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



## bessiebenny

*THIS THREAD IS NOW CLOSED. PLEASE CONTINUE AT PART 7.*
** 
*-------------------------------------------------------------------------------*
** 
*UPDATED DECEMBER 10th*
- Quick initial review of MTE C2-1 AA Q5 posted. Not bad for $20!

*UPDATED NOVEMBER 29th*
- Ordered two new flashlights for review. MTE C2-1 AA Q5 and KD Buckle V5 HAIII
- I'm not dead yet so I hope to write full reviews of them to make up my absence.
- Thank you to all who donated to keey this thread alive. I will repay with reviews!
- All new reviews will be put up as links below. Hope that makes it easier to locate.

*UPDATED NOVEMBER 16th*
- NEW REVIEW UP!! Romisen RC-T6 Review (it's part of this thread)
- It's incomplete but I guess sharing something is better than nothing. =)

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

*[COMING SOON]*

# Lights that are ordered and expected to arrive within the next 1-6 weeks:
- KD Buckle V5 AAA Q5 HAIII (Ordered on November 29th - Got the XRT Green version)

# Lights that I'm currently interested in and possibly get if I have enough funds:
- UltraFire WF-606A Q5 (Brighter Q5-bin version of superb WF-606A!)

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

*[REVIEWS LIST]*

- DEC 10th 2008 - MTE C2-1 Q5 AA Review (Runtime graph added on Dec 10th)
- NOV 16th 2008 - Romisen RC-T6 Review (Super bright 6 LED 2x18650 Flashlight)
- AUG 24th 2008 - Quick 6 flashlight Roundup (Very short impressions of 6 flashlights)
- AUG 10th 2008 - Romisen RC-A8 Review (Uses 1 x 3v RCR and is sorta useless)


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


*



PLEASE SEE PART 4 and PART 5 FOR ALL THE REVIEWS THAT HAS BEEN DONE TILL NOW.

Click to expand...

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

Part 1 , Part 2 , Part 3 , Part 4 , Part 5 and now Part 6! (WOW)

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 (bit outdated now)_


 

 

 


 

 


Submitted by MetalZone

*[RESULTS AT A GLANCE - OLDER REVIEWS]*

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

*[HIGH PERFORMANCE / HIGH RATED LIGHTS]* 
- *Link to reviews for below lights **HERE*







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





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

*[help~!] [help~!] [help~!]*
I am constantly running short on funds to buy and review more recent lights. :mecry:
Feel free to send me *$2* or *$4* or *$8* donations so that I can keep adding new lights. :devil:
(fyi - Paypal takes away a 37/44 cents respectively per donation which sorta sux.)

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

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

*Donations received in 2008 (most recent first):* 
AndreD, lenny, waddup < NOVEMBER '08 JEFFSR < OCTOBER holeymoley < SEPTEMBER FlemingWak < AUGUST gunnut, PhantomLights, tmlwyb, Dandan, Crescendopower < JULY RafS, ScottM, SteveZ, Rizky ,WarriorZ, kostas, yekimak, JoeBob, smootik, RepoUK < JUNE stinky, Wolf359, alohaluau, johnnyngo, OCDGearhead, Wagen < MAY Wolf359, Centropolis, amdaxiom, t3h, Deks, SPRocketman, Flash25296, Fabio, tip61 < APRIL Wolf359, dudu84, marcus, Pokerstud, wmissen, RecycledElectron, qtaco, fizzy, briiansd, meuge, SportyBen, Raymond < MARCH Schierle, HenryL, Andres(ocau), baconheist, Dougmeister, linterno, anarchocap, saedwards, docian37, violatorjf, MikeSalt, Debbie, Luke, dulridge, martinSE, mmbeller191, ReGet, Mascione, Probedude < FEBRUARY '08

*I would like to thank everyone who supported this thread and my reviews so far!!*
*Every dollar is put forward to purchasing more lights/equipment for this thread.*


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## Julian Holtz

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*

Hi!

I just got my KD Buckle V4 Q5 AAA in the mail, only to find out now that a V5 is available




I have to say, that I really like this light. It is built like a tank, the threads are smooth but sturdy, the knurling is excellent, no dust inside, and a smooth beam.


Well, I opened up the electronics just for fun:
There is an inductor coil, a chip marked "CFA7P", 2 tiny capacitors, an "R300" (0.3 ohm) resistor and a schottky diode.

But the 25min runtime was not enough for me, and the light was brighter than I need it to be.
So I replaced the 0.3 ohm resitor with a 1ohm one.

Wow, it seems as if I just created my dream light.
Now the light is a little weaker, but still plenty to navigate inside the house at night.
I just did a test run on an eneloop, and after 2:20h the light became dimmer.
This means, I get about 5 times the runtime!

Additionally, the light does not become hot like it did initially. I cannot notice any temperature increase.

wOOt


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## SportyBen

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*

my KD Buckle V4 just broke. I managed to unscrew the top, but how do i fully disassemble it? i don't know how to get the driver out.
i realy wonder whats wrong with it. it fell down manys times, no problem. than from one day to another it dosen't light up anymore.


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## 04orgZx6r

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*



Julian Holtz said:


> Hi!
> 
> I just got my KD Buckle V4 Q5 AAA in the mail, only to find out now that a V5 is available
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I have to say, that I really like this light. It is built like a tank, the threads are smooth but sturdy, the knurling is excellent, no dust inside, and a smooth beam.
> 
> 
> Well, I opened up the electronics just for fun:
> There is an inductor coil, a chip marked "CFA7P", 2 tiny capacitors, an "R300" (0.3 ohm) resistor and a schottky diode.
> 
> But the 25min runtime was not enough for me, and the light was brighter than I need it to be.
> So I replaced the 0.3 ohm resitor with a 1ohm one.
> 
> Wow, it seems as if I just created my dream light.
> Now the light is a little weaker, but still plenty to navigate inside the house at night.
> I just did a test run on an eneloop, and after 2:20h the light became dimmer.
> This means, I get about 5 times the runtime!
> 
> Additionally, the light does not become hot like it did initially. I cannot notice any temperature increase.
> 
> wOOt



Great Idea:devil:


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## geek4christ

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*

Nice work on the mod, Julez. You deserve a :candle:


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## linterno

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*

What happened to this thread about *BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review*. Now it is just a delayed chat about cheap flashlights.

I have not seen any serious review for several months now. Even old detailed reviews disappeared.

I have read that *BessieBenny *has moved to a new house and that he is organizing his new home. I hope he finishes soon and restarts his reviews.

I hope to see a real reviews thread again.

Respectfully,

Juan C.


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## fstuff

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*

I lost my Rc-G2 ($11.30). I was about to order another one when i saw the MXDL-Style Cree P4 ($11.99)

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.2098

the RC-G2 is a Cree p2. The MXDL-Style Cree P4 is (obviously) a P4.

How does the RC-G2 ($11.30) compare to the MXDL-Style Cree P4 ($11.99)?

Get the this P4 over the RC-G2?


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## 1dash1

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*



bessiebenny said:


> *[RESULTS AT A GLANCE]*
> 
> *Star Rating*
> *★★★★★★ - Buy it now! Amazing bang for the buck!*
> *★★★★★ - It is excellent. A great buy! Recommended.*
> *★★★★ - Pretty darn good. It's not the best but is not bad.*
> *★★★ - It's okay but there's nothing that great about it imo.*
> *★★ - Not good. Avoid if if you can coz it's not worth it.*
> *★ - Why am I even reviewing this?! Total waste of $$$.*
> 
> *[HIGH PERFORMANCE / HIGH RATED LIGHTS]*
> - *Link to reviews for below lights **HERE*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *[LOW RATED, LOW PERFORMANCE or DISCONTINUED]* - *Link to reviews for below lights **HERE*


 
BessieBenny:

1. What is the meaning of your color code for the stars (*black, orange, dark orange*)?

2. Why are the backgrounds of some flashlight titles highlighted (KD Buckle, Fenix E01, Romisen RC-N3, etc.)?

3. Why are some flashlights labeled in *bold red* (Romisen R-1A01, Rexlight 2.1, etc.)?

4. Why are some flashlight prices printed in red (Aurora AK-P7 - $61, Fenix TK10 - $80, Dereelight DBS V2 - $115)?

Could you please add a legend onto the bottom of the chart to explain the color code system.


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## phantom23

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*

1. black - 4 stars, orange - 5 stars, dark orange - 6 stars.
2. Best flashlights.
3. They're discontinued.
4. They're expensive.


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## Oink

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*

Thanks. I always thought they were "2nd level" indicators... but according to your explanation, they were just what DTP people called enlarged, Bold and Italicized - over emphasized.


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## bikenjam

*UltraFire WF-606A Cree Q5*

i was considering this flashlight and i have seen a few good reviews on it here. I was just wondering if the current draw is too much for alkaline batteries. If it is, would you have recommended alternative the would work well with alkalines?


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## jirik_cz

*Re: UltraFire WF-606A Cree Q5*

Fenix E20 or Romisen RC-P3/RC-N3.


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## mhubble

*Re: UltraFire WF-606A Cree Q5*

Ive got one of the Q5 version 606a's and run it with Duracell AA with no problems. Gets about 1.5 hours at full brightness and another hour of deminishing light. Also got a Romisen RC-N3 which is also a good light for alkalines. 

Edit - On a side note the Q5 version of the Ultrafire doesnt have the same quality of the original Q2 version. The Romisen is probably the better light. Has a forward clickie too.


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## bessiebenny

*Re: UltraFire WF-606A Cree Q5*

*UPDATE*
- Really really sorry everyone for such long absence of reviews. =(
- I will start writing up reviews this week!! =)
- I received the Romisen RC-T6. It's an awesome light. Big, bright, well built.
- So I will be reviewing this first. (this week I promise)
- I also have Nitecore D10 (Superb), Kaidomain Tough Throw V1 (OK), Romisen RC-A8 (Bad) to review.
- Due to having lack of free time and being away, I wasn't able to send the three faulty lights back to Kaidomain. 
- I'll do that soon. (Should take all up about 1-2 months to receive something back. =P)

btw, I noticed some new wave of Cree MC-E lights.
Quad core Cree which is similar output to the SSC P7. Hmm.
But for some reason, it doesn't interest me too much.
(I try to stay away from 2 mode "switch" lights now as they aren't the most reliable)

Also, I'm interested in trying out the V5 version of KD AAA Buckle light.
It now has HAIII anodizing and is available in a natural color instead of black.


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## highseas

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*

welcome back bessiebenny.

The KD Q5 light (3AAA) looks nice actually. However I wonder if there is one that runs on 1AA? (with similar looks)

In general I'm looking for an EDC light (1AA or 1CR123) that has a high (more than 100 lumens) and a low (anything that will last me for hours, preferably more than 10 hours).

Could you (or others) please recommend some cheap ones? (under $35 or so). Thanks.


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## bessiebenny

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*

*highseas* - Hmm. Does that mean you want a 2-mode (high/low) light? Or you don't mind 5 mode+ lights with strobe, sos etc etc.
There isn't a perfect EDC light below $35 for a 2 mode AA/RCR spec that I can think of.
I've had a quick look at DX and 4sevens but didn't see one.
Most "budget" priced AA lights do not output over 100 lumens. (Most are only ~1W lights)

Here's 2 sort of worth mentioning. Just giving you ideas. Nothing more. =)
- Fenix L1T V2 Q2 ($45 with discount - not cheap but is WAY better than buying 2 cheap lights)
- Trustfire TR-803 (3 modes, small, bright, cheap, o-rings everywhere)

Of course, there are ones I've reviewed and there are more expensive options such as the Nitecore D10.


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## Dave_5280

*Re: Romisen Cree RC-N3 CR123 Or 2AA*

I read that the AA battery rattle can be stopped with a couple of o rings on the first battery.

What size o rings work the best?


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## cptsquirt

*Need help choosing R2 from DX*

I'm looking to pick up a new led for deer season, but also for everyday use. I'm wanting to keep it in the $20 range for the torch, and then budget another $20-25 for batteries and charger.

Here are some options i'm considering from Dealextreme:

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.16516
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.16178

I'm open to any suggestions for a comparible light from DX.

My main objective is to get the brightest/most powerful LED flashlight possible from deal extreme in the 20 dollar range.
Now i dont' know anything about comparing specs - ie. voltages - thats why i'm asking for help.
Also, which is the better battery to run? and is it true that a light designed just for an 18650 will be brighter than a light that accepts both 18650 and cr123a??

Thanks in advance for the help!


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## underconstruction

*Re: Need help choosing R2 from DX*

Generaly speaking, with DX lights, flashlights that are designed to run on both 18650 and 2xrcr123 will run brighter on rcr123 but runtime will be significantly shorter than with an 18650.

I prefer the 18650 format as it provides better runtime. 

Also, the difference between r2 and q5 brightness is probably gonna be minuscule, so I wouldn't rule out q5 lights.


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## jirik_cz

*Re: Need help choosing R2 from DX*

I don't believe that these cheap flashlights have Cree R2. But besides that I also recommend using 18650 battery.


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## Crenshaw

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*

i would reccomend this

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.14443

much more, if you can wait, because the switch on my light, very much like those two you pointed out, broke really fast...

if you already have some kind of P60 host, i highly suggest just getting this

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.11836

it holds its own against a malkoff...

Crenshaw


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## alfreddajero

*Re: Romisen Cree RC-N3 CR123 Or 2AA*

I will have to get back to you on that......need to bust out the calipers.


----------



## underconstruction

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*

Here is also another excellent drop-in. This one is optimized for 1 18650 and can drive the led hard as well as very low.

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.11074

I own it and its tint is excellent.


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## tobjectpascal

*My Ultrafire UF-900 Arrived (Beamshots Added)*

It pulls 2.1 amps from 2 freshly charged 18650 batteries (8volts) which is about 16 watts of energy, the hotspot is as intense as a directly driven P7 which pulls 3.9amps from a freshly charged 18650.

Which makes me wonder about the UF-1000 because from what i've read that also pulls 2.1 amps from 2 18650, so really is the UF-1000 that much brighter or does it just have better optics for throw?.

Anyone got a UF-1000 and/or beamshots? I've got to wait until night time before i can take any decent comparison pictures.


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## hyperloop

*Re: My Ultrafire UF-900 Arrived!*

Lookin forward to your beamshots, as i am contemplating a UF-1000 as my next purchase.


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## tobjectpascal

*Re: My Ultrafire UF-900 Arrived (Beamshots Added)*

Well until it goes dark I'll just give the beamshots i've taken with my others, I got an Aurora AK-P7 directly driven, resistor in tailcap 2 days ago and it's bright as hell and this UF-900 seems more intense than that but i think it's down to optics and hotspot rather than more power. Anyway until tonight (11:44am right now) here's some pics from other budget flashlights.


Solarforce P60 drop in in a Black Spiderfire body - 5 Mode R2. (2*16340) (Draw 800ma)
The Trustfire SSC P7 1*18650 (Draw 2amps)
Aurora AK-P7 5 Mode (1*18650) Direct Driven (3.9amps @ 4.1volts) (As seen in photo)

Draw measured from an analogue amp meter.

The control shot (Below)







The SolarForce P60 5 mode R2 Drop in.







TrustFire SSC P7 5 mode.







And Lastly the Aurora P7 2 Mode Directly Driven.







Now it's gone dark (9:03pm) here's the Results of the UltraFire 900Lms it draws 2.1amps from 8.2volts.






It's got a bright hotspot where as the Aurora is just more floody so the Aurora seems brighter, the hotspot is about 30% less intense but floods the entire area where as the UF900 produces about the same amount of light just tightly focused.

:thumbsup:

All 4 appear about 40% brighter in person, all taken with a Nokia N95 8gb 5mp camera so that's where
the bad quality is not the actual flashlights because they're all bright.

Of the 3, the Aurora is very bright, very very bright very much worth the $38 i spent on it from DX. the 2nd brightest is the Trustfire which pulls in 2 amps (Regulated) not as bright but the throw on it is better than the Aurora and then the R2 which is up there with the best of them.


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## tobjectpascal

*Re: My Ultrafire UF-900 Arrived!*

The actual flashlights used.






the Aurora is the brightest, Ultrafire 2nd brightest, 3rd being the P60 drop in Solarforce 5 mode R2.

The ones not shown are the MX Power (which i stripped off the electronics and made it direct drive using 14500 3.6v battery, it pulls 1amp (It produces around 4 1/2 watts of power from a Cree Q5 (Over 200 lumens easy) VERY bright but if i run it any longer than 5 minutes it either starts turning blue or burns your hand lol) and obviously the UF-900 as it's not yet gone dark.


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## bspofford

*Re: Need help choosing R2 from DX*



cptsquirt said:


> I'm open to any suggestions for a comparible light from DX.


 
*Consider DX sku# 14445. It has a 5-mode R2 P60 module, and its HAIII. Much better build quality than the two lights you listed.*


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## highseas

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*

Bessie Benny:
Thanks for the suggestions. I really don't mind multi-mode lights, but I do require one with a low mode. I bought a 5-mode light (Solarforce L2 R2), which is very bright, but the low mode is too high (around 80-100 lumens? and will last only 3 or 4 hours).

I guess I am looking for something like the Fenix PD20 or L2D, but cheaper... I have seen a couple on DX but they don't include lumen ratings and runtimes.

But I do thank you for your suggestions! Keep up the good work.



bessiebenny said:


> *highseas* - Hmm. Does that mean you want a 2-mode (high/low) light? Or you don't mind 5 mode+ lights with strobe, sos etc etc.
> There isn't a perfect EDC light below $35 for a 2 mode AA/RCR spec that I can think of.
> I've had a quick look at DX and 4sevens but didn't see one.
> Most "budget" priced AA lights do not output over 100 lumens. (Most are only ~1W lights)
> 
> Here's 2 sort of worth mentioning. Just giving you ideas. Nothing more. =)
> - Fenix L1T V2 Q2 ($45 with discount - not cheap but is WAY better than buying 2 cheap lights)
> - Trustfire TR-803 (3 modes, small, bright, cheap, o-rings everywhere)
> 
> Of course, there are ones I've reviewed and there are more expensive options such as the Nitecore D10.


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## tobjectpascal

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*






The ultrafire far right? which model is that? it looks quite long.


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## tobjectpascal

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*

as for under $50

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.15739

Get that one, it's a Direct Driven (Resistor) and it pulls 3.9 amps at 4.1 volts it's VERY bright brighter than my 11 watt fluro house light and brighter than the 60 watt incan, it's insane, it's very floody, don't bother if you want a flashlight that throws but i love it well worth $38.80.


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## tobjectpascal

*Re: My Ultrafire UF-900 Arrived!*

Even though the UF has a tighter hotspot along with the Trustfire P7's I just can't help but feel the Aurora which is Directly Driven has the edge simply because how how floody and how bright it is, ok it's not Regulated and it will dim unlike the other 2 but for 1 single battery and the size it's taken my heart.


----------



## eveningniteshade

*Re: My Ultrafire UF-900 Arrived!*



tobjectpascal said:


> ok it's not Regulated and it will dim unlike the other 2 but for 1 single battery and the size it's taken my heart.



Do the 18650 batteries dim noticeably before cutoff (or near exhaustion if not protected cells) . Only torch I have is a 3xAAA direct drive, and it ofcouse is awful on alkalines, but maybe direct drive with these batteries is good for majority of run?


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## Fallingwater

*DX "3-LED Waterproof Flashlight (2xAA)" review repost*

I'm posting the review I wrote in the DX page for this flashlight in case they don't put it up.


Pros:

- It makes light
- It seems decently waterproof, as it has a thick o-ring in the head and the lens is fixed in place


Cons:

- Not powered by two AAs as per title - instead, two AAAs are needed. Had I known this beforehand I would not have ordered it
- No regulation or boost circuits whatsoever. It just hooks the two AAAs through a pressure switch straight to the LEDs.
- As a result of this, it's dim and barely outputs any light at all when powered by rechargeables or weak primaries. It only draws 26 milliamps at three volts, and TWO milliamps at 2.4 volts!
- Mine came with the spring contacts in the back freely moving around in the battery compartment; I had to use long tweezers to put them back in their place
- LED module is not attached to bezel, and risks being lost when changing batteries
- For what it is (all plastic, no circuits) it's quite expensive. SKU 14153 are made of metal and have a voltage boost circuit, yet are cheaper. I'd expect a light like this to cost $1 or thereabouts.


Other thoughts:

It might be a decent modding project. There is some space inbetween the battery contacts and the LEDs; currently it's just occupied by two wires (actually the legs of one LED), but you could fit a small boost circuit suited to driving three LEDs in there. Then maybe swap the LEDs for higher efficiency ones, and you could make this light into what it should have been all along.

You could also use lithium AAAs for their higher nominal voltage and get proper driving current for the LEDs, but lithium cells tend to be rather expensive.


Bottomline:

The worst flashlight I've ever gotten from DX. Steer clear.


----- end of review -----


For those wondering how the head looks like once taken apart:







I'm not even going to bother writing a full review of this piece of crap - though I may post about upgrades if I ever do them.


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## Packet-Storm

*DX WF-600 Flashing on/off*

I just got my DX WF-600 yesterday (http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.13270). I have been playing with it and was running a test to see how long it would run on the 18650 battery. I also got the Trustfire TR18650 2500mAh 3.7V Protected batteries (http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.5790).

After running the light for 2 hours. It started to blink on/off. The light body was warm, but not hot. I turned it off to let it cool and then after 1 hour started it up again. It started blinking after just 1 minute (running on high again). The blinking continued on medium and on low.

What is the deal? Is this the battery protection? Did I overheat the light? (That would suck after just 1 day.)

update... I replaced the battery with the second one from the pack and it stopped blinking. Now what? Please help a noob. Thanks


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## Rossymeister

*Re: DX WF-600 Flashing on/off*

The Flashing Is A Low Battery Warning. You Need To Charge The Depleted Battery On Your Li-Ion Charger.


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## Packet-Storm

*Re: DX WF-600 Flashing on/off*

Thanks for the quick response. :thumbsup: I was soooooo hoping my new light didn't overload. I also notice now that I can't switch modes any longer. 

I would RTFM but it was a cheap chinese light that didn't come with one.


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## Black Rose

*Re: DX "3-LED Waterproof Flashlight (2xAA)" review repost*



Fallingwater said:


> Cons:
> 
> - Not powered by two AAs as per title - instead, two AAAs are needed. Had I known this beforehand I would not have ordered it


Not sure what was on the page before, but this is there in the specs/description area: 

- Powered by 2×AAA batteries (included)

Title still says 2xAA.


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## bessiebenny

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*



tobjectpascal said:


> The ultrafire far right? which model is that? it looks quite long.


 
Oh. That's actually a Kaidomain's 3xSSC custom light which is now discontinued. 
They just used a Ultrafire WF-500 body as a shell for the new internals. =P


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## tobjectpascal

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*

ahh right thanks... now just incase you missed my other post about which flashlight to get under $50

dx - sku.15739 ($38.80)

I also took a Video of it in action just so you can get an idea of it, I think it's very close to 900 lumens, probably hits 850 to be honest.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5JGkUmRcdk


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## bessiebenny

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*

Okay. I started taking measurements of the RC-T6 at home.
Gawd, I haven't done this for so long! It feels great to start again. =)

Here are the results so far.

*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)

No lightbox results yet. But dang! This thing is bright.
Note the very interesting 2LED results with 3 RCRs. Only 2 watts all up. Nice.
But at 4 or 6 LED, I'm sure the run time will be VERY short. =P

Run time tests are going to take a LONG time as there's too many combinations.
Also, I'm scared to do it on full 6 led setting as it's nearly 20 watts!! (Heat issue...)

Anyways. So far, I love it. It's big, solid and bright. 
I hope to finish most of the review by this weekend except for the run time. I'll update when finished. =)


----------



## cheetokhan

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*



bessiebenny said:


> Run time tests are going to take a LONG time as there's too many combinations.
> Also, I'm scared to do it on full 6 led setting as it's nearly 20 watts!! (Heat issue...)



I was testing some 18650 and RCR123 cells with my West Mountain CBA II, and I used my RC-T6 to drain the cells a few times. I wanted to cycle the cells a few times to see how their performance was effected.
Anyway, I left the light on high with 2X18650 cells and 4 RCR123 cells until it went out and it did get very warm, but worked fine.


----------



## tobjectpascal

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*

I think "Budget" has to be defined, a $2.50 plastic flashlight is also "budget"

to a millionaire a $450 HID would be budget )

If under a certain price ($50 you pointed out) it's Budget?... well the RC-T6 is over $50 would that be "Budget"


----------



## Omega Man

*Re: My Ultrafire UF-900 Arrived!*

I ordered this light on Monday, still waiting for it to arrive via suppliers, an then ship:
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.14027
I really just need a good P60 host with a clip. I'm using a Brinkmann Maxfire LX now with one of the first Cree dropins DX offered. But this DX light has a clip, a brighter dropin, and the tailcap is supposed to be compatable with Surefire C/P series. I'm really looking forward to getting it, hopefully it will ship soon. This is the first light related DX purchase I've made in maybe a year or more!


----------



## qwertyydude

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*

Budget to me is under 40 bucks.


----------



## CathastrophiX

*Re: My Ultrafire UF-900 Arrived!*



Omega Man said:


> I ordered this light on Monday, still waiting for it to arrive via suppliers, an then ship:
> http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.14027
> I really just need a good P60 host with a clip. I'm using a Brinkmann Maxfire LX now with one of the first Cree dropins DX offered. But this DX light has a clip, a brighter dropin, and the tailcap is supposed to be compatable with Surefire C/P series. I'm really looking forward to getting it, hopefully it will ship soon. This is the first light related DX purchase I've made in maybe a year or more!


 
I think you will be dissapointed.
My SKU 14027 came equipped with the supposedly even brighter R2 (250 lumens) 
With 18650, even the RC-C5 (Q3) is brighter. With RCR16340 it's a little little bit brighter than the RC-C5, but with a really bad tint.
The machining is far from top notch also.
The RC-C5 is not a P60 host, but about the same size. 
It's very well made tough, which can not be said about the Ultrafire.


----------



## Packet-Storm

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*

Ultrafire C3 with Ext Tube:

http://www.kaidomain.com/ProductDetails.aspx?ProductId=1150

My Ultrafire C3 arrived this afternoon. I got the model from Kaidomain with the extension tube. This has the 6 modes (high, mid, low, strobe, warning (on,on....on,on...on,on...), SO (the mode is missing an S)).

My initial impression is the base light is decent quality. I have the JetBeam MkII with the glow in the dark reverse cap. The JetBeam has anodized threads and dual o-rings, where the C3 has bear threads and single o-rings.

With just one battery the Ultrafire is just a shade brighter (I've been using my JetBeam a lot over about two years now, so I can't complain). When I add the extension tube, the C3 is noticeably brighter.

*Tube:*
The extension tube has the only external markings indicating that Ultrafire is the brand. The quality on the tube is **** poor. The machining does not match the base light. The paint is a different color and is very rough. Already after twisting on/off the extension tube I have some small chips on the tube. No marks on the base light though.

Overall, I am happy with the light. It lets me double up for dual AA batteries and the quality doesn't seem to be too bad. My initial bad reaction was to the machinging of the ext. tube.

Earlier this week my DX WF-600 arrived. The finish on that light is a big step up from the C3. The paint a bit shinier and more refined. No marks at all, the light was pristine. No so much for the C3.







*6 Mode:*
This switch mode is funny. The SOS function only does SO. 
It goes: . . . - - - . . . - - - . . . - - -
The WF-600 has the proper sequence:
. . . - - - . . . . . . - - - . . . . . . - - - . . . 

So hopefully nobody will notice that if you really did need it.

*Overall:*
Very happy with a light with these features for only $22.


----------



## csshih

*Ultrafire Wf-606A light help*

Hi, I got a DX WF-606a Q5 version light,
and right out of the package, I oiled the O-rings, and popped in 2- AA rechargeables.

The light was as bright as I expected, but after I took it apart and put it back together again, when I turn on the light, the chip only barely glowed.

I've tried rechargeables, and non rechargeables, and to no avail.

any help?
strangely, though, the higher voltage alkalines give a brighter glow, but its pathetically weak, not enough to even read by, or do anything else..


----------



## Rossymeister

*Re: Ultrafire Wf-606A light help*



> strangely, though, the higher voltage alkalines give a brighter glow,



This Leads Me To Believe That The Light Is Running In Direct Drive.



csshih said:


> but after I took it apart and put it back together again, when I turn on the light, the chip only barely glowed.



Perhaps When You Disassembled The Light, One Of The Cold Solder Joints Either Snapped Or Is Short Circuiting.

Sometimes You Just Get What You Pay For.

:shrug:


----------



## csshih

*Re: Ultrafire Wf-606A light help*

augh.
any way to fix it?
strangely enough though, I was kinda desperate for a bright light for halloween, so I jammed in 2 button cells, ramping the voltage up to around 6 volts?
the light is now almost as bright as it was before.

a shot of the light being dim:





ah yes, also strange: even though the light is extremely dim, it still glows slightly after turning off.

I appreciate any help I can get.

If I can't fix this, are there any easily replaceable parts?(easy to buy)


----------



## qwertyydude

*Re: Ultrafire Wf-606A light help*

Oh no bad news. If you screwed the head down too hard or forgot to put back on the little mylar foil spacer, the reflector will short out the driver and it will no longer work right. There is no replacement, but a Q5 or R2 drop in pill will fit with some minor modification, all you have to do is grind the bottom tapered/unthreaded portion flat so that it can screw into the body. Only problem is the pills don't have a boost circuit so your battery system needs to be over the vf of the led, as in now you'll have to run 14500 li-ion cells.


----------



## csshih

*Re: Ultrafire Wf-606A light help*



qwertyydude said:


> Oh no bad news. If you screwed the head down too hard or forgot to put back on the little mylar foil spacer, the reflector will short out the driver and it will no longer work right. There is no replacement, but a Q5 or R2 drop in pill will fit with some minor modification, all you have to do is grind the bottom tapered/unthreaded portion flat so that it can screw into the body. Only problem is the pills don't have a boost circuit so your battery system needs to be over the vf of the led, as in now you'll have to run 14500 li-ion cells.



ah crap, I was afraid of that. I thought that the mylar foil spacer wasn't really needed. :mecry:

ugh, incans for halloween....
I'm going to be like everyone else....:shakehead
I can't afford li-ion cells, do you think anyone would want to buy the broken flashlight? The body's decent...

Thanks for your help.


----------



## qwertyydude

*Re: Ultrafire Wf-606A light help*

You can outfit yourself with these.

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.4151
Charger for $9.17

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.3435
2x14500 cells for $5.85

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.11836
R2 drop in $12.40

Total is only $27.42, sure more than the original, but you'll get a better regulated light that's just as bright and lasts about 2.5 hours. Or for a few cents more you can get 5 modes.

If you wanna go about the cheapest way you can disassemble your current pill and direct drive the whole thing and run a CR2 rechargeable and have a really cool and super bright compact light.

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.2031
CR2 charger $5.66

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.932
2xCR2 batteries $4.28

Total $9.94.

In a rush to be cool this Halloween?

http://www.overstock.com/Electronic...d=123620&fp=F&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=11220364

This one's pricey and only one cell for $22.99

There's you're choices, but don't give up the 606A is a great light. But if you just don't want I'll take it off your hands for let's say 15 bucks shipped?


----------



## bessiebenny

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*

Yeah. I agree that budget is hard to define. hehe. But 90% of my lights were bought from DX / KD.
So that in itself is pretty budget considering most brands I got were Ultrafire, Trustfire, Aurora, Romisen etc.

Although the RC-T6 is $58 or so, it's certainly not made like an "expensive" light. Switch module is cheap, soldering is cheap, no HAIII anodizing etc. (when compared to premium branded lights)
It's certainly not made to hit people or be dropped hard and survive from what I can see either.

All in all, even for me, it's no budget "priced" light. But for what it is, it's the closest to budget that anyone will get imo.
6 x Cree Q4 LEDs and 3 x regulated driver in a nice side clicky light with nice reflector plus a very nice non-generic holster all for $58? Bargain. =)
It also easily outputs over 500 lumens. Meaning ~$10 for every 100 lumens.. Not bad eh? =P

Now that I've had the chance to try out so many lights. I've come to a point that I sort of can tell how it's going to be just by knowing what brand, spec, price it is.
There are certainly exceptions to the rule but not often enough to be surprised these days. Which is a pity..


----------



## JimmerG

*What do we think of this....?*

I'm still on my quest for a zoomable torch....

this claims to run on an 18650, would it also work on 2x CR123s

Am I right in thinking that 2x CR123s would lest slightly longer than 18650s??

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.14450


----------



## hyperloop

*Re: What do we think of this....?*

:welcome:

I doubt that it would work on 2 x CR123s but someone here correct me if i am wrong. Runtime on the 18650 would be much better than on CR123s.

And, the term you were looking would be 'focusable' beam not 'zoomable' but i think we got the idea after lookin at the product you were thinking of.

If you're thinking of something in a small form factor which has focusing, get a 2 x aa minimag and get one of the drop ins from here:

https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/193434


----------



## Tohuwabohu

*Re: What do we think of this....?*



JimmerG said:


> I'm still on my quest for a zoomable torch....
> 
> this claims to run on an 18650, would it also work on 2x CR123s
> 
> Am I right in thinking that 2x CR123s would lest slightly longer than 18650s??
> 
> http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.14450



2x CR123s will  that flashlight.

There is no driver, only a resistor in series with the LED.
And there is no proper heatsinking.
You can find some more information in here: https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/204626


----------



## Black Rose

*Re: Ultrafire Wf-606A light help*

Never mind.


----------



## gokusay99

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*

Hi everybody, I just saw this light on the New Products at DX, it's a 1AA 6 modes light with a Q5 for just $22!!! http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.16607 wonder how good is it. Hopefully someone can have a review soon.


----------



## Omega Man

*Re: My Ultrafire UF-900 Arrived!*



CathastrophiX said:


> I think you will be dissapointed.
> My SKU 14027 came equipped with the supposedly even brighter R2 (250 lumens)
> With 18650, even the RC-C5 (Q3) is brighter. With RCR16340 it's a little little bit brighter than the RC-C5, but with a really bad tint.
> The machining is far from top notch also.
> The RC-C5 is not a P60 host, but about the same size.
> It's very well made tough, which can not be said about the Ultrafire.


I thought by all the reviews that it'd be a nice light. Like I said, it will be replacing a Cree dropin I bought over 2 years ago, that I still find pretty nice, so maybe I won't be too disappointed? I'll be using 2xRCR123s so that should give it a little edge. 
It's currently backordered (4 days after ordering ), but here are the other contenders, I guess I have 8 days to change my mind:
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.16178
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.15876
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.14899

Those are all P60 hosts with dropins and clips. Any thoughts on those compared to http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.14027 ?


----------



## swoop

*Ultrafire c3 q3 6-mode from DX*

Is ultrafire c3 6-mode as bright in all modes and bateries (1xAA,2xAA,3xAA) as ultrafire c3 5-mode, or even brighter? I don't want it to be like single mode c3, when adding bateries adds only runtime. So anyone know, or even has this light? Short reviews would be great  

_Sale links removed - Empath_


----------



## csshih

*Re: My Ultrafire UF-900 Arrived!*

well, I'm actually thinking of gettting whole new light, from shiningbeam? the rc-n3 q5 version?


----------



## csshih

*Re: Ultrafire Wf-606A light help*



qwertyydude said:


> You can outfit yourself with these.
> 
> http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.4151
> Charger for $9.17
> 
> http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.3435
> 2x14500 cells for $5.85
> 
> http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.11836
> R2 drop in $12.40
> 
> Total is only $27.42, sure more than the original, but you'll get a better regulated light that's just as bright and lasts about 2.5 hours. Or for a few cents more you can get 5 modes.
> 
> If you wanna go about the cheapest way you can disassemble your current pill and direct drive the whole thing and run a CR2 rechargeable and have a really cool and super bright compact light.
> 
> http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.2031
> CR2 charger $5.66
> 
> http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.932
> 2xCR2 batteries $4.28
> 
> Total $9.94.
> 
> In a rush to be cool this Halloween?
> 
> http://www.overstock.com/Electronic...d=123620&fp=F&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=11220364
> 
> This one's pricey and only one cell for $22.99
> 
> There's you're choices, but don't give up the 606A is a great light. But if you just don't want I'll take it off your hands for let's say 15 bucks shipped?


 

why would I h ave to dissasemble the pilll to drive it direct?
it seems that becuase of the short-circuit, the light is acting like its already in direct drive.


----------



## Black Rose

*Re: My Ultrafire UF-900 Arrived!*



csshih said:


> well, I'm actually thinking of gettting whole new light, from shiningbeam? the rc-n3 q5 version?


 :thumbsup:

It's a really nice light..I have one and am very happy with it. Very bright and good for outdoor use. It's too bright for up close work unless you use some sort of a diffuser.


----------



## stockstinks

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*



gokusay99 said:


> Hi everybody, I just saw this light on the New Products at DX, it's a 1AA 6 modes light with a Q5 for just $22!!! http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.16607 wonder how good is it. Hopefully someone can have a review soon.


 ANYONE????? It looks awesome!


----------



## Black Rose

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*



stockstinks said:


> ANYONE????? It looks awesome!


Well, with some DX lights....looks can be deceiving.

Since it was just added the other day, it will take a couple of weeks before anyone has one in their hands to know whether it's a decent light.


----------



## LukeA

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*



Black Rose said:


> Well, with some DX lights....looks can be deceiving.
> 
> Since it was just added the other day, it will take a couple of weeks before anyone has one in their hands to know whether it's a decent light.



Looking at the DX pictures, at least it's well-built mechanically.


----------



## jupello

*Re: Ultrafire c3 q3 6-mode from DX*

At least my sample was brighter with more batteries(but I did not see that as a good thing ). Also notice that it does have mode memory.
The design is little different from the older UF C3 models and looks&feels really nice imo. :twothumbs


----------



## bessiebenny

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*

That light, to me, actually looks pretty decent for a $22 no-brand light.
Supports both NiMh and 14500. 6 modes. Double o-rings. Glass lense and aluminium reflector.
But I expect it to be not as bright with AA as it is with 14500. (maybe 100 lumens with AA and 200 lumens with 14500)
Hmmm. Maybe I'll get one and review it also. =P
(But after I review the ones I already have first...)

(vtw, Aussie dollar fell soooo much compared to US dollar. Everything is about 20-30% more expensive than it used to be.. So it's not as cheap now..)


----------



## popcornpicker

*Re: Ultrafire c3 q3 6-mode from DX*

I have both and there isn't much difference in the output. The thing I like about the 6-mode is that it always returns to the same as it was when turned off. The 5-mode advances to the next mode. I have no clue what they had in mind with that.

The 5-mode uses a Q5 that stays cooler on high. The best would be a 6-mode Q5. Get the 6-mode Q3, most of the time you'll probably be using it in low mode anyway.


----------



## highseas

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*

This light could be what I've been looking for!

I hope the low mode is really low (and thus has a long runtime).

As soon as someone gets his/her hands on this light please give us your views and information regarding runtimes. I'd appreciate it thanks.


----------



## maggi

*Re: Romisen Cree RC-N3 CR123 Or 2AA*

Hi folks! 

can i order the gray/silver RC-N3 with forward clicky also @ dealextreme or Kaidomian too?

i don´t need the Q5 premium bin.

I just found 2 links. http://kaidomain.com/ProductDetails.aspx?ProductId=1092 

but the description is irritating especially here http://kaidomain.com/ProductDetails.aspx?ProductId=1165 

>Switch Type:Reverse Click switch
>Type II harden anodization in black :sigh:


----------



## bessiebenny

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*

BTW, here's an interesting fact of RC-T6 using RCR batteries.

In High (6 LED) mode, with either 3 or 4 RCRs, it only lasts a whopping 7 (seven) or so minutes then goes right down to near zero output....!
Now how's that for run time. hehe. Luckly, with 2 x 18650 batteries, it lasts nearly 2 hours of good output before going dim so not all is lost. =)


----------



## cheetokhan

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*



bessiebenny said:


> BTW, here's an interesting fact of RC-T6 using RCR batteries.
> 
> In High (6 LED) mode, with either 3 or 4 RCRs, it only lasts a whopping 7 (seven) or so minutes then goes right down to near zero output....!
> Now how's that for run time. hehe. Luckly, with 2 x 18650 batteries, it lasts nearly 2 hours of good output before going dim so not all is lost. =)



You need some new batteries. 
With 4 AW RCR123 cells, my RC-T6 draws 1.15 amps. I've tested my AW RCR123 cells with a CBA II and they average about 500mAh at a 1 amp rate. 
Hence, my AW cells should run this light close to 30 minutes. I'll try it and see what I actually get.


Edit: I get 21 minutes runtime before the AW cell low voltage protection kicks in and shuts off the light.

Edit 2: Here is the actual capacities of my AW cells. Worse than I remembered, one of them is only about 400mAh. No wonder I only got 21 minutes runtime.


----------



## PlayboyJoeShmoe

*Re: Romisen Cree RC-N3 CR123 Or 2AA*

I just ordered an N3 and a P3 from DX and the lesser of the two will go to a needy b***h at work.


----------



## swoop

*Re: Ultrafire c3 q3 6-mode from DX*

then, maybe ultrafire c3 q5 5-mode would be best if i modify it with circuit board from DX? What board will give me maximum output from 1AA and 2AA (2AA should be much brighter) ? I prefer board with modes, but 1 mode is still good. I want good brighness, since i only will use it outside. Is it very hard to modify c3, with normal soldering skills ? Thank you ! (sorry for my english)


----------



## bessiebenny

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*



cheetokhan said:


> You need some new batteries.
> With 4 AW RCR123 cells, my RC-T6 draws 1.15 amps. I've tested my AW RCR123 cells with a CBA II and they average about 500mAh at a 1 amp rate.
> 
> Edit: I get 21 minutes runtime before the AW cell low voltage protection kicks in and shuts off the light.
> 
> Edit 2: Here is the actual capacities of my AW cells. Worse than I remembered, one of them is only about 400mAh. No wonder I only got 21 minutes runtime.


 
Hmm. Thanks for the posting up your results. I did think it was quite weird that 3 and 4RCR both had same result. =P
I think 1 of the batteries wasn't charged up when I tested 4RCR. I was going to retest them anyways for my review.
Seems we have identical current draw so at least that is quite consistent across both yours and mine.
Have you tried with 3RCRs btw? I would expect you to get very similar results there at least.
AW cells seem overpriced imo coz grey Trustfires have more capacity and Kaidomain's RCR is just as good also.
Here's a nice test done by Raymond if you haven't seen it before. =)

Anyways, I will retest with 4 different cells and see how it goes in my RC-T6. 
(I swear I charged all 4 though. I even checked that it was around 16.55v before putting them in. Oh well.)


----------



## cheetokhan

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*



bessiebenny said:


> AW cells seem overpriced imo coz grey Trustfires have more capacity and Kaidomain's RCR is just as good also.



Here is my test comparing AW to grey Ultrafire cells from DX.
The AW cells hold a slightly higher voltage, and the UF cells run just a little longer. My 4 AW cells show quite a wide range of performance. 





I'm planning to do some more testing tonight. I'll do a runtime test with 3 and 4 cells. Not gonna do a runtime with 18650 cells though, cuz I don't plan to stay up all night 

For anyone who is interested in the RC-T6, check out this thread for lots of pictures - http://candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=210134


----------



## csshih

*Re: Ultrafire c3 q3 6-mode from DX*

qwertydude, I might take you up on that offer.
thanks, blackrose.. everyone's seems to rate that light well, I bought it friday!



hey bessiebenny,
every think of selling your older lights to fund new models?


----------



## ctimgo

*Re: Romisen Cree RC-N3 CR123 Or 2AA*

What volt and mAH batteries should I use or not use in size AA and cr123a? Mine should be here Monday and I see a lot of different variations of batteries. Any help would be greatly appreciated.


----------



## LG&M

*Re: Romisen Cree RC-N3 CR123 Or 2AA*

:welcome: Go ahead and use any Alkaline or MiMH AA batteries you like. Or primary CR123. I don't know about RCR 123. Someone else can answer that.


----------



## kramer5150

*Re: Romisen Cree RC-N3 CR123 Or 2AA*

In 2AA format it will run just fine off 2x1.2-1.5V cells. Just do NOT use 2x14500 cells (8.4V).

In single cell mode it will run just fine off any RCR123 cell that peaks at 4.2V. At that voltage level the DC-DC circuit is operating as a buck converter, thats what it does best from a brightness standpoint.

It will also work fine off a 3V primary CR123. With a single primary cell, it has slightly less lumen output but the reward is nearly double the run time and considerably lower emitter temperature.


----------



## bessiebenny

*Re: Ultrafire c3 q3 6-mode from DX*



csshih said:


> hey bessiebenny,
> every think of selling your older lights to fund new models?


 
I have only sold a couple so far. Many of mine are now either faulty or not in 100% condition. 
So they are not something I would expect to sell well. =P

Also, a lot of ones I've reviewed are actually my workmates' and not mine.
(There's no way I could afford around 40 lights on my own even with some donations thrown in. hehe.)


----------



## gripnSUREFIRE

*Looking for a budget friendly, strobing multi LED weapon light.*

Looking to add LED lights to a couple rifles. First up the Saiga 12.
Im looking for a multi LED light that has the strobe feature. 

Anyone have any suggestions?

Input on this particular light?
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.10452

thx! :twothumbs


----------



## bl4h

*Which is better? WF-606A vs Fenix L2D*

Hi, first post here. I currently have a WF-606A Q5 but I am disappointed in the brightness compared to my Romisen RC-W4 P4. They are pretty much the same brightness and I was expecting the WF-606A to be significantly better. So I heard a lot of good things on this forum about the Fenix L2D. So my question simply is: Is the WF-606A or the Fenix L2D brighter?


----------



## etc

*Re: Which is better? WF-606A vs Fenix L2D*

I have a moded WF-606B and it's very bright, about as bright as Q2 L2D. I would estimate 140 lumens.

Nice, one mode and you twist it. Plus turns into a CR2 lite.

Should be more reliable than the Fenix due to the non-digital interface.


----------



## TORCH_BOY

*Re: Which is better? WF-606A vs Fenix L2D*

Welcome to CPF


----------



## TONY M

*Re: Which is better? WF-606A vs Fenix L2D*

There have reportedly been quality issues with the WF-606A lately, it seems some have been better than others.

The L2D is usually a dependable light. etc has had a few issues with his though I believe.


----------



## LightWalker

*Re: Which is better? WF-606A vs Fenix L2D*



etc said:


> I have a moded WF-606B and it's very bright, about as bright as Q2 L2D. I would estimate 140 lumens.
> 
> Nice, one mode and you twist it. Plus turns into a CR2 lite.
> 
> Should be more reliable than the Fenix due to the non-digital interface.


 
Aint the WF-606B an Ultrafire? I don't think any Ultrafire will be more reliable than a Fenix.

The L2T V2 is not digital and has a forward clickie.


----------



## PhantomPhoton

*Re: Looking for a budget friendly, strobing multi LED weapon light.*

:welcome:

First I'll say I'm not a big fan of budget DX lights. The quality you receive is a gamble, though sometimes the low price is worth it. However when we're talking about a weapon light; I'd never risk it.

Most of those cheap lights have fast blink rather than true strobe. Also, if you don't mind my asking, why strobe on a rifle light anyway? Seems a bit odd but I don't know everything so I'll ask.

There are not any lights which I know of off the top of my head that fit your description. Multi-led and strobe aren't a common mix. I assume you want multi-LED for more light output? This usually makes a very floody beam so it won't throw very well.
You could go for a multi-die LED light. A Wolf Eyes P7 Siper or Raider have a strobe function, albiet a bit slow as well. 
The thing to consider for tactical strobes though, which I beleive is what you're wanting, is the accessability of the strobe fuction. A large majority of lights which have strobe do not make the strobe easily accessable and are therefore useless tactically imho.

Sorry I can't help more. Maybe someone else has a good idea that I'm not thinking of. But from my view your only option is a custom light and those aren't too budget friendly.


----------



## Gunner12

*Re: Which is better? WF-606A vs Fenix L2D*

The RC-W4 looks like a direct drive 3 AAA light. That along with the larger reflector should make the light brighter and throw more at the start. But AA batteries have a good bit more capacity then AAA batteries so the WF-606A should stay bright for longer.

The Fenix L2D-CE Q5 or LD20 should be brighter but the difference to the eye is not huge.

:welcome:


----------



## alfreddajero

*Re: Romisen Cree RC-N3 CR123 Or 2AA*

I find that it runs better with nimh or lsd's, and just to let you know that there is a simple fix for the battery rattle for the first chamber.


----------



## lightfet

*Re: Which is better? WF-606A vs Fenix L2D*

Fenix over Ultrafire any time.


----------



## jirik_cz

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*



bessiebenny said:


> AW cells seem overpriced imo coz grey Trustfires have more capacity and Kaidomain's RCR is just as good also.
> Here's a nice test done by Raymond if you haven't seen it before. =)



My white trustfires had also slightly better capacity than AWs. But after a couple of months of usage they lost up to 50% of their initial capacity. They are also longer than CR123 cells so they will not fit every flashlight. https://www.candlepowerforums.com/posts/2632540&postcount=54

I think that AWs are still worth the money.


----------



## bl4h

*Re: Which is better? WF-606A vs Fenix L2D*



lightfet said:


> Fenix over Ultrafire any time.


Okay, thanks for all of your help so far but it appears a challenger has arrived: the Nitecore D20. According to Lightreviews it is about 500 lux brighter than the L2D. My question is: Is that a significant difference and will the average human eye notice?


----------



## Fen_Star

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*

Hello, I was wondering where I could find an explanation for what the lightbox number means. I'm guessing this is a stupid question, but google just told me it was a JavaScript thinggy. I am basically looking for a cheap AA flashlight that is bright and has good battery life.

I have the
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.4452

and was wondering if one of these would be better.
Romisen MXDL RC-G2
Romisen RC-F4

If I am in the wrong place, please tell me.


----------



## bessiebenny

*Re: Which is better? WF-606A vs Fenix L2D*



bl4h said:


> Okay, thanks for all of your help so far but it appears a challenger has arrived: the Nitecore D20. According to Lightreviews it is about 500 lux brighter than the L2D. My question is: Is that a significant difference and will the average human eye notice?


 
Although I don't have neither, I would go with Nitecore D20 over the L2D or newer LD20. (even if it costs more)
Not coz of its brightness but coz of build and interface. (I have the D10 and it's the best AA EDC light)
(btw, this talk is not really suited to my budget-oriented thread. hehe. NiMh lights for over $50 isn't budget really. =P)
btw, the brightness difference between L2D/LD20 and D20 will not be that noticeable in real life use.


----------



## Dead_Nuts

*Re: Looking for a budget friendly, strobing multi LED weapon light.*

The only one that comes to mind is the Insight XTI Procyon. It is not multi-LED, though, and I don't think a tape switch is available yet (fairly new light). It is what I consider a handgun light, although a lot of guys on AR15.com use this type on their carbines. The 125lm output would be fine for shotgun range. There are probably low-cost/low-reliability lights out there that meet your needs, but my theory on all things weapon related is simple: Would I trust my life to it?

Oh yeah, :welcome:!


----------



## CathastrophiX

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*



Fen_Star said:


> Hello, I was wondering where I could find an explanation for what the lightbox number means. I'm guessing this is a stupid question, but google just told me it was a JavaScript thinggy. I am basically looking for a cheap AA flashlight that is bright and has good battery life.
> 
> I have the
> http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.4452
> 
> and was wondering if one of these would be better.
> Romisen MXDL RC-G2
> Romisen RC-F4
> 
> If I am in the wrong place, please tell me.


 

The RC-F4 isn't an AA light, it's for CR123 or 17670 (seems like only unprotected 17670 fits) 
The RC-A3 is an AA light, and so is the RC-G2.
I you want an 2*AA Romisen, perhaps the RC-P3, or the Utrafire 606 Q5 if you want a brighter light.


----------



## Fen_Star

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*



CathastrophiX said:


> The RC-F4 isn't an AA light, it's for CR123 or 17670 (seems like only unprotected 17670 fits)
> The RC-A3 is an AA light, and so is the RC-G2.
> I you want an 2*AA Romisen, perhaps the RC-P3, or the Utrafire 606 Q5 if you want a brighter light.


 So many choices, lol. Are these going to be noticeably brighter than the one I have now?


----------



## PlayboyJoeShmoe

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*

I have Saik RC-A3, Romisen G2 and F4 at hand.

A3 puts light all over the fridge approx 25ft away in the kitchen.

G2 puts a lot of light at the center but not the top or bottom. G2 is all about spot.

F4 puts MUCHO light (comparatively) on about 75% of the fridge. It has a softer edged not AS spot as G2.

F4 is a few whiskers shorter than a SF G2 (at least one with a clickie and the tail screwed down tight. It's the better part of 1/4" narrower in body and head.

Actually I don't know why I don't carry and use the F4 much, but I carry and used a SF G2 with a Dereelight module (for the levels).


----------



## nashi

*Re: My Ultrafire UF-900 Arrived!*




Black Rose said:


> :thumbsup:





Black Rose said:


> It's a really nice light..I have one and am very happy with it. Very bright and good for outdoor use. It's too bright for up close work unless you use some sort of a diffuser.


 



csshih said:


> well, I'm actually thinking of gettting whole new light, from shiningbeam? the rc-n3 q5 version?


 
KD also carries Q5 version, but at a slightly lesser price. Can Q5 claim by KD be validated? 
http://www.kaidomain.com/ProductDetails.aspx?ProductId=1165


----------



## tobjectpascal

*Ultrafire WF-1200L ! ??*

A few weeks back i bought an UF WF-900 simply because I went on power ratings.

According to a review, the WF-1000 pulls 2.1 amps, after looking around i found out the WF-900 (the cheaper model) also pulls the same from 2 * 18650 batteries.

So my conclusion was simple, they both had to be near the same brightness unless the WF-900's driver was so in-efficient and let's say half an amp was being consumed purely by the driver and on the WF-1000 let's say it's more efficient with 200ma meaning the LED drivers at 300ma more giving it around what, 10% more brightness..

To me that was a negligible risk, I figured both drivers would be close to giving the same amount of light output if both drivers consume 2.1 amps, when it arrived it indeed does pull 2.1/2.2 amps @ 8volts (fresh batteries)

So then what's the WF-900/WF-1000 mean? people say lumens, I now think that's crap it's just the Design and Model, i doubt it has anything to do with lumens now.

Deal Extreme has just got in the WF-1200L and don't for one minute expect me to believe it can handle 1200 Lumens from a 900 SSC P7 emitter.



 Model: UltraFire MCU WF-1200L- Features a Seoul Semiconductors SSC P7-C LED emitter
- Powered by 2 x 18650 or 4 x 3.0V/3.6V CR123A batteries (18V maximum total)
- 3-mode tail cap clicky switch: Hi > Mid > Strobe
- 900 lumens maximum brightness (manufacturer rated)
- Coated glass lens and aluminum textured/OP reflector

sku.16842 on DealExtreme.


But, I think i do like the looks of it, it's a bit more pricey at $77.90
but the more i think about it....

The WF-900/WF-1000/WF-1200L

Will all consume 2.1 amps @ 8 volts, giving around 700 - 800 lumens, mine certainly seems that way.

But does the WF-1200L look nice? something about it makes it look quite nice to me, what's your thoughts?


----------



## 300winmag

*Re: Ultrafire WF-1200L ! ??*

I was wondering the same thing myself and I came to the conclusion that 1200 lumens from 1 LED in insane... too insane... someone be smoking the devil's lettuce. Would be sweet though especially with a big deep reflector:twothumbs


----------



## phantom23

*Re: Ultrafire WF-1200L ! ??*

The difference between WF-900L/WF-1000L/WF-1200L is their body. They have the same emitters and drivers. WF-1000L has deeper reflector as well.
If you want really bright P7 torch from DX get 2-mode Aurora AK-P7 2x18650.


----------



## Wolf359

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*

from personel experiance i would not trust Kaidomain, pay afew more $ and get it from shiningbeam


----------



## tobjectpascal

*Re: Ultrafire WF-1200L ! ??*



phantom23 said:


> The difference between WF-900L/WF-1000L/WF-1200L is their body. They have the same emitters and drivers. WF-1000L has deeper reflector as well.
> If you want really bright P7 torch from DX get 2-mode Aurora AK-P7 2x18650.



I got the Aurora AK P7 2 mode  pulls almost 4 amps bright as hell 

But the WF-900 gives about 90% of that light but in a throw tighter beam so the hotspot looks brighter but overall less light.

Don't tell the wife i just ordered a new flashie, i promised i'd not buy any more for a few months lol :mecry:


----------



## glenda17

*Smartfire V-65C Cree Q5 - DBS sized reflector thrower*

Has anyone tried the $30 Smartfire V-65C Cree Q5 ? It has a bigger diameter reflector than the V-68C version which has decent reviews here as a thrower.

I have some 17670 batteries in need of a home and am just looking for another cheap toy. Don't mind doing a little soldering if needed.


----------



## phantom23

*Re: Ultrafire WF-1200L ! ??*

Wierd, they have seem to have the same reflectors.

What's your new light?:devil:


----------



## kwalker

*Cheap Cree for gifts Q5 or Q2 (pics)*

I was wondering if anyone out there owns this inexpensive small Cree from Kaidomain. 
*Simple CREE Q5 Flashlight (3AAA+Tray) **SKU: S005148*

It's only $8.93 (less if bought in quantity) and boasts a Q5. I'm going to be buying several as gifts and am comparing it to DX "Peoples Cree" for $9.88 which has a Q2 (pictured below). ... I have the Peoples Cree and it's great.
I'm thinking a flashlight that takes AAA batteries is better for my friends that aren't into exotic lights - but they will be amazed by the brightness.

Simple Cree w/ Q5:





Peoples Cree w/ Q2:



http://img186.imageshack.us/my.php?image=creeq5kdme0.jpg


----------



## selfbuilt

*Re: Smartfire V-65C Cree Q5 - DBS sized reflector thrower*

Bigger reflectors don't necessarily mean better throw. My thrower round-up review (link in my sig) has some of the original larger-build DX discount throwers, and they only do about the same as the V-68C. Unless the V-65C was actually using the DBS design, you might not see much of a difference.


----------



## DM51

*Re: Cheap Cree for gifts Q5 or Q2 (pics)*

tobjectpascal, I have deleted your post. It is the 2nd time I have had to do this. Your response to the PM warning I sent you about your posts was not acceptable. 

Your account here is now suspended for a while. On your return you will be expected to demonstrate a better grasp of the rules, and a greater inclination to remain civil.


----------



## Ubergeek

*Re: Ultrafire WF-1200L ! ??*



300winmag said:


> I was wondering the same thing myself and I came to the conclusion that 1200 lumens from 1 LED in insane... too insane... someone be smoking the devil's lettuce. Would be sweet though especially with a big deep reflector:twothumbs


No, just expensive as all hell currently. I believe someone has a 10 or 20W LED up in that range. Of course it IS 10-20W of heat to get rid of and around $50!

Rebels are still the best bang for the buck...


----------



## kosPap

*Anyone has an Ultrafire C-2 TWO STAGE?*

yep there is one.....

I need something like this...And wish to know if the two stage output is controlled by the board or a two-stage switch with a resistor....

TNX, Kostas


----------



## Bonky

*Re: Anyone has an Ultrafire C-2 TWO STAGE?*

nope!


----------



## moondog049

*Re: Anyone has an Ultrafire C-2 TWO STAGE?*

No, but I bought some 2 stage drivers from KaiDomain to do just that....


----------



## tonyblack

*What's a realistic edc for me?*

Alright, I'm pretty new to the forum, and been lurking for a few weeks, but I figured it was about time to ask my question...

I'd like to find an EDC light that meets my needs:

1 budget is a concern, say $25 for the light, non-inclusive of batteries charger etc. 

2 Size and weight are pretty important to me, I carry a lot of stuff around for work, and I'd rather have a less "cool" light that I'll carry, than one that's amazing and gets left on the desk because it's too big/heavy

3 Because of no 2 I think something in the singe AA size would be about right, but I'd like something that could take either AA primaries, or a 14500 depending on need and availability. The ability to use primaries is important, I travel a lot, and places to plug in chargers aren't always convenient.

4 Relative durability would be good.. not bulletproof, but maybe could stand up to being dropped to the floor from shoulder height. Finish is less important to me, I don't need it to look good as long as it works well.

5 Since the light will be used for a variety of purposes, I'd like to have several brightness modes, say 3 at least. I don't see any time I'd need an SOS or strobe, so doing without would be better in my book, but at my price point, I'll take what I can get I suppose

I'd like a fairly bright light, but something in the 80 lumen range is more than enough for me as long as it meets my other requirements. :shrug:Maybe 40-50 lumen would be fine, really overall brightness isn't the highest priority.

Does such an animal exist? 

Thanks for your help!
Tony Black


----------



## LightKnife

*Re: What's a realistic edc for me?*

You could prolly pick up one of those Fenix L1D or L2D CREE from 2 yrs ago, they are great lights and more than likely the owners are looking to dump them because there has been 2 LED upgrades since the first P4, nothing wrong with them and they meet your performance and budget criterias.


----------



## sol-leks

*Re: What's a realistic edc for me?*

yeah, maybe something old is your best bet. Unfortunately, there aren't many quality multi level lights that are also cheap.
Maybe the Lumapower LM31 might be close enough. its 29 bucks instead of 25 and only has 2 modes not three though, but from what I hear is a very quality light.
http://www.batteryjunction.com/lumapower-lm301.html
There are definitely other lights out there with multimodes that are around 25 bucks, but their quality is very questionable. If you still want to look at them, there is the ultrafire c2 q5:
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.10727
or something like the MF DA1 from shiningbeam:
http://www.shiningbeam.com/servlet/the-75/MF-DA1-Cree-Q5/Detail

Again, though you dont get all that power at that price without sacrifices.


----------



## Hooked on Fenix

*Re: What's a realistic edc for me?*

It's hard to find a light that meets your needs at that price with high quality for $25. You'll have a hard time getting a light with the newer l.e.d.s at that price as well as the multiple levels. There's an Energizer 1 watt 1AA Luxeon light at Target for $18 that's decent, but it doesn't have multiple levels, or use the most efficient l.e.d.. It's supposed to be around 45 lumens (at the emitter). Some of the Energizer lights have been updated to Rebel and Cree l.e.d.s but so far, I've only seen the 2AA version upgraded (It's $25). Other than the price, I think that the Lumapower Connexion fits most, if not all of your requirements (but it's $48). For $25-$40, you can get one of many high quality AAA multilevel headlights (some regulated), but there aren't many 1AA flashlights that are multilevel for that price. You can get a single level Fenix L1P at Batteryjunction.com for $21.49. Someone testing this light dropped it down an elevator shaft and it survived. Hard to beat that level of toughness, but again, no multilevels or newer l.e.d.


----------



## starburst

*Re: What's a realistic edc for me?*

Look for a L1d-ce been packin one along with my shrade pockectknife for 
over a year in my front pant's pocket some anno wear but it shines like new. 
It's been dropped, bumped,knocked in the floor several times and
still work's fine. You might find one at CPFM for less than new price but
even with the lowered new price it's not a bad deal.


----------



## hyperloop

*Re: What's a realistic edc for me?*

These are budget lights, i have the single mode one, it was my first ever purchase

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.7938http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.16181


----------



## tonyblack

*Re: What's a realistic edc for me?*

So, is the consensus that increasing the budget to say $40-$50 would really improve my options?

As much as my budget is a concern, I'd rather buy a light once and not have to mess with it than get something cheap and have to replace it after a few months


----------



## hyperloop

*Re: What's a realistic edc for me?*

I'd say that $25 is do-able for an EDC light provided it isnt going to see a whole lot of abuse. If durability is a concern, spend more. There isn't a cheap light that is going to be able to stand a lot of abuse.

That being said, I have owned the Ultrafire C3 for more than a year now, it's been dunked once in sea water, dropped (accidentally) down a rocky breakwater onto the beach, fallen off a table (about 2.5') onto hard tiled floor, dropped out of shirt pocket onto hard tiled floor and it's survived all this with some dings on the finish and a coupla scratches but that's about it. Bear in mind, this is the single mode C3 that i am referring to.

Runtime is ok for me, 1hr 45 minutes using a protected 14500 cell. Diminished and diminishing output after 4 hours but still usable while using 2 x AA Sanyo 2000mAh. Havent tried it on 1 x AA.

I guess it all depends on what you need the light for as you haven't specifically stated the type of work that you do.


----------



## tonyblack

*Re: What's a realistic edc for me?*

I'll have to check out the C-3 multi level, does anyone know if there's a way to disable the strobe/ sos modes?

It's kind of hard to explain what I do exactly... I guess you'd say I'm an "expediator" for several non profits ranging from community outreach organizations to a natural history museum. My work day might include anything from leading tour groups, to photography, to welding, to fixing computer systems, to designing fliers, to doing field research..... well, lets just say I do lots of things, some of which having a flashlight for could be very handy.


----------



## 1dash1

*Re: What's a realistic edc for me?*

Tony:

This 2xAA multi-mode, medium beam flashlight sounds like it might fit your needs.

It's a great value (bang for the buck), if you're willing to work around its shortcomings.

It's available here for $30.03 plus shipping, after the "CPFuser" discount is applied. That's slightly over your budget, but well worth the additional cost. It even has mode memory (turns on in whatever the last mode used).

Quality-wise, the AF2 is better than the typical far east brands, but not quite up to par with Fenix, NiteCore or JetBeam.

.


----------



## Hellbore

*Re: What's a realistic edc for me?*

How about this one:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000J423DY/?tag=cpf0b6-20


----------



## NoFair

*Re: What's a realistic edc for me?*



tonyblack said:


> So, is the consensus that increasing the budget to say $40-$50 would really improve my options?
> 
> As much as my budget is a concern, I'd rather buy a light once and not have to mess with it than get something cheap and have to replace it after a few months


 
Yes

It might also delay the inevitable quest for something better a bit longer

Sverre

PS! :welcome:


----------



## David13

*Re: What's a realistic edc for me?*

What if you take a look to a AAA flashlight that i own, the Fenix L0D Q4. I think AAA cells are as available as AA's and the L0D seems to fit your needs perfectly.

It is so small and so light (hmm namesake )

Very durable

3 brightness modes + Strobe and SOS at the end of the User Interface cycle so you don't have to use them

And it is 75 Lumens at max

Unfortunately you will have to pay $18.50 more that your budget is but if you take into account that the AAA cell is going to last for a while because of the lower modes, i think that you will save $ in the long run. 

+++ You will ALWAYS carry a very cool, useful and good looking flashlight (small enough to be on your keychain)

Buy cheap... Buy twice!!!
David13


----------



## kosPap

*Re: Anyone has an Ultrafire C-2 TWO STAGE?*

out of curiosity what driver is this?


----------



## cheetokhan

*Re: Anyone has an Ultrafire C-2 TWO STAGE?*

I have DX part 9631, UltraFire C2 and it has a two way switch with a resister in the tailcap.


----------



## mikel81

*Re: Anyone has an Ultrafire C-2 TWO STAGE?*



cheetokhan said:


> I have DX part 9631, UltraFire C2 and it has a two way switch with a resister in the tailcap.


 
Yup, controlled by tailcap.


----------



## rclarkeingg

*99 cent challenge with beam shots*

First two are from thr 99 cent store and key chain light from dealextreme
From right to left: 9 led - 3 led focused beam - single led

















The 9 led light is without a doubt the best bang for a buck. I use two of them for my bike light. The cheap battery last at least 8 hours and quality of the light is really not that bad.


----------



## PhantomPhoton

*Re: 99 cent challenge with beam shots*

That middle one sure is a wuss! 
Nice unique post, definitely some beamshots we don't see compared around here.
:thumbsup:


----------



## qwertyydude

*Re: 99 cent challenge with beam shots*

What kind of batteries do they use? Sometimes it may just be cheaper to buy a new flashlight than get batteries for it, weird but true.


----------



## Valmet62

*Any reviews on the XTAR SSC P7-C2 900-Lumen ?*

Looks interesting, was wondering if there are any reviews or if any one has this light and what do they thing about it.

http://www.szwholesale.com/advanced_search_result.php?keywords=XTAR+SSC+P7-C2+900-Lumen&x=7&y=3


----------



## houtex

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*

I have one. Got it from Lighthound though. I'm running it offf of Energizer 123's. REALLY BRIGHT get hot on high after about 4 mins. It has a good low,about 40 lumens.


----------



## naicidrac

*TrustFire SSC P7-C*

I am looking at the TrustFire SSC P7-C 900-Lumen LED Flashlight on dealextreme. It looks pretty nice and a pretty good price, but I don't mean to sound like a total newbie, but what are the batteries it uses? It says "Powered by 2 x 18650 or 2 x 17670 batteries", and I can't tell exactly what kind of batteries these are. Are they regular AA type or some kind of lithium? Can I purchase these other than dealextreme? I just want to make sure they are not some kind of propietary battery. Thanks


----------



## LukeA

*Re: TrustFire SSC P7-C*

18650 and 17670 are sizes of lithium-ion rechargeable cell. 

18650s are roughly 18mm in diameter and 65mm long. The same naming conventions apply to 17670s. Both are much larger than AA (14500).

They are not proprietary.


----------



## kramer5150

*Re: TrustFire SSC P7-C*

The sizing code number represents the cells size and shape.

First 2 digits are the diameter in mm.
Second 2 digits are the length in mm.
Last digit is the shape (IIRC)

18650 is 18mm diameter, 65mm long, and the last "0" means its cylindrical in shape.
16340 is 16mm diameter, 34mm long, cylindrical.

AA size is 14500
AAA size is 10440

Its important to remember that the size code (I think that's what its called), has NOTHING to do with cell capacity and output voltage (!). So even though AA alkaline/NiMH has the same sizing code as Lithium-Ion(14500) the two cells are NIGHT/DAY different form a voltage and capacity standpoint.

Same can be said for:
AAA alkaline/NiMH -VS- 10440 Lithium-Ion
Primary CR123 -VS- 16340 Lithium-Ion RCR123

If you use the wrong cell chemistry in the wrong light... :candle:, even though the cells are physically compatible.


----------



## DigitalGreaseMonkey

*Re: TrustFire SSC P7-C*



naicidrac said:


> I am looking at the TrustFire SSC P7-C 900-Lumen LED Flashlight on dealextreme. It looks pretty nice and a pretty good price, but I don't mean to sound like a total newbie, but what are the batteries it uses? It says "Powered by 2 x 18650 or 2 x 17670 batteries", and I can't tell exactly what kind of batteries these are. Are they regular AA type or some kind of lithium? Can I purchase these other than dealextreme? I just want to make sure they are not some kind of propietary battery. Thanks



I actually have this flashlight as well as two others. A few thoughts for you:

1) You may want to consider whether you want to get into the rechargeable battery game. If you use a flashlight daily or every few days and really need a solid light, it might be worth it to you. You will need to recharge the batteries after every use or at least once a week, I think, to keep them in good health.

2) This particular flashlight is fairly well made for its price range. It is a brutally simple but very solid light. The beam is typical for low cost P7 lights, very floody with a central hot spot. It is not the most refined beam and does not throw long distances with the very best out there, but does light up a huge area through sheer horse power. 

3) No modes on this light, so it is always Full Power or nothing. Too much for up close work unless you bounce the beam off a wall or something. I'm talking very close work.

4) The switch has no momentary function, it is just full click on or full click off.

5) If you plan to run the light for more than 15 minutes, it will get gradually warmer till it is just plain hot. Winter use outside is, of course, not a problem since the heat will be dealt with instantly.

6) I packed the head with aluminum foil to assist with heat transfer and it did speed up the process quite a bit. (trying to help the light get the heat away from the emitter more quickly to prolong the life)

Just a few thoughts for now. I use the light as a backup for my more expensive but much nicer and more useful lights.

Best regards,
DGM


----------



## naicidrac

*Re: TrustFire SSC P7-C*

Thanks, so does this light come with a charger or how do you get batteries or a charger. Sorry to be so "in the dark". Thanks for any help


----------



## freedom2000

*Re: TrustFire SSC P7-C*

Hi,

The light does not come with a charger, you will have to buy one.

I have this light and I love it : cheap and very powerfull.

However I must admit that without modes, it can get warm rather fast...
So I have added a custom driver to add modes and memory.

see here for details :

a review of the original light

and

the driver's modification

Now it is really fantastic :wave:

JP


----------



## ctimgo

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*

Has anybody done a test of the Romisen Cree RC-N3 Q5 to get the true lumens output? I was one web site that had 215 lumens. Is that right? TB


----------



## bessiebenny

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*



ctimgo said:


> Has anybody done a test of the Romisen Cree RC-N3 Q5 to get the true lumens output? I was one web site that had 215 lumens. Is that right? TB


 
No. I'm pretty sure it does no where near 215 lumens. More like 150 at best imo. (that's with 1RCR also)
Have a look at my RC-N3 results and expect around 30% brighter for the Q5 version with similar runtime.


----------



## ctimgo

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*

Thanks. What would be the best light if I want to be under $40 with a high lunem output? Quality is also an issue. I work for UPS and with it getting dark earlier I need a light to find house numbers. The RC-N3 Q5 I got last week is by far the brightest light that I own but something brighter would be better.


----------



## alohaluau

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*



ctimgo said:


> Thanks. What would be the best light if I want to be under $40 with a high lunem output? Quality is also an issue. I work for UPS and with it getting dark earlier I need a light to find house numbers. The RC-N3 Q5 I got last week is by far the brightest light that I own but something brighter would be better.



G'day ctimgo,
My favourite AA EDC light is the Romisen RC-N3 from DX, I've been playing around with RCR123A batteries recently and I've got an Ultrafire C1 from DX which might fits what you are looking for if you have the right batteries and charger for it.
http://dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.14027
I believe it is under $40 US.
Cheers,
Luau


----------



## naicidrac

*Re: TrustFire SSC P7-C*

Cool, so it comes with batteries, but no charger or do I have to buy the batteries too? What kind of charger do I order from dealextreme?


----------



## CathastrophiX

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*

I have the sku.14027, but mine came with a R2 drop in.
Big dissapointment....
It's no where near the claimed 250 lumens for the R2, even with 2*16340.
Machining is also bad.
My RC-C5 Q3, almost as bright when running on 18650, or my TR-801 (brighter), are much better lights (not p60 hosts tough)
 
I you want a thrower, the WF-400 ($23) or WF-600 ($28)* *are better choices. (Mine are the 18650 only types, so they have decent runtimes)


----------



## brightarc

*Re: TrustFire SSC P7-C*



naicidrac said:


> Cool, so it comes with batteries, but no charger or do I have to buy the batteries too? What kind of charger do I order from dealextreme?


It probably does not come with batteries.

A combination of 18650 batteries and charger from dx that I have found to be pretty good is http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.5776 for batteries and http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.1251 for a suitable charger.


----------



## PlayboyJoeShmoe

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*

I have an Ultrafire 502B w/R2 on order from DX.

I also already have a 502B w/11836 drop in.

I should think as long as 123 batteries (or 18650 Li-Ion) don't pose problems for you DX http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.16178 should do you quite well.


----------



## DigitalGreaseMonkey

*Re: TrustFire SSC P7-C*



brightarc said:


> It probably does not come with batteries.
> 
> A combination of 18650 batteries and charger from dx that I have found to be pretty good is http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.5776 for batteries and http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.1251 for a suitable charger.



I agree, it definitely does not come with batteries. I purchased the same batteries as brightarc, but I chose this charger: http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.6105

It is a very solid little charger for less $ but it is dedicated to 18650 only. This works out for me since I have standardized on that battery for my rechargeables. I purchased four of the chargers so that I could recharge all my batteries at one time. No muss, no fuss. I measured the charge put onto the batteries after being in the chargers all night, they all were measuring between 4.22 and 4.24 volts. That is exactly within spec as far as I understand it for these cells.

Best regards,
DGM


----------



## Bonky

*Re: What's a realistic edc for me?*



NoFair said:


> Yes
> 
> It might also delay the inevitable quest for something better a bit longer



So very true. Honestly, I started out with $15 Ultrafires/Trustfires/etc and it was only when I started buying better lights that I finally found products that I felt were "up to snuff" as far as what I was looking for. 

And so I not only spent $ on the more expensive stuff, but that was in addition to all the $ I'd spent on the cheap stuff too. The cheaper stuff just isn't quite good enough, and won't satisfy you.

Or you can do the following test: buy a cheap one AND an expensive one. If the cheap one is good enough for you, just sell the expensive one on ebay and you're done. And if you find that the expensive one is the one that you really like better, then just give the cheap one away or use it as a backup .


----------



## PlayboyJoeShmoe

*Re: What's a realistic edc for me?*

For the best part of $100 you can get some pretty good stuff. Wolf-Eyes 6AX w/Q5, Dereelight something or other w/Q5 or R2 or ???

But for around $30 tops there is nothing significantly wrong with Ultrafires like 502B with single or multi mode Q5 or R2.

Or get the 502B AND a Dereelight 3 mode Q5 or R2 for say $50-60 all in.

Better yet, watch "sell" on cpfmarketplace! Some of my better stuff came from that and a flashaholic get together in Dallas!


----------



## qwertyydude

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*

I think going the DX route you're better served with Romisen. I do have the 606A from ultrafire, two in fact. The silver Q2 one is better with better machining, threading, and switch feel. I bought the new Black Q5 and it felt considerably cheaper, lighter less dense aluminum, smaller diameter, slightly and rougher threads. But my 502B UV light just doesn't cut it in terms of quality, compared to my Romisen RC-M4 it's rather junky, anodizing is thin, threads had flashing, rattling cell. I'd say get a Romisen and upgrade the P60 module.


----------



## PlayboyJoeShmoe

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*

I'll know more about the current state of the UF 502B in several days.

But the one I got as a free host with a Dereelight 3SD is nice looking and feels solid. My better tinted of two 11836 now resides in that body!

I will report when the new one with what's supposed to be an R2 in it arrives and I get to compare it to this one.

I also ordered Romisen RX-A Xenon lights and if one of them (when they get in stock and to me) is better it will get the 11836 and maybe even the 3SD Q5!


----------



## naicidrac

*Re: TrustFire SSC P7-C*

Thanks for all of the info. I am also looking at the UltraFire WF-900L SSC P7-C 3-Mode light. I now know that I will have to buy batteries and a charger. Thanks


----------



## Hellbore

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*

Just a word of warning, I purchased one of the Ultrafire WF-1000L from Dealextreme, and after about 10 minutes of use, the converter board burned out.

I have read a lot of similar accounts from people who bought this light. It is unfortunate because this light seems to have a nice deep reflector, deeper than other P7 lights from Dealextreme.

Given the higher price and high incidence of failure, I would not buy this light if I were you. Also, the design is not that great anyway, there are 3 different spots where the current is carried by the bare aluminum threads, the LED is not held down with thermal adhesive but rather, it is held in place by pressure of the reflector screwed down onto it, the tailcap spring is flimsy and I question whether it will hold up to high current, and the wires used in the light are flimsy and break easily.


----------



## tonyblack

*Re: What's a realistic edc for me?*

Thanks for the input guys!

I've ordered a (relatively) cheap light from DX and we'll see how that one turns out, if all else fails, I'll pony up the cash for something better and give that one to my Girlfriend.


----------



## highseas

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*



stockstinks said:


> ANYONE????? It looks awesome!



http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.16607


Has anyone got his/her hands on this light? I would be interested in knowing the lumen levels and runtimes. It looks like a nice little light.


----------



## PlayboyJoeShmoe

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*



PlayboyJoeShmoe said:


> I'll know more about the current state of the UF 502B in several days.
> 
> But the one I got as a free host with a Dereelight 3SD is nice looking and feels solid. My better tinted of two 11836 now resides in that body!
> 
> I will report when the new one with what's supposed to be an R2 in it arrives and I get to compare it to this one.
> 
> I also ordered Romisen RX-A Xenon lights and if one of them (when they get in stock and to me) is better it will get the 11836 and maybe even the 3SD Q5!



Whoops! The clickie died on the first 502B I got used. It and the new one do seem to be quite similar IE: good looking and solid feeling.

No Romisen RX-As yet but those three will be the last DX stuff I get if O gets elected, and the last stuff this year if not...


----------



## atropine1

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*



Hellbore said:


> Just a word of warning, I purchased one of the Ultrafire WF-1000L from Dealextreme, and after about 10 minutes of use, the converter board burned out.
> 
> Given the higher price and high incidence of failure, I would not buy this light if I were you. Also, the design is not that great anyway, there are 3 different spots where the current is carried by the bare aluminum threads, the LED is not held down with thermal adhesive but rather, it is held in place by pressure of the reflector screwed down onto it, the tailcap spring is flimsy and I question whether it will hold up to high current, and the wires used in the light are flimsy and break easily.



Such detailed reports are very helpful, thanks.


----------



## orbital

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*

+

I don't know if this has been asked,..
does anyone know if some of the UltraFire lights from DX and Kai are produced by another manufacturer?

The ones with the space in the name; *Ultra Fire*.

thanks


----------



## forushani

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*

I just got the Ultrafire 1000 also and it died after a couple of minutes. I am returning it to DX


----------



## Hellbore

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*



forushani said:


> I just got the Ultrafire 1000 also and it died after a couple of minutes. I am returning it to DX



Yeah the only reason I'm not returning mine is because I want to mod it. I like the shape of it, and I already ordered a new converter for it from Kaidomain, the 2800 mA P7 board. I think it will be a nice light when I'm done with it hopefully, but too expensive.


----------



## Tohuwabohu

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*



Hellbore said:


> Just a word of warning, I purchased one of the Ultrafire WF-1000L from Dealextreme, and after about 10 minutes of use, the converter board burned out.
> 
> I have read a lot of similar accounts from people who bought this light. It is unfortunate because this light seems to have a nice deep reflector, deeper than other P7 lights from Dealextreme.
> 
> Given the higher price and high incidence of failure, I would not buy this light if I were you. Also, the design is not that great anyway, there are 3 different spots where the current is carried by the bare aluminum threads, the LED is not held down with thermal adhesive but rather, it is held in place by pressure of the reflector screwed down onto it, the tailcap spring is flimsy and I question whether it will hold up to high current, and the wires used in the light are flimsy and break easily.



The driver seems to be the weak point of the WF-1000L.
We had 3 reports of a burnt driver in this thread in the German Messerforum.net.
In at least two cases it have been the two parallel diodes used for reverse polarity protection thait failed. Bridging/short circuiting them with a short piece of wire brought them to life again.






I had removed the two diodes when I modded the driver to 3.2A output although I did not have any problems before doing the mod.

I really like this flashlight.
With 3.2A to the LED the WF-1000L is putting out an enormous amount of light: a very broad spill and a lot of throw combined. 
You can find lots of photos including a size comparizon to other flashlights, beamshots and runtime graphs in the above mentioned thread.

The mechanical quality is not bad, regulation and heat dissipation are good.
The threads at both ends of the battery tube ar bare but the light does not rely on them to carry the current. The brass ring holding the driver fits tightly in the front end of the battery tube when the flashlight is assembled and the back end of the battery tube contacts the aluminium ring that is holding the switch.
The aluminium pill is directly screwed into the finned part of the head.
The emitter board is held in its place by a black plastic disc and two small screws. The reflector is not directly screwed onto the LED.
The fact that they used thermal grease and not thermal adhesive between emitter board and pill makes it easier to replace the emitter.


----------



## Hellbore

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*



Tohuwabohu said:


> The emitter board is held in its place by a black plastic disc and two small screws. The reflector is not directly screwed onto the LED.
> The fact that they used thermal grease and not thermal adhesive between emitter board and pill makes it easier to replace the emitter.



Thanks for the info Tohuwabohu, I will mod my light tonight to bridge those burned out diodes! That is indeed where my board failed.

However, on my light, there are NOT any screws holding the emitter down, and I can't even see any screw holes where they might go. Can you please show me a pic of where the screws should be, or maybe explain? I would really appreciate it.

I also would love to hear how you modded yours for 3.2 Amps, as I would very much like to do the same mod to mine. Is it very difficult? I am good at soldering but I am not super knowledgeable with circuitry. I have taken the 2 required courses for my major in college so I know some. I would love to see how you did your mod.

Thanks again!


----------



## Tohuwabohu

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*



Hellbore said:


> However, on my light, there are NOT any screws holding the emitter down, and I can't even see any screw holes where they might go. Can you please show me a pic of where the screws should be, or maybe explain? I would really appreciate it.


Photos are in post #1 and #8 of the mentioned thread.



> I also would love to hear how you modded yours for 3.2 Amps, as I would very much like to do the same mod to mine. Is it very difficult? I am good at soldering but I am not super knowledgeable with circuitry. I have taken the 2 required courses for my major in college so I know some. I would love to see how you did your mod.


Yes, I would say the mod is difficult.
Some photos of the driver mod are in post #25.
But not everything I did is documented in the photos.
And I am not sure if my English is good enough to explain everything I did.


----------



## JeffOYB

*DX beamshots of TR-801: one hotspot, one complete flood ...?*

I see 3 listings for the TR-801a at DX. One has a beamshot that's kinda low-rez and murky. One shows a complete flood. One shows a small spot with bright spill. Anyone know what this light really is like? (And why does DX have multiple listings for the same light?) Thanks, JP


----------



## Hellbore

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*

Looking at those pictures, it looks like the screws hold down the plastic piece, and the plastic piece holds the LED down.

This doesn't seem like a very secure mounting system to me. Can the plastic maintain sufficient pressure to keep the LED tight against the pill? Will it be affected by heat? I don't know.

It is a moot point in my case because they didn't even put any screws in the plastic. I'll post pictures later. On my light, the plastic piece just sits there and is only held down by the reflector. As usual, poor quality control like we have come to expect from DX lights.


----------



## EngrPaul

*Re: DX beamshots of TR-801: one hotspot, one complete flood ...?*

I think on is 1-mode and the other is 5-mode. I bought the slightly less expensive one, which is 1-mode.

This light is relatively floody... meaning the hot spot is wide. The lumens are rated at 230, it's consistent with what I get. The tint color is about as cold as it gets (blue side of white).

The body color is silver, but compared to other lights is a very light blue.

There is no o-ring at the front lens, and the lens is undersized. Every attempt to put an o-ring in, and retighten the head, resulted in one side of the ring going behind the lens, one side in front. :mecry:

Seems to be a buzz with bicyclists. They must not ride in the rain. :naughty:

EDIT: Here it is compared to some other lights. It has HUGE lettering on both sides.

I'll see about getting you some comparison beamshots.


----------



## EngrPaul

*Re: DX beamshots of TR-801: one hotspot, one complete flood ...?*

Here are two beamshots. The first is the light in question. With fixed exposure, I also took a picture of the EagleTac on high, which is rated 295 lumens.


----------



## LukeA

*Re: DX beamshots of TR-801: one hotspot, one complete flood ...?*



EngrPaul said:


> I think on is 1-mode and the other is 5-mode. I bought the slightly less expensive one, which is 1-mode.
> 
> This light is relatively floody... meaning the hot spot is wide. The lumens are rated at 230, it's consistent with what I get. The tint color is about as cold as it gets (blue side of white).
> 
> The body color is silver, but compared to other lights is a very light blue.
> 
> There is no o-ring at the front lens, and the lens is undersized. Every attempt to put an o-ring in, and retighten the head, resulted in one side of the ring going behind the lens, one side in front. :mecry:
> 
> Seems to be a buzz with bicyclists. They must not ride in the rain. :naughty:


 I dropped three DX 20mm o-rings (come in a 20pk) behind the lens so the reflector retaining ring presses them against the lens.


----------



## EngrPaul

*Re: DX beamshots of TR-801: one hotspot, one complete flood ...?*



LukeA said:


> I dropped three DX 20mm o-rings (come in a 20pk) behind the lens so the reflector retaining ring presses them against the lens.


 

I thought of that too, along with caulk/sealant, etc. 

The other strange thing about the light is the tailcap is too long. If you tighten the switch too far, the bottom of the battery tube won't touch it, and the light won't work. Instead, you have to loosen the switch retaining ring, then tighten the battery tube. I wrenched mine down pretty tight, along with putting an o-ring under the switch board. I change the batteries out of the top of the battery tube, just below the nickel plated ring.


----------



## LukeA

*Re: DX beamshots of TR-801: one hotspot, one complete flood ...?*



EngrPaul said:


> I thought of that too, along with caulk/sealant, etc.
> 
> The other strange thing about the light is the tailcap is too long. If you tighten the switch too far, the bottom of the battery tube won't touch it, and the light won't work. Instead, you have to loosen the switch retaining ring, then tighten the battery tube. I wrenched mine down pretty tight, along with putting an o-ring under the switch board. I change the batteries out of the top of the battery tube, just below the nickel plated ring.



Mine doesn't do that, but it is close and I do see what you mean. What about an o-ring and/or washer above the shoulder of the tailcap boot? Seems like a pain to change cells from the front...


----------



## EngrPaul

*Re: DX beamshots of TR-801: one hotspot, one complete flood ...?*

I wanted the o-ring to press the metallized rim of the board directly against the aluminum ring for best contact. Where you suggest might work too.


----------



## tonyblack

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*



highseas said:


> http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.16607
> 
> 
> Has anyone got his/her hands on this light? I would be interested in knowing the lumen levels and runtimes. It looks like a nice little light.



It's actually the light I ordered, it came in the mail today. So far I'm impressed with the quality of the light, though no runtime numbers yet (I wasn't expecting it 'till next week, so I didn't have any fresh batteries to work with) but I can tell you a little bit about the construction:

The machining was flawless on my copy, the threads came dry, but not requiring any lubrication, as they're square cut. (kind of impressive, I've had lower quality machining on things I've paid considerable more for in the past) The clicky switch is reverse, and feels very positive. The modes and mode memory work perfectly. the way to switch modes is a light tap, you can turn the light off, and back on in about 1 second and the previous selection is maintained, less than 1 second and it moves to the next mode. Memory is maintained with battery changes.

I question the long term usefulness of the pocket clip, as it gives pretty easily to lateral force. That said, it does spring back well, and seems to be well made, I feel it's simply poorly engineered.

The light is probably twice as bright on high with a 14500 as it is with an energizer lithium primary (though both had been discharged an unknown amount before testing...Like I said, I wasn't expecting delivery until next week.) The spot in the center is intense, with a usable spill. Medium and low seem the same to me with either the lithium rechargeable, or the primary, but I might be miss-judging that. I didn't have any Nimh batteries with any charge to test the light with.

On high the light started getting pretty warm less than a minute after switching on, but in the 40ºF it was here tonight, it never got "hot" There was little temperature rise on the medium setting, and none noticeable on low. 

The light has a lop reflector that's about 16mm deep (an estimate, I don't plan to pull this thing apart to find out exactly) And it throws alright for such a small light (single AA/14500) The spot was quite usable out to at least 100 yards on a 14500 (might be further, that's about the longest distance I had to work with tonight)

The clicky switch is recessed, which means this thing can tailstand, unfortunately it also means that it's a little harder to tap through the modes, or turn the light on and off. I need to use my fingertip or the end of my thumb to activate the switch. I can imagine it would be difficult to use with gloves on.

I'll likely use this light on low most of the time, so I expect pretty good run times... So far, I'm pretty happy with the decision to get this light. Now we'll just see how it holds up over the next few months.

If anyone wants, I can take beamshots (and give usefull information, like aperature, ISO and shutter speed)


----------



## snaps

*Strange drop in behavior*

I've just wired 2 of these http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.11836 drop ins in series with a 14.8volt battery & the voltage across one is 10.4v & 3.9v across the other. Does anyone have any details of the driver board on these modules or can explain such a big difference?


----------



## blinky

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*

Hi Tonyblack,

Thanks for the report. Is the clip removable? Is there an o-ring in front of the lens? Is the switch too sensitive that you can easily change mode by accident if you hold the flashlight with your thumb over the switch?


----------



## tonyblack

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*



blinky said:


> Hi Tonyblack,
> 
> Thanks for the report. Is the clip removable? Is there an o-ring in front of the lens? Is the switch too sensitive that you can easily change mode by accident if you hold the flashlight with your thumb over the switch?



Hey Blinky,

No problem... The clip is not removable (at least, not as far as I can tell). (edit) There is an o-ring in front of the lens for those who are still curious. 

Edit to add: Also, the threads in the light are anodized, and don't carry the current, so you can lock the light out by twisting the head 1/4 turn

Hope that helps! :shrug:


----------



## blinky

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*

Thanks, Tonyblack.


----------



## atropine1

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*



tonyblack said:


> It's actually the light I ordered, it came in the mail today.



Can you give me an approximation on the speed of the 2 strobe modes in hz, flashes per second.


----------



## tonyblack

*Re: Dealextreme single AA/14500 SKU 16607*

Here's some beamshots, They're shot with a 28mm f1.8, 1/50th @400 iso and white balanced for 5500K (the light isn't actually that green looking... at all)

Low doesn't show the spill at all, so take my word for the fact that there is some... with Lithium 14500 rechargeable:





With Energizer Lithium primary:




Medium with Lithium 14500 rechargeable:




Medium with Energizer Lithium primary:




High with Lithium 14500 rechargeable:




With Energizer lithium primary:






The little things in the bottom left (if visible) are the flashlight, not artifacts in the beam.

A note about the durability: Well, as luck would have it, I managed to fling the flashlight about 6 feet onto the sidewalk today while pulling my keys out of my pocket, the finish took a few small dings, but the electronics are just as they were before the spill.


----------



## highseas

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*



tonyblack said:


> Hey Blinky,
> 
> No problem... The clip is not removable (at least, not as far as I can tell). There does NOT appear to be an o-ring in front of the lens... but I could be mistaken, as the head can't be easily disassembled, but I don't see any indication that there's an O-ring there. and the switch is not so sensitive that you would accidentally change modes unless you're very heavy handed. it requires a positive pressure to change the setting.
> 
> Edit to add: Also, the threads in the light are anodized, and don't carry the current, so you can lock the light out by twisting the head 1/4 turn
> 
> Hope that helps! :shrug:




Tonyblack, thank you very much for your impressions so far. When or if you do test them with fresh batteries please let us know the runtimes/lumens. I am interested in knowing how long regular AA can run on low and high, as I want to use it as a backup light. From what you have indicated so far, I want to get one as well. And yes, pictures would be nice!!

Again, thanks!


----------



## tonyblack

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*



highseas said:


> Tonyblack, thank you very much for your impressions so far. When or if you do test them with fresh batteries please let us know the runtimes/lumens. I am interested in knowing how long regular AA can run on low and high, as I want to use it as a backup light. From what you have indicated so far, I want to get one as well. And yes, pictures would be nice!!
> 
> Again, thanks!



Highseas, looks like we were typing at the same time, check the post just above yours (previous page) for beamshots.

I will be able to test runtime, as that's pretty simple, but I don't have the equipment to test lumen output. It'll be a few days before I can test runtimes, as this is a pretty busy weekend for me.

Take Care,
Tony


----------



## highseas

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*

Tony, thanks a lot for the beamshots! It looks like the low is a real low and the high is quite bright, just what I'm looking for. Do please keep us posted when you get a chance to test the runtimes in the next few days. Thanks again


----------



## tonyblack

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*



atropine1 said:


> Can you give me an approximation on the speed of the 2 strobe modes in hz, flashes per second.



The fast strobe is approximately 8 flashes per second, the slow strobe is 2 flashes in rapid succession with a pause before repeating, taking about 1 1/2 seconds to complete a cycle (I have no idea why) it kind of reminds me of a heart beat... thathump.... thathump.... and the S.O.S. mode takes approximately 12 seconds to complete a cycle.

I really wish this light just had 3 brightness levels, I'll never use any of the strobes beyond what I just did to time them for atropine1 But for $22 shipped, I'm not complaining.


----------



## naicidrac

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*

I am going to order a trustfire 900 lumen light from DX. Now it is powered by 2 X 18650 trustfire batteries. Are these the batteries that blow up and catch on fire? Sorry to be such a noob, but I just want to make sure I don't catch anything on fire.


----------



## VegasF6

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*

That might be oversimplifying it a bit . 
Lithium Ion batteries do have the potential to burn... but get some AW 18650 protected cells and don't do anything silly with them and you will be fine. Spend a little time in the battery forum and you will see that while you do need to treat them properly, the cases of venting with flames are far and few between, and to the best of my knowledge have never happened with AW's cell. In addition, he is soon to release an 18650 in the safe lithium chemistry. You can abuse them to your hearts content and never have flames, though you can damage the cell. See the IMR 16340 thread for more information on them. (the 18650 size isn't out yet.)


----------



## Hellbore

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*

Post deleted because, never mind...


----------



## MikieHead

*Better AAA - UltraFire A3 Cree Q5 or KD CREE Q5 HAIII Buckle Light MAX V5??*

Looking for another AAA flashlight like my LiteFlux LF2, but Cree Q5 this time.

BUT one with less UI options.
BUT still a retina irritator. 
But will take LIPO batteries.
But not be as expensive and so more 'disposible' in case of loss. 

Run time is not as important, but small size and brightness is.
I was looking at these two:
_*[link removed - DM51]*_
(has tail button so slightly larger from DealExtreme)
and: 
_*[link removed - DM51]*_
New V5 Version from Kaidomain with twist tail.

Any opinions :>)????????????


----------



## Derek Dean

*Re: Better AAA - UltraFire A3 Cree Q5 or KD CREE Q5 HAIII Buckle Light MAX V5??*

I'm a big fan of twisty switches, and the KD Buckle light has a lot of fans here on CPF. While brightness is one of your priorities, I think it's nice that Kaidomain is also offering a 35 lumen version of the Q5 Buckle light (XRT V5) that is listed as getting 400 minutes runtime on a lithium AAA. Nice!


----------



## Leonardo

*Re: Ultrafire C3 Cree*

My UltraFire C3 arrived today. It's a single mode, clickie on-off. It looks nice and seens to be build well. For the price, I'm happy.
I took some shots next to an older single mode Surefire E1L (30 lumens according to SureFire, I think). Beam shots were taken about 5 meters away (28mm, f/4, 1/3s, ISO 200).











UltraFire C3 (~ 5 meters, 28mm, f/4, 1/3s, ISO 200)





Surefire E1L (~ 5 meters, 28mm, f/4, 1/3s, ISO 200)





UltraFire C3 (left) x Surefire E1L (right) (~ 5 meters, 28mm, f/4, 1/3s, ISO 200)


----------



## MikieHead

*Re: Better AAA - UltraFire A3 Cree Q5 or KD CREE Q5 HAIII Buckle Light MAX V5??*

DELETED: Posted in WRONG Thread!!!!


----------



## FlashKat

*Re: Better AAA - UltraFire A3 Cree Q5 or KD CREE Q5 HAIII Buckle Light MAX V5??*

I have to say NO to the KD model. I bought the version 4 and it died when I dropped it from 3 ft to the ground. I bought a Tiablo A-1, and a cheaper 1 AAA cree light from Dealextreme, and both have been reliable and bright even after multiple drops. Others have had problems with every version of the KD Buckle light.


MikieHead said:


> Thanks for confirming that CPF's like the KD model.......
> I was leaning that way as it is 10mm shorter, and that can be significant in your pocket on a light that is only 77mm to begin with. And in fact, size is sometimes why I do not carry the LiteFlux.
> 
> Maybe I will consider the Middle versioin, the RT with 60 Lumens that will go 175 minutes!!
> 
> Thanks again!!!!


----------



## PhantomPhoton

*Re: Better AAA - UltraFire A3 Cree Q5 or KD CREE Q5 HAIII Buckle Light MAX V5??*

IIRC Liteflux has an updated cree based LF2. LF2 ex perhaps?
The other quality light would be a Fenix L0D. 

I'd avoid ultrafires like the plague. The KD buckle light is a gamble, some are good but I've also read about plenty of failures and substandard construction.

Both Lumapower and Tiablo have made AAA lights but I _think_ both have had minor problems, you'd have to do some research on those; could be wrong.


----------



## atropine1

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*



tonyblack said:


> The fast strobe is approximately 8 flashes per second, the slow strobe is 2 flashes in rapid succession with a pause before repeating, taking about 1 1/2 seconds to complete a cycle.



Thanks, I wanted to use it as a bike (don't run me over) light. the 8 flash a second is too aggraessive and the slow strobe is no good due to the large delay.


----------



## tonyblack

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*



atropine1 said:


> Thanks, I wanted to use it as a bike (don't run me over) light. the 8 flash a second is too aggraessive and the slow strobe is no good due to the large delay.



Atropine,

No problem... I can't think of much these strobe levels would actually be good for... the light is bright, but with even a little bit of light pollution would prevent the fast strobe from being good for disorienting someone.


----------



## KowShak

*Re: Smartfire V-65C Cree Q5 - DBS sized reflector thrower*

I'd like to see beamshots of the V-65C, if anybody has one!



selfbuilt said:


> Bigger reflectors don't necessarily mean better throw.



The reflector is certainly bigger than the one in the V-68C, larger diameter and the light is longer overall too which would point to the reflector being deeper too. A bigger reflector will give better throw if properly designed, but you have to remember that bigger means deeper as well as larger diameter, it has to stay in proportion i.e. the diameter to length ratio is as important as diameter itself. 

Its comes with a glass lens and an aluminium reflector (according to the reviews on DX) but the reviews complain about "donut hole" and "ugly beam" so it may not be all that it could be. That said, the WF-600 style lights only have a plastic reflector so this would appear to be slightly better than them. Certainly interesting and competitively priced.


----------



## kosPap

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*



highseas said:


> http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.16607
> Has anyone got his/her hands on this light? I would be interested in knowing the lumen levels and runtimes. It looks like a nice little light.


 

My DX sku16607 Cree Q5-WC 6-Mode flashlight has arrived.

My first Impressions are very positive. It looks sturdy & well made with anodized square thread and good finishing overall. The battery is inserted from the middle of the light. The switch is not removable because a ring at that end of the flashlight is press fitted and keeps both the switch and the pocket clip in place. I took the time to make some measurements which are as follows:







Modes are High – Medium – Low – Strobe – Beacon (2 flicks and off) – SOS (too slowly sent). As far as I can tell there is no memory when the flashlight is turned off.

I will adding more if I manage the time for a complete review.
Overall with a price between the 2 other flashlights it is a very worthwhile purchase if it turns out to be durable enough as time passes by. And I would love to see it featured and compared in this thread


----------



## tonyblack

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*



kosPap said:


> As far as I can tell there is no memory when the flashlight is turned off.



Very interesting, the memory on mine works perfectly...

Still trying to make time to do runtime tests... maybe I'll start tonight..


----------



## KiwiMark

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*



tonyblack said:


> I really wish this light just had 3 brightness levels, I'll never use any of the strobes beyond what I just did to time them for atropine1



Looking at the description on DX and reading your review here I can't help but think that this is a reasonable little light for the price . . . BUT . . . I would hate to own & use this light due to the dreadful UI.

From DX:
- 6-mode clicky tailcap switch with mode memory: Hi > Mid > Lo > Strobe > SOS > Slow Strobe
- Mode memory returns the flashlights to the previously usage mode when the light is turned on

That UI description puts me off completely and is enough for me to recommend to anyone that they avoid buying this light. If it is in Lo and you wish to bump it up to Mid you have to switch through Strobe-SOS-Slow Strobe-Hi then to Mid, that's five clicks to bump it up a level. If it is on Mid and you want Hi then it is again 5 clicks. Lo to Hi is four clicks, almost as bad.
The Mode memory in my opinion makes it even worse for changing modes. At least my Fenix can be turned off for a couple of seconds then back on to the Lo mode.

I like my Jetbeam much more:
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.14447
But of course you have to weigh up the better light with the better UI against the higher price. Then again buying a cheaper light and getting completely brassed off with an annoying UI and then buying a dearer light - well it can cost more than just buying the better light to start with. Jetbeam's IBS means you have 3 modes: 'customisable-customisable-customisable' these 3 are very versatile and can be any brightness or any of over a dozen different strobe modes. Sure it costs sixty buck and many will say it is too dear, but that is not all THAT expensive - compared to many lights sixty bucks IS budget!


----------



## linterno

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*

Usually this flashlight use a PIC microcontroller to control levels and the previous mode is stored in EEPROM memory.

You have to keep the light ON for at least 3-5 seconds in the mode you want to start the next time you turn on it again and you have to keep the flashlight OFF for at least 3 seconds. i.e. If you want the flashlight to keep the middle level then turn the flashlight on an choose middle level, keep the light on for 3-5 seconds and then turn the light off. If you keep it off for at least 3 seconds then the next time you turn the light on again it will start in the middle level again.


----------



## PlayboyJoeShmoe

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*

Agree with the above post wholeheartedly!

If I mean to have ANY of my memory lights come on at that level again I do a count to 5.

I really like that the Fenix P2D does L,M,H SOS with NO memory, and the Wolf-Eyes Sniper does H,M,L with no memory.

Whether forward or reverse switch I end up clicking a time or two when I want to change modes in memory lights.


----------



## tonyblack

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*

I do agree that this light's UI is kinda crappy, but I can cycle through the modes/levels to whatever I want pretty quick and easy... But is there any way to replace the control board in one of these lights with something better? I like the size, and manufacturing quality of the light, and the modes/ UI are the only things I'd change...

That Jetbeam Sure does look like a nice light though... maybe I'll ask for that for christmas... Aparently I'm hard to shop for 

I thought you guys might get a kick out of this next shot.... it's a photo of the LED and reflector of the light while running... or more accurately, a photo of the projected image of the LEd and reflector... I just aimed the light at a large format camera's lens stopped down to F16 and moved the light 'till it was relatively in focus...


----------



## KiwiMark

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*



tonyblack said:


> I thought you guys might get a kick out of this next shot.... it's a photo of the LED and reflector of the light while running...



That's a pretty cool pic, well done Tony.


----------



## glenda17

*Re: Smartfire V-65C Cree Q5 - DBS sized reflector thrower*

wrong thred


----------



## glenda17

*Best MC-E flashlight*

I have the Aurora P7 flashlight from Dealextreme. I really like its ability to light up a room as it sits on a nightstand. It seems to be of good construction.

Has anyone tried the Aurora MC-E ?


http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.17092


Or the Trustfire?

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.17260


Or should I hold off for someone else to guinea pig?


----------



## bxstylez

*Re: Best MC-E flashlight*

wrong section..... try the LED section

.


----------



## kramer5150

*Re: Best MC-E flashlight*

nm


----------



## SilverFox

*Re: Best MC-E flashlight*

Hello Glenda,

I haven't tried either light, but I will move this over to the LED section of the forum.

Tom


----------



## kosPap

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*



linterno said:


> Usually this flashlight use a PIC microcontroller to control levels and the previous mode is stored in EEPROM memory.
> 
> You have to keep the light ON for at least 3-5 seconds in the mode you want to start the next time you turn on it again and you have to keep the flashlight OFF for at least 3 seconds. i.e. If you want the flashlight to keep the middle level then turn the flashlight on an choose middle level, keep the light on for 3-5 seconds and then turn the light off. If you keep it off for at least 3 seconds then the next time you turn the light on again it will start in the middle level again.


 
hmm it seems I was caught without knowing my lesson well...I never had a light that required to be off for 3 seconds....I will be checking again...

Now on the UI each of us drinks his coffee diferently. This light has perfect Modes for outdoors. Like the good enough low, and warning locating strobe. And contrary to popular taste I do want a SOS available. I do not mind the mode series too. Usually I like/need a LOT of light so having the high first is what I like.

BTW did I tell you that it can tailstand???

Oh! my light is going! I will be giving it for testing and keeping to a Special forces friend of mine. Just the other day he asked me for a light to replace his maglite and asked for a light for a clip that he can attach insid ethe loops of his webbing! WTF was he sprying my purchases???? LOL

enjoy, Kostas


----------



## linterno

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*



kosPap said:


> hmm it seems I was caught without knowing my lesson well...I never had a light that required to be off for 3 seconds....I will be checking again...


I am going to correct myself. You don't need to let it off for three seconds to save current mode. You only need to let it on in the current mode for 3 to 5 seconds before turning it off.

Some of these flashlights do a very short flicker when the current mode has been saved.

In those with multiple modes in groups you can see a short "turn off" when the driver has changed to the next groups. This group change usually occurs in the lowest mode.

Juan C.


----------



## kosPap

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*



linterno said:


> I am going to correct myself. You don't need to let it off for three seconds to save current mode. You only need to let it on in the current mode for 3 to 5 seconds before turning it off.
> 
> Some of these flashlights do a very short flicker when the current mode has been saved.
> 
> In those with multiple modes in groups you can see a short "turn off" when the driver has changed to the next groups. This group change usually occurs in the lowest mode.
> 
> Juan C.


 
Hmm just when I tried it and found out taht it needs some time fater all!

This light seems better as time goes by. I dropped it twice today (on wooden floor though) and still works


----------



## PlayboyJoeShmoe

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*

Figure since I can't post new thread, this would be the place for this.

I received RC-P3 and RC-X5 today from DX.

P3 is my fave of the two. Switch works better, color of anodizing is more gray than silver of X5.

My X5 needed some fooling with to work. A small magnet on the + contact of the switch fixed it but it took a while to figure it out!

X5 does not get as compact as I figured it would on 1x123. Nor does it seem any brighter with RCR 3.7V than with two NimH AA.

Lastly, not DX but Dollar Tree 3 LED light. Got it home and put three somewhat used AAA Rayovac in it. 

For about 1 minute it made near UV light, then went red then went out! The LEDs are not like any I have seen so far. And all three are cooked.

Good thing it only cost a buck!


----------



## tonyblack

*Re: Dealextreme 16607*

Well, I got a few runtimes, but I don't have as much time as I'd like to spend on such things... but here's what I did get:

Nimh 2500MaH on high: 62 minutes till noticeable dimming

Alkaline Duracell on high: 54 minutes till noticeable dimming

Trustfire "900MaH" 14500 on high: 58 minutes till complete shut off, with no noticeable dimming. The light would run on low afterwards, but I didn't test for how long.

I left the thing running on low on a duracell most of a day, but I had to stop timing it when I was going out of town...

Hope that helps!


----------



## bigballer1

*Re: Dealextreme 16607*



tonyblack said:


> Well, I got a few runtimes, but I don't have as much time as I'd like to spend on such things... but here's what I did get:
> 
> Nimh 2500MaH on high: 62 minutes till noticeable dimming
> 
> Alkaline Duracell on high: 54 minutes till noticeable dimming
> 
> Trustfire "900MaH" 14500 on high: 58 minutes till complete shut off, with no noticeable dimming. The light would run on low afterwards, but I didn't test for how long.
> 
> I left the thing running on low on a duracell most of a day, but I had to stop timing it when I was going out of town...
> 
> Hope that helps!



Thanks for that report. I guess this light must be regulated and not direct driven. I was wondering if there's any difference in the output of the light when it is run on nimh vs the 14500 lithiums. Presumably the 14500 is brighter?

thanks.


----------



## tonyblack

*Re: Dealextreme 16607*



bigballer1 said:


> Thanks for that report. I guess this light must be regulated and not direct driven. I was wondering if there's any difference in the output of the light when it is run on nimh vs the 14500 lithiums. Presumably the 14500 is brighter?
> 
> thanks.


No problem, and yes the 14500 is significantly brighter, and the circuitry does appear to be pretty soundly (perhaps heavy-handedly) regulated.

Hope that helps!

I had the opportunity to do a side by side comparison (though no beam shots... Sorry) of this light next to a 3D mag with the mag LED conversion, and this light was discernibly brighter with an alkaline AA than the mag light was with fresh cells. I'm impressed.


----------



## highseas

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*

tonyblack, thank you once again for your information! (I assume you are talking about the 1-AA multi-mode that you have posted shots of). When you said you left it on low "most of the day" until you had to take off, did you mean that you put in a fresh alkaline battery and left it on low? And most of the day would be at least around 8-10 hours? Just a rough estimate would suffice.

In any case, thanks again, and after seeing your beam shots I purchased one myself! Hope it will arrive soon as I think I will like it.


----------



## tonyblack

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*



highseas said:


> tonyblack, thank you once again for your information! (I assume you are talking about the 1-AA multi-mode that you have posted shots of). When you said you left it on low "most of the day" until you had to take off, did you mean that you put in a fresh alkaline battery and left it on low? And most of the day would be at least around 8-10 hours? Just a rough estimate would suffice.
> 
> In any case, thanks again, and after seeing your beam shots I purchased one myself! Hope it will arrive soon as I think I will like it.



Highseas,

Yes, that is the light I'm referring to. I left the light on for about 6/12 or 7 hours before having to leave, but I don't have an exact time for that, let-alone an actual runtime on low.

I hope you like the light you get as much as I like mine. Probably my favorite made in China toy ever :twothumbs I'm EDC'ing it now and have been for over a week, (not that much time admittedly) and see myself carrying it until it breaks.


----------



## highseas

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*

tonyblack: nice, I'm planning on making it my EDC light also. The form factor is just right, and the fact that it can have a high and a low with long runtime is a big plus for me. The price is awesome too.


----------



## ctimgo

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*

Can anybody tell me if the Romisen rc-n3 q5 is direct driven or regulated?


----------



## PlayboyJoeShmoe

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*

I can verify that X5 and P3 are not direct drive.

From that I would very much imagine that N3 is not.


----------



## bessiebenny

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*



ctimgo said:


> Can anybody tell me if the Romisen rc-n3 q5 is direct driven or regulated?


 
It is regulated. Not perfectly flat but regulated to not drive LED at full.
So even with 1RCR, the runtime should last over 1 hour quite easily.
(It's identical to the P4 version but LED has been replaced with Q5 bin)

*BB UPDATE*

I have been away from the flashlight scene for a while now as you all know. :mecry:
But I haven't left for good. Priority has dropped that's all due to personal life issues.

In the mean time, here's a runtime graph of Romisen RC-T6 that I made a while back.
It's using 6 LED High mode. Once I get 2 and 4 LED modes done, I will update. (cannot promise when)
I also have a partial review written for RC-T6. I will post once I put some more time into it.


----------



## Wolf359

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*

Hugsby P21 DX sku.14644 has anyone got one of these lights ? would be interested in what it's runtimes are like. 

is anyone else caught up in the backorder hell at DX i have 3 orders outstand that are backordered ! one for 2 months.


----------



## naicidrac

*TrustFire Question*

Hello,
I am looking at getting the *T*rustFire SSC P7-C 900 lumen flashlight from DX. Now I like the shape and brightness, but it only comes with 18650 or the 17XXX style batteries. I was wondering if I wanted to get away from the rechargable batteries, what would be a flashlight that is about the same style and brightness that will run on regular CR123A batteries or batteries that are not recharchable that I can get anywhere?
 
Thanks,


----------



## naicidrac

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*

I am sorry to be such a newbie, but can 4 X CR123A batteries take the place of 2 X 18650? I am wanting the TrustFire SSC P7-C light and I am trying to get away from rechargeable 18650 batteries.

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.12761


----------



## Wolf359

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*

4 x CR123A = 4 x 3 v= 12v 

TrustFire SSC P7-C 900-Lumen LED Flashlight Maximum power input: 8.4V

so no you would burn out the light using 4 x CR123A


----------



## naicidrac

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*

Thanks for the info. I just wanted to confirm. I know that the batteries in series would be added together. Thanks for that. Is there a light that you know of that like that Trustfire around 900 lumens that would run of CR123As? I am trying to get away from the rechargeables, but I like the size and power of the TrustFire SSC P7-C.


----------



## Wolf359

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*

Aurora AK-P7-3 SSC P7-C 900-Lumen 2-Mode LED Flashlight (2*18650/4*CR123A) sku.14451
Input voltage range: 7.2V~17V
*$50.02*


----------



## richardcpf

*Re: TrustFire Question*

There are only few P7 lights in DX that takes CR123, here is one. They are 2x18650 long.

But why would you run a P7 with primaries? they are expensive and gives low runtime. I was deciding for P7 light also and ordered the WF1000, it has good reviews.


----------



## PlayboyJoeShmoe

*Re: TrustFire Question*

Agree! Trying to get away from primaries where I can!

I'm even taking a little less output in some situations to use 18650.


----------



## naicidrac

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*

I have just heard that these 18650 lithium batteries are the kind that catch fire. I know that some of them say they are protected, but then a lot of paople say taht feature is defective and they cut it out with a pocket knife. I am going to give one away as a gift ans since I am not totally familiar with them, I didnt want to give him something that might catch fire. Am I wrong in thinking that the 18650 trustfire batteries will do that?


----------



## Hellbore

*Re: TrustFire Question*



richardcpf said:


> I was deciding for P7 light also and ordered the WF1000, it has good reviews.



Where are you reading these reviews?

Do not trust the Dealextreme reviews. If a customer submits a negative review, Dealextreme does not post the review on the product's page. They pick and choose which reviews to post.

I know because I bought a WF-1000L and it died about 5 minutes after turning it on, and I wrote a thorough review explaining the things I liked and disliked about the light. Of course it was a negative review overall, since the light's converter board died within minutes of opening the package. Dealextreme never posted my review.

I have read several other accounts of this light's converter board burning out. If you do spend the ~$80 on this light, be prepared to replace or repair the converter board! 

By the way I have posted negative reviews of other lights too and DX never displays them on the product page.

I did end up fixing my WF-1000L by replacing the converter board with a 3A P7 buck converter purchased from Kaidomain (though it actually supplies 2.8A not 3.0A). The light is brighter with the new converter, and it's a better board anyway IMO. It only has 3 modes: High, Medium, and Low, and it also remembers which mode you were in when you turned off the light, so if you always want to start in Low for example, you don't have to cycle through the modes every time you turn on the light. The Kaidomain converter is a big improvement IMO, the light is significantly brighter and easier to use now.


----------



## Wolf359

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*



naicidrac said:


> I have just heard that these 18650 lithium batteries are the kind that catch fire. I know that some of them say they are protected, but then a lot of paople say taht feature is defective and they cut it out with a pocket knife. I am going to give one away as a gift ans since I am not totally familiar with them, I didnt want to give him something that might catch fire. Am I wrong in thinking that the 18650 trustfire batteries will do that?


 

i have been using trustfire 18650 sku.5790 for about 18 months now in pairs and singles never had a problem with then, i use sku.4151 to charge them, it is slower than some at charging but the batteries only get slightly warm to the touch not hot as they do in the faster higher charging current models. my own very unscentific tests show a capacity of between 2100 and 2200 mah.

you could get the "safe" chemistry type AW 18650's from various online retailers and the marketplace forum.

*Li-Ion protection technology and possible dangers* 
https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/106242

*Lithium 18650 Safe Chemistry Performance Shootout *
https://www.candlepowerforums.com/posts/2609947#post2609947


----------



## jamie.91

*aspheric optic for this ?*

hey, i had one of these

http://http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.2097

it was my first good torch and i loved it but i kind of took it apart and turned it into a 10mW orange laser which is also great but i miss my light so yesterday i ordered another one but this time i want to keep it as a light but mod it either with a brighter LED, better reflector and i dont know why but i really want an aspheric lense but im a bit of a newbie and dont know where to buy the aspheric lense from and what size it would be, well thats if they even exist which im sure they do but i just need pointing in the right direction any help would be appreciated.

thanks jamie

Also i thaught about boring out the back on the lathe to add a clicky switch because then i could add a spring so the battery could be used the "right" way what are your thaughts ?


----------



## glenda17

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*

Received sku 16240 Ultra-fire R2 501B from DX today. This is nearly identical to the Romisen M4 only with knurling and an R2 dropin included for $16.90! The hotspot is actually a little brighter than my Deerelight Q5 drop-in. Ultra-fire has to be losing money on this light, probably the best deal going right now.


----------



## kramer5150

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*

Does anyone have experience with the MTE C2-1 (DX:17650)?

Looks very interesting, dual O-rings, water submersible (advertised), _*refracting optic*_.

???


----------



## nashi

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*

Howgood is this one for $5? It claims to be a 3W led, but no mention of output in lumens.

http://www.ledshoppe.com/Product/ledp/LP1064.htm


----------



## Black Rose

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*

It only got a 3 star review on DX.

General comments were that it is rather dim and probably not a 3W LED.


----------



## uri998

*Re: What do you think about dealextreme's MTE C2-1 Waterproof Cree Q5-WC 150-Lumen*



kosPap said:


> I am always interested in lights like this cos they are good for gifts.
> I only hope that MTE has changed its assembly style.
> The older SSC C2 series are glued becuase parts are press fitted.
> 1. the driver board is not soldered to the pill and is kept in place be the scred in flashlight body.
> 2. The tailcap spring is not solder on the switch board. It is kept by the washer/retaining ring but since there is some giveway by the rubber bootie it may move just a bit to close the circuit and keep the flashlight constand on.
> Now if you are to unglue the washer/retaining ring you introduce another variable, the battery space overall length and once excedeits optimum you may have interaptions when tapping..
> 
> I know I have reconstructed 2 of them...



And what do you think about it's light power?
Is it strong?

Thanks!!


----------



## gokusay99

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*



tonyblack said:


> It's actually the light I ordered, it came in the mail today. So far I'm impressed with the quality of the light, though no runtime numbers yet (I wasn't expecting it 'till next week, so I didn't have any fresh batteries to work with) but I can tell you a little bit about the construction:
> 
> The machining was flawless on my copy, the threads came dry, but not requiring any lubrication, as they're square cut. (kind of impressive, I've had lower quality machining on things I've paid considerable more for in the past) The clicky switch is reverse, and feels very positive. The modes and mode memory work perfectly. the way to switch modes is a light tap, you can turn the light off, and back on in about 1 second and the previous selection is maintained, less than 1 second and it moves to the next mode. Memory is maintained with battery changes.
> 
> I question the long term usefulness of the pocket clip, as it gives pretty easily to lateral force. That said, it does spring back well, and seems to be well made, I feel it's simply poorly engineered.
> 
> The light is probably twice as bright on high with a 14500 as it is with an energizer lithium primary (though both had been discharged an unknown amount before testing...Like I said, I wasn't expecting delivery until next week.) The spot in the center is intense, with a usable spill. Medium and low seem the same to me with either the lithium rechargeable, or the primary, but I might be miss-judging that. I didn't have any Nimh batteries with any charge to test the light with.
> 
> On high the light started getting pretty warm less than a minute after switching on, but in the 40ºF it was here tonight, it never got "hot" There was little temperature rise on the medium setting, and none noticeable on low.
> 
> The light has a lop reflector that's about 16mm deep (an estimate, I don't plan to pull this thing apart to find out exactly) And it throws alright for such a small light (single AA/14500) The spot was quite usable out to at least 100 yards on a 14500 (might be further, that's about the longest distance I had to work with tonight)
> 
> The clicky switch is recessed, which means this thing can tailstand, unfortunately it also means that it's a little harder to tap through the modes, or turn the light on and off. I need to use my fingertip or the end of my thumb to activate the switch. I can imagine it would be difficult to use with gloves on.
> 
> I'll likely use this light on low most of the time, so I expect pretty good run times... So far, I'm pretty happy with the decision to get this light. Now we'll just see how it holds up over the next few months.
> 
> If anyone wants, I can take beamshots (and give usefull information, like aperature, ISO and shutter speed)




Well, I also got the light yesterday and so far pretty impress with it. The contruction is very good and it is my EDC now. It's much brighter on high than both my Romisen RC-A3 and RC-H3; and also maybe rival my Q5 Romisen RC-N3 with a fresh eneloop. The low is really low but with usable spill. I like the Med the most because it only less bright than the high a little bit but I maybe can get more run time with it. I also like the fact it can tail stand. :twothumbs hope it can last long. . Also it remember the last mode too.


----------



## jabe1

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*

Look at the size of the reflector in this! I wonder if the build quality is OK? Looks promising for a cheap thrower.
http://www.kaidomain.com/ProductDetails.aspx?ProductID=5634


----------



## highseas

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*

Thanks for your impressions. I ordered one and am waiting for its arrival 

Glad to hear two positive reviews so far. I also liked hearing that the low is really low.

Can't wait.



gokusay99 said:


> Well, I also got the light yesterday and so far pretty impress with it. The contruction is very good and it is my EDC now. It's much brighter on high than both my Romisen RC-A3 and RC-H3; and also maybe rival my Q5 Romisen RC-N3 with a fresh eneloop. The low is really low but with usable spill. I like the Med the most because it only less bright than the high a little bit but I maybe can get more run time with it. I also like the fact it can tail stand. :twothumbs hope it can last long. . Also it remember the last mode too.


----------



## hyperloop

*First impressions: DX Cree R2 Buckle Light*

Please forgive lack of technical details, do not own a multimeter, lightbox, lux tester and wouldnt know what to do with any of them anyway  have zero technical background (though i am trying to pick up by intensive reading here) and just use these lights.

Between the KD Buckle light and the DX Buckle light i decided to go with the DX (for a variety of reasons) and I ordered the DX R2 Buckle light here and it arrived last night.

First impressions: 

1. it doesnt feel as solid as the Fenix E01, knurling is practically non-existent but that being said, it therefore won't scratch up stuff in your pockets (mobile phone screens, insides of purses etc). One handed operation is a little inconvenient but that's just a quibble, i might just put a strip of some grippy tape (maybe a quarter inch wde) around the head to assist in one handed operation.

2. it is incredibly light, lighter than my E01 or so it feels and its in a nice black colour, though whatever finish it is supposed to be in escapes me.

3. output is bright, much brighter than my E01 (which has been relegated to back up - back up light status) with none of the purplish tint of the E01 emitter, the tint here is more a very cool white light with a slight yellowish tint (very slight) with the usual Cree ring which is only evident on a white wall test at close range.

3.1 In comparison with my Jet I Mk II (which is the only other LED light with me right now), the output is very slightly lower than the Jetbeam Jet I Mk II's medium mode and higher than it's low mode. 

4. It's got a smooth reflector, so the beam wont be as nice as it would have been with a OP reflector but on the other hand, it's got more throw this way. It also has a lens, glass or plastic i cannot tell right now.

5. Threads on the head arrived dry but i applied a little Break Free and it's smooth as buttered silk now. Comes with an o-ring on the head so should i repeat *should *rain resistant (what more can we expect for USD$14.99).

6. The head: from totally disassembled to totally tightened : slightly more than 6 complete turns (tested by holding the head firmly in the left hand with the aurora logo facing me and turning the body, each revolution ends with the aurora logo facing me again).

7. The light when in fully tightened mode takes less than a quarter turn to turn off but it can still be activated in momentary mode by pressing in the head with a finger, a 1/2 turn will lock out the light.

8. The tail has a little protrusion (i woulda said 'nipple' but i didnt want to offend anyone, oops, i said it anyway) with a tiny split ring which the 'carabiner' was attached to, removed that immediately for other uses.

9. No runtime tests have been done yet, will update if i do one.

10. Will *not *running this with a 10440 as the site recommends not to (well, maybe i will when i wanta replace it).

Conclusion:

I like this light, living in a well lit country like Singapore, i doubt that i would really need the long runtime of the E01 so this will suit me fine. I'd like a teeny weeny light with big time brightness just to wow non flashaholics with their puny minimags and i don't need low modes (at least not now). 

For USD$14.99 shipped, it's a great deal. IMHO. I will try to put up some amateur pics and beamshots later.


----------



## shadowjk

*Re: First impressions: DX Cree R2 Buckle Light*

If I remember right, from the pictures of DXBuckle, it looks kinda like KDBuckle v3. IIRC, KD said they switched manufacturer to one that could make threads with higher precision for v4 onwards. Maybe the old manufacturer offered v3 with emitter upgrade to DX  Of course, a comparison between a real DXBuckle and a real v3 KD Buckle would be interesting, if someone has both...


----------



## gokusay99

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*



kosPap said:


> My DX sku16607 Cree Q5-WC 6-Mode flashlight has arrived.
> 
> My first Impressions are very positive. It looks sturdy & well made with anodized square thread and good finishing overall. The battery is inserted from the middle of the light. The switch is not removable because a ring at that end of the flashlight is press fitted and keeps both the switch and the pocket clip in place. I took the time to make some measurements which are as follows:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Modes are High – Medium – Low – Strobe – Beacon (2 flicks and off) – SOS (too slowly sent). As far as I can tell there is no memory when the flashlight is turned off.
> 
> I will adding more if I manage the time for a complete review.
> Overall with a price between the 2 other flashlights it is a very worthwhile purchase if it turns out to be durable enough as time passes by. And I would love to see it featured and compared in this thread



nice, thank you for the measurements on this light. Anyway, I left the light on low all night for 8 hours (with a 80% eneloop i think), and in the morning the output still the same. But after that, I left it on medium for about 10-15 minutes and it begin to flick and dim down to low level. So that's my result on the run time on low.


----------



## sino

*Re: First impressions: DX Cree R2 Buckle Light*



shadowjk said:


> If I remember right, from the pictures of DXBuckle, it looks kinda like KDBuckle v3. IIRC, KD said they switched manufacturer to one that could make threads with higher precision for v4 onwards. Maybe the old manufacturer offered v3 with emitter upgrade to DX  Of course, a comparison between a real DXBuckle and a real v3 KD Buckle would be interesting, if someone has both...



I had the KD V3 light and have the DX Buckle light. They might look similar, but they aren't the same light (even the external casing). There was indeed a problem with loose threads on the V3. The DX Buckle light is made by Aurora, and does not have this same problem. The DX light isn't perfect, but it's very nice at that price.


----------



## yard candle

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*

I'm hoping I ordered the right type of the KD Cree Q5 (AAA) lite. I ordered the XRT Version for longer battery life as apposed to highest light output.
The "Max" is the highest light output, I think. :naughty:


----------



## bessiebenny

*[BB] Romisen RC-T6 Review - Monster 6 x Cree Q4 light*

*[Romisen RC-T6 Review by Bessiebenny]*

- Here's my long overdue "STILL NOT FINISHED" review of Romisen RC-T6. (photos to come someday)
- I cannot invest much time in flashlights anymore but I will do what I can. :mecry:
- Star ratings sorta stay the same. 5 is excellent. 6 means extra ordinary!



 





*[REVIEW]*

*First Impression ★★★★★*
- Nicest "big" torch I've felt so far.
- 6 Cree LEDs! Looks great! Monster!
- This torch feels really solid in hand.

*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.
- It gets too hot too quickly then battery runs out not long after.
- So expect to just use it with 2 x 18650 all the time. 

*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 ★★★★1/2*
- 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.

--------

*[OUTPUT/MEASUREMENTS]* 
- These are "throw" values and the current that it pulls from the battery.
- 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.

** 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]*
- Only have done high 6LED mode for now. Will add others later when I can.
- As you can see, 2x18650 is where it shines the most. (pun intended. =P)


----------



## gav6280

*Which SSC P7 at DX has longest throw.*

I would like to buy a p7 light from Deal extreme but there is so many to choose from, i know i want something insanely bright and with mega throw, but so many to choose....


----------



## Lighthearted1

*Re: Which SSC P7 at DX has longest throw.*

Hi gav6280,

I have read all the review opinions from DX P7 buyers for that same reason.
I have not bought one, but I am thinking that this one may be in the running for you.
Aurora AK-P7-3 SSC P7-C 900-Lumen 2-Mode LED Flashlight (2*18650/4*CR123A) $50.02
sku.14451

I hope that this thread brings some good info from someone who has bought several different p7's from there. Maybe BEAMSHOTS !?

Good Luck!


----------



## KeukaLite

*Re: [BB] Romisen RC-T6 Review - Monster 6 x Cree Q4 light*

Outstanding and very accurate review! I just came home with mine, and I agree completely with your assessment. Although it doesn't have as much throw as I hoped it would, it is a great general purpose light. 

Just curious, did you find the switch a little touchy? All I need to do is brush against the switch and the light will flicker off. Did you experience the same thing?


----------



## bessiebenny

*Re: [BB] Romisen RC-T6 Review - Monster 6 x Cree Q4 light*

I don't think I noticed that problem with mine. 
(would certainly have mentioned it if I did. hehe.)


----------



## LukeA

*Re: Which SSC P7 at DX has longest throw.*

If you are buying a P7 light, you are not buying it for throw.


----------



## AlexGT

*Re: Which SSC P7 at DX has longest throw.*

I get decent throw out of my P7 using a modified Throwmaster reflector.

https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/196283

HTH
AlexGT


----------



## hyperloop

*Re: Which SSC P7 at DX has longest throw.*



LukeA said:


> If you are buying a P7 light, you are not buying it for throw.



+1 on that, everything I have read here so far on P7 lights focuses first on the output, the flood THEN the throw.

For throw, you would probably need to get the Aurora WF-600 Q5 2 mode from DX, i own one and it throws very nicely especially when run on 2xRCR123s (3.7v) vs 18650


----------



## gratewhitehuntr

*Re: [BB] Romisen RC-T6 Review - Monster 6 x Cree Q4 light*

glad to see a review of this light

might be on my list :naughty:


----------



## tonyblack

*Re: Dealextreme single AA/14500 SKU 16607*



highseas said:


> Thanks for your impressions. I ordered one and am waiting for its arrival
> 
> Glad to hear two positive reviews so far. I also liked hearing that the low is really low.
> 
> Can't wait.



I've been carrying mine every day for over 2 weeks now, and it's a great little light! I actually find that it's bright enough to be useful for things that I need a light for.

I was curious to see how it would stack up to a mag light LED module in real world use, so I wasted $15 on an LED upgrade for my maglight, (mag brand BTW) and bought new Energizer batteries, and well, other than the fact that the mag will focus it's beam a little better, and probably run a little longer on a set of batteries, the little light blows it out of the water. At 100 yards the mag light almost matches the little light (running on a 14500) anything less than 100 yards, and the little guy outclasses it by a fair margin. (looks to be about twice as bright at 10 feet to my eyes, I can get beamshots of the comparison if anyone's interested.)

I also edited my earlier post to note that there *is* an O-ring in front of the lens.

I know there are better lights out there, but this has ended up being the best $20 I've spent in years.


----------



## gav6280

*Re: Which SSC P7 at DX has longest throw.*

As i already have various other q5's and Halogen's i want to get a P7 which i then tear to bits and re build into a SCUBA diving light....

So which one?

Also i have been having a think about this from cutter, seems a bit pricey though:

http://www.cutter.com.au/proddetail.php?prod=cut839

Any ideas on how or rather what you do to drive these things with, also battery advice with regards to voltage etc. Will def be using Lithium polymer battery pack.


----------



## Gunner12

*Re: Which SSC P7 at DX has longest throw.*

You can buy the LEDs and reflectors separately so you don't have to tear apart a light.

As for the multi LED setup you linked to, we'll have to know how it is wired in order to recommend a driver.

There is at least 1 P7 dive light that I've seen in the Home made and modified section.


----------



## DM51

*Re: Dealextreme single AA/14500 SKU 16607*

yard candle, please learn the difference between the "Post Reply" button and the "Report Post" button. The latter is for reporting infractions of the rules, not for replying to posts.


----------



## KowShak

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*

DX seems to have another budget thrower, the UltraFire C8 and is roughly DBS sized according to the specs. It seems to be a scaled up C2 or scaled down WF-600 depending on which way you look at it, the reflector is aluminium too unlike the WF-600. 

I've searched the forum and can't see much about it, Its another light (like the SmartFire V-65C) that I'd like know more about (beamshots, disection pics, modding potential etc) but that there isn't a lot on this forum about.


----------



## glenda17

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*

Yea I saw that one too. It looks a lot like the DBS. I'm either waiting for an excellent review or saving for a real DBS.


----------



## highseas

*Re: Dealextreme single AA/14500 SKU 16607*

That's good to know! I'm still waiting for mine to arrive (ordered about a week and a half ago). I checked the DX site again and now the light is on back order! Glad I got myself one.

I would be interested in seeing the pictures comparing this light and the minimag LED. Maybe others would as well.

If you have time, that would be appreciated.



tonyblack said:


> I've been carrying mine every day for over 2 weeks now, and it's a great little light! I actually find that it's bright enough to be useful for things that I need a light for.
> 
> I was curious to see how it would stack up to a mag light LED module in real world use, so I wasted $15 on an LED upgrade for my maglight, (mag brand BTW) and bought new Energizer batteries, and well, other than the fact that the mag will focus it's beam a little better, and probably run a little longer on a set of batteries, the little light blows it out of the water. At 100 yards the mag light almost matches the little light (running on a 14500) anything less than 100 yards, and the little guy outclasses it by a fair margin. (looks to be about twice as bright at 10 feet to my eyes, I can get beamshots of the comparison if anyone's interested.)
> 
> I also edited my earlier post to note that there *is* an O-ring in front of the lens.
> 
> I know there are better lights out there, but this has ended up being the best $20 I've spent in years.


----------



## KowShak

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*

I've found yet another clone that I can't find out anything about, the EastwardYJ XG. It looks similar in size / shape to the C8 I mentioned above, but its not identical.

EastwardYJ have a website, with pictures of their factory floor, its interesting to see what machinery they're using to make the lights. http://eastwardyj.com.cn/


----------



## kaimaikid

*Ultrafire SG-900 (C9) - wicked thrower.... now with beamshots*

Just had my nice new Ultrafire SG-900 or C9 as Jerry calls it from KD and I can say that I'm impressed :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:












It runs on 1 x 18650 and comparing to my Dereelight DBS V2 3SD Q5 WC (strewth thats a mouthfull) it looks like it may come very close to out throwing the DBS :huh:

Ok - my test is by eyesight only at 15m but the SG-900 has a much tighter hotspot than the DBS like half to third of the size and is noticable over top of the DBS hotspot - possibly that it has a slightly different tint (blueish purply) in comparison to the DBS.

Man the head is smooth and very deep.

will post some piccies shortly...


*KD's specs....*
Modes -- Low/High 
Swith Type: Tactic Click Reverse Swith
Finish Type -- Harden Type II
Construction -- Aluminum
Lumen/Runtime -- 230lumen/120minutes 
LED Tint -- WC
Lens Material -- Glass

2.Dimensions: 
Length (18.5cm): Weight255.6g) Head Dia.4.8cm)

3.Regulations: 
Battery Type：1*18650 Battery
Voltage input range -- (3.7V~4.2V)
Voltage & Current (DC Power Supply) -- 3.7V~760mA,4.2V~710mA,

4.Highlights: 
Waterproof & shockproof -- YES
O-rings location -- Lens, LED heatsink joint,tail cap
BeamType -- Medium
Focusing -- Fixed
Glued/potted -- No


----------



## bub181

*Re: Dealextreme single AA/14500 SKU 16607*



tonyblack said:


> I've been carrying mine every day for over 2 weeks now, and it's a great little light! I actually find that it's bright enough to be useful for things that I need a light for.
> ...
> I know there are better lights out there, but this has ended up being the best $20 I've spent in years.



I totally agree. This is the best light I have bought for around $20. It's small; it takes both AA and 14500; it has six modes with mode memory; it's very bright on high; and it is very well made with O-rings throughout.


----------



## kaimaikid

*Re: Ultrafire SG-900 (C9) - wicked thrower....*

Both beamshots done with freshly charged 18650s

Ultrafire SG-900 (C9) + Dereelight DBS V2






Lens and Chip






Reflector






Clicky






Beamshots @ 5m DBS (left) SG-900 (right)






Beamshots @ 5m 2 f-stops under exposed, both together, SG-900 slightly right of center


----------



## BMF

*Re: Ultrafire SG-900 (C9) - wicked thrower....*

Was it 5m or 15m shot? On the first post you said at 15m.

Do you have a longer range shots like 100m, 200m, ...?


----------



## kaimaikid

*Re: Ultrafire SG-900 (C9) - wicked thrower....*



BMF said:


> Was it 5m or 15m shot? On the first post you said at 15m.
> 
> Do you have a longer range shots like 100m, 200m, ...?


 
Where I originaly compared them was 15m but no way to get photo so beamshots are at 5m

No chance of doing anything longer until the weekend thats if I get a chance .

Edit: just tried it out in the dark at distance - may be just slightly brighter on throw but DBS is better due to bigger hotspot.


----------



## mrQQ

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*

hey guys,

first of all, huge thanks to the author of the thread for the effort!

now I have a question.

I want a mega-flood (ok, perhaps big-flood will do;p) flashlight. So I have few questions:

1. How does Romisen T6 compare to Aurora P7?
2. Should I look at SSC p7 or CREE MC-E flashlights? Which perform better in light output?
3. Any specific suggestions?

Thanks for any input!


----------



## mdocod

*Re: Ultrafire SG-900 (C9) - wicked thrower....*

looking at the current ratings of this light, the DBS should be pushing more total lumens (it drives the LED harder), which may make comparisons difficult. Does look like a nice thrower though, too bad it's kind of chunky


----------



## hyperloop

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*

P7s are great for flood. Or you could look at this thread HERE where i jury-rigged an incan flooder.


----------



## jabe1

*Re: Ultrafire SG-900 (C9) - wicked thrower....*

How hard is it to access the driver on the "C9"?


----------



## DavyBoy4

*Re: Ultrafire SG-900 (C9) - wicked thrower....*

Jst a quick question as i am planning on getting the dbs can i ask if any1 knows the lumens runtime and what modes it has ? Ive used search but couldnt find all 3.


----------



## gratewhitehuntr

*Re: Ultrafire SG-900 (C9) - wicked thrower....*

IBTL 

Please continue here



ok wait

since I'm IBTL I should say something........ 

um...

ok...ok... It's too big.

Now if it had a MC-E then we could call it heatsink. :twothumbs

But for right now it just looks like it needs to go on the ol CNC diet plan.


----------



## phantom23

*Re: Ultrafire SG-900 (C9) - wicked thrower....*

Wierd, there is Ultrafire C9 already and it's completely different light...

This one is also called Uniquefire HS-802. Also HS-801 and one of 2x18650 KD lights use the same reflector.

I'm wondering how is it going to throw with genuine Cree R2 and 1,2A driver...


----------



## kaimaikid

*Re: Ultrafire SG-900 (C9) - wicked thrower....*



phantom23 said:


> Wierd, there is Ultrafire C9 already and it's completely different light...
> 
> This one is also called Uniquefire HS-802. Also HS-801 and one of 2x18650 KD lights use the same reflector.
> 
> I'm wondering how is it going to throw with genuine Cree R2 and 1,2A driver...


 
Here is the name on the side of it.






I would feel that with a R2 driven @ 1.2A it would perform nicely

shot of the reflector...






http://www.cpfmarketplace.com/mp/showpost.php?p=2221727&postcount=16


----------



## lightmyway

*Re: Ultrafire SG-900 (C9) - wicked thrower....*

I,ve had the uniquefire HS801 for a few days now ,not as chunky as the 802, same reflector which is deeper than the DBS ..Mine has the R2 emitter driven at 1.3a.Mine has good solder connections,and anodized threads,It throws very well .definitly a contender in the throw class of lights.And easy to Mod.


----------



## KowShak

*Re: Ultrafire SG-900 (C9) - wicked thrower....*

That reflector is a monster!

Looking at the pictures the HS801 isn't the same light, the reflector is similar in size but the one pictured on DX isn't the same as the one here although it is the same monster size.

In terms of reflector size this should be able to beat a DBS, but the DBS has a few things working in its favour e.g. coated lens, genuine R2 driven hard plus the precision its made to.


----------



## VegasF6

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*



kosPap said:


> My DX sku16607 Cree Q5-WC 6-Mode flashlight has arrived.
> 
> My first Impressions are very positive. It looks sturdy & well made with anodized square thread and good finishing overall. The battery is inserted from the middle of the light. The switch is not removable because a ring at that end of the flashlight is press fitted and keeps both the switch and the pocket clip in place.
> 
> My apoligies if this has already been addressed somewhere in this long thread, but the switch is removable on this light. The tailcap is threaded in, you might need to grab it with some needle nose pliers. From that point it is easy to remove the clip as well, though not as easy to put it back
> 
> What I haven't been able to do is remove the light engine from the head. Has anyone else managed? I am concerned about heat management with this light, as it never seems to get very hot. That might seem like a good thing but it could be a sign that it isn't transferring the heat from the led to the body of the light very well. Also, the head is so light that I am afraid the emitter isn't even mounted to an aluminum pill at all but just a piece of circuit board and a small ring. I only ran it about 10 minutes straight as I have borrowed this one from a friend until mine finally arrives, and being on back order that may be awhile.
> 
> My sample measured 1.43 amps at the tail with an Eneloop at 1.29 volts. I could tell very little difference in brightness with nimh vs 14500.
> 
> If it lasts, I like this light very much.


----------



## kosPap

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*

Vegas. thank you for the tip on the switch...
The procedure does not lend itself to experimentation on somebody elses light but it is good to know...


----------



## VegasF6

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*

It actually came off quite easy with no signs of glue, or damage. It was just too small to get with my fingers, but no signs of scratches from the pliers. However, that doesn't get the switch itself out of the assembly, it is held in by a teflon washer it appears, and I had to draw the line there.


----------



## kosPap

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*

thanks man...


----------



## yard candle

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*

I made a list of all single AAA Led light that I could find on DX and KD. Please vote for your favorite:

KD SKU s0005797UltraFire A6 Stainless Steel CREE Q5 $22.70
KD SKU s005608 3W Flashlight (1*AAA) (no typo->) $3.06
*KD SKU s006162 KD CREE Q5 HAIII Buckle $23.12
DX SKU 13006 Fenix E01 GX LED 10-Lumen Flashlight $15.70
DX SKu 12849 DX Cree R2 Cree LED Buckle 1AAA $14.99
DX SKU 5979 Romisen Lumileds Mini Flashlight (AAA) $11.30
DX SKU 891 1W Ultrafire 602C 1AAA Black $15.51
DX SLU 12059 Knight EVL Rebel 0080 5-Mode $25.14
*comes in 2 colors and 3 different lumin / duration ratios.


----------



## senecaripple

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*

i have the fenix that is on your list. i also have the tiablo A1 that is not on your list. of the 2 i would throw my vote for the fenix, i can twist the light on with one hand. i need 2 for the tiablo. and the A1 is twice the price.


----------



## CathastrophiX

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*

DX SKU 14067 
Ultrafire WF-602C Cree P4-WC 60-Lumen LED Flashlight (1*AAA) 

 
is a better choice then SKU 891


----------



## mrQQ

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*



hyperloop said:


> P7s are great for flood. Or you could look at this thread HERE where i jury-rigged an incan flooder.


 
Hi,

thanks for the link!

Would you rather choose aurora p7 or romisen -T6 for flood?

and how does p7 compare to mc-e?

thanks


----------



## kaimaikid

*Re: Ultrafire SG-900 (C9) - wicked thrower....*

Ok some comparison shots @ 250m approx.

POB HID 







SG-900






Dereelight DBS V2






Led Lenser P14






Fenix TK11






3D Mag KD chip + asph. lens






I think that I should have moved to the side a bit rather than being directly behind...


----------



## mrQQ

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*

Also, DX now has a whole LOT of different AK-P7 models:

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.12588 (the original)
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.14451
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.12624
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.15739
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.15691

does anyone have any clue what's their difference?


----------



## PlayboyJoeShmoe

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*

From my rather exhaustive searching I found 12624 having this in the reviews "pulls 3.04 amps from a fresh 18650".

That tells me that at least for a few minutes this thing will be AWFULLY bright.

But then all of the single 18650 models are very likely direct drive on high and resistored in low.

624 also has a reflector that is a little over 4mm bigger than 623 and a bit over 7mm bigger than another MTE.

So I lean towards ordering 624.


----------



## mrQQ

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*

I think i'll go with the original (588), since it seems to have biggest reflector of them all..


----------



## bessiebenny

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*



mrQQ said:


> I think i'll go with the original (588), since it seems to have biggest reflector of them all..


 
mrQQ, Personally I would recommend the RC-T6 over the AK-P7.

- RC-T6 is more efficient due to having Q4 bin LEDs ran at lower current.
- Runs MUCH cooler than the AK-P7. Direct driven P7 just gets too HOT.
- It's just as bright and has better throw also. (Still very floody overall)
- At the end of the day, it's just a better light. Bigger but still better.


----------



## PlayboyJoeShmoe

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*

I done seen the P7 in action....

Ain't no going back!


----------



## VegasF6

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*



yard candle said:


> I made a list of all single AAA Led light that I could find on DX and KD. Please vote for your favorite:
> 
> KD SKU s0005797UltraFire A6 Stainless Steel CREE Q5 $22.70
> KD SKU s005608 3W Flashlight (1*AAA) (no typo->) $3.06
> *KD SKU s006162 KD CREE Q5 HAIII Buckle $23.12
> DX SKU 13006 Fenix E01 GX LED 10-Lumen Flashlight $15.70
> DX SKu 12849 DX Cree R2 Cree LED Buckle 1AAA $14.99
> DX SKU 5979 Romisen Lumileds Mini Flashlight (AAA) $11.30
> DX SKU 891 1W Ultrafire 602C 1AAA Black $15.51
> DX SLU 12059 Knight EVL Rebel 0080 5-Mode $25.14
> *comes in 2 colors and 3 different lumin / duration ratios.


 
I wonder about sku 15644 ultrafire A6 with cree Q5.


----------



## hyperloop

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*



mrQQ said:


> Hi,
> 
> thanks for the link!
> 
> Would you rather choose aurora p7 or romisen -T6 for flood?
> 
> and how does p7 compare to mc-e?
> 
> thanks



I don't own any P7s yet, but i am leaning towards getting two of them, one will have to have a small head so that it's easy to carry around. I got the Aurora WF-600 Q5 and it throws very well but it isnt easy to stick in a pocket.

I was thinking of either this 5 mode one or this 2 mode one as my first light, can be EDC-ed with a sub 4 cm bezel.

For the 2nd P7, if i had the $$ i would go for the Dereelight DBS V2 Cree MC-E with OP reflector and a battery extender for $157.00, you can see this beamshot here but since that is out of my budget, i was considering any of the 2x18650/4xCR123 P7 lights on DX (there aren't many) but i am leaning towards this 5 mode one as it starts in Lo-Med-Hi-Strobe-SOS which is good enough for me. I don't foresee needing to blind someone or strobe them immediately.

Perhaps if Jetbeam ever came up with a P7 light with IBS, that would be a winner IMHO


----------



## glenda17

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*

I have the 14451 P7. I bought it on a wim as it was the only P7 2x18650 availabe at the time. Turns out it is my most used/favorite flashlight, and I have many (too many.)

The beam is smooth and superior to any of my cree lights. It isn't 900 lumens but is still nice and powerful, the best way to describe the output is BIG.


----------



## qwertyydude

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.17925

This looks interesting, I'm definitely getting it seeing as it is only $14.90 and this deserves some mentioning. No SOS! Finally they got rid of it, hate SOS. They kept strobe which is kinda annoying but also kinda fun sometimes. But Hi, Low and Strobe I can definitely live with.


----------



## mrQQ

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*



bessiebenny said:


> mrQQ, Personally I would recommend the RC-T6 over the AK-P7.
> 
> - RC-T6 is more efficient due to having Q4 bin LEDs ran at lower current.
> - Runs MUCH cooler than the AK-P7. Direct driven P7 just gets too HOT.
> - It's just as bright and has better throw also. (Still very floody overall)
> - At the end of the day, it's just a better light. Bigger but still better.


 
Thanks for the update! You changed a lot - I was under impression that you prefered P7 over T6!

But.. I went in.. and.. ordered both! 

p.s. Dereelight with MC-E.. OMG!


----------



## kingofqueenz

*more powerful than a romisen rc-f4 q5*

i just got a romisen rc-f4 Q5 from shiningbeam.com, its 215 lumens and i love the tight beam and the ability that it can light up as far as my 2-3 millions candlelight spotlight, but in a much smaller package. What light would u recommend for around 20-50 bucks that is more than 250 lumens with a nice flood that can light up far. I don't care if its a chinese knockoff as long as its reliable. thanks


----------



## MonkRX

Honestly, for a single emitter light, you're asking for too much. Unless you go for an Ican, the RC-F4 Q5 is pretty much as bright as it will get. BessieBenny tested Both the Q5 and Non Q5 version of the RC-F4 and the Q5 version out-did the Fenix TK10 (granted, the RC-F4 was measured at peak output, and the RC-F4's brightness does fade overtime, unlike the virtually flat regulation of the Fenix's). 

I have the non-Q5 version of the RC-F4 and to my eye, its spill AND spot looks brighter than my Fenix T1 when the RC-F4 is *at peak*.

The RC-F4 has a nice throw/spill combination (leaning towards through). I'd say its a little tighter than my Fenix T1, and both of them have the faint Cree ring.

The only LED lights that you'd probably *see* an improvement would be Seoul P7 based lights.

As for Cree lights, I think (but I don't know) everyone is going nutz about the output on the EagleTac flashlights.


Anyway, you have to settle on a few things:

Either you want flood or a tight spot. 
If you want a tight spot, I think you're virtually limited to cree lights (because of price and the availability (or lack of) P7 throwers.).


Either way, I'd say just get another RC-F4 or get a nice heavy duty flashlight


----------



## ergotelis

*Re: Ultrafire SG-900 (C9) - wicked thrower.... now with beamshots*

nice comparison, but do you have any lux readings?Thanks!


----------



## kingofqueenz

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*

bump for more suggestions


----------



## VegasF6

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*

I am going to suggest the Eagletac T10C2. MrGman has tested actual lumens with an integrating sphere. Here is a thread to look at.
https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/211402


----------



## Aircraft800

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*

I'm looking for a 1*18650 Cree light with lots of throw, SMO or likewise.
I found these, but can't find any reviews in this thread, has anyone tries these yet?

*Aurora 3.6V~9V CREE R2 Flashlight SKU: S005665*

*UltraFire G4-MCU CREE Q5 LED Mode 3 Flashlight(1 x 18650/2*CR123A) SKU: S006096*

*SacredFire V-68C CREE Q5 Mode 4 Flashlight 1*18650 SKU: S006132 *

*UltraFire u4-MCU CREE Q5 Mode 3 Flashlight (1*18650/3*AAA) SKU: S006154 *

*UltraFire G4-MCU CREE Q5 Mode 3 Flashlight (1*18650) SKU: S006185*

*Piritlight SG-901CREE Q5 Mode 2 Flashlight (1*18650) SKU: S006263 *


----------



## VegasF6

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*

Aircraft, I don't have any experience with any of those, but I sure wonder about that Piritlight. Does indeed look like a thrower.

The G4 ultrafire is reminiscent of the RC-G4 by Rom or the Ultrafire C2, huh? I would guess the one that accepts the lower voltage would be better for 18650, but who knows. 

The Aurora claims 500mA at 3.6V, so I don't imagine that would fit your bill too well.

Don't really have any comment about the Sacredfire, but this thread should help?
https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/184280

Did you notice the raidfire spear clone? Sku s006094, product ID 5558. Interesting.


----------



## Aircraft800

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*



VegasF6 said:


> Aircraft, I don't have any experience with any of those, but I sure wonder about that Piritlight. Does indeed look like a thrower.
> 
> The G4 ultrafire is reminiscent of the RC-G4 by Rom or the Ultrafire C2, huh? I would guess the one that accepts the lower voltage would be better for 18650, but who knows.
> 
> The Aurora claims 500mA at 3.6V, so I don't imagine that would fit your bill too well.
> 
> Don't really have any comment about the Sacredfire, but this thread should help?
> https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/184280
> 
> Did you notice the raidfire spear clone? Sku s006094, product ID 5558. Interesting.


 
Yea, I like the looks of that spear clone, I just couldn't justify laying that one on the concrete. I plan on using it as a beater at work when I can set it on the ground, and get it into dirty greasy areas, that's why I'd like to find roughly $30.

Thanks for all of the insight!!


----------



## PlayboyJoeShmoe

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*

Couple three weeks or so I'll be able to give my thoughts on:

Ultrafire MC-C2 MC-E (bin K-WC) #16958

MTE SSC P7 #12325

I will of course report!


----------



## kingofqueenz

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*



VegasF6 said:


> I am going to suggest the Eagletac T10C2. MrGman has tested actual lumens with an integrating sphere. Here is a thread to look at.
> https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/211402



wow, this looks pretty promising, whats the cheapest site selling this? any discount codes on it? or something similiar for more like $40-50 rather than $60?


----------



## LukeA

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*



Aircraft800 said:


> I'm looking for a 1*18650 Cree light with lots of throw, SMO or likewise.
> I found these, but can't find any reviews in this thread, has anyone tries these yet?
> SacredFire V-68C CREE Q5 Mode 4 Flashlight 1*18650 SKU: S006132



AKA the Smartfire V-68C, I've got one of these and I like it, especially with a 2-mode AMC board. It throws well, even with MOP.

ernsanada's review

selfbuilt's review


----------



## hyperloop

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*



Aircraft800 said:


> I'm looking for a 1*18650 Cree light with lots of throw, SMO or likewise.
> I found these, but can't find any reviews in this thread, has anyone tries these yet?
> 
> *Aurora 3.6V~9V CREE R2 Flashlight SKU: S005665*
> 
> *UltraFire G4-MCU CREE Q5 LED Mode 3 Flashlight(1 x 18650/2*CR123A) SKU: S006096*
> 
> *SacredFire V-68C CREE Q5 Mode 4 Flashlight 1*18650 SKU: S006132 *
> 
> *UltraFire u4-MCU CREE Q5 Mode 3 Flashlight (1*18650/3*AAA) SKU: S006154 *
> 
> *UltraFire G4-MCU CREE Q5 Mode 3 Flashlight (1*18650) SKU: S006185*
> 
> *Piritlight SG-901CREE Q5 Mode 2 Flashlight (1*18650) SKU: S006263 *



I dont own any of those but i do own this Aurora and it is a darn good thrower for the price.

There is a separate review somewhere on cpf, just do a search. It works better and brighter on RCR123s


----------



## kingofqueenz

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*

Whats better the eagletac p10c2 or the t10c2? I like the p10c2 since its alil cheaper and has a smaller head...but does the bigger head on the t10c2 really make much of a difference in regards to throw?


----------



## PlayboyJoeShmoe

*Oh Bother! Said Pooh....*

As he chambered another round!

This involves Flashlights.

I got two DX R2 and one DX Q5 (all single mode) Monday evening.

Last night I went to compare the three modules using Li-Ion 18650 at 3.78V for each head to head comparison. 

One R2 is just a wee bit brighter, tighter and whiter than the other. The Q5 is not quite as good as the last one I got.

Now for the bother. I have a total of 7 Forward switches for the LumaPower M1 XRE and my two Ultrafire 502B have these switces installed. Last night one of the LP switches FAILED! They are not very old and do not have all that much use on them.

This is a BOTHER!

Less bothersome but still iritating is that three Romisen Incan P60 lights are STILL backordered, and I have three modules that aren't doing anything just now.

PHOOEY!


----------



## Casebrius

*Best 14500 Light on DX???*

As title said, I have a few 14500's that need a home. What is the best light on DX for them?


----------



## hyperloop

*Re: Best 14500 Light on DX???*

You might want to consider the stainless steel 5 mode Ultrafire C3 but this *only* takes 14500s.


----------



## Black Rose

*Re: Oh Bother! Said Pooh....*



PlayboyJoeShmoe said:


> Less bothersome but still iritating is that three Romisen Incan P60 lights are STILL backordered, and I have three modules that aren't doing anything just now.


I just checked DX.

Both the silver and black Romisen RX-A lights are now listed as Sold Out....no longer back ordered.

I was thinking about getting one of these as a cheap host. 
Based on other Sold Out items on DX, they may never return.

Guess I'll have to go with the Superfire 9V (aka WF-501B).


----------



## gratewhitehuntr

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*



underconstruction said:


> Here is also another excellent drop-in. This one is optimized for 1 18650 and can drive the led hard as well as very low.
> 
> http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.11074
> 
> I own it and its tint is excellent.



yes


----------



## gratewhitehuntr

*Re: Oh Bother! Said Pooh....*



Black Rose said:


> I just checked DX.
> 
> Both the silver and black Romisen RX-A lights are now listed as Sold Out....no longer back ordered.
> 
> Guess I'll have to go with the Superfire 9V (aka WF-501B).



I got an UF 501B when I saw the RX-A line was gone
had 5 on order:mecry:

PLUS there is a 1 mode 501b claiming R2

it was like 16 buck...maybe 17..


----------



## PlayboyJoeShmoe

*Re: Oh Bother! Said Pooh....*

I have a few other lights coming so I'm not doing anything until they all get here.

I'll go for more 502B rather than 501B because I just like that shape better.


----------



## fstuff

*How to test?*

so i now have (all 1AA):
Generic 1W 20-Lumen ($3.50)
rc-g2 ($11.30) <p2 emitter>
rc-a3 (14.55) <p4>
q2-wc ($11.99) <q2 emitter>

testing for relative brightness seems easy:
line them all on table 10ft away, and shine on white wall.

for throw, pick an object in my backyard and shine each light at it.
then pick a different object a little farther away.
rinse/repeat till only 1 light reaches object?

is there a better/more efficient way?


----------



## bessiebenny

*Re: How to test?*

You can use your digital camera if you have one. (DSLR preferably)
Coz you need to be able to fix the exposure. 
(ie. manually set the aperture, ISO and shutter speed.)
Then you can compare each photo of its output against an object at fixed exposure.
You can vary the exposure until you don't see the hotspot anymore for each light.

or use a solar panel hooked up to a multimeter and measure its output when you shine each light at the panel.

or.. Just buy a lux meter from DX or something for around $25. (most sure way really)


----------



## tom_kauf

*Newbie looking to buy a Romisen, just a few quick questions*

Hi everyone,
This afternoon I was looking for an LED Torch, and I came across this great forum. And now it's dark outside and I've somehow spent the last 4 hours on here :laughing:. Earlier today I didn't even know this world existed (or what any of the model numbers meant).

Anyway, I was almost settled on the Romisen RC-G2. I want a farily compact torch (not larger than 6 inches), running normal AA batterie(s), for less than US$20.
But on a couple of threads, people mentioned that the G2 has a farily narrow beam. 

*Q1:* I know it depends a lot on the exposure of the camera when taking pictures, but I be dissapointed if the beam was only as narrow as the 1st pic below. I'm not that concerned about absolute brightness in the centre of the beam, I'd rather have a wider beam that illuminates more area ahead. The pic is only an example (a Surefire G2 in this case, I found on another forum), but is this what I can expect, compared to the Romisen F4 (much nicer beam width) of the 2nd pic?

*Q2:* I read that Alkaline batteries are not recommended because they can leak. Is it such a problem that it's worth spending money on NiMh batteries with a charger instead? I have a crappy 30min Fast charger that I got free, but I really should buy a new charger that charges nice and slowly (for longer battery life), right?

I read BessieBenny's budget LED roundup, and the Romisen RC-N3 also scored very well. It apparently has a wider beam. I'd be willing to spend the extra money if people think it has a wider beam. I wasn't really able to compare the pictures of the two in the roundup. The Romisen F4 doesn't run on AAs, so I don't think I'd want to spend more money on those other batteries (unless people recommend otherwise, because the purchase price of the F4 is still reasonable).

Since I'm in Australia, some brands (like Fenix), seem to be almost double the price of others. But I'll happily have a look at the prices of any other suggestions.
Also the factory moded G2 (Q5, is it?) isn't available. 

Thank you :thumbsup:,
Thomas

http://i28.tinypic.com/246t1ja.jpg

http://i28.tinypic.com/mmwsk0.jpg


----------



## Jarl

*Re: Newbie looking to buy a Romisen, just a few quick questions*

I'd recommend a Q5 modded RC-G2, which has a noticeably brighter spillbeam, and can be found here or here

As for a charger, IMO the best chargers charge in 1 to 2 hours. Any more and you risk overcharging and damaging your batteries, any less and the charging current is too high and you risk damaging your batteries.


----------



## bessiebenny

*Re: Newbie looking to buy a Romisen, just a few quick questions*

Tom. There are many options for around $20.

1. Stock RC-G2 does have a fairly tight hotspot and not very bright spill.
So if you want a more blended floodier beam, RC-G2 may not be right for you.
But for what it costs, it really cannot be beat in terms of quality & performance.
FYI - RC-G2 is around 50 lumens at best in total output.

2. Alkaline batteries by design are not good for constant current pulling usage such as a flashlight.
So I recommend getting a rechargeable NiMh AA batteries for AA flashlights.
Or jump ship to the world of lithiums and experience brighter flashlights.
(Only downside to lithiums is that you can't just buy one at 7Eleven in an emergency)

Anyways... Some AA lights that I believe is worth looking are:

For a cheap 1AA light that is brighter and has floodier output than RC-G2 is the RC-A3.
I've reviewed it and it a very simple and good quality 1AA light for the price.

btw, I've just ordered THIS light. I should get it hopefully this month sometime.
My gut feeling tells me that this light might be a killer "budget" AA light.
(Collimator Lense for blended output and 700mA to the LED meaning it's 2W and not 1W like most 1xAA light)
So on paper, it should be a 130+ lumen 1AA light for US$20 which is quite uncommon.

Or.. If you are fine with a slightly longer 2AA design.
Have a look at the WF-606A Q5 flashlight. (newer one of what I've reviewed)
It is a very good quality light with about 150+ lumen output.
Output should be similar to the RC-F4. Not bad.


----------



## tom_kauf

*Re: Newbie looking to buy a Romisen, just a few quick questions*

Thanks Jarl. I mentioned that the Q5 wasn't available here. But then I checked the international postage from Shiningbeam.com, and it's only an extra $5.95. But at the moment, the exchange rate is a killer. 6-8 months ago, the Aus$ and US$ were almost equal. But now I have to pay about Aus$1.5 to get US$1. So well see if that takes it out of my price range.


Thank you for all the tips & alternatives, bessiebenny.

I had a look, and I can get:
WF-606A for Aus$45
RC-A3 for Aus$33
C2-1 for Aus$32. I don't think I can get the MTE C2-1 here, but I noticed that DX has free worldwide shipping . So I've just converted the price to Aus$.
Q5 RC-G2 for Aus$40. I ould have to order from overseas (which is cheaper than I thought), so that's what I would pay.

Hmmm, decisions, decisions.
I'm not in a hurry, so I could wait for your latest review bessiebenny. I'll read your Test results again, but it's hard for me to make a decision.


----------



## Casebrius

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*

Is the LED mount 14mm or 16mm in the Romisen RC-F4? I want to upgrade to a Q5 but I don't have the light in front of me and won't for a couple weeks. Thanks


----------



## bessiebenny

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*



Casebrius said:


> Is the LED mount 14mm or 16mm in the Romisen RC-F4? I want to upgrade to a Q5 but I don't have the light in front of me and won't for a couple weeks. Thanks


 
My review of RC-F4 on PART4 confirms that it is 16mm round base. =)


----------



## Black Rose

*Re: Oh Bother! Said Pooh....*



PlayboyJoeShmoe said:


> I have a few other lights coming so I'm not doing anything until they all get here.
> 
> I'll go for more 502B rather than 501B because I just like that shape better.


DX has added an Ultrafire L2 with an R2 module.

Looks to be a Solarforce/Spiderfire L2 clone.

The knurling is slightly different than the Solarforce L2, so I don't think it's a case of the same light with a different label on it, considering the Ultrafire is half the cost of the Solarforce.


----------



## Daravon

*Dealextreme LED lights*

I have a shurefire E2e, G2, and a Fenix L1P cree edition bored out to CR123 size. This is great, but since I got the Fenix I have been 'sold' on LEDs since it's brighter than my E2e. 

Now I come to realize tha Dealextreme has a lot of small LED lights that are advertised as being bright, and they are very cheap. Are they any good? Do you have one and like it?

_*[3 links removed - DM51]*_

The problem is that there are a lot of them. Do you have a favorite? I'm interested in both a L1P equivalent size, and a E2e equivalent size that takes either CR123 or AA or both. Are these lights any good, and which ones are? Anyone bought like one of every Dealextreme light so that I don't have to?


Self-hijack: I always wanted a LED drop-in for the E2e but Surefire's LEDs are expensive and suck, and all the third party drop-ins seem to be for the 6p size Surefires. Any ideas?


----------



## sol-leks

*Re: Dealextreme LED lights*

I really like the romisen brand, I think they make very impressive budget lights. I have the rc-n3 and it is very nice.
You might also want to check out shiningbeam.com
They sell many of the same lights you will find on DX, but with upgrade LED's and with the knowledge that you won get a dud because it has been tested before you got it. Also shiningbeam is located in the states so if it doesn't work its easier to return.
Another really cheap light I like is the CJ 1W from this website called golden gadgets. It is 4 bucks, uses 1 AA and puts out about 50 lumens.

I don't know about surefire dropins, sorry.


----------



## LukeA

*Re: Dealextreme LED lights*

Bessiebenny's thread


----------



## hyperloop

*Re: Dealextreme LED lights*



Daravon said:


> I have a shurefire E2e, G2, and a Fenix L1P cree edition bored out to CR123 size. This is great, but since I got the Fenix I have been 'sold' on LEDs since it's brighter than my E2e.
> 
> Now I come to realize tha Dealextreme has a lot of small LED lights that are advertised as being bright, and they are very cheap. Are they any good? Do you have one and like it?
> 
> _*[3 links removed - DM51]*_
> 
> The problem is that there are a lot of them. Do you have a favorite? I'm interested in both a L1P equivalent size, and a E2e equivalent size that takes either CR123 or AA or both. Are these lights any good, and which ones are? Anyone bought like one of every Dealextreme light so that I don't have to?
> 
> 
> Self-hijack: I always wanted a LED drop-in for the E2e but Surefire's LEDs are expensive and suck, and all the third party drop-ins seem to be for the 6p size Surefires. Any ideas?


 
I own an Ultrafire C3 but it is the AA model that can run on 14500s as well, the one you have there (the 2nd link) appears to run only on 14500s which would leave you in the lurch when the power cuts out.

The one that i own is this one and the price has dropped since i last saw it (think it was $18.98 or so, now $16.09). Its served me well and with the extension tube, it can run on 2 x AAs for longer run time (3hr 45 minutes on mine with dimming but still usable light). There's also a 5 mode but i'm not too sure about that as i dont own one. I'd go for one that can run on both AAs and 14500s as its easier to find spare AAs than it is to charge 14500s.

For CR123 lights, check out the Romisen RC-C3 which i also own and its pretty nice for its price. I also ordered an Ultrafire A1 but its not in yet. 

Don't know anything about dropins for your Surefire i'm afraid.


----------



## Joshatdot

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*

Is there a HTML/XML/Text version of the Chart with all the lights reviews? something searchable?

I was looking at Cree lights on DX, and wanted to quickly check how they performed on your list.


----------



## tom_kauf

*Re: Newbie looking to buy a Romisen, just a few quick questions*

Alright, I'm down to just a few choices. Any help would be great.
The MTE C2-1 is out, because it has a Plastic Lens. It could get scratched in my Tool bag. Or do any come with a little bag?

The WF-606A Q5 is almost out, because one reviewer said 'beam is very narrow focused'.
But then again, even a guy who bought the RC-A3 said 'too focused in the middle, i'd loved a more spreaded light'.

I could order the Q5 RC-G2 from overseas, but an important thing to mention is that I would often use the Torch for close-up work during the day (PC cases under a desk etc). One reviewer said a Q5 is a bit too bright for close-up work.
Any suggestions for a compromise of good Spill, but not too bright hotspot for closeup work?

Thanks


----------



## alohaluau

*Re: Newbie looking to buy a Romisen, just a few quick questions*



tom_kauf said:


> do any come with a little bag?
> 
> I would often use the Torch for close-up work during the day (PC cases under a desk etc).
> 
> compromise of good Spill, but not too bright hotspot for closeup work?



Hi Tom,:welcome:

You will find most don't come with a holster/pouch/bag, unless you count the padded plastic bag as a bag... 

In my *ahem* growing collection (following BB's reviews :thumbsup I have the following: Romisen RC-G2, RC-A3, RC-N3, Ultrafire WF-606A Q5, among others.

I find I gravitate towards the RC-A3 if I want more spill for close up work, the RC-G2 is a mini thrower but not very bright in this group. The RC-N3 stays on my pushbike, the Ultrafire WF-606A Q5 is now in the car.

My 2c worth, others may have a different opinion on this.

Cheers,
Luau


----------



## kosPap

*Re: Newbie looking to buy a Romisen, just a few quick questions*



tom_kauf said:


> Alright, I'm down to just a few choices. Any help would be great.The MTE C2-1 is out, because it has a Plastic Lens.
> 
> ....snip snip
> 
> I could order the Q5 RC-G2 from overseas,
> 
> ...snip snip/quote]
> 
> well I found late last nigt that that my Q5rd RC-G2 has a PLASTIC lens too..
> 
> I have a horror story to go with it but that is for another thread....


----------



## Buck91

*Re: Dealextreme LED lights*

I have been very impressed with the quality of my Ultrafire C1 so far. It does run on 2xCR123's, so its not ultra compact, but component qualty appears almost as nice a Fenix, although the assembly quality was lacking (easy enough to fix).


----------



## labrat

*Re: Dealextreme LED lights*



Daravon said:


> I have a shurefire E2e, G2, and a Fenix L1P cree edition bored out to CR123 size. This is great, but since I got the Fenix I have been 'sold' on LEDs since it's brighter than my E2e.



The E2e incan can be much brighter than a standard issued Surefire E2e!
Look at these adapters, with a TL-3 bulb and the adapter, the E2E is bright enough for most uses!
https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/168327

DX lights are cheap, some I am sure can work well, but they are mostly cheap.



Daravon said:


> Self-hijack: I always wanted a LED drop-in for the E2e but Surefire's LEDs are expensive and suck, and all the third party drop-ins seem to be for the 6p size Surefires. Any ideas?



There are some some LED-heads that can be used with the E2e, look in this thread:
https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/198525

To make a D26 drop-in-abled E2e you need a bezel to accommodate it.
Surefire C-bezels can be used, with an adapter like discussed here:
https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/209795

There have been one LED drop-in for the E-bezel:
https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/186193

Hope this gives you some ideas!


----------



## labrat

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*

Have you read this?

https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/209354


----------



## glenda17

*Re: Newbie looking to buy a Romisen, just a few quick questions*



tom_kauf said:


> Any suggestions for a compromise of good Spill, but not too bright hotspot for closeup work?
> 
> Thanks


 

I have similiar needs for a flashlight, people here often dismiss the need for a smooth spill to do detail work. The budget light you want is the MTE SSC P4, if you want to spend a few more dollars there is the LumaPower LM31. They are both good quality.


----------



## fstuff

*Re: Newbie looking to buy a Romisen, just a few quick questions*

talk about price creep.

g2 for $11 (p2 emitter)
A3 for $15 (p4)
Now MTE C2-1 (cree q5) for $21

if it's based on emitter, then this would be best bang for the buck:
Cree Q2-WC $12 (q2 emitter)
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.14908

the only problem is the tail clicky is HARD to press on.
https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/214390

How do you EASILY take off the rubber price so i can put in some foam at the clickie?


----------



## tom_kauf

*Re: Newbie looking to buy a Romisen, just a few quick questions*

Thanks for all the help everyone.
Glenda17, I read about the MTE SSC-P4's smooth spill on a couple of posts.
And for that reason, I almost decided on the MTE SSC-P4.

But then I read the DX Reviews, and most people had contact problems (flickering). Some people managed to fit it by cleaning contacts or resoldering. I could do that as well, as long as it fixes it permanently. I've had enough $2 torches with annoying contact problems. So I don't want my new one to have the same.

Would the LumaPower LM31 you recommended avoid that problem (ie. is it a totally different torch apart from the LED)? I found one Australian site that sold it for the same price as the MTE, but they were out of stock. So we'll see where I can get it from.....


----------



## glenda17

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*

Yes the Lumapower is high quality, no flickering and no tinkering required.


----------



## tom_kauf

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*



glenda17 said:


> Yes the Lumapower is high quality, no flickering and no tinkering required.


Great, thank you Glenda. I'll see if I can get it here in Australia. If not, that's ok because postage seems to be pretty cheap (sometimes even free).


----------



## PlayboyJoeShmoe

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*

The finish on it is Shiny and somewhat crummy....

But I am liking my $15.xx Ultrafire 505B!!!

Worked okay as it came.

But now has Dereelight 3SM Q2 5A module and LumaPower M1-XRE forward switch!

The module from the 505 is in a 502B with a 1447 reflector held up to it. It seems pretty close to as bright as the average Q5!

Cute little Pocket Rocket!!!


----------



## tom_kauf

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*

I'm not having much luck, it looks the like the Lumapower LM31 is discontinued .
I sent a message to extremetorches.com.au (the only Australian Google result that comes up). But on their website, it's listed as 'Sold Out'. I also sent one to www.torchworld.com.au (the distributor listed for Australia). But on their website, it isn't listed at all.
It's Friday evening here, so they'll probably reply on Monday.

The only place (according to the 4 pages of google results) that still lists the LM31 without 'Sold Out' or 'Discontinued' is http://www.cfrlights.com. So I'll try them if I can't get it elsewhere.

Any other suggestions would be great. I'll even take suggestions for other models, in case I can't get the LM31 at all. I think I'll search for others with the SSC-P4 emitter, because the beamshots I've seen really do look nice and progressive.

EDIT: www.qualityflashlights.co.uk still list the LUMAPOWER LM303. Wasn't that the model that was replaced by the LM31? I think I read that somewhere, and I think people commented on the LM31 being an improvement over the LM303 (can't remember why).


----------



## glenda17

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*

The 303 is CR123a, its crazy that SSC P4 lights are being discontinued for a lot of applications they are superior to cree's.


----------



## oronocova

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*

I just received the MTE C2-1 "waterproof" light. Build quality is great, switch feels good (reverse click.) Very smooth beam, very white beam, and very bright. Probably not quite the 150lm claim, but close. A quick ceiling bounce reveals it is much brighter than a stock Surefire G2. I think the G2 is rated at 60lm?? That probably puts this light at 100ish if not more. Only thing I would like on it would be a clip at the tail cap to carry it head down in a jeans pocket. Probably could come up with something. It does have 2 o-rings head and tail. No grease from factory, added some and now it's like butter. No o-ring that I can see at the bezel but the LED star has some kind of seal/ant around it. Probably is dunkable, defintely wouldn't think twice about using it in the rain. Looks like they tried to machine flat spots on a ring around the body, however the flats are not any "higher" than the head or tail.... so it will roll on a flat surface.

Probably one of the better/best deals I have gotten on DX. I would buy it again and it would make an excellent gift that won't feel like a cheapo light to the giftee (mine came in a little white box.) If I wasn't doubtful about the shipping time for Christmas, I might order a couple more for that very purpose.

One note I thought a little weird (maybe it is common and I am unaware.) Mine has left hand threads on the switch retaining ring. I usually check all my new lights to make sure they are tightened down, and this is the first one I have seen with left hand threads. Odd I thought...


----------



## VegasF6

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*

oronocova thanks for that quick impression. I am expecting this light, along with the MTE C2 - 70602 any day now I hope. I wish I had ordered the 70102 as that seems to be identical except for 1.34 cheaper...


----------



## oronocova

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*



VegasF6 said:


> oronocova thanks for that quick impression. I am expecting this light, along with the MTE C2 - 70602 any day now I hope. I wish I had ordered the 70102 as that seems to be identical except for 1.34 cheaper...



No problem. It was snowing here and I had to unfreeze the emergency brake on my truck. Anyhow, got my fenix t1 dug out of my hunting gear in the process. The C2-1 is probably twice as bright as the T1 on low (60lm) and the T1 is probably half again as bright as the C2-1 on high(200lm.) So in my very rough estimation this light might actually be close to the 150lm mark.
Those two lights look interesting, but I have been getting away from too many modes lately. One or two multi mode, strobe, sos is enough for my collection. If their build quality is like my C2-1 you won't be dissapointed.


----------



## Aircraft800

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*

I think I found the thrower I was looking for:

UniqueFire HS-802 Cree R2-WC 2-Mode 230-Lumen LED Flashlight (1*18650/2*CR123A)

*UniqueFire CREE R2 High Power LED Flashlight HS-802 SKU: S006168 *

*I've got one on order, I'll update when it arrives.*


----------



## fieldops

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*

Yeah, I was looking at the HS-802 as well, in addition to Shiningbeam's RX-1. I'd like to compare them to my A10 that's coming. It's Hard to believe how many new throwers have been marketed lately


----------



## PlayboyJoeShmoe

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*

I got MTE P7 and Ultarfire C2 MC-E yesterday.

Neither >appear to ME< seem to be as all fired bright as I imagined they would be.

In my backyard test area they do put a lot of light out past the back gate as good as most anything else I have and the tints are not awful.

Both can truly be said to produce bright flood. But still respectable throw as well.

The P7 seems to be basically direct drive.

The MTE has modes built into the driver, so I don't know what the LED is getting.

I have more testing and measuring and trying to clean up the P7 beam.


----------



## PlayboyJoeShmoe

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*

MTE pulls 3A from freshly charged 18650.

Ultrafire pulls 1.6A from similar 18650.

As technology demonstrators either ain't bad.

I think I'll take the Ultrfire to show off today.


----------



## gchronis

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*

Hi folks,

Any idea on the runtime of the RC-N3 Q5 (shinningbeam) with 2 AA's? Maybe a calculated estimate?

Thanks!


----------



## alfreddajero

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*

With Duraloops i got a little over 5hrs.......this was my nap time and the light was still on when i got up. I can be a little more accurate if you want, i can do a test tonight if you wish.


----------



## gchronis

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*



alfreddajero said:


> With Duraloops i got a little over 5hrs.......this was my nap time and the light was still on when i got up. I can be a little more accurate if you want, i can do a test tonight if you wish.



Perfect! That will suffice. No need for a more accurate test. Thank you so much! Oh, one more thing: how many mAh are your batteries? I'm using PowerEx Imedion 2100 mAh.


----------



## alfreddajero

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*

There at 2000mah........with more mah the cells have you should get more runtime out of the light......I like to use one in cr123 configuration and the runtime is good as well, but when i use an rcr i get 28minutes of runtime. I have three N3 Q5's and i am sure you will like yours.


----------



## bessiebenny

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*

Okay. I just got my MTE C2-1 from DX 15 minutes ago.

*[MTE C2-1 REVIEW]*
- Cree Q5 emitter. AA battery. (not 14500) 
- Plastic Collimator lense (don't let the word 'plastic' steer you away, it's not a reflector)
- Costs ~$20 at DX.

*Beam Shots - *Photos are taken with identical exposure settings as previous kitchen ones.





To compare with something similar, here's a Nitecore D10 Q5's high output kitchen photo using same AA battery.

------

*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. 
- No O-ring in front it seems though. Can't see one. I will confirm later.
- Double O-rings on both head and switch threads. Impressive.
- 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.
- Bundles 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.
- Very smoothly blended from hotspot to spill. 
- Nice clean beam. No significant rings or black spots.
- White beam. No bluish tint. Just white.
- 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*
- No conlusion yet. But I really like the thing so far. Bright for a cheap 1AA light.
- Also, it feels expensive in hand. Definitely not the usual MTE quality I'm used to.

----

*[Tests]*


- Runtime using 1AA NiMh. Vertical axis is output. Horizontal Axis is in minutes.
- Output is a multimeter reading of the light senso's output in micro amps. (uA)


----------



## alfreddajero

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*

Seems to be a nice light can you post a beam shot.


----------



## bigballer1

*DX sku.16607 now Akoray Q5 200 lumen*

I just finally received this light yesterday after it was out of stock for a long time. I placed my order while it was in stock, but alas, I guess DX's inventory control isn't that precise. Anyways, this light was reviewed a few pages back and I just want to give a little update.

Now this light actually has the name Akoray printed on it. The unit I got is actually 3 mode: Hi-Low-Strobe, even though the page still says 6-mode. I personally prefer it to be 3 mode. Build quality is excellent just like other people have reported. And it is bright on 14500, and a little less so with a AA eneloop. I do wonder how the output compares with the original 6 mode though. So if anyone has both, please let us know!

The only other "nice" flashlight I have is the EASTWARD YJ-18WD Q5. This Akoray is not as bright, but can certainly give it a run for the money. The hotspot is a little bigger than the Eastward, and the color temp is a little cooler to me. I really like this light a lot and will be my EDC from now.

If Bessiebenny gets this light, I'd certainly would want to know how it compares to the MTE C2-1. Somehow I get the feeling that I'd still prefer the Akoray since it is smaller and looks better, imho!


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## bessiebenny

*Re: DX sku.16607 now Akoray Q5 200 lumen*

*bigballer1* - I actually missed that light! Hmm. That definitely looks nice.
I think I might get it so that I can do a comparison with the C2-1 and D10. =)

*UPDATE*
- I have added my first ever "new" kitchen photo with the C2-1 and D10!!!
- You can check it out in the C2-1 review. I will add other shots when I can.


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## alohaluau

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*

Your "new" kitchen has white cupboards compared to the "old" one, therefore we have to take into account the "reflected" light if we were to do a comparison with any of the "old" flashlights review. :laughing:

But all in all, good to have you back again BB! :thumbsup:

More reviews please...


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## alfreddajero

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*

It seems as though that the MTE is way brighter then the D10........might have to get a few one for me and a couple for my family. Thanks for finding your way back here man.


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## tbenedict

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*

How do you think the MTE C2-1 compares to the MF DA1 Cree Q5 output wise? 

I think those are my best two options for a reasonable priced single AA? I've never had a reverse clicky I hear about. I suppose it may be inconvenient when you are used to partially pressing the button for momentary usage.

Thanks!



bessiebenny said:


> Okay. I just got my MTE C2-1 from DX 15 minutes ago.
> 
> *[MTE C2-1 REVIEW]*
> - Cree Q5 emitter. AA battery. (not 14500)
> - Plastic Collimator lense (don't let the word 'plastic' steer you away, it's not a reflector)
> - Costs ~$20 at DX.
> 
> *Beam Shots - *Photos are taken with identical exposure settings as previous kitchen ones.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> To compare with something similar, here's a Nitecore D10 Q5's high output kitchen photo using same AA battery.
> 
> ------
> 
> *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.
> - No O-ring in front it seems though. Can't see one. I will confirm later.
> - Double O-rings on both head and switch threads. Impressive.
> - 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.
> - Bundles 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.
> - Very smoothly blended from hotspot to spill.
> - Nice clean beam. No significant rings or black spots.
> - White beam. No bluish tint. Just white.
> - 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*
> - No conlusion yet. But I really like the thing so far. Bright for a cheap 1AA light.
> - Also, it feels expensive in hand. Definitely not the usual MTE quality I'm used to.
> 
> ----
> 
> *[Tests]*
> 
> 
> - Runtime using 1AA NiMh. Vertical axis is output. Horizontal Axis is in minutes.
> - Output is a multimeter reading of the light senso's output in micro amps. (uA)


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## blinky

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*

RE: DX sku.16607 now Akoray Q5 200 lumen

I've also received mine 2 days ago, which is the 3-mode "Akoray" brand. Modes are High/Low/Strobe. As suggested by others, fit and finish is excellent. Beam looks good. Seems to be medium spot with a very slight dark ring. Spill is bright, but narrower due to deeper reflector.

IMO, the memory function is implemented correctly in this model. The mode is memorized as soon as you switched mode. You don't have to leave it on for a few seconds like some other lights that I have. One complaint that I have is that it will turn on in the next mode if you do so within 4 seconds after you turn it off. I think they should lower this "wait time" to 1 second instead of 4 seconds. This will not happen in most use cases, but could be annoying when it does, especially if it turns on in the strobe mode.

Based on eye-balling, output with NIMH is slightly less than the RC-P3 in ceiling bounce, but noticeably less in throw due to wider beam. With 14500 throw is a little better than RC-P3. The low mode seems to be the same for both battery types, which seems bright enough for general usage.

Runtime on high with 2000mh NIMH is about 50 minutes, with fairly good regulation. With blue protected Trustfire 14500, output seems to be constant until the battery protection cuts off power at 30 minutes. In low mode, I get about 3 hrs and 45 minutes with the 14500 battery.

Not bad. I like it.


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## PlayboyJoeShmoe

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*

Dang! That MTE has a NICE WHITE SMOOTH BEAM!

May need to get one!


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## bessiebenny

*Re: BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part 6)*

Well, for a single mode AA-only (not 14500) light which is bright, you can't go wrong with this MTE C2-1 imo.
But, as with all of these budget lights, the first batch might be different to the second and third batch etc.
So get it while it's good. Other than some rare exceptions (MTE SSCP4 AA), it usually doesn't get better after every batch. =P

*tbendict* - MTE C2-1 outputs around 150 lumens as it really does output around 2W to the LED. (pulls 1.7-1.8A from 1AA NiMh)
Also, reverse clicky is okay. There are hardly any sub-$30 flashlight that has forward clicky switches anyways. (Some Romisens do)

*THIS PART6 THREAD WILL NOW BE CLOSED.*
*PLEASE GO TO **PART7** of THIS THREAD. =)*

------------------------------------------------------- *CLOSED* -----------------------------------------------------------------


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