# Solarforce XM-L U2 Drop-Ins?



## sol-leks (Sep 14, 2012)

Does anyone have one? How is it? I heard that their T6's were very underdriven so I never got one.


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## Blitzwing (Sep 14, 2012)

sol-leks said:


> Does anyone have one? How is it? I heard that their T6's were very underdriven so I never got one.



The T6's were certainly underwhelming when compared side by side with the Manafont / Ultrafire T6.


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## sol-leks (Sep 14, 2012)

Lol, I know. I said that


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## Chicken Drumstick (Sep 18, 2012)

I have the 3 mode Solarforce XM-L U2 in my L2M, however it's my only p60 so I can't really compare. It is brighter than my EagleTac D25LC2 Mini. I'm happy with it so far, but not sure how much better it can get.

If it is hugely underdriven, then it still gets rather hot on Max and even med modes though.


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## sol-leks (Sep 18, 2012)

Thanks for the input, I appreciate it.

How is the beam profile? Tint?

Ballpark lumens maybe?


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## shao.fu.tzer (Sep 18, 2012)

Sorry, don't mean to de-rail a thread here, but I feel as though it's relevant. I've had horrible problems with the entire line of Solarforce XM-Ls. At least 50% of the 9-10 that I've owned have literally fallen apart on me. I got tired of returning them, just to have the replacement do the same thing to me two weeks later - and I certainly don't abuse my lights (well, most of them  )I refuse to buy them now, as I'd rather buy a cheap drop-in and spend the time resoldering it and pasting it so that I can feel safe carrying it. I've never had problems with any of their XP-G drop-ins.


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## sol-leks (Sep 18, 2012)

good to know


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## biglights (Sep 18, 2012)

I have the U2, have not had any problems yet. Going on a month. For the price good deal if it holds up. Also have the Xp-G, also going strong.


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## Chicken Drumstick (Sep 19, 2012)

sol-leks said:


> Thanks for the input, I appreciate it.
> 
> How is the beam profile? Tint?
> 
> Ballpark lumens maybe?



Beam is pretty nice, large hot spot and plenty of spill. It's certainly more floody than my D25LC2 EagleTac (XP-G) and it also out throws it too, so I'd guess it must be 400-500 lumens OTF maybe more. Solarforce claim 540 and 880 lumens for the same drop in depending what part of their site you are on.

Tint is pretty good too IMO.


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## sol-leks (Sep 19, 2012)

Thanks!


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## kosPap (Sep 26, 2012)

guys what kind of dropins are we talking of?
The 3.6V inputor the 3.6-9V ones...
if it is the latter I do not have any trouble believing shao


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## texas cop (Sep 26, 2012)

It's a 2.7v-9v dropin. I've built a few with them on a 18650 it draws 2 amps on 2-cr123a it draws 1.55 amps, 2-18350's it draws 0.99 amps. Its a nice clean white, so far very happy with the newer dropins.


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## Kestrel (Sep 26, 2012)

texas cop said:


> It's a 2.7v-9v dropin. I've built a few with them on a 18650 it draws 2 amps on 2-cr123a it draws 1.55 amps, 2-18350's it draws 0.99 amps.



2.0A x 3.7V = 7.40 W
1.55A x 2x2.4V = 7.44 W
0.99A x 2x3.7V = 7.33 W

At least it sounds like a good regulated driver design. Assembly quality could be mixed though. :shrug:


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## HighlanderNorth (Sep 26, 2012)

sol-leks said:


> Lol, I know. I said that



One of my earlier lights was a Solarforce L2P(blue) with a Thrunite 3 mode XM-L, and it was advertised at like 500L or so, but as I recall I read that its really only about 370L out the front on high, and maybe 120L medium, 10L low.

I was looking into the newer Solarforce 3 mode XM-L U2 which are listed at like 880 Lumens! I have a slight bit of doubt about those numbers, and I'd bet its more like 600 OTF, but thats better than 370!

Here's the link: http://www.solarforceflashlight-sales.com/product_detail.php?t=RB&s=40&id=492


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## biglights (Sep 26, 2012)

HighlanderNorth said:


> One of my earlier lights was a Solarforce L2P(blue) with a Thrunite 3 mode XM-L, and it was advertised at like 500L or so, but as I recall I read that its really only about 370L out the front on high, and maybe 120L medium, 10L low.
> 
> I was looking into the newer Solarforce 3 mode XM-L U2 which are listed at like 880 Lumens! I have a slight bit of doubt about those numbers, and I'd bet its more like 600 OTF, but thats better than 370!
> 
> Here's the link: http://www.solarforceflashlight-sales.com/product_detail.php?t=RB&s=40&id=492



I have one of those and it is pretty close to my Sc600. So your guess is probably pretty close. Not to bad of a drop in for the price!


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## Chicken Drumstick (Sep 27, 2012)

HighlanderNorth said:


> One of my earlier lights was a Solarforce L2P(blue) with a Thrunite 3 mode XM-L, and it was advertised at like 500L or so, but as I recall I read that its really only about 370L out the front on high, and maybe 120L medium, 10L low.
> 
> I was looking into the newer Solarforce 3 mode XM-L U2 which are listed at like 880 Lumens! I have a slight bit of doubt about those numbers, and I'd bet its more like 600 OTF, but thats better than 370!
> 
> Here's the link: http://www.solarforceflashlight-sales.com/product_detail.php?t=RB&s=40&id=492



Yet here the same drop in is claimed by Solarforce to only be 550 Lumens.

http://www.solarforce.hk/index.php?controller=products&action=view&id=99


So it seems they don't even know....


All I can say is my example of this is brighter than an EagleTac D25LC2 Mini XP-G but duller than the new claimed 658 lumen Crelant V9CS but maybe not by a huge amount.


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## kosPap (Oct 1, 2012)

Kestrel said:


> 2.0A x 3.7V = 7.40 W
> 1.55A x 2x2.4V = 7.44 W
> 0.99A x 2x3.7V = 7.33 W
> 
> At least it sounds like a good regulated driver design. Assembly quality could be mixed though. :shrug:



yes but at what efficiency? Assuming it outputs 700 LED lumens (to get 550 OTF lumens) it will require the LED to be driven at 1.8A and a Vf of 3.15V. that is 5.7W at the LED, and a 75% efficiency


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## Kestrel (Oct 1, 2012)

kosPap said:


> yes but at what efficiency?[...]


Don't know - there is very little specific information on CPF regarding driver efficiency data. It's seldom discussed and almost never measured. :shrug:


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## kosPap (Oct 6, 2012)

indeed...you see I have (and a fellow greek member also has) measured the efficiency of similar 3.6-12V drivers of the cheap chinese XML modules.
these are actually overdrived "Keenan" type drivers with the sens resistor set at 100mOhm (instead of say, 270).
Efficiency was 50%  unless a single Li-Ion was used where the LED was run DD. 

I really hope Solarforce uses something better, but i won't sepnd the money to find out.


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## jmpaul320 (Oct 8, 2012)

The ultrafire u2 is brighter according to blf and is ~16$

Also check out intl outdoor they have p60 xmls that got praise for $23


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## Kestrel (Oct 8, 2012)

kosPap said:


> indeed...you see I have (and a fellow greek member also has) measured the efficiency of similar 3.6-12V drivers of the cheap chinese XML modules.
> these are actually overdrived "Keenan" type drivers with the sens resistor set at 100mOhm (instead of say, 270).
> Efficiency was 50%  unless a single Li-Ion was used where the LED was run DD.



Great info, very interesting to read this, thanks. For all the folks here on CPF asking about runtimes, almost nobody knows to ask if they're only getting ~half the runtime that a better driver design might deliver.


Edit: The thing is, there seem to be only a few high-current, high-voltage drivers out there; to know that the efficiencies of these vary widely would be of assistance when folks are trying to get the additional runtime that multiple LiIon cells might be able to offer in a P60-format. If the package efficiency drops considerably, there would seem to be little advantage to adding that second cell. Very interesting.


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## kosPap (Oct 11, 2012)

The Derrelight 2.5A 2MT modeule river seems good....

I had one driver left over from a mod (till i shorted the LED wires and fried the driver)
I measured a 1.52 A draw with 2x18650. Output was 800 lumens.
I cannot make calcualtions ATM. Anyone else?
BTW I feel it is the only way for a P60 moduel compatible driver. And it also looks better than the chinese (has a huge ferrite coil) and it is VERy clever how it converts from single to multi mode.


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## texas cop (Oct 20, 2012)

Update to this dropin. So far I've put 10 lights together with this dropin. On a charged 18650 I'm getting 2.06 - 1.95 amps with 1 doa.


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