# Object/Subject Review: Sunwayman C20C



## Bigmac_79 (Jul 30, 2012)

Sunwayman is a top brand in high-end flashlights. Most well-known for their infinitely variable magnetic control rings, Sunwayman is now releasing lights featuring a "Smart Switch" on the side, either supplementing or replacing the industry-standard rear switch. On the C20C, Sunwayman has utilized the possibilities of an electronic switch to remove the need for a rear switch, and instead control all aspects of the light by the side switch. This significantly reduces the length of the light, allowing Sunwayman to create one of the few 18650 sized lights that is truly compact enough for every-day pocket carry. But don't be fooled by the size, this light is very powerful, and has surprisingly good throw.

_


Thanks to Sunwayman for providing the C20C for review._


I’ll be reviewing the C20C in two sections: first, I’ll discuss the light objectively (the facts about the light itself), then I’ll discuss the light subjectively (my impressions about the light's performance when used for specific applications). This is a compact, high powered light designed for a good throw/flood combo, so I'll be reviewing it as such. If you have any other specific applications you'd like the light tested for, let me know and I'll see what I can do.

4-Minute Overview

Below is a video "quick review" you can watch in just a few minutes, if you're not up for reading the full review right now:


_This video is available in 720p HD, but defaults to a lower quality. To select the playback quality click the settings button (looks like a gear) after you've started the video._


Objective

*Manufacturer's Specifications*

Price: $69




*
Packaging*









The C20C comes in Sunwaymans's standard (for small lights) red/black package with the cutout plastic displaying the light, and the stats printed to the side. Included in the package are the light and accessories, manual, warranty card, and add for other lights.

*Construction*





The C20C uses a single 18650 lithium ion rechargeable battery, two CR123 lithium primaries, or two 16340 li-ions. As you can see, the C20C is not much larger than the battery it uses.

This light has matte black (not grey, as some other SWM's) HAIII finish over aluminum, to help protect from scratches and chips.







Here's a quick size comparison of the C20C to some of Sunwayman's other small lights. From left to right: an 18650 battery, V11R, C20C, V20C, T20CS.

Now, let's take a closer look at the C20C, starting from the front and working back.







The C20C uses a Cree XM-L, U2 binned emitter. The U2 is currently the most efficient high-brightness emitter available. The LED is centered in a small, smooth reflector. Because the reflector is not textured, there are a few beam artifacts when close up, but it actually looks pretty good when the distance gets to about a foot. Due to the floody XM-L and small reflector, this would appear to be a pretty floody light, but it actually is surprisingly well focused. See the performance section for more details.

A stainless steel bezel ring protects the head and lens from getting dented on impact. The C20C has cooling fins both near the bezel, and a little further back next to the switch.









The rear of the head has four faces, one with an electronic switch, two sets of cooling fins to either side of the switch, and a low battery indicator LED opposite the switch.









When the battery gets low, the LED lights up solid red, then as it get's lower, the low battery indicator (LBI for short) starts flashing.









The body is round, covered with diamond knurling except for two sections. One section has the Sunwayman logo, the other has the model number and name.





The clip of the C20C is a removable clip-on, and has two small "ears" on the ends to make it easier to take the clip on/off without scratching the finish.







The tail of the C20C is plain and flat, with a section cut out to add a lanyard hole while still allowing the light to do a stable tail stand.

Now, let's take the light apart!







Without the use of tools, the C20C comes apart into two pieces: the head/body and the tail cap. The threads are small, square, and anodized, and feel very smooth. Because of their small size, it takes several turn to take the tail on/off. Because they are square an anodized, they should hold up well long term. The anodizing also allows the light to be mechanically locked out by slightly loosening the tail. When the tail is loose, the light will not be able to be activated accidentally, because the anodizing will prevent an electrical connection. This is helpful for keeping the light off while storing/transporting it for short periods. The C20C also has an electronic lockout feature, you can see the User Interface section for more info.







Inside both the tail and the body, a spring makes electrical contact with the battery(ies). This ensures a good connection with cells of various lengths, and also helps prevent damage to the cells in the case of an impact.

UPDATE: I've found that the bezel of the C20C is easily removable by using the palm of you hand, which isn't too exciting in itself, but the way the head is assembled opens a useful possibility:









The reflector can be removed, and the lens and bezel can be replaced securely. The reflector is not necessary to keep the lens in place, so when it's removed the C20C effectively becomes a "mule", or a light with just the bare emitter. As a mule, the C20C projects a very even circle of light with no discernible hotspot. This can be useful for time when you'd like a dedicated flood light.


Dimensions





Accessories





The C20C comes with a clip-on clip, the standard Sunwayman lobster-claw lanyard, a velcro-flap holster, and two spare o-rings.


*User Interface*

The C20C uses a single electronic side switch to access 4 brightness modes (Turbo > High > Medium > Low), 2 flashy modes (Strobe > SOS), and an electronic lockout.

When the light is off, a quick click will turn the light on to the last used brightness mode (or Turbo if you have removed the battery). From any brightness mode, holding down on the switch for about a second will advance you to the next mode in the Turbo > High > Medium > Low cycle, and the light will continue to cycle each second as you hold the switch, stopping when you release. Another quick click will turn the light off.

When the light is off, holding down on the switch for about a second will activate the momentary on function (at Turbo brightness), and the light will turn off as soon as the switch is released.

When the light is either on or off, two quick clicks will activate the Strobe mode. From Strobe, two quick clicks again will switch you to SOS mode, and vice versa. When in Strobe or SOS, holding down on the switch will activate Turbo brightness (continue to hold to cycle to lower brightnesses), or a quick click will turn the light off. 

When the light has been off for more than 7 seconds, a quick click followed by a hold will activate the electronic lockout. While in electronic lockout, the light will not turn on. To leave electronic lockout, do another quick click followed by a hold. The light can also be mechanically locked out by slightly loosening the tail cap (see the Construction section of the review for more info).


*Action Shots*

You can click on any of these shots to see them full size.

Light in Hand











White Wall (Low, Medium, High, Turbo, with then without reflector)
_ISO 100, f/3.3, 1/20"
_


















BeamSlice (With Reflector, Without Reflector)






MugShot (With Reflector, Without Reflector)






Indoor Shots (Low, Medium, High, Turbo)
_ISO 100, f/3.3, 1"
_









Outdoor Shots (Control, Low, Medium, High, Turbo)
_ISO 100, f/3.3, 2.5"
_













*Performance*

Submersion: I submersed the C20C in about a foot of water for an hour, turning it on and off and switching modes (using both switches) during that time, and the light shows no sign of water entering or damaging the light. I do suggest removing the clip and drying it off to prevent rust.

Heat: The C20C gets hot very quickly when on Turbo mode, but it has a built-in timer to step down to High after about 5 minutes. You can choose to override this manually by cycling back to Turbo if you choose, but I recommend you only do so when confident that you are adequately cooling the light.

PWM: The C20C doe use pulse width modulation, at least to some extent, but I cannot see it at all in normal use, or even looking at a fan or running water. I can detect very fast PWM on Low mode by setting my camera to it's shortest exposure (1/4000"). I cannot detect PWM on any other mode, but most lights the use PWM at all, use it on all but the highest mode.

Drop: I dropped the C20C from a height of about 1 meter onto various surfaces including grass, packed dirt, carpet, and wood. The light shows no cosmetic damage and still functions normally.

Reverse Polarity Protection: The C20C has electronic reverse polarity protection. This means that if you insert the battery backwards, it will not damage the light (it just won't work until you put the battery in correctly). Because the protection is electronic (not mechanical), the C20C can still accept flat-top cells.

Over-Discharge Protection: The C20C also features a low battery indicator (LBI) that will alert you when your battery needs recharged. You can see more about the performance of the LBI further down.

Spectral Analysis




All light that we see as white is actually made up of several different colors put together. The relative intensities of the different colors in the mix are what determine the tint of the white we see. For example, cool white LED's have a lot of blue, and warm white LED's have more red or yellow. This measurement was done on a home made spectrometer. The plot below the picture is corrected for the spectral sensitivity of the human eye. Note: the peak in the 900nm region doesn't really exist, it's a piece of the second-order spectrum that's showing up here because of the high intensity of the light source. 

Output and Runtime




ANSI FL-1 runtime ratings are the time it takes for a light to fall to 10% of it's original output (counting from 30 seconds after turning the light on). *The C20C automatically steps down from Turbo mode to High mode on a 5 minute timer to prevent overheating. If you desire, you can turn it back to Turbo manually after the auto-stepdown.

The vertical axis of the graphs below represents a relative brightness measurement using a home made light box. The horizontal axis is time in hours:minutes:seconds. Runtimes are stated in hours:minutes:seconds. These graphs may be truncated to show detail.

*Mode Comparison
*
------ 1x18650 ------










------ 2x16340 ------









_Note: I would normally run these tests with 2x16340 AW cells, but one of my AW 16340's is missing, so these were ran with lower quality Ultrafire cells._

Throwing Distance

ANSI FL-1 standard for stating a light's throwing distance is the distance at which the peak beam intensity (usually at the center of the beam) is 0.25 lux. I calculate throwing distance and candela (lux at 1 meter) by measuring peak beam intensity at five different distances and using the formula lux*distance^2=constant.

*Peak Beam Intensity: *4968cd
*Throw Distance: *141m

Low Battery Indicator

The C20C features a low battery indicator (LBI for short) that alerts the user when the voltage of the battery drops to a certain point. When the battery gets to about 3.5V, the LBI turns on solid red. When the battery gets to about 2.8V, the LBI starts flashing. 

Here's a quick video showing a few seconds of the low battery indicator blinking:



This feature is mainly for when using a single 18650 lithium ion battery. For safety, I always recommend using a protected li-ion cells, but this feature is helpful for letting you know when to change the battery before the protection circuit kicks in. So, when using an 18650 you should change your battery and re-charge the depleted cell when the light first comes on, if possible. If you're still using the cell when the LBI starts flashing, it's definitely time to re-charge. Li-ion cells can usually handle going that low a few times, but it's best not push your luck by letting it happen often.

As a side note, when the LBI detects the voltage of the battery to be 3.5V, it will actually be the voltage under load. While a battery is being used, the voltage appears to be a bit lower than if the battery has no load. This is called "voltage sag", and the sag is greater when the load is greater. So, when the LBI detects 3.5V, it will turn on. If you were to take the battery out and measure the voltage right away, you would measure 3.5V, but if you wait a little while for the battery to recover, then measure again, you'll see the voltage rise back up to the resting voltage. When using Turbo or High mode, the LBI could activate significantly prematurely, because of the heavy load on the battery. When using Low mode, the true resting voltage of the battery will likely be very close to the LBI voltage threshold when it activates, because of the very small load. So what this means is, if the LBI activates while you are using one of the higher brightness modes, you can often switch to a lower brightness and the LBI will turn back off for a time.

When using 2xCR123 batteries, the LBI isn't too much of an issue, because lithium primaries can be fully depleted and then thrown away.

When using 2x16340 lithium ion batteries, the LBI will not activate in time to warn you to change the batteries. By the time the combined voltage of the two cells reaches 3.5V, the individual cells will be about 1.75V each, which is well below the safe voltage to discharge a li-ion. If you are using protected cells, the protection circuit should activate well before this time. If you are using unprotected cells, you'll most likely have to throw them away if you see the LBI turn on.

Subjective Review

Quick break down:

+Surprisingly good throw
+Can accept primaries or rechargeables
+Great regulation on any power source
+An 18650 compact enough to pocket
+Reliable UI
+Sunwayman Style
+Mule mode
+Low battery warning at good thresholds
+Clip is better than the V10R clip
+Solid tail stand, even with lanyard attached

-Clip is still a clip-on
-Low could be lower
-No magnetic control ring :naughty:

Sunwayman's made another winner here with the C20C. As I mentioned in the intro, there are few 18650-powered lights that can truly fit comfortable and unobtrusively in a pant pocket, and this is one of them. I currently EDC a high-CRI V11R, but I'm looking to replace it with something 18650 powered. This just might be the thing.

Really, it was tough to come up with negatives for the C20C. What can I say.. it's not made of titanium? No tritium slots? No magnetic control ring? Honestly, my desire is for Sunwayman to make a light just like this, but with two changes: a sub-lumen low, and a magnetic control ring (if it doesn't add more than a few mm in length). I realize this would most likely cut out the LBI, but I'm OK with that. 

On the other hand, it's pretty easy to list things I like about this light. At the top of the list, the ability of this light to throw from such a small package was a pleasant surprise. The reflector is small, but it much be just perfectly shaped to aim the light in the way it does. I also appreciate the good regulation on all power sources, SWM is definitely getting better at that.

Sunwayman has also set themselves apart by making their lights incredibly more stylish than the majority of the competition, and the C20C is no exception. This is one of those lights that is just appealing to use. Also, I'm not sure if they purposefully designed the light to be able to operate without the reflector (but still with the lens secure), but I'm really loving that option. If they did it on purpose, I salute them for attention to detail. If not, I salute them for luck. 

I think that Sunwayman has also done a good job improving the LBI, causing the light to come on at a slightly higher voltage. I remember the LBI on the T20CS came on a little too late for some people's liking, and now a warning at 3.5V should make most of us happy, especially considering that 3.6 or 3.7 V is considered the ideal for storage. In this case, you know that if the light is not on, it should be OK to store your cell for time, but when the light comes on you know you'll want to charge it.

Overall, the C20C is a great compact 18650 light. Some people are wondering if it's meant to compete with Zebralight's SC600, and if that was SWM's intention, I think they pulled it off pretty well, and for a significantly lower price! If you need a super-low Low mode, you'll have to look elsewhere, but for most tasks 5 lumens shouldn't be too shabby . I don't hesitate to recommend this light if these are the things you're looking for. :thumbsup:


*Long Term Impressions*

I'll fill this part in after carrying the light for a while. If nothing get's added here, either I find nothing else worth noting about the light, or I end up not using it often.


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## Bigmac_79 (Aug 2, 2012)

*Re: Object/Subject Review: Sunwayman C20C [In Progress]*

Pictures and video up!


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## roadkill1109 (Aug 2, 2012)

*Re: Object/Subject Review: Sunwayman C20C [In Progress]*

It's like the SWM's answer to the ZL lights. Might be worth owning for a pretty decent 18650 EDC.


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## Bigmac_79 (Aug 2, 2012)

*Re: Object/Subject Review: Sunwayman C20C [In Progress]*



roadkill1109 said:


> It's like the SWM's answer to the ZL lights. Might be worth owning for a pretty decent 18650 EDC.



I hadn't thought of that, but yeah, it seems to fit the same purpose as something like the SC600. I don't own an SC600, but this is the first 18650 I've had that is small enough for me to keep in my pocket daily, it _might_ replace my V11R.


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## Bigmac_79 (Aug 3, 2012)

*Re: Object/Subject Review: Sunwayman C20C [In Progress]*

Wow, thank goodness for auto-save, I almost lost quite a bit of work when the forum went offline this morning.

Here it is, the Construction and UI sections finished, along with some notes on the low battery indicator added the the Performance section. :thumbsup:


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## carl (Aug 4, 2012)

*Re: Object/Subject Review: Sunwayman C20C [In Progress]*

Bigmac - great review so far! Thank you! I hope we get to see comparison beamshots between the SWM and the ZL SC600.


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## Bigmac_79 (Aug 4, 2012)

*Re: Object/Subject Review: Sunwayman C20C [In Progress]*



carl said:


> Bigmac - great review so far! Thank you! I hope we get to see comparison beamshots between the SWM and the ZL SC600.



Thanks carl! Unfortunately, I don't own a SC600, so I won't be able to do head-to-head comparison beamshots with that light.


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## Bigmac_79 (Aug 6, 2012)

*Re: Object/Subject Review: Sunwayman C20C [In Progress]*

The Subjective section is now complete, and I added the Performance chart, runtime/output plots, mule mode pics, and some outdoor beamshots. Pretty close to finished here


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## tobrien (Aug 7, 2012)

*Re: Object/Subject Review: Sunwayman C20C [In Progress]*

bigmac, you do a damn fine job!


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## Bigmac_79 (Aug 7, 2012)

tobrien said:


> bigmac, you do a damn fine job!



Thanks!

Sent from my mobile device. Please excuse brevity and typos.


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## Noctiluco (Aug 8, 2012)

*Re: Object/Subject Review: Sunwayman C20C [In Progress]*

Thank you for the extraordinary review, it is a pleasure to read a job well done, great effort.

Two questions:

In this light, has changed somewhat the cool light tint of Sunwayman to neutral tint, as Fenix flashlights? (I thought I saw a neutral beam of light in the video).

Second, shall we see a picture of the light beam "Floody" without the reflector?

Thank you again and congratulations.


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## Bigmac_79 (Aug 8, 2012)

*Re: Object/Subject Review: Sunwayman C20C [In Progress]*



Noctiluco said:


> Thank you for the extraordinary review, it is a pleasure to read a job well done, great effort.
> 
> Two questions:
> 
> ...



Thanks!

With the tint, my camera can be misleading when recording video, because it only has auto-white balance in video mode. So, I compared the spectral graphs of the C20C and both my cool and warm tint V11R, and my neutral V10R:





I don't know how much variance there will be between different samples of the same model, but my C20C sample looks to be just slightly warmer than the cool V11R sample.

And yes, I will take beam pictures with the reflector removed when I do the white wall shots.


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## Noctiluco (Aug 9, 2012)

*Re: Object/Subject Review: Sunwayman C20C [In Progress]*

Thanks for the graph, BigMac 79!

From what I see, C20C curve remains approximately the same proportions as the curve of the V11R Cool white, while the warm V11R and neutral V10R instead they show less pronounced peaks in violet tones.

It's a shame that a brand like Sunwayman not offer even as an option neutral lights. I have suspended the purchase of any new model of Sunwayman until It provide neutral white lights.

Thanks again and best regards


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## Bigmac_79 (Aug 9, 2012)

*Re: Object/Subject Review: Sunwayman C20C [In Progress]*

You're welcome! 

You have to keep your eye open, we get some special runs of neutral and warm from Sunwayman every once and a while, you just have to keep your eye out for them . Neither my neutral or warm SWM are modded, they came with those special tints from the factory.


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## Noctiluco (Aug 10, 2012)

*Re: Object/Subject Review: Sunwayman C20C [In Progress]*

I know, but so far I have not been able to buy any. When Sunwayman released the neutral V10A / V20A limited edition, Noctiluco not yet was born. And the V11R warm tone, till I know, comes from Canada, which is a site that is very very very far from Spain, maybe someday there will be to send a spacecraft to explore it .....:laughing::laughing:


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## BlackhawkB (Aug 10, 2012)

*Re: Object/Subject Review: Sunwayman C20C [In Progress]*

Is the C20C easy to mod ?
I mean easy to open and get to the driver, and easy to perform some changes on the driver ?


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## Bigmac_79 (Aug 11, 2012)

*Re: Object/Subject Review: Sunwayman C20C [In Progress]*



BlackhawkB said:


> Is the C20C easy to mod ?
> I mean easy to open and get to the driver, and easy to perform some changes on the driver ?



I tried a bit to get to the driver last night. I'm no expert modder, but I could only get down to the LED without damaging the light, not any of the circuitry. The LED can be accessed through the head be removing the bezel, lens, and reflector. I was unable to remove the plastic ring to get any farther. I tried to get in through the tail, there are two holes that look to be used to tighten/loosen the cover between the body and head (the plate the spring is mounted on), but it wouldn't budge, it might be glued down.


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## Bigmac_79 (Aug 13, 2012)

*Re: Object/Subject Review: Sunwayman C20C [In Progress]*

A quick update:

Unfortunately, my camera was damaged during the meteor shower last night :sigh:, so the rest of the beam shots for this light will be postponed indefinitely.


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## Chowderhead72 (Aug 19, 2012)

*Re: Object/Subject Review: Sunwayman C20C [In Progress]*

In your t20cs review you posted drive current readings from 18650 batteries however nothing for the c20c. I am comparing these two lights and drive current differences would be helpful. I would assume with the t20cs driving 1.96/turbo and 1.092/high the c20 would be closer to 1.5-1.6/turbo .7-.8/high. How does this relate in maximum efficiency? What is the XML-U2's proverbial sweet spot for efficiency?


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## Bigmac_79 (Aug 19, 2012)

*Re: Object/Subject Review: Sunwayman C20C [In Progress]*



Chowderhead72 said:


> In your t20cs review you posted drive current readings from 18650 batteries however nothing for the c20c. I am comparing these two lights and drive current differences would be helpful. I would assume with the t20cs driving 1.96/turbo and 1.092/high the c20 would be closer to 1.5-1.6/turbo .7-.8/high. How does this relate in maximum efficiency? What is the XML-U2's proverbial sweet spot for efficiency?



Hey Chowderhead! I wasn't planning to measure current on my new reviews, because I've been finding that on many lights I don't have direct access to the emitter, and on modern lights current measurements from the tail cap are pretty useless at determining how much current is going to the emitter because of the complicated circuitry. However, for the C20C I do think I can get good enough access to the emitter to measure the current there, I'll see if I can do that this week. 

As for the max efficiency for the U2, it would theoretically be the same as all XM-Ls. You can take a look at the flux vs current graph on page five of the XM-L datasheet here: http://www.cree.com/~/media/Files/C...d Modules/XLamp/Data and Binning/XLampXML.pdf

Looks to me like the greatest efficiency is around 1.2 ~ 1.6A. If you want to be exact, you could grab some data points from that graph and find the point where the slope is changing the fastest (the highest point on the graph of the derivative of the flux/current function).


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## Chowderhead72 (Aug 21, 2012)

*Re: Object/Subject Review: Sunwayman C20C [In Progress]*

It's kinda hard to tell with those banana hands........ But is this smaller than a e2d Incan? Looks like it is but I can't really tell compared to those meat hooks. LOL.


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## Eric242 (Aug 21, 2012)

*Re: Object/Subject Review: Sunwayman C20C [In Progress]*

Quick and dirty comparsion short: C20 and E2D


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## Bigmac_79 (Aug 21, 2012)

*Re: Object/Subject Review: Sunwayman C20C [In Progress]*

Thanks for that picture, I don't have a E2D to compare directly to. :thumbsup:


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## Chowderhead72 (Aug 21, 2012)

*Re: Object/Subject Review: Sunwayman C20C [In Progress]*



Eric242 said:


> Quick and dirty comparsion short: C20 and E2D



Thanks Eric! Wow that is small. Incoming......


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## roadkill1109 (Aug 23, 2012)

*Re: Object/Subject Review: Sunwayman C20C [In Progress]*

UP!

Any long-term concerns and issues with this light?

I'm waiting for Mr. Postman to deliver mine in about three weeks.


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## Bigmac_79 (Aug 24, 2012)

*Re: Object/Subject Review: Sunwayman C20C [In Progress]*



roadkill1109 said:


> UP!
> 
> Any long-term concerns and issues with this light?
> 
> I'm waiting for Mr. Postman to deliver mine in about three weeks.



Nope, I have no concerns or issues, it continues to perform flawlessly.


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## roadkill1109 (Aug 24, 2012)

*Re: Object/Subject Review: Sunwayman C20C [In Progress]*



Bigmac_79 said:


> Nope, I have no concerns or issues, it continues to perform flawlessly.



That's so nice to hear!  Can't wait to receive mine!


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## Chowderhead72 (Aug 24, 2012)

*Re: Object/Subject Review: Sunwayman C20C [In Progress]*

Mine arrived from Batt Junction today. Tiny! Took the light out of the package, inserted aw3100 fresh off the pila and nothing, tried a few more clicks and it comes alive but turbo is fading in and out, switched to turbo and strobes very dim and red battery light starts to flash at the same interval as strobe. Inserted another fresh aw3100 light comes on with first click but the fading issue continued. I let the light run/burn for a few more minutes and the fade seems to have stopped. Inserted the first battery (dim strobe and flashing battery indicator battery) and all is well. Wtf? Does the smart switch need to heat up or charge? What would cause this?


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## Bigmac_79 (Aug 24, 2012)

Chowderhead72 said:


> Mine arrived from Batt Junction today. Tiny! Took the light out of the package, inserted aw3100 fresh off the pila and nothing, tried a few more clicks and it comes alive but turbo is fading in and out, switched to turbo and strobes very dim and red battery light starts to flash at the same interval as strobe. Inserted another fresh aw3100 light comes on with first click but the fading issue continued. I let the light run/burn for a few more minutes and the fade seems to have stopped. Inserted the first battery (dim strobe and flashing battery indicator battery) and all is well. Wtf? Does the smart switch need to heat up or charge? What would cause this?



That's disappointing! I haven't seen that sort of behavior with any type of cell, including an aw 3100. Contact BJ, I'm sure they'll take care of you.

Sent from my mobile device. Please excuse brevity and typos.


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## Chowderhead72 (Aug 24, 2012)

*Re: Object/Subject Review: Sunwayman C20C [In Progress]*

As of now the light is performing flawlessly. Seems like the electronics needed to be broken in. In selfbuilt's review he mentioned he had a similar issue an chocked it up to sub-standard batteries. I think there maybe a design flaw with the circuit, perhaps a weak capacitor or connection. 
I will put the light through its paces this weekend and re-evaluate then. My guess is that it won't be a problem unless the light is left un-used with no voltage for weeks as I am sure it did prior to purchase. Fingers crossed.


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## Bigmac_79 (Aug 24, 2012)

Glad to hear it's working better now. You'll have to let us know how out holds up 

Sent from my mobile device. Please excuse brevity and typos.


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## Chowderhead72 (Aug 24, 2012)

*Re: Object/Subject Review: Sunwayman C20C [In Progress]*

Will do. 
Thanks for your review.


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## tubed (Aug 25, 2012)

*Re: Object/Subject Review: Sunwayman C20C [In Progress]*

thanks for all the great data. i'm seriously considering buying one of these. I'm curious if anyone has any experience using this light with regular cr123s. i think in Selfbuilts review it states that they do not generate as much light or activate the low battery light. has anyone tried using them with this light?
PS - this might be the light that gets me to buy a couple 18650s and a charger


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## Chowderhead72 (Aug 26, 2012)

*Re: Object/Subject Review: Sunwayman C20C [In Progress]*

Do it!!! Start with the good stuff Karli,AW and pila or one of the other well reviewed chargers. Remember to buy quality batteries and chargers to reduce the inevitable.


By the way My light is working as it should and I like it a lot. Not sure about keeping the t20cs on the way however, not due to quality, I just don't need it. I tried to cancel my back ordered t20 but BJ shipped toooooo fast. Lol


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## Gauthier (Aug 26, 2012)

*Re: Object/Subject Review: Sunwayman C20C [In Progress]*

Hi ! 
First, thanks to you Bigmac 79 for the great review, it has been a pleasure reading it and it was exactly what I need to convince me to purchase this particular flashlight.
I have a question for you guys, from wich website should I command this flashlight ? I would like a website with fair customer service, because I have a long history with item not working so well... =)
Also, it's probably important to say that I live in Europe (Belgium) so it would need to shiped overseas  I saw you mentionned Batteryjunction.com ? I've also fund Manafond and Dealextreme mentionned on the forum ? 
Also, I would need to purchase 18650 batteries (and charger), I guess I should go for AW batteries ? 
Thanks for the help, and sorry if the questions sounds trivials to you, I'm new in the flashlight community


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## UlrikJ (Aug 27, 2012)

*Re: Object/Subject Review: Sunwayman C20C [In Progress]*



Gauthier said:


> I have a question for you guys, from wich website should I command this flashlight ? I would like a website with fair customer service, because I have a long history with item not working so well... =)
> Also, it's probably important to say that I live in Europe (Belgium) so it would need to shiped overseas  I saw you mentionned Batteryjunction.com ? I've also fund Manafond and Dealextreme mentionned on the forum ?



DE: http://www.lampentroll.de/themes/kategorie/detail.php?artikelid=376 

DE: http://www.flashlightshop.de/product_info.php?products_id=8560

UK: http://www.flashaholics.co.uk/sunwayled/sunwayman-c20c.html

I have bought from flashaholics two times without problems (last time I got the wrong batteries but I got the money refunded quickly).
I don't know the two other german shops.



Gauthier said:


> Also, I would need to purchase 18650 batteries (and charger), I guess I should go for AW batteries ?
> Thanks for the help, and sorry if the questions sounds trivials to you, I'm new in the flashlight community



C20C works with CR123A and 18650. In the long run, 18650 + charger is the cheapest solution. Either 18650 from Eagletac or AW. Eagletac uses Panasonic cells. I don't know about AW, but many uses AW. I have 6 AW 18650. Standard UltraFire 18650 changer is fine. Otherwise, Sysmax charger from flashaholics. Sysmax is the company behind NiteCore.


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## Gauthier (Aug 27, 2012)

*Re: Object/Subject Review: Sunwayman C20C [In Progress]*

Hi, 
Thanks UlrikJ for your answer, it helped me, I will probably order from Flashaholics considering you had a good experience =) so excited to get this flashlight, the second of a collection, and not the last I hope  
Thanks !


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## roadkill1109 (Sep 10, 2012)

*Re: Object/Subject Review: Sunwayman C20C [In Progress]*

bump!

any new C20C owners care to share their experience?


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## Ualnosaj (Sep 10, 2012)

Um it's a good light?  I do like the Nitecore EC2 over this though... Better runtime, locator beacon/battery indication, diffuser option... 



________________
Sent from my mobile device. Please excuse the brevity of this message.


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## brag (Sep 12, 2012)

*Re: Object/Subject Review: Sunwayman C20C [In Progress]*

I've been loving the C20C, but after 10 days of EDC, my light has developed a glitch. After it's in my pocket for a few hours, I pull it out and it won't turn on. The light isn't locked, but it won't turn on, or unlock, I need to remove the battery, then it's OK. I've tried all 4 of my Callies 3100's and 2 High_maxes. I'm going to test all my batteries again, then send it back if needed.


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## Bigmac_79 (Sep 13, 2012)

*Re: Object/Subject Review: Sunwayman C20C [In Progress]*

Update on the review: I've got a new camera, so the beamshots are posted, and this review is complete. :thumbsup:


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## BlackhawkB (Sep 16, 2012)

*Re: Object/Subject Review: Sunwayman C20C [In Progress]*

So far, nobody succeeded in opening this light ?
I am interested in it but only if I can mod it (450 lumens is not enough ! )


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## rioimmagina (Sep 21, 2012)

*Re: Object/Subject Review: Sunwayman C20C [In Progress]*



BlackhawkB said:


> So far, nobody succeeded in opening this light ?
> I am interested in it but only if I can mod it (450 lumens is not enough ! )



Would be great with a hiCRI inside!


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## Nestor (Oct 3, 2012)

*Re: Object/Subject Review: Sunwayman C20C [In Progress]*



BlackhawkB said:


> So far, nobody succeeded in opening this light ?
> I am interested in it but only if I can mod it (450 lumens is not enough ! )



What about an Eagletac D25LC2 with 740 lumens? 22.5mm x115mm is very small as well.


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## BlackhawkB (Jan 6, 2013)

*Re: Object/Subject Review: Sunwayman C20C [In Progress]*

Another test on this forum mentions 620 lumens in turbo (http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...23A)-Review-RUNTIMES-VIDEO-BEAMSHOTS-and-more!), and 450 in high

Does everybody have the same brightness ?

Can someone measures the current drain in turbo and high mode ?


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## Bigmac_79 (Jan 27, 2013)

*Re: Object/Subject Review: Sunwayman C20C [In Progress]*

Unfortunately, I have not yet had the chance to calibrate my lightbox to give measurements in lumens, but I think 620 is very believable.


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## BlackhawkB (Sep 27, 2013)

*Re: Object/Subject Review: Sunwayman C20C [In Progress]*

I have just noticed Sunwayman released a new version of the C20C, putting 650 lumens in turbo mode (instead of 450), and 450 lumens in high mode (instead of 250). Seems to be a nice torch now !


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## HotWire (Oct 9, 2013)

*Re: Object/Subject Review: Sunwayman C20C [In Progress]*



brag said:


> I've been loving the C20C, but after 10 days of EDC, my light has developed a glitch. After it's in my pocket for a few hours, I pull it out and it won't turn on. The light isn't locked, but it won't turn on, or unlock, I need to remove the battery, then it's OK. I've tried all 4 of my Callies 3100's and 2 High_maxes. I'm going to test all my batteries again, then send it back if needed.



I know this is a little late, but my C20C would not work last night. I tried 4 known good batteries. The fix: Unscrew the head and use circlip pliers to tighten the lock ring! Fixed mine!


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## Dr. Tweedbucket (Nov 6, 2015)

*Re: Object/Subject Review: Sunwayman C20C [In Progress]*

I just got one of these and wow!!! it's my instant new favorite light! On just looks alone it's a winner, but what I really like about it is that one switch does everything. No fumbling with a clicky in the back and then looking for the button on the side, or clicky on the back and then having to rotate a mechanical ring. One button does it all!! And it's so compact, barely bigger than the battery. The beam is perfect too, a nice balance. If I could change anything, I'd like the light to cycle from low to high rather than high to low, but it's not a big deal. A moonlight mode would be killer too, but I have other lights for that. I got mine for a blowout deal for $30 ..... so it was a total no brainer! :naughty:


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