results.


----------



## bessiebenny

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*



phantom23 said:


> BessieBenny are you sure your ReCyko's are fine? I just did runtime test (and graph) for my MTE C2-1 on Sanyo 2700 and it was running for 88 minutes to 50% (yours for only 43 minutes). 2700s don't have 2x more capacity.


 
*Phantom* - I ran the runtime test again today with a different battery. (EniTime 2100mAh LSD AA NiMh) 
I still get near identical result as the first test. Hmm. So either yours is dimmer or mine is brighter? =)


----------



## phantom23

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*

I did the runtime graph for D10. Now I need to think of some (homemade) method to compare brightness.


----------



## sirsloth

*Just purchased UltraFire C3, defective?*

Hi guys,

I just purchased an UltraFire C3 from DX. I put in a Duraloop and it fired up nice and bright, but as I was further testing it, at one point I clicked it off and it wouldn't come back on again. I tried switching batteries but no go. 

What further steps can I go through to troubleshoot it? I haven't researched DX's RMA policy yet, but I dread having to wait another 3+ weeks to get a replacement, so hopefully someone here can help.

Thanks.


----------



## old4570

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*



phantom23 said:


> I did the runtime graph for D10. Now I need to think of some (homemade) method to compare brightness.



Beam shots ! 

Outside , inside :thinking:


----------



## jimmy1970

*Re: Just purchased UltraFire C3, defective?*

Sorry to hear of your UltraFire problem. All too common a theme around here with the UltraFire lights - sounds like you will have to return the light and have it replaced with another unit of questionable quality unfortunately.

Good luck with it.

James...


----------



## old4570

*Re: Just purchased UltraFire C3, defective?*

If you had a Multi Meter , you could track down the problem ..

Oh dear , I have 2 ultrafires on order at DX . + Ultrafire Charger 

I hope there going to be OK , 2 + Weeks on order now for all ultrafire products for me . IF only KD had what I wanted .


----------



## Marduke

*Re: Just purchased UltraFire C3, defective?*

Remove the tailcap and complete the circuit between the tube and batteries. If it lights, your issue is the tailcap. You can disassemble the tailcap and reassemble. Sometimes that's all it takes.

Positive your cells are charged?


----------



## sirsloth

*Re: Just purchased UltraFire C3, defective?*

I figured it out. The head was screwed on too tight. I had to back off about half turn, then put everything back together and now it works fine.

So far I'm very impressed with the brightness of the light. It is everything it was billed up to be.

Aesthetically, the light is very pleasing. It has a very rugged yet sleek look to it. If I didn't know any better, I'd think it was worth more than $10.


----------



## moviles

*Re: Quick question about Romisen RC-G2*

*i think* *Romisen RC-G2 with cree r2 and direct drived whih14500 will draw 1400 ma and will be a really powerfull and small throw king*:twothumbs​


----------



## rockz4532

*Re: Quick question about Romisen RC-G2*

*Or it will burn out the driver and reduce the lifespan of the *
*led*


----------



## moviles

*Re: Quick question about Romisen RC-G2*

i know the led lifetime will be reduced if i make it direct drived with14500, but i prefer 200 hours lifetime and 5000 lux throw than 50000 hours and only 1000 lux throw, you not?


----------



## CampingLED

*Re: Quick question about Romisen RC-G2*



kramer5150 said:


> does it benefit much from using a 14500 cell?


 
YES IT DOES IF YOU SPEND MORE $ !!! My RC-G2 is modded with a Q5 and 3 x 7135 driver running on a 14500. I love this light after the mod. Just do it. You will not be sorry or look back.


----------



## phantom23

*Re: Quick question about Romisen RC-G2*

http://www.bam-boo.cc/sfs6/sfs6_diary/398_2.jpg

Not my pic but MTE C2-1 seems to be brighter than D10. My MTE looks brighter as well.


----------



## MarshallManiac

*Re: It is my pleasure to meet you guys...*

Andrea, :welcome::thumbsup:

You're in for a treat. This place features a wealth of free info & advice. There's no other place like it. Enjoy !


----------



## Kilovolt

*Re: It is my pleasure to meet you guys...*

Hi Andrea and a warm :welcome:


As you can see not only Americans here....


----------



## jhc37013

*Re: It is my pleasure to meet you guys...*

Hello and welcome this site is great and their so much info be prepared for a barrage of it that comes at a fast pace and continues constantly. It really is like a online college course, you will have a degree in flashlights in no time.


----------



## Zeruel

*Re: It is my pleasure to meet you guys...*

:welcome: Hope right into the light wagon


----------



## Hrvoje

*Re: Quick question about Romisen RC-G2*



CampingLED said:


> YES IT DOES IF YOU SPEND MORE $ !!! My RC-G2 is modded with a Q5 and 3 x 7135 driver running on a 14500. I love this light after the mod. Just do it. You will not be sorry or look back.




Same here, the only difference is that I used R2 instead of Q5. Great flashlight!

Hrvoje


----------



## old4570

*What's Brighter*

Cree P4 WD emitter or the fact supplied one in my Romisen RL-B7 . 

If I swap in the P4 into the romisen , swap in the romisen one into my MXDL , and use the MXDL LED for a Mod . :thinking:


----------



## old4570

*Re: What's Brighter*

Dont worry , I tested and the P4 kills what ever is in the Romisen .


----------



## csshih

*Re: What's Brighter*

the romisen looks like it has an old 1 watt luxeon, by the way


----------



## VegasF6

*Re: Quick question about Romisen RC-G2*

*Re: Quick question about Romisen RC-G2*

*i think* *Romisen RC-G2 with cree r2 and direct drived whih14500 will draw 1400 ma and will be a really powerfull and small throw king*:twothumbs​


---------------------------------------------------------------------
I have an RC-G2 w/Q5 WC direct drive from 14500. Been running it for about 6 months now with no issues, in short bursts when I can. But, has run ~20 minutes straight in my pocket and still going strong.

I thought I had some pics but I can't find them now.

https://www.candlepowerforums.com/posts/2658203&postcount=7


----------



## Zatoichi

*DX Glass Optic ?!*

I bought one of these (sku.12834) to try in my 4D and 3C Mags. Both have LED upgrades, the 3C about 100 lumens and 4D about 140 lumens IIRC. Anyway, I wasn't expecting much, but honestly, it's appauling. 

The beam is weird and ugly, and that much I did expect. I did, however, expect it to concentrate the beam a little giving it more throw. But it seems to reduce the overall output of both Mags by about 50% so I get less throw as well as less spill, and a fugly beam to boot. 

I know it's a cheap bit of glass, and it made me laugh when I saw the results, but is there anything that can make it worthwhile like a different reflector, or is a good giggle the best you can get out of this thing? :laughing:


----------



## Marduke

*Re: DX Glass Optic ?!*

Did you use it without the reflector installed?


----------



## Zatoichi

*Re: DX Glass Optic ?!*



Marduke said:


> Did you use it without the reflector installed?



I tried it without the reflector, and I got a perfectly circular beam which wasn't wide enough to be good for flood, and had no hotspot to speak of. The other results were with the stock reflector. It does kind of smooth out the beam using it with no reflector, but I was looking for throw.


----------



## Phill

*Re: Recommend a $10 Flashy*

I dont think ive said it elsewhere, but this forum is awesome. Ive definately not said it here, this thread is awesome.



old4570 said:


> Ok , PLZ recommend me a $10Flashy , must not be priced over $10.99USD + must have free shipping .
> 
> SacredFire NF-011 Cree P4-WC 120-Lumen LED Flashlight (3*AAA)



Snipped this out of a list of lights for ~$10.

This is the first flashlight i bought after putting some thought into it (ignoring fauxtons and other cheap lights i picked up from who knows where). Id love to see if its anything like 120 lumen but it certainly pumps out more than enough light for general use and ive had a relatively flawless relationship with this light since December.

I say relatively, occasionally the clicky switch doesnt turn it off right and it needs a quick double tap to turn it off, but i dont consider this to be a huge failure. Oh, and there was the time just after i got it when i decided to see how bright it really was buy turning it on whilst looking at it, but thats more a flaw with me than the light, lol.

It lives a long time on its 3 AAAs and whilst its not earth shatteringly amazing its a solid beater and gets used regularly when out walking the dog/finding excuses to use a light in a fairly urban well lit village.

Oh, and i have a habit whilst thinking of flicking things in the air whilst staring off in the distance/at my monitor. Sometimes its the SAK and often its my light. Its picked up a load of 4 foot drops from doing this onto faux wood flooring plus the odd drop onto the street (not to mention its twirling around then stopping dead when i actually catch it) and its never missed a beat beyond the switch being a bit eccentric every so often (like 1 in 10 at most). So im not even sure if i did something or if it was already possessed, but either way its took a tonne of punishment, lol.

The threads are machined well, the unit seems well put together, ive no idea if the pill is removable, i havet forced it when i had the head off - but when the head is off it can deliver pretty much 180 degrees of uniform spill to light up an entire room (i love this 'feature', even though im guessing it isnt that novel a concept, lol).

Dunno if its just really well as ive no particular comparison point to relate to not owning a more expensive 'name light' but id definately recommend not just looking over it when deciding on a cheap beater, but either way there is always a place for cheap and cheerful lights when im around :devil:


----------



## Zatoichi

*Re: DX Glass Optic ?!*



Zatoichi said:


> I tried it without the reflector, and I got a perfectly circular beam which wasn't wide enough to be good for flood, and had no hotspot to speak of. The other results were with the stock reflector. It does kind of smooth out the beam using it with no reflector, but I was looking for throw.



I found it can throw a tight, bright spot, albeit a square (emitter shaped) one. The trouble is I had to hold the lens in front of the bezel and focus manually. With the lens installed, it can't adjust far enough away from the emitter/reflector to focus. :sigh:


----------



## rideandshoot

*Experience with MTE "P7-D" SSC P7-C 5-Mode*

This... MTE "P7-D" SSC P7-C 5-Mode

Seems to be the best fit for my needs but the run time on high isn't long enough. Is there anyone out there who has compared the brightness on medium to a single Cree Q5 light like the Jet III pro or Trustfire T801 or...

On medium if this would put out 250 lumens for 2+ hours it'd be the one


----------



## Zatoichi

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*

Hey Benson, thanks for the reply. It sounds like you've had a lot of fun with this. I wish I'd ordered 2 now. I don't suppose you have any pics of what you've done with yours?


----------



## Wiggle

*Re: Experience with MTE "P7-D" SSC P7-C 5-Mode*



rideandshoot said:


> This... MTE "P7-D" SSC P7-C 5-Mode
> 
> Seems to be the best fit for my needs but the run time on high isn't long enough. Is there anyone out there who has compared the brightness on medium to a single Cree Q5 light like the Jet III pro or Trustfire T801 or...
> 
> On medium if this would put out 250 lumens for 2+ hours it'd be the one



MTE P7-D medium is very close to my L2D on turbo, I'd say around 150 lumens. As you can see, thanks to the deep reflector the MTE is only about as floody as the L2D.

L2D High, Turbo, MTE Med, High


----------



## old4570

*Re: Just arrived*






Solarforce L2 5Mode Memory + Belt pouch + Batt 

Cree Q3 6 Mode Memory [ 1xCR123A ] 

Both are just wow .

SF L2 Hi - 7000Lux , Med - 5000Lux , Lo - 2700Lux [ Primary CR123A's ] 
Cree Q3 , hi 3300Lux , Med - 1200Lux , Lo - 160Lux [ SpiderFire Protected RCR123A ] 
[ Readings @ 1meter ] :candle:

Oh boy ! Cant wait till tonight to try them out in the dark .

Still 2 more on the way


----------



## old4570

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*

I could scream 

2 Flashy's , my SAIK died after 5 minutes , the controller . 
The solarforce has the wrong Cree in it .
I was wondering about the lux readings , so I check the cree and its the 3,7V one , and not the 3-8.4V that I ordered .
 Geez , so far , only KD has got it right [ Cree Q3 ] 

These folk just make me tired all over .


----------



## seaside

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*



old4570 said:


> I could scream
> 
> its the 3,7V one , and not the 3-8.4V that I ordered .


 
I guess you have the body that can take 18650.
If that's right, that 3.7~4.2V drop-in could be the best bulb to be used with 1 18650.


----------



## old4570

*Re: Does anyone knows the SPIDERFIRE C-011 (C-11) ??*

Looks like mine = Cree Q3 6Mode + memory From KD 

Lo is only about 15 Lumen on mine , bit weak , 30 lumen would have been better . Hi just rocks 3300Lux @ 1 meter . :wave:

Anyway - Nothing to complain about .


----------



## old4570

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*



seaside said:


> I guess you have the body that can take 18650.
> If that's right, that 3.7~4.2V drop-in could be the best bulb to be used with 1 18650.



I wanted to run 2xRCR123A , with 18650 as back up . 

Its dark out and the Solarforce is great , but I wanted what I wanted :mecry:


----------



## jirik_cz

*Re: Does anyone knows the SPIDERFIRE C-011 (C-11) ??*



xachopin said:


> Are the specs given for the C-011 realistic (lumen/runtime ratio looks a bit high to me (235 Lumen for a AA light?), but I'm no expert)??
> 
> 235 Lumens : 1.5 hours
> 150 Lumens : 2 hours
> 70 Lumens : 4 hours



These specifications are absolutely unrealistic. I've tried Akoray K-106 and it had around 60 lumens with ni-mh battery and runtime almost 2 hours with sanyo 2700. With 14500 battery it had around 150 lumens and runtime 39 minutes with Trustfire 14500.


----------



## xachopin

*Re: Does anyone knows the SPIDERFIRE C-011 (C-11) ??*



jirik_cz said:


> These specifications are absolutely unrealistic. I've tried Akoray K-106 and it had around 60 lumens with ni-mh battery and runtime almost 2 hours with sanyo 2700. With 14500 battery it had around 150 lumens and runtime 39 minutes with Trustfire 14500.


 
Thanks jirik_cz,

I'm really not an expert (My best flashlight is an Ultrafire B1) but I also thought those where unrealistic.

I'm looking for a flashlight to replace my B1, and I want something that could give me more runtime (and that will not burnout after 1h of continuous running) than the B1 in case of power outage but that could also give me good lightning (a bit more than the B1) if needed, and that works with AA batteries.

Do you think the K-106 would be a good choice? I was also thinking about then Fenix L1D, but I find it expensive for the use that I have...


----------



## jirik_cz

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*

I don't have experience with B1 so I don't know how bright is it. K-106 is definitely not bad for the money. But If you have money for Fenix LD10 then just go for it. It is worth it (imho).


----------



## Benson

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*



Zatoichi said:


> Hey Benson, thanks for the reply. It sounds like you've had a lot of fun with this. I wish I'd ordered 2 now. I don't suppose you have any pics of what you've done with yours?



Not right now, but I'll take some tonight or tomorrow and put them up. I'm wishing I had, too. I think two of them would make a Mag into a serious thrower, especially for how cheap and easy it is.

The Mag in question is usually a P7, but I've had it apart to test some parts for a hotwire that's arriving one piece at a time, and tossing these optics in was just something I tried. I actually use the rippled optic alone in a smaller light, where it's seriously defocused, and gives about a 4:1 rectangle instead of a bright line. Right now _all_ the parts from both lights are strewn across my counter, so I'll take pics of the parts and some beamshots from various configurations.


----------



## old4570

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*

SAIK SA-8 Died after 5 Minutes [ Controller Board ] LED is fine .

Cree Q3 6 Mode + Memory , 3300Lux on Hi , 1200Lux on Med , 160Lux on Lo .
With SpiderFire RCR123A Protected cell . 

Very happy with it . :twothumbs


----------



## mmbeller191

*MTE DX 12623 2 mode SSC P7*

I have the MTE 5 mode and have been carrying it as a police duty flashlight for a while. I bought a two mode 12623 but I'm not sure if it has a driver or if it is direct drive with a resistor in the tailcap for low. I would like to make it direct drive on high even if it means losing the low mode. So if it had a driver would it be in the tailcap or the head? (I've never modded a flashlight) It seems like it should be an easy mod to make a light direct drive but can anyone tell me how? Thanks in advance for any advice.


----------



## old4570

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*

- Features a Seoul Semiconductors SSC P7-C bin high power LED emitter
- Powered by 1 x 18650 battery
- Tail-cap 2-mode clicky on/off: Hi > Lo
- Glass lens, plastic reflector with proper copper heatsink base

Never used one , looking at it as a possible addition in the future , But i looked at the pictures on DX and , cant tell one way or the other . 

Ok , if the 2 modes are in the tail clicky , buying a new clicky will make it single mode . If its a driver , then just bye passing the driver will make it direct drive . The driver usually being on the bottom of the Heatsink .


----------



## Vbeez

*Dead ultrafire*

First, I accidentally dropped my ultrafire 602A to the ground, 2 meters high head first and it's dead now. I checked the led and switch are working fine so I thought must be the board. Anyway to fix it ? If I have to buy a new board, which is best ? Prefer hi-low mode only. 

Second, I want to upgrade my Streamlight Jr. from board, led to lens. Any ideas ?

Thanks


----------



## andreah

*Re: It is my pleasure to meet you guys...*

I forgot to say, and somebody will love this , that my town in Italy is 30mins from Urbino...where they make Benelli weapons .


----------



## Marduke

*Re: Runtime of DX's 22000mcd keychain photon clone*

The runtime is exponential, following this curve. However, most people only use the light for a couple seconds at a time. In that manner, they can last a couple years for the average person.


----------



## richardcpf

*Re: Runtime of DX's 22000mcd keychain photon clone*

It depends on each one. Sometimes the batteries comes with half charge only, and sometimes comes with full charge.

The best way to know is to do the test yourself.


----------



## davidt1

*Tank-007 is waterproof*

In case anyone is wondering if this cheap light is even waterproof, it is. I make it a habit to clip this light in my pocket when I work out in the gym. Last night I forgot to take it out before jumping in the swimming pool for 30 minutes. There was no problem whatsoever. 

I am still searching for a brighter light in the same size and in the same price range. If anyone knows of one, please post here.


----------



## Liquidspaceman

*Can you give me a reason not to buy a Romisen?*

Just came across the Romisen brand. Can anybody give me a reason why I shouldn't buy one of these? At 15 to 20 bucks, these seem like a steal. I know I can't expect a surefire and don't expect that. 

Just wondering if one of you has a big gripe with them before I buy. If no gripes, I think I'll buy two from deal extreme.


----------



## carbine15

*Re: Can U Give Me a Reason Not to Buy a Romisen?*

I can give you some reasons not to buy from Dealextreme but for Romisen; they are functional and higher end cheap Chinese lights. Which one were you going to get?


----------



## PetaBread

*Re: Can U Give Me a Reason Not to Buy a Romisen?*



Liquidspaceman said:


> Just came across the Romisen brand. Can anybody give me a reason why I shouldn't buy one of these? At 15 to 20 bucks, these seem like a steal. I know I can't expect a surefire and don't expect that.
> 
> Just wondering if one of you has a big gripe with them before I buy. If no gripes, I think I'll buy two from deal extreme.


 

It depends what you want them for; if it's for EDC then look away.

And ask yourself what do you need 150+ lumens for? 

P.S. *IF *your going to get it, Buy from shiningbeam.com. Unless you want to wait a month+ for it to arrive from DX


----------



## Liquidspaceman

*Re: Can U Give Me a Reason Not to Buy a Romisen?*

Carbine, I was thinking about any of the 6 star lights off Bessie Bennies Budge LED list which includes:

RC-N3

RC-G2

RC-P3

Leaning towards one of the first two. This will be for every day carry but will also be used as a "backup light" when I'm hiking through the angeles forest and it gets dark on me. Would you trust it as a backup light over a maglite?


----------



## Liquidspaceman

*Re: Can U Give Me a Reason Not to Buy a Romisen?*



PetaBread said:


> It depends what you want them for; if it's for EDC then look away.
> 
> And ask yourself what do you need 150+ lumens for?
> 
> P.S. *IF *your going to get it, Buy from shiningbeam.com. Unless you want to wait a month+ for it to arrive from DX


 
I didn't know they were all 150 lumen lights. Thanks for the heads up on avoiding Deal Extreme (thanks to both of you). It just seemed to be cheaper there than anywhere else.


----------



## Gunner12

*Re: Can U Give Me a Reason Not to Buy a Romisen?*

I'm surprised that you just came across Romisen.

With, DX, you'll have to do more research and be able to wait.

They range from 20-probably 170 lumen out the front depending on model.

I'd suggest getting the RC-N3 Q5 from shiningbeam(6% off coupon is "cpfuser").


----------



## PetaBread

*Re: Can U Give Me a Reason Not to Buy a Romisen?*



Liquidspaceman said:


> I didn't know they were all 150 lumen lights.


 
Well, I dont know if all of them are like that, but the ones i was looking at

are 150+ lumens with single mode.



Liquidspaceman said:


> It just seemed to be cheaper there than anywhere else.


 
DX is in Hong Kong and that's also why everything is "free shipping".


IMHO, you should look at Fenix, LiteFlux, JetBeam, and *IF your smart just save your money an *
*buy a Surefire* (L1, E1B, etc.)


----------



## baterija

*Re: Can U Give Me a Reason Not to Buy a Romisen?*

In their stock model they have lower binned output emitters (Shiningbeam Q5 variants avoids this as an issue). They're mostly single mode which is only a reason if that's a problem. The RC-N3 actually sounds like it's starting to be shipped as a multimode light from DX so you might get surprised. (I seem to remember Shiningbeam mentioned a dual mode N3 shipping to them soon - you could at least ask for what you want from them.)

That's pretty much my list of negatives as the devil's advocate. If you like the 1xAA form factor but prefer flood to the G2's more throwy nature you might also check out the RC-H3. Benny didn't review it but I really liked mine.


----------



## american lockpicker

*Re: Can U Give Me a Reason Not to Buy a Romisen?*

Its not American made.


----------



## PetaBread

*Re: Can U Give Me a Reason Not to Buy a Romisen?*



american lockpicker said:


> Its not American made.


 

:twothumbs That's the biggest reason. Lol.


----------



## notsobrite

*Re: Can U Give Me a Reason Not to Buy a Romisen?*



Gunner12 said:


> I'd suggest getting the RC-N3 Q5 from shiningbeam(6% off coupon is "cpfuser").



+1

i think you'll be really happy with this light from sb. it has a really nice, bright beam and the capability to use aa or 123's. i've bought 3 romisen's from dx and 1 of them is still working.


not


----------



## Liquidspaceman

*Re: Can U Give Me a Reason Not to Buy a Romisen?*



notsobrite said:


> +1
> 
> i think you'll be really happy with this light from sb. it has a really nice, bright beam and the capability to use aa or 123's. i've bought 3 romisen's from dx and 1 of them is still working.
> 
> 
> not


 
So out of 3 flashlights, 2 crapped out on you? That doesn't make me feel very good about buying this light. Lol.


----------



## PlayboyJoeShmoe

*Re: Can U Give Me a Reason Not to Buy a Romisen?*

I've got nothing bad to say about Romisen.

I had to use a magnet in one to make connection between the battery nipple and the + contact due to how the body was machined. No big deal.

None of my Romisens have failed, but then I don't use them all that often.


----------



## carrot

*Re: Can U Give Me a Reason Not to Buy a Romisen?*

I agree with a couple of the above posters, there is no reason to waste your money on low-end lights when a high-end one will do.


----------



## LukeA

*Re: Can U Give Me a Reason Not to Buy a Romisen?*



carrot said:


> I agree with a couple of the above posters, there is no reason to waste your money on low-end lights when a high-end one will do.



Yeah! Why spend $15 when you can spend $150?


----------



## Liquidspaceman

*Re: Can U Give Me a Reason Not to Buy a Romisen?*



LukeA said:


> Yeah! Why spend $15 when you can spend $150?


 
LOL. Luke hit the nail on the head. Not everyone can afford 150 dollar flashlight.


----------



## Zatoichi

*Re: Can U Give Me a Reason Not to Buy a Romisen?*

I got an RC-G2 from DX and consider it a great deal, but more of a loaner than something I'd carry. It's a great little single AA ridiculously cheap, and I haven't found a thing wrong with it. I'm just waiting for an RC-N3 to arrive, but this one's coming from Shiningbeam. The Q5 and the fact they're checked before dispatch seems worth the extra bit of cash with this one.

To answer your question, I can't give you a reason not to buy either of those two Romisens, if that's your budget. Personally I haven't had any trouble with DX, but I'd recommend shiningbeam for faster shipping and better customer service (as well as the Q5 upgrades).


----------



## ergotelis

*Re: my new ultrafire c3 p7*

And wait for the explosion with that amperage from that battery, way more powerfull.......

(I don't want my post to look a bit rude, but take care of yourself it is not safe.Max amperage draw from that battery should be 1,5amp. Btw nice mod)


----------



## radu1976

*Re: my new ultrafire c3 p7*

How quickly the light will get warm ? Any ideea about the runtime ? Any regulation ?
I guess it should have been better to mod with a P7 the big SPIDERFIRE/AURORA but an AA P7 ...that's unique !


----------



## moviles

*Re: my new ultrafire c3 p7*



radu1976 said:


> How quickly the light will get warm ? Any ideea about the runtime ? Any regulation ?
> I guess it should have been better to mod with a P7 the big SPIDERFIRE/AURORA but an AA P7 ...that's unique !


its direct drived,its very hot get warmed in 3-4 min, runtime 12- 15 min(50% down)


----------



## Phill

*Re: Can U Give Me a Reason Not to Buy a Romisen?*



carrot said:


> I agree with a couple of the above posters, there is no reason to waste your money on low-end lights when a high-end one will do.



Better to have one cheap light in two-three weeks (or faster via shining beam etc) than one high end light after you have saved up 6 months for it. Plus with threads like this one you can miss out most of the lemons and buy something that will serve you well until that time.


----------



## old4570

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*

For a little more you can get multimode and R2 . 

Yes DX is slow , its only because there so busy . If you want faster shipping try KaiDomain , Either way , just window shopping is good fun , + you get an idea of models available and price . 

My Ultrafire 502B - R2 5 mode was $19 and yes 3 weeks so far .
I was so antsy , I ordered a Solarforce L2 R2 5 mode that took all of 4 days to arrive .  , that way I had something to play with 
The Solarforce has not disappointed [ excpt I got the wrong Cree , which they said they would correct ] Still , I had some 18650 batts to run in the Solarforce , + a charger , so no real harm . 

I can highly recommend the Solarforce L2 , mine was $30 Shipped + 18650 Batt .


----------



## copperfox

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*

I just received three DX lights. Here are my mini reviews:
*
AKOray AAA*
Pros:
good construction and finish
good beam quality, almost no artifacts
dual o-rings on head
pocket clip capable of deep carry (sits low in pocket while clipped, not much exposed out of pocket)
forward clicky
throwy beam for AAA size!
removable clip and click switch

Cons:
clicky difficult to get to 
head o-rings needed lube badly
longer than almost all other 1xAAA lights
cold tint - probably about SXO or colder
very very faint dark spot in center of hotspot. Hard to see even on white wall

*Romisen RC-H3*
Pros:
compact, good build quality and finish
good grip provided by machining despite lack of knurling
forward clicky with good feel (switch innards are same style as RC-G2's)
very smooth beam quality, no artifacts or cree rings at all

Cons:
none!

The RC-H3 isn't very bright(maybe ~60lm OTF), but should have nice runtime. I would HIGHLY recommend this as a gift light. It's a perfect example of a modern LED flashlight; inexpensive, great beam, uses a common AA cell, forward clidky with good feel, good machining and finish. I might get a few more of these just to mod! This is a great starter light for the un-initiated. 

*MTE C2-1:*
Pros:
Bright! approx 150lm
Dual o-rings on tail and head (total of 4)
Beam pretty good but not perfect - see notes

Cons:
Reverse clicky, but good feel
Two o-rings on head - see notes

This is a bright little light for its form factor. The optic has no window in front of it, so if you take the head apart, it's just o-ring, optic, and threaded aluminum optic holder inside the head. The head end of the body has two o-rings, but I found it so tight, even lubed, that only 1 was necessary. Besides, there is only 1 groove for 1 o-ring, so the other o-ring installed sits in the threads. I think MTE figured 2 is always better than 1, which in this case is not true because they didn't machine another channel for the second one to sit in. I removed the second o-ring. Out of the box my beam's hotspot was not perfect. After I disassembled the head and adjusted the optic while tightening down the optic holder, I was able to make the hotspot round. There is a slight dark spot in the center of the hotspot, but not significant. Otherwise the beam is pretty good. The rear clicky feels good, but sticks out just far enough so that tailstanding will make the light lean like the leaning tower of Pisa. The RC-G2's tailcap does fit on this light, but it won't thread all the way, only just barely covering the second tail end o-ring. You can either remove that second o-ring or ignore it. I think it's fine with it on.


----------



## Superorb

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*

How hard is it to put a 3-mode driver on an RC-N3 or RC-H3? Both are Q5 bins form Shiningbeam.


----------



## old4570

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*

What size is the original driver circuit board , + Input voltage .

Boards are usually 17mm from DX with a few variables .


----------



## larryf

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*

Newbie type question from a long time lurker, seldom poster....

A lot of these reviews talk about lube (or lack of) on the threads... What is a good lube to use on these lights? I did put a dab of spark plug grease on a particularly dry set of threads, but I've never seen anything on Kai's or DX's website.

Thanks in advance,
Larry


----------



## Superorb

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*



old4570 said:


> What size is the original driver circuit board , + Input voltage .
> 
> Boards are usually 17mm from DX with a few variables .


I can't get the section right below the head off on my RC-N3. There's nothing to hold onto to grip it.


----------



## old4570

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*



Superorb said:


> I can't get the section right below the head off on my RC-N3. There's nothing to hold onto to grip it.



A bit of heat might help . 

But if my Romisen is anything to go bye :

I would guess at 17mm Board 2.5-4.2V input 
[Powered by 1 x 3.0V/3.6V CR123A or 2 x AA batteries , ]

DX - sku.6190 - sku.15880 , Look these two over .


----------



## Phill

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*



larryf said:


> Newbie type question from a long time lurker, seldom poster....
> 
> A lot of these reviews talk about lube (or lack of) on the threads... What is a good lube to use on these lights? I did put a dab of spark plug grease on a particularly dry set of threads, but I've never seen anything on Kai's or DX's website.
> 
> Thanks in advance,
> Larry



This is covered in the FAQ thread somewhere, i read it a couple days ago.

Its pure silicone lube or something like that is recommended, a search will give you more details as im sure this will have been covered a lot before.


----------



## lightbug

*The NEW Romisen RC-N3 II Q5*

Hello Guys,
I got the RC-N3 II Q5 today. It looks identical as the regular model except a new model number and a new circuit board. It is 2 mode, high and medium, no strobe or SOS nonsense. The medium mode is 30% the brightness of the high mode on CR123A or 2 x AA akalines. 

This 2 mode RC-N3 Q5 is about 20% dimmer than the single mode Q5 version on AA akalines or CR123A, but with much longer runtime. On 2 x AA akalines, the runtime on high is about 3 hours and after that it can run another 3.5+ hours on medium mode. 

When running with RCR123A 3.6V Li-ion, the output is more than 50% brighter. However the difference between high mode and low mode on 16340 Li-Ion is almost identical.


----------



## sol-leks

*Re: The NEW Romisen RC-N3 II Q5*

sounds sweet.


----------



## csshih

*Re: The NEW Romisen RC-N3 II Q5*

on r123a, is the output more than 50% brighter than the r123a mode of of the old rc-n3? or is it just a comparison between the 2AA mode?

oh, and where did you get it from? shiningbeam does not appear to have it.


----------



## lightbug

*Re: The NEW Romisen RC-N3 II Q5*

csshih,
On RCR123A, the output is more than 50% brighter than running with CR123 or 2 x AA. 

I just got the lights today, haven't had time to post on my website yet.


----------



## lightbug

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*

RC-N3 II Q5 2-mode


----------



## sol-leks

*Re: The NEW Romisen RC-N3 II Q5*

Awesome, can't wait for you to put it up. Any more news on those MC-E lights?


----------



## lightbug

*Re: The NEW Romisen RC-N3 II Q5*

The manufacturer will ship out some of the MC-E lights this week. So, if no problem I'll get them at the end of next week.


----------



## bessiebenny

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*

Thanks for the pic Bryan! I've mentioned it on my front page already as well. =)
BTW, I checked on your site but couldn't find it. Maybe I checked too soon? hehe.


----------



## sol-leks

*Re: The NEW Romisen RC-N3 II Q5*

good to know thanks! Now I just have to wait......damn


----------



## lightbug

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*

Hi Jay,
I just got the lights this afternoon. Only had time to test them briefly. Tomorrow I will post them on my website. In a month or 2, I'll try to make get a new driver for the customized RC-G2 Q5 and RC-H3 Q5, going to be brighter for sure.


----------



## DHart

*Re: The NEW Romisen RC-N3 II Q5*

Bryan... cool! How does the switching work? Is the switch still a forward clickie?


----------



## lightbug

*Re: The NEW Romisen RC-N3 II Q5*

DHart,
Yes it is still a forward clicky. Since it is just 2 modes, it is still quite user friendly.


----------



## kramer5150

*Re: The NEW Romisen RC-N3 II Q5*

Are they for sale yet?


----------



## Superorb

*Re: The NEW Romisen RC-N3 II Q5*



lightbug said:


> DHart,
> Yes it is still a forward clicky. Since it is just 2 modes, it is still quite user friendly.


I was just about to email you too. What's the price going to be on these?


----------



## Zatoichi

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*

Will the single mode RC-N3's still be available from shingingbeam?


----------



## alfreddajero

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*

I would def get one........just because of the longer runtimes.......hey Bryan would you be able to post a beamshot comparing the brightness of the two. Im sure that members here would love to see the beam profile.


----------



## vali

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*

Seems that new RC-N3 is like the DX one without the useless strobe and with Q5 instead P4.

What kind of memory (or lack off) does this new model have to select between modes?


----------



## alfreddajero

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*

I would'nt mind if the light had no memory just as long as it starts in high first.


----------



## lightbug

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*

kramer5150,
I will post them on my website in 2 hours or so.

Superorb, 
It will be $24.95 before the coupon.

Zatoichi,
Definitely, the 1 mode is not going away.

alfreddajero,
I'll try to do it tonight bud.
The light always start on high if its turned off for more than 30 seconds.

vali,
You are correct, it is just 2 modes without SOS but with a Q5 emitter instead of a P4. Don't think it has memory.


----------



## lightbug

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*

Hey guys,
These lights are up.

http://www.cpfmarketplace.com/mp/showthread.php?t=192187


----------



## selfbuilt

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*

Glad to see these are available at your shop Bryan. 

I've received a few requests to add the RC-N3 to my round-up reviews, but haven't so far since it was single-stage only. With the new 2-stage, I think these are worthwhile to consider.

 I will add the RC-N3 II to my 2xAA and 1xCR123A round-ups.


----------



## seaside

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*

Bryan, it's good to see new version of N3.

I don't know what driver you are using in new version though, you will have no problem selling the driver alone for those whom already bought RC-N3 from you. At least I want one.

And selfbuilt, as always it is pleasure to read your review. Looks like I can see new RC-N3 review pretty soon. Thanks in advance.


----------



## lightbug

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*

Hey Guys,
I have added some comparison beam shots of RC-N3 Q5 Vs. RC-N3 II Q5.
Take a look if you are interested.
http://www.cpfmarketplace.com/mp/showthread.php?t=192187http://www.cpfmarketplace.com/mp/showthread.php?p=2281775#post2281775


selfbuilt,
Thanks Eric, I'm surprised you want to do a review on this budget light.
By the way, this new light's output on Li-ion is almost identical on both modes, I believe only about 10% difference.

seaside,
I'll ask the manufacturer next time regarding the new driver. Actually, the single mode RC-N3 Q5 is pretty good too, since it is about 20% brighters than this new one. Both lights has its Pros and Cons, hard to say which one is better.


----------



## Superorb

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*



lightbug said:


> Hey Guys,
> I have added some comparison beam shots of RC-N3 Q5 Vs. RC-N3 II Q5.
> Take a look if you are interested.
> http://www.cpfmarketplace.com/mp/showthread.php?t=192187http://www.cpfmarketplace.com/mp/showthread.php?p=2281775#post2281775
> 
> 
> selfbuilt,
> Thanks Eric, I'm surprised you want to do a review on this budget light.
> By the way, this new light's output on Li-ion is almost identical on both modes, I believe only about 10% difference.
> 
> seaside,
> I'll ask the manufacturer next time regarding the new driver. Actually, the single mode RC-N3 Q5 is pretty good too, since it is about 20% brighters than this new one. Both lights has its Pros and Cons, hard to say which one is better.


Will you be offering the N3 II driver itself for owners of N3 Q5 single mode versions?


----------



## lightbug

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*

Superorb,
I'll try to buy some next time if enough number of people are interested of buying.


----------



## selfbuilt

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*



lightbug said:


> selfbuilt,
> Thanks Eric, I'm surprised you want to do a review on this budget light.
> By the way, this new light's output on Li-ion is almost identical on both modes, I believe only about 10% difference.


That's not too surprising for the price (after all, even Fenix is direct drive on Li-ion in the P2D/L1D/L2D series lights). 

It's true I don't usually do budget lights any more (especially with BB's already excellent roundup!), but I had received several requests for the original N3, so I thought I would give this new 2-stage version a try. Based on my previous experience with this class of lights, Romisen is one of the better names - and I appreciate the fact that you stock Q5 versions of everything. 

And besides, with the release of the new Eagletac P100A2 with a <$40 discounted price, the "budget" boundaries are likely to become somewhat blurred. I probably won't do a full review of the N3 II (or the P100A2 for that matter), but will add both to my 2xAA round-up thread once they come in.


----------



## lightbug

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*

selfbuilt,
I'm very glad you wanna do the review for this light. I'm sure those who already purchased the single mode RC-N3 Q5 would love to see your testing result for this new version.


----------



## alfreddajero

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*

The drop in brightness doesnt look at all shabby......it seems to hold its own on high compared to the v1. I just have to have one in my collection.


----------



## HexCore

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*

Hi,
Thanks to your wonderfull reviews, I order the Romisen RC-F4 and I'm really happy about it ! 
The only thing I'd like is a forward clicky instead of the reverse clicky.
Anybody knows how to change it ? Which switch would fit in it ?
I know shiningbeam is selling one with tactical switch, but I'd like to do it myself. 

Thanks on advance, HexCore.


----------



## HexCore

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*



HexCore said:


> Hi,
> Thanks to your wonderfull reviews, I order the Romisen RC-F4 and I'm really happy about it !
> The only thing I'd like is a forward clicky instead of the reverse clicky.
> Anybody knows how to change it ? Which switch would fit in it ?
> I know shiningbeam is selling one with tactical switch, but I'd like to do it myself.
> 
> Thanks on advance, HexCore.


Kool, I found what I was searching for :
http://www.shiningbeam.com/servlet/the-72/Forward-Tactical-Click-Switch/Detail

Thx shiningbeam !


----------



## Cemoi

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*

Thanks a lot BB for your great reviews.
I have received a TK-702 from DX instead of the TK-701 (SSC version) I had ordered. I don't know what to do after they offered me a ridiculous $2 discount on my next order if I agree to keep the wrong light .



bessiebenny said:


> *TANK007 TK-702 Q5*


Why *Q5 *?
The description says it is a P4.



> Runtime
> - It keeps a nice output level all the way till around 80 minutes.


The output on mine drops very quickly around 56 minutes, when powered with a Maha Powerex 1000 whose measured capacity is 920 mAh.
And the light gets very hot, so it seems not all units have the same current draw.


----------



## davidt1

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*

Is your light as bright as claimed? My Microstream, rated at 20 lumens, is brighter than my Tank007-702.


----------



## Cemoi

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*



davidt1 said:


> Is your light as bright as claimed?



I compared it to my Fenix L1D-CE Q5, using fresh batteries in each, and doing a "ceiling bounce test" with my eyes as the only measuring instrument. That is, I lit alternatively each light pointed towards the ceiling, and about one meter from it, and looked at details in the room.
My conclusion is that my TK-702 is marginally brighter than my L1D-CE on medium (rated at 53 lm), so I would say my TK-702 is around 60 lm.
I measured the current draw on a fresh (1.39 V open circuit) Maha Powerex 1000: 0.9 A, which is consistent with the 56 mn runtime.


----------



## Zatoichi

*Re: Just got a keychain 10 pack from DX*

I got 10 a couple of weeks back. They're one of the best deals I've found on DX.


----------



## DHart

*Re: Tank TK-506*

1anrm... those are both pretty cool looking lights at a great price point.


----------



## 1anrm

*Re: Tank TK-506*



DHart said:


> 1anrm... those are both pretty cool looking lights at a great price point.




I agree DHart but unfortunately no comment/Review on DX nor a search here came out anything :shrug: what I didnt like about the SS C3 is the o-ring at the lens is very thin. I couldnt use any of the ones DX has.


----------



## PlayboyJoeShmoe

*Re: Tank TK-506*

RE: Tank 007

I got HC-316 which uses one 123/16340 and has High, Med/low and strobe and what is said to be and appears to be HAIII.

I have not had the lens out to see how thin the o-ring is, but suction testing shows the light is sealed up pretty good.

If this is a representative example of Tank 007 they are up there with Romisen.


----------



## Cemoi

*Re: Tank TK-506*



PlayboyJoeShmoe said:


> RE: Tank 007
> I got HC-316
> (...)
> if this is a representative example of Tank 007 they are up there with Romisen.



Thanks for the information, which allowed me to discover that they have several 1AA models, among which the HC-508 whose tail design looks innovative, offering both an easy access switch and the ability to tail stand.


----------



## Superorb

*Re: Tank TK-506*



Cemoi said:


> Thanks for the information, which allowed me to discover that they have several 1AA models, among which the HC-508 whose tail design looks innovative, offering both an easy access switch and the ability to tail stand.


This one also has an HA-III coating. I just wish it didn't have the old P4 emitter.


----------



## PlayboyJoeShmoe

*Re: Tank TK-506*

Must also be mentioned that the Tank 316 has a High/Med-low/Strobe UI with no memory.

Decent brightness in high, not a really low med and some PWM in med.


----------



## old4570

*Ultrafire 602C VS KD Cree Q3 [ EDC's ]*



 click to enlarge 

Yes its here :
UltraFire WF-602C Cree Q2-WC 5-Mode 150-Lumen LED Flashlight with Strap (1*CR123A) - Hi > Mid > Lo > Strobe > SOS - 150 lumens max 1.5 hours - Cree XR-E Q2-WC . PRICE = $10.78

VS

CREE Q3 Mode 6 Flashlight (1*CR123A)
Low/Mid/High/Strobe/Alarm/SOS - Harden Type II - Tactic Click Reverse Switch - Buck Voltage Regulated - CREE P4 - 150lumen/120minutes
PRICE = $18.91 

Ultrafire WF-602C

Ultrafire RCR123A 3.7v Fully Charged 

Hi - o.75mA - 3300Lux @ 1 meter .
Med - o.29mA - 1200Lux
Lo - o.11mA - 500Lux

Primary 3v CR123A = Wont run , only the faintest light resulted from this cells use .

KD Cree Q3 

Ultrafire RCR123A 3.7v Fully Charged 

Hi - o.99mA - 3100Lux @ 1 meter 
Med - o.36mA - 1100Lux
Lo - o.06mA - 150Lux 

Primary CR123A 3volt 

Hi - 2.76mA - 3300Lux @ 1 meter [ Took this reading 4 Times ] 
Med - o.29mA - 1200Lux 
Lo - o.11mA - 150Lux 


Thoughts : 

Ultrafire , has a O ring , threads are smooth , clicky is positive , finish looks good , comes with a wrist strap , but wont run on primary CR123A's , and will not tail stand . Starts on Medium , then goes Lo and then Hi / strobe SOS 

KD Cree Q3 , has dual O rings , threads are smooth , clicky is positive , finish looks good , runs on both Primary and rechargeable CR123A's , also has a clip and tail stands just fine . This one has memory , so will restart on last used mode . But after Lo its Strobe SOS ALARM then back to Hi MED Lo 

I will post beam shots tonight : About 9 hours from now . Im not going to draw a conclusion , but I hope there are enough results for you the reader to draw your own conclusion .





Beamshots ! 

UF WF-602C Hi Med Lo 















KD Cree Q3 Hi Med Lo 














Matt


----------



## PlayboyJoeShmoe

*Re: Ultrafire 602C VS KD Cree Q3 [ EDC's ]*

What about PWM?

Easiest PWM test is shine the light at a fan.


----------



## old4570

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*

Pulse Width Modulation . 

Sorry , no visible flicker to the naked eye ! I hate flicker , so would have mentioned it .


----------



## rmteo

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*

Here is a beamshot of the WF-602C at 1m. using the mid setting:







PWM is pretty low at 76Hz (low) and 196Hz (mid) as reported by another reviewer. I did not have any CR123 to test with, but I did try it at 3.0V using a bench PSU, this is what I got - not really for use with primaries:

High - 0.14A
Mid - 0.06A
Low - 0.02A

Still, at <$10 (quantity 3) for a multi-mode CREE light with a nice, smooth beam - not bad at all. :thumbsup:


----------



## old4570

*Re: BessieBenny Donation*

BessieBenny

4SF041854B630731R = Donation Confirmation No 

For old4570 

Might as well help get the ball rolling for 09 :wave:


----------



## bessiebenny

*Re: BessieBenny Donation*



old4570 said:


> 4SF041854B630731R = Donation Confirmation No


 
Thank you heaps!! And love your post with heaps of beam shots also. :thumbsup:
I've linked it in my main post as well as your name in the donation list. 

My work/family life is taking away far more hours of my life than before. haha.
Hence I'm not as super active as before. But I'm not going away that's for sure. Love my lights! =)
(Still monitoring DX site every day without fail and also the CPF Market forums)

---

*SOME UPDATES*
- My KD Buckle V5 Q5 XRT light DIED...... Cree LED became super yellow and then wouldn't light up. So sad..
- I think It's just a bad luck in the Cree. I still love the KD Buckle V5's build and finish. I need a new Cree in there now. =P
- I've just tried Shiningbeam's Romisen RC-F4 Q5 in my new lightbox. Result is 440 lux!

New lightbox results to compare for now: 
- Nitecore D10 = 250 lux (on high)
- Fenix E01 = 14 lux
- Romisen RC-G2 Q5 = 120 lux 
- Eastward YJ-XAQ5 = 500 lux (on high)


----------



## old4570

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*

Im a Noob , but how would you feel about a fund raiser . 

Just something to think about for the future : 

I was thinking of Donating a Flashy , and all contributors would go into a draw to win the flashy , in the mean time you could test it ? 

Something to mull over . 


Matt 

Ps/ I do something similar over at RFC .


----------



## utahsavages

*Re: BessieBenny Donation*



bessiebenny said:


> - I've just tried Shiningbeam's Romisen RC-F4 Q5 in my new lightbox. Result is 440 lux!




How many stars do you think this light would get if you had time for a full review?


----------



## TheIceMaster

*Re: BessieBenny Donation*

He has already reviewed it in a previous thread (search "Romisen RC-F4 Q5"): https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/199062


----------



## bessiebenny

*Re: BessieBenny Donation*



utahsavages said:


> How many stars do you think this light would get if you had time for a full review?


 
Actually, I've re-added it in this thread. (Always check main post. hehe)

https://www.candlepowerforums.com/posts/2840876&postcount=3


----------



## utahsavages

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*

Excellent! Thanks.


----------



## bessiebenny

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*



old4570 said:


> I was thinking of Donating a Flashy , and all contributors would go into a draw to win the flashy , in the mean time you could test it ?


 
I was actually thinking of doing it with the lights I have before and others have offered such meetups/light donations also.
But one major thing that stopped me was the shipping fee considering they cost just as much as flashlights themselves sometimes.
Also, I don't know if I can really put that much time into it. I'm definitely no Selfbuilt or ernsanada that's for sure. =P

Maybe later on, I will do such a thing with my lights. (or even with the faulty ones that just need simple fixing that I don't have time for)


----------



## alfreddajero

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*

Thats a wonderful idea..........i know how it is about trying to find the time to be able to do things, but in the end you look forward too it. Sometimes i suggest to the wife to get out with our kids, dinner, the mall, just so i can catch up with whats going on with the forums i belong to.


----------



## bessiebenny

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*

** Just reserving space and also sharing what I have written so far.
** I will update it soon with runtime and hopefully some pics.....

*★★★★ Kaidomain 2-Mode HAIII Long Throw Q5 **KD* (Posted on Mar 15th 2009)
*Throw @ 1m: 10500 lux *(high)* 1200 lux *(low) (1 x 18650 @ 4.15v) 
*New Lightbox: 340 lux *(high)* 47 lux *(low)(1 x 18650 @ 4.15v) 

New lightbox results to compare for now: 
- Nitecore D10 = 250 lux (on high)
- Fenix E01 = 14 lux
- Romisen RC-G2 Q5 = 120 lux 
- Romisen RC-F4 Q5 = 440 lux
- Eastward YJ-XAQ5 = 500 lux (on high)
- Blaze 1Watt = 180 lux (on high) 100 lux (on low)

*Intro*
- It's Kaidomain's own Dereelight-like thrower. (sku: S004798)
- Well built, has 2-mode with memory and good throw capability.
- I have the Q5 version of this light. Expect ~10% brighter with R2.
- Price dropped to $34 as of March 21st.
- There's a cheaper alternative with a bit of less throw HERE.
*Build Quality*
- Has a similar look and feel to the Dereelight DBS V2.
- But if you look carefully, it definitely isn't as well built. =P
- Still has nice and even HAIII anodizing. Very scratch resistant.
- Deep aluminium smooth reflector. Not as reflective as DBS V2's.
- Threads are not bad. Deeper than other cheaper lights. Needs lubing.
- Threads are not anodized. Although not needed, it does act as part of circuit.
- Cree Q5 LED and driver inside a brass/copper pill similar to Dereelight.
- Spring on both sides of the battery tube. (Spring soldered on driver)
- Comes with green glow in the dark rubber clicky. 
- All threads are not glued. Can get to pill, driver, switch, reflector easily.
- Two soft edged round holes on tail end for lanyard. Good size holes.
*Light Output*
- Tight hotspot. Bit ringy around centre. Not the nicest looking but does the job still.
- Still quite bright as you can see from my output readings. (but nothing spectacular)
- Centre hotspot is very bright as expected from such deep smooth reflector. (Hole in the centre)
- Spill is still usefully bright and wide. So the output is quite versatile in use.
- Low mode is dim enough to be used closeup. It's around 30 lumens at best imo.
*In Use*
- 2-mode is High and Low. It blinks after a few seconds in either High or Low.
- Once it blinks, it remembers that mode even if you turn it off and back on.
- This is very handy. Not many 2-mode light has such feature at driver level.
- It tail stands perfectly stable as the clicky is recessed deeper than the outer tail end.
- Switch has quite a loud click sound. Louder than most that I've heard.
*Final Notes*
- This light has grown on me. (I've received this last year sometime)
- I has a memory 2 mode and tail stands which is perfect for how I use it.
- Definitely better than most 2-mode 18650 lights of this class imo.
- Eg. On - Off - On - Off. (Each On depending on how quick you do it will either cycle High/Low or stay on its last mode)
- It's not so cheap but I think it is worth what it costs. Not bad at all.
- I feel this deserves like 4.5 stars. Would have been 5 stars if below $30.

*◎**Current Measurements*
*HIGH* - 0.63A from 18650 battery
*LOW* - 0.08A from 18650 battery

*◎Photos*

- New kitchen Low and High shots using 18650.



 



*◎Runtime*
- Initial testing shows that it drops to 50% output after about 4 hours on high.


----------



## bessiebenny

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*



alfreddajero said:


> Thats a wonderful idea..........i know how it is about trying to find the time to be able to do things, but in the end you look forward too it. Sometimes i suggest to the wife to get out with our kids, dinner, the mall, just so i can catch up with whats going on with the forums i belong to.


 
Yeah. My wife don't like me being at home on my PC all night after work. Haha.
Also, my 2 year old son requires LOTs of attention at home as you would know. =)
So i do this during my free time at work or when I can really find the time at home.

Oh. I never expected my thread to become so big either. =P

*BTW*
- FYI - 4sevens.com is having some nice discounts on quite a few of their lights.
- Such as Olights for under $40 and Nitecore D20 for under $55! (with their discount code)
- Also, whole heap of Fenix lights for around $40 or below in thir clearance section.
- From KD, this light looks interesting especially for its price. And this LED Lenser light.


----------



## alfreddajero

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*

Well you also have a lot of members take a look at your thread for good lights and so they go by your tests on whether to get one. I have two with ADD and they involve a lot of time from us, but in the end its worth it. I cant wait for my 6month baby girl to become a daddy's girl, oh she loves to cry when i hold her....lmao.


----------



## old4570

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*



bessiebenny said:


> I was actually thinking of doing it with the lights I have before and others have offered such meetups/light donations also.
> But one major thing that stopped me was the shipping fee considering they cost just as much as flashlights themselves sometimes.
> Also, I don't know if I can really put that much time into it. I'm definitely no Selfbuilt or ernsanada that's for sure. =P
> 
> Maybe later on, I will do such a thing with my lights. (or even with the faulty ones that just need simple fixing that I don't have time for)



One way is to just contact the sellers/retailers and ask them if there prepared to accept payment / order in the flashy / hold it until you have a winner and then have it shipped to said person . Ive done that in the past , just depends on the seller , since it does not cost them anything extra . 

Hmmm , I might ask around to see if any of the sellers would be prepared to do that .

Still , does not really mean people will be motivated to donate , some times to make a buck , you need to cough up a 100 bucks , thats sort of going backwards . :thumbsdow

Still , might be worth a try once , just to see where and how hard the wind blows


----------



## bessiebenny

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*



Cemoi said:


> TK-702
> 
> Why *Q5 *?
> The description says it is a P4.
> 
> The output on mine drops very quickly around 56 minutes, when powered with a Maha Powerex 1000 whose measured capacity is 920 mAh.
> And the light gets very hot, so it seems not all units have the same current draw.


 
My mistake. haha. I've changed the title. Thanks for the correction.
I guess these cheap lights are not all made the same unfortunately. =(


----------



## bessiebenny

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*

*NEW LIGHT ORDERED*
- I've just ordered Akoray K-106 Q5 AA flashlight from DX.
- I'm definitely not the early adopter of this light that's for sure. =P
- I have high expectations so I can't wait till I get it in my hands!


----------



## old4570

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*



bessiebenny said:


> *NEW LIGHT ORDERED*
> - I've just ordered Akoray K-106 Q5 AA flashlight from DX.
> - I'm definitely not the early adopter of this light that's for sure. =P
> - I have high expectations so I can't wait till I get it in my hands!



I look forward to what it can do on a AA ... 
esp as the 14500 is 3.6v .. 

Ive ordered a cheap twisty [ These new lights have spoiled me ] , as my old twisty [ 1*CR123A ] only puts out 700Lux @ 1meter with a RCR123A , and to me that used to be good . This new one is cheaper and should have a Cree P4 emitter 1*CR123A . I like the little twistie's as they fit in the coin pocket of your jeans , and I ordered a Q5 cree + a 5 mode controller to mod this lowly one I have . 

I never thought flashlights would / could be fun ! 

Matt


----------



## Superorb

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*



bessiebenny said:


> *NEW LIGHT ORDERED*
> - I've just ordered Akoray K-106 Q5 AA flashlight from DX.
> - I'm definitely not the early adopter of this light that's for sure. =P
> - I have high expectations so I can't wait till I get it in my hands!


Can't wait for the review on that one. Please use Eneloops when testing as well. According to the reviews, outputs can be custom set, and some mentioned setting 3 modes only. Looks like I could turn this into a ConneXion X2 for half price if all goes well.


----------



## bessiebenny

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*

Yeah. I am very much looking foward to programming my three modes with super low / medium and high. =)
Also, I will be using GP Recyko's so should be about same as Eneloops. (Will also test with 14500 as well)


----------



## DHart

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*



bessiebenny said:


> *NEW LIGHT ORDERED*
> - I've just ordered Akoray K-106 Q5 AA flashlight from DX.
> - I'm definitely not the early adopter of this light that's for sure. =P
> - I have high expectations so I can't wait till I get it in my hands!



Thanks for the head's up on this light... reading the reviews gives a very optimistic outlook on this light! It sounds like a great buy with excellent features. I'm looking forward to hearing more about it and I'm likely to add one as among a great number of awesome flashlights, I STILL DON'T HAVE a AA flashlight. I'm so loving RCR123 and 18650 lights, that I have intentionally avoided AA's for some time now. I have had a prejudice against AA's flashlights based on my long-term prior experience with older style incandescent AA lights.


----------



## Abyssos

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*

Akoray K-106 Q5 AA looks pretty promising. Is there another local vendor who carries it besides DX? I am too impatient to wait for the long transit from abroad... errr... better wait for Bessiebenny's review first...


----------



## Cemoi

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*



Superorb said:


> Can't wait for the review on that one.


See here.


----------



## Phill

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*



bessiebenny said:


> *NEW LIGHT ORDERED*
> - I've just ordered Akoray K-106 Q5 AA flashlight from DX.
> - I'm definitely not the early adopter of this light that's for sure. =P
> - I have high expectations so I can't wait till I get it in my hands!



Cant wait for the review of this light.

There is a feature in it that lets you protect unprotected 14500s where it cuts the light off below a certain voltage. Ive no idea if that is a physical switch or if its part of the programming but its one of the coolest features ive seen on a $20 light.


----------



## utahsavages

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*



konfusius said:


> But you do realize that this light has a "forward clickie"?
> Did you try pushing the tailcap all the way in?



Yes. It doesn't work. 

I've got 3 RC-N3's so I understand forward clickies. Once it clicks, it's suppose to stay on. This one doesn't stay on.

So I'm hoping they'll just send me a new tailcap.


----------



## alfreddajero

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*

http://www.shiningbeam.com/servlet/the-93/Forward-Tactical-Click-Switch/Detail

you can get a spare switch from bryan....especially if you dont want to wait weeks for the new switch to arrive at your door.


----------



## utahsavages

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*



alfreddajero said:


> http://www.shiningbeam.com/servlet/the-93/Forward-Tactical-Click-Switch/Detail
> 
> you can get a spare switch from bryan....especially if you dont want to wait weeks for the new switch to arrive at your door.



Excellent - thank you!

Are these easy to change out? Need any special tool to get it out of the tailcap assembly?


----------



## fstuff

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*



bessiebenny said:


> - From KD, this light looks interesting especially for its price.


 
kai's page says this light is direct drive?
ie: no boost circuit?

does that mean it's like a maglight? goes dimmer as the battery gets weaker?


----------



## bessiebenny

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*



fstuff said:


> kai's page says this light is direct drive?
> ie: no boost circuit?
> does that mean it's like a maglight? goes dimmer as the battery gets weaker?


 
I think it's a mistake. It has to at least use a boost circuit as AA is only 1.5v which isn't enough.
But yes, the brightness will still drop as battery gets weaker. (just like most cheap AA lights)


----------



## richardcpf

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*

Today I saw this nee itwm at KD: 53mm 1200lm 5*CREE Q3 drop in.

It says 1200 lumens which I don't believe at all, you must push a Q3 hard to get 240 lumens. their description stated 500ma draw at 12.6v, 6.3w. If the driver board is 85% efficient, real output should be like 530 bulb lumens, about 400 max OTF lumens.

Does anyone know more about this module? Would be nice to mod a 2D flashlight with it.


----------



## old4570

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*

Very nice ! :wave:


----------



## alfreddajero

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*



utahsavages said:


> Excellent - thank you!
> 
> Are these easy to change out? Need any special tool to get it out of the tailcap assembly?


 
Its easy to change......you will see two slots at the bottom close to the spring, just use tweezers and you should be able to unscrew it.


----------



## boomhauer

*Re: Cheap 1xAA from Ebay - Test / Report*

nuron, have you had a chance to compare the beams on these budget lights?


----------



## PlayboyJoeShmoe

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*

I have a small pair of needle nose pliers from Empire that have done almost everything from reflectors to clickies.


----------



## nuron

*Re: Cheap 1xAA from Ebay - Test / Report*



boomhauer said:


> nuron, have you had a chance to compare the beams on these budget lights?




I will soon, have two finals on thursday and friday!


----------



## richardcpf

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*



utahsavages said:


> Yes. It doesn't work.
> 
> I've got 3 RC-N3's so I understand forward clickies. Once it clicks, it's suppose to stay on. This one doesn't stay on.
> 
> So I'm hoping they'll just send me a new tailcap.


 
The clicky switch is screwed too tigh, try unscrew it a little, then it will do the click.


----------



## DHart

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*



richardcpf said:


> The clicky switch is screwed too tigh, try unscrew it a little, then it will do the click.



Or perhaps screw it down deeper (closer to the rear end of the tailcap)?


----------



## stefanj

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*

Just got a Romisen RC-B3 AAA light. Incredible. Typical great Romisen built quality and finish. Glass lens with the cutest (yea I said cute) little strike bezel. Good Finish (probably only HA-11) and good knurling. Fits the hand nicely (for such a small light) and has good smooth threads. Best of all FORWARD CLICKIE!!!!!!! Only real negative was the included lanyard. I never really was one for lanyards until I started using the Romisens (they are the perfect size for me) But this one is smaller than the stock ones- and I don't like it (I think I'll replace it with a key ring). Output was what one would expect from a P4 Cree with an AAA light (best guess is 45 Lumens). Nice throw with usable flood. Color is a bit on the green side- but only really noticeable when compared to other brighter lights (mainly the RC-N3). Fits in the pocket very nicely (which is good cause someone forgot to tell the wife I bought another light- so she has not seen it yet) I just may have a new EDC! No runtimes yet.- UPDATE: Runtime Tenergy AAA (100mah rated- actual 737 off the BC-900 charger) 2hours (give or take 5 mins). Light got warm (infred thermo reading at light head was 91.6 deg). Slow dim (about 15 mins) then light cuts off (Cutoff curciut??) I'm really likeing the output of this light!


----------



## bessiebenny

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*

_* Reposting here as the other thread is now closed and modifying is not possible. Added new lightbox results!_

*★★★★★ Romisen RC-T6 6xQ4 **DX* *KD*(Reviewed May 27th 2008)
*Throw @ 1m: High 11200 lux *-* Med 7900 lux *-*Low 4200 lux *(2 x 18650 @ 4.15v each) 
*New Lightbox: **High 1480 lux *-* Med 1135 lux *-*Low 675 lux *(2 x 18650 @ 4.15v each) 
** Please see below for more throw results using different battery configurations. 

*First Impression *
- Nicest "big" 2 x 18650 torch I've felt so far.
- 6 Cree LEDs! Looks great! Monster!
- This torch feels really solid in hand.
- Not cheap as it costs near $60 @ DX.

*Build Quality *
- Doesn't feel as cheap as Aurora or Ultrafire.
- Nice matte anodizing. Pretty sure it's not HAIII though but no biggie.
- Reverse-type side clicky switch. Has nice and solid feel to it.
- Nice and deep textured aluminium reflector. 
- Big O-ring used in front of glass lense.
- Shape of the reflector is like an orange. Nice and symmetrical.
- As it doesn't have a tail clicky, it tail stands perfectly.
- The very front front bezel is glued on mine at the threads.
- But pretty much every other part isn't glued.
- Double O-rings used on all the battery tube threads. Nice!
- Spring on both ends of the bettery tube. Two protected 18650 fits fine.
- Deep solid thread. Bit sharp but overall very nice. Lubed also.

*In Use *
- The side clicky makes it very easy to operate while holding.
- The mode switches from 2 - 4 - 6 LED in sequence.
- This makes you click 3 times every time you want to turn to 6 LED!
- Also makes you cycle through everyone of them before it turns off. 
- It's obviously not the best design. But you get used to it. =P
- Although it does work with 3 or 4 RCR123A batts, it's not worth it.
- As it gets too hot too quickly and battery runs way too quick also.
- So just use it with 2 x 18650 all the time. (Does not get hot either)

*Brightness/Output *
- It's BRIGHT and has a very wide overall beam. BIG and very bright hotspot also.
- It still has decent throw due to being so bright. It's like a big spotlight.
- But still, it's floodier than single LED flood lights due to its sheer output.
- Has an overlapping pattern to its spill. In real life use, it's not an issue.
- Anyways, all I can say is that it's very bright and very useful.
- But at the same time, I feel it's not as bright as it looks like it should be.
- But maybe that's because I just want more out of such monster looking light. =P
- However, even in 2 LED mode, it's super bright overall and does not get hot at all. Very nice!

*Conclusion ★★★★★*
- Romisen has done it again by making such a special looking light.
- 6 efficient LED's being driven very efficiently for great output and runtime.
- It's not cheap but I think it's worth it for what you get that's for sure.
- At the end, it's a great flashlight overall. Big, solid, bright. Just a tad expensive though.

--------

*[BEAM SHOTS]* 

- Using 2 x 18650 @ 4.1v each


 

 


-------- LOW ----------------- MED ----------------- HIGH

--------

*[OUTPUT/MEASUREMENTS]* 
- Note that the lux value does not reflect the total lumens that it outpus.
- RC-T6 has 3 modes. Two / Four / Six LEDs are lit in each mode.
- Anyways, it has a very good throw capability considering it has a huge hotspot.

*THROW @ 1m *&* CURRENT @ Battery*

** Two x 18650 @ 4.10v each = 8.2V*
-------------------------------
2 - 4200 lux @ 1m (0.66A = 5.4W)
4 - 7900 lux @ 1m (1.12A = 9.2W)
6 - 11200 lux @ 1m (1.52A = 12.5W)

** Three x 16340 @ 4.10v each = 12.3V*
-------------------------------
2 - 1500 lux @ 1m (0.15A = 1.9W)
4 - 9200 lux @ 1m (1.01A = 12.4W)
6 - 14500 lux @ 1m (1.60A = 19.7W)

** Four x 16340 @ 4.10v each = 16.4V*
-------------------------------
2 - 4500 lux @ 1m (0.35A = 5.7W)
4 - 9200 lux @ 1m (0.74A = 12.1W)
6 - 14300 lux @ 1m (1.15A = 18.9W)

---------

*[RUNTIME]*
- As you can see, 2x18650 is where it shines the most. 
- I have not yet had time to run the test in Low mode. (2LED)


----------



## Phill

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*

I just took delivery of this MTE C3-1 Stainless Steel. Figured id give a quick first impressions of it.

First up, i know its pretty expensive for what it is, but i loved the look and in the flesh it doesnt disappoint. Its an 8 mode where 12 of those 8 modes are strobes because those Chinese manufacturers love the rave modes, but luckily most of the strobes are found at the end of the cycle and thanks to no memory you dont need to pass through them all.

The finish is awesome, it just looks like a quality light. The manufacturing quality is really really solid externally, though the internals were a bit rough and needed some cleaning up with one of those cotton bud ear cleaning things. The refector has a couple small marks on it near the edge - its still daylight so i cant really tell if this makes an obvious difference, same goes for how ringy the beam is and its tint etc.

It tail stands, just. The switch sticks out about 1mm so its not stable, but it stands none the less. It might be possible to loosen the switch to adjust it but ive not done so - tail standing is something i never really do so its not really an issue for me. One issue i do have is the front is a little rough where the crenelations on the bezel arent machined smooth. A quick bit of sanding would fix it, but it does make it a bit of a pocket shredder.

Also, the wrist lanyard is too small for me to actually use. Seems well made though. I dont really have big hands/wrists fwiw, so its going to be an issue for most people. Finally the box it came in was a bit beat up, but it protected the light well so served its purpose.

In use the switch has a nice action, not too loose and not too stiff, and its easy to skip past the 2nd mode with is the main strobe. With the crenelated bezel, high mode first followed by strobe its clearly designed as a defense light. The high is slightly higher than my other light that is supposed 120 lumen, so whether it is 150 lumen or not ive no clue, but it will be enough light for what ill use it for. The medium is brighter than my Fenix E01 and the low is lower than it. In fact the low seems very low (which is a positive imo).

Again, this is done in the daytime and guestimated by eye.

Its pretty darn heavy - i mean noticably so, but i like it. My intended use is to carry it pretty much EDC in a jacket/bag so being a bit heavier isnt an issue for me on that front. In fact if i were to use it to defend myself and crack someone in the nose (knock on wood ill never need to do so) the extra weight is a positive. Might just be a placebo, but the extra weight makes it feel well made too, lol.

Anyway, its a cool looking light and pairs with my Vic Soldier nicely. Ive no major negatives with it, but ive owned it all of a couple hours so time will tell. Id like to think with the premium on the price however it means MTE hasnt cut corners.


----------



## 1anrm

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*



Phill said:


> I just took delivery of this MTE C3-1 Stainless Steel. Figured id give a quick first impressions of it.



Phill,
How are the threads? I bought a non SS version that looks a lot like that one but the threads were very loose.

thanks


----------



## utahsavages

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*



alfreddajero said:


> Its easy to change......you will see two slots at the bottom close to the spring, just use tweezers and you should be able to unscrew it.




Thank you for all the tips. I tried loosening it and tightening it. No luck - it's a bad switch. DX has me shipping the flashlight (and a DOA RC-F4) back to their return center in Miami. I don't know how long it will take to get replacements, but at least they're picking up the cost.

2 Romisens out of 3 not working on that shipment. I'm wondering if they're having some quality issues.


----------



## Phill

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*



1anrm said:


> Phill,
> How are the threads? I bought a non SS version that looks a lot like that one but the threads were very loose.
> 
> thanks



It actually contacts the O rings all the way (2 at the tail, one at the head) so they are as stiff as you would imagine given the friction it produces. I couldnt tell you if that is the same for the aluminium C3 or if its just the SS C3-1. Do you have the older C2 light? Its possible its a fault from the older models they have solved through O ring placement, but im only guessing with no other MTE light to compare to.

As for the thread's quality, they are smooth and well machined and dont have any play to them.

Also, to add to my first impressions, the light has an anti roll feature - just where the head unscrews the machined part sticks out slightly giving 3 points where it will 'settle' (with the 3 flat logo'ed parts sticking up). Nice little addition. I didnt think it would work just looking at it, but it sticks out just fractionally so i was pleased when i tested it out on a table. Provided it isnt moving that is, given how little it sticks out with a bit of motion it will be overcome and might roll off a table. More a method of holding it still than bringing it to a stop, but better than nothing.

Im not saying it is, but if this is representative of the average MTE quality they are putting out now then i am impressed by the brand. Again though, same old gripe, why no pocket clip? Simple addition but a removable pocket clips adds so much more versatility to the light.


----------



## selfbuilt

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*

FYI, just to provide an update on the deal site Regal EDC lights, I have received my sample from DX and updated my EDC review thread with the results.

You can find a specific summary of my findings here:
https://www.candlepowerforums.com/posts/2889915&postcount=13

As always, I have no way to verify if these results will be consistent for other samples sold at DX or elsewhere.


----------



## Superorb

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*



utahsavages said:


> 2 Romisens out of 3 not working on that shipment. I'm wondering if they're having some quality issues.



Two out of my last 3 Romisen RC-N3's had problems. One of them the head had a super sharp lip that cut my finger. The second one has a spot on the threads for the head that are mangled up. Use isn't affected, but I'm disappointed in their QC.


----------



## DHart

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*



Superorb said:


> Two out of my last 3 Romisen RC-N3's had problems. One of them the head had a super sharp lip that cut my finger. The second one has a spot on the threads for the head that are mangled up. Use isn't affected, but I'm disappointed in their QC.



Not sure where you bought them, but if from Bryan at ShiningBeam.com in New York, I'm sure Bryan would swiftly take care of any issues. He's great to work with and I would much prefer to pay a little more and have a reliable, responsible retailer right here in the good ole USA. I've also noticed that N3's from HK have P4 emitters whereas all the N3's from Bryan have Q5 emitters.


----------



## utahsavages

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*



DHart said:


> Not sure where you bought them, but if from Bryan at ShiningBeam.com in New York, I'm sure Bryan would swiftly take care of any issues. He's great to work with and I would much prefer to pay a little more and have a reliable, responsible retailer right here in the good ole USA. I've also noticed that N3's from HK have P4 emitters whereas all the N3's from Bryan have Q5 emitters.



I've got 3 from Brian already, and 3 more on the way. But this order was from DX.

Perhaps I have the sickness too.


----------



## utahsavages

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*



selfbuilt said:


> FYI, just to provide an update on the deal site Regal EDC lights, I have received my sample from DX and updated my EDC review thread with the results.
> 
> You can find a specific summary of my findings here:
> https://www.candlepowerforums.com/posts/2889915&postcount=13
> 
> As always, I have no way to verify if these results will be consistent for other samples sold at DX or elsewhere.



Can I ask which you liked better - the Regal or the ITP?


----------



## lightbug

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*

I have noticed some quality issues with the GRAY color RC-N3 model on the previous batch that I received. A few (actually 4) gray color single mode RC-N3 Q5 have sharp edges at end of the bezel, and the anodizing is not as smooth as before. The black color RC-N3 Q5 however has no such problems. Luckily, the latest batch of single mode or dual mode RC-N3 don't have the sharp edge problem. All the RC-N3 that I sent out are screened for the sharp edge since notified by Superorb (Thank you) over a month ago.


----------



## 1anrm

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*



Phill said:


> It actually contacts the O rings all the way (2 at the tail, one at the head) so they are as stiff as you would imagine given the friction it produces. I couldnt tell you if that is the same for the aluminium C3 or if its just the SS C3-1. Do you have the older C2 light? Its possible its a fault from the older models they have solved through O ring placement, but im only guessing with no other MTE light to compare to.
> 
> As for the thread's quality, they are smooth and well machined and dont have any play to them.
> 
> Also, to add to my first impressions, the light has an anti roll feature - just where the head unscrews the machined part sticks out slightly giving 3 points where it will 'settle' (with the 3 flat logo'ed parts sticking up). Nice little addition. I didnt think it would work just looking at it, but it sticks out just fractionally so i was pleased when i tested it out on a table. Provided it isnt moving that is, given how little it sticks out with a bit of motion it will be overcome and might roll off a table. More a method of holding it still than bringing it to a stop, but better than nothing.
> 
> Im not saying it is, but if this is representative of the average MTE quality they are putting out now then i am impressed by the brand. Again though, same old gripe, why no pocket clip? Simple addition but a removable pocket clips adds so much more versatility to the light.



Nice review Phil, I feel almost like I have it. BTW do you notice any PWM on the low modes? I can't stand PWM...

thanks again.


----------



## selfbuilt

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*



Nake said:


> I got the Tiablo A1 that KD is selling today. What a disappointment. I don't think these are made by Tiablo.


That's too bad - it's always a problem with some of these deal site "deals". I was surprised to see improved output on my DX Regal EDC - everything about the build and performance tells me my sample is legit.



utahsavages said:


> Can I ask which you liked better - the Regal or the ITP?


In terms of interface, no question - the ITP is excellent. Very inuitive, easy to use, suitable for non-flashaholics. I can't see giving the Regal light to anyone outside our world, they wouldn't get it. Build quality is possibly a bit higher on the Regal, but that doesn't much matter much if you don't like the UI.


----------



## Nake

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*

Well I took the KD A1 apart. Inside everything is the same as the original A1, quess I was wrong, just got a crappy circuit board in it. Looks like the 10.5mm FLuPIC can replace it...hmmm. 

Oh, and the clip wasn't glued, just very tight.


----------



## mayo

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*

Here is a quick and dirty assement of a DX light I just got.
It's the Ultrafire A10 http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.19187 Listed like this; UltraFire A10 HA-III Cree Q5-WC HA-III 220-Lumen LED Flashlight 

I'm fairly impressed with this light overall, nice build quality. Not sure how to test for HA-III, but it has a nice finish. One mode light. Runs about 32 minutes on a unprotected 14500 till it drops out of how ever the boost circuit works. Plenty bright on nimh, didn't do a run test on nimh though. Here are two shots with a TK10 on high on the left and the A10 with 14500 on the right. And the next is underexposed.


----------



## Phill

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*



1anrm said:


> Nice review Phil, I feel almost like I have it. BTW do you notice any PWM on the low modes? I can't stand PWM...
> 
> thanks again.



I dont think so. I tried the tests ive read about for PWM and it doesnt seem to have it, but then my eyes might just not be picking it up.

So a tentative negative i think.

By the by, i tried it out last night. On high the beam seems to have little or no tint to it. On med and low its got a noticeably bluer tint, but its not too bad for it. I love the low on it, which in use seems a bit dimmer (by eye) than the Fenix E01.

It has plenty of spill and throw for general use in high - it got plenty of use walking the dog and it performed very well doing so, even on medium. Also the beam was very nice, not really something to write home about, but it didnt have any huge rings or artifacts and is so much better than my other cheap cree light. In use of course this wasnt an issue, but shined on my living room wall it was quite nice.

Edit, oh, and it took its first drop to the wooden floor from table height this morning and it didnt harm it at all. Im such a dumb ***, lol.


----------



## Superorb

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*



DHart said:


> Not sure where you bought them, but if from Bryan at ShiningBeam.com in New York, I'm sure Bryan would swiftly take care of any issues. He's great to work with and I would much prefer to pay a little more and have a reliable, responsible retailer right here in the good ole USA. I've also noticed that N3's from HK have P4 emitters whereas all the N3's from Bryan have Q5 emitters.


I got them from Bryan. He replaced the first one, but the one with the mangled threads isn't that bad and is only a cosmetic thing. You can't see it unless you unscrew the head, so I didn't want to go through the trouble of sending it back.


----------



## bessiebenny

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*

*JUST RECEIVED* - *Akoray K-106 AA Q5 *(from DX)

First 5 minute impression:
- Deep square threads. Very nice. But had no lubing and it really needs it.
- Recessed flat good quality rubber clicky switch. Tail stands.
- Coz it's recessed in, you have to use your finger nail to push it however.
- Easily removable side clip by unscrewing the tail end slightly.
- O-rings everywhere. So it's well sealed.
- It's not HA-III anodized. So the outer coat scratches easily.
- Can fit fat LSD batteries such as GP Recyko AA NiMH.
- In stock form, mine came with 3 modes. Strobe - High - Low - Off.
- Can switch between modes by a light half-press.
- This light is a fully programmable 3 mode light btw.
- So you can set it as High-Med-Low or all HIGH or all LOW to make it act like a 1-mode light.
- It's not the easiest or the best programming method but can't ask for much more at this price.
- It does have last-mode memory if you have it off for ~10 seconds before next on. (Bit too long imo)
- So far, I really like it.

Anyways. I'll post a review of it hopefully soon. =)


----------



## vali

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*

I got mine yesterday. I really like the low. It's just about 2-3 lumen. Waiting for your full review.


----------



## oldrock

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*

new to the forum and just wanted to say great info! Based on the specs, sounds like that new K106 is a great choice. I just ordered 3 of them from that deal extreme place. Figured for under $20 each, they would be awesome gifts and of course I will have to keep one for myself. 

I also ordered a cheap charger and couple of the 14500 batteries since sounds like those bring out the max lumens out of the light. Up till now, I have been using eneloop rechargables in my AA maglight and streamlight. I am waaay behind the times on flashlights though so will have to order a few more once I learn about what are the good options in a 2D sized light and in a single cr123 light.


----------



## Element of Darkness

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*

BessieBenny, does your Akoray K-106 (DX sku 16607) have K-105 printed on the side?

Anyone else?

Mine is a K-105 (dx sku 16607), I'm curious if we are all referencing the same light but an old model number. This might limit some confusion for others if we start calling it the new model number.


----------



## vali

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*

Mine is K-106 and is the programmable one. Do you have the "old" 6-mode?


----------



## Benson

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*



Element of Darkness said:


> BessieBenny, does your Akoray K-106 (DX sku 16607) have K-105 printed on the side?
> 
> Anyone else?
> 
> Mine is a K-105 (dx sku 16607), I'm curious if we are all referencing the same light but an old model number. This might limit some confusion for others if we start calling it the new model number.


Funny you mention it, because I just noticed mine said K-105 last night. So maybe K-106 was the 6-mode version, and K-105 is the fully programmable 3-mode?


----------



## Element of Darkness

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*



vali said:


> Mine is K-106 and is the programmable one. Do you have the "old" 6-mode?


 
Vali, mine is the fully programmable 3 mode, but has the K-105 model #.

I noticed the pictures on DX' site (16607) still show the K-106 model #, but I've only seen K-105's shipped in the past couple months. See what I mean? Odd. Even with the model inconsistencies, it's still one of the best value full feature bargain lights out.

I figured I would start throwing the K-105 model number out there for discussion, if for nothing else but to provide some hits for people searching the site for info, as almost nothing currently exists.


----------



## oldrock

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*

Really interested in reading the official review or maybe some user reviews from those that got theirs in. Sounds like the K-105 is what is shipping lately so I guess that is what I will be getting. Fine with me as long as I get the fully programmable 3mode version. So what is the average wait time for dx orders these days?


----------



## vali

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*

Ok, a minireview.

I ordered mine in 15 February (when all chinese new year thing) and got it 23 March. The model number is K-106 and there is an inscription that says "P.D.C 0.7-4.5V DC".

Finish is good and a bit darker than my olive E01. Seems not to be HA type III, maybe type II, with no scratches nor any flaw anywhere. Feels "expensive" like premium lights.

Not lubed at all and the threads are square and bigger than most single cell lights. There are 2 orange o-rings between tube and head and I think another one in the lens (I didnt open the head yet). Its probably waterproof. The knurling is fine too, almost the same as a LD20 but covers almost all the tube.

Came with a clip that I find too keak. It is a simpe twisted wire, but should be enough for normal use. The switch is recessed and is a bit hard to press (maybe too hard) and the tailcap is orange too. It can tailstand without any problems to act as a candle. Tint in my sample is in the cold side compared to my LD20 (but I was a bit lucky in the tint lottery, even more with my RC-N3), but dont have any traces of nasty blue or purple. The beam is a bit ringy, but not annoying unless wall hunting. I didn't notice any PWM flickering.

To enter programming mode you have to tap several times the swith until the flashlight blinks once. Then it stay off for a second and starts ramping up from min to max, then a second or so off again and starts the strobe patterns. Ramping is too fast IMHO and is a bit tricky to get the min setting. To select a mode just tap the light and it will blink twice to select mode 2. The ramping starts from 1 sec off too. Tap again and it will blink 3 times. If you tap again mode 1 is again selected. To stop cycling between programming modes just switch off the light for a few seconds. It seems that if you tap it in the 1st second off it just jump to the next mode selection (I'm not sure, need to do more testing).

The min setting is LOW, maybe 2 or 3 lumen max. The maximun setting is about 50-60 lumen. Waiting for BB to get some runtime chart, but dont expect too much. The light has memory: If you wait a few seconds it will start in the last used mode. To cycle between modes, just tap the switch. There is a over-discharge protection built in. To change this setting, switch on and then tap it 3 times. It will blink twice to inform that protection is on. Tap 3 times again and the akoray will blink once saying the protection is now off.

I think its one of the best and versatile EDC for the price. The 3 programmable modes are a big PLUS and you can get rid of strobe  (unless you want it). If you want a better programmable EDC, get a Nitecore D10. The only real downside is probably efficiency and the hard to press switch.

Resuming: Get one now!


----------



## Superorb

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*

^^ This light seems to be comparable to a ConneXion X2 except you can program the brightness yourself on the Akoray and it's half prie


----------



## bessiebenny

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*

*EXTRA NOTES:*

No review yet as I haven't had time to play with it that much so far. 
(Expect the review to be posted by Friday or Saturday)

But here's some more on this K-106 light that I have.

1. It does say K-106 on mine. (not 105)
2. Lowest output of my K-106 is at least double the brightness of Nitecore D10 Q5's lowest output by eye.
3. The highest brightness mode seems to be similar to Romisen RC-G5 Q5 output according to my lightbox.

*New lightbox results:*
AA High - 113 lux
AA Low - 11 lux
14500 High -185 lux
14500 Low - 11 lux

- Fenix E01 AAA = 14 lux
- Romisen RC-G2 Q5 AA= 120 lux 
- Nitecore D10 Q5 AA = 250 lux (on high)
- MTE C2-1 Q5 AA = 310 lux
- Romisen RC-F4 Q5 = 440 lux (2RCR)
- Eastward YJ-XAQ5 = 500 lux (on high)

As you can see, lowest output is very similar to the Fenix E01's output which is 10 lumens.

Anyways, full review soon! =)

*UPDATE: *Check the full review as these results are wrong.


----------



## vali

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*

I got a lower low. Less than half of E01 and I dont think my E01 is too bright.

Low in my LD20 > E01 > Low on K-106

Doesnt have D10 to compare (yet).


----------



## oronocova

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*

According to your light box the akoray on 14500 is quite a bit LESS bright than the MTE C2-1. My results just via a ceiling bounce are the oposite with the akoray(14500) edging out the MTE(eneloop). My akoray on an eneloop is probably the same or a little less than the MTE.


----------



## bessiebenny

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*

*MAJOR UPDATE*
- New kitchen shot photos taken for various lights!
- Check the main page for direct links as well as being in each review.

Quick Links:

LINK - Romisen RC-F4 Q5 2RCR
LINK - Romisen RC-G2 Q5 AA
LINK - MTE C2-1 AA
LINK - TANK TK-702 AAA
LINK - Kaidomain Long Throw Q5 High
LINK - Kaidomain Long Throw Q5 Low

*vali & oronocova* - Either my sample of K-106 is very different or I need to re-measure. 
I will re-measure everything for my final review.

*UPDATE: *Check the full review now.


----------



## vali

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*

I will try to get a some beamshots.


----------



## Phill

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*

Those lightbox numbers for the Akoray seem extremely low - to be putting out around 3/5 the output of the AA powered MTE C2-1 whilst running on a 14500 and using similar hardware is really really odd.

I know manufacturer rated outputs are never accurate so you cant put much stock in the claims the C2-1 is 150 lumen and the Akoray is 200, but id expect it to be more powerful in use regardless of what each is really putting out.


----------



## genotypic

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*



Phill said:


> Those lightbox numbers for the Akoray seem extremely low - to be putting out around 3/5 the output of the AA powered MTE C2-1 whilst running on a 14500 and using similar hardware is really really odd.



I haven't got the MTE C2, but my Akoray K-106 on 14500 appears about as bright as the Fenix L1D CE Q5 on AA. I was hoping that it'll be brighter compared to the Fenix considering it's using Li-ions but it clearly isn't. 

Still i'm happy with the light and it's replaced the Fenix as my edc. It's now programmed to Lowest > somewhere in between > Max.


----------



## Hawk600

*Solarforce*

I hope this will help some people on the fence about buying Solarforce products... 
I received today my Solarforce L2+L2M R2 Cree 300Lm "DIY" Matrix and I am amazed with the quality! It is a real bargain for the price paid.

The kit has all the parts bellow:
1. Solarforce L2M mini Grey Pocket flashlight Body
2. Solarforce L2 Grey Original black 18650/CR123A flashlight Body
3. Solarforce R2 300 Lumens Cree bulb
4. Solarforce L2 switch for Surefire 6P & 9P, G&P Flashlight
5. Solarforce Tactical Head for Surefire 6P & 9P, G&P Flashlight
6. Solarforce Stainless Steel Lanyard Ring
7. Solarforce Plastic original collector's package

All for $ 29.90 shipped! 

Finish is very good, on par with premium lights and the 3.6~8.4v module it is brigth enough even using the shortest tube (one cell only) with a nice r2 tint and last level memory.

kit: http://cgi.ebay.com/Solarforce-L2-L...sidZp1713.m153.l1262?_trksid=p1713.m153.l1262

I know we have to be carefull with ebay flashlight purchases and I would not recommend buy premium lights there, but I had a good experience with the product and this seller so far.
Take care
:thumbsup:


----------



## oldrock

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*

I have to say those pics are disappointing to me. Based on the emitter used, I would have expected the new K106 to at least be equal of those lower rated output lights but it appears to be less even with the lithium power. I was hoping my eneloop would be about same output as the other versions and with lithium, it would be better 

So is your sample light an issue or something else? I just ordered 3 of them.


----------



## bessiebenny

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*

Well from what others are telling me, maybe mine isn't as bright as it should be? But reading some comments at DX site, some others say "about 60 lumens on AA and 130 lumens on 14500 Li-ons" which seem roughly correct to what mine is outputting. So I'm confused as to what it's supposed to be now. =P

My sample of K-106 is still as bright as the RC-G2 Q5 using AA. So I don't think it's that disappointing or outright dim still.

btw, I did make sure all the batteries were fully charged.
And I did make sure that Akoray was set to its highest level.

Anyways. I should be able up my review sometime tomorrow if all goes well. =)


----------



## oldrock

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*

You do great reviews so I will look forward to reading your full review once you get it done. If 60lumens is all it can extract from a single AA nimh, then sounds like maybe it would be a good candidate for trying 2 AA cells with an extension tube.

I am behind the times on lights so don't have any modern ones to test beside ut since I do have three K106 lights on order, I can at least compare them side by side to see roughly how consitent the power is. I have a bunch of the eneloop and sanyo 2700nimh batteries with a smart charger so will be doing my own testing with them both to see what they can do. I also ordered a couple of the testfire li cells and a cheapie charger so will see how much of a boost that offers. 

Re high setting and power levels, I noticed reading the comments on the DX website that one other person mentioned getting a K106 that wasn't putting out full power in high. I think he said he had a grounding issue and light levels improved after a bit of tweaking on the tailcap to get better ground.


----------



## old4570

*Re: Solarforce*



Hawk600 said:


> I hope this will help some people on the fence about buying Solarforce products...
> I received today my Solarforce L2+L2M R2 Cree 300Lm "DIY" Matrix and I am amazed with the quality! It is a real bargain for the price paid.
> 
> The kit has all the parts bellow:
> 1. Solarforce L2M mini Grey Pocket flashlight Body
> 2. Solarforce L2 Grey Original black 18650/CR123A flashlight Body
> 3. Solarforce R2 300 Lumens Cree bulb
> 4. Solarforce L2 switch for Surefire 6P & 9P, G&P Flashlight
> 5. Solarforce Tactical Head for Surefire 6P & 9P, G&P Flashlight
> 6. Solarforce Stainless Steel Lanyard Ring
> 7. Solarforce Plastic original collector's package
> 
> All for $ 29.90 shipped!
> 
> Finish is very good, on par with premium lights and the 3.6~8.4v module it is brigth enough even using the shortest tube (one cell only) with a nice r2 tint and last level memory.
> 
> kit: http://cgi.ebay.com/Solarforce-L2-L...sidZp1713.m153.l1262?_trksid=p1713.m153.l1262
> 
> I know we have to be carefull with ebay flashlight purchases and I would not recommend buy premium lights there, but I had a good experience with the product and this seller so far.
> Take care
> :thumbsup:



Must r.e.s.i.s.t . Great Deal ! 

I am sick of waiting for the correct R2 Pill to arrive , and will be doing a report on my Solarforce L2 R2 5Mode on the week end .


----------



## bessiebenny

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*

*oldrock* - I've measured the resistance of the switch module and it's pretty much zero. Bypassing the switch doesn't seem to make it any brighter also.

I've just measured the current being pulled from the AA NiMh battery in High.
It's 1.3 Amps. (fyi - MTE C2-1 pulls ~1.7A and RC-G2 Q5 pulls 1.5A)

Anyways, my lightmeter is at work so I'll re-measure tomorrow. =)


----------



## bessiebenny

*Re: Solarforce*



Hawk600 said:


> I received today my Solarforce L2+L2M R2 Cree 300Lm "DIY" Matrix and I am amazed with the quality! It is a real bargain for the price paid.
> All for $ 29.90 shipped!


 
Now that sounds like a very nice deal. Love the mini-body also! I might get it. =)


----------



## oldrock

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*

I got the notice that my lights shipped yesterday so probably a week or two till I get to try mine out. I will look forward to reading your review and anyone else who gets a chance to post a mini review would be great! I am hoping for a bit more on the lumens with a single nimh but if your original testing is all it can do I guess that is ok too. Still sounds like a very versatile little flashlight and I can always run the lithium cell to get more lumens if the nimh power isn't quite enough. 

I also am very curious what it might do with 2 eneloop cells?


----------



## bessiebenny

*[BBREVIEW] Akoray K-106 3-mode Q5 AA/14500*

* Not finished yet. I will update it over the next few days/weeks. =)

*★TBA★ AKOray K-106 3-mode Q5 AA/14500 *KD / DX (Posted on Mar 28th 2009)
*Throw @ 1m: 680 lux *(1AA NiMh @ 1.4v) *1900 lux *(14500 @ 4.1v) 
*New Lightbox: 210 lux *(1AA NiMh @ 1.41v) *480 lux *(14500 @ 4.1v) 
(Above is only for highest output mode - Low mode results are below)

*First Impressions: *
- It looks and feels like a very nice AA light. Not cheap looking.
- Non-standard features makes it stand out from the crowd.
- My sample says P.D.C 0.7-4.5v DC K-106 on the side. AKOray on the other.

*Build Quality: *
- Deep square threads! Similar to Jetbeam's. Very nice quality. 
- But it came with no lubing. So isn't as smooth as it can be.
- Textured OP aluminium reflector. Same depth as Nitecore D10. But not as narrow.
- Reverse clicky switch. Non-standard size orange rubber clicky. (smaller diameter)
- Double red o-rings for the main battery tube thread. No spares.
- O-rings also in switch.tail module and also infront of glass lense.
- It's not HA-III anodized. Hence outer coat is probne to scratches.
- No ugly anodizing, no sign of any bad soldering. Overall, good finish.
- Comes with a metal side clip. It is easily removable by unscrewing tail.
- Metal clip came with a rubber-sleeve to prevent scratches on the body.
- Excellent quality diamond knurlings in the entire battery tube barrel also.
- It's not slippery although it's not as rough as Nitecore knurlings.
- Light engine pill is easy to unscrew and take out. 
- Switch module is interesting and also worrying. As contacts are not soldered.
- It just relies on a bit of pressure to keep the +ve and -ve contacts in place.
- Nothing is glued at least which makes it a very mod friendly light.
- It's one of the longest slim AA flashlights. Not a biggie but worth a mention.

*Light Output:*
- Has a decently round hotspot. Yellowish corona on the outside. 
- Spill is wide and failry bright like most slim AA flashlights.
- Overall, the beam is quite clean and smooth. Nothing that ugly about it.
- As you can see from output results, it's bright with either AA or 14500.
- With 14500, it's very bright. Easily around 200 lumens out the front. (But read my notes in the runtime section!)
- Low is also very low. On mine, it seems to go down to about 5 lumens.
- But other members have reported as low as 2-3 lumens. Not with mine.

*In Use: *
- Due to the recessed-in clicky, it can tail stand perfectly fine.
- But also due to this, you have to use your finger nail to press it.
- btw, there is NO LANYARD HOLE. This might be a big negative to many.
- Doesn't get hot when using it with AA NiMh. Will try 14500 later.
- This light has 3 modes. All 3 modes are fully programmable also!!
- So you can make it act like a 1 mode by setting it all High or all Low.
- Or make it High-Med-Low. Or High-Strobe-SOS. Or all Strobe etc.
- It also has last-mode memory. But needs to stay off for ~3 seconds.
- I've had quite a play with this and I'll try and explain what I found.

To set it in program mode:
- While light is on, half-press the switch 6 times quickly.

Now it will blink once. This means it's now setting Mode 1.
The light will cycle through what's possible until you set it as per below.

0->100% gradual ramp (bit too fast though)
100% 
slow blink 
fast blink 
slow to fast strobe (gradual ramp in frequency)
SOS

While it's cycling through, once you get to what you want, half-press.
Now it will blink twice. Now setting Mode 2. Half-press again for Mode 3.

At Mode 3, instead of half-pressing to set it, you can just turn it off.
(For the lowest low, you can turn it off before you even see the light)

Then wait at least a good 5 seconds for it to be memorised.
Now you can turn it on with the 3 modes that you've selected.

*Conclusion: *
- Excellent light. Probably the BEST AA light you can buy for US$20.
- No final conclusion yet as I haven't done the runtime tests. Soon.
- But so far, it's at least 5 stars and looks like it may deserve 6 stars!
- If it had HAIII anodizing, it would have been 6 stars straight up. =P


*[Output / Measurements]*
- I measured it many times over with different batteries before logging.
- The high output mode is the initial burst. It drops a bit shortly after.

*Throw @ 1m:*
AA High - 680 lux
14500 High -1900 lux

*New lightbox results:*
AA NiMh Highest - 215 lux (Expect more like ~180 as the max as 210 was with a battery that was fresh off the charger)
AA NiMh Lowest - 7 lux
14500 Highest - 480 lux
14500 Lowest - 7 lux

*Current:* (off the battery)
AA NiMh High - 1.45A
AA NiMh Low - 0.05A
14500 High -1.25A
14500 Low - 0.01A


- Something I found. It seems that it does have some contact issues sometimes.
- As you can see from below results, it depends on how it's screwed on at the time.

Recyko A @ 1.36v - 180 lux
Recyko B @ 1.37v - 160 lux
Recyko C @ 1.38v - 165 lux
enitime A @ 1.36v - 180 lux

Retrying again with same batts:

Recyko A @ 1.36v - 170 lux
Recyko B @ 1.37v - 185 lux
Recyko C @ 1.38v - 180 lux
enitime A @ 1.36v - 180 lux
enitime A @ 1.42v - 215 lux (fresh off the charger!!)


*[Beam Shots] *
*- *The previous photo I've uploaded was not taken at it's real output.
- So I will retake the kitchen photos and up it here when shot. 

*[Runtime Tests]*
- Initial burst may differ between batteries or how well it's conducting. Higher start means less runtime at end.

btw, there is something VERY troubling when using 14500, after first 2 minutes of 200+ lumens, it drops to 50%.
Then after 2 minutes at roughtly 50% of initial output, it drops to ~10% output. Then just stays at that output.
But if you turn this light off and back on. It goes back to being 100% output again. Very strange indeed.
I've done the test with 14500 twice now. Both the same. Seems it has a overheat protection built-in?
My run time test is done in an air-conditioned office environment. Light does get quite warm. But not too hot.
If someone else has a K-106 & 14500, please confirm if it is the same for yours. (Just leave it on for 2+ minutes)


----------



## oldrock

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*

Thanks for the update and light sounds good to me! Should get some really long run times in min low setting. I look forward to seeing the updated pics and any other thoughts you have on the light. Those great pics you include with your reviews are one of the best things you could do for folks considering different budget priced lights. It is great to see some real world pics of them side by side to compare the beams.


----------



## bessiebenny

*[BBREVIEW] Romisen RC-G2 Q5 AA*

* Reposting it here to link it as a separate review on main page.
* I've added the new kitchen shot also. 
** 
*★★★★★ **Romisen RC-G2 Q5 AA **ShiningBeam* (Reviewed Apr 16 2008)
*Throw: 1350* lux (1 x 1.2v AA NiMh @ 1.4v)
*Lightbox: **50* lux
*Intro*
- MAY08 UPDATE - Price dropped to $18.75 when used with _CPFuser_ code!
- This is lightbug's factory customised Q5 version of the Romisen RC-G2.
- Externally, it is identical except for the new "Q5" marking on its side.
- As far as I know, the only difference is the Cree emitter used. Now Q5!
*Build Quality*
- Big turbo aluminium textured reflector. Glass lense. non-HAII anodizing.
- 1 mode forward-clicky. Has a good quality feel to it. Very easy to press.
- Nothing is glued at the threads. Cree Q5 is on a 16mm round base.
- Thread was a bit dirty. After cleaning and re-lubing, all is good.
- Has O-rings in all the usual places. So it should be at least spash proof.
- Comes with an orange rubber clicky. Can easily change to GITD clicky.
*Light Output*
- Small smooth-edged concentrated hotspot. Great thrower for 1AA light.
- Spill is clean with no rings / artifacts. Tint is neutral. Not bluish at all.
- Now it's a much more well balanced light output as spill is much brighter.
- If you wanted a brighter version without modding it yourself, this is it!
*In Use*
- Even after leaving it on for over 15 minutes, it isn't too hot.
- Has a nice neutral to slightly warm tint. Not white-blue. So it's good.
- It's not the smallest AA light but it feels nice in hand due to the shape.
*Final Notes*
- This is what the stock RC-G2 should have been like. Nice and bright.
- Please check out my original RC-G2 review also as a comparision.
- I give it 5 stars as it isn't as cheap as original. But still a great AA light!
- FYI: Get 6% discount using coupon code "CPFuser" at Shiningbeam! =)
*◎* *Measurements*
- It pulls 1.50A from 1 x 1.2v NiMh AA.



 

 

 

 




 

 

 

 


 
*New Kitchen Shot*


----------



## vali

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*

Here are the (promised ) beamshots. The beams tint I got with that camera are a bit different from "real life". I realize too that the "white" wall I used to use to compare beamshots is not white but a creamy colour, so forget about previus tint comments (yeah, I was no that lucky with the tint lottery after all).

Fenix E01 - Fenix LD20 Low





Fenix states 10 lumen for E01 and 9 for the LD20 in low. I think that E01 is a bit dimmer than the LD20, maybe 8 lumen or so...

Fenix E01 - Akoray K-106 Looooow





In the picture the Akoray seems brighter than it really is. Its up to you to guess how many lumen it produces.

Akoray K-106 "High" - Fenix LD20 Medium





The Akoray in max is just a bit over the LD20 in medium. Maybe 50-60 lumen?

Since I have 66% of all Akoray models (2 of 3) this brand is in my list of "quality cheap" lights. The other one is Romisen. Highly recomended.

Off-Topic: Sorry for the delay with the beamshots, but I have experienced connexion problems with the forums. Its like they have a firewall of some kind blocking me (Using proxy right now).


----------



## genotypic

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*

Nice shots, vali. Is the akoray running on a 14500 or AA?


----------



## vali

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*

All of them with eneloops. The beams are too near, but the only free wall in my house is a bit short


----------



## Phill

*Re: [BBREVIEW] Akoray K-106 3-mode Q5 AA/14500*



bessiebenny said:


> *New lightbox results:*
> AA NiMh Highest - 185 lux
> AA NiMh Lowest - 7 lux
> 14500 Highest - 480 lux
> 14500 Lowest - 7 lux



Thanks for the review. Out of interest, how come your lightbox results are so different than the earlier ones? Esp the 14500 on high.



> New lightbox results:
> AA High - 113 lux
> AA Low - 11 lux
> 14500 High -185 lux
> 14500 Low - 11 lux



Seems like a really nice light, i was looking at getting an RC-C3 Q5 next Friday when i have more cash, but i seem to be sold on this one right now, lol.

  :thinking: :sigh:


----------



## bigballer1

*Re: [BBREVIEW] Akoray K-106 3-mode Q5 AA/14500*



Phill said:


> Seems like a really nice light, i was looking at getting an RC-C3 Q5 next Friday when i have more cash, but i seem to be sold on this one right now, lol.
> 
> :thinking: :sigh:



A few of us were saying how great the Akoray was a few month ago when it first came out. No one listened to us!!! I guess us semi-newbies just don't carry enough weight. :mecry: I would say this light is by far the best you can get for ~$20 right now. It has a great build, programmable settings, super-bright, flexible power source! UI might not be as good as the Nitecore, but it is most likely brighter, and build is at least on par. Can you do a comparison for us Bessiebenny?


Anyway I curious why there aren't any budget P7 light reviews? Can anyone recommend one right now, or are they just all not worth getting?

Thanks!


----------



## bessiebenny

*Re: [BBREVIEW] Akoray K-106 3-mode Q5 AA/14500*



Phill said:


> Thanks for the review. Out of interest, how come your lightbox results are so different than the earlier ones? Esp the 14500 on high.


 
It seems it has a lot to do with the contacts at the time of testing.

Recyko A @ 1.36v - 180 lux
Recyko B @ 1.37v - 160 lux
Recyko C @ 1.38v - 165 lux
eniTime A @ 1.36v - 180 lux

Retrying again with same batts:

Recyko A @ 1.36v - 170 lux
Recyko B @ 1.37v - 185 lux
Recyko C @ 1.38v - 180 lux
eniTime A @ 1.36v - 180 lux

Hmm. I guess I can only make sure that I test it many times to get an average.
I will also be doing ANOTHER runtime test with AA that has a better contact. 

*UPDATE:*
- Runtime graph for Akoray K-106 has been updated with another AA battery.

btw, *there is something VERY troubling when using 14500*, after first 2 minutes of 200+ lumens, it drops to 50%.
Then after 2 minutes at roughtly 50% of initial output, it drops to ~10% output. Then just stays at that output.
But if you turn this light off and back on. It goes back to being 100% output again. Very strange indeed.
I've done the test with 14500 twice now. Both the same. Seems it has a overheat protection built-in?
My run time test is done in an air-conditioned office environment. Light does get quite warm. But not too hot.
If someone else has a K-106 & 14500, please confirm if it is the same for yours. (Just leave it on for 2+ minutes)

--

*bigballer1* - I always had that light in my wish list at DX site since the day it became available. (I check DX/KD everyday) But I just never got around to buying it. But since sooo many found it to be an exxcellent light, I just had to get it at the end. =P

Comparing it to a Nitecore D10 Q5 that I have, there's no way I would choose the Akoray k-106 over the D10. But that's just how good D10 is. Super rough knurlings, no "click" sound when pressed, smaller size, better and more sure interface, can act as forward clicky etc. But considering Akoray k-106 is 3x cheaper, it's a far better value for money light that's for sure.

Not sure if you've noticed, but I've been only getting AA/AAA NiMh lights lately. P7 lights used to be too expensive. (Especially with the fallen AUS dollar) Now it's cheaper but still not that cheap. And most are direct driven single-18650 lights which don't really interest me. But if I do see one which interest me, I'll be sure to get it. =)

--

*vali* - Great pics! Thanks for posting. My new results also confirm that low mode is not as bright as E01 now. 
I'll try to do some myself if I can. (as I've said it before, wife hates my flashlight hobby so it's not easy doing it at home. =P)


----------



## old4570

*Re: [BBREVIEW] Akoray K-106 3-mode Q5 AA/14500*



bigballer1 said:


> A few of us were saying how great the Akoray was a few month ago when it first came out. No one listened to us!!! I guess us semi-newbies just don't carry enough weight. :mecry: I would say this light is by far the best you can get for ~$20 right now. It has a great build, programmable settings, super-bright, flexible power source! UI might not be as good as the Nitecore, but it is most likely brighter, and build is at least on par. Can you do a comparison for us Bessiebenny?
> 
> 
> Anyway I curious why there aren't any budget P7 light reviews? Can anyone recommend one right now, or are they just all not worth getting?
> 
> Thanks!



Ordered one ! http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.16092
Seems to be good ? Some people have had problems ? 
Put in the order Thu - got an email saying shipped today , Eeeer , thats 4 days from order to ship from DX 

In anyway , been playing with the Ultrafire WF-502B R2 5mode + Memory from DX and its under $20 USD , and all I can say is kudoo's to DX for stocking it at the price they do . This one is the bee's knee's 

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.16179

I know its cheap , I have 3 Ultrafires ATM , and I haven't found a thing to complain about . If your not a Flash-a-snob , then you just might want one in your collection , I would have got another , but a 501B came into my life instead , and I sure would like to see DX stock the 501A , and I so want to add a 502D and a C1 :candle: But I think 3 x R2's is enough 

So a few more Ultrafires I would like to add to the collection : 

But a Review on the 502B/501B when I get a Round Tu-it . :tinfoil:


----------



## old4570

*Ultrafire WF-502B / 501B Review*









Ok here we go : Both take P60 style 26.5mm drop ins , both are R2 5 mode and the 502 has memory while the 501 does not .
Reverse Clicky , 2xCR123A 3v-3.7v / 1x18650 .
The 502 has a Belt Clip but no lanyard , while the 501 has the lanyard but no belt clip , of the two the 501 is slightly shorter and of lighter construction [ weighs less ] . I think it would be a great Idea if the 501 was given a belt clip , and the 502 a lanyard , other than that Im quite happy with both .

At this point I will mention the 501 has :http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.13658
And was not supplied as an original R2 Model from Ultrafire . 

The 502 has a internal threaded tail cap , and is the more difficult of the two to screw on , and is very easily cross threaded , so some care is needed .
Since I have no real complaints to go on about , lets get to performance .

Ultrafire WF-502B

Throw = reading @ 1 meter , light box readings = minimum readings .
LB1 = Light box 1 , LB2 = Light box 2 

Ultrafire 18650 2400mA Protected

Hi - o.72mA - LB1 236Lux - LB2 11700Lux - Throw 5800Lux
Med - o.28mA - LB1 97Lux - LB2 4500Lux - Throw 2300Lux
Lo - o.o6mA - LB1 20Lux - LB2 900Lux - Throw 470Lux

Trustfire 18650 2500mA 

Hi - o.64mA - LB1 217Lux - LB2 10300Lux - Throw 5300Lux
Med - o.26mA - LB1 88Lux - LB2 4050Lux - Throw 2000Lux
Lo - o.o5mA - LB1 17Lux - LB2 820Lux - Throw 420Lux

Ultrafire RCR123A 3.7v x 2 = 8.4v

Hi - o.43mA - LB1 221Lux - LB2 10800Lux - Throw 5230Lux
Med - 0.19mA - LB1 94Lux - LB2 4400Lux - Throw 2230Lux
Lo - o.o5mA - LB1 19Lux - LB2 900Lux - Throw 460Lux

Trustfire PRCR123A 3.7v x 2 = 8.4v

Hi - o.43mA - LB1 222Lux - Throw 5220Lux
Med - o.19mA - LB1 97Lux - Throw 2250Lux
Lo - o.o5mA - LB1 19Lux - Throw 460Lux


Ultrafire WF-501B

Ultrafire 18650 2400mA Protected 

Hi - o.83mA - LB1 269Lux - LB2 12000Lux - Throw 4000Lux
Med - o.32mA - LB1 105Lux - LB2 4500Lux - Throw 1630Lux
Lo - o.o6mA - LB1 20Lux - LB2 900Lux - Throw 330Lux 

Trustfire 18650 2500mA 

Hi - o.81mA - LB1 242Lux - LB2 11900Lux - Throw 3600Lux
Med - o.31mA - LB1 92Lux - LB2 4500Lux - Throw 1400Lux 
Lo - o.o5mA - LB1 18Lux - LB2 900Lux - Throw 280Lux 

Ultrafire RCR123A 3.7v x 2 = 8.4v

Hi - 0.44mA - LB1 247Lux - LB2 11320Lux
Med - o.19mA - LB1 105 - LB2 4500Lux
Lo - o.o5mA - LB1 20Lux - LB2 900Lux 

Now after taking more throw readings for the 501 , I could only conclude it was not much of a thrower and stopped there , sorry , thought it a little pointless ...

I have some figures for my Solarforce L2 to throw in as the testing was done under the same conditions etc . 

LB1 Hi = 230Lux / LB2 Hi = 12000Lux / Throw 5300Lux .. Just for some perspective . 

Beamshots tonight !

501B click to enlarge .




502B click to enlarge .




Solarforce L2 click to enlarge .




I guess the only way to know for sure is with real world trial , the solarforce L2 and the ultrafire 502B are very close to the naked eye , the 501B does lack some throw but its not much to the naked eye .. But the camera sure does tell the difference ...


----------



## genotypic

*Re: [BBREVIEW] Akoray K-106 3-mode Q5 AA/14500*



bessiebenny said:


> btw, *there is something VERY troubling when using 14500*, after first 2 minutes of 200+ lumens, it drops to 50%.
> Then after 2 minutes at roughtly 50% of initial output, it drops to ~10% output. Then just stays at that output.
> But if you turn this light off and back on. It goes back to being 100% output again. Very strange indeed.
> I've done the test with 14500 twice now. Both the same. Seems it has a overheat protection built-in?
> My run time test is done in an air-conditioned office environment. Light does get quite warm. But not too hot.
> If someone else has a K-106 & 14500, please confirm if it is the same for yours. (Just leave it on for 2+ minutes)



The K-106 has built in battery overdischarge protection. I'm not sure what the cut off voltage is, but that's what it does in mine when the battery is drained. Try popping a fresh 14500 in it and see what happens again.

The overdischarge protection can be toggled by triple tapping it (just like how you tap it 5x to enter program mode, but 3x instead of 2). It's on if it flashes twice, off if it flashes once. To toggle it just triple tap it again.

I know it's a bit confusing and I was totally confused by it for the first couple of days before I figured it out.


----------



## genotypic

*Re: [BBREVIEW] Akoray K-106 3-mode Q5 AA/14500*

Oh, and I forgot to mention, using fresh 14500s charged to 4.18V, mine drops down from max to medium in about 40 minutes with overdischarge protection on. After that it's still possible to run it in medium for a few more hours depending on how low medium is programmed to be.


----------



## oronocova

*Re: [BBREVIEW] Akoray K-106 3-mode Q5 AA/14500*

Does teh K-106, or I should say does anyone else's K106 do this:

I have mine set to Minimum, Maximum, "Beacon"
if it goes unused for a while (i am assuming maybe a minute or more or it might be more time than that, usually if i leave it for a day i notice it) It will turn on in High every time. This is with a 14500 I am not sure if that makes a difference. Then I have to click through to low. It never turns on in low or beacon after a while just high. If you are using it on a regular basis it will just turn on in whatever mode you left it. But if you leave it for a while it loses it's mind or something. Anyone else have anything similar?


----------



## oldrock

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*

so does the K106 come with instructions to explain all the functions? Sounds like I am going to need to do some practice with it if I want to take advantage of its features. I will probably run mine with protection mode off so I can take advantage of full power. 

My first order hasn't even arrived and I am already browsing for a second order.  Thinking maybe I need one of those super powered 500+ lumen maglight sized ones. I need something really bright for night hunting wild hogs out at our hunting property out in the country. The wild hogs are becoming a real nuisance and nighttime hunting is best long as you have a good strong light to see them. I have a cordless Q-beam which works good but only lasts maybe 20 mins and is very bulky and heavy.


----------



## gravityz

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*

i ordered the akoray based on the findings here
the 6 mode was not so special but if it is 3 mode with memory it will be very nice
looks like when you order now you get the 3 mode(which i need) instead of the 6 mode)

hopefully i am right on this one.


----------



## oldrock

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*

my understanding is they are only selling the 3 mode now. At least I hope that is teh way it is since I ordered 3 of them with that understanding. I should have mine arriving in a week or two so will report soon as I get mine.


----------



## vali

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*

Today I did a waterproof test to the Akoray K-106 and I confirm its pretty well sealed. I put the light in a tin of water with an almost depleted alkaline in low mode. Depth was about 10 cm at the lens and was there about 6 hours.

No moisture nor water inside. Since the can was tight I wasnt able to use the switch to confirm it can be operated submerged. When I tried to use it outside water a some went out of clip holes.

Since I used an almost depleted cell (one of the cells I used to test the runtime of the RC-N3 a while ago, and then even use it again a bit) and the K-106 was still working, I wonder what the runtime in low is (I dont expect it to be in par with a premium light?. BB, will you do a runtime test in the lowest mode? I'll really appreciate it.

If you want pics I can put it again in water and do a couple, just ask.


----------



## tnforever

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*

Hey guys, so if you're looking for a DX light, which brands have reliable quality relatively?

I'm especially looking for 1xAA and 1xAAA lights... unless I become a real flashaholic (doubtful) I won't jump into 10440s, RCR123s, and the like...


----------



## gravityz

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*

the ultrafires are allways good to start with
they have a 5 or 6 mode with memory
i bought the akoray 6 mode(which is in fact a programmable 3 mode) which also seems good.

the stainless steel ones look nice but they are not that practical
they are heavy and do not transfer heat well.

if you choose one take one with HAIII coating. this means the aluminum is hardened and it will not scratch that easy.

for the type of led go with the Q5 or the Q2 type

if you have more money and want the best 1x AAA out there go for the LF2X
this thing produces more light than most 1x AA types but is really small(and will get hot on this setting)







tnforever said:


> Hey guys, so if you're looking for a DX light, which brands have reliable quality relatively?
> 
> I'm especially looking for 1xAA and 1xAAA lights... unless I become a real flashaholic (doubtful) I won't jump into 10440s, RCR123s, and the like...


----------



## tbenedict

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*



tnforever said:


> Hey guys, so if you're looking for a DX light, which brands have reliable quality relatively?
> 
> I'm especially looking for 1xAA and 1xAAA lights... unless I become a real flashaholic (doubtful) I won't jump into 10440s, RCR123s, and the like...


 
If you want something bright and relatively cheap, check out the MTE C2-1. I bought one based on Bessie's review and love it for outside use. I think it has a great beam profile for it's purpose.

Note that it is too bright for close up work and it only runs about an hour due to the high output.


----------



## frankiej

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*

Has anyone tried this one yet?
http://www.kaidomain.com/ProductDetails.aspx?ProductId=7339

It looks like a nice little E-series copy, and a P-60 host as well. There also is a 2 cell version here:
http://www.kaidomain.com/ProductDetails.aspx?ProductId=7337

I tried searching for it on CPF, but only came across an aftermarket Surefire head. 

Thanks for any replies!


----------



## frankiej

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*

I also found this 18650 light from the same company:
http://kaidomain.com/ProductDetails.aspx?ProductId=7341

These look really sharp!


----------



## Phill

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*



tnforever said:


> Hey guys, so if you're looking for a DX light, which brands have reliable quality relatively?
> 
> I'm especially looking for 1xAA and 1xAAA lights... unless I become a real flashaholic (doubtful) I won't jump into 10440s, RCR123s, and the like...



Romisen is generally considered the best. Ultrafire is pretty close to them and MTE seems to be on the heels of UF. There will always be freak lights that are pretty unknown but get good reviews like the Akoray K106 that came out of nowhere not long ago though, so you shouldnt be too brand focussed overall.

Generally speaking, your best off just working out what you want to use the light for (ie, output, runtime, multimode, dimensions etc), then trawling through the reviews that are in the first post of this thread and the ones on DX and come up with a short list. Post up the short list with some thoughts as for what your looking for in this thread and there will be plenty of help and advice (including stuff you might have overlooked).

Fwiw, the CR123a is barely a little more expensive than a good AA battery. If you arent going to use the light daily then running one of them on primaries (which can be had for around a dollar a battery) can be a very size and energy efficient way of getting performance that you will never achieve with AAs. For instance, there are lights that can run on one 123 battery or two AAs, and in 123 mode it is much shorter and performs better.


----------



## richdsu

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*

Just stumbled upon this at ebay selling Solarforce L2 ( 6P compatible ) and parts at very low pricing ( even lower than DX and Kai )

===feel like to trying : getting two 18650 extension tubes, join them to the main body = 3 x 18650 6P flashlight.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&item=280303259494

http://cgi.ebay.com/Solarforce-L2-F...h=item280327441606&_trksid=p4634.c0.m14.l1262

http://cgi.ebay.com/Solarforce-1865...h=item270355304240&_trksid=p4634.c0.m14.l1262


----------



## Black Rose

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*



richdsu said:


> Just stumbled upon this at ebay selling Solarforce L2 ( 6P compatible ) and parts at very low pricing ( even lower than DX and Kai )


Go to their web store, the prices are a little bit cheaper on the lights.

I got a Solarforce L2 with 18650 body, battery, and holster for $25. 
Same thing on their eBay store is $28.


----------



## DHart

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*

Solarforce L2 (6P-clone) and L2m (3P-clone) are awesome bargains these days, available in black, sand, and grey. I think their quality is right on the heels of SF... except for the tailcaps, which I still prefer from SF.

I just bought a couple of these from the Solarforcestore.com. For $25 you get a complete 6P-clone (or 3P clone) including Q5 or R2 lamp, rechargeable cell, and carrying case. Free shipping too. Takes about 10-days from Hong Kong. A superb deal on a high quality flashlight.

http://www.solarforcestore.com/serv...searchpath/10133/start/13/total/14/Categories


----------



## Phill

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*

Ive been looking at the Solarforce recently. Im sure im missing something but they do seem tremendous value.

By the by, can both use the P60 drop ins?


----------



## DHart

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 8)*



Phill said:


> Ive been looking at the Solarforce recently. Im sure im missing something but they do seem tremendous value.
> 
> By the by, can both use the P60 drop ins?



Absolutely... I run Malkoff M60, M30, M-P7, and a variety of D26/P60 drop-ins in the Solarforce L2 and L2m hosts. They also accept Surefire tailcaps if you want to use, for example, a Z41 tactical twisty or Z59 tactical clicky.

Solarforce is head and shoulders above all the other xxxxfire brands. Solarforce is nipping so close to the heels of Surefire's 6P and 3P lights in quality that I consider them comparable. To get a complete 6P or 3P with Q5 or R2 lamp, rechargeable, and case for $25 including shipping is a staggering good deal. Great quality and rock bottom pricing. Buy an L2 or L2m and drop in a Malkoff M60 lamp and you've got an incredible light for about $80... and a spare Q5 or R2 lamp to use however or to sell.

Recently I bought a couple of Surefire 6P heads and comparing to the Solarforce L2 heads, the Sure's have a really cheapo plastic lens retaining ring whereas the Solars use a high quality stainless steel lens retaining ring. I like the Solars heads better. And the Solar lenses are very nicely finished on the edges, not like the cheap brands. Body-wise, I think the L2 L2m are equivalent to Sures. Re: tailcap switches... I still prefer Surefire's designs (and you can buy them separately), but the Solars switches are good quality and work well. Solarforce L2 and L2m components are completely interchangeable with Surefires 6p/3p components.


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## michiganstud

*Re: Ultrafire C2 and batteriesm, 18650/CR123*



berto said:


> On my lights its a pretty big difference and when I modded to Q5 emitters its a huge difference.


 

Do you have any advice on run times with your Q5 and your 18650's?

Maybe even vs. the 123a's?


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## DM51

*Re: Ultrafire C2 and batteriesm, 18650/CR123*

Continued...


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