# Just Received the Sky-Ray S-R5 XPG-R4



## sol-leks (Apr 9, 2010)

Initial Impressions:

-looks really great, also much smaller than I would've imagined.
-the build quality is.....interesting. For the most part it seems really well made but there are little things that are weird. The threading is so-so which is pretty typical in a budget light. The lens and front o-ring on mine don't seem properly sized so they don't sit entirely right. Also when I first put in batteries it would turn on when I tightened the tailcap fully but now it does, strange.
-I knew this going in, but the oddly hexagonal beam still throws me off a bit.
-as far as output, I can judge better letter but this light is very bright and very throwy.
-the tint is very cool white. Compared to my quark mini 123 it seems a bit bluish but on its own it is a very acceptable cool white.
-the heat management so far seems very impressive. It gets warm quite fast but the heat seems to evenly distribute throughout the entire body of the light never getting too hot. Of course I only ran it for a few minutes so far, but it seems well done in this respect.
-the recessed tailcap is interesting. It does provide a very nice ability to tailstand but it makes the button a bit harder to press. Its a very minor issue though.

Conclusion - without a non-crennelated bezel and a better o-ring and lens, this would be a pretty perfect light. Luckily, I feel like replacing this parts shouldn't be too difficult. Even with its flaws this is a pretty awesome light for 21 bucks.

I'll try and go more in depth and do some beamshots sometime this weekend.

EDIT: Just took some pictures comparing the sky-ray to the quark mini 123 on high. As always, I apologize for my crappy camera and even crappier photography skills. Incidentally, the sky-ray is running an 18650 and the quark is running a cr123 primary.

Here is a link to the gallery:
http://yfrog.com/2pskyrayhighjx

the kitchen shots don't really do the sky-ray justice but the comparison gives you a pretty good idea as far as brightness. The sky-ray's hotspot is brighter than the mini's hotspot and same goes for the spill, although the sky-rays spill is not brighter than the mini's hotspot. I'd say the 320 lumens is probably not too far off. Maybe 300, maybe 275. Whatever, its bright. Also, as with everyone else, the odd shape the bezel gives the beam bothers me too. However, as you can kinda see it really isn't very noticeable in actual use.

I have to take some pics of the sky-ray running on cr123's later because someone said that it was dimmer on primaries but it actually looked brighter to me, it was hard to tell tho.


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## skunknuts79 (Apr 9, 2010)

Awesome, can't wait for your further reporting and pics! 

When did you order? Mine supposedly just left for the US (I ordered on 2/19, lol). 

So, I assume it has an xpg-r5, not the imaginary xpe-r4?

I ordered a bag of extra 28mm o-rings (the orange ones), as someone mentioned the lens rattling due to the need for a thicker and/or extra o-ring. Do you think those will be better than the stock install?

I'm happy to hear your accolades concerning heat-sinking. So, you don't think any mods are needed?

Um, yeah, anything you notice or suggest is much appreciated. Hope you have an enjoyable weekend, and get to have some fun w/ your new toy....

Best,
Skunknuts


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## sol-leks (Apr 9, 2010)

I think its a combination of the lens and the o-ring being to small. I was thinking this lens might fit better but I'm really not an expert on these things:
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.5646

what o-rings were recommended to you? I would also like to buy some better o-rings.

I would love to replace the crenellated bezel too, but I have no idea where to look for that.

Again, I'm no expert and I def have to test it more but the heat sinking seems more than adequate to me.

I will keep adding any observations that I have on the light.

I really don't know how to verify what LED is in there, the drop in says super bright r5 on the side and it is very bright, thats all I can say for sure, but if you look in some of the threads on DX about the light it seems like that means its an XP-G.


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## gcbryan (Apr 9, 2010)

I don't think you are going to be able to find a replacement bezel. You should have just ordered the Uniquefire L2 R5 which has a non-crenelated bezel.

Regarding o-ring, I don't think any o-rings sold on DX are going to be any better than the one's in the light (unless the size is just wrong) however until you are looking at diving lights I don't think the stock o-rings are going to be any problem.

I don't like those bezels either and that's why I got the Uniquefire.


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## skunknuts79 (Apr 9, 2010)

sol-leks said:


> I think its a combination of the lens and the o-ring being to small. I was thinking this lens might fit better but I'm really not an expert on these things:
> http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.5646
> 
> what o-rings were recommended to you? I would also like to buy some better o-rings.
> ...



Hey. The latest review on DX is from a guy real happy W/ his skyray, except for the lens/o-ring issue. I ordered the 28mm orange o-rings from DX, cause a couple other reviewers said that by adding a 2ng o-ring, so there is one in front and behind the lens, the lens was held sturdy w/ no rattling. We'll see when I get my stuff. This guy postulates that the lens and o-rings should be 30mm ideally. Here is what he says:



> *Overall Rating:*
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## Dwirey76 (Apr 9, 2010)

Got one too, kinda new to flashlights, but yes i put my edc p7 down and now carry this. Little useful spill and throws for 20 buck heck ya.


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## sol-leks (Apr 9, 2010)

Thanks for all the info guys! I will probably go ahead and order some 30mm orings and lens too and see if that works better. It is not a question of quality, just the wrong size imo. The way the bezel shapes the beam is really annoying but my problem with the uniquefire's is that the multimode versions only accept 4.2v max and the ones that accept higher are only single mode from what I could tell, and I wanted it to be multi-mode. Incidentally, the multi-mode and memory work very well on this light from what I can tell.


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## gcbryan (Apr 9, 2010)

sol-leks said:


> Thanks for all the info guys! I will probably go ahead and order some 30mm orings and lens too and see if that works better. It is not a question of quality, just the wrong size imo. The way the bezel shapes the beam is really annoying but my problem with the uniquefire's is that the multimode versions only accept 4.2v max and the ones that accept higher are only single mode from what I could tell, and I wanted it to be multi-mode. Incidentally, the multi-mode and memory work very well on this light from what I can tell.



I just tried it and it uses (2) Cr123's as well and it's the multi-mode one.

Update: I tried this again and fried the light so I guess the lesson learned is stick to 18650!


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## sol-leks (Apr 9, 2010)

hmmm interesting, oh well. Always another light to buy right? 
Just in case, can you give me the sku for the one you got?


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## gcbryan (Apr 9, 2010)

sol-leks said:


> hmmm interesting, oh well. Always another light to buy right?
> Just in case, can you give me the sku for the one you got?



The DX sku is 33549.

It says 4.2V by the way but it does work just fine with 2 Cr123's, they are a little loose of course since they have a smaller diameter than 18650's.


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## sol-leks (Apr 9, 2010)

Thanks, that's great to know.


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## mfm (Apr 10, 2010)

sol-leks said:


> hmmm interesting, oh well. Always another light to buy right?
> Just in case, can you give me the sku for the one you got?



They all have the "Super Bright R5" drop-ins so it seems unlikely that some of them will work with 2xCR123 and some won't.

BTW, a 28mm lens is a perfect fit in my SkyRay so I doubt 30mm will fit very good... Also, good luck on getting the 28mm o-rings, I ordered them almost two months ago and still not shipped.


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## skunknuts79 (Apr 10, 2010)

mfm said:


> They all have the "Super Bright R5" drop-ins so it seems unlikely that some of them will work with 2xCR123 and some won't.
> 
> BTW, a 28mm lens is a perfect fit in my SkyRay so I doubt 30mm will fit very good... Also, good luck on getting the 28mm o-rings, I ordered them almost two months ago and still not shipped.



Looks like I lucked out by getting the o-rings, but not by having to wait nearly 2mos. for the anchor item Skyray. Package 1 arrived on 3/20, Package 2 is due here today, and, hopefully, package 3, will arrive not too much later....Hey, I was just thinking---I have no need for 20 o-rings, so if you want me to send you a couple, just PM me your shipping address, and I'd be happy to help a brother out....


*Invoice / Order #: *xxxxxxxxx*
Date:* 2/19/2010 3:49:50 AM 
*Payment:* 
*Status:* Shipped 

Ship To: 
Madison, WI 53713
UNITED STATES  

 *Items: * *

Shipment #* *SKU* *Product or Service Name* *Quantity*  *Price*  *Shipping*  *

1* 05790 TrustFire Protected 18650 Lithium Battery (2500mAh 2-Pack Blue) x 1 _Shipped_ $8.18 - 
24125 Tank007 E07 HA-III OSRAM 120-Lumen LED Flashlight (1*AA) x 1 _Shipped_ $13.78 - 
25435 Designer's Fashion Sport Style Stereo Headphone - White (3.5mm Jack/110cm Cable) x 1 _Shipped_ $5.75 - *


2* 05664 Water-tight O-Ring Seal (28mm 20-Pack) x 1 _Shipped_ $1.66 - 
06105 Digital Li-Ion 18650 Battery Charger x 1 _Shipped_ $7.92 - 
25223  USB Rechargeable Easter Egg Tumbler Speaker (3.5mm Jack Purple) x 1 _Shipped_ $9.29 - *


3* 32749 SKYRAY S-R5 Cree XPE-R4 5-Mode 320-Lumen Memory LED Flashlight (1*18650/2*16340) x 1 _Shipped_ $21.56 -


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## glenda17 (Apr 10, 2010)

I ordered one when it first hit DX mine doesn't seem to have the lens/o-ring problem.


If you do find a bezel that fits let us know because the pattern at the edge of the beam is the only thing I don't like about this light.

Still an amazing value.


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## ^Gurthang (Apr 10, 2010)

O-rings: still looking for some thin 28 mm rings. I've got some 28 mm X 1mm rings but too thick to work. 

Glass: No joy finding a ~ 28 mm UCL glass. Haven't ordered the DX 28 mm [sort-of] aspheric yet... 

Anyone tried a SolarForce or LF R2 or Q5 drop-in in the Sky yet? I tried a WW Q3, nice incan looking light but not much in the way of output.


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## mfm (Apr 11, 2010)

skunknuts79 said:


> Hey, I was just thinking---I have no need for 20 o-rings, so if you want me to send you a couple, just PM me your shipping address, and I'd be happy to help a brother out....



Thanks for your kind offer, but I won't need them in the near future. It would be interesting to hear if they fit in the SkyRay though.


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## sol-leks (Apr 12, 2010)

Just wanted to let you guys know I added some photos in the original post. Hope they're helpful.


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## skunknuts79 (Apr 12, 2010)

sol-leks said:


> Just wanted to let you guys know I added some photos in the original post. Hope they're helpful.



Thanks for the pics. They will tide we over, provided my skyray actually comes this week, lol. So, the color of the skyray looks pretty nice compared to the quark, no? Not sure if it's your camera, but the skyray appears neutral to slightly cool, and the quark is tending towards slightly greenish. Is that how you perceive it in the real world (or at least your real kitchen)?


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## sol-leks (Apr 12, 2010)

This is a very subjective issue, but I really like the tint of my quark. I can see how some people find it greenish, but I just find it slightly warm white. In contrast, the sky-ray seems a little bluish to me. However, on their own they both have nice white tints.

My personal preference is for the quark, but again, that's just me.


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## sol-leks (Apr 15, 2010)

I brought this guy with me while walking the dog last night and wow, it can really light up the side of a building, I probably walk up more than a few people. :devil:

Now I live in NYC, so its never really 100% dark here, but I was still pretty impressed by the shine this lil guy puts out. It's hard to believe it was only 20 bucks.


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## ace0001a (Apr 16, 2010)

Got my Sky-Ray yesterday. I was immediately impressed after I dropped in one of my Trustfire Protected 18650s into it and fired it up...and this was during the day. Of course at that point, I was basically white wall hunting and was still impressed non the less. This one is my first experience with one of these dropins that has a reflector more adjusted to the small footprint of an XP LED instead of the usual ones for XR LEDs. Though when I unscrewed the light engine pill and compared the emitter to an XP-G I have, it looks a little smaller than it. So I'm wondering if these Sky-Rays are actually using an XP-E emitter and not an XP-G as some people have said this one to be. Well regardless, the SMO reflector does a really good job of focusing the beam and the spot seems more intense than most P60LED modules I've seen. The lens doesn't rattle on mine, so I'm happy about that. I love the way this flashlight looks and it seems well constructed...definitely a notch above most of the Ultrafire type flashlights in the same price range. I've been wanting a Lumens Factory Seraph SP-6 and I'm glad I've been able to snag a quality and cheap clone in this Sky-Ray S-R5 Flashlight.


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## ^Gurthang (Apr 17, 2010)

Ace,

I have the UniqueFire S5 varient of the SkyRay, and its an XP-G. Look at the "common emmiter" sticky here: 

https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/270419

It has pics of both the XP-E and XP-G. Pretty easy to tell them apart using a magnifier once you know the difference.


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## glenda17 (Apr 21, 2010)

Just recieved the 1.5A ThruNite XPG R5 dropin, it is slightly brighter than the SkyRay overall but the Skyway has a tighter hotspot, overall not worth the extra price over the SkyRay, unless you already have a high quality host and just need a drop-in.


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## sol-leks (Apr 21, 2010)

glenda17 said:


> Just recieved the 1.5A ThruNite XPG R5 dropin, it is slightly brighter than the SkyRay overall but the Skyway has a tighter hotspot, overall not worth the extra price over the SkyRay, unless you already have a high quality host and just need a drop-in.



Thanks for the info.

I've also been considering buying the p7 p60 drop-in (sku 36030) and trying it out with the sky-ray. It will probably be similar in terms of overall output but the p7 should be really floody, right? What do you think, good idea? People are saying heat will likely be an issue though.


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## strinq (Apr 22, 2010)

Got mine some time ago and i do think it is an awesome light for its price.
Crazy bright and a relatively artifact free beam.
Just the right amount of throw and flood for me. 
But the lens and front bezel is the same as noted by everyone else, not really centred but heck, its easily fixed with the right o-ring fit (haven't gotten around to doing it though lol). 

All in all, :thumbsup:

But seriously doubt that it has 300 OTF lumens.
If my judgement is right (using the ceiling bounce test and comparing it to a mini 123 with RCR123s which puts out 250 OTF lumens), it is slightly dimmer which puts it at about 220-230 OTF lumens. 
It's quite a bit brighter than my T100C2 and PD30 (Q5) and they're about 170-190 OTF.


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## sol-leks (Apr 22, 2010)

just got some of the orange 28mm o-rings from DX and they do fit much better than the included lens o-ring. There is stilla little more room though so maybe a 30mm would fit but I doubt it. Do 29mm orings exist? A 28mm lens would be a big improvement too but I can't seem to find one of those. Oh well.


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## old4570 (Apr 22, 2010)

Heat is only an issue with high current , Im still waiting to see what sort of Amps its pulling , if its like the MC-E [ hard pressed to crack 2A ] 

SSC P7 should be fine in Lo - Med , high is just bling ! 

My own SSC P7's do 

Low is about 50Lumen , 250Lumen on medium and on high 450+ , well thats my SSC P7 Solarforce L2 [ 5 mode ] [ C-bin SSC P7 ] 

My Ultrafire 502B SSC P7 = 40Lumen on low / 200Lumen on medium / 500Lumen on high [ 3 mode ] [ D-bin SSC P7 ] 

What this DX one can do ? I never did like that driver , but for the price , it could still be a good buy for some one wanting something else rather than a XP-G R5 , As to whether it can crack 400 OTF , well , just waiting on the test bunnies .


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## sol-leks (Apr 22, 2010)

I will report back if I buy that p7, its def very tempting.
What exactly is your problem with the driver?


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## sol-leks (Apr 23, 2010)

Out of curiosity I checked DX to see if sky-ray makes any other lights and it seems that they have a AA/14500 light as well, sku. 33544

What do you guys think? Not very exciting I guess, but I bet the build quality is pretty decent if the SR-5 is any indication.


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## old4570 (Apr 23, 2010)

sol-leks said:


> I will report back if I buy that p7, its def very tempting.
> What exactly is your problem with the driver?



Problem = 3 Modes / High - Low - "STROBE"
Also this driver [ if its the same one ] is notorious for low current ..
Again for some this could be a good thing .. Running a SSC P7 @ 1.6A on high could be just right for some ? 

If its the same one as in the MC-E [ driver ] then it can be as bad as 1.2A and did some report 2.2A [ 2.2 is OK ] .. So if you need to do a driver swap [ I did ] then it stops being a good buy . 

So I wait to see how it goes , I would drop some money on it if only DX had specified 3 mode - Hi Med Lo .. At least then I could live with it even if it was low current ..


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## sol-leks (Apr 23, 2010)

Thanks for the explanation I will probably wait for more info then, I ordered the 28mm aspherical lens though.


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## mfm (Apr 24, 2010)

Only buy the P7 if you think you will like the beam profile more, it will probably be dimmer or as bright and just generate a lot more heat that the XP-G.

I tried the SkyRay against a 2x18650 TrustFire SSC-P7 which was only slightly brighter but became hot very fast.


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## sol-leks (Apr 24, 2010)

Good to know thanks! I am tempted by the better beam profile, but the sky-ray actually does have a pretty nice beam profile for something that is aimed to be more of a thrower.


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## gcbryan (Apr 24, 2010)

I have the Uniquefire L2 with XP-G R5 and I assume it's beam is similar to the Sky-Ray. I find that its the perfect combination of throw and flood (for me).

I have a MC-E in a (dive light) and it is powered by (2) 18650 batteries and its reflector is about 52 mm in diameter.

I don't see that there's much reason to get anything more than a XP-G if you're going to stay with a 30 mm diameter reflector and only (1) 18650.

Sure you can do it but there's not much point (IMO). You will just have a floody light, more heat building up, shorter runtimes and it probably won't be significantly better.

If you want greater output than a XP-G then I think that's about the time to move up to a larger body.


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## old4570 (Apr 24, 2010)

I have to dis agree , I love the SSC P7 in a P60 host ...
Ive only had 5 so far and I kept the two best , gave one away , sold one , and pulled a pill apart to re use the emitter in another light . 

Yes there flood'y , on high they just light up the back yard like crazy , for around the house , fantastic , esp if you need to see everything .

Im just surprised its taken this long , my only complaint is the driver offered in the DX version .


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## ^Gurthang (Apr 24, 2010)

phot-rod P7 drop-in? 

DX: http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.36030

Shining Beam: http://www.shiningbeam.com/servlet/the-132/3-dsh-Mode-Regulated-Circuit-Board/Detail

If it works better than the stock DX version.... worth the price?? 

Sol, the two SP-6s arrived from Light Hound. I'll start dissecting it and the UF SR5 shortly for a "Clone Wars" comparo.....


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## sol-leks (Apr 24, 2010)

Cool, I look forward to it.


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## old4570 (Apr 24, 2010)

The SB driver is a good driver , and yes its worth it . I have used it in several lights , and the 3 modes are well set out . 

KD sells a 5 mode driver that works well also , ProductId=1845

If you wanted 5 modes ...


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## sigmapixma (Apr 28, 2010)

*My new SKY-RAY Seraph knock-off*

Hey all, first time poster on CPF, but it's comforting to know that I'm not the only one obsessed with flashlights on here. Anyway, a few notes on the new Seraph-cum sky-ray from DX; first, the pro's

+ Surprisingly bright with excellent runtime, well over an hour on generic unprotected 2500 mah batteries, running full bore.

+ Solid in the hand, and the crenelated strike bezel will be a real asset in an encounter...I picture this one gouging an eye or laying a cheek open with ease and convenience.

+ Heat sink near the emitter does the job well.

+ Threads are smooth and large, effectively negating a cross thread unless you're determined to ruin your flashlight.

+ Forward (grrrr...) clicky switch engages cleanly and doesn't feel cheap.

Now, the $hitlist, because it ain't perfect:

- This emitter does not throw 320 lumen, which should shock exactly NOBODY. Next to a Stinger DS (or 'surrogate wang' as I call them) the Stinger's 140 lumen output schooled this EDC.

- The emitter looks off-center, as the solder point shows gray around where the unit should be centered

- Smooth reflector had been touched, lessening total output and as we all agree that there is no sane way to clean a reflector without making those smudges worse...some dude's partial print is on my GD reflector.

Overall, a very good value for money, with only minor details cocking up an otherwise sound purchase. I would buy this again, and have had several other people ask me where to get one. Naturally, I offered to sell it to them as a set 
A final thing I feel I should mention is the battery compartment. 18650 batteries fit loosely inside, rattling around when shaken. Rather than mention this as a con, I did a quick hack that I'm sure I read about on CPF;
1. Take an empty, clean soda can, and using the length of the battery as a guide, cut a strip of aluminum 7-8 inches long and roll it around the body of the battery. 
2. Be careful, because the edges of the can are very sharp. Once you have the aluminum approximately the same diameter as the battery tube, slide it inside and gently unroll it to fit the inside of the Sky-Ray. 
3. Not only does this method stop the battery from rattling inside the body of the light, it provides good heat conduction away from your components. I hear that makes them last longer.


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## ^Gurthang (Apr 29, 2010)

Sigma,

Don't put alum strip inside battery compartment! You could short out the battery and destroy it and your light, AND hurt yourself in the bargain....


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## skunknuts79 (Apr 29, 2010)

*Re: My new SKY-RAY Seraph knock-off*

Yeah, the aluminum strip 'mod' that you described is for heat dissipation away from the emitter/module to the head!!

Use cardboard or a notecard or something if the batteries rattle.

In my unit, the batteries do not rattle at all.

Also, the switch is a REVERSE clicky, not forward. Are you sure that your light is on high, as mine is around 300 lumens for sure.

Best,
SN


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## sol-leks (Apr 29, 2010)

Yeah I can't say for sure but mine has to be at least 250, its significantly brighter than my quark mini on high.


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## old4570 (Apr 30, 2010)

And throw , and output are not the same thing ...

A light with considerably less output can out throw a light with much more output ... Such is life ..


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## sigmapixma (May 2, 2010)

^Gurthang said:


> Sigma,
> 
> Don't put alum strip inside battery compartment! You could short out the battery and destroy it and your light, AND hurt yourself in the bargain....


 
That's good advice for noobs that are either ignorant of electricity or unfamiliar with what 2 plus amps of current feels like running arm to arm. I hear Aroostook County has more flashlight related injuries and fatalities that any other county in Maine. Down here in Freeport we eat batteries to live longer; we wash them down with diesel fuel and practically live forever. 
Me, I'm confident in the work I did with the aluminum strips in the battery compartment (e.g. no way to short the batt. or emitter without soldering wires on unnecessarily) now the Sky-Ray runs on full for more than an hour and doesn't break 114* fahrenheit @ 68 avg. room temperature. Got that with a polder kitchen thermometer probe. Holy crap, man, it's a room light too. Cheap batteries via DX doing well.


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