# Lumens Factory lamp for WF500



## nzgunnie (Dec 4, 2007)

I hear that the new HO-R5 will be officially released next month and the price should be around the $20ish mark.

I've been looking at getting this light, since it is cheap from DX, but have heard the lamp is rubbish. This should solve the problem.

I haven't heard anything about the specs for the lamp though, does anyone know any more about it?


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## [email protected] (Dec 4, 2007)

http://www.lumensfactory.com/new_products.php#

Here is some info for you on the official site.


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## Eric242 (Dec 4, 2007)

LumensFactory Webpages said:


> The solution to upgrade your G&P R500 Series Flashlight is here!! Lumens Factory has designed the brand new HO-R5 High Output Lamp Assembly that outputs a wooping 630 Bulb Lumens for the R500 Series flashlights. What's even better is that the HO-R5 will fit the Ultrafire WF500 as well. The WF500 has always have bad feedback on the stock lamp, now is your chance to change that. Turn your favorite flashlights into something even better with the new HO-R5 today!!



Nice to see a quality replacement bulb for both the G&P Scorpion R500 and the Ultrafire WF500. I have a G&P replacement bulb and it does not look like a good quality product. If I should need a bulb in the future it is going to be the LF for sure!

Eric


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## springbok (Dec 4, 2007)

website doesnt mention cost? or am i blind.


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## [email protected] (Dec 4, 2007)

No, the price has not been set yet.


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## springbok (Dec 4, 2007)

ok, thank goodness my eyesight is fine 

Cannot wait... i will definately buy this badboy.


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## SCEMan (Dec 4, 2007)

Ditto here. Will definitely grab a couple for my R500.


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## brunt_sp (Dec 5, 2007)

I can't wait. There will be no EO-R5 but never mind.
https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/176388


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## protein_man (Dec 5, 2007)

Hey everyone, I've use my wf500 stock lamp for a few weeks now every night pretty much and haven't had a problem with it, maybe I got lucky but at $5.00 for a replacement at DX I'm not too worried. I will buy this lamp anyway just to get more lumens!


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## nzgunnie (Dec 11, 2007)

I see it's listed under 'new products' and 'News and events' lists the debut as December, but it doesn't seem to be in the shop section. Any one know when it will actually be available?


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## Fusion_m8 (Dec 11, 2007)




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## RoyJ (Dec 11, 2007)

Why does the LF website say it's 9V?

Must be a typo, or wouldn't that be pretty under-driven with two 18650s?


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## [email protected] (Dec 25, 2007)

I have decided to release the lamp earlier, since it is Christmas. But all the guys are having Christmas fun, so the site do not have a new catagory yet. 

I have placed the new lamp under the "Others" Section for the time being.

Merry Christmas Everybody.


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## SCEMan (Dec 25, 2007)

Thanks Mark - order placed...


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## Dioni (Dec 25, 2007)

Thanks Mark.. order placed

+1

:twothumbs


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## KingGlamis (Dec 25, 2007)

Will this lamp work in the WF501D? Thanks.


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## Fusion_m8 (Dec 27, 2007)

No, the WF501D only takes D26 sized lamps.



KingGlamis said:


> Will this lamp work in the WF501D? Thanks.


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## -walle- (Dec 28, 2007)

How much will this put out on 2 18650s? Since it's a 9v bulb i'd think it's lower than the rated lumens... but i'm quite the newbie so chances are i'm wrong :thinking:


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## nzgunnie (Dec 28, 2007)

It's designed to run on 2x18650s, that is the battery configeration in the WF500.

The '9v' suplied by 3xCR123 actually sags to quite a bit lower once the load of the lamp is applied. The 2x18650 are 'only' 7.4v, but realistically these actually supply 8.4v fresh off the charger, and these cells do not suffer from very much voltage sag when under load (much less than the small CR123s). Bulb manufacturers take this into account when designing bulbs to get the best performance from them.

A clear example of this in action is to run an MN16 '9v' lamp on 3xCR123s and then compare the same lamp running on 2x18650s. The output is actually considerably more on the 2x18560s, despite thier voltage output being notionally less.


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## -walle- (Dec 28, 2007)

Thanks nz, that sounds great. I just ordered one for my wf-500, will be using it with 2 * LG18650, can't quite figure out what amperage they are, but it's about 2500-2600.


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## nzgunnie (Dec 28, 2007)

I use AW cells, so I'm not sure, I think the LGs are 2400 mAh? They may now have 2600 mAh cells.

If they are unprotected cells, just be carefull not to drain them excessivley. Keep them topped up.

I exclusively use protected Li-ions, much safer!


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## -walle- (Dec 28, 2007)

Yea. People around here are very safety minded. I've been using unprotected cells for a while now, with no problems at all. I even tried two in a 1/10 scale rc car, it was obvious that they were sagging way lower then what they should. But they were fine after that... maybe i'm just lucky


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## WadeF (Jan 1, 2008)

I can't wait to try this new bulb!  So it should produce a true 630 lumens with two AW 18650's in a WF-500?


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## nzgunnie (Jan 1, 2008)

The bulb will produce 630 lumens, but this is not the amount that will actually make it out the front. By the time you take reflector efficiency, loss from passing through glass etc it will be less.

Possibly something like 450 actual torch lumens?


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## Dioni (Jan 5, 2008)

Some bulb tested? some review? some pic? 

My ordered bulb don't arrived yet and I can't wait anymore. :hairpull:
 haha

Cheers,
Dioni


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## scott.cr (Jan 7, 2008)

nzgunnie said:


> The bulb will produce 630 lumens, but this is not the amount that will actually make it out the front. By the time you take reflector efficiency, loss from passing through glass etc it will be less.
> 
> Possibly something like 450 actual torch lumens?



After you take losses from the reflector, window and voltage drop, the generally accepted rule of thumb is 65% of the lamp's rating is output. So if the LF lamp is rated at 630 lumens, output would be in the 410 lumens range.


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## WadeF (Jan 7, 2008)

scott.cr said:


> After you take losses from the reflector, window and voltage drop, the generally accepted rule of thumb is 65% of the lamp's rating is output. So if the LF lamp is rated at 630 lumens, output would be in the 410 lumens range.


 
Anyone know if this will be any better than the stock bulb the WF-500's come with?


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## SCEMan (Jan 7, 2008)

Can't speak for the WF500, but in my R500 Scorpion it's whiter than the stock G&P R500 bulb and seems to throw about 15% farther. Definitely worth the $$$ IMHO.


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## Fusion_m8 (Jan 8, 2008)

Does anyone know the current draw for the HO-R5?


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## WadeF (Jan 14, 2008)

Edited to retract my initial statements. I rushed to judgment. The LF bulb is a great improvement over my UF bulb in my WF-500! I'm guessing about 50% more output, and with the lamp's o-ring removed to allow it to be screwed in farther I'm getting a 20% higher lux reading in the hot spot at 1 meter. The spill is brighter as well! 

They included a free 2AAA pen light, incan, which is pretty nice.


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## Dioni (Jan 14, 2008)

WadeF said:


> Well, at least on my lux meter the UF bulb has about 6,000 more LUX in the hot spot. I think the UF bulb is whiter too than the LF bulb.


 
Oh, so ultrafire stock bulb is better than new LF bulb? I can't belive this.

Maybe the bright of HO-R5 seem yellowish because its more flood form than UF stock bulb, don't? 

Some outdoor test?


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## WadeF (Jan 14, 2008)

Dioni said:


> Maybe the bright of HO-R5 seem yellowish because its more flood form than UF stock bulb, don't?
> 
> Some outdoor test?


 
It could have more lumens, but a less intense hot spot. I'll have to take a lux reading of the spill, maybe a bounce test, etc. I was hoping for the same beam pattern with more lumens, to give more throw. 

Can the bulb make that big of a difference in the beam pattern? They look similar.

EDIT: With more testing the LF Bulb is a clear winner of the UF bulb, see my post below for more details!


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## Dioni (Jan 14, 2008)

WadeF said:


> I was hoping for the same beam pattern with more lumens, to give more throw.


 
I was hoping for this too. I'm sad with this your report. 
And I'm waiting my ordered bulb yet  with out same anterior enthusiasm now.

Cheers,
Dioni


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## [email protected] (Jan 14, 2008)

WadeF,

If you are measuring the hot spot only with a Lux meter and decided that you are disappointed with our lamp then I think it is a very unfair judgement.

Our lamp assembly is designed to be adjustable, if you would like the hot spot to be brighter (more throw) then please screw the lamp in tighter. You will notice it will be more focused, if you would like more spill then throw then do the opposite.

I am pretty sure our lamp is much better then anything UF has to offer. 

And yes, you are right about the fact that you can get 3-4 UF lamps for the same money. But our lamp has 4 times the average total life then the UF lamp and twice the average total life of the G&P lamp. We know this because we have tested 200 pcs of the UF lamps and know their specs quite well. As for the G&P lamps, we do not have to do this because we are probably the most knowledgeable people about the specs.

Cheers.


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## WadeF (Jan 15, 2008)

I had the LF lamp screwed in all the way. I can try unscrewing it. I will do more testing.

Also I am using 2x AW 18650 batteries. Would the LF bulb perform better with 3 CR123's? Would the LF bulb not perform as well as the UF bulb with 18650's?


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## WadeF (Jan 15, 2008)

Okay, back from the flashlight lab. 

My apologies to Lumensfactory! Their bulb is putting out more lumens than the Ultrafire. I was getting around 110LUX in my bounce box with the UF bulb, and 160lux with the LF bulb. That's like a 50% increase possibly? It's not a perfect test, but it shows the LF is putting out more lumens, how many more exactly is hard to say.

Now, here's what I noticed. My UF bulbs filament is positioned higher up in the bulb than the LF filament. I think this is why the UF was throwing better, giving a more intense hot spot. With the LF bulb screwed all the way in, it was still behind. However, I decided to carefully remove the o-ring from the LF bulb, and that allowed it to screw it farther, and it now beats the UF bulb for throw as well!

I was getting around 25,000LUX with the UF bulb (about the same as my Raidfire and DBS), and with the LF I was getting around 21,000LUX, but with the o-ring removed I was hitting 30,000LUX! 

Also the spill is brighter with the LF bulb. 

So the LF bulb is a pretty good improvement over the UF bulb and I again apologize for posting my quick observations without doing a full test. 

If the life of this bulb is twice that, or more, than the UF bulb it is certainly a good deal!

Thanks LF! Any chance of a 1,000 lumen version?


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## [email protected] (Jan 15, 2008)

Thanks for posting the results, WadeF.

Yes, you can remove the o-ring and screw the lamp tighter to get a more focused spot, the o-ring was just there to provide some cushioning between the reflector and the lamp assembly. So, you can take it out if you like.


We can make a 1000 Lumens lamp, but your hand probably couldn't hold the torch and the batteries will shut down very quickly. 

PS. 2 x AW 18650 is the way to go. If you want the optimum performance from our lamps (every model), use AW rechargeables. Also, we only recommend using protected rechargeables.


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## WadeF (Jan 15, 2008)

I'm using AW protected 18650's. What kind of run time can I expect from your bulb? How fast until it drops to 50%?


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## Dioni (Jan 15, 2008)

WadeF said:


> I was getting around 25,000LUX with the UF bulb (about the same as my Raidfire and DBS), and with the LF I was getting around 21,000LUX, but with the o-ring removed I was hitting 30,000LUX!


 
Good news in morning. 



[email protected] said:


> We can make a 1000 Lumens lamp, but your hand probably couldn't hold the torch and the batteries will shut down very quickly.


 
Oh, maybe the EO-R5 with +800 lumens  haha

Cheers,
Dioni


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## Fusion_m8 (Jan 15, 2008)

[email protected]:

what is the HO-R5's current draw between 7.4v-8.4v??

Do we only use AW's 18650s or are 17670s OK?

Thanks.





[email protected] said:


> Thanks for posting the results, WadeF.
> 
> Yes, you can remove the o-ring and screw the lamp tighter to get a more focused spot, the o-ring was just there to provide some cushioning between the reflector and the lamp assembly. So, you can take it out if you like.
> 
> ...


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## [email protected] (Jan 16, 2008)

WadeF,

On AW's 18650, runtime would be around 40 mins.
It is designed to hold the output as stable as possible, it is not a linear drop in output. The output should be very steady until around 1/4 of battery power.

Fusion_m8,

It draws 3A. So don't use anything less then an AW 18650.
But the torches that are compatible all use 18650s, why would you want to use 17670s? 


Cheers

Mark


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## Hog (Jan 16, 2008)

Got mine in yesterday from the hound & love the eo-r5.
Really looks great outdoors where 99% of all of my light use takes place.
Hog


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## jay33t (Jan 16, 2008)

I have the shorter Scorpion R500m. It takes two AW18500 batteries. I believe the bulb and reflector are the same as the R500. Can this light take the same LF bulb? Should the brightness be the same as if run with two 18650 batteries with just a shorter run time? Any insight would be appreciated. Jay


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## [email protected] (Jan 16, 2008)

Jay33t,

The HO-R5 was designed for the G&P R500, it fits all R500 models including the R500M. 

It just happened that it fits the UF WF-500 because UF basically cloned the entire torch including the reflector assembly. They even took the reflector assembly and copied the entire piece without any modifications, so that's why it fits the UF WF-500 so well. For all I know, they have no respect for IP, so I have make it clear here that the lamp was for R500 and not the WF-500, but it is compatible. 


Thanks

Mark


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## EV_007 (Jun 25, 2008)

The main reason I picked up the Ultrafire WF500 was to try out the Lumens Factory HO-R5 High Output 9V 630 Lumen bulb in it. My favorite lamp from LF is the EO-9 so I’d figure I’d see how they did with the 630 lumen offering.

I like the fact that this light is under $100 with the non stock bulb and batteries and also the fact that it runs on 2x18650s is a bonus. 












I knew the light did not put out “real” 500 lumens or even 630 from the LF bulb, but I knew that with the deep reflector, this would throw quite nicely.

The overall construction of the light was pretty good. The black powder coating and the lack of knurling make it a little slippery in the hands at first. Reminds me of the finish found on Fenix lights. It doesn’t feel as solid as my Surefire M3T, but then again it isn’t as “pricey” as well. 

I charged up a pair of Ultrafire 18650s and popped them into my new incan and clicked it on…. No light! I made sure the tailcap and bezel were tightened down and clicked again, still no light. I then remembered that sometimes you need to double click a few times to light some lamps. These are the protected cells, so I’d figured this was normal. After about 4 clicks on and off, it finally came on. Nice bright light with good throw. The beam from this stock bulb seemed a bit unfocused, but it was pretty bright. 

I then put in the LF HO-R5 to see if it would light on the first click. It didn’t! Same story, click, click and click until it lights. Once it did, I was impressed with the light of the 380 Lumen bulb which seemed a bit brighter than the WF500 stock bulb rated at 500 lumens.






This multiple clicking kinda annoyed me. I then put in a set of freshly charged AW brand protected 18650s and BAM, it lights up on the very first click! I should have got more AWs. Safe to say, I won’t be feeding it the Ultrafire brand anymore. Maybe I got a bum batch, but it was very disappointing not to have your light turn on with the first, or even second click.

The bulbs screw down into the reflector and I noticed the construction of the LF bulb to be of higher quality than the WF500 one.

I compared the Ultrafire WF500 to my SureFire M3T since that’s the closest light I have in comparison. Size and weight wise they are very similar. And that’s where the similarities end.

I'll try to get some beamshots as well.

Kinda sounds like a review, go ahead and move it there if appropriate moderators.


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## WadeF (Jun 25, 2008)

I used AW 18650's in my WF-500 set up and it always comes right on. I took the o-ring off my LF bulb and it focuses better, increasing the throw. The output is very impressive for the price of the whole set up.


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## SCEMan (Jun 26, 2008)

My G&P R500 must have a slightly different reflector/head assembly than the WF-500 because it focuses better and throws farther with the o-ring on the LF HO-R5 bulb. 

Coupled with a UCL lens, the R500/HO-R5 combo is my favorite outdoor bump-in-the-night light.



WadeF said:


> I used AW 18650's in my WF-500 set up and it always comes right on. I took the o-ring off my LF bulb and it focuses better, increasing the throw. The output is very impressive for the price of the whole set up.


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## Monocrom (Jun 28, 2008)

EV_007 said:


> This multiple clicking kinda annoyed me. I then put in a set of freshly charged AW brand protected 18650s and BAM, it lights up on the very first click! I should have got more AWs. Safe to say, I won’t be feeding it the Ultrafire brand anymore. Maybe I got a bum batch, but it was very disappointing not to have your light turn on with the first, or even second click.


 


Well, that explains why the two Ultrafire 18650s I used to own; never worked in my Solarforce L600. I didn't know about the multiple click thing. (Wouldn't have helped anyway since the L600 has a badly designed momentary switch).

I'd toss the cells on the charger, and it would indicate they were fully charged up already. I figured they were just defective, and tossed them in the garbage....

Then again, if you have to click a light multiple times to get it to turn on; perhaps the cells could be thought of as "defective." My AW 18650s work reliably. 

Excellent review, BTW.


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## Phaserburn (Jul 25, 2008)

The LF bulb draws 3A; how much current does the UF stock draw?


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## EV_007 (Jul 27, 2008)

So I went to "play" with the WF500 and the clicky seemed to stick and the light won't light up. I took the batteries out and went so far as to pull on the spring of the tailswitch. Even unscrewed the bezel and the bulb.

Oh well, it was fun while it lasted. I'll try to fiddle with it to see if I can get it to work again.

Not sure how much the stock bulb draws.


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## Sampolainen (Jul 28, 2008)

Yea, I noticed the same thing about the switch. Apparently, there are two different types out there. The other one works and (obviously) the other fails pretty often. I fixed mine by opening the switch and permanently connecting the spring to the other parts. No more momentary clicky but I don't mind.

Trustfire 18650 batteries work fine, no need for doubleclicking. I tested a couple of those and I got over 6amps from them :duh2:. I don't think the overcurrent protection is really working on them. Luckily the over discharge(and overcharge) protection is functional.


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## Dioni (Apr 30, 2009)

Is there any estimates for a new version of R5 bulb series to use with IMR batteries?

What would be runtime of HO-R5 with 2xIMR18500 for a short version of WF-500 (without body extender)?

Cheers,
Dioni


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