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



## bessiebenny

*UPDATED NOVEMBER 25th 2009*
- Updated review links that are posted by other members. (Special thanks to Don!)
- For those that are new to my thread, definitely check out my site jayki.com also. =)

*UPDATED NOVEMBER 8th 2009*
- Updated review links that are posted by other members. Hope I'm keeping up!
- I've also updated the review for Ultrafire XP-E F23 and gave it a score + new runtime chart.

*UPDATED OCTOBER 29th 2009*
- I've started using a *new method to measure my lightbox readings*. (again.. doh..)
- It's called *New Lightbox2 *and more info about it is here - http://www.jayki.com/5754

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


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


Continued from Part 1 , Part 2 , Part 3 , Part 4 , Part 5 , Part 6 , Part 7 , Part 8 , Part 9 , Part 10 and Part 11.
FYI - This main initial post carries over. (Except Part 4 that includes many of my older reviews)

*[BESSIEBENNY (aka JAYKI) REVIEWS] *

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

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

[10 24 2009] *★★★★★★ - **Trustfire XP-E F23 Stainless Steel*
[10 24 2009] ★★★★★★ - *Romisen RC-29 Q5 Zoom* (preview)
[10 18 2009] *★★★★*★★ - Aurora SH0030 XP-E Q5 AA/14500 
[10 10 2009] *★★★★★★ *- TANK007 E07 OSRAM AA
[09 20 2009] *★★★*★★★ - Small Sun ZY-C60 RCR 
[07 01 2009] *★★★★*★★ - EastwardYJ YJ-18WA Q5 2-mode 18650 
[05 15 2009] *★★★★★*★ - AKOray K-103 AAA CREE Q5 1-Mode 
[04 25 2009] *★★★★*★★ - MTE SF-22 SSC P7-D-SXO 5-Mode 
[03 28 2009] *★★★★★★ *- Akoray K-106 3-mode Q5 AA/14500 
[03 15 2009] *★★★★*★★ - Kaidomain 2-Mode HAIII Long Throw Q5 
[02 22 2009] *★★★★★*★ - planet bike blaze 1W w\ superflash 
[02 18 2009] *★★★*★★★ - TANK007 TK-702 P4 
[12 17 2008] *★★★★★*★ - KD Buckle V5 HAIII XRT 
[12 10 2008] *★★★★★*★ - MTE C2-1 Q5 AA
[11 16 2008] *★★★★★*★ - Romisen RC-T6 
[08 24 2008] ★★★★★★ - Quick 6 flashlights Impressions
[08 10 2008] *★★*★★★★ - Romisen RC-A8
[06 21 2008] *★★★★★*★ - Romisen RC-A3
[06 06 2008] *★★★★★*★ - Romisen RC-F4 Q5 Shiningbeam 
[05 01 2008] *★★★★★★ *- Romisen RC-I3 
[04 16 2008] *★★★★★*★ - Romisen RC-G2 Q5 Shiningbeam 
[04 11 2008] *★★★★★*★ - Ultrafire C3 Stainless Steel P4 
[04 09 2008] *★★★★*★★ - Eastward YJ-XAQ5 18650
[03 27 2008] *★★★★★★ *- Romisen RC-N3 
[01 05 2008] *★★★★★★ *- Romisen RC-G2 P2 
[?? ?? 2007] *★★★★★★ *- Romisen RC-F4 P4
[09 ?? 2007] *★★★★*★★ - Gree Cree P4

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

*[REVIEWS POSTED BY OTHER MEMBERS IN THIS THREAD & AT JAYKI.COM**]*

[Nov 29 2009] UniqueFire AA-S1 3W Osram by Don
[Nov 24 2009] *Ten small lights beam shot comparison* by Don
[Nov 23 2009] Aurora SH0030 XP-E Q5 Multimode by Don
[Nov 05 2009] Solarforce L2M from DX by old4570
[Nov 03 2009] Ultrafire A10B by Don
[Nov 02 2009] Romisen RC-C6 Focusable Asphericby Crenshaw
[Nov 01 2009] Ultrafire RL-118 Stainless Steel Osram by Don
[Oct 25 2009] Ultrafire WF-504B Multimode by Don
[Oct 01 2009] Romisen RC-A4 Q5 II First Impressions & Followup by hatman
[Sep 11 2009] AkoRay K-109 quick review by Superpila
[Aug 27 2009] AkoRay K-106 comparison review by CampingLED 
[Aug 26 2009] Spiderfire P7 Review by randomlugia
[July 21 2009] Aurora SH0030 mini-review by Superpila
[May 31 2009] AKOray k109a Review by Wiggle
[May 20 2009] Ultrafire A20 Q5 Cree 5-mode RCR by old4570
[May 02 2009] Romisen RC-N3 v SmallSun ZY-C61 by Luau
[Apr 15 2009] *RCR123A Battery Test Roundup* by old4570
[Apr 04 2009] Ultrafire 503B & Trustfire TR-C2 Pics and 503B REVIEW by kramer5150
[Mar 29 2009] Ultrafire WF-502B / 501B by old4570
[Mar 28 2009] AKOray K-106 beam shot comparison by vali
[Mar 13 2009] Ultrafire 602C vs KD Cree Q3 by old4570
[Mar 09 2009] Akoray K-102 / Romisen RC-H3 / MTE C2-1 by copperfox
[Mar 04 2009] SacredFire NF-011 Cree P4-WC by Phill
[Feb 18 2009] Akoray K-102 by Hrvoje
[Feb 18 2009] Romisen RC-A3 by seaside
[Feb 18 2009] Kaidomain 2-Mode HAIII Long Throw R2 (sku:S004798) by skyva 
[Feb 17 2009] Romisen RC-G2 (non-Q5) Review by rockz4532 
[Feb 12 2009] Romisen RC-N3 & Akoray K-102 by vali

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


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

*[How to read my reviews / FAQ]*

- You can see information on how I measure my outputs, take photos etc from this link > http://www.jayki.com/497


*[RESULTS AT A GLANCE]*

- From SEP 2009 onwards, the chart will be updated at my site here - http://www.jayki.com/1045
- I will be adding review links to each flashlight name over time for far easier navigation directly from the chart.
- 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 most to maintain peak output for very long.

*[HIGH PERFORMANCE / HIGH RATED LIGHTS]*







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


 

 

 


 

 


Submitted by MetalZone


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

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

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

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

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


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## daguy80

*Thinking about the Romisen Rc-t7 MCE*

Does anyone have any info on this light?


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## awid

*Re: Thinking about the Romisen Rc-t7 MCE*



daguy80 said:


> Does anyone have any info on this light?



I want to know as well, and how does it compare to the 6 x Q5 of the T6?


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## richardcpf

*Re: Thinking about the Romisen Rc-t7 MCE*



awid said:


> I want to know as well, and how does it compare to the 6 x Q5 of the T6?


 
The T6 is brighter, runs cooler, throws further and gets better runtime. Unless they drive the MCE really hard which i dont think will happen.

The T7 just seems to be like any other DX mce flashlight.


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## sol-leks

*Re: Thinking about the Romisen Rc-t7 MCE*

I wish it started off on mid or low. Starting off on high seems like a great way to blind people. Romisen is a pretty good brand though.


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## giuseppevane

*reflector for dx mte sf-23*

hi to all I want to know the best reflector for inclusion in this flashlight. the size of that in the package are only 36.5 x 25mm that I have made smooth and now I do not like. how can the LED p7d lose brightness with a smooth reflector? .. which reflectors can buy to replace it?.the dealextreme sku of my flashlight is 22569
thanks

(sorry for my bad english)


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## Busha

*Is this flashlight powered by Cree Q5-WC ?*

Ok, I have no clue which Cree LED is the best but I have found infos on several pages that Q5 is better than P4 and I bought this flashlight on Ebay: http://cgi.ebay.com/240Lum-CREE-Q5-...in_0?hash=item3a53158402&_trksid=p4999.c0.m14 I saw exact flashlight on DX and it has P4 LED and single mode for 9,90$ and I bought this one for 14,99$ because it has 3 modes and Q5 which should have more lumens. My question is, is this Q5 ? And how can I recognize is it P4 or Q5 when it arrives ? I dont want to take apart the flashlight when it arrives, so can I see that in some other way ? The seller has told me that it is Q5 but he can tell me anything because I dont know the difference. Tnx a lot !


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## DM51

Part 11 was >400 posts, so here is Part 12.


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## Busha

Great, just when I have asked something  Can someone please take a look at the last post here and help me  https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/235490 Tnx


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## p moore

WOW! It's the thread that never ends.................................

Paul


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## DM51

Busha said:


> Great, just when I have asked something  Can someone please take a look at the last post here and help me  https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/235490 Tnx


 My fault - I didn't notice your question there when I started the new thread. I've moved your post from the old thread to this new one, so it now appears above as post #2.


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## kramer5150

*Re: Is this flashlight powered by Cree Q5-WC ?*



Busha said:


> Ok, I have no clue which Cree LED is the best but I have found infos on several pages that Q5 is better than P4 and I bought this flashlight on Ebay: http://cgi.ebay.com/240Lum-CREE-Q5-...in_0?hash=item3a53158402&_trksid=p4999.c0.m14 I saw exact flashlight on DX and it has P4 LED and single mode for 9,90$ and I bought this one for 14,99$ because it has 3 modes and Q5 which should have more lumens. My question is, is this Q5 ? And how can I recognize is it P4 or Q5 when it arrives ? I dont want to take apart the flashlight when it arrives, so can I see that in some other way ? The seller has told me that it is Q5 but he can tell me anything because I dont know the difference. Tnx a lot !



XREs are tested for flux, and every one is tagged with a flux (brightness) BIN number. It is not a design-based feature built into the LED. So in other words, there is no way to tell a 4-wire XR-E-P4 from a 4-wire XR-E-Q5. Imagine 100 XR-E emitters off the assembly line. Cree powers each one up and measures lumen output. The brighter performers are labeld with Q4, Q5, and R BIN numbers. The dimmer units are P4, Q2, Q3.

As a consumer, the honesty and integrity of the flashlight builder comes into play. We are at their mercy to spec emitter FLUX BIN correctly and honestly. FWIW... I have never seen any concrete evidence or data that supports emitter BIN forgery from _any _manufacturer.... but then again thats because it would be nearly impossible to test for.


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## jackthedog

*Romisen Lights - What do you think?*

I just stumbled across the Romisen series of lights at shiningbeam. For the price they look like good lights, just curious what the consensus is here? 

I'm particularly interested in the RC-A4 II. 

http://www.shiningbeam.com/servlet/the-166/**NEW**-Romisen-RC-dsh-A4-II/Detail

Does anyone have any experience with this light? Thanks.


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## hatman

*This knockoff is a knockout!*

I am trying the two-mode Romisen RC-A4II as we speak.

The build appears to be very high quality for a budget light. The body is a knockoff of the Nitecore Extreme. Compare photos of the two and you could wonder which is the $92 light and which is the $22.

Comparing the build with that of my Quark AA and 2-123 and the Romisen RC-A4II could pass for another Quark. At the very least, it looks like it came out of the same factory or production line. The finish is unspecified but I can't tell the difference by sight between the quality of the Quarks and the Romisen.

The Romisen is substantial and has a good feel in my hand. At just under 3.7 inches, it's a good size for pocket EDC.

We'll have it see how it holds up, but for now, I'd call it head and shoulders above the Akoray 106 that I tried and then gave to my GF.

The Romisen also has a substantial clip, similar to that on the Nitecore D10, one of my favorite clips. When I got the Romisen last week, the clip worked fine. After a few days, the screws came loose. When I tightened them all the way down, they stayed tight. But there wasn't enough space to use the clip on my pocket. This may require some experimentation or perhaps some Loctite.

Shiningbeam doesn't list much in the way of specs, so I wrote Bryan and here's what he replied:

"RC-A4 II with CR123A is about 150 lumens on high and 70 lumens on medium. Runtime is about 2 hour 15 minutes.
If you running it with RCR123A (Li-ion), the runtime on high is about 45 minutes, but it significantly brighter, 190 lumens."

I asked about rechargeables, and Bryan advised:

"RCR123A are not recommended by the manufacturer, but they run fine in the RC-A4 X Q5, so go ahead and try it."

With the first AW 123 I tried, the light flickered. Bryan suggested trying another:

"The RC-A4 II driver is actually a revised RC-N3 II driver, it should brighter than RC-N3 II I sold 2 month ago. Perhaps kicking up the current draw make the light less stable.
Try to change to a different rechargeable and see if the flicker still there."

That worked -- the second and third rechargeables were fine and both gave a bright beam. 

My GF and I walked the dogs and we compared the Romisen and Quark AA side-by-side on a garage door across the street, using AW rechargeables in both.

I thought the Quark AA very slightly brighter; my GF thought both lights were equally bright. 

My Romisen has medium and high modes. While high is brighter, the difference isn't all that great. (Sorry, I have no way to measure.)

I placed my order on Sunday and the light arrived in the mail on Thursday.

My light came without an O-ring. Bryan said the Romisen should come with one 18mm x 1mm O-ring pre-installed. He is shipping me one.

I haven't seen or tried the Extreme, so I can't compare the knockoff with the Nitecore original. I look forward to one of our more experienced posters doing that soon. I wouldn't presume to guess that the Romisen light might equal the Extreme.

But this much I am confident in saying: for $22 and change (about $25 shipped) this knockoff is a real knockout.

I just ordered another, this time the single mode.


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## Jason_Tx

*Re: Romisen Lights - What do you think?*

Recently bought a RC-N3 (neutral tint) and its a great little light. 

Showed it to my wife  -- 
She wanted it :touche: 


and the result ..................  

Its hers 

So now I will order more :thumbsup:


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## Dude Dudeson

*Re: Romisen Lights - What do you think?*

I got an RC-N3 II a few months ago and love it - it's both my EDC and my most used light even when my others are around.

In terms of bang for the buck it's definitely the best light I own.


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## jackthedog

*Re: Romisen Lights - What do you think?*

hatman, thank you for the mini-review. That was much more than I was expecting. I think you're right about the closeness to the Extreme. I just don't want to spend $92, there's way too many other lights to buy.

Quick question for you, how do you switch between the two modes? Thanks.


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## tnforever

*Re: Romisen Lights - What do you think?*

There are reviews of it in BB's thread. 

On the whole, I'm a budget user, and have a very limited collection of lights. For the price, they are unbeatable. Many brands on DX have prices slightly lower than they do, but those are all hit or miss (albeit more hits than misses), but with a Romisen name, QC is better. Plus, ordering from SB means very good customer service. 

My RC-N3 Q5 have held up to light (whatever biking on pavement counts as) use. Otherwise, the only note I'll make on it is that it's anodizing is not as good as my Fenixes (I don't expect it to be) where my Fenix will nick (chip) under a pretty rough hit, the Romisen scratches, and does so with less apparent force applied to it.


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## steve328

*Re: Romisen Lights - What do you think?*

Romisens are great lights for the money. I have four - a RC-N3, a RC-N3 II, an RC-G2 and a RC-g2 II. I've had a couple way over a year and they're still going strong. The two newer ones ( RC-G2 II and RC-N3 II ) put out a lot of light and are close to my Fenix TK-10 and Surefire with a P60 dropin.
I've got to stay away from this forum - there's too much money being spent to light up the night.


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## parnell

*Re: Romisen Lights - What do you think?*

I have owned the RC-A4II for about two weeks now. For the brightness and size it is great. The ownly cons are that the threads are fine so it is not interchangable with E bodies and the high and medium are very close. But for approx $25 shipped there is nothing to complain about.


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## I came to the light...

*Re: Romisen Lights - What do you think?*

From my personal experience with different models, Romisen offers some of the best quality in very cheap lights.


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## baterija

*Re: Romisen Lights - What do you think?*

I've had 2 Romisen lights - an RC-H3 bought from DX in it's stock form and RC-G2 with Q5 from shining beam. Both provide very good value for the buck. I said had because I gave the H3 away and it survived a combat deployment as a backup/general purpose light.

In the stock formats they are generally simple and well made. The cut corners by using a lower binned emitter generally but still serviceable. Shiningbeam has done a nice job of getting upgraded runs with better emitters and different drivers. You can get better but hard to get better value.

I still want to replace my H3. I really liked that little light.:sigh:


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## kramer5150

*Re: Romisen Lights - What do you think?*

Great lights for the $, the RC-N3-Q5 has served me very well for almost 2 years. Its a very durable light too.

I completely recommend them over the clone-fire lights.


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## Busha

I hope that chinese flashlight builders are honest then, but unfortunately we see forgery every day from them (Sony Memory Stick and other USB and camera memory). And this one should be VERY bright if it has Q5. It is a little stupid that Cree doesnt have some small letters that say which type the LED is, they are not cheap. I hope it will be great when it comes. Tnx


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## oldtimer

Which is the most reliable ones now?


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## hatman

*Re: Romisen Lights - What do you think?*



jackthedog said:


> hatman, thank you for the mini-review. That was much more than I was expecting. I think you're right about the closeness to the Extreme. I just don't want to spend $92, there's way too many other lights to buy.
> 
> Quick question for you, how do you switch between the two modes? Thanks.



It's a clickie, so either a tap or a full click will get you from medium to high.

I should have mentioned that it is unlike the Extreme, where you must twist the bezel. The Romisen is much easier to operate with one hand, based upon what I can tell about the Extreme.


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## bessiebenny

*Re: Romisen Lights - What do you think?*

Wow. Now part 12. Just amazing. 

Part 1 was posted on October 6th 2007.
So in about 5 days, it will be 2 years old!

*Thanks to the never ending contributions by all the CPF members here!! =)*


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## jackthedog

hatman, thanks again. I'm pretty sure that light just made my "to be purchased" list. Looks good for EDC. Thanks.


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## javajoe

*Romisen RC-G2 vs Romisen RC-G2 Q5 vs Romisen RC-G2 II Q5*


I have been trying to decide on a flashlight as an upgrade from my Garrity K009. I made another thread but for some reason it got locked. Currently I am leaning towards one of the Romisen RC-G2 models. I've listed in the subject line the 3 variants that I am aware of. I've read over http://www.jayki.com/4898
and
https://www.candlepowerforums.com/posts/2838578&postcount=377
Which both seem to be pretty favorable reviews of the $11.30 DX version. The second link I provided indicated that the light had about 45 lumens and could run for 2 hours before it hit 75% brightness. That doesn't seem too bad for such an inexpensive light.

So the question is, are the shining beam versions worth the premium over the DX version? I know that you have to factor shipping in for shining beam but it is my understanding that they have better service (I have made no purchases from either company). So the RC-G2 Q5 would be $18.70 shipped and the RC-G2 Q5 II would be 22.50 shipped.

As a novice, when I read that the RC-G2 Q5 has "twice the spill of the regular model", I don't really know how that would affect everyday usage of the light. Does this mean that it will have the same "hot spot" but have a twice as large dull ring around it? Does the newer led not provide additional brightness or runtime?

I can see the beam shot comparisons for the RC-G2 Q5 II and it does look much improved over the Q5 so I'm sure its Way better than the standard DX version. But is it worth twice as much money?

Thanks in advance for your help guys.


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## phantom23

*Re: Romisen RC-G2 vs Romisen RC-G2 Q5 vs Romisen RC-G2 II Q5*

Current RC-G2 from DX has new circuit which drives emitter @ 0,7A so it has much more than 45lm (but also runtime is 2x shorter). Emitter is the problem - P4 is not very efficient. Shiningbeam carries Q5 versions, you just pay $7 extra for better emitter.


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## javajoe

*Re: Romisen RC-G2 vs Romisen RC-G2 Q5 vs Romisen RC-G2 II Q5*

Thanks phantom, I did not know about the new circuit. So if the Q5 model is more efficent we can expect longer runtimes, right? Or is the result simillar power consumption but more output?


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## geek1

*Re: Romisen RC-G2 vs Romisen RC-G2 Q5 vs Romisen RC-G2 II Q5*

For an output comparison between the regular G2 (XR-E P2) and the G2 II (XR-E Q5) have a look over here:

https://www.candlepowerforums.com/posts/3032889


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## javajoe

*Re: Romisen RC-G2 vs Romisen RC-G2 Q5 vs Romisen RC-G2 II Q5*

Thats a nice comparo you did, Geek1. I can't see the images on this computer. I'll have to revisit later tonight at home. So since you own both, do you think the G2 II is worth twice the cost of the standard model? How have your runtimes been between the 2?


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## phantom23

*Re: Romisen RC-G2 vs Romisen RC-G2 Q5 vs Romisen RC-G2 II Q5*



geek1 said:


> For an output comparison between the regular G2 (XR-E P2) and the G2 II (XR-E Q5) have a look over here:
> 
> https://www.candlepowerforums.com/posts/3032889



I'm afraid there's RC-G2 P2 with old driver, it's too dim for 700mA.

About RC-G2 II. I'm not sure what driver does it have, maybe it's the same as updated version from DX, in that case it's just brighter with the same runtime.


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## Elliot

*Re: Romisen RC-G2 vs Romisen RC-G2 Q5 vs Romisen RC-G2 II Q5*

Javajoe: I've bought from both DX and Shiningbeam - DX is Ok, but no where in the class of sellers like ShiningBeam. Sure you'll save a little with DX, but I've found there's like a 15 - 20% of having a problem with something you buy from them. Don't get me wrong, I still buy stuff from DX - just nothing expensive. I don't complain to them it's too much trouble (for me). I just count it as the cost of doing business. 

If you want an inexpensive home or work AA light - these are really over-built and just fine. They are not pocket AA lights. For something to use at work, that will be abused - I'd start with a DX model and save a few bucks. If you want an around the house light - I'd get the Shiningbeam light. A little more money - but you'll get it 10 days faster and you'll be buying from a really nice guy.

Remember as a CPF member and upstanding citizen you'll get a nice discount at ShiningBeam (about covers shipping.) - check out the dealer's corner.lovecpf

All that said; this is about the heaviest single mode AA I can think of. If your needs are for a multi-use light - for $20 you can do better now. IMHO. But I'll probably get another one. A Good work light and simple AA. At work and at home you can always pop in a new battery - so runtime is not too much of a factor. I remove the reflector and lense completely when I want a close-up work light. Just takes a second. Also the threads are so long you can adjust the light from normal throw to flood.


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## frankiej

*Re: Romisen RC-G2 vs Romisen RC-G2 Q5 vs Romisen RC-G2 II Q5*

I have both the newest DX G2, with the updated driver, and the Shiningbeam Q5 G2. My friend at work has the SB G2 II. In eyeball comparisons, the SB Q5 is the dimmest. The new DX G2 is in the middle, and the SB G2 II is brightest. The Stock DX G2 with the updated driver is nothing to sneeze at for sure. I'd say it's nearly double the brightness of the older DX G2.


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## giuseppevane

*Re: reflector for dx mte sf-23*

nobady ?:mecry:


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## shark_za

*Re: Romisen RC-G2 vs Romisen RC-G2 Q5 vs Romisen RC-G2 II Q5*

Interesting that they changed something. 
Im waiting for a shipment and I'm wondering if these will be the new driver. 

What does 1/2 the runtime equate too? 

Less than an hour?


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## javajoe

*Re: Romisen RC-G2 vs Romisen RC-G2 Q5 vs Romisen RC-G2 II Q5*



frankiej said:


> I have both the newest DX G2, with the updated driver, and the Shiningbeam Q5 G2. My friend at work has the SB G2 II. In eyeball comparisons, the SB Q5 is the dimmest. The new DX G2 is in the middle, and the SB G2 II is brightest. The Stock DX G2 with the updated driver is nothing to sneeze at for sure. I'd say it's nearly double the brightness of the older DX G2.


 
this is good to hear. I wonder how many lumens the new driver dx g2 is good for


----------



## Fichtenelch

Some time ago, there was a thread where someone found a chinese manufacturer doing copies of fenix lights...they looked pretty neat, does anyone remember the site maybe? I think it was something like a wholesale-site (but not szwholesale...)
Anyways, i already have a real fenix, but they just looked nice, so i thought i have a look again^^


----------



## 97guns

*i need a KD or DX led with 1" body*

can anyone reccomend one, im looking to use it for a rifle mount and most mounts are for surefire lights and 1" tubes. tia


----------



## fstuff

*Re: Romisen RC-G2 vs Romisen RC-G2 Q5 vs Romisen RC-G2 II Q5*



frankiej said:


> I have both the newest DX G2, with the updated driver, and the Shiningbeam Q5 G2. My friend at work has the SB G2 II. In eyeball comparisons, the SB Q5 is the dimmest. The new DX G2 is in the middle, and the SB G2 II is brightest. The Stock DX G2 with the updated driver is nothing to sneeze at for sure. I'd say it's nearly double the brightness of the older DX G2.


 
ok, just bought one. (my old rc-g2 broke recently.)
how's the runtime on these new rc-g2's?


----------



## frankiej

*Re: Romisen RC-G2 vs Romisen RC-G2 Q5 vs Romisen RC-G2 II Q5*



fstuff said:


> ok, just bought one. (my old rc-g2 broke recently.)
> how's the runtime on these new rc-g2's?





javajoe said:


> this is good to hear. I wonder how many lumens the new driver dx g2 is good for



Sorry. I've not tested the runtime, nor do I have means of determining lumens output.

I just looked at them again, and making a WAG, I'd say the newest DX G2 is twice as bright as the old DX G2, and probably 40-50% brighter than the shiningbeam Q5 G2.


----------



## vali

*Re: Romisen RC-G2 vs Romisen RC-G2 Q5 vs Romisen RC-G2 II Q5*



frankiej said:


> Sorry. I've not tested the runtime, nor do I have means of determining lumens output.
> 
> I just looked at them again, and making a WAG, I'd say the newest DX G2 is twice as bright as the old DX G2, and probably 40-50% brighter than the shiningbeam Q5 G2.



Is it using the same emitter? (P2)


----------



## frankiej

*Re: Romisen RC-G2 vs Romisen RC-G2 Q5 vs Romisen RC-G2 II Q5*



vali said:


> Is it using the same emitter? (P2)



Actually, now that I look at it, they do look different (this is comparing an older, circa 07 or so DX G2 and the newest DX G2). The new LED has a silver background, 2 wires coming out of one side and is slightly larger, where the old LED has a yellow background, two wires exiting from each side (4 total) and is slightly smaller. It looks identical to the LED on the SB Q5 G2.


----------



## nicknich22931

*Romisen RC-G2 shipped with bigger die*

I recently received 10 Romisen RC-G2 flashlights with a different size LED die. The new die is much larger and has virtually eliminated the hot spot that gives this light its throw. I am refering to the standard G2 as shipped by DX and Volumerate, not the custom version that shiningbeam sells. It is my understanding the light has traditionally come with a P2 bin XRE LED.

Here is a beam shot of the new emitter and the old P2:







The new LED is on the left, the old P2 is on the right.

Here is a photo of a XRE Q5 I got from DX and a XRE P2 I removed from a RC-G2:






I choose to photograph these two since the new RC-G2 LED appears to have the same size die as the DX Q5 and I don't have the new LED removed yet to photograph.

The last image is comparing a XRE P2 with and without the dome removed:






The dome makes the die look much larger than it is. It's really hard to measure but I estimate the die of the P2 to be around a half of a millimeter square.

I have seen posts here on different die sizes that the XRE has used, even in the same luminosity bin and type of LED, and die data sheets too which Cree seems to use to build the XLamp series of emitters. My question is, can a manufacturer, like Romisen specify the die or are they at the mercy of Cree to produce what they need? Will the Romisen RC-G2 ever get its throw back?


----------



## javajoe

*Re: Romisen RC-G2 shipped with bigger die*



nicknich22931 said:


> Will the Romisen RC-G2 ever get its throw back?



I hope so, I have been seriously considering this light. It seems weird that they are always changing it but not mentioning the changes to the customer. Like this led difference, or how they changed the driver.


----------



## hatman

*Follow up on Romisen RC-A4 Q5 II*

I now have two of the Romisen RC-A4 II's from Shiningbeam, a single mode and a two-mode. 

There's very little difference between the two models because there is so little difference between the high and medium on the two-mode version. 

Each is a clickie using a single 123. The two-mode goes from medium to high with either a tap or a click.

Here are my conclusions after spending a week with each:

The RC-A4 II has quickly become one of my favorite pocket EDC's.

I have two Quarks, and my eyes literally cannot tell the difference between the fit and finish of these Romisens and the Quarks. 

This light is substantial. The clip is excellent; I use Loctite to keep the screws from coming loose.

Shiningbeam claims a runtime of up to 2 hours and 15 minutes using a primary. Presumably this would be in medium mode, at 70 lumens. 

He claims the runtime for a RCR123A (Li-ion) on high is about 45 minutes at 190 lumens (compared to 150 with a primary on high.)

I can't measure the lumens, but 45 minutes is about what i'm getting on an AW 123.

At $25 shipped, this light is a bargain.

Here is a link to my initial impressions, iin which I describe the light as a knock-off of Nitecore's Extreme:

https://www.candlepowerforums.com/posts/3104553&postcount=9


----------



## nicknich22931

*Re: Romisen RC-G2 vs Romisen RC-G2 Q5 vs Romisen RC-G2 II Q5*



phantom23 said:


> I'm afraid there's RC-G2 P2 with old driver, it's too dim for 700mA.
> 
> About RC-G2 II. I'm not sure what driver does it have, maybe it's the same as updated version from DX, in that case it's just brighter with the same runtime.



I have sold a lot of the RC-G2 locally this summer. More than 60. I did notice some of them to be a bit dimmer than the others. I could see they had a different driver. The driver drew less current than the bulk of the lights. I probably got a few of the old drivers. I did try to upgrade one of them with a XRE Q5 but the result was disappointing.

By the way, in the beam shots I posted above, both the G2 with new LED and the old P2 came from the same shipment. Half the G2s had the old LED and half the new. Looks like they all had the same drivers.


----------



## shark_za

*Re: Romisen RC-G2 vs Romisen RC-G2 Q5 vs Romisen RC-G2 II Q5*

I don't have old RC-G2's to compare but my other Romisens from DX have changed a little from the specifications and review descriptions.

The RC-F4 now comes with a forward clicky... 
The RC-N3 is single mode again. 

Its like Christmas opening up and not knowing what you are going to get !!!


----------



## shark_za

*Re: Romisen RC-G2 vs Romisen RC-G2 Q5 vs Romisen RC-G2 II Q5*

Looking at the RC-G2's I just got, the grey ones are the smaller die and the black ones are the new one. 

Just FYI.


----------



## smelly

*Romisen RC-29 Q5*

I know BB is going to review this torch but mine arrived this morning and first impression is that it is built to Romisens usual high standards but like the RC-G2 it desperately needs a new driver. Mine is pullung around 0.7 amps with a fresh NiMh.


----------



## frankiej

*Re: Romisen RC-G2 vs Romisen RC-G2 Q5 vs Romisen RC-G2 II Q5*

I took a couple of pictures of the Romisen RC-G2 variances that I've noted. My photography skills are dismal. I jabbed and poked on the camera buttons until it looked ok. Consarned eelectronic dee-vises!

Both shots are organized left to right as follows: 
far left circa 07 stock DX G2,
2nd G2 with 7880 driver and Q5 
3rd Shiningbeam Q5 version 1
4th newest stock DX G2 (rec'd about 1 week ago)









All lights had Eneloops hot off the Maha.


----------



## jumpin jack flash

The most recent DX version looks a good bit brighter than the Shining Beam Q5 version I, which is surprising to me. Frankiej, are you experiencing the same brightness increase with this most recent G2, in real use, that your beam shots seem to indicate?


----------



## frankiej

jumpin jack flash said:


> The most recent DX version looks a good bit brighter than the Shining Beam Q5 version I, which is surprising to me. Frankiej, are you experiencing the same brightness increase with this most recent G2, in real use, that your beam shots seem to indicate?



Yes I am. It's not quite as dramatic with the naked eye as with the camera, but it's still very noticeable. The newest DX G2 is pretty impressive. 

My buddy at work has a RC-G2 II from Shiningbeam, and it is a bit brighter than the newest DX G2 to the naked eye. I might try to sneak my camera into work and see if I can take a beamshot of the two together.

I hope DX keeps whatever driver/LED combo they have in this light, because it seems to be winner so far.


----------



## jumpin jack flash

It does indeed seem to be a winner. With these improvements, and essentially the same price ($11.30) it's been for a good while now, it is possibly an even better value than before.

Thanks for your updates, pictures, and comments.


----------



## boomhauer

I wonder if there is any difference between the gray and black models - only that DX might have remaining stock of one or the other with the older boards.


----------



## bessiebenny

boomhauer said:


> I wonder if there is any difference between the gray and black models - only that DX might have remaining stock of one or the other with the older boards.


 
Yeah. I think that's what's happening. But you can never be sure with these brands unfortunately. Quite frustrating sometimes. But at least they are cheaper. =)


----------



## jumpin jack flash

bessiebenny said:


> Yeah. I think that's what's happening. But you can never be sure with these brands unfortunately. Quite frustrating sometimes. But at least they are cheaper. =)


 

Very true, BB, about the DX "lottery" as far as not knowing exactly what you'll get. Also true that low cost (and build quality) of Romisens are what make them so attractive. The one thing that concerns me about the newest RC-G2 version is run time. Since it's being driven harder, and with a relatively inefficient led (P4?), it will likely have a good bit less battery life than the original version. Any reports on run time for this revised RC-G2 would be appreciated.


----------



## shark_za

I don't have anything fancy to test with but it seems to start out on a fresh cell drawing 700mA. 

After 1 1/2 hours this is down to 470mA.
Light is still very usable.


----------



## sparkysko

I had just done an emitter swap on my Akoray K106 (16607), and while there was alot of thermal grease under the emitter, and the light gets 'warm' when in use, I noticed that the star has 0.2 mm or so 'bumps' around the circumference of it which would prevent the star from laying flat. An exagerated example would be a table with thermal grease under it, the only aluminum touching the flashlight body is the legs of the table.

Although I haven't noticed any problems or differences with how how the light gets with my emitter swap, it might be worthwhile to sand those bumps off the emitter.


----------



## werto.palomin

*Problem P7 driver*

Hi!
I have a flashlight with the P7 led, with 5 mode (Hi > Mid > Lo > Strobe > SOS). 
In the last months the light wasn't very bright, and I suppose that the battery (Li-Ion 18650 3,7V 2500mAh) was at the end of it life. Suddendly yesterday the light became very low. Today, after 3 seconds that I switch on the flashlight (the light is very very low), suddendly automatically switch in the strobe mode, and I can't change mode anymore. The frequency of the strobe, that normally is constant, now become variable. (I check the battery and it's ok)
What is the problem? the driver is dead? 
I open the flashlight, and I notice that the right chip that you can see here, is very very hot.

What can I do? buy a new driver? can you show me something appropriate?
I don't need high current, 1,5A - 2A is good, and it would be better if the driver have 2 or more mode. The diametrer is 16mm - 17mm, and the height 6mm - 7mm.

I hope that I was clear, and I'm sorry for my english mistakes, if there are, but I'm sure of it .
Thanks


----------



## davidt1

I have a Tank007 TK-702. It sucks on regular batteries. Much brighter on 10440. I have been using it at work and have come to appreciate the simple one mode click switch. Is there an updated version of this light? I need a similar light only brighter. Short run time is OK. Thanks.


----------



## Painkiller1009

davidt1 said:


> I have a Tank007 TK-702. It sucks on regular batteries. Much brighter on 10440. I have been using it at work and have come to appreciate the simple one mode click switch. Is there an updated version of this light? I need a similar light only brighter. Short run time is OK. Thanks.




Try http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.23994
I have one and it is a great little light.


----------



## nicknich22931

shark_za said:


> I don't have anything fancy to test with but it seems to start out on a fresh cell drawing 700mA.
> 
> After 1 1/2 hours this is down to 470mA.
> Light is still very usable.



I get over 2A at the tail cap using a fresh Alkaline or Lithium 1.5V battery with the RC-G2. Are you measuring at the LED? If so, how?


----------



## shark_za

Just at the tailcap. 
Maybe my multimeter probes are limiting the current?


----------



## sparkysko

You have to unsolder one of the power wires to the LED to measure LED current. Would be easiest with two people and probably run the risk of making things go *poof* from inadequate heatsinking.


----------



## fstuff

*Re: Romisen RC-G2 shipped with bigger die*



javajoe said:


> I hope so, I have been seriously considering this light. It seems weird that they are always changing it but not mentioning the changes to the customer. Like this led difference, or how they changed the driver.


 
wait.. the new rc-g2 light has less throw?!

/Darth Vader voice
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
/Darth Vader voice

WTF?! i need a cheap flashlight with throw. Any recommendations?


----------



## old4570

*Re: Romisen RC-G2 shipped with bigger die*



fstuff said:


> wait.. the new rc-g2 light has less throw?!
> 
> /Darth Vader voice
> NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
> /Darth Vader voice
> 
> WTF?! i need a cheap flashlight with throw. Any recommendations?



Sacredfire 007 .. Small pocket light , pumps with 1 x RCR123A ..
Throws well for such a small light ...


----------



## bessiebenny

*Re: Romisen RC-G2 shipped with bigger die*

*UPDATE:*
- About 90% complete review of TANK007 E07 has been posted! http://www.jayki.com/5538
- I got a about 7 more lights to finish writing up a review for. Gawd. I'll do what I can to post them up soon. =)


----------



## old4570

*Re: Romisen RC-G2 shipped with bigger die*



bessiebenny said:


> *UPDATE:*
> - About 90% complete review of TANK007 E07 has been posted! http://www.jayki.com/5538
> - I got a about 7 more lights to finish writing up a review for. Gawd. I'll do what I can to post them up soon. =)



I was looking at that one .. but I went with the Akoray AK16 ..
Might have to give it some consideration ..


----------



## davidt1

*Re: Romisen RC-G2 shipped with bigger die*



bessiebenny said:


> *UPDATE:*
> - About 90% complete review of TANK007 E07 has been posted! http://www.jayki.com/5538
> - I got a about 7 more lights to finish writing up a review for. Gawd. I'll do what I can to post them up soon. =)



I was looking for a small one mode light and was considering the K-103, but the E07 looks really interesting and it's shorter. Also, I have the K-106. Which one do you like best among the E07, K-106 and K-103? Thanks.


----------



## alfreddajero

*Re: Romisen RC-G2 vs Romisen RC-G2 Q5 vs Romisen RC-G2 II Q5*

I have the P2 version from DX and the Q5 version from Bryan......compared to the original its way brighter.......but i hear that the version 2 G2 is suppose to be brighter then the Q5 version because of its updated driver.


----------



## alfreddajero

Hey Hatman which version would you consider brighter the X or the 2 mode of the A4.


----------



## bessiebenny

*Re: Romisen RC-G2 shipped with bigger die*



davidt1 said:


> I was looking for a small one mode light and was considering the K-103, but the E07 looks really interesting and it's shorter. Also, I have the K-106. Which one do you like best among the E07, K-106 and K-103? Thanks.


 
Well, K-103 isn't any smaller and has about half the runtime of E07 while being slightly dimmer as well. 
Also, E07 should be more reliable as it doesn't rely on a plastic switch. So I would reommend the E07 over the K-103 anyday. 
(Unless you really need the side clip of the K-103 or the capability of forward momentary clicky)

K-106 is a different category. It has customizable 3-modes with various strobe modes also.
It certainly isn't as small or light as E07. It also supports 14500 for super bright output.
So all depends what you want out of the flashlight. K-106 is great in a different kind of way.


----------



## p moore

My K-106 has never left my side for about 3 months. I use it every day at work and home. You would have to pry it from my cold dead hands 


Paul


----------



## qwertyydude

http://dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.24291

This one just released finally the light I've wanted for a while, stainless, at least it looks stainless, 1xAAA, and xp-e led. Only disappointment is SOSOSOSOSO mode. Why even have that? Hi-med-low would be much better.


----------



## monkeymagic

*New AKOray K-106 doesn't seem to want to work with a 14500*

Hi, I was wondering if anyone else with an Akoray K-106 had this issue.

It works perfectly with a regular alkaline AA, but with a 14500 which I also purchased from DX (Trustfire), it flashes bright once then shuts off. Sometimes if I tap the switch (i.e. changing brightness) it stays on high power, then another tap switches it to a very low-powered and slow strobe, then shuts off at the next tap.

Could it be that the batteries are defective? I charged them until the indicator on the charger flashed green. I don't have a multimeter to check the battery voltage, will probably get one in the next few days. Is there anything else that could be causing this?

Much appreciated.


----------



## J_C

Just noticed something about my K-106. If I take off the lower o-ring on the body tube, take the rear clip and put it in the groove where that o-ring was, then file a couple of ~ 2.5 mm deep notches in the head so the body tube screws in enough to keep electrical contact with the pill... 

*Edit: What happened to my image link? If a mod felt it needed removed, ok, but I hope to have some remark or PM about it so it's not a mystery.* Maybe just website server malfunction.

Reposted as a link instead of embedded image:
http://img251.imageshack.us/img251/1380/reverseclip.jpg


----------



## grasryshir

Deerelight CL1H is a nice smaller 18650 P60 host with a forward clicky switch which can be bought from (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part XII) with several different single and multimode emitters or you can buy the host itself and use your own P60 drop-in. Right now I am running the DX MC-E drop-in inside this host and it is a great smaller than average P60 host with mega output for its size.


----------



## Algeraist

*DX first light*

Hi,
I'm new here but have been doing some homework on getting a next gen led flashlight - not the crap you can buy in oz 

Anyway dealsextreme has my attension cheap and low grade maybe but my interest is just starting out

606A seems to be the best deal but I'm looking for some advise + also interested in p7 mods - as I want super bright super cheap to feed my interest.

I'd prefer aa or aaa bats rather than paying more and I'd also like some small that burns like the sun.....lol


----------



## Quacker

*Re: DX first light*

So you're moving from "crap stuff in Oz" to crap stuff from DX. 
Not a wise move.
Pay a bit more and stick to Fenix, Tiablo, Jetbeam, Liteflux etc etc.

Believe me, I learned the hard way. Bought myself 7 DX garbage lights and they have all failed. Could've got myself 2 quality lights instead with the amount of money i wasted on those DX lights.


----------



## lrp

*Re: DX first light*

What Quaker said!!


----------



## Outdoors Fanatic

*Re: DX first light*

Stick with your OZ crap! When it comes to crap, no one can touch Chinese DX!! They are kings.


----------



## [email protected]

*Re: DX first light*

I respectully disagree.
I've bought a half-dozen lights from DX and Kai and have had no failures.
I have a fenix TK11 and a Jetbeam C-LE and carry neither, prefering my Maratac AAA and AKOray K106 (both under $25 lights) for edc.

We live in the boonies and my go to light for "What the heck was that?!" is an Aurora P7 that cost $35 and provides a wall of light out to about 100 yards.

My only caution is, wait until you read about it here before making a purchase fom either of these places.


----------



## kramer5150

*Re: DX first light*

If you want a light/host to tinker with then DX is the place. Many of their lights can readily be taken apart, with minimal effort.... some just fall apart in your hands (LOL). FWIW, my track record with DX lights has been hit/miss, half of them arrived DOA or with flickering output problems.

For any DX light I do a complete part by part tear down upon arrival:
-Bust out my dremel + tools and completely dis-assemble
-Remove any glue or adhesive, a plastics-safe electronics part cleaner (aerosol can) is perfect for this 
-Re-flow solder
-Re-epoxy LED slugs
-Flush out and re-Lubricate click switches with part cleaner and a light oil
-De-bur all sharp metal edges
-Clean and re-lube gaskets
-Re-grind + polish any metal to metal conductive junction through the body/bezel/switch pill

Now all my DX lights (clone-fire) have been as reliable as my better surefire, fenix, Romisen, eagletac...etc...

The only light I was unable to 100% revive was a DIY job for bigchelis. He had one light with a finicky click switch, where one out of every 3 button clicks would flicker. I tried everything to free up the mechanism... but couldn't. It still works, except for that one click out of 3... LOL. But then you just click it again to get the internal switch plunger to rotate over to one of the next 2 spots.

I dont think AA sized lights are ideal for DIY though, many require smaller diameter DC-DC boards, in the ~15.5mm diameter range. 17mm is the unwritten DX/KD standard for DC-DC boards. Sometimes you can get away with trimming/grinding the PCB down to size, but that can only go so far. But certainly emitter swaps are possible with lights this small. You should be aware that some of the better made DX lights are glued and/or potted so getting them apart is difficult. Especially the potted lights... akoray for example.

I generally prefer P60 compatible lights for mods... surefire, solarforce and all the clone-fire derivatives. They can be completely taken apart component by component, including the switch modules. If you mess up, you can always buy a new 17mm DC-DC board for $3 and a reflector pill/module for $2.

I think a great 2AA project would be one of these:
http://www.lighthound.com/Solarforc...-Switch-all-Black-Type-2-Anodized_p_2629.html

Add this:
http://www.lighthound.com/Solarforce-L2-Flashlight-Extension-Tube--L2-ECR_p_1625.html

Add this drop in
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.13658

And mod the DC-DC board with one of these (or something similar thats optimized for 2xAA)
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.4735
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.7882


----------



## KD7EIR

*Re: DX first light*

:welcome:
The DX lights are great for getting you hooked on bright! Then once you are hooked you will most likely start looking to better lights from others.


----------



## davidt1

*Re: DX first light*

It's a freaking flashlight with an LED and a battery tube. It ain't rocket science. A majority of lights are made in China, probably from the same factories that churn out DX stuff. But the folks who get suckered into paying big bucks for brand name stuff would have you believe otherwise.

Don't worry about buying stuff from DX. I bought 2 lights, 1 charger, 4 batteries, and magnets from them. Although one of the lights (Tank TK-702) is not anywhere near the advertised brightness, everything has worked without any problem. Just be aware of a number of things about DX.

1. Items can take a long time to ship

2. Lumens ratings are often exaggerated 

3. You can get a bad product now and then

Read BessieBenny's review of budget lights. You will find some informative stuff there.


----------



## qwertyydude

*Re: DX first light*

There is a difference in quality of the lights. I'm absolutely no snob when it comes to lights but keep in mind that it is usually a good idea to carefully disassemble and rebuild your DX lights to make them reliable but I wouldn't say you have to start with Surefire especially for the price. I had two 606a's and while nice they were quite delicate. If you disassemble them do not touch any area near the led and do not remove the foil led shield which protects the led from shorting and don't over tighten the head or you'll short the led with the bottom of the reflector. If you need to get good quality lights from DX I'd stick with Romisen. Out of all the different brands my Romisens never failed me. But if you really want output and good runtime I would consider li-ion all my good lights run 18650's and they're pretty much a requirement if you want to get into high power P7's and MC-E lights.


----------



## shark_za

*Re: DX first light*

I would suggest your first DX light be a Romisen RC-N3. 
The only thing about DX is you are not sure what you will get. 
Will it be single or multi mode? Forward or reverse switch? P2 or P4/Q2 LED? 

BUT, no matter what variable above comes into play the RC-N3's I have a really good and functional torches. (single mode forward click)
I have one in each car of mine. Great carry light with 1xCR123 if you have nothing better and awesome practicality for general use when using 2xAA.


----------



## mfm

*Re: DX first light*

I'm very happy with the DX lights I have bought too:

Ultrafire A10 (Bright with eneloops, very good regulation. No problems. I just cleaned and lubed the threads).

Small Sun ZY-559 (Single AA light with 8 LED mode (not super bright, but useful as a medium level light with long run-time) and a red laser (quite powerful and focused, which is why I bought it)). 

I can see the point in buying expensive brand-lights too, I'm thinking about buying a Jetbeam Jet-I Pro V3.0 for the programmable modes, nice look and better quality... But for $60 with the chance of getting one where the anodizing of the parts doesn't match, I don't know... The 3-mode programmable AKOray K-106 would be a less costly alternative, but low output with eneloops (unlike the A10) is not acceptable, and that seems to be the case.


----------



## jimmy1970

*Re: DX first light*

For people just starting out with this torch thing, I wouldn't suggest buying an expensive light/lights until your sure you interest will endure.

My interest in lights is only increasing so for me personally, I would love to be able to go back in time and have only bought high quality lights. I did the low quality light thing initially but very quickly got sick of having problems.

My skills do not extend to rebuilding brand new lights. So I just buy Malkoffs, Surefires, Fenix, Ra, Peak etc. I expect high quality and I generally get it everytime with brand name lights.

I have never bought from DX before so can't comment on their products. The many noobies here complaining of poor quality products put me off.

James...


----------



## hyperloop

*Re: DX first light*

my first lights were from DX, it's more a lottery than they being consistently bad. I'd check the reviews section of DX, then check if there are any views on a particular light here on CPF.

First light, i'd recommend a Romisen RC N3 but from HERE and not DX, it's a little but more and there is some shipping involved BUT their service is excellent and the light will reach you very quickly unlike DX where i have been waiting 2 months for a drop in module and its STILL 'processing'.

*edit: *as an example, i ordered the Romisen RC N3 II, 2 mode, 2xAA light and from order/paypal to shipping it out was less than 24 hours, amazing! same with my Fenix TK20 from 4sevens (it's going for $48.90 after using discount code "CPF8", if you really want a tough as nails light for outdoor use, get the TK20)


----------



## Quacker

*Re: DX first light*



davidt1 said:


> It's a freaking flashlight with an LED and a battery tube. It ain't rocket science. A majority of lights are made in China, probably from the same factories that churn out DX stuff. But the folks who get suckered into paying big bucks for brand name stuff would have you believe otherwise.



Yes it's not rocket science to put a tube, switch and led together to form a light. Anyone can do that. It's the integration of these components and the design along with the UI that differentiates a 'real' flashlight from a 'craplight'
The problem with DX lights;
1) They are not HA. Because of this, you may receive a light that is scratched or chipped here and there. Through usage, it will also scratch easily.
2) Almost all DX lights are reverse click. I much prefer forward clicky.
3) UI is not very good. 
4) circuit is not very good.
5) Contacts/soldering/components are not very good
6) Overall design and build is not very good.

IMO, spend a little bit more and you get a good quality light from the reputable Chinese brands. It's worth your money. Of course I am not suggesting the OP to get a Surefire. Surefires are very good lights, but once you go to Surefire, 'the law of diminishing return' applies greatly.


----------



## mfm

*Re: DX first light*



Quacker said:


> 1) They are not HA. Because of this, you may receive a light that is scratched or chipped here and there. Through usage, it will also scratch easily.



My A10 is certainly HA-III.


----------



## sparkysko

That's a great mod there JC. Perfect for putting on a hat perhaps?

Regarding the Q5 5 mode Ultrafire Stainless Steel, just a word of warning. I think I ended up cracking/damaging/flexing the PCB by trying to put a protected 14500 in mine and torquing it down. After I tried putting a 14500 in, I'd get sporadic light output, and there'd be a 'sweet spot' of threading in the head where the light would cutoff or change in current coming from the battery (I know it's not a switch failure).

Save yourself the grief of having to do a driver swap on this beauty.


----------



## Algeraist

*Re: DX first light*

Thanks all 

I bought a 606A & RC-G2

Know DX I should see them in about a month lol


----------



## J_C

sparkysko said:


> That's a great mod there JC. Perfect for putting on a hat perhaps?
> 
> Regarding the Q5 5 mode Ultrafire Stainless Steel, just a word of warning. I think I ended up cracking/damaging/flexing the PCB by trying to put a protected 14500 in mine and torquing it down. After I tried putting a 14500 in, I'd get sporadic light output, and there'd be a 'sweet spot' of threading in the head where the light would cutoff or change in current coming from the battery (I know it's not a switch failure).
> 
> Save yourself the grief of having to do a driver swap on this beauty.



Hat, or shirt collar for reading. Then the 2nd o-ring taken off the tube can be put on the bottom switch pill groove where the clip was instead. If you only cracked a solder joint on the PCB you may be able to reflow that joint, hopefully keeping tension on it so the joint is reformed in a shape more tolerant of flexing by the different length batteries.


----------



## NonSenCe

quick thoughts of my latest DX purchases..

1. Nitecore ezaa Clone 1AA: tint and beam nice. lot nicer white shade of tint than expected. twisty action seems a bit irregular. it actually stays on when turned off! and when turning off there is rather loud buzzing/simmering sound for a while. (about 3.5seconds of bzzbrrbrrr)

2. Led Lenser p6 Clone 1AA: overall looks are similar to original. the dx version feels bit lighter weight. beam looks the same as led lenser does. dx tint is betteR! its whiter (my friends lenser has bluish tint) 

zoom functions nicely.. from tight led emitter shape to wide round sphere by pushing/pulling the head. (very little artifacts or rings for a fake.. about the same as original has) the zoom function is a bit loose though.. looser than year old led lenser to actuate. (maybe changing the oring to thicker one would cure this feeling. overall the light just feels like a cheaper and lighter weighting copy. 

**conclusion.. ledlenser copy/ torch light is worth it. ezaa clone wasnt. (gonna drop an lithium AA into the "ledlenser" and put it into my glovebox.)


----------



## Mr_Light

*Why would anyone want this flashlight? UltraFire W300 OSRAM LED 1-Mode (2*D)*

* I found this at Kai - UltraFire W300 OSRAM LED 1-Mode Flashlight (2*D) SKU: S008922 $50.37. 

Why would someone pay $50 for a single mode twisty light that runs on 2*D cells? Is this supposed to be a competitor to the Lumapower Mentor lights?
*


----------



## gswitter

*Re: Why would anyone want this flashlight? UltraFire W300 OSRAM LED 1-Mode (2*D)*

Probably the same reason some people still like 2D Mags with SMJ PR drop-ins.


----------



## Outdoors Fanatic

*Re: Why would anyone want this flashlight? UltraFire W300 OSRAM LED 1-Mode (2*D)*

Some people just love blowing money on Turd-Fire lights. These people keep Kai/DX in business.


----------



## jimmy1970

*Re: Why would anyone want this flashlight? UltraFire W300 OSRAM LED 1-Mode (2*D)*



Outdoors Fanatic said:


> Some people just love blowing money on Turd-Fire lights. These people keep Kai/DX in business.


 Todays' word of the day 'Turd-Fire'.


----------



## ACHË

*Re: New AKOray K-106 doesn't seem to want to work with a 14500*

Have you been able to program it using regular AA's?

If you have another light that can use 14500's you might try running the batteries down a bit to about 4.0V and see if that works.

I have two K-106's from DX about 6 months apart one from the other, and I got lucky and received 2 perfect specimens. 

On my units I've never seen this happen tho so you might have gotten a defective light.


----------



## henry1960

*Re: New AKOray K-106 doesn't seem to want to work with a 14500*



ACHË said:


> Have you been able to program it using regular AA's?
> 
> If you have another light that can use 14500's you might try running the batteries down a bit to about 4.0V and see if that works.
> 
> I have two K-106's from DX about 6 months apart one from the other, and I got lucky and received 2 perfect specimens.
> 
> On my units I've never seen this happen tho so you might have gotten a defective light.





I think your right. I have a AKOray K-106 that i use 14500`s in and have no promblem with. I bought this great light about three mounths ago from DX also and probably have to say you receieved a bad light :naughty:


----------



## tbenedict

NonSenCe said:


> quick thoughts of my latest DX purchases..
> 
> 1. Nitecore ezaa Clone 1AA: tint and beam nice. lot nicer white shade of tint than expected. twisty action seems a bit irregular. it actually stays on when turned off! and when turning off there is rather loud buzzing/simmering sound for a while. (about 3.5seconds of bzzbrrbrrr)
> 
> 2. Led Lenser p6 Clone 1AA: overall looks are similar to original. the dx version feels bit lighter weight. beam looks the same as led lenser does. dx tint is betteR! its whiter (my friends lenser has bluish tint)
> 
> zoom functions nicely.. from tight led emitter shape to wide round sphere by pushing/pulling the head. (very little artifacts or rings for a fake.. about the same as original has) the zoom function is a bit loose though.. looser than year old led lenser to actuate. (maybe changing the oring to thicker one would cure this feeling. overall the light just feels like a cheaper and lighter weighting copy.
> 
> **conclusion.. ledlenser copy/ torch light is worth it. ezaa clone wasnt. (gonna drop an lithium AA into the "ledlenser" and put it into my glovebox.)


 
Which part numbers were these? Thanks


----------



## kyhunter1

*Re: Why would anyone want this flashlight? UltraFire W300 OSRAM LED 1-Mode (2*D)*

Guess you could say that these are really stinky/crappy lights! :toilet:



jimmy1970 said:


> Todays' word of the day 'Turd-Fire'.


----------



## yellow

what ppl are willing to pay for lights depends only on personal view and information at hand.
The ones with good info do know,
the one without not. 
They will still think it is a good deal.


----------



## waddup

*Re: Why would anyone want this flashlight? UltraFire W300 OSRAM LED 1-Mode (2*D)*

i like bigger lights (C/D cells)

they are harder to lose (especially after i paint them bright orange)

and if i can buy 150 lumens for $60 instead of $160. (a lumen is a lumen right)

and if i consider a light is just a hunk of metal with some electronics/parts,

and sometimes even cheap manufacturers get it right. 

bessenbenies thread reveals there are some very good, very cheap lights.


----------



## kramer5150

*Re: Why would anyone want this flashlight? UltraFire W300 OSRAM LED 1-Mode (2*D)*

I probably wouldn't buy that light, but I generally prefer lights that I can fit in my coat pocket or pack carry without too much weight. Something doesn't add up. 200 Lumens, 2 hours from a pair of 12000mah D cells? By those numbers it would mean the light draws 60000 mah, I would think a light that draws 6A at ~2.4-3V should be much brighter than ~200L

My 18650 modded 6P draws a little over 2A and did 350 OTF in Garys sphere of death. I would never leave it ON for this long but by the math it should run for ~1:15 with a 2400 mah cell.

So either that is one heck of an inefficient design, or they were using some really bad cells to test it.


----------



## phlowcus

The ezaa clone is the tank mentioned by BB here: https://www.candlepowerforums.com/posts/3116665&postcount=66

The ledlenser clone is sku.29095. I can +1 NonSenCes impressions on the latter light, it's a very usable and edc-able light with a brightness that is equal to that of other DX zoom lights using 3 AAAs.


----------



## defloyd77

*Re: Why would anyone want this flashlight? UltraFire W300 OSRAM LED 1-Mode (2*D)*



Mr_Light said:


> * I found this at Kai - UltraFire W300 OSRAM LED 1-Mode Flashlight (2*D) SKU: S008922 $50.37.
> 
> Why would someone pay $50 for a single mode twisty light that runs on 2*D cells? Is this supposed to be a competitor to the Lumapower Mentor lights?
> *



It's not a twisty, it's a reverse clicky, a 2D twisty would be a PITA.


----------



## Mr_Light

*Re: Why would anyone want this flashlight? UltraFire W300 OSRAM LED 1-Mode (2*D)*



defloyd77 said:


> It's not a twisty, it's a reverse clicky, a 2D twisty would be a PITA.


The description says clicky, but I don't see one in the pictures?


----------



## defloyd77

*Re: Why would anyone want this flashlight? UltraFire W300 OSRAM LED 1-Mode (2*D)*



Mr_Light said:


> The description says clicky, but I don't see one in the pictures?



You know what, you're right, Kai's description is wrong, qualitychinagoods says "revolve head".


----------



## LEDninja

*Re: Why would anyone want this flashlight? UltraFire W300 OSRAM LED 1-Mode (2*D)*

Seems kinda pricey for KD/DX.
I can pick up an LED 2D Maglite locally for CAD $34.99.

EDIT
It is even cheaper in the US.
OTOH in many countries Maglite pricing is preposterous.


----------



## J_C

NonSenCe said:


> quick thoughts of my latest DX purchases..
> 
> 1. Nitecore ezaa Clone 1AA: tint and beam nice. lot nicer white shade of tint than expected. twisty action seems a bit irregular. it actually stays on when turned off! and when turning off there is rather loud buzzing/simmering sound for a while. (about 3.5seconds of bzzbrrbrrr)



Seems like the switch mechanism needs an adjustment so the circuit fully opens, maybe the metal trimmed, or of course it's RMA time. I vaguely recall someone wrote it isn't removable from the rear, is there anything visible looking down the body tube? Given it's supposedly able to turn off like a regular head-twisty type light, does it still buzz if you leave the rear switch engaged and twist it off at the head and if so, does the battery then rattle around? One thing I was thinking is maybe the rear switch knob could be entirely removed or ground (grinderized, not eletrical ground) down, then a large diameter spring soldered to the brass pill to keep the battery stationary when the head is unscrewed a bit if it then rattled.


----------



## gswitter

*Re: Why would anyone want this flashlight? UltraFire W300 OSRAM LED 1-Mode (2*D)*



defloyd77 said:


> a 2D twisty would be a PITA.


Oh, I disagree.


----------



## J_C

*Re: Why would anyone want this flashlight? UltraFire W300 OSRAM LED 1-Mode (2*D)*

Head twisty wouldn't be a big deal, as it's not meant to be a *tactical* light. The real issue is the price, since as with any other light it can be handy to be able to use high capacity cells that are readily available at any hardware store.

As for the runtime and other specs, I don't ever believe those and don't now. If it were a lot cheaper it might be a good candidate host for a different driver but as is, price is too high to gamble on it but it might not be a bad light for $25 keeping in mind the specs don't make sense.


----------



## Mr_Light

*Re: Why would anyone want this flashlight? UltraFire W300 OSRAM LED 1-Mode (2*D)*

It looks like there might be double O-Rings, so maybe it's a diving light? If not I just don't understand the point? 97 lumens and $50+ dollars!


----------



## cheetokhan

*Re: Why would anyone want this flashlight? UltraFire W300 OSRAM LED 1-Mode (2*D)*



waddup said:


> i like bigger lights (C/D cells)
> they are harder to lose (especially after i paint them bright orange)
> and if i can buy 150 lumens for $60 instead of $160. (a lumen is a lumen right) and if i consider a light is just a hunk of metal with some electronics/parts, and sometimes even cheap manufacturers get it right.
> bessenbenies thread reveals there are some very good, very cheap lights.



You might like the new Lumapower 2C light.


----------



## Slash5

qwertyydude said:


> http://dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.24291
> 
> This one just released finally the light I've wanted for a while, stainless, at least it looks stainless, 1xAAA, and xp-e led. Only disappointment is SOSOSOSOSO mode. Why even have that? Hi-med-low would be much better.


I just received this from KD. Beautiful light, bright, nice low and a flawless beam. It is full stainless. The brass is just a trim ring, no functional purpose.
Same day I received it, Dealextreme showed them in stock so I ordered another couple. Showed it to someone at work, they told me they were going home to order one.


----------



## dandism

Slash5 said:


> I just received this from KD. Beautiful light, bright, nice low and a flawless beam. It is full stainless. The brass is just a trim ring, no functional purpose.
> Same day I received it, Dealextreme showed them in stock so I ordered another couple. Showed it to someone at work, they told me they were going home to order one.


 How did you get it so fast? I ordered the day they came out and they just barely shipped it yesterday.


----------



## bessiebenny

J_C said:


> Seems like the switch mechanism needs an adjustment so the circuit fully opens, maybe the metal trimmed, or of course it's RMA time. I vaguely recall someone wrote it isn't removable from the rear, is there anything visible looking down the body tube? Given it's supposedly able to turn off like a regular head-twisty type light, does it still buzz if you leave the rear switch engaged and twist it off at the head and if so, does the battery then rattle around? One thing I was thinking is maybe the rear switch knob could be entirely removed or ground (grinderized, not eletrical ground) down, then a large diameter spring soldered to the brass pill to keep the battery stationary when the head is unscrewed a bit if it then rattled.


 
Regards to the E07 light, I'm sure most of you have seen my review of it by now. =P

I've heard the buzz once. But haven't heard it since. Trick is to leave the switch to the OFF side by unscrewing it, then put the battery in, then tighten the head. Then use the tail switch. Zero issues.

I think you can take off the tail switch by loosening the screw inside. 
It seems to be just a slot screw. I haven't tried but pretty sure it'll work.


----------



## lolzertank

*Re: Why would anyone want this flashlight? UltraFire W300 OSRAM LED 1-Mode (2*D)*

A 2D Rebel Mag would be a much better value. :nana:


----------



## hatman

alfreddajero said:


> Hey Hatman which version would you consider brighter the X or the 2 mode of the A4.




No difference.

The high of the 2-mode model is the same as the single mode model, to my eyes.

I EDC both.


----------



## defloyd77

*Re: Why would anyone want this flashlight? UltraFire W300 OSRAM LED 1-Mode (2*D)*



Mr_Light said:


> It looks like there might be double O-Rings, so maybe it's a diving light? If not I just don't understand the point? 97 lumens and $50+ dollars!



That would be awesome.


----------



## alfreddajero

Okay thanks for the info.


----------



## bessiebenny

*UPDATE*
- Review of *Aurora SH0030 XP-E Q5* has been posted! http://www.jayki.com/5578
- Just posted what I had on my work pc for now. Beam shots to come later from home pc. =)


----------



## Slash5

dandism said:


> How did you get it so fast? I ordered the day they came out and they just barely shipped it yesterday.


 Ordered it the same day it appeared on KD, the 6th. HongKong post office says it shipped on the 12th.
Wow, I got it on the 15th, thats hard to believe. I think HK post office must be reporting when it arrived in Canada.


----------



## shark_za

Does anyone know if the new listings on DX (Solarforce L2M 24353 ) is actually a Solarforce/Surefire thread or some fake Ultrafire rebrand? 

Does the mini body unscrew from the head like a Solarforce? 

Its worth getting for spares if nothing else.


----------



## MerkurMan

Slash5 said:


> Ordered it the same day it appeared on KD, the 6th. HongKong post office says it shipped on the 12th.
> Wow, I got it on the 15th, thats hard to believe. I think HK post office must be reporting when it arrived in Canada.


Well they're shipped airmail, and I find they usually arrive in customs the day after they leave China. If you're lucky, it'll be in your mailbox one day later. Though I find that lately the inspectors in Mississauga have been a little slow.


----------



## javajoe

*Romisen RC-A4 II Cree Q5 w/ Shiningbeam Charger*

Hi All,

After quite a drawn out decision making process I finally decided to buy Shining Beam's Romisen RC-A4 II Cree Q5. I know Romisen copied the style of a Jetbeam light, but for my budget the Romisen was a better fit than the Jetbeam.

I had been on the fence for a while and was considering getting the DX Romisen rc-g2, pair it with some Eneloops, and enjoying it's low cost and the ease of use with the eneloops. Unlike many on this forum I only have a few flashlights but when I told my wife that I wanted to order another she said that "I'm obsessed". So that told me that I better get the light that I really wanted since it would likely be the last one I would get away with buying for some time (unless one or more of my current lights fail).

So with it's combination of good looks (I chose the Gray model), Romisen build quality, and high lumens (I believe I read a post that Bryan's model can hit 190 on high) I decided to go for it. Plus I like the fact that I can contact Bryan if I have any issues and he will ship it much faster.

I also opted to get my li-on's and charger from ShiningBeam. I had done a lot of research on this as well and in the end just decided to trust that Bryan would stand behind the batteries and charger that he chose to put in his store. So I am excited. I'll post some pics and impressions when I get it in. Hopefully it is satisfyingly bright, but still usable on med mode for dog walk duty (my only true daily NEED for any flashlight). But if it is too bright I will still have my trusty old Garrity that I have absolutely loved for the last 2 years (orange version of my avatar).

Does anyone have any experience with this charger:
http://www.shiningbeam.com/servlet/the-138/Mini-Digial-Li-dsh-Ion-Battery/Detail
does it have auto-cutoff/will iut overcharge the batteries? Shiningbeam does not list the brand and I don't see one on the picture either.


----------



## Gunner12

*Re: Just Ordered Romisen RC-A4 II Cree Q5*

I hope you like the light!

Also, you can modify your lights too. That way you aren't actually getting a new light.


----------



## javajoe

*Re: Just Ordered Romisen RC-A4 II Cree Q5*

Here's a pic for those unfamillar:







so I guess it does look like they may have been "inspired" by the Nightcore extreme:


----------



## p moore

*Re: Just Ordered Romisen RC-A4 II Cree Q5*

Please let us know your thoughts on this light. I have been "eyeing" it for some time. Just waiting for someone to get one and tell how much they love it. 

Paul


----------



## PaulH

*Re: Just Ordered Romisen RC-A4 II Cree Q5*

Hi, 

I have a couple of these lights. I also have the NiteCore Extreme. Out of the box, the Romisen is a little brighter on high, with a tighter beam than the Nitecore. I don't think you will be disappointed with the output of the RC-A4 II Q5.

The advantage of the NiteCore is that you can make the low go just about as low as you want. I think run time on the lowest setting is somewhere above 20 hours.

I swapped the driver of one of the Romisens using a 350mA AMC7135 board (filed down to fit). That gives a decent amount of light, with somewhere just shy of 2 hours on one of AW's 123 cells.

Oh, I also put an XP-G R5 in one of the Romisens with a 700mA AMC7135 board. Gives a far more floody beam.

The clip will work loose pretty quickly (on the NiteCore and the Romisen) - so I've put some threadlock in, which has worked well. Be careful not to overtighten the screws as the thread strips very easily - which I did on my NiteCore on the first day .

The RC-A4 II Q5 is a fab little light. It is pretty easy to swap the driver and emitter (although there is no real need to), and for the price - I think they are excellent value. I hope you enjoy your purchase.

Paul


----------



## javajoe

*Re: Just Ordered Romisen RC-A4 II Cree Q5*

Hey Paul,

Thanks for your reply. I'm glad to hear that you like your RC-A4. If I do decide to mod it someday, I may have to follow up with you for suggestions. I totally agree that the nitecore's beam adjustability is a major strenght. I especially like the fact that you dial it in rather that clicking thru settings. But it did not make the nitecore worth 4X the price of the upgraded romisen for me.


----------



## PaulH

*Re: Just Ordered Romisen RC-A4 II Cree Q5*

No worries, although if you have ordered the two mode version, I think that gives you enough flexibility not to bother with any mods. The first one I had was from KD (not the Q5 version). It came with about 5 modes, which personally, I don't care much for.

I got robbed by UK customs for another £15 on the NiteCore - which makes it a very expensive little light - by my standards anyway :sigh:


----------



## javajoe

when people are ordering from DX to be shipped into the U.S. does customs add any fees? If so how do they get the money from you? I'm just wondering if there is any need for the $.01 service DX has available. (and if it works)


----------



## javajoe

*Re: Just Ordered Romisen RC-A4 II Cree Q5*

Can anyone comment on the Shiningbeam charger?
I tried searching but it is difficult when the product doesn't really have a model number or brand name.

http://www.shiningbeam.com/servlet/t...Battery/Detail


----------



## javajoe

*Re: Romisen RC-A4 II Cree Q5 w/ Shiningbeam Charger*

I just ordered this morning and Shiningbeam has already shipped my new light!!!!!

Sorry for all the posts but after looking over these forums for a month or so I'm very excited to finally be getting a new light for myself. :naughty:


----------



## sparkysko

No. Everything DX sends is a 'gift', wink wink, nudge nudge. No customs fee's on gifts.


----------



## old4570

shark_za said:


> Does anyone know if the new listings on DX (Solarforce L2M 24353 ) is actually a Solarforce/Surefire thread or some fake Ultrafire rebrand?
> 
> Does the mini body unscrew from the head like a Solarforce?
> 
> Its worth getting for spares if nothing else.


 
Ordered one ! will post review when it arrives , $15


----------



## mfm

phlowcus said:


> The ledlenser clone is sku.29095. I can +1 NonSenCes impressions on the latter light, it's a very usable and edc-able light with a brightness that is equal to that of other DX zoom lights using 3 AAAs.



How is the switch on it? There are some complaints about it on DX.


----------



## javajoe

*Re: Romisen RC-A4 II Cree Q5 w/ Shiningbeam Charger*

I really missed out....
I just went back to shining beam and saw that they have a lanyard that would have been perfect for my light. Especially because it has my initals on it!! "MG" Its a shame because I'm not gonna pay 3 bucks to ship it, really wish i had seen it when i made the light purchase...


----------



## phlowcus

*Happy Romisen family *

Just thought I'd share this:




rc-c6, rc-29, rc-g2, rc-f7 before someone asks. 

Regarding the led-lenser clone:


mfm said:


> How is the switch on it? There are some complaints about it on DX.


Well yes I have to agree, the switch is rather bad. I have no reason to think it'll fail anytime soon but the feeling sucks. The 'point of click' is ~3mm beyond the initial position and that's almost were the tailcap starts so if you use the middle of your thumb the button isn't switched because the thumb pressure is stopped by the tailcap, it works ok with the tip of the thumb though. Unfortunately there is no visible entry to the switch module otherwise it would be easy to fix with a padding I guess.


----------



## alfreddajero

*Re: Happy Romisen family *

This is too phlowcus, how do you like the C6......is it bright......when compared to the RC N3.


----------



## reneki

man i wanna get the rc-c6 cause it's small and looks cool, but i have the x2000 already, and i've read the rc-c6 doesn't drive the LED nearly as hard as the x2000. It's only around 700 ma on a fresh cell versus around 1.4A for the x2000. 

If i did get the rc-c6, i'd swap out the driver for a 1.4A multi-mode. 

also, someone post a review if you get the new kd xpg lights.


----------



## mfm

*Re: Happy Romisen family *



phlowcus said:


> Well yes I have to agree, the switch is rather bad. I have no reason to think it'll fail anytime soon but the feeling sucks.



Thanks, canceled it and ordered the RC-29 from KD instead (or atleast tried to, I got no order confirmation and it's not showing up in the account...).


----------



## bessiebenny

*Re: Happy Romisen family *

*UPDATE*
- Preview of *Romisen RC-29 Q5 Zoom* has been posted.
- Preview of *Trustfire XP-E F23 Stainless Steel* has been posted.
- I'll be posting whatever I have whenever I can from now on instead of holding back the info.
- Hopefully this will be much more useful than just posting a more extensive review much much later. =P
- I still have few more that I need to post up such as Ultrafire A10 and A10B as well as TANK007 E08 light. 
- If you have something to ask / tell me, please post on my website as that's where I'm mostly at. 
- Results at a glance chart is now at my site with direct review links being added for the flashlights.


----------



## davidt1

Has anyone reviewed this light? If not, it should be. Why? It's cheap, great-looking and capable of 150 lumens from one AAA battery.

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.24291

Never mind. It's in the post right above. It pays to read first.


----------



## apontes

reneki said:


> man i wanna get the rc-c6 cause it's small and looks cool, but i have the x2000 already, and i've read the rc-c6 doesn't drive the LED nearly as hard as the x2000. It's only around 700 ma on a fresh cell versus around 1.4A for the x2000.
> 
> If i did get the rc-c6, i'd swap out the driver for a 1.4A multi-mode.
> 
> also, someone post a review if you get the new kd xpg lights.



Check this out:
https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/243182


----------



## Stealth

*Re: New AKOray K-106 doesn't seem to want to work with a 14500*

My AKO-ray 106 stopped running with lithiums about three months after I got it, was running lithiums with it all the time because its agreat light with li-ion batterys.

I have no idea why it just decided to stop working with them, I have two trustfire 14500 protecteds it ran fine on for the longest time, now it will run for a few seconds then dim to a very low and even shut down completly, Its fine with alkalines. 

It kind of acts like my batts are depleted but they are fine, highly unlikely they would both take a crap on me at exactly the same time. I've already toyed with the modes and also the voltage protection on & off.. no luck.

Any ideas


----------



## Flash_25296

Can anyone point me in the direction of a small key chain light running AA or AAA that has a switch mounted on the side of the flashlight body. My wife has small hands and does not like the twisty tops or the end cap button styles.


----------



## fstuff

*Re: Happy Romisen family *

got the 'new' rc-g2 from DX.


it's brighter than the old one that i bought last year.

So what are the downsides of the new one vs the old one?


----------



## alfreddajero

*Re: Happy Romisen family *

My guess would be shorter runtime or better effeciency......


----------



## hyperloop

*$9.99 sleeper light*

*EDITED* to change LED from R2 to Osram, my mistake.

Hi all, i just got this little baby for *$9.99* yeah, a sub $10 light and it is a screamer on 14500.

The details you can read on the link i posted above. But my impressions of the light are:-

1. Looks very very similar to Akoray K106, feels nice and durable for its price point.

2. the clip is not as robust as that on my Akoray but it holds well enough in my office pants pocket though i wouldnt want to belt clip this light.

3. uses an *Osram LED* apparently, tint on mine is slightly tending to the greener side.

4. single mode, reverse clicky, tailcap rubber boot is GITD and there is another GITD O-ring at the lens. the threads are square with 2 O-rings. havent taken the tailcap apart to see if there is another O-ring in there but for this price i wouldnt expect dunkability.

Output:

on a Trustfire protected 14500, this light is BRIGHT!!! it completely consumes my EX10 on RCR123s which means its way above the 130 lumens that the EX10 is spec-ed at (though mine is the GDP so perhaps the hotspot isnt as intense)

will go back home later and compare it with my other lights and edit this post.

On 1xNiMH, the light looks really greenish but still bright, it gets a lot more powerful and white when running on a 14500.

Looks like i found my christmas gifts for friends.


----------



## Stealth

*Re: New AKOray K-106 doesn't seem to want to work with a 14500*

bump

Anybody know?

Would'nt it be unlikely for both my trustfires to stop working at the same time?


Kind of a shame because I liked this light.


----------



## J_C

Stealth, one school of thought is that these aren't really capable of running on lithium batteries, that the peak charged voltage is just too high above the forward voltage it would need for the nominal direct drive current spec'd, so there's enough current and heat to eventually fry the driver. 

Another thought is your random sample just happened to break from a defect on one of the chips.

A third thought is maybe the switch contacts are acting up and the alkaline being a slightly different length puts different pressure on the contacts in the tailcap. You might take the cap off and see if shorting the tube to the battery rear allows it to run or it dims after a few seconds still.


----------



## J_C

Can someone help shed light on the seemingly large difference in efficiency between K-103 and XP-E F23:

http://www.jayki.com/flashlight_review_board/flashlight_review_board/464
http://www.jayki.com/5621


AKOray K-103, Lightbox: 135 lux, Q4 LED, AAA 750mAH NiMH, approx 41 min. runtime till steep drop in output


TrustFire XP-E, Lightbox: 110 lux, R2 LED, AAA 750mAH NiMH, approx 16 min. runtime till steep drop in output

The output slope on both, while not identical, drops close enough to the same towards the end of the periods listed above. Why is the Trustfire w/better LED, achieving barely more than 1/3rd the runtime of the K-103? Is the driver really that terrible?


----------



## javajoe

*Re: Romisen RC-A4 II Cree Q5 w/ Shiningbeam Charger*

Ok, So I got the light, batteries, and charger last night. Ordered 10/22 received 10/27--not bad shipping time considering that includes Saturday and Sunday. I was very excited as this will be my first light that you can't get off the shelf at Wall-Mart or a similar store. When I opened the package I quickly realized that the incorrect color had shipped, I got Black instead of Gray. This was a big disappointment for me so I sent a mail to Bryan to see how we could resolve it. He promptly replied and we are working to come up with a solution. I did not get a chance to take any pictures but will if there is interest, specific angles or requests can be accommodated.

On to the light. Once I got past the color mix-up, my initial impression was, "This is one small light." You can look at pictures and measurements online but if it is your first modern cr123a light, I think you may be surprised at how small it it, especially for me coming from a 3AAA Garity. I decided to check out the nitecore's dimensions and not surprisingly it is basically the exact same size. If I had spent the extra money for that light I think my novice-based shock about the size would have been even more pronounced.

As I was unscrewing the battery tube I did notice that it was a little squeaky and I could feel some grit in the threads. It there a typical practice that members use to clean the threads? Maybe use a very small drop of wd-40? I also took off the bezel which allowed access to the reflector and driver assembly. Everything seemed very sturdy and I but the bezel back on fairly quickly because I did not want to get dust or oil from my fingers in there. So next I dropped in the gray Trust fire rcr123 that I bought from shining beam with the light. it fit just fine and does not seem to move once the light is screwed shut. 

To be honest, I did not have much of an idea what to expect as far as output. I know the standard version is listed at 150 lumens and shining beam says my version has the updated Q5 led which is good for a 30% increase in output (150*1.3=195). I'm guessing these ratings are based off of an rcr123. The thing was that I had no reference point of how bright a set number of lumens is because my current Garrity was not lumen rated. I was pleasantly surprised with not only the brightness, but the pure white color, the throw, and the beam. I'm coming from a light with a fish-eye lens on it that provides a good useable but very focused beam (think spotlight with basically NO spill). This Romisen was a nice bright hotspot with a generous spill. Even my wife was impressed with all aspects of the light.

As for the charger, I am satisfied with it. It is nice and compact, charged the batteries at a reasonable rate, and can charge either 2 or 1 battery at a time. I had read that you don't want your charger to give more than 2 times the capacity of your cell in an hour. My trust fires are rated at 880mah and the charger shows "Output 4.2V--600ma. While this doesn't indicate the "mah" part I think it falls safely within what is considered a slow enough charge time (input on this welcome). As the cells are charging the led is red and then during the last few minutes it slowly transitions from red to green. Once full green I immediately took the cells off.

So the bottom line? I am pleased with Shining Beam as a seller: decent prices, had the items I wanted, prompt/personal communication from what seems to be the owner/operator, and he is working to resolve his shipping error. As for the light, while it is smaller than I expected, and may have gritty threads, I am fully satisfied and hope to get many years of service from it. The same goes for the li-ons and charger. By the way, where are people storing their spare li-ons, my single extra is just sitting in a basket on my dresser with the charger next to it. Is it worth it to store the one spare in the fridge in a zip-lock bag? Keep in mind I will be changing/recharging these batteries about once a week.


----------



## mfm

*Re: $9.99 sleeper light*



hyperloop said:


> 3. uses an R2 apparently, tint on mine is slightly tending to the greener side.



It says OSRAM LED in the specifications?



J_C said:


> TrustFire XP-E, Lightbox: 110 lux, R2 LED, AAA 750mAH NiMH, approx 16 min. runtime till steep drop in output



Says Q3 on KD for the same model...


----------



## LoM

Bought a couple of DX lights and they all seem to share same (Osram) emiter: UniqueFire AA-S1, TANK007 Black cat and TANK007 E07 (looks like a EZ clone).


----------



## kimck99

Hi all,

I am searching for a light that I'm hoping for some suggestions. Here is my scenario/criteria:


Use - looking for a light to place in the car for use in case of emergency
1xAA (Will be using Energizer e2s)
Price - nothing too expensive as it won't be used much (but realiable so don't want something too cheap). So, lets say less than $20.
3-mode (Hi-Med-Low) - SOS/Strobe not a requirement but if it's available, great.
Looking for a good runtime on medium. Thinking that med lumen rating around 50+ would be sufficient (but guessing here)
Not to concerned with how bright it is on HI as runtime is more important than having too bright of light that will drain the battery on high.
I have a few flashlights but given how much I spent on them, I don't want to put them in the car as a just in case lights.

I have the AKOray 106 (3-mode) and it's a good light. I've seen BB runtime on LSD and looks good on high. However, I have no idea on runtime on Lithium cells - specificly on Med. For that matter, I have no experience in using e2s on any light so not sure about runtime at all. (I primarily use LSDs.)

Apology if this question have been asked before but the information on CPF is almost too overwhelming and hard to sift through the threads - although I have spent hours and hours over the last two weeks after being away for nearly a year catching up - but I digressed.

So, given the criteria above, I would appreciate any suggestions you folks have.


----------



## J_C

*Re: $9.99 sleeper light*



mfm said:


> Says Q3 on KD for the same model...



Ok, then at similar output current that explains the difference in lux, but not in runtime.


----------



## fstuff

*Re: New RC-G2*



alfreddajero said:


> My guess would be shorter runtime or better effeciency......


 
Bessie,

can you test the new RC-G2 from DX?

i would like to see if it still retains the 6 star rating in light (pun intended) of all the new competition since the old RC-G2 was reviewed.

thx


----------



## bessiebenny

J_C said:


> Can someone help shed light on the seemingly large difference in efficiency between K-103 and XP-E F23:
> 
> http://www.jayki.com/flashlight_review_board/flashlight_review_board/464
> http://www.jayki.com/5621
> 
> The output slope on both, while not identical, drops close enough to the same towards the end of the periods listed above. Why is the Trustfire w/better LED, achieving barely more than 1/3rd the runtime of the K-103? Is the driver really that terrible?


 
I forgot to update my K-103 review but I've actually started measuring my lightbox differently to make sure results stay even more consistent.
K-103 lightbox results have been updated now. Only 85 lux. Not 135 lux. I have been using this new method for all new reviews. Sorry to not inform of this change.
So F23 is actually brighter. (hence my comment of its bright output reducing its runtime) But If I get it off my friend again, I'll retest again with another battery. =P

This will be reflected as New Lightbox2 (notice the "2" on the end) I'm changing all the ones right now which I used this method for.
Sorry. I'm constantly looking for better ways and I don't have all the flashlights that I've reviewed with me so I cannot update every light.

So right now...

Old Lightbox
New Lightbox
New Lightbox2

Sorry for the confusion. I think *New Lightbox2* method will be used for a long time from now on. As it's much more consistent I found.


----------



## bessiebenny

*Re: New RC-G2*



fstuff said:


> Bessie,
> 
> can you test the new RC-G2 from DX?
> 
> i would like to see if it still retains the 6 star rating in light (pun intended) of all the new competition since the old RC-G2 was reviewed.
> 
> thx


 
Yeah. I'll see if I can buy one again to re-test. It's going to be difficult now as I'm not sure if I'm as easily impressed as back then. =P
But still, I reckon it'll be minimum 5 stars as it's still cheap and well made.


----------



## PlayboyJoeShmoe

*My Romisen RC-F4 died.*

Well, not so much died as got a permanent low.

I had a few P60 modules, one Q5 and one R2 not doing anything.

So now my RC-F4 is Q5 bright.

I threaded a spring on the LED module and with a gasket the head and reflector hold it down against the spring.

Heatsinking may not be perfect, but I wouldn't use this light very long.

I used a similar method a while back to give an Ultrafire WF-505B a nice three level drop in. It makes for a pretty darn small bright light!

The RC-F4 throws better but the WF-505B sure has a nice beam profile!


----------



## hyperloop

*$9.99 sleeper light*

My mistake, it is indeed an Osram. Dang this sucker is bright on 14500.


----------



## musicalfruit

Just got a five mode Akoray (sku.28546) in today and it is definitely brighter than the programmable Akoray (sku.16607) but the flashing modes are a bit annoying.

Still, it's a pretty good deal for $14 shipped.


----------



## J_C

^ brighter on NIMH, Li-Ion, or both?


----------



## musicalfruit

I've only tried 14500s. No light meter so can't do measurements but it's noticeable brighter. Too bad the programmable K106 can't be set higher as I like the much lower lows that you program it to.


----------



## Jarl

*DX drop-in voltage range differences?*

Why are they different? I want to use a 5AQ2 drop-in in an automotive application, and there's an R2 drop-in with input voltage of 3.7 to 18V, but the warm drop-in only accepts 3.6 to 12V. Different circuits or different mfg ratings?


----------



## Black Rose

*Re: DX drop-in voltage range differences?*



Jarl said:


> Why are they different? I want to use a 5AQ2 drop-in in an automotive application, and there's an R2 drop-in with input voltage of 3.7 to 18V, but the warm drop-in only accepts 3.6 to 12V. Different circuits or different mfg ratings?


Just different circuit boards would be my guess. 

You can always swap the circuit boards...that's what I do.

These last two posts probably would make more sense in the P60 drop-in thread than in BessieBenny's budget light thread.


----------



## J_C

Remember that brighter isn't necessarily better, IF it's so bright because the driver board is operating beyond it's safe limits. Measure battery - driver current.


----------



## tbenedict

*Re: DX drop-in voltage range differences?*



Jarl said:


> Why are they different? I want to use a 5AQ2 drop-in in an automotive application, and there's an R2 drop-in with input voltage of 3.7 to 18V, but the warm drop-in only accepts 3.6 to 12V. Different circuits or different mfg ratings?


 
Good luck trying to get one from DX. They are out despite what the product page says. Mine has been on order for over a month. They shipped my batteries and charger that I have nothing to use in without the lamp......


----------



## musicalfruit

J_C said:


> Remember that brighter isn't necessarily better, IF it's so bright because the driver board is operating beyond it's safe limits. Measure battery - driver current.



True. I need to read up on the measurement thread to figure out how since I'm new to this.

I did notice that DX specs 1300mA for sku.28546 and 900mA for sku.16607 so I guess that would explain the output difference.


----------



## J_C

I'd love to be able to take DX specs at face value, but far too often the specs are simply wrong. You have to measure yourself to know for certain, or trust that the design hasn't changed since a prior owner took a measurement.


----------



## mfm

*Re: $9.99 sleeper light*



hyperloop said:


> My mistake, it is indeed an Osram. Dang this sucker is bright on 14500.



Someone on DX measured theirs to use over 2A at 3,7v, so you could be burning your emitter.


----------



## Crenshaw

*Review: Romisen RC-C6 Focusable Aspheric*

*for consideration for the review forum*

Normally i wouldnt bother to do a review on a dx light, but this is truely _the_ best light i have received from them in all my time buying there. 







Some information:

The RC-C6 is a Lens light, with no reflector, only a (large considering the size of the light) aspheric lens at the front.






In the above, close to full focused lens, it provides a throwey square shaped beam. Of course, it can be focused to a full aspheric. Note that that happens at the full extension of the head, meaning the head stops unscrewing when it is fully focused, no play in the threads.excellent machineing there IMO.

You can change the focus by screwing in and out the head section.
Below is a picture of the head screwed in fully. This provides an even flood of light.






Here you can see the exploded view




To my inspection of all the parts, they are machined well, with no grit in the threads, and no crossthreading. 






The anodizing is well done, and very even, even on the threads. Lock out is possible.

unscrewing the Orange anodized bezel gets you access to the innards






There is another retaining ring, which i forgot to take a picture of, but you can see it in the exploded view. The lens sits on this ring, which is machined specifically for the purpose, you can see the ridge the that lens sits on. 

Removing the tail as well lets you unscrew the head all the way so that the battery tube comes out the head side.






This gives you access to the pill. Which unscrews from the batterytube, again without grittiness.











bonus

I was pleasently surprised to find that the positive connection is not simply the circuit board, but there is a bit of, well, something, protecting the circuit board. Small touches like this tell me the people who designed this were paying attention.






All in all i am EXTREMELY please with this light. It is one HECK of a thrower. No time to do beamshots yet, but it out throws just about everything i have thats not my Tiablo or my Mag85. 

My two problems with this light:

The oring at the base of the head sometimes interferes with the focusing if its not lubed properly. You have to keep it slick, and the focusing will be a breeze

And this light is actually pretty well sealed. so much so that when i unscrew the head, the tail boot gets sucked down by air pressure. and if i release the pressure by unscrewing the tailcap, and i screw the head back down, the seal causes the tail boot to balloon slightly. none of this is destructive to the light in anyway, its more of a minor annoyance then anything. Doesnt affect its function in anyway.


Beamshots
RC-C6 vs D10 on 14500li-on
















Crenshaw


----------



## pmoore

Patiently awaiting follow-up. With beamshots. :twothumbs

Paul


----------



## Techjunkie

*Re: Why would anyone want this flashlight? UltraFire W300 OSRAM LED 1-Mode (2*D)*

To make this one for $18 look like a really good deal by comparison?:

*SMALL SUN ZY-777 CREE Q2 1-Mode Flashlight (3*D) SKU: S008923 *
(KD ProductId=10015)

After seeing that for so much less than the UF W300, I almost bought it to use as a mod host before realizing that's still more than I can buy a Maglite for locally. And I don't even like 3Ds. 2Ds/3Cs/2Cs yes, 3Ds no.


----------



## Mr_Light

*Re: Why would anyone want this flashlight? UltraFire W300 OSRAM LED 1-Mode (2*D)*

I noticed the W200 is a diving light, so maybe the W300 is also a diving light.


----------



## 5Sport

*Ultrafire WF-606A*

I have been lurking for a while and sorry if this is a dumb question. I'm new to LED lights, but like their performance.

What is the difference between the Ultrafire WF-606A Q2 WC and the Ultrafire WF-606A Q5 WC?

Which one is better? I am looking for a bright/economical AA flashlight with a simple on/off.

Just something to supplement my Surefires. With all of these lights I'm not sure what is next.

Thanks


----------



## kramer5150

*Re: Ultrafire WF-606A*

Assuming the light body, switch, optics and DC-DC board are identical the primary difference will be brightness (Q2 versus Q5 flux BINs). The color tint could be different too, within the WC color BIN.


----------



## CathastrophiX

http://forum.pafoa.org/group-purcha...m-tactical-flashlights-page-2.html#post887150


----------



## csshih

*Re: Ultrafire WF-606A*

a tip:
I bought one of these lights a long while back. Do NOT remove the little foil spacer from the head of the light, or it will short out, and the circuitry will be fried.


----------



## kramer5150

*Re: Ultrafire WF-606A*



csshih said:


> a tip:
> I bought one of these lights a long while back. Do NOT remove the little foil spacer from the head of the light, or it will short out, and the circuitry will be fried.



Many DX lights have a thin doughnut shaped insulator sheet between the LED solder points and reflector back side.


----------



## hyperloop

*Re: Ultrafire WF-606A*

+1 on everything said before this post, i defer to the vast knowledge of the seasoned flashlight experts here.

If you're lookin at a budget light, i'd humbly suggest checking out shiningbeam.com, specifically the Romisen RC N3 II Q5. The WF606A uses 2xAAs or 1xCR2, seeing as how you already have surefires, you would have to get other cells to use the WF 606 in 1xCR2 configuration.

The Romisen RC N3 II Q5 on the other hand runs in 2xAA or 1xCR123/RCR123. In 2xAA or 1xCR123 primary, it has 2 modes using a forward clicky switch, in 1xRCR123 it only has one mode but man, it's bright!

Runtimes are pretty decent too and build quality is decent as well. The light was featured in selfbuilt's 2xAA roundup (though it was the one mode version).

Alternatively if you just would like a single mode light, get the Romisen RC N3 warm white, you'll be pleasantly surprised with this light. I had both Romisens but have given away the RC N3 II Q5 to a friend's husband who has greater need of it in his new job (trucker).

Oh, dont forget to use "CPFuser" for a discount, shiningbeam definitely ships a lot faster than DX, took less than 24 hours after i placed my order for the light to be shipped to singapore.


----------



## Algeraist

*First Cree now looking for p7 or mce*

Got my first Cree led romisen rc-G3 looking for something better with a good throw - from what i've seen p7 have too much spill at the price I want to pay $30 - $40 usd 

I'm looking for the best light in that price bracket with a huge throw - don't care too much about life span looking for cheap thrills

I like dx despite the long shipping leadtimes sometimes but open to whatever site


----------



## Slash5

In my opinion, the best bang for the buck in a thrower is one of the recoil lights. Search for recoil on DX.
I had mine up at the barn and used it to light up the gate my daughter was at. The gate was at least a 100 ft past a 250 ft riding ring. She told me she had lots of light to see by.


----------



## alfreddajero

Hey Crenshaw nice review on the light, you got me wanting one now....lol.


----------



## Algeraist

*Re: DX first light*

Got my RC-G2 and love it for the price still waiting on the other.


----------



## henry1960

*Re: DX first light*



davidt1 said:


> It's a freaking flashlight with an LED and a battery tube. It ain't rocket science. A majority of lights are made in China, probably from the same factories that churn out DX stuff. But the folks who get suckered into paying big bucks for brand name stuff would have you believe otherwise.
> 
> Don't worry about buying stuff from DX. I bought 2 lights, 1 charger, 4 batteries, and magnets from them. Although one of the lights (Tank TK-702) is not anywhere near the advertised brightness, everything has worked without any problem. Just be aware of a number of things about DX.
> 
> 1. Items can take a long time to ship
> 
> 2. Lumens ratings are often exaggerated
> 
> 3. You can get a bad product now and then
> 
> Read BessieBenny's review of budget lights. You will find some informative stuff there.






Yes, but you have to love there prices and do not forget....You do get what you pay for


----------



## XXL85

*Problems with my TrustFire SSC P7 C-BIN*

Hi.
I own a TrustFire SSC P7 C-BIN sold by DX. Maybe someone of you can help me.
I own some other lights and in comparison to them this light has a very poor preformance. 

On the following photo you can see it compared to 

TrustFire F20 Cree Q5-WC 230Lm (1X 14500 on the right) 
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.28544Aurora X-06-2 Cree R2-WC 120Lm (2X CR123 on the left) 
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.20759
The TrustFire SSC P7 is in the middle on high mode with a fresh 18650 






This isn' t normal, is it?

Would it be possible to buy the KD Super Output SSC P7 LED Driver Board (Low/High/Middle,5.5V~15V) from Kaidomain and use it in the lamp?
Does it make sense to use it with only one 18650?

At Kaidomain it says the Driver is meant for SSC P7.
I thought the P7 LEDs cannot handle more than 4V??

Thanks,
Arne


----------



## Surferdude

*Ultrafire WF-016*

Hi all,

I saw THIS Ultrafire LED flash at Volumerate . I can't find anything about this light in the search mode.

Is there anybody out here who has some experience with this? Is it realy 800 lumen?

Thanx in advance, Arthur, The Netherlands.

*[hotlinked image removed - please read **Rule 3** - DM51]*


----------



## how2

*Re: Ultrafire WF-016*

hi look at sites:

http://www.bestofferbuy.com
http://www.dealextreme.com

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYB6WjGrwns

I think its more like 400 lumens

Have a look at this site will give you a impression of ultrafire vs other manufacturers 
http://fonarevka.lux-rc.com/


----------



## kramer5150

*Re: Ultrafire WF-016*

I would expect it to be in the ~350 Lumen range upon cold start, and a drop down to ~300 with thermal warming. But only with an AW-IMR. That particular host has a pretty good thermal path from the LED to the body tube. So if you provide external cooling consistently, its output may not drop as much as I estimate above.

If used with a non-IMR cell, I would expect output to drop significantly with cell internal resistance.


----------



## Fichtenelch

*Re: Problems with my TrustFire SSC P7 C-BIN*

The 5.5 to 15V is just for the input range of the driver, the output is fixed.

But your thrustfire looks way to weak to have a p7 in it...i sold around 40 mte p7 lights, which are in the same range as your thrustfire and there is something wrong with yours. Do you have a multimeter? check the current which it is pulling and try what happens if you just short the case to the negative connection of the battery. Have you had a look in the front? Are all the 4 dies working?


----------



## AlmightyG

*Help with driver/led combo, please!*

Hi all, i bought my first CREE led flashlight last year sometime from DX a romisen RC-M4 it came with a ssc p4 which i thought was very bright:laughing:. however i wanted something brighter! so i got a Q5 led (DX 11022), a driver (DX 7425) and a smooth P60 dropin enclosure thingy, this worked very well for quite a while, recently the modes stopped working so i took the thing apart again but as i was doing so i snapped bits off it . so thats that @@@@@@ed!

I recently bought 5 AMC7315 1400ma driver boards from KD for a P7 mag (2 in a sandwich) so i have some spare, i was wondering if i could lop of one of the 7135s to get 1050ma and hook that up to the Q5? would the Q5 run with this kind of current? i currently use 2 x RCR123a's in the light so thats about 8v. i think the driver would either implode or get very hot, but i wanted to ask some guys with some more experience on this stuff. 

any help would be appreciated, 
cheers
G.


----------



## XXL85

*Re: Problems with my TrustFire SSC P7 C-BIN*



Fichtenelch said:


> The 5.5 to 15V is just for the input range of the driver, the output is fixed.


Ah, now I understand.
So the fixed output is 3,7V?

Does anybody know if ther is an extentiontube for my flashlight so I can use 2 18650?



Fichtenelch said:


> But your thrustfire looks way to weak to have a p7 in it...i sold around 40 mte p7 lights, which are in the same range as your thrustfire and there is something wrong with yours. Do you have a multimeter? check the current which it is pulling and try what happens if you just short the case to the negative connection of the battery. Have you had a look in the front? Are all the 4 dies working?


I own a multimeter.
At high mode it showed about 1.2something ampere.

All the 4 dies are working.

I tested the LED directly with the battery. When I did that I somehow killed the driver compleatly. (I think it had a damage already before.)
When I connect the LED directly to the battery it works.

Now I ordered this driver http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.20330 (I hope links are ok)
I hope this will help...
Ideal would be if I find an extentiontube so I can use 2 18650.

If it won't work I guess the LED has a defect, right?

Thanks for the answers.


----------



## old4570

*Solarforce L2M from DX*

Solarforce L2 Cree R2-WC 230-Lumen LED Flashlight - Black (1*16340)
Price: $14.15 Shipped 
From DX 









Current draw varied from 0.54mAh to 0.75mAh depending on the RCR123A battery .
Now this is the Single mode version . 
Output is around 170 to 180 Lumen @ 0.75mAh [ A driver swap is definitely on the cards , a 1A buck boost driver from KD ] 
0.52mAh returns around 140Lumen 
Build quality is very good .
DX says 4.2v Maximum , so dont use more than 1 4.2v batt . 
The tail clicky is very nice , I was very impressed .
The anodizing is nice and even all over . 
For the price , I find it hard to not recommend this light to anyone looking for a simple CR123A powered light .
Will not run primaries [ 3v ] 
I have nothing negative to report . 
Definitely a best buy @ $14.15 USD Shipped


----------



## mfm

*Re: Solarforce L2M from DX*



old4570 said:


> Output is around 170 to 180 Lumen @ 0.75mAh [ A driver swap is definitely on the cards , a 1A buck boost driver from KD ]
> 0.52mAh returns around 140Lumen



Seems to be the "Superbright R2" and not the Solarforce R2 drop-in?


----------



## old4570

No not a solarforce drop in , but throws well ..

Will be sweet with a 1A buck boost driver ..

For the price its OK as is , but Im a moder so cant leave it alone ...

This will become another 1xCR123A / 2xAA


----------



## kramer5150

*Re: Solarforce L2M from DX*



old4570 said:


> Solarforce L2 Cree R2-WC 230-Lumen LED Flashlight - Black (1*16340)
> Price: $14.15 Shipped
> From DX
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Current draw varied from 0.54mAh to 0.75mAh depending on the RCR123A battery .
> Now this is the Single mode version .
> Output is around 170 to 180 Lumen @ 0.75mAh [ A driver swap is definitely on the cards , a 1A buck boost driver from KD ]
> 0.52mAh returns around 140Lumen
> Build quality is very good .
> DX says 4.2v Maximum , so dont use more than 1 4.2v batt .
> The tail clicky is very nice , I was very impressed .
> The anodizing is nice and even all over .
> For the price , I find it hard to not recommend this light to anyone looking for a simple CR123A powered light .
> Will not run primaries [ 3v ]
> I have nothing negative to report .
> Definitely a best buy @ $14.15 USD Shipped



Thanks... I just ordered one!! for $14 I can't even get the bezel + stainless ring for that. The 800mah module will work perfectly in my plastic SF-G2.

thanks!!


----------



## shark_za

Mine show shipped from DX. 

I got a black one and just for the laugh I got a silver pimp one to sit next to my L2m stainless special edition.


----------



## chickenlittle

*Re: Romisen RC-N3 Q5 Super Sharp Edges*

My Romisen RC N3 Q5 seems to fit together with no rough edges. I haven't tried the AA tube but will after reading this.
I can't get the high low change, however, with a single CR123A and would appreciate any guidance how it works and with which battery configuration.
Also, can you use RCR123A's in it or not?
Thanks.


----------



## rizky_p

Anyone knows if Romisen RC-29 (http://www.kaidomain.com/ProductDetails.aspx?ProductId=9864) is modder friendly?
I am thinking of replacing it with http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.15880 so i can use both AA and 14500.

Oh one more thing does Romisen RC-29(*EDIT should be: RC-A4*) also modder friendly?

Thanks.


----------



## javajoe

not sure if it is modder friendly, but I think that Romisen RC-29 is pretty cool looking. I wonder what it's actual lumens output is.


----------



## J_C

Has this topic thread grown too large? Email links that used to work now result in a page reading "No Thread specified. If you followed a valid link, please notify the administrator"

Link was- https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/243584&goto=newpost

Wait a minute, seems that the thread # changed, used to be as above but now 222462 so something in the email notification system seems borked.


----------



## cucu17

*TrustFire SSC P7 3 (2x18650)*

Hi, I wonder if this flashlight is a good buy, and if this site is reliable ... 

http://www.kaidomain.com/ProductDetails.aspx?ProductId=7551

I need a powerful flashlight and this is 900 lumens for 90 minutes
What do you think? 
Or what other similar flashlight do you recommend that does not cost too much?

Thanks and sorry for my bad English ...
http://www.kaidomain.com/ProductDetails.aspx?ProductId=7551


----------



## kramer5150

*Re: TrustFire SSC P7 3 (2x18650)*



cucu17 said:


> Hi, I wonder if this flashlight is a good buy, and if this site is reliable ...
> 
> http://www.kaidomain.com/ProductDetails.aspx?ProductId=7551
> 
> I need a powerful flashlight and this is 900 lumens for 90 minutes
> What do you think?
> Or what other similar flashlight do you recommend that does not cost too much?
> 
> Thanks and sorry for my bad English ...
> http://www.kaidomain.com/ProductDetails.aspx?ProductId=7551



One DX user reports poor thermal properties. I have no further input beyond that though.

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.14412


----------



## Hrvoje

There is better and cheaper flashlights, like this one:

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.19766

If 2x18650 is not mandatory, there is even more to choose in this class.
You can also consider this combination:

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.1317

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.14413

That way you have 2 flashlights in one. I have similar combo, and sometimes in nice to have powerful incan flashlight 

Hrvoje


----------



## rizky_p

*Re: TrustFire SSC P7 3 (2x18650)*

In a single 18650 P7 DD, it is the battery that the most important part, don't expect 900lumens @ 90m that is just advertising since i haven't seen any 1x18650 light with Boost driver @2.8A don't expect constant brightness. 2x18650 may maintains regulation better than the single DD as long as there is a good 2.8A buck driver in it. 



cucu17 said:


> Hi, I wonder if this flashlight is a good buy, and if this site is reliable ...
> 
> http://www.kaidomain.com/ProductDetails.aspx?ProductId=7551
> 
> I need a powerful flashlight and this is 900 lumens for 90 minutes
> What do you think?
> Or what other similar flashlight do you recommend that does not cost too much?
> 
> Thanks and sorry for my bad English ...


----------



## giuseppevane

*wath is the best among this dx flashlight*

hi to all i want to buy a flashlight i want with more throw but olso spill.
i ask you wath is best under 30 dollars..
i seen this
*[links removed - DM51]*
wath is better?
if there are other better please tell me..
PS i want to say wath have better reflector because later i bought it i can change led or driver to mod it..
thanks to all


----------



## T0RN4D0

*Re: wath is the best among this dx flashlight*

I think i also need something like these you are looking at. Thrower, but with some spill also, and on a very limited budget.


----------



## Frankiarmz

*Re: wath is the best among this dx flashlight*

I have a few of the dealextreme lights ultrafire A1, tiny but great performance. Ultrafire C3, about the same. Ultrafire WF-502B strong flashlight, check it out.


----------



## koolranch

*Re: wath is the best among this dx flashlight*

I own three lights form DX and i like them all. I recomend this one #18695.

But for a few more bucks you can get this one fast and it is a great light..

http://www.eagletac-usa.com/products/product.aspx?pid=1-3-6717

I own this one as well and it is very nice for the money.


----------



## kramer5150

*Re: wath is the best among this dx flashlight*

If it were me I would go with the raidfire clone. There was a thread on it a while back and it looked like a nice light for the $.


----------



## kramer5150

*Re: wath is the best among this dx flashlight*

I have a light thats very similar to that second one.











Mine however is a rebranded MTE SF-22 (SKU:22574). It is pretty well regulated, and definitely passes the wet finger test. It uses a resistor in the tailcap to throttle current in low mode.










Its decently a decently well made light, and IMHO one of the better DX offerings. I added a second O-ring int the tailcap to improve water resistance. I personally believe all these lights come from the same factory in Asia, they just paint different names on them.


----------



## jeffe

*Re: wath is the best among this dx flashlight*

I have the Eastward YJ. It is a good thrower for the money. The build quality appears to quite good on mine. There are definite Cree rings in the beam.


----------



## matrixshaman

*Re: wath is the best among this dx flashlight*

While the Eastward YJ are decent in build quality most of the 2 level lights are nothing but a 2 level switch with a resistor in there for the lower level - not very efficient on low. So I'd probably go with the one 3 level light you have out of the ones on your list.


----------



## hmm

*Choosing between xpg and xpe*

I am choosing between these two flashlight
Ultrafire WF-502B Cree XPE-WC-R2 5-Mode 280-Lumen Memory LED Flashlight (1*18650)
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.25370
and 
UltraFire WF-501B 3.7V~4.2V CREE XPG R5 WC LED 5-mode Flashlight (1*18650)
http://www.kaidomain.com/ProductDetails.aspx?ProductId=10068
but not specifically from those two websites. 

I was set on getting the XPG flashlight, but then saw that the runtime was low and that the XPE flashlight was a lot brighter. 

What I don't get is how the "fake"? stats show the XPE flashlight as 200lm @ 800mA while the XPG @ 1000mA is only 148lm?

Looking on the Cree website, the min luminous flux for the xpe r2 is 114lm and for the xpg r5 is 139.

By the way, do I have to buy batteries separately?


----------



## Marduke

*Re: Choosing between xpg and xpe*

Don't believe the specs on either website for either light.

All things being equal, the XP-G will be brighter and/or run longer.


----------



## Sgt. LED

*Re: Choosing between xpg and xpe*

Get the XP-E and yes batteries not included.

Why? They (DX/KD) have had the XP-E LED longer so those drop-ins might have the kinks worked out already.
Just a thought.


----------



## hmm

*Re: Choosing between xpg and xpe*

These seem to have similar bodies. Would I be correct to say that the major difference aside from the emitter is the overpowered circuitry reported by one reviewer was said to be 1300mA on the XPE? Although I doubt that a 300mA can boost the lm that high, I would think that specs given by the same manufacturer should be consistently inflated.


----------



## qwertyydude

*Re: wath is the best among this dx flashlight*

I really like my HS-802, it's got pretty much the most throw out of all my lights and that's including the aspherics, also I know for a fact it's got good heatsinking because I run mine direct drive with it's R2 led, it pulls 2.5 amps on a fresh 18650, but quickly settles to about 1.8 amps.


----------



## giuseppevane

*Re: wath is the best among this dx flashlight*



Frankiarmz said:


> I have a few of the dealextreme lights ultrafire A1, tiny but great performance. Ultrafire C3, about the same. Ultrafire WF-502B strong flashlight, check it out.



hi Frankiarmz i don't say that tipy of flashlight.
i have olso ultrafire c3 and my girlfriend have the WF-502B
i serch a better flashlight..with more throw and more spill


----------



## giuseppevane

*Re: wath is the best among this dx flashlight*



koolranch said:


> I own three lights form DX and i like them all. I recomend this one #18695.
> 
> But for a few more bucks you can get this one fast and it is a great light..
> 
> http://www.eagletac-usa.com/products/product.aspx?pid=1-3-6717
> 
> I own this one as well and it is very nice for the money.



hi koolranch tanks for reply...i want a trowler flashlight..
i have jyst a dx p7 SKU 22.569 it have a lot of spill but not is throwler..
i want a trowler but with spill.




> kramer5150:
> 
> If it were me I would go with the raidfire clone. There was a thread on it a while back and it looked like a nice light for the $.



i say that post but i read that there are different version of the clone..one by dx one by kaidomain and the second is better than first but i order only by dx..by kaidomain i order only a replacement reflector for my mte sf-23 and after 1 month not arrived jet..i don't have good experience with kaidomain..
for the rest i have just think the more similar flashlight to yours..MTE SF-23
(but i lost its reflector..can you say how i can buy it?)
your MTE is 7 or R2?


> jeffe e matrixshaman for Eastward YJ


do you have a comparation with other light please?


> qwertyydude


i read that HS-802 is the best throwler among than i have write..but i think that i dont have nothing spill.is right or not? it have some spill?


----------



## Crenshaw

Updated my review with beamshots...

Crenshaw


----------



## rizky_p

*Re: wath is the best among this dx flashlight*

i think you should check this thread https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/222462

I loves Ultrafire C3 SS(sku 26122), the light is beautiful the build is excellent. It is almost as bright as using 14500 on Nimh AA which is nice. For 15usd you cant go wrong with this light.

My second fav. is Akoray AA(SKU 16607) more expensive than Ultrafire C3 SS. Not as bright using AA but a screamer on 14500, 3 programmable mode is really nice and low is actually really low even on lithium.

there are other nice lights @DX such as 502B which take P60 plugin.


----------



## giuseppevane

*Re: wath is the best among this dx flashlight*



rizky_p said:


> i think you should check this thread https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/222462
> 
> I loves Ultrafire C3 SS(sku 26122), the light is beautiful the build is excellent. It is almost as bright as using 14500 on Nimh AA which is nice. For 15usd you cant go wrong with this light.
> 
> My second fav. is Akoray AA(SKU 16607) more expensive than Ultrafire C3 SS. Not as bright using AA but a screamer on 14500, 3 programmable mode is really nice and low is actually really low even on lithium.
> 
> there are other nice lights @DX such as 502B which take P60 plugin.



you dont undestood me..i want a bigger and more more performant flashlight

PS i just have ultrafire c3..with extension tube.


----------



## shark_za

I just received my silver and black L2m from DX. 
The ridiculously cheap ones. 

I got a single mode and a 5 mode just for laughs.
If there was any doubt the 5 mode drop in is branded Spider Fire.
The bodies and bezels seem fine and are definitely only 16mm compatible. 

The modules are for Li-Ion rechargeable only, 3V primary will not fire up the single mode and the 5M is very dim with 3V. 
Anything over 4.2 will probably fry it.

The 5M has memory of the last mode used, starts up in that mode again.

They kind of go against the whole reason I like cheap lights, leaving them everywhere with primaries in for emergencies. 
But I'm happy I have them, even if all I use are the bezels and the single mode module.


----------



## hmm

*Re: Choosing between xpg and xpe*

As anyone bought the xpe light? Has it been tested to give out 200+ lm? Has anyone purchased the XPG light?


----------



## old4570

No way the Xp-E would do 280Lumen ...

There around 200 , and throw rather well . 
THe XP-G ? Should put out far more than the XP-E . [ Throw ? ]


----------



## Kackstiefel

Hello  

I'm new here.
I am looking for a tiny little flashlight with big output for my girlfriend's handbag. 
I want to spend about 35usd incl. shipping to germany.
Any Suggestions?

Greetings,
Kackstiefel


----------



## J_C

Kackstiefel said:


> Hello
> 
> I'm new here.
> I am looking for a tiny little flashlight with big output for my girlfriend's handbag.
> I want to spend about 35usd incl. shipping to germany.
> Any Suggestions?
> 
> Greetings,
> Kackstiefel



This is the wrong place to ask, look over the existing CPF forum topics and post a new one detailing all the requirements such as runtime, battery format, beam pattern, and any other preferences.


----------



## T0RN4D0

Woo woo, we have incoming

http://dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.30683

Sure looks fun, too bad its a bit out of my price range at the moment, and still not being sure what to get (if anything )... If it doesnt have overheating problems, it should be fun to use.


----------



## old4570

T0RN4D0 said:


> Woo woo, we have incoming
> 
> http://dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.30683
> 
> Sure looks fun, too bad its a bit out of my price range at the moment, and still not being sure what to get (if anything )... If it doesnt have overheating problems, it should be fun to use.



Wow - Looking forward to hearing about that one ...


----------



## old4570

Kackstiefel said:


> Hello
> 
> I'm new here.
> I am looking for a tiny little flashlight with big output for my girlfriend's handbag.
> I want to spend about 35usd incl. shipping to germany.
> Any Suggestions?
> 
> Greetings,
> Kackstiefel



Maratac AAA or ITP AAA .. The ITP can be had off E-something 

I have two sub $10 AAA lights on the way , shipped the other day from DX , and will do a report on them when they arrive . Both are rated over 80Lumen so it will be interesting to see .


----------



## hmm

old4570 said:


> No way the Xp-E would do 280Lumen ...
> 
> There around 200 , and throw rather well .
> THe XP-G ? Should put out far more than the XP-E . [ Throw ? ]



You should be right that the g should be brighter, but sideways beam photos seem to make the e a lot brighter.


----------



## Slash5

*Tank E06 Review Roundup (Part XII)*

Just got a Tank E06 penlight in the mail. I gather it is very similar to the Tank TK-701.
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.22935

Can anyone confirm which way the batteries go in this light?
The head has a spring on it, the switch has a small flat plate - backwards to the usual.
It sure looks like the battery should go with the + to the switch but it just feels wrong. I don't want to experiment 
I've surfed it but no one mentions it.


----------



## linterno

Delete. Misunderstood the question.


----------



## PlayboyJoeShmoe

Most lasers and Inova lights use the batteries backwards from normal.

With the tail flat and a spring at the head end it sure SOUNDS like the batteries go "backwards".

Put two batteries in it and then use a wet finger to connect battery + to body. See if the LED glows faintly.


----------



## phlowcus

@Slash5: + to the front as usual!

And judging from my tank driver experience (lol) I'd guess it wouldn't break if you'd put it in the wrong h.. erm the other way around...


----------



## Slash5

phlowcus said:


> @Slash5: + to the front as usual!
> 
> And judging from my tank driver experience (lol) I'd guess it wouldn't break if you'd put it in the wrong h.. erm the other way around...


 
Thanks, that worked fine. I put the batteries in and touched the ammeter probes to it, it flashed so I screwed it together.


----------



## old4570

hmm said:


> You should be right that the g should be brighter, but sideways beam photos seem to make the e a lot brighter.



XP-E has tighter beam / hotspot , which is why they throw so well .
XP-G has much wider beam / Spill , so while it may not look so bright from say a profile shot , just stand behind a light with a XP-G in it , and you will notice the difference .

I have several XP-E 's and even more XP-G's .. 

If you want good throw + low power consumption XP-E is the way to go, or if you want good spill and decent throw with good output = XP-G


----------



## larryf

*AA best bang/buck at shiningbeam*

Stocking stuffer time coming up soon.... For my family I need to give gifts that use readily available AA batteries. The 'wow' factor is brightness on AAs first, runtime second. I have it narrowed down to these two, RC-G2 II WW and RC-N3 II (both from Shiningbeam). 

Would it be safe to assume the RC-N3 II on AAs has the same lumens (but longer runtime) than the RC-G2 II? They are about the same price.

I don't have any WW lights, is there a big difference in appearance? 

Larry


----------



## PlayboyJoeShmoe

*Re: AA best bang/buck at shiningbeam*

If by WW you mean warm white it is entirely possible that your people will like them.

I have a Q3 5A around here somewhere. But I don't know which P60 host it's in because it's not MY fave.

I have a P10C2 neutral and I LOVE that light! I have an MC-E light that has a very neutral tint.

By II if that means two level YES! I don't use many of my single level lights. Particularly my BRIGHT single level lights.

RC-N3 is cool because it can run either 123 or 2xAA and has the side button people are familiar with.


----------



## larryf

*Re: AA best bang/buck at shiningbeam*



PlayboyJoeShmoe said:


> If by WW you mean warm white it is entirely possible that your people will like them.
> 
> By II if that means two level YES! I don't use many of my single level lights. Particularly my BRIGHT single level lights.
> 
> RC-N3 is cool because it can run either 123 or 2xAA and has the side button people are familiar with.



WW = warm white... The "II" is a 'version 2' of the lights, only available at Shiningbeam. I've had very good luck with delivery times and quality there, would hate to have a DOA for a gift.

I guess part of my question was, is the RC-N3 (or RC-N3 II) as bright on 2 AAs as it is on a CR123 or RCR123? If so, the extra few $$'s and longer runtime make this a better light, perhaps as bright as a RC-G2 II.

Larry


----------



## hyperloop

*Re: AA best bang/buck at shiningbeam*



larryf said:


> WW = warm white... The "II" is a 'version 2' of the lights, only available at Shiningbeam. I've had very good luck with delivery times and quality there, would hate to have a DOA for a gift.
> 
> I guess part of my question was, is the RC-N3 (or RC-N3 II) as bright on 2 AAs as it is on a CR123 or RCR123? If so, the extra few $$'s and longer runtime make this a better light, perhaps as bright as a RC-G2 II.
> 
> Larry



Let's see if i can help you out here, i bought the RC N3 II Q5, its 2 modes, 2xAA or 1xCR123/RCR123.

Using 2xAA, you change modes by 1/2 pressing the clicky and then fully click in to activate constant on, to change you can click on and off very quickly.

Using 1xCR123 (3.0v) you still have 2 modes.

Using 1xRCR123 (3.6v) you only have one mode but it is much brighter than in either of the previous 2 modes.

Runtimes (2xAA), the site says that it will go for 12 hours on low mode IIRC and 2 hours on high after which it will run for a further 3 hrs on low.

On RCR123 (i didnt check with CR123) i got slightly more than 40 minutes before my protection circuit cut in, but it was at full brightness with no diminishing output.

Does this answer your question? I also own the RC N3 warm white if you have any questions about that light. Feel free to PM me as this thread can have many different questions and topics and i wouldnt want to scroll through all the posts looking for your question.


----------



## larryf

*Re: AA best bang/buck at shiningbeam*



hyperloop said:


> Let's see if i can help you out here, i bought the RC N3 II Q5, its 2 modes, 2xAA or 1xCR123/RCR123.
> 
> Using 2xAA, you change modes by 1/2 pressing the clicky and then fully click in to activate constant on, to change you can click on and off very quickly.
> 
> Using 1xCR123 (3.0v) you still have 2 modes.
> 
> Using 1xRCR123 (3.6v) you only have one mode but it is much brighter than in either of the previous 2 modes.



I think that made my decision... 3.6V is much brighter on the N3, but it's a mode that will never be used (as they will only use AA batteries). I'll go with the RC-G2 II as gifts for family.

And... as a gift to myself, the N3 II sounds like it will make me happy 

Larry


----------



## nutzz

*Opinions on Romisen T7 and or l401?.*

I have a solarforce l2 that ive had for just over a year its now got an R2 and extendable cr123 piece.
I like the light and the thing has some decent throw but how big an upgrade in throw would these two lights produce?. 
I dont even know if they are the same lights as there the same spec and claim around 750lm although id expect closer to 450lm if thats what the Jet Beam m1x puts out again similar specs.
Would the much larger reflector provide way more throw and could i expect a upgrade in power say double what im seeing the L2 is putting out with an R2 and 3 cr123?.
Ive been lurking hear for years i thought id eventuly see a review on these lights at the price but nothing.So im thinking they might not be up to much seen as know one talks about them much.
Thanks for any info in advance.


----------



## menos_16

*Noob doubt, Romisen RC-T6.*

Hello people. I'm new in these small world about flashlights ...

I was looking for a flashlight for my personal use, and I'm having a question ...

Following the guidelines and tutorial, I want to buy the Romisen RC-T6 but I'm not sure about witch kind of battery I can use.

Reading the guideline, the best performance is obtained with 18650 battery (with 4.1v), but all the 18650 battery that I've found have 3.7v.

I think that these battery isn't properly to obtain the 100% of the light of Romisen RC-T6, 
(in a spanish forum I've read that with 2 18650 batt, the 6 LED will not lit simultaneously by insufficient voltage, and is not possible use more 18650 batt with Romisen RC-T6).

Is this correct??.

Should I think in a another torch? .

Suggestions will be welcome. Greetings.


----------



## Fichtenelch

*Re: Noob doubt, Romisen RC-T6.*



menos_16 said:


> Hello people. I'm new in these small world about flashlights ...
> 
> I was looking for a flashlight for my personal use, and I'm having a question ...
> 
> Following the guidelines and tutorial, I want to buy the Romisen RC-T6 but I'm not sure about witch kind of battery I can use.
> 
> Reading the guideline, the best performance is obtained with 18650 battery (with 4.1v), but all the 18650 battery that I've found have 3.7v.
> 
> I think that these battery isn't properly to obtain the 100% of the light of Romisen RC-T6,
> (in a spanish forum I've read that with 2 18650 batt, the 6 LED will not lit simultaneously by insufficient voltage, and is not possible use more 18650 batt with Romisen RC-T6).
> 
> Is this correct??.
> 
> Should I think in a another torch? .
> 
> Suggestions will be welcome. Greetings.



You only find 18650 with 3.7 Volts, because that is the cut-off voltage. However, a fresh 18650 hot off the charger will have a voltage of 4.2 volts.
So it will work.


----------



## PlayboyJoeShmoe

*Re: Noob doubt, Romisen RC-T6.*

If RC-T6 is the light I'm thinking of I believe two 18650 are required.

But I could be wrong. I've been wrong before.


----------



## Fichtenelch

*Re: Noob doubt, Romisen RC-T6.*



PlayboyJoeShmoe said:


> If RC-T6 is the light I'm thinking of I believe two 18650 are required.
> 
> But I could be wrong. I've been wrong before.



Yeah, you're correct on that. I just had a closer look and it says 2x18650, so propably no way to power that one with only one...


----------



## giuseppevane

*Re: wath is the best among this dx flashlight*



giuseppevane said:


> you dont undestood me..i want a bigger and more more performant flashlight
> 
> PS i just have ultrafire c3..with extension tube.


nobady?
wath is better XGR2 , SG-L8, SG-L9?


----------



## Volny

*Re: Noob doubt, Romisen RC-T6.*

Atleast my RC-T6 requires higher voltage than 2 cells, 3 or 4 works. I am looking for extenson tube to get it to work with 3x 18650 but I dont want to waste 50USD on another flashlight which might have the right extension tubes 



PlayboyJoeShmoe said:


> If RC-T6 is the light I'm thinking of I believe two 18650 are required.
> 
> But I could be wrong. I've been wrong before.


----------



## menos_16

*Re: Noob doubt, Romisen RC-T6.*

wow, I was trying to create a new thread, no hijack this thread for my question, sorry for any inconvenience.


----------



## Plus-Secur

I got the SacredFire NF-555 today.

At first:
Don`t forget, this one is a plagiat. I appreciate the work of R&D and will get the original one as well.

Now, back to the review.

I have the *Romisen RC-A4* with the *Q3- led* and the *Q5* version. The day the *SacredFire NF-555* showed up in the "New Arrival" section I had to order it.
It just arrived and I had some time to play around with it. The overall build quality is quite good, it comes with a very solid clip (a big plus for me), has got a glass lens and a reverse clicky that seems quite sturdy. With some patience, tailstand is possible.
The finish is very good and the thread is even lubricated and has one O-ring. It has similar dimensions and design as the Romisen and weighs 77gr with one protected 16340. 16340? Yes, a little more about this later.
The bezel is a little thinner as the Romisen`s one, but it still guards the lens very good. Speaking about other functions: If you have the training needed, you can use it against an opponent if you have it in your hands anyway. Using it as a glass breaker isn`t a good idea. You might destroy a window with it, but prepare some dressing! I tried to break a car side-window with the Romisen (security class of course) but had no luck to break it, even when I applied a lot of force. No worries, I did this legally during an EMT-training.

Mode arrangement of my one is Lo > High > Strobe. I would prefer Hi > Lo > Strobe as advertised. I am a big strobe fan and this strobe is very good to get someones attention. To use it in a selfdefense situation it should be a little brighter and quicker. The memory mode is a little weird: It always starts with the next mode.
The beam pattern is quite good: a nice and well defined throw with a very usable spill and only a decent donut hole.
At first I used a CR123A primary and the beam seemed to be a warmwhite version of the Romisen Q3 (running on 16340). This changed a lot when I put a 16340 into it:

This one is bright! I compared it to the Q5 version and I really have to say, that this one is at least as bright as the Q5 Romisen, maybe even brighter AND has got a nicer beam pattern! Wow. I ordered a R2-led to upgrade this light, but there is realy no need to do this.
After 10minutes of running, the flashlight gets warm but not too hot to worry about it. It seems to be perfect for cold german winter nights;-) Speaking about running time: I did not check for how long this flashlight would run, I`ll do that this weekend.
I`m a Romisen-fan, but in this case they seem to be beaten.

Sacredfire, change the modes to Hi > Lo > Strobe, give it a forward clicky with momentary on, change the memory mode - and if the runtime and the longtime experience will be as good as the first impressions,....than we have a close to perfect edc light here!

English is not my mother tongue, so excuse mistakes. I hope no one minds, that I will copy-paste this into the DX-forum as well.


----------



## mfm

Did anyone get the AKOray AK-12 (on kaidomain)?

I tried to search for it in the forum, but nothing came up.


----------



## T0RN4D0

*Data overflow -_-*

I have read so much about flashlights in the last month but as with all the things i want to buy, its only making matters worse.

i currently own a c-8 (http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.6131), and i must say i'm happy with it. It has nice throw, is bright and is very handy because it has no big giant head. 

The first problem occurs that i don't really know what i want. I want something that puts out alot of light. Then i figure, i don't want a giant flashlight, because i'll never take it with me. The third problem is, that i don't really need another flashlight, so i don't want to spend over 30$ for it. The cheaper the better. I only have AA bateries at home, but i did order a cr123a and 18650 charger, so i am willing to go for 18650, they are probably best for flashlights if i want some runtime. I am also not sure if i want a flooder or a thrower. After thinking about it, i want something of a thrower, but it doesnt have to be all about the throw. 

Anyways with all this in mind, i went over to DX and added a few to my wishlist. And thats up i have untill now 

http://dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.23284 - I love the slim design of this aurora. 900mA on a 18650 seems to promise a lot of light, but im not sure about the emitter on this one, is the R2 WC any good?

http://dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.15335 again a lovely slim design, price kicks ***, but it seems too much of a flood light, 1.2A, q5 emitter, 18650, low mode, everything but the beam pattern seems to be perfect at the first glance. I might buy this one as my indoor lamp one day.

http://dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.16179 This UF WF 502b also seems like a nice design, and the bigger head also promises a bit more throw.

http://dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.10637 This aurora doesnt seem to bad either, promises alot of throw and has a Q5 emitter. Also what i love about it is that i has only 2 modes. I like having Hi-Lo, but most of the time that means you have the useless strobe modes also. 

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.5379 This one looks nice too, cheap, romisen, throwy... There is also one that is supposed to have 2 modes, but some comments say it only has one (not sure if people just don't know how to use them)


If you have any comments about the choices above, bring them on. If you have any suggestions that are better then these, they are also welcome. If you manage to smack some sense into me and convice me not to buy anything, you get a medal. 

And im sure i could find a bunch more that fit my bill. Another nice thing would be if i could get it somewhere else then on DX, since i'm kind of sick of their service and taking them a month before they even ship out anything. But heck they have things i cant get on ebay and are usually the cheapest. -.-


PS; also thinking of buying my GF a flashlight, but that one probably has to be (double) AA, anyone knows if the c3 UF q5 on ebay is better than my c8?


----------



## Mike_TX

*Did I get a WF-502B in a WF-501B package?*

The Ultrafire 501B is supposed to be a single-mode, but the one I just got is a 5-mode ... H, M, L, Strobe and SOS. That seems to describe the 502B, doesn't it? 

Don't get me wrong - I'm happy, just wondering. ;-)

Odd thing, though ... when I got the light it didn't work. Checked the batts with my multimeter and everything was fine. So I cleaned the tailcap threads and applied a little lithium grease, and voila - it works fine now. Go figger.

As a quick comparison with my Cree P4 zoom (rated at 100 lumens), it's easy to see the difference the 501B's 250 lumens makes. The 501B is obviously more of thrower than a flood.


----------



## old4570

mfm said:


> Did anyone get the AKOray AK-12 (on kaidomain)?
> 
> I tried to search for it in the forum, but nothing came up.


 
Hmm , the Akoray K-105 looks interesting .


----------



## mrbubbles

*Longest runtime flashlight on DX?*

Anybody know what is the longest runtime flashlight on DX on low mode?

I'm looking for a flashlight that takes 18650 or RCR123, preferably 10 hours or more on lowest mode, longer the better.

Thanks in advance.


----------



## kramer5150

*Re: Longest runtime flashlight on DX?*

My vote goes to either of the 1-100% ramping drop ins (17593, 11074).

At the lowest setting they draw in the double digit mah. I measured the 17593 at 35mah from 2xRCR123 cells. I would expect the 11074 to draw roughly ~2x that (70mah). Divide your cell capacity by each of these to estimate your approximate run times. You should also be aware that light levels this low are only really useful with fully adapted night vision.

DX:17593 - Minimag Solitaire - ITP-A3 EOS-Low (3 Lumens)


----------



## how2

Plus-Secur

How hot or cool does the sacredfire run compared to the 

*Romisen RC-A4* with the *Q3- led* and the *Q5* version.

Thanks


----------



## superpila

*Kaidomain WF 502B with R5*

I just got the ultrafire wf-502b from KD, with 5 modes XP-G R5: http://www.kaidomain.com/ProductDetails.aspx?ProductId=10066 
I also have the 5 mode R2 from DX, and thought it would be nice to make a comparison.


The drop-in came with the emitter out of center. I took a look inside and found a first horrible surprise: the star is not glued to the heatsink but it's just floating on a bubble of thermal compound. When you screw the reflector in, this keeps the star “close enough” to the heatsink. I don't know how this thing is supposed to work in the long run, because the emitter becomes extremely hot after few seconds of usage, although I successfully run the torch at high for five minutes, without apparent damage. Perhaps I should try to glue it anyway (suggestions?)


When I switched the thing on, on a freshly charged 18650, it looked immediately much brighter than the R2 version. On a subjective ceiling bounce test this thing is comparable to my MCE dropin from DX, although differences in color make it quite difficult to make a fair comparison


It has the usual 5 modes: High, medium, low, strobe, sos. Unlike the R2 version you don't have the half a second wait when you switch the flashlight on, also modes don't have memory and the flashlight always starts on high. This means that we are looking at a different driver than the R2 version. And in fact, here is what I measured on a freshly charged 18650:


high: 2.60A (OMG!!!!)
medium: 0.9A
low: 0.15A


This explains why it was so much brighter than the R2 version which “just” runs on 1.0A . The R5 is DD at high, and PWM (the flickering is barely noticeable) at lower settings.
2.6A (although it quickly drops to 2.2 after a couple of minutes) is definitely not a good idea for this emitter, especially with such a poor thermal design of the dropin. 



The dropin with reflector removed:










R2 version on the left, r5 version on the right:









Beamshots 

502b r5 on the left, r2 on the right:









502b r5 on the left, fenix LD20 on the right:









502b r5 on the left, DX MCE dropin in 502B host on the right (ugly beam):


----------



## PlayboyJoeShmoe

*Re: Kaidomain WF 502B with R5*

Sounds like when the bugs get worked out and heatsinking gets properly done that the XR-G LED is a quantum leap forward!

BRIGHT pretty beam especially compared to MC-E!!!


----------



## CampingLED

*Re: Kaidomain WF 502B with R5*



PlayboyJoeShmoe said:


> Sounds like when the bugs get worked out and heatsinking gets properly done that the XR-G LED is a quantum leap forward!
> 
> BRIGHT pretty beam especially compared to MC-E!!!


 
X*R*-G, When were they released?


----------



## J_C

*Re: Kaidomain WF 502B with R5*



superpila said:


> I just got the ultrafire wf-502b from KD, with 5 modes XP-G R5: http://www.kaidomain.com/ProductDetails.aspx?ProductId=10066
> 
> The drop-in came with the emitter out of center. I took a look inside and found a first horrible surprise: the star is not glued to the heatsink but it's just floating on a bubble of thermal compound. When you screw the reflector in, this keeps the star “close enough” to the heatsink. I don't know how this thing is supposed to work in the long run, because the emitter becomes extremely hot after few seconds of usage, although I successfully run the torch at high for five minutes, without apparent damage. Perhaps I should try to glue it anyway (suggestions?)



If the pill screws in far enough to keep reflector pressure against the LED base, that can work fine to heatsink it. If it doesn't, you _could _glue it down but personally I would want to be able to easily remove it later.

Assuming (check it with your multimeter to be sure) the "star" LED board itself is electrically isolated from the +/- power supply, I would instead drill a couple tiny holes in it (noting how much clearance you have between the +/- traces as seen in the picture), and slightly smaller holes in the pill, and screw it down using screws you add, continuing to use heatsink grease but it could require fairly careful measurement and accurate drilling since the reflector base may need a bit of clearance around the LED. I would only try this with a drill press not a hand-held drill.



> high: 2.60A (OMG!!!!)


Exactly.


----------



## vivid

Guys I was wondering if you could help me pick out a flashlight. Normally I buy cheap flashlights when I see them on special. My last buy was for a couple of 14 superbright LED 3AAA flashlight from an electonics website for sub $5. Not a bad light but I know there must be better.

I will be buying multiple of these (get the discount from DX) for my home and cars. I want it to be a little bit of everything, good throw but also reasonable flood, bright and compact in size. Generally a great every day light. I will use it for anything from task lighting, moving around in the dark to monitoring the back yard (30m).

One item that makes my search a little harder... I just invested in some duraloops AA and AAA and want to utilize these cells. I don't mind if the flashlight needs multiple calls to operate. When looking through the highly rated lights on the first post, most lights were geared towards specialty batteries, or at least worked much better with the specialty cells.

As its a everyday light I don't really need too many modes, maybe just a hi/low mode. I do prefer a positive clicky to a reverse.

if unable to recommend a particular flashlight could you give me tips for things to look for such as bulb type, min light output and throw etc.

thanks in advance.
Mark


----------



## superpila

*Re: Kaidomain WF 502B with R5*



J_C said:


> If the pill screws in far enough to keep reflector pressure against the LED base, that can work fine to heatsink it. If it doesn't, you _could _glue it down but personally I would want to be able to easily remove it later.
> 
> Assuming (check it with your multimeter to be sure) the "star" LED board itself is electrically isolated from the +/- power supply, I would instead drill a couple tiny holes in it (noting how much clearance you have between the +/- traces as seen in the picture), and slightly smaller holes in the pill, and screw it down using screws you add, continuing to use heatsink grease but it could require fairly careful measurement and accurate drilling since the reflector base may need a bit of clearance around the LED. I would only try this with a drill press not a hand-held drill.
> 
> Exactly.


Thanks for your hints!
The reflector was well insulated and the pressure was sufficient to keep the star close enough to the heathsink (I noticed that when fully screwed, the reflector made the star slightly twist, indicating that it was firmly pressed against the heatsink). Unfortunately, I verified that 2.6 were too much the worst way. In fact, running a discharge test on the torch fried my led at around 10 minutes. I have a spare 16mm xpg-r5 star, I'll try to replace the burned one and block it with screws, as you suggested.


----------



## PlayboyJoeShmoe

*Re: Kaidomain WF 502B with R5*



CampingLED said:


> X*R*-G, When were they released?



OK my bad. XP-G ok?


----------



## old4570

vivid said:


> Guys I was wondering if you could help me pick out a flashlight. Normally I buy cheap flashlights when I see them on special. My last buy was for a couple of 14 superbright LED 3AAA flashlight from an electonics website for sub $5. Not a bad light but I know there must be better.
> 
> I will be buying multiple of these (get the discount from DX) for my home and cars. I want it to be a little bit of everything, good throw but also reasonable flood, bright and compact in size. Generally a great every day light. I will use it for anything from task lighting, moving around in the dark to monitoring the back yard (30m).
> 
> One item that makes my search a little harder... I just invested in some duraloops AA and AAA and want to utilize these cells. I don't mind if the flashlight needs multiple calls to operate. When looking through the highly rated lights on the first post, most lights were geared towards specialty batteries, or at least worked much better with the specialty cells.
> 
> As its a everyday light I don't really need too many modes, maybe just a hi/low mode. I do prefer a positive clicky to a reverse.
> 
> if unable to recommend a particular flashlight could you give me tips for things to look for such as bulb type, min light output and throw etc.
> 
> thanks in advance.
> Mark


 
AA / or AAA / or CR123A or 18650 ...

Multiple batts are OK ? 

If you check out DX , they have lots of 3xAAA lights ..
I like multi mode , and the SAIK SA8 is 3 mode , only the driver is a little iffy with higher voltage , stick to 4.2/4.5v and you should be ok . 

Actually I need to order another for Christmas .


----------



## Slash5

*Re: Kaidomain WF 502B with R5*



superpila said:


> I just got the ultrafire wf-502b from KD, with 5 modes XP-G R5:
> 
> high: 2.60A (OMG!!!!)
> medium: 0.9A
> low: 0.15A
> 
> This explains why it was so much brighter than the R2 version which “just” runs on 1.0A . The R5 is DD at high, and PWM (the flickering is barely noticeable) at lower settings.
> 2.6A (although it quickly drops to 2.2 after a couple of minutes) is definitely not a good idea for this emitter, especially with such a poor thermal design of the dropin.


I ordered the 501B when it appeared on the KD site. I've had it for a couple of weeks and like it a lot. Nice big, smooth beam, great for walking the dogs. My emitter is off center just like yours - so bad I expected it to cutoff part of beam. But it doesn't seem to hurt.
I like it enough that I've ordered a drop in to put in a Solarforce.

Just metered it with a Fluke meter and got 
High .95
Medium .35
Low .07

Also metered with a fairly expensive made in China meter from Canadian Tire
1.43
.51
.09

And an older good quality meter from RCC?
1.03
.37
.06


----------



## superpila

*Re: Kaidomain WF 502B with R5*



Slash5 said:


> I ordered the 501B when it appeared on the KD site. I've had it for a couple of weeks and like it a lot. Nice big, smooth beam, great for walking the dogs. My emitter is off center just like yours - so bad I expected it to cutoff part of beam. But it doesn't seem to hurt.
> I like it enough that I've ordered a drop in to put in a Solarforce.
> 
> Just metered it with a Fluke meter and got
> High .95
> Medium .35
> Low .07
> 
> Also metered with a fairly expensive made in China meter from Canadian Tire
> 1.43
> .51
> .09
> 
> And an older good quality meter from RCC?
> 1.03
> .37
> .06



kaidomain has two dropins:
http://www.kaidomain.com/ProductDetails.aspx?ProductId=10197
and
http://www.kaidomain.com/ProductDetails.aspx?ProductId=10064

the first is regulated while the latter (the one I burned) is DD at high, and only accepts one cell. 
According to your readings it seems like you have the regulated version and that it works much better than the DD one, so I decided to order one of them. Perhaps I should buy a dog as well, it seems like a very good reason to own a flashlight
..... mmm maybe a dozen of dogs then .


----------



## Slash5

*Re: Kaidomain WF 502B with R5*



superpila said:


> kaidomain has two dropins:
> http://www.kaidomain.com/ProductDetails.aspx?ProductId=10197
> and
> http://www.kaidomain.com/ProductDetails.aspx?ProductId=10064
> 
> the first is regulated while the latter (the one I burned) is DD at high, and only accepts one cell.
> According to your readings it seems like you have the regulated version and that it works much better than the DD one, so I decided to order one of them. Perhaps I should buy a dog as well, it seems like a very good reason to own a flashlight
> ..... mmm maybe a dozen of dogs then .


 
Yep, dog walking is a great reason to grab the flashlight.
The dropin I ordered is the 10064. I'll have to measure it first thing when I try it and see what the draw is. May have to add a driver if it's too high.
Shipped on the 10th so probably at least another week before I get it.


----------



## shark_za

Dont you just love it when the DX lotto works in your favour? 

I wanted a stainless 1AA to sit next to my L2m special edition and ordered a single mode Ultrafire C3. 

Having read a few threads about it I was surprised to see Q5 etched on the side. I have no reason to doubt its not a Q5 as its easily as bright as my LD10 on high.
Fit is also good, no gaps, and there seems to be a flatter button on the back allowing tailstanding. 

Really impressed with this torch.


----------



## mfm

shark_za said:


> Dont you just love it when the DX lotto works in your favour?
> 
> I wanted a stainless 1AA to sit next to my L2m special edition and ordered a single mode Ultrafire C3.
> 
> Having read a few threads about it I was surprised to see Q5 etched on the side. I have no reason to doubt its not a Q5 as its easily as bright as my LD10 on high.
> Fit is also good, no gaps, and there seems to be a flatter button on the back allowing tailstanding.
> 
> Really impressed with this torch.



You ordered the P4 SS C3 or what do you mean?

I think the normal C3 is Q2 now, mine was shipped over three weeks ago and I still didn't get it (and probably never will), so not that lucky in the DX lottery.


----------



## shark_za

I ordered straight from the website expecting a C3 SS P4. 

Does anyone else have Q5 etched on the side, I also expected a gap between the head and body as most reported. 

What I got was a bright well made bright torch.
My wife just stole it for her handbag.


----------



## CampingLED

*Which SSC-P7 or other light?*

Want to buy a SSC-P7 / MCE / SST-50 light for my son. $40 price range, which most likely eliminates the SST-50. Was biased towards the RQ P7 light @ Kaidomain, but after they increased the price on the SST-50 P60 drop-in module, I do not feel like supporting them anymore. Still looks like a good light though.

What would you recommend in that price range? We have a few throwers @ home and he would like to have "a wall of light" light.


----------



## sandos

shark_za said:


> I ordered straight from the website expecting a C3 SS P4.
> 
> Does anyone else have Q5 etched on the side, I also expected a gap between the head and body as most reported.
> 
> What I got was a bright well made bright torch.
> My wife just stole it for her handbag.



Was it the sku.18305 and single-mode you ordered?

I have the 5-mode which is supposed to be q5, just wondering if they sent you one of those instead.

Btw, my SS has a problem seemingly from pressure on the star, it starts flickering randomly. I can reproduce it by removing the tail-cap clickie, and connecting my amp-meter and just pressing really heard. If I unscrew the end-cap slightly while in normal operating mode, I can help the flickering from happening for a while, but not completely.

Edit: I guess its pretty easy to guess, but the gaps (that are not existant on my C3 SS) means that the middle tube has better contact to the solder blobs on the module, whereas if I screen the module in too far (so that the gap vanishes) it will flicker eventually. I came to this conclusion after removing the middle tube and testing with the ameter, and applying pressure. This gave no flicker. Also trying to apply pressure on the battery with the middle tube and a gap, led pillar sligthly unscrewed I was unable to get it to flicker.


----------



## txg

i just received 2 lights from dx and i want to share my opinion on them:

trustfire xp-ef23 (sku.24291)
this is one hell of a light, it is as bright as my k-106 (both running on li-ions, [email protected], [email protected]). VERY solid finish, looks and feels like a very expensive light. user interface is great, because opposite to the akoray, switching the modes goes VERY fast, so the useless strobe is no con for me. 

but: the light is very heavy, it weighs nearly the same as the akoray, 61g vs. 62g. this would be my preferred light of all time if it would be lighter (would love an aluminium version). 

did someone try to mod it with an xp-g r5? this would make the output even better.


tank007 e07:

this light is impressively small, but that's all positive i have to say about it. it feels cheap, it isn't very bright, the tint is :sick2: and the beam is rather odd. perhaps i've had bad luck with this one as bessiebenny and others do like it. 
mine did come with a strap, but without a key-ring, so i can't attach it to my keys, which has been my plan.


because of the ultrafire, i'm now thinking of getting another small aaa light in aluminium, but i didn't find a decent one. the new 4sevens preon looks nice but it can't use li-ions, which is a no-go for me.


----------



## shark_za

sandos said:


> Was it the sku.18305 and single-mode you ordered?
> 
> I have the 5-mode which is supposed to be q5, just wondering if they sent you one of those instead.



The one I ordered was sku.11133 , the stainless steel version. 
On the one side is has Ultrafire C3 and the other is etched CREE Q5. 

Comparing to a LD10 on Hi it is brighter overall with more throw but a bit ringey. It has a smooth reflector so I guess this is normal.
With the LD10 on turbo its very hard to tell, the hot spot on the C3 is still brighter but overall it might be more output on the LD10. 

Did that testing with a GP recyko in the LD10 and e2 Lithium in the C3. 
Not fair, but with both having Lithiums the Turbo is much brighter and the hi still pretty much the same. 

I had some flickering till I screwed the pill in properly.


----------



## old4570

https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/249997

Here are two 1xAAA lights I got from DX


----------



## CampingLED

shark_za said:


> The one I ordered was sku.11133 , the stainless steel version.
> On the one side is has Ultrafire C3 and the other is etched CREE Q5.
> 
> Comparing to a LD10 on Hi it is brighter overall with more throw but a bit ringey. It has a smooth reflector so I guess this is normal.
> With the LD10 on turbo its very hard to tell, the hot spot on the C3 is still brighter but overall it might be more output on the LD10.
> 
> Did that testing with a GP recyko in the LD10 and e2 Lithium in the C3.
> Not fair, but with both having Lithiums the Turbo is much brighter and the hi still pretty much the same.
> 
> I had some flickering till I screwed the pill in properly.


 
Should change your name to Lion_za. I have both the original C3 SS (modded with R2 though) and the new 5-mode. There are some differences, both external and internal. You should come and visit me sometime and we can compare. My feeling is that they changed the switch, the LED to higher bin, maybe the driver and the external template.


----------



## shark_za

Its scary how you know who I support. 

Just FYI I did a quick measurement on the tail with a DMM and its pulling 800mA on a GP Recyko and 950mA on an energiser L91


----------



## CampingLED

Have you tried a 14500? Output should be much brighter. We can continue this discussion offline. PM sent.


----------



## XRAYBoY

Hi everyone.
I just wanted to communicate the existence of another forum in spanish, with many flashlights models mainly bought at KD, DX ,etc.
I think it can be useful for you if you are looking for internal pictures, data or measurements. 
(Nothing compared to :bow:CPF,of course,but we tried...)

Here translated into English or Spanish original in my signature.I hope it might can be useful for this thread as this thread is for us.


----------



## mfm

txg said:


> it feels cheap, it isn't very bright, the tint is :sick2: and the beam is rather odd. perhaps i've had bad luck with this one as bessiebenny and others do like it.



His E07 wasn't very bright either if you look at his pictures. It seems to a big tint lottery when you get an OSRAM emitter in these tank007 lights.

Got another Ultrafire A10 yesterday, so my DX christmas present failure rate is down from 100% to 67%. The new A10 had slightly better anodized body and print and was a little brighter (but also cooler white, so probably keeping the old one for myself anyway).


----------



## J_C

E07 is rated for lower drive current, wouldn't be expected to be as bright but with the benefit of longer runtime. While many want or need most light possible in a given form factor, I'm glad to see such small lights that can run reasonably regulated for 1.5 hours. Not that the goal is longest runtime possible, but at fair output for low price.


----------



## a1penguin

old4570 said:


> https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/249997
> 
> Here are two 1xAAA lights I got from DX




The TANK007 TK-703 seems to have higher output and longer run times. It's a Cree instead of a SSC. It's $2 more and a bit longer. But it's RED!

Looks like it might be a good gift choice.


----------



## phlowcus

a1penguin said:


> The TANK007 TK-703 [...] But it's RED!


Not if you order the black version. 

EDIT: Speaking of the 703. Yesterday I had a look at the driver pill and I encountered the most horrible smell I've ever noticed in a flashlight. Didn't seem non-toxic :/. Nothing I'd give into the hands of a child for sure.


----------



## nullstring

*thinking about Romisen RC-F4..*

As you can tell from my post count, I'm a bit of a noob.

I've done a bit of research, and I've come to the conclusion that the RC-F4 is a nice flashlight for the price.

My criteria for a flashlight:


2xCR123A
Forward Clicky
At least 3-mode. Preferably 4 or 5.
Q5

ShiningBeam offers a Q5 and forward clicky version of the RC-F4 for $23 shipped, which I've considered.

In any case, I have a few questions.


Is it worth getting the RC-F4 if I'm going to replace the emitter, the switch, and the driver?
Is there another place I can find a Tactile Clicky Switch that can be installed in this flashlight?
Can anyone recommend me a driver for this flashlight that has more modes, and has at least the same efficiency as the stock driver?


I have a bit of experience with electronics having assembled a couple of headphone amplifiers. In fact, the reason for me getting a flashlight is to have something that drains CR123A's, so I can develop/test a trickle charger for them that will be used in a future portable headphone amp.


----------



## JimmerG

*P7 in a Romisen RC-G4*

Its just got me wondering.... I spotted this - 

MTE SF-15 SSC P7-D-SXO 4-Mode Memory 900-Lumen LED Flashlight (1*18650) 

Looks very to me like a standard RC-G4, and many of the Ultrafire bodies. 

I've got an RC-G4 Romisen currently sporting a P4 - Does anyone know if there's a P7 drop-in I can.. er ... drop in?

Thanks

J


----------



## shark_za

*Re: thinking about Romisen RC-F4..*

The RC-F4 is BRIGHT in capitals. 

The current ones shipping from DX have forward clicky switches as standard, you wont need to modify. 

I think you are crazy to go multimode but thats just my opinion.
The forward switch is best with single modes anyway. 

As it stands the one from DX or Shiningbeam are great little tactical torches for the price.


----------



## nullstring

*Re: thinking about Romisen RC-F4..*

how do you know the current ones have a forward clicky?

I'm not saying you're wrong, I'd just like some more proof/explanation.


Multimode will allow me to use the flashlight for a longer period for the times where I don't need anything excessively bright.
I might just buy a $3 driver and try it out.. and if I don't like it, I can put the old one back.

If they do in fact come with a forward clicky.. then I think I'll go ahead and get a Q5 from dealextreme instead.


----------



## Disco-Dave

*Akoray k-106*

Looking for some help/information here i have an akoray k - 106 it says on DX that its 200 lumens, it runs on a 1 aa battery im using an energizer lithium at the moment but theres no way the light can be 200 lumens my fenix tk11 blows it away big time and thats only rated at 225 lumens on high mode. So i dont really understand it lol

Dont get me rong its a fantastic little light i was camping 2 weeks ago and had a few dereelights my fenix and the akoray and the fenix and akoray lasted longer than the rest.

And on that note im also looking for another small light than runs on 1aa maybe a touch brighter if possible with not bad runtime as this little one lasts quite good on one battery i was looking at the fenix ld10 is it worth it ?


----------



## kramer5150

*Re: Akoray k-106*

1AA lights seem to max out in the ~115L ballpark, no where close to 200L.


----------



## mfm

*Re: Akoray k-106*



kramer5150 said:


> 1AA lights seem to max out in the ~115L ballpark, no where close to 200L.



AKOray K-106 is known to be dim on 1.2-1.5V , so it's not a very good comparision. JETBeam Jet-I V3.0 gives 160 lumens on AA and 240 lumens on 14500. There's lots of cheaper lights brighter than the K-106 on 1.2-1.5v too.

Got my new Ultrafire C3 from DX yesterday, exactly one month after it was shipped (not too impressed with that). No idea on the brightness since it had major flickering. I probably have to put in an o-ring before the lens and remove most of the solder points on the pill, but I don't have a big workshop stocked with different sized o-rings so will take until next year until I can try to fix it (or just throw it away now instead of ordering o-rings from DX, would be the most rational decision).

I wonder why so many people buy this light when it's so crappy, the A10 is much better. I assume the lights based on the same body (like Aurora SH0030) are also wrongly manufactured without the lens o-ring?


----------



## CampingLED

Funny. I bought 3 x C3s recently and no problems. I can also drive 10km in any wind direction from home (in South Africa) and buy O-rings. That includes a broken O-ring on a SF light after only using it three months. The C3 is a great light for the price and you should contact the supplier if you have a problem.


----------



## PlayboyJoeShmoe

I had to make contact rings out of paper clips for one AA light and I have to use a magnet on top of the battery for another to get them to make good contact.

So what? Big deal!

Now bust an o-ring in something like a LumaPower ConneXion and you have trouble!

I somewhat expect that I'll have to tinker with cheap lights.


----------



## mfm

CampingLED said:


> Funny. I bought 3 x C3s recently and no problems. I can also drive 10km in any wind direction from home (in South Africa) and buy O-rings. That includes a broken O-ring on a SF light after only using it three months. The C3 is a great light for the price and you should contact the supplier if you have a problem.



Or I could just work during the time it takes to find a shop who sells o-rings, find out if they have the correct size and to fiddle with the soldering iron and drill, and instead buy a JETBeam or Fenix for the money I made during the same amount of time.

If the C3 is still P4 then it's a crap light for the price (I bought it to see if they upgraded the emitter and the driver like someone wrote on DX): outdated emitter, bad manufacturing (it is designed to have an o-ring behind the lens, and is known to have lots of problems), not "watertight"/splash safe because of the previous problem, too small and too hard click button (much better on the A10 or the romisen RC-29), not HA-III anodizing, etc. There's lots of DX/KD lights for $1-2 more (or $1 less) that looks better and probably are.

Wrote a DX Service Request but I don't have too much hope for it.



PlayboyJoeShmoe said:


> I had to make contact rings out of paper clips for one AA light and I have to use a magnet on top of the battery for another to get them to make good contact.
> 
> So what? Big deal!
> 
> Now bust an o-ring in something like a LumaPower ConneXion and you have trouble!
> 
> I somewhat expect that I'll have to tinker with cheap lights.



Sounds like you bought some poop lights. I have higher standards, especially on lights I want to give away.

Would be some gift if the recipient had to fiddle with spacers or paper clips.


----------



## PlayboyJoeShmoe

But I did not "gift" those lights. Nor do I use them on a daily basis.

That's what my Fenix, LumaPower and EagleTac lights are for.


----------



## Coaster

mfm said:


> Or I could just work during the time it takes to find a shop who sells o-rings, find out if they have the correct size and to fiddle with the soldering iron and drill, and instead buy a JETBeam or Fenix for the money I made during the same amount of time.



I think you should just give up on ordering anything from any of the China shops if you're not willing to fiddle with things. :shrug:

I've had fairly good luck, but just today I got in a Solarforce L2m that has some issue at the pill.  Do I feel ripped off, or disappointed since it took well over a month to get it, not really. I just plan on it taking somewhere in the 6-10 week range to actually arrive at my door. I also figure that about 20% of items with more than 2 parts will need some level of tweaking / repair.


----------



## bessiebenny

Well, I never had any issues with Romisen ones if I remember correctly. 
Some Ultrafire/Aurora/Trustfire, I've had issues with. (contact issues generally)

I've come to a point where I can sorta tell what is good and bad just by looking at the specs and pics of the flashlight on DK/KD etc. =P
So these days, I'm not risking as much on what I buy as before. I also don't have the dosh to throw around so I guess that's the main reason. 

This thread is now well over 2 years old. I don't have as much time reviewing flashlights as much. (family is growing..)
But I'm still buying some new lights as the flashlights are now cheaper than ever.
Many are also excellent. Quality definitely improved over the years even in the sub-$15 range.

With these budget branded lights, you get "more" than what you pay for usually.
But due to that, there is a bit of risk that the quality isn't all the same. =P


----------



## shark_za

*Re: thinking about Romisen RC-F4..*



nullstring said:


> how do you know the current ones have a forward clicky?
> 
> I'm not saying you're wrong, I'd just like some more proof/explanation.




Er, I bought one from DX in September and its got a forward clicky, right here in my hand. "proof"
I would not be surprised to see this is a Q5 already as its mega bright.


----------



## nullstring

*Re: thinking about Romisen RC-F4..*



shark_za said:


> Er, I bought one from DX in September and its got a forward clicky, right here in my hand. "proof"
> I would not be surprised to see this is a Q5 already as its mega bright.


It's just weird because reviews that were made in november disagree with you.

Do you have a black or gray one?

EDIT:
Maybe I am getting ahead of myself with the Q5 and the modes. Maybe I should just buy the RC-F4, and if I feel I need to mod it, I can always buy things later.
I'd just hate to have to pay $6 for a tactical switch.
That, and buying from shiningbeam means it'll be here in a week instead of 3..


----------



## rje58

*Re: thinking about Romisen RC-F4..*

My experience has been more like "a few days instead of 4-6 weeks or more..."

But it's hard to turn away from some of those low prices, for me too!



nullstring said:


> That, and buying from shiningbeam means it'll be here in a week instead of 3..


----------



## mfm

PlayboyJoeShmoe said:


> But I did not "gift" those lights. Nor do I use them on a daily basis.
> 
> That's what my Fenix, LumaPower and EagleTac lights are for.



So you just buy them to fiddle with them and then put them in a drawer? Sounds like wasted money...



Coaster said:


> I think you should just give up on ordering anything from any of the China shops if you're not willing to fiddle with things. :shrug:



If "fiddling" includes sourcing replacement parts and repairing in some workshop just because the light is wrongly manufactured then yes...

I actually have several chinese $15-$20 models that work fine, and I could buy more of the same and have them working just fine (and I have). But I buy new/untested models just to try them and to find out if they are good for cheap gifts.

I also have no problem with complaining about the lemon lights that doesn't work properly, since there are many cheap lights that DO work fine.


----------



## PlayboyJoeShmoe

Hold on there pard.

I don't know for sure where the AA light that needed contact help is. I may have sent it with Christmas giveaway last year. I've heard no complaint about it.

The light that needs a magnet is a Romisen RC-X5. It can be 1x123 or 2xAA. There is a ridge in there that stops a 123 before it can make good contact. The magnet stays in the light.

It is a side click one level light and that is why I don't use it all that much.

I have several other Romisen, Ultrafire, SolarForce and Tank007 lights that never needed anything.

The more I think about it the more I'm sure that AA light is gone.

I'm not disappointed with any light I got from DX. Some just needed some tweaking.


----------



## XRAYBoY

*-Kaidomain **Ultrafire C1 led Cree XPG-R5 Review,measures,beamshots,etc...





*:duck:


----------



## shark_za

*Re: thinking about Romisen RC-F4..*



nullstring said:


> It's just weird because reviews that were made in november disagree with you.
> 
> Do you have a black or gray one?
> 
> EDIT:
> Maybe I am getting ahead of myself with the Q5 and the modes. Maybe I should just buy the RC-F4, and if I feel I need to mod it, I can always buy things later.
> I'd just hate to have to pay $6 for a tactical switch.
> That, and buying from shiningbeam means it'll be here in a week instead of 3..



I looked on DX site and there are no reviews from after September when I bought a grey one.

Its called DX lottery. 
The spec on the site shows reverse clicky so if you buy it and its reverse you cant really ask for your money back. You will "probably" get a forward clicky if you buy but you cant be sure. 

My orders from DX have been interesting to say the least.
Ordered RC-N3 expecting 3 modes and got single mode. (A plus for me)
Ordered a few black and grey RC-G2's, black ones that came with new LED and driver are yucky. (A negative)
Expected reverse clicky and got forward on RC-F4. (A plus for me) 
Ordered a forward clicky from shiningbeam, that order along with 2x torches vanished into thin air, does not exist according to my customs or post office.  :mecry: 
Expected P4 C3 Stainless Stainless and got a well finished Q5. (Plus)
Got the L2m Spiderfire/Ultrafire/Solarforce partsbin special and I am very happy with them too.

My only ZAR 15.2c (US 2c) worth is that the RC-F4 is a great little torch but the body walls are thin and ring with a tinny echo when knocked. The threads are thin and while it is very workable it does not feel solid or hard wearing. 
If you don't have a RC-N3 get that one first, its not as bright but seems better made and really handy to use 1xRCR123 all the way to alkaline AA's.


----------



## nullstring

*Re: thinking about Romisen RC-F4..*

Oh, you're right. there are a bunch of reviews from 11/2008. I mistook those to be this year.

Sorry for the confusion. (Kind of feel like a douche now)

Thanks for the help. =)

Current plan:
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.7999
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.11022
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.7425
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.3273
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.5498

Need to pick out a charger still..


----------



## DR_DEUCE

*what do you make of ULTRAFIRE'S..?*

HI boys,...been here a few weeks and I haven't seen much on the Ultrafire's. They seem to be low cost, but Don't know how well they'll hold up, or what you guys think of them. They are cheap enough to discard after they break. I got a 501 and 502, seem to be ok. One is the 5 mode 250lm. Definetely not up to the SF quality, specifically in the threads of both ends.
WHATS YOUR TAKE????????????


----------



## Superdave

*Re: what do you make of ULTRAFIRE'S..?*

I gave a WF 501c to my 10 yr old son to replace his beat up 3AA Mag LED.. he likes the mag better.. lol


----------



## qwertyydude

I have an Ultrafire 502b and it is the worst quality light I've gotten from DX, generally I've noticed Ultrafire quality being hit and miss because several other lights like the Ultrafire recoil to be high quality. But Romisen is the brand you want to get, as all my Romisens have been perfect right out of the envelope, DX only ships in envelopes so you may have some trouble if you ordered a delicate item. But if you're going to get Romisen just go to shiningbeam.com since you'll get it quicker and it will have better components like a later model led and forward clickie it'll cost less than buying the M4 from DX and also the better drop in and forward clickie.


----------



## PlayboyJoeShmoe

I had two 502B (gave one away somewhere) and I have a slightly longer model. (503B???)

I found nothing wrong with the threads, finish etc.

My 502 wears a forward switch from Battery Junction meant for LumaPower lights.

I also have a 505B (E2 clone) with a three level Q5 and a forward switch. It can ride next to my wallet almost as well as my EagleTac P10C2. Again fit and finish and threading were ok.

It's a Romisen I have that needs the magnet for contact so EVERY brand can can have some little issue and some BIG issues.


----------



## joshconsulting

*K-106 died a quick death*

So I went to turn on my beloved K-106 today after a week or so of inactivity. I hit the switch, enjoyed a few moments of blindinglly bright light, then watched it flicker and die suddenly. Confused, I hit the power button again - it flashed on for a few seconds, flickered a couple of times, and went out. Further attempts to revive it failed. I tried everything I could with the clickey, swapped out the batteries, checked the connections on both ends, bashed it good on my table - to no avail. I really don't know what went wrong; it has hardly been used and certainly hasn't been exposed to a shock\water\etc. that would cause it to malfunction. And I doubt both of my Trustfire 14500s would fail at the same time. Any suggestions on how to fix it?

Of course, like any true CPFer I'm already plotting to replace it... I'm thinking a TrustFire TR-801 Q5 (http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.13095) paired with protected 18650s (http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.5790), but I'm open to suggestions. Still, I dearly love the K-106 so I'd rather revive it if possible.

Oh, and before the comments about the 801 only being single mode - that's it's single greatest strength. I really dislike the 5 mode on my 106, I kept accidentally bumping modes when I turned it on\off frequently, and I never used anything but high - even for going to the bathroom at night. I don't like the dark 

Anyway, the 801 is supposed to be somewhat brighter then the 14500s, even if it means replacing the batteries. I was also looking at the 501b (http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.16240) as a slightly brighter alternative, but it wouldn't be as easy to pocket.


----------



## old4570

My Ultrafire 502B is SSC P7 now and working just fine 
My 501B is R2 and my only complaint is the clicky might be a little iffy .
And also have 2 501A's , both are excellent .

Seriously , for $15 USD shipped ??? 501B
Break it down , if the pill is $5 / shipping $5 / then the body is $5 + there is a profit margin in there somewhere .


----------



## DR_DEUCE

*opinions on ULTRAFIRE's,............??*

HI boys,......what's your take on the Ultrafires. I just picked up a wf-501. Wondering how well it may hold up. I know it's a low end unit, might have some bad soldering joints, rough threads and such. What do you guys think...I don't think I've read anything on this site---I know you LOVE high end units..........

Enlighten me.


----------



## richardcpf

*Re: opinions on ULTRAFIRE's,............??*

3 Big cons about ultrafire flashlights:

1. Soldering: you will find bad soldering in almost any of these flashlights, some will even come doa, requiering you to repair it.
2. Design and build quality: most of them have useless orings as they are not watertigh, missing HA spots.
3. Efficiency: most have bad efficiency, doesnt drive the led to the correct current, and if it does, it will get hot very fast.

Ultrafire doesnt even come close to others high quality flashlight manufacturers, but if you are upgrading from a maglite or a 5mm led flashlight, ultrafires should be amazing.


----------



## vali

*Re: opinions on ULTRAFIRE's,............??*

My opinion in ultrafire is to think again and get a romisen. Same price and better quality.


----------



## Wiggle

*Re: opinions on ULTRAFIRE's,............??*

They get the job done if you make a decent choice but they are a bit of a risk. That being said, my backpack light is an Ultrafire C1 with the switch changed to a NetKidz forward clicky and a Lumens Factory D26 and it works perfect for me. At this point I'm just using the body of the light though.


----------



## Alberta-Blue

*Re: opinions on ULTRAFIRE's,............??*

Don't... just don't.

Get something you wont regret a week from now (when it fails).


----------



## C-Beam

*Re: opinions on ULTRAFIRE's,............??*



vali said:


> My opinion in ultrafire is to think again and get a romisen. Same price and better quality.



I agree!


----------



## jimmy1970

*Re: opinions on ULTRAFIRE's,............??*

I know you have just bought a Ultrafire, but they are poor quality - bottom of the barrel I am sorry to say.

Buy the real thing - SUREFIRE. I have bought many & their great!!

James...:twothumbs


----------



## arcel1t

*Re: opinions on ULTRAFIRE's,............??*

During my early flashaholic stage I used 270$ at DX buing crappy lights chargers's and batteries. Only one of my ultrafire did breake but that was the only one I used, the other ones have been standing in the closet ore been used for modding and laser engraving tests.

I regret this purchase and wish I used the money on one ore two good flashlight's. And some reliable AW batteries.


----------



## hazna

*Re: K-106 died a quick death*

I remember starting my initial flashaholic stages with dealextreme lights. Unfortunately my Ultrafire C3, broke easily, and came to the conclusion its worth paying more for better quality lights. My advice to for you to pay more for better quality lights that are less likely to fail. You will end up saving more in the long rum, IMO.

What sort of light are you looking for exactly?


----------



## rizky_p

*Re: opinions on ULTRAFIRE's,............??*

i never regret purchasing ultrafires but that is just me since i can't afford Surefire. Although Ultrafire has their own problem with quality, i prefer brand like Romisen and some other similar-classed light but with better quality. 
FYI, I found Ultrafire C3 SS to be an excellent build btw. 

For me it is not as easy as buying Surefire and be done with it, surely you'll get an excellent and top-of-the-class quality but for me trying this and that is part of the hobby. Sure you will get something that fail but that is the challenge and all the the fun(modding etc). Again that is just me. 

Cheers
Rizki


----------



## Rod911

*Re: opinions on ULTRAFIRE's,............??*

These low costs lights are a great way to get your feet wet on this hobby, especially if disposable income is an issue and if the lights are not going to be used in a life or death situation.

In a suburban setting, around the house, a cheap DX light is, IMHO, good enough. They do require a bit more TLC though when it comes to maintenance and making sure they're not dropped too high of a distance from the floor.

I've only bought 3 cheap lights (WF-606A, A10 and Romisen RC-H3) ever from DX. The RC-H3 retired from service recently having served just over a year of day to day service. Here's hoping the other two are able to pull their weight*.

*Unfortunately for the cheapies, I have other lights that I tend to grab for rather than these two. So it's very likely they won't see much use compared to the RC-H3.


----------



## joshconsulting

*Re: K-106 died a quick death*

Himmm. Dropped the batteries in my Surefire charger, waited an hour for the light to turn green (hour and a half for the battery I used), put one in and no problems at all with the flashlight. Apparently the 14500s drain themselves over a few months, and I last used it as they died (flickering and dying). Anyone have advice for keeping these cells full\topping them off (like charging once a month etc.)?

Also, there goes my excuse to buy another flashlight. I don't use them enough to justify the 5x expensive of a high-end light over a DX. I'm quite impressed with how the K-106 is built; that's why I was surprised when it "died" without warning.


----------



## PlayboyJoeShmoe

*Re: K-106 died a quick death*

A Romisen RC-H3 has been riding in my Dads truck in the cup holder for a year or so. Has not failed yet.

The UF 505B I mentioned is basically only in body as I have changed the switch and light engine.

But again the 4 or 5 UF I have all worked from new and all have decent threads and finish.

As others have said cheap lights are fine if you don't need them for life or death.

But then there is no promise that my Fenix or LumaPower lights will work when it REALLY matters.

That is why 1 is none and 2 is 1!!!


----------



## B12

*Re: Kaidomain WF 502B with R5*



superpila said:


> I just got the ultrafire wf-502b from KD, with 5 modes XP-G R5: http://www.kaidomain.com/ProductDetails.aspx?ProductId=10066
> 
> ...When I switched the thing on, on a freshly charged 18650, it looked immediately much brighter than the R2 version. On a subjective ceiling bounce test this thing is comparable to my MCE dropin from DX, although differences in color make it quite difficult to make a fair comparison
> 
> 
> It has the usual 5 modes: High, medium, low, strobe, sos. Unlike the R2 version you don't have the half a second wait when you switch the flashlight on, also modes don't have memory and the flashlight always starts on high. This means that we are looking at a different driver than the R2 version. And in fact, here is what I measured on a freshly charged 18650:
> 
> 
> high: 2.60A (OMG!!!!)
> medium: 0.9A
> low: 0.15A
> 
> 
> This explains why it was so much brighter than the R2 version which “just” runs on 1.0A . The R5 is DD at high, and PWM (the flickering is barely noticeable) at lower settings.
> 2.6A (although it quickly drops to 2.2 after a couple of minutes) is definitely not a good idea for this emitter, especially with such a poor thermal design of the dropin.



Hello from Finland everybody. Have been lurking for a while. This is my first post here.

I got the same light from KD. I had some DX cheapo protected Ultrafire gray 18650 that has been sitting in a drawer for a week or so. Voltage was 4.05V.

High: 2,35A (OMG)
Medium: 0,8A
Low: 0,14A

With a battery fresh from charger, your results are easy to believe. 

Compared to Akoray K-106 5 mode Q5, the Ultrafire is pretty much the same lumens in mid setting as the Akoray in high. Akoray is a very good one for it's price imho. I use it every day at work (engineering workshop supervisor) and beyond.

I also measured the current of my MTE SSC P7-C 2-mode. With a not so fresh Ultrafire 18650 (3,85V) the MTE drew 3,38A.


----------



## DVN

I've also been lurking for some months now but only just decided to join.

This light from Kaidomain seems like a pretty nice one to me. If it pulls nearly 3 Amps on high does that mean the battery will die out in no time though? Is an 18650 battery capable of delivering 3 amps needed for longer runtimes?


----------



## Wiggle

Trustfire 2400 black or an AW should be able to push that, it's not something crazy like 2C + discharge. But yeah at that rate a good 18650 would only last about 40 minutes or so.


----------



## sol-leks

*Do Romisens Lego?*

I just order a RC-29, and I already own a rc-n3, and I was thinking how awesome it would be if I could turn the rc-29 into a 2xAA light when it arrives or even a 1xcr123 light. Any chance this will work?

Even if the threads somehow fit, would the RC-29 circuitry even be handle this or would the light go poof?

I don't know why I got moved here, we can only discuss budget lights in this thread?


----------



## gumpy13

*ultrafire*

would appreciate any info on ultrafire flashlights, specifically the c8:thumbsup:


----------



## boomhauer

*Re: Do Romisens Lego?*



sol-leks said:


> I just order a RC-29, and I already own a rc-n3, and I was thinking how awesome it would be if I could turn the rc-29 into a 2xAA light when it arrives or even a 1xcr123 light. Any chance this will work?
> 
> Even if the threads somehow fit, would the RC-29 circuitry even be handle this or would the light go poof?
> 
> I don't know why I got moved here, we can only discuss budget lights in this thread?


I believe, over on the MP, that Brian from ShiningBeam said that they are physically incompatible.


----------



## sol-leks

Dang, wishful thinking.


----------



## Zeva

*New Light/ Batteries?*

Hello All, I have been looking at the WF-502B or the Ultrafire C1 on DX And i was wondering if there would be a better choice in this category? Also I would like to buy some rechargeable batteries and i am currently totally confused about the selection of batteries 
Light
Maybe this light?
Battery maybe?
Or maybe these?

Oh and also i was wondering What type of rechargeable are these? will the be charged if i use them like a month after charging? kind of like eneloops? or the old NIMH type? 
Thanks for the help!


----------



## Egsise

*Re: New Light/ Batteries?*

What do you want from your flashlight?
How much you can spend on flashlight/batteries/charger?


----------



## Zeva

*Re: New Light/ Batteries?*



Egsise said:


> What do you want from your flashlight?
> How much you can spend on flashlight/batteries/charger?



I just want a light that works  dont need anything with excellent build quality as i know the old adage you get what you pay for is true
Probably about 30 ish? is that reasonable?


----------



## PlayboyJoeShmoe

*Re: New Light/ Batteries?*

The 502B would be my choice of those two. I would get and run 18650 batteries though instead of two 16340.

And the 18650 will stay charged for a pretty good while. You will want protected cells.

You might see if you can get hold of a Solarforce L2. No extra gadgets and geegaws like grip rings and such. Very decent build quality too.

And I sure wish I knew who made the pill that I have in my UF 505B. It's a three mode with memory and either no or very fast PWM. I'd like to get more like that!


----------



## Zeva

*Re: New Light/ Batteries?*

Why would you suggest 18650s over two 16340s? would These be a good choice? thanks


----------



## Zeva

*Re: New Light/ Batteries?*

After looking at the sticky i decided to get a Romisen RC-F4 because of the excellent reviews but i was wondering could any suggest batteries and a charger for me thanks!


----------



## derekab

*Re: Thinking about the Romisen Rc-t7 MCE*

I bought one of these and love it. However, half of the emitter quit working and romisen won't reply to my emails asking for help. I have several romisen lights and like them all but the customer service issue doesn't make me very confident to buy another one.


----------



## derekab

*Romsien RC-T7 emitter problem*

I have a Romisen RC-T7 that I really like. I recently noticed that only half of the emitter is working. I can't get Romisen to reply to my email messages. Does anyone know where I can send mine or a replacement I could buy for it. Thanks.


----------



## PlayboyJoeShmoe

*Re: New Light/ Batteries?*

I never really used my RC-F4 all that much but then one day recently it was dim and fresh batteries did not help.

So I had a few other single mode drop ins about and put a Q5 in mine. Even brighter than I remember it being.

I have a 17500 protected Ultrafire in it.


----------



## DNA

*Re: Thinking about the Romisen Rc-t7 MCE*

Which email did you use when contacting Romisen?

Dan


----------



## Zeva

*Re: New Light/ Batteries?*

So i bought a RC-f4 it wont come here till like 2 weeks... just need to decide on batteries... i got a few CR-123s im gonna use until i order the batteries thanks again


----------



## tedgtfan

*Product Differences*

Is there any differences in products offered by Deal Extreme and Shiningbeam other than prices. Same products with different prices. Are the ones on Shiningbeam better? Thanks


----------



## jhc37013

*Re: Product Differences*

I don't know what products DX carries besides Romisen and I assume the models with the same labels are probably the same but iTP, Olight and MG are great lights.

I think your probably talking about exact opposites with customer service if the needs arises to send something back or talk with the dealer about something.

I've never ordered from DX and from what I've heard I'm missing nothing as for shiningbeam their top notch I would not hesitate to pay a little extra if I found the the same items on both sites and the DX was a little cheaper.


----------



## tedgtfan

*Re: Product Differences*

Thanks jhc I appreciate the info


----------



## darkmilk

*Re: Do anyone buy the Ultrafire UF-007 (Recoil Led)*

I got the WF-008 delivered from DX just recently, overall I think it's great, especially for the price!

Great thrower, I don't have anything to compare to but just playing with it and lighting stuff up on the other side of an oval or valley is awesome.

The body is nicely machined, and feels good. However the assembly left a bit to be desired:
- the LED wasn't quite on right. The brass mini-pill wasn't quite all the way into the hole, removing it (hammer and punch on the back, once the driver and reflector are off) and re-installing helped give a smaller beam and more throw. One of the wires had to be re-soldered after minimal handling, so probably wasn't on properly to start with.
- the lens was dirty, fingerprints :thumbsdow 

I can't pick the difference between 1x18650 and 2x16340s. By eye, the overall light is a bit less than a fenix Q5 claimed at 180 lumens. It's quite a cool tint, claimed to be Q5-WC which is believable.


----------



## rje58

*Re: Product Differences*

Besides the great customer service I have received from ShiningBeam, my experience is that when I order something from ShiningBeam, I usually receive it in two or three days. I have never received anything from DX in as little as two to three weeks - most of my orders from DX have arrived in about a month or so.

Also, be aware that the same model flashlight may come with different modes and different emitters. I purchased a Romisen light from ShiningBeam that came with a two-mode Cree Q5 emitter, and I purchased the exact same model from DX, it came with a single-mode Cree P4 emitter. There is nothing misleading about this from DX, however. Both Shiningbeam and DX online listings stated the modes and emitters.

I am in North Carolina, USA - people in other parts of the world probably have different results.



tedgtfan said:


> Is there any differences in products offered by Deal Extreme and Shiningbeam other than prices. Same products with different prices. Are the ones on Shiningbeam better? Thanks


----------



## Packet-Storm

*WF-600 Taking the Head Off*

Just wanted to confirm for other out there on the DX WF-600 light. The head is glued or thread-locked on TIGHT. One thing I did find, is that the finish that is applied to the light is very durable. I used a small propane torch (same one I use for soldering copper pipe) to heat the joint. I was then able to twist off the head with a strap wrench (and leather gloves). The head where I torched it doesn't show any additional wear or bubbling of the paint/finish.


----------



## Thed

*Nkoray K-106 work ok with NiMH?*

I've read a couple people had problems using NiHM batteries in it.
I primarily use eneloops in my lights so...

Or... if anyone recommends something along the same lines that is better/brighter.


----------



## balou

*Re: Nkoray K-106 work ok with NiMH?*

I'd recommend the Akoray K-106 instead of the Nkoray. Only 3 instead of 6 modes, but these three are fully programmable.

The Akoray K-106 runs flawlessly with NiMH cells, albeit less bright than it does with 14500s.


----------



## djans1397

*Re: WF-600 Taking the Head Off*

Hi Packet Storm. 

Good to know but this is the B/S/T section. You need to move this to the LED section.

Dan


----------



## pmoore

I have had two K-106's, both of them did not like a 14500. They do run beautifully on a NiMh or a energizer lithium. Anyone else?

Paul


----------



## joshconsulting

My K-106 is *amazing* on Trustfire Protected 14500s. Crazy brightness and good run time. I'm not overjoyed with the shelf life, but I haven't even tried puttying anything else in.


----------



## Cemoi

*Re: Nkoray K-106 work ok with NiMH?*



balou said:


> I'd recommend the Akoray K-106 instead of the Nkoray. Only 3 instead of 6 modes, but these three are fully programmable.



Did you order it from DX or KD? According to the DX forum on this light, it seems DX is shipping the 6-mode, non programmable version again .

KD say their model is the 3-mode, did anyone order it from them and can confirm this?


----------



## LightTime

*Re: Do Romisens Lego?*



sol-leks said:


> I just order a RC-29, and I already own a rc-n3, and I was thinking how awesome it would be if I could turn the rc-29 into a 2xAA light when it arrives or even a 1xcr123 light. Any chance this will work?
> 
> Even if the threads somehow fit, would the RC-29 circuitry even be handle this or would the light go poof?



The circuitry will go poof - the RC-29 is _explicitly_ a single AA light. Also, the threads are incompatible.

However, what Bryan from ShiningBeam *did* find, was that you can use the RC-N3 extension tube with the RC-C6, the CR123A version of the RC-29. This model can handle up to 4.0V, so 2xAA is fine. However, he does warn that it's not a great solution ergonomically.


----------



## LightTime

*Re: New Light/ Batteries?*



Zeva said:


> After looking at the sticky i decided to get a Romisen RC-F4 because of the excellent reviews but i was wondering could any suggest batteries and a charger for me thanks!



My RC-F4 would not accept anything but CR123A/16340 (RCR123A) batteries. I believe some people have been able to fit _unprotected_ 17670, but Trustfire _protected_ wouldn't fit for me. Given that many people don't trust unprotected batteries, and some also don't like 'stacking' rechargeable lithium cells, that doesn't leave too many options - a weakness of this particular flashlight.

I decided to just use mine with primary (CR123A) cells, and rely on buying them cheaply. I've found even some of the DX cells to be acceptable, although 'name-brand' ones are likely to be better. There are several sources, eg in the US, ShiningBeam has Rayovac 1550mAh. If you look, you will find others stocking Panasonic, Sanyo, etc for modest prices.


----------



## LightTime

*Re: Romsien RC-T7 emitter problem*



derekab said:


> I have a Romisen RC-T7 that I really like. I recently noticed that only half of the emitter is working. I can't get Romisen to reply to my email messages. Does anyone know where I can send mine or a replacement I could buy for it. Thanks.



Romisen is just a brand of the manufacturer. They supply all sorts of product variants to all sorts of resellers. You need to make a claim against the store you bought your flashlight from.


----------



## LightTime

*Re: Product Differences*



tedgtfan said:


> Is there any differences in products offered by Deal Extreme and Shiningbeam other than prices. Same products with different prices. Are the ones on Shiningbeam better? Thanks



DX have a huge range of products, some of which are flashlights, and some of those are from Romisen. The DX versions are usually not state-of-the-art, but more 'best buys', i.e. whatever they got a good price on. You can also buy some of these (and others) for similar prices from KaiDomain, and some newer ones from QualityChinaGoods/szwholesale.

ShiningBeam offers 'customized' Romisen variants, usually only available from them, always with a more upmarket emitter, usually with a forward clicky switch, and often with a 2-mode driver. Sometimes it's a small difference, sometimes it's massive. It's up to the purchaser and what they value.

I'm in Australia. Delivery times have been about the same for me for both ShiningBeam and DX (a bit slower for KaiDomain), but obviously the former will be faster for someone stateside. Also, Bryan from ShiningBeam responds to emails.


----------



## Thed

*Re: Nkoray K-106 work ok with NiMH?*



Cemoi said:


> Did you order it from DX or KD? According to the DX forum on this light, it seems DX is shipping the 6-mode, non programmable version again .
> 
> KD say their model is the 3-mode, did anyone order it from them and can confirm this?



That sounds like they're sending out the Nikoray.
It does say Akoray on the light.

I was looking at the Ultrafire C3 stainless too but I guess you have to cycle through the modes including strobe with that one. Now that might be the case with the Akoray. Hard to say what DX will send I guess. Someone said they got an old C3 too.


----------



## joshconsulting

*Re: Nkoray K-106 work ok with NiMH?*

I can confirm that the DX AKOray is 6 mode, non programmable.


----------



## Thed

*Re: Nkoray K-106 work ok with NiMH?*



joshconsulting said:


> I can confirm that the DX AKOray is 6 mode, non programmable.



Well... the Ultrafire C3 is also non programmable but sounds brighter w/ regular AA's. 
How is yours running? Sounds like the last batch has had some issues.
Gotta decide tonight if I have any chance of getting it by xmas.


----------



## joshconsulting

*Re: Nkoray K-106 work ok with NiMH?*



Thed said:


> Well... the Ultrafire C3 is also non programmable but sounds brighter w/ regular AA's.
> How is yours running? Sounds like the last batch has had some issues.
> Gotta decide tonight if I have any chance of getting it by xmas.



I haven't even tried AAs, but my 14500s work great. My only complaint is that the switch moves between modes pretty easily, a little too easily. I like to leave it on high, but oftentimes when I turn it on or off (especally using it 1 handed) it bumps to the next mode. Other then that, I really like it - it's crazy bright, small and light, and really durable-feeling - everyone who sees it comments on it (one person even gasped in amazement "it's even brighter then my 3-led from walmart!". Said flashlight was a no-name bargin bin that would cause any CPFer a heart attack - it was about 1/4 as bright as my old Minimag LED and a horribly ugly blue.)


----------



## Solscud007

*AKOray customer service?*

I got a AKOray PDC K-102 free with a trade. It is missing the rubber boot switch. It is a AAA model. 

Anyone know where I can get a replacement rubber boot?


----------



## balou

*Re: AKOray customer service?*

Look on dealextreme.com
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.5742
This could fit

edit: http://www.dealextreme.com/search.dx/search.tailcap


----------



## vali

*Re: Nkoray K-106 work ok with NiMH?*



joshconsulting said:


> I can confirm that the DX AKOray is 6 mode, non programmable.



The Sku.16607 ? If that is true, they are bad news.


----------



## joshconsulting

*Re: Nkoray K-106 work ok with NiMH?*



vali said:


> The Sku.16607 ? If that is true, they are bad news.


Yes. And why is that bad news?


----------



## vali

Because the great things about that light were programability and rougness.

You cant program the 5 mode and IIRC if you want to get just a lower setting you must cycle through all the othe modes, strobe included.

On the other hand, it seem the 5 mode pill is just the same as recent Ultrafire C3 and after a few days of first nkoray deliveries there were several complaints about broken lights with just a drop. The 3 mode one is reported to take a lot of abuse.


----------



## Arcmay

*trustfire xp-ef23*

OK, so (once again) I have decided that I need a new flashlight. I currently EDC a microstream, and want something with a bit more power. So I started to research. I thought I had found exactly what I had wanted in the lumapower avenger GX, but I didn't want to spent $54. 
And then I discovered the xp-ef23. Initially it looked like a great light, hight output, pleasing aesthetics, mode memory and tailcap clicky all seem great. However, I like to have a lot of information before I buy, and the only review I have found is this one. That's not really a problem, as it's a great review thumbsup: bessiebenny), but he hasn't announced the lux yet.
So, I guess what I am really asking is; if any of you all out there have one, what can you tell me about it. Things I can think of right now like:

-throw
-UI accessibility
-build quality
-tint (I like cool or neutral, not warm)
-warranty


are all important to me, in that order.

Thanks all!


----------



## Ian2381

*Re: trustfire xp-ef23*

I have two and This is a reaLLY great light by looks and 3 modes, low is really low.

The only problem is it last only about 15 mins in high:candle:


----------



## Ian2381

*TrustFire F22 Stainless Steel Cree XP-ER2-WC*

New light from DX
TrustFire F22 Stainless Steel Cree XP-ER2-WC 5-Mode 220-Lumen Memory LED Flashlight (1*AA/1*14500) SKU 31731

Looks really cool w/ Stainless Steel finished with Assault Crown.

Still thinking if I will buy one. specially after ordering the Quark mini AA and Titanium A3.


----------



## strinq

*Re: TrustFire F22 Stainless Steel Cree XP-ER2-WC*

High at 220, Mid at 180 and Low at 90???

That's so wrong...
But still it looks really nice.


----------



## Ian2381

*Re: TrustFire F22 Stainless Steel Cree XP-ER2-WC*

I already have the AAA version EF-23 and really looks nice and pretty bright, I just hate the 15 min runtime at high,
This one is rated at 1 hr at high.


----------



## brianch

*Re: TrustFire F22 Stainless Steel Cree XP-ER2-WC*

I ordered one the first day it was on DX's website. Now I have to wait 2 trillion years until I receive itlooks like a cool light.
Hey ian2381 which light is the UltraFire C3 SS Q5 5-mode that you have. I have a ultrafire c3 q5 5 mode with the ss bezel. mines is quite dim, how about yours?


----------



## Ian2381

*Re: TrustFire F22 Stainless Steel Cree XP-ER2-WC*



brianch said:


> I ordered one the first day it was on DX's website. Now I have to wait 2 trillion years until I receive itlooks like a cool light.
> Hey ian2381 which light is the UltraFire C3 SS Q5 5-mode that you have. I have a ultrafire c3 q5 5 mode with the ss bezel. mines is quite dim, how about yours?



Its the cheapest C3 SS in DX. Mine is not that bright but good enough for me:twothumbs

Good thing you bought this one, just ordered my second EF-23 just before I saw this one...


----------



## Algeraist

*What's the best 900 lumen from DX*

Ok realise that alot of DX lights that say there 900 lumen aren't but what's the cheapest best so called 900 lumen on the site ?

Looking for throw and spill -


----------



## koolranch

*Re: What's the best 900 lumen from DX*

Well let me start by saying not too many people here like DX, the majority seem to like surefire. That being said I always wonder why there are sooooooooooo many surefire lights for sale on the marketplace. :thinking: I own many lights including several from DX. I have two of the so called 900 lumen lights. Now I know that they are no way near 900 lumens, how ever they are bright. The two I own are SSC P7 lights. 15739 and 18695 for the money I am very happy with both. They will fill your back yard with a wall of light. They are not throwers however. They do throw about 60ft or so with good results. If you are looking for a good thrower I have the Fenix TK40 and I really like it. I hope this helps.


----------



## brianch

*Re: What's the best 900 lumen from DX*



koolranch said:


> Well let me start by saying not too many people here like DX, the majority seem to like surefire.



I like DX :duh2: I like SureFire too oo:


----------



## FlashKat

*Re: What's the best 900 lumen from DX*

I prefer the Aurora lights. I found that MC-E has a better tint than the SSC P7.


Algeraist said:


> Ok realise that alot of DX lights that say there 900 lumen aren't but what's the cheapest best so called 900 lumen on the site ?
> 
> Looking for throw and spill -


----------



## PeaceOfMind

*Re: What's the best 900 lumen from DX*



koolranch said:


> That being said I always wonder why there are sooooooooooo many surefire lights for sale on the marketplace. :thinking:



Because there are a lot of Surefire lights out there, thus more will show up on the marketplace. Also, since they hold a lot of potential resale value, they are more likely to be worth taking the time to sell (i.e. it's not worth many people's time to go through the hassle of reselling a light that's not worth much). Just saying that you can't use number of lights available on the B/S/T marketplace as a way to judge something.


----------



## koolranch

*Re: What's the best 900 lumen from DX*



brianch said:


> I like DX :duh2: I like SureFire too oo:


 

You are a brave man. I like DX too;  I just don't want to get blasted if I were to start a thread about them. I know what to expect, 21 day shipping, and you get what you pay for ect. I have only had one problem with DX when I ordered a spiderfire (I love all the "fire" names), and they sent me an Aurora. I am kind of glad they did. Anyway I do not own any surefire lights. It seems that they have really good customer service and a very strong following, I am not blasting surefire owners in any way, however could one of you surefire owners enlighten me as to why there are so many for sale??


----------



## koolranch

*Re: What's the best 900 lumen from DX*



PeaceOfMind said:


> Because there are a lot of Surefire lights out there, thus more will show up on the marketplace. Also, since they hold a lot of potential resale value, they are more likely to be worth taking the time to sell (i.e. it's not worth many people's time to go through the hassle of reselling a light that's not worth much). Just saying that you can't use number of lights available on the B/S/T marketplace as a way to judge something.


 

10-4 great explanation.


----------



## Kubbie

*Re: What's the best 900 lumen from DX*

For work, I have a DX MTE SSC P7 C-Bin 2-Mode LED Flashlight, sku #12623, for sure not a thrower, but a nice flood. 

For $35 and a few weeks wait, I seem to have gotten a well built light. Glass lens, metal reflector, clean and tight machining. Solid clicky, (high, low, off). Only complaint so far is that it can't tail stand for ceiling bounce, but not a major issue. 

I've ordered about 5 different things, got what I wanted in good working order.


----------



## kramer5150

*Re: What's the best 900 lumen from DX*



Kubbie said:


> For work, I have a DX MTE SSC P7 C-Bin 2-Mode LED Flashlight, sku #12623, for sure not a thrower, but a nice flood.
> 
> For $35 and a few weeks wait, I seem to have gotten a well built light. Glass lens, metal reflector, clean and tight machining. Solid clicky, (high, low, off). Only complaint so far is that it can't tail stand for ceiling bounce, but not a major issue.
> 
> I've ordered about 5 different things, got what I wanted in good working order.



FWIW... on high output mode this light did...

MTE SSC P7___________,__1-IMR 18650,_____________________478.5__,___3 sec_______,
MTE SSC P7___________,__1-IMR 18650,_____________________416.8__,__30 sec_______,
MTE SSC P7___________,__1-IMR 18650,_____________________471.0__,__60 sec_______,
MTE SSC P7___________,__1-IMR 18650,_____________________467.3__,_120 sec_______,
MTE SSC P7___________,__1-IMR 18650,_____________________422.4__,_180 sec_______,
MTE SSC P7___________,__1-IMR 18650,_____________________390.7__,_240 sec_______,


----------



## brianch

*Re: What's the best 900 lumen from DX*



koolranch said:


> You are a brave man. I like DX too;  I just don't want to get blasted if I were to start a thread about them. I know what to expect, 21 day shipping, and you get what you pay for ect. I have only had one problem with DX when I ordered a spiderfire (I love all the "fire" names), and they sent me an Aurora. I am kind of glad they did. Anyway I do not own any surefire lights. It seems that they have really good customer service and a very strong following, I am not blasting surefire owners in any way, however could one of you surefire owners enlighten me as to why there are so many for sale??


really though, buying a cheap light on DX and fixing it yourself is cheaper then buying a host and trying to mod it. Most of the Surefires on sale are collectibles or parts an after market accessories.


----------



## B12

*Re: What's the best 900 lumen from DX*



Kubbie said:


> For work, I have a DX MTE SSC P7 C-Bin 2-Mode LED Flashlight, sku #12623, for sure not a thrower, but a nice flood.
> 
> For $35 and a few weeks wait, I seem to have gotten a well built light. Glass lens, metal reflector, clean and tight machining. Solid clicky, (high, low, off). Only complaint so far is that it can't tail stand for ceiling bounce, but not a major issue.



I have the same one and it seems to be very solid and well built torch. Not many bad words heard of it on many forums. Just about everyone seems to be pretty happy with it.


----------



## B12

*Re: What's the best 900 lumen from DX*



kramer5150 said:


> FWIW... on high output mode this light did...
> 
> MTE SSC P7___________,__1-IMR 18650,_____________________478.5__,___3 sec_______,
> MTE SSC P7___________,__1-IMR 18650,_____________________416.8__,__30 sec_______,
> MTE SSC P7___________,__1-IMR 18650,_____________________471.0__,__60 sec_______,
> MTE SSC P7___________,__1-IMR 18650,_____________________467.3__,_120 sec_______,
> MTE SSC P7___________,__1-IMR 18650,_____________________422.4__,_180 sec_______,
> MTE SSC P7___________,__1-IMR 18650,_____________________390.7__,_240 sec_______,



what is the best single 18650 P7 can do? I mean if somebody spends multi $ for a light with similar specs(led, battery, head diameter etc.), would it be more powerfull and if so, by how much?


----------



## bigchelis

*Re: What's the best 900 lumen from DX*



B12 said:


> what is the best single 18650 P7 can do? I mean if somebody spends multi $ for a light with similar specs(led, battery, head diameter etc.), would it be more powerfull and if so, by how much?


 
The best you can do is get a hosts with a bigger heatsink. The Mag P7 builds direct drive have already tested at 710ish OTF lumens and 600ish after 3 minutes.


Keep in mind that the MTE tested was with a IMR 18650 cell. The Trustfire cell was giving nearly 50% less lumens and it took the IMR AW RED 18650 to get those out the front readings.:twothumbs

Mag P7's rock


----------



## B12

*Re: What's the best 900 lumen from DX*



bigchelis said:


> Keep in mind that the MTE tested was with a IMR 18650 cell. The Trustfire cell was giving nearly 50% less lumens and it took the IMR AW RED 18650 to get those out the front readings.:twothumbs
> 
> Mag P7's rock



Do you remember the current draw with those batteries? Mine draws a bit over 4A with a fresh Ultrafire gray 18650.


----------



## CampingLED

*Re: Flood EDC*

I have a single mode TR-801 and I can recommend it. The 5-mode version (15335) may be worth a look. Do not own the multi-mode version and I am not sure what the output in low mode is.


----------



## Greebe

*Ultrafire Cree C3 -- Picture Heavy!*

I ordered two of the Ultrafire C3 Cree single AA lights and the extension tube from DealExtreme about two and a half weeks ago and received them today. I was quite impressed with the fast shipping, especially coming from Hong Kong and being free shipping.

I got a Fenix LD10+ for Christmas. After getting this light I think I might have got the LED light bug. Anyways I have seen good reviews on the Ultrafire lights so decided to try them out. They seem to be pretty nice for under $11. Overall I would say the Ultrafire compares nicely to the Fenix for a one mode light.

I know you guys have seen many pic's of these but here are some anyways.

The light taken apart:






The lights with the accessories:





The Ulrafire compared to the Fenix:





The LED and reflectors(Ultrafire on right):





The Fenix, Utrafire with extension, and the regular Utrafire:





Greebe


----------



## Dougzilla

*I just bought this flashlight.... what do you think?*

I just bought this...
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.22929
it better work right or im gonna throw it at the next car that drives by.

This will be my EDC light if i like it..
what do ya'll think?

Keep in mind im on a budget LOL

-D


----------



## brianch

*Re: I just bought this flashlight.... what do you think?*

It's not a bad light but you could have gotten better for around the same price. Don't believe one word of that lumen rating though. The Q3 is sort of an outdated LED. Don't worry though. I predict you will be purchasing your next light within the week if you hang around here any longer. 

Tell us your criteria and us guys/gals here can give you recommendations that fit your budget and expectations... Or at least try to. 

Browse around, read reviews, and read feedback and opinions. Thats the best way to choose which light may be best for you. 
:welcome:


----------



## Dougzilla

*Re: I just bought this flashlight.... what do you think?*

well im still saving up for a NICE flashlight, like a Fenix pd-30, but for now, i needed a small bright one to replace my coast v2 lenser that i usually carry. at $12.74 with free shipping, i think it'll work. I just get nervous ordering online still, and with so many flashlights out there to choose from, i get mixed up quick.

as long as it's brighter than my coast, and the modes work, i dont think ill have to smash it.


----------



## brianch

*Re: I just bought this flashlight.... what do you think?*

If you are on a budget this is the light I would recommend from DX. I have ordered a dozen of these and they all work fine. Some of them have different tints and some of them have perfectly centered emitters while others don't.. But all of them work fine. 

Ultrafire C2 Stainless Steel Q5-WC

Pair that with some cheapo 14500 lithiums and you have one bright pocket light for $20

You don't HAVE TO spend tons for the "quality lights" to get a good light. Some budget lights are quite decent. Just look around and you'll see tons of recommendations. I personally only find the AAA and AA and single cell CR123a lights to be good on DX. I have yet to buy a good 18650 light from DX/KD.


----------



## jhc37013

*Re: I just bought this flashlight.... what do you think?*

For people on a budget I always recommend shiningbeam.com they offer nice budget lights as well as more expensive one's. They also offer the same great service on any light regardless of price.

http://www.shiningbeam.com/servlet/StoreFront

Also maybe consider this light its a P3D/Inova knockoff but doesn't look to bad for the price. 

http://www.shiningbeam.com/servlet/the-103/X2T-Tactical-Cree-Q5/Detail


----------



## Egsise

*Re: I just bought this flashlight.... what do you think?*

To get the best bang for your buck: https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/222462


----------



## hyperloop

*Re: Ultrafire Cree C3 -- Picture Heavy!*



Greebe said:


> Overall I would say the Ultrafire compares nicely to the Fenix for a one mode light.
> 
> Greebe



Try dropping both 

Then try subjecting both to some water 

Not to put down the Ultrafire C3, i have owned at least 3 of them ranging from the single mode, 5 mode and 5 mode stainless steel but (as i have said many a time) quality with these lights is a lottery, i definitely hope you got one of the good ones and it won't fail on you. Of the C3s i bought, only the one i got in 2007 is still alive. The others have failed after a drop, some rain, or failed for no reason that my meagre technical skills could determine.

But to say that they're comparable is i think a bit of a stretch, the Fenix LD10+ is waterproof, i dont think the C3 is to cite just one difference.


----------



## Dioni

*Re: I just bought this flashlight.... what do you think?*



Egsise said:


> To get the best bang for your buck: https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/222462


 
+1 :thumbsup:

lots of budget lights


----------



## hazna

*Re: Ultrafire Cree C3 -- Picture Heavy!*

I agree, my ultrafire C3 broke after a light drop


----------



## Egsise

*Re: Ultrafire Cree C3 -- Picture Heavy!*



hyperloop said:


> Try dropping both
> 
> Then try subjecting both to some water
> 
> Not to put down the Ultrafire C3, i have owned at least 3 of them ranging from the single mode, 5 mode and 5 mode stainless steel but (as i have said many a time) quality with these lights is a lottery, i definitely hope you got one of the good ones and it won't fail on you. Of the C3s i bought, only the one i got in 2007 is still alive. The others have failed after a drop, some rain, or failed for no reason that my meagre technical skills could determine.
> 
> But to say that they're comparable is i think a bit of a stretch, the Fenix LD10+ is waterproof, i dont think the C3 is to cite just one difference.


I let my 1½ son play with Fenix LD10, sometimes he bangs it to the floor and throws it around....:devil:


----------



## PlayboyJoeShmoe

*Re: Ultrafire Cree C3 -- Picture Heavy!*

Got another email from DX. They are really sorry for the trouble and don't I have an order in the last 60 days that we can attach those items to?

Nope.


----------



## pmoore

*Re: I just bought this flashlight.... what do you think?*



jhc37013 said:


> Also maybe consider this light its a P3D/Inova knockoff but doesn't look to bad for the price.
> 
> http://www.shiningbeam.com/servlet/the-103/X2T-Tactical-Cree-Q5/Detail



I ordered a couple of these for a guy here at work. It is a little bit difficult to opperate. Fine for momentary, butto run on low with the twisty, you have to be sorta fast with the twist. Not bad, just awkward. 

Paul


----------



## rideandshoot

*Uniquefire R5 with XPG single mode*

I hope this is the right place to post this. I've used this thread quite a bit so I figured it would be good to contribute. I got this light to use for 24 hour mountain bike racing

My 'Uniquefire R5’ flashlight (with the XPG R4



) LED finally arrived today. It's a single mode because I've had problems with multimode light auto switching when the going gets rough. 

Here’s what I can say so far. Noticeably more light than my Q5 based lights. The light is white but not as white as the Q5s. The beam pattern is really good. There is a definite hot spot but it’s much wider than my Q5 powered Jet Beam light. The spill around the spot is also brighter and I expect more useful. In fact the spill is so good that I’m going to use it on my bars instead of my helmet. Finally, it’s been running for 1 hour 50 min now on a 2500mah 18650. During that time I’ve been comparing it side by side with the Trustfire Q5 about every 15 minutes. Even after almost two hours it’s at least as bright as the Trustfire with a fresh battery.

Of course the final test will be when it’s mounted to my bar bouncing down a fast rocky descent. If it holds up to that I think I’ve picked a winner (I am a little worried because the 18650s fit pretty loose on the dia).


----------



## T0RN4D0

Do you have anything to measure the current at the battery? I'm tempted to get that one too, but the 5 mode version


----------



## how2

*ultrafire MCU C7 & Smallsun ZY-C-81 review*

Here is my review of the 

Ultrafire MCU-C7 $12.90(Bestofferbuy.com) Hi-Mid-Lo-Strobe-SOS 
Smallsun ZY-C81 $10.73 (Popbuying.com)Hi-Lo-Strobe

The Ultrafire claims to be 230 lm on the DX site and the Smallsun 150 lm (80 lm) on pop site.


The Ultrafire is smaller than the Smallsun Macro image






Weight
C7, 36g without battery, 
C-81, 48g without battery.


The Smallsun is 9cm tall and the Ultrafire is 8.2cm tall







The build quality of both of these torches is good. Unlike the Handy torch I bought from DX,which I had to clean and file the threads down. The C-81 feels more heavy weight than the C7 but don't get me wrong the Ultrafire is just as good. The C-81 seems it can take a knock or two. The green “O” ring (battery end)came off the C7 once, it's very thin in design. The C81 did not have a “0” ring in front of the lens. The C81 came with a plastic lens the product information said is was glass. I have informed popbuying about these issues. Apart from these minor issues I'm very pleased with my purchases.

The Smallsun(LOP) has a greater throw than the Ultrafire(SOP)





The threads were not clean for both lights, I cleaned all the threads with White spirit and lubed the m with Vaseline. After that they were smooth, there are no cross threading issues with either of the lights. The threads are more fine on the C7. There are no flicker issues with these torches. 


Both are reverse click. The switch seems more positive no the C-81 than the C7. C7 has memory mode just 1 second wait, the C-81 does not have memory mode It just comes on +1 to the one you were on before. C-81 [FONT=arial, helvetica, sans-serif]coated plastic reflector,[/FONT][FONT=arial, helvetica, sans-serif] the [/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]DX site says is Aluminum Textured/OP Reflector[/FONT][FONT=arial, helvetica, sans-serif].Popbuying says is plastic.[/FONT]


Both lights are bright, the C7(Q5-WC) claims to be 230lm but I would say more 180lm the C-81(Q3-WC) claims to be 150lm which would seems about right, I could just about tell the C7 was slightly brighter. The C7 has a larger hot spot, both have similar spill.

The Ultrafire uses PWM for low modes i think, as i was taking the pic in medium and low mode is was blinking on and off. The Smallsun was not doing this. Can someone correct me if i am wrong.

Ultrafire C7 on High about 180lm





Smallsun on High about 150lm





Ultrafire on Medium 






The C81 has more throw, on initial impressions. The low mode(slightly green)on the C-81 is brighter than the Low on the C7 which I think this better. The modes for both lights are nicely space for both lights. Both light have cree rings but not to the extent in the pics. They are barley visable and do not effect the light in everyday use. 

Ultrafire on low





Smallsun on low is brighter than the ulrafire, greenish tint.





I also have a Smallsun ZY-C42 ($12.42 KD)which is a Q3 Led, this is no were near as bright as the C-81. This is more warm (yellow)

Tight fit for the AW blue in the Smallsun, the Ultrafire has on problems






The C7 runs for 30min on AW blue 750mAh 3.7v and 35min on 7dayshop 650mAh 3.0v rechargeable. Then the battery protection kicks in, 2.75v (AW) and 3.85v(7Day). It ran hot after 5mins on AW battery and Hotter on the 7dayshop battery. The 7day battery was really hot after 35mins.Then I decided to use copper grease on the pill to body contact area after this, it run cool to warm for both batteries.

Run time update for the C-81 on AW Blue 750mAh was stopped at 60 mins, there was slight(I think) visible output drop. Checked the battery voltage 3.5v. I thought the PCB was going to kick but did not happen. It ran a lot cooler than the ultrafire but it does has a lot of copper grease between the pill and head.


Ultrafire pill with Copper Grease







C-81 no test runs done. Both batteries are difficult to fit due to the width of the batteries so be careful as the diameter of the bore is just over 16mm, length wise there is no problem. I have put copper grease on the pill that meets the body of the light of the C-81, this does screw out, I had difficulty, so decide not because I did not want to damage my light (limited monetary funds).

Smallsun Head will Copper Grease between the pill head and the body







Over all both lights are good value for money. I would definitely purchase them again if I had the money. I will do night shots in 1 to 2 days. Sorry about the pic quality on beam shots camera is old like me.


----------



## old4570

Thanks , was wondering about the Smallsun .


----------



## J_C

Smallsun C41 has no metal on the pill behind the LED star, just pressed into the inner lip of a hollow pill. What about that C-81, I can't tell from the picture for sure but it looks like it also does nothing to heatsink the back of the (round) star?

If that is the case, it may decrease in light some after running long enough to get hot, and stress the LED permanently.


----------



## alfreddajero

For the price it does seem to be a nice light.....I had to get the Romisen version because of the quality....please dont get me wrong its that i dont own a Smallsun.


----------



## Pete Mcrash

*modding a ssc p7*

hello people.....i've just bought a mte ssc p7 (5 mode) from DX and i was wondering if u can get different heads/lenses/reflectors etc for it.....i was wanting a more of a pointable beam "thrower" i think....any links would be nice and i'm new to this so no technical talk...lol.....cheers Pete


----------



## mfm

*Re: Ultrafire Cree C3 -- Picture Heavy!*



hyperloop said:


> Try dropping both



I tried dropping one of my C3s from 2 meters on a quite hard surface (not concrete though) five times and it still works.

This is after fixing the flickering issues on both of them (one was a replacement, but that flickered too) by inserting an o-ring in the front and leveling the solder blobs on the pill.

I still don't recommend the C3 though, there are other lights as cheap that work without flickering and have o-rings in all places.


----------



## John_Galt

*Re: modding a ssc p7*

Unless you go with a much larger, deeper reflector, it's not going to be much of a thrower. Your best bet is to buy another drop-in that uses a Cree XR-E, XP-G, or XP-E, as these are single die LED's with much smaller formats, and will be able to be much more effectively focused by a small reflector.


----------



## Pete Mcrash

*Re: modding a ssc p7*

thanks for the reply, but after having a look round this site and DX's i might aswell just buy another light for the purpose....some cheap stuff to be had.....


----------



## John_Galt

*Re: modding a ssc p7*

DX is not held in high regard around here. Some of there stuff is ok, for the money, but remember the phrase "caveat emptor."
For some of the prices, it would be better off saving a little more and purchasing a more reputable brand light from elsewhere.


----------



## LEDninja

*Re: modding a ssc p7*

:welcome:

The MTE SSC-P7 has a non-standard head so neither P60 nor Mag drop ins will fit.
Here is a list of the P60 bodies that can accept P60 drop-ins.
https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/186661
Here is a list of P60 drop-ins.
https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/217252

If you are buying from DX, buying a new torch is probably cheaper and a lot easier than finding parts to upgrade.

Size matters. Size of the reflector that is. Pick a torch with a 52 or 55 mm diameter head if you want to stay with a P7/MCE.
P7 Mag left, 52 mm reflector; MTE 5 mode P7 right, 38 mm reflector.






As John_Galt pointed out going with a smaller LED also work to increase throw. Even small reflectors work well with the smaller LEDs.
Shinning Beam's L-mini version 1 left. MTE P7 right.




MTE P7 top, L-mini bottom.




MTE P7 left, Ultrafire C3 1AA running 14500 right.




I have the Ultrafire head on a Civictor body making for a pocket rocket.









General advice for newbies who have discovered DX. It is usually better to buy one good light than to buy many cheap lights of unknown reliability.
Since you are after throw, one of the throw kings is the Dereelight DBS.
I was never after throw. Others will chime in. Look at the Lux numbers for throw distance. Look at the Lumens numbers for total brightness.


----------



## Pete Mcrash

*Re: modding a ssc p7*

must say everything i've ordered has turned up from DX, flashlights,lasers,batteries..........can you give me some other sites to visit that have a better reputation....cheers Pete


----------



## LEDninja

Here is a list of websites and the discount codes for CPF members.
http://www.cpfmarketplace.com/mp/showthread.php?t=181841
Many manufacturers and dealers hang out on CPFMP.
http://www.cpfmarketplace.com/mp/

Most are US or China based. You may want to ask the other UK members what and where the British shops are.


----------



## underdunk

I'm looking to buy a cheap 1xAA light and after some research I've narrowed it down to two from DX: Romisen RC-H3 and Uniquefire AA-S1.

Most reviews I find are for the G2 though the general consensus is that the H3 is similar with less throw. The Uniquefire seems new and Don wrote a review on it but failed to mention anything about its performance on alkalines other than "it's not alkaline friendly." Does anyone have any numbers to compare the S1 to the H3?

Each have their pros and cons for me so I was hoping someone could help with my decision. I prefer a forward clicky (H3) but like the fact that the S1 can take 14500 (I'll mainly be using alkalines but this is a pro nonetheless). Not too big on the orange tail on the Romisen.

Another thing is I'm not sure if the H3 has a Cree P2 or P3. From a DX review it seems like the grey/blue uses a P3 while the black uses a P2. Admittedly I probably wouldn't know the difference.

Any advice or suggestions appreciated.


----------



## Mik

*Anyone have the dx trustfire SSC P7 5mode?*

Specifically sku 13336


I got one yesterday. Cloudy LED lens, slightly misaligned LED, but it works and it produces a nice smooth beam pattern with no artifacts beyond a foot or so (OP lens). My issue is that my PD30+ (R2) is slightly brighter than the P7. How is this possible? The Trustfire SSC P7 has a little wider flood, but the PD30 is slightly stronger in the flood and throw. I tried a few different 18650's, including a new xxxxxfire that was just charged up that day and got the same result. 

So, it works, it has a pretty nice pattern and output compareable to a small, single die LED. Could this thing be defective, or is this just what you get from DX? 

Just for fun, I compared it to the TK40 on some cheap Chinese batteries, and the TK blew it away as expected. Originally, I figured that the TK (MCE) would be about the same as this trustfire (P7). I figured wrong. :sigh:

If anyone else has one of these, could you please chime in on how the output is on yours?


----------



## rideandshoot

T0RN4D0 said:


> Do you have anything to measure the current at the battery? I'm tempted to get that one too, but the 5 mode version


 
No... I'm affraid I am electrically inept. 

I can say tha mine is nicely machined.


----------



## T0RN4D0

Hm, runtime test maybe? Does it get hot when you use it? Is it still working?


----------



## speedsix

*Mini review of three DX lights, Nkoray K-106, Romisen RC-G2 and Trustfire XP*

I am new to the flashlight scene and wanted to see what the new LED lights were all about. I went ahead and bought three different LED lights off DX to try out. These were all recommenced to me on this forum. I figured I could give them away if I didn't like them and at least know what I liked and didn't like about them. 

I got the highly recommended:
Nkoray K-106 Cree Q5-WC 5-Mode 230-Lumen Memory LED Flashlight (1*AA/1*14500) 
Item# 28546

The high rated:
Romisen MXDL RC-G2 Cree Flashlight Gray (1xAA) 
Item# 3609

And the beautiful yet tiny:
TrustFire XP-EF23 XP-R2-WC 3-Mode 150-Lumen Memory LED Flashlight (1*AAA/1*10440) 0
Item# 24291

My favorite is the Romisen. It is the least attractive and has some short comings but overall it is closest to what I wanted. 

The Nkoray was a tiny bit disappointing because of how hard it is to activate the tail cap button and the 5 modes. Apparently these lights are sometimes shipped with 3 modes, 5 modes, 5 modes with memory, programmable etc. Mine was 5 modes with no memory and not programmable as far as I can tell. Have to cycle through all the modes which sucks. 

I gave the Trustfire to my wife who likes it. It is very classy and well made. Makes a nice gift or a woman's light for women who like stuff like this. 

The Romisen is ugly and is the biggest of the three but it is a simple on/off with a spot to flood adjustable bezel. Works great. I like a spot most of the time so I just set it and forget it. If I ever want a flood, I just have to twist it and it is flood. Great light and the least expensive of the three. 

I am not going into detail because others have reviewed these better than I can ever hope to do. 

Final thoughts are DX seems to provide decent lights for cheap prices. If you are new to lights and want to try out different styles and types, that is a cheap way of doing it. I bought three different lights for less than $40 shipped. I feel like I have a better understand of what I like and don't like now. 

It would be great if there was a place near me that had all these lights to check out before I bought them but as far as I know, there isn't.


----------



## alfreddajero

underdunk said:


> I'm looking to buy a cheap 1xAA light and after some research I've narrowed it down to two from DX: Romisen RC-H3 and Uniquefire AA-S1.
> 
> Most reviews I find are for the G2 though the general consensus is that the H3 is similar with less throw. The Uniquefire seems new and Don wrote a review on it but failed to mention anything about its performance on alkalines other than "it's not alkaline friendly." Does anyone have any numbers to compare the S1 to the H3?
> 
> Each have their pros and cons for me so I was hoping someone could help with my decision. I prefer a forward clicky (H3) but like the fact that the S1 can take 14500 (I'll mainly be using alkalines but this is a pro nonetheless). Not too big on the orange tail on the Romisen.
> 
> Another thing is I'm not sure if the H3 has a Cree P2 or P3. From a DX review it seems like the grey/blue uses a P3 while the black uses a P2. Admittedly I probably wouldn't know the difference.
> 
> Any advice or suggestions appreciated.


 
I used to have the RC-H3 Q5 that i bought from shiningbeam, you might want to send him an email and ask him if he has one in stock since there not on his site anymore.


----------



## mfm

underdunk said:


> The Uniquefire seems new and Don wrote a review on it but failed to mention anything about its performance on alkalines other than "it's not alkaline friendly." Does anyone have any numbers to compare the S1 to the H3?



Those types of lights usually draw up to 2A when using an Eneloop so the runtime on alkalines won't be too good (25 mins? I didn't try...).

Even if it is expensiver, an iTP A2 is probably much more suitable, it is bright (using Q5) but doesn't kill the battery in 25 minutes and has three usable modes. You can get a cheaper DX light with modes, but the cheap mode circuits are usually rubbish.


----------



## PlayboyJoeShmoe

Oh I hate to go off topic here but feel I MUST.

There MAY be a cheap DX light that is almost as good as a Fenix L1D (LD10).

You'll almost certainly find brighter lights.

But you will likely NEVER find one that uses a battery so efficiently!

And an L1D does it's work on a NimH or Alk. Li-Ion need not apply.

To DX multi mode stuff. I have nothing AA powered from DX that is not single level.

The drivers in the P60 LEDs have been ok. I have a Tank 007 123/16340 light in which the driver WORKS excellent but has UGLY PWM in med/Low.

I am also quite happy with an AA LumaPower ConneXion. Three levels with very fast PWM so it does not bother me. Reasonable tint too.

Sorry for all this, but I do think to a large degree you get what you pay for. And while I have gotten some pretty nice stuff from DX I've heard a LOT of bad too.


----------



## underdunk

Thanks for the suggestions. The A2 does look like nice but it is more than I want to spend on this particular light, plus I was looking for a clicky as opposed to a twisty. I do like that it's water resistant and I have no idea on how those DX lights deal with water.

I'm willing to push my budget closer to $20 but no more seeing as how my original two choices are $10 and $13. Does any light in this price range exist that feature clicky, AA, nice quality/finish, decent runtime?

I guess ideally for me it would be bright, forward clicky, able to take AA and 14500, HAIII, and lasts for hours. Though that probably isn't doable in my price range so I'm willing to lose some features on account of my budget.

As for modes, I prefer single but don't mind a multi if a light as everything else going for it.

This light will be used rarely so perhaps I could get the S1 and leave a 14500 in it.


----------



## T0RN4D0

Has anyone ordered the akoray 106 from kaidomain lately? I would like one, but its no good if its not programmable.


----------



## how2

*ultrafire MCU C7 & Smallsun ZY-C-81 review*



J_C said:


> Smallsun C41 has no metal on the pill behind the LED star, just pressed into the inner lip of a hollow pill. What about that C-81, I can't tell from the picture for sure but it looks like it also does nothing to heatsink the back of the (round) star?
> 
> If that is the case, it may decrease in light some after running long enough to get hot, and stress the LED permanently.



All the Smallsun have the same pill. The C-42 has the same pill i think.
Don't forget it not about the thickness of the pill, it's about the surface area, the more the better. 

Thin materials transfer heat better and thick materials, and the heat should transfer better through the copper grease(As it's semi liquid). As it thermal conductivity is better than aluminum.


----------



## how2

*ultrafire MCU C7 & Smallsun ZY-C-81 review*

Torn4do are you talking about the smallsun C-81?

If you are I will do test run asap and some night shots.

It sill does work.


----------



## T0RN4D0

No, i'm afraid i was talkting to rideandshoot about the DX seraph clones. The skyray got good user reviews. Looks like the dropin is having heat transfer issues tho, but that could be an easy fix and a very nice light for $20


----------



## reflecyion

*Re: Mini review of three DX lights, Nkoray K-106, Romisen RC-G2 and Trustfire XP*

does your k106 skip to the next setting each time it's turned on?

I agree about the switch.


----------



## LeifUK

*Re: Mini review of three DX lights, Nkoray K-106, Romisen RC-G2 and Trustfire XP*

There are two separate SKU numbers for the AA powered AK106. One has 5 modes and is not programmable. The other has 6 modes and is programmable. One has a green tail cap, and the other has an orange tail cap. Apparently some people who order the 6 mode light get a 3 mode one, or something like that. The only issue I know with the 5 mode light is the memory. Mine has a memory, but it needs to be left off for a couple of minutes for it to work. 

My take on the K106 is that it is a dirt cheap light, with a bright high mode, a dim low mode, and nice build, and it should be taken for what it is. Don't expect DX descriptions to be totally accurate and you will not be disappointed. Mine is very well built, but quality control is suspect according to people here.


----------



## Lighthouse one

*Re: Mini review of three DX lights, Nkoray K-106, Romisen RC-G2 and Trustfire XP*

My K 106 burned out the driver 1 day after I got it. I think it's trying to do too much for such a cheap light. I replaced it with a single level 750 ma driver...and now it's a great light ( except for the hard to push switch)


----------



## sol-leks

I've been planning to buy a romisen rc-c6 II for a while but I just read someone who said that their rc-c6 II has only about 10 minutes of runtime?! That can't be right can it? Shiningbeam claims that it gets two hours on high and 10 on medium.

Can someone confirm what the runtime is for this light on cr123's and if possible 2xaa? Thanks

If anyone knew the runtime for the WW version too that'd be awesome.

Edit: I also still can't decide whether or not to get the WW or Q5. Any input to help me decide?


----------



## mfm

underdunk said:


> Thanks for the suggestions. The A2 does look like nice but it is more than I want to spend on this particular light, plus I was looking for a clicky as opposed to a twisty. I do like that it's water resistant and I have no idea on how those DX lights deal with water.
> 
> I'm willing to push my budget closer to $20 but no more seeing as how my original two choices are $10 and $13. Does any light in this price range exist that feature clicky, AA, nice quality/finish, decent runtime?
> 
> I guess ideally for me it would be bright, forward clicky, able to take AA and 14500, HAIII, and lasts for hours. Though that probably isn't doable in my price range so I'm willing to lose some features on account of my budget.
> 
> As for modes, I prefer single but don't mind a multi if a light as everything else going for it.
> 
> This light will be used rarely so perhaps I could get the S1 and leave a 14500 in it.


A quality twisty light for $22 will probably make you happier than a crap light with clicky for $19 (btw the clicky is another thing that can break), and forget cheap lights with forward clickies unless you choose from a few Romisen models.

IF you want to go with 14500 only you could try and get the programmable akoray 106 from KD, that is if you want to roll the dice on the quality (a few of them have stopped working, and the circuit is probably overdriven at max). Unlike the A2, it is not HA III and is a reverse clicky. It is not that bright with normal AA/NiMH.

AA-S1 is probably also overdriven with 14500 but seems to work, I would guess runtime is only 40 minutes with a standard 14500. You can forget hours of runtime with single mode DX lights unless you buy some $3 chinese LED light that doesn't meet any of your other requirements.


----------



## underdunk

The only twisty I had in mind was the Tank E07, but I'm willing to take the risks of a clicky.

If I'm set on buying a <$20 light and they all have poor runtimes then I guess that's something I'll have to give up because I'd rather meet my other requirements.

Any idea how long the AA-S1 and the Romisen G2/H3 will last on AAs?


----------



## bessiebenny

*THREAD UPDATE FEB 2nd 2010*
- Some of you may have noticed that PART 13 of this thread disappeared and we are back to PART 12......
- I have been told by the moderator that they had some thread routing issue which deleted the PART 13 thread. (Unrecoverable as well!!)
- So we are now back to PART 12.... 
- All those helpful posts, great reviews, new flashlight information and news are all gone!!!
- Those who have posted nice reviews in PART13, I hope you had backups..... =(
- Also, you may have noticed that this thread is now a sticky of the *General Flashlights* forum instead of the *LED Flashlights*.
- I'm actually quite unhappy about this move as what we discuss here is 100% LED flashlights.
- Just coz we call these *budget* flashlights, it is just being filtered as not being fit to stay in the LED flashlights section..
- Anyways.. As many of you will know, myself and few other members here post all their reviews at my website *www.jayki.com*
- Feel free to check out the new reviews / ask questions there if it's not already here.
- I will try to maintain this thread and update the main post once the new PART 13 thread is created. (as this part 12 thread is already way too big..)


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## DM51

bessiebenny said:


> *THREAD UPDATE FEB 2nd 2010*
> ...
> 
> - Also, you may have noticed that this thread is now a sticky of the *General Flashlights* forum instead of the *LED Flashlights*.
> - I'm actually quite unhappy about this move as what we discuss here is 100% LED flashlights.
> - Just coz we call these *budget* flashlights, it is just being filtered as not being fit to stay in the LED flashlights section...
> 
> ...


Thanks for pointing that out - I'm moving it back to LED Flashlights right away, where it is definitely supposed to be. I'm not sure how it came to be in General - if that happens again, just let one of us know.


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## bessiebenny

Thank you DM51. Maybe I was a bit overreacting. Will PM you next time.

Anyways, it's quite sad that we have lost so many of the CPF member's reviews / info.
All I can say to the members here is to save your reviews elsewhere as backup just in case. (or post on my site as backup)

This thread lives on! =)


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