What was the last LED light you purchased and why?

[PaladinNO]

Photos of the M21H - 24° bead TIR and serrated bezel.


Stock 8° TIR and extra 24° bead TIR (I had already added a 24° lens to the order, but Simon sent me a second one for free for some reason).


The 24° was definitely the right choice - no hotspot or artifacts, just a smooth, round beam. Exactly what I wanted.

The other lights I ordered - L21B, 3X21A and 2x S21E - were lights identical to what I already had, so I didn't take photos of those.

 

[orbital]

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Ordered my second Convoy 3X21A
Got one over the winter and was very surprised on how deep the reflectors are.
The beam with three LHP531 is not what you'd expect,,, if you were a betting man, you'd say it wasn't a triple.
definitely not your average triple flood,, no way

Been thinking about it for a while, so today got another with LUMINUS SFT-42R in 5000K
the driver is a 25A buck w/ 3x21700=== that's driving three small, very high performance emitters.

This pic is from BLF (Mocarny review) and using it to give reference of reflector

 

[Jean-Luc Descarte]

Got me a second Sofirn SC13. Import taxes here have dropped significantly, so it was at like 2/3rds of the price it used to go for. I had to snap up a green one. It's just a fantastic little torch.

 

[Robocop]

I just bought several of the Noctigon KR4 and new KR3 with multiple emitters and each has the optional 18350 adapter. I bought these as I like the lego style they offer and with the 18350 body they remind me of a much improved version of the original ARC LS. I am an absolute sucker for anything in the 16340 to 18350 size and with todays emitter choices it is a good time to be a flashaholic.

 

[PaladinNO]

Ordered my second Convoy 3X21A
Got one over the winter and was very surprised on how deep the reflectors are.
The beam with three LHP531 is not what you'd expect,,, if you were a betting man, you'd say it wasn't a triple.
definitely not your average triple flood,, no way

The 3X21A triple-LED configuration reminds me of the older (2015 model, I believe) Fenix TK75.
2018 version got 4 emitters.

How would you say the Convoy 3X21A triple-LED works as a flood light? I have a pair of 3X21A single-LED (LHP73B, with smooth reflector), and they are ALL throw! As intended, though I ordered them both specifically with a smooth reflector, but I only use them with a diffuser for indoor emergency use - so likely rather against their intended use.

 

[orbital]

The 3X21A triple-LED configuration reminds me of the older (2015 model, I believe) Fenix TK75.
2018 version got 4 emitters.

View attachment 96466

How would you say the Convoy 3X21A triple-LED works as a flood light? I have a pair of 3X21A single-LED (LHP73B, with smooth reflector), and they are ALL throw! As intended, though I ordered them both specifically with a smooth reflector, but I only use them with a diffuser for indoor emergency use - so likely rather against their intended use.

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I ceiling bounce alot for my lighting needs,, been doing that for at least 15 years.
found that total flood lights really are not better for ceiling bounce lighting (pure pencil beam thrower are not good either)

a good overall beam with a hotspot ultimately works the best,,,, and I'v tried everything & every tint

3X21A (triple) is a great ceiling bounce/indirect lighting setup

 

[jon_slider]

Emisar D3AA

Dual Channel mix can simulate sunset colors before bed.
And the shut off timer is handy on the nightstand.

Deep Red is useful for late night bathroom visits.
Red Light does not reduce Melatonin, so it lets me get back to sleep easily.

 

[Orion]

I bought three Wurkkos lights......because they were on sale and I thought,......."why not?". A blue HD04, a navy blue FC11C, and a gold WK03.

 

[Jean-Luc Descarte]

Haven't pulled the trigger yet, but I'm planning to: an M26D running the SFT70 4000K.


A few reasons:
1. I'm really bit by the 4000-4500K CCTs as great around-the-clock color temperature, unlike cool white that is too harsh at night or warm white that's barely usable during the day. And the SFT70 in 4000K has such high Ra, R9 and cyan light, that it puts even Nichia's best to shame.
2. I can order it with a 26650 battery but still come with the 26800 tube extender, so I can swap the 26800 I have on my S26A into it. The M26D has integrated USB charging so I don't need to lug around a specialty charger, and by removing the need for a spacer on the S26A it becomes even easier to handle and pocket than it already is.
3. The M26D has less head/body diameter discrepancy than the M21H, so as a result it's more pocketable. IME the head/body ratio matters a lot more than the max width of a light or its weight – if the body is thin and the head is huge, it'll shift around a lot and be uncomfortable. I love my M21F and M21H but they've turned out to be my least carried lights by a good margin, way behind even the S26A.

 

[Monocrom]

Ordered a handful of lights just a few days back.
But the very last one is a Fenix LD22 V2 that runs off of Fenix's ARB-L14-1100U rechargeable battery for a rated 800 lumens. But best part.... you can toss 2AA batts. into it if the rechargeable battery stick runs out of juice, and you still need to use the light. Though output is going to dip quite a bit. I love powerful AA and 2AA lights. This Fenix model is one of the better offerings on the market. Arrived last night. Very comfortable in the hand. Glad I bought it. Also love dual fuel lights.

 

[Hooked on Fenix]

Infinity X1 10,000 lumen usb-c rechargeable flashlight with 500 lumen/ half mile range l.e.p.. Also works as an 8 amp power bank at 2.4 amps. Was $37.99 at Costco. Only drawback with this model is they cheaped out on giving the 9 Duracell AA batteries for the backup battery carrier. Still, this has got to be the best bang for the buck light I have ever seen. L.e.p. lights usually go for $100-$300. I also got the 2000 lumen remote controlled tripod light from the same brand as well.

 

[PaladinNO]

Haven't pulled the trigger yet, but I'm planning to: an M26D running the SFT70 4000K.
View attachment 96673

A few reasons:
1. I'm really bit by the 4000-4500K CCTs as great around-the-clock color temperature, unlike cool white that is too harsh at night or warm white that's barely usable during the day. And the SFT70 in 4000K has such high Ra, R9 and cyan light, that it puts even Nichia's best to shame.

The SFT-70 4000K is fairly new, isn't it? I don't remember seeing it available when I bought my Convoy M21H just a month ago.
I bought mine with SFT-70, 3000K, reading how the 5000K and 6500K were both CRI 70 or so.

Please tell us what you think of it, when you buy the M26D. I have been back and forth on that exact model several times now, though I landed on the M21H.

For strictly the best colour rendering, I find the Nichia E21A, 3500K + 4500K mix, to be the best (compared to 519A, 4000K, with natural sunlight as the baseline, tested primarily with shades of Red). But the E21A has really poor output power / low Lumen vs the 519A and SFT-70. If you get 1000 Lumen with the E21A, the 519A would give you like 2500 Lumen in the same flashlight. And the SFT-70 even more.

If you'd like to try it, I'd recommend an Emisar D4K or D4V2 as a cheap-ish introduction light. And ask Hank to use 2x E21A 3500K and 2x 4500K LEDs - or go with the dual-channel version. The LumeX1 driver is not compatible with the E21A anyway.

 

[Jean-Luc Descarte]

The SFT-70 4000K is fairly new, isn't it? I don't remember seeing it available when I bought my Convoy M21H just a mongth ago.
I bought mine with SFT-70, 3000K, reading how the 5000K and 6500K were both CRI 70 or so.

Please tell us what you think of it, when you buy the M26D. I have been back and forth on that exact model several times now, though I landed on the M21H.

For strictly the best colour rendering, I find the Nichia E21A, 3500K + 4500K mix, to be the best (compared to 519A, 4000K, with natural sunlight as the baseline, tested primarily with shades of Red). But the E21A has really poor output power / low Lumen vs the 519A and SFT-70. If you get 1000 Lumen with the E21A, the 519A would give you like 2500 Lumen in the same flashlight. And the SFT-70 even more.

If you'd like to try it, I'd recommend an Emisar D4K or D4V2 as a cheap-ish introduction light. And ask Hank to use 2x E21A 3500K and 2x 4500K LEDs - or go with the dual-channel version. The LumeX1 driver is not compatible with the E21A anyway.

I checked out intl-outdoor. Unfortunately currency exchanges and taxes mean one of my purchases for a budget light equals a Surefire/Modlite/HDS purchase for most of this forum.

45 dollars for a D4K (without battery) plus shipping is not within my price range.

 

[jon_slider]

currency exchanges and taxes mean one of my purchases for a budget light equals a Surefire/Modlite/HDS purchase

$400 in fees for a $45 light?

Are you sure there is not some sort of misunderstanding?

Emisar shipping is free for items over $40

 

[Jean-Luc Descarte]

$400 in fees for a $45 light?

Are you sure there is not some sort of misunderstanding?

Emisar shipping is free for items over $40

Yes, there's no misunderstanding. Minimum wage here is US$200 a month and economy scales accordingly. My regular annual income is less than US$15K.
It doesn't translate directly into currency, but in terms of PPP it might as well be $200-ish for a yank.

I saw the part on shipping and could get a slightly more expensive accessory to go over the $40 mark, but at the same time it's still a battery-less purchase.

 

[PaladinNO]

I saw the part on shipping and could get a slightly more expensive accessory to go over the $40 mark, but at the same time it's still a battery-less purchase.

So you're not residing in the USA? If you are, then Jackson Lee ( https://jlhawaii808.com/ ) is the Emisar US-reseller, and he is supposedly cheaper on the shipping to the locals.

Hank Wang (Emisar owner) says he doesn't ship flashlights with batteries for safety reasons. And because there are so many different batteries he then would be requested to sell, and that wasn't a hassle he wanted to deak with. And I understand both of those reasons.

I feel you on the shipping costs - as a European, shipping is expensive no matter what I buy, even domestically.
Bought a photo bag on Ebay recently, for 45 EUR - with shipping, VAT, customs, taxes and I don't know what else, it ended up costing 100 EUR when I finally held it in my hands. As much as I wanted that bag, I was definitely not happy with all the...additional monetary attachments.

200 USD equivalent would be a decent Fenix flashlight for me, and at that price it would be a more considered purchase, as I would expect a lot more from a flashlight in that price range, compared to a Convoy or Emisar.

 

[jon_slider]

photo bag on Ebay recently, for 45 EUR - ... ended up costing 100 EUR

so for a Hanklight D4K with clip, cost is $42, so you would pay
0 shipping,
10.7% duty in Norway, and
25% Vat,
for a total of $58 correct?

 

[PaladinNO]

so for a Hanklight D4K with clip, cost is $42, so you would pay
0 shipping,
10.7% duty in Norway, and
25% Vat,
for a total of $58 correct?

It depends whether the parcel gets stopped in customs, and what the shipping papers says the content values are.
For the most part, parcels from Convoy and Emisar has NOT been stopped, so I'm only paying whatever the order value is.

To be perfectly honest, I have long since given up on trying to estimate what a parcel or order could or would actually end up costing, because not once have I been correct, even when using the customs calculator - because it doesn't include everything, like additional handling fees. It only gives me a number based off of package value + shipping.

Not even my recent 400 USD Convoy order got checked, so that one was 400 USD delivered with nothing extra to pay. But that is a gamble.
Typically with Ebay though, it would be item + shipping + VAT, plus domestic customs and handling fees which is both a flat rate + flexible sum based off of content value.

So if it looks like I'm paying VAT + import duties (basically the same thing, with a different name) for a double amount, then yes, I am - and I am none to happy about it!
Only reason why I am paying it or even buying whatever in the first place, is because domestic availability for almost everything interesting is [strong censorship] non-existent!

All that aside (and ranting / venting completed), a D4K, once spec'ed the way I would want it and ticked the boxes I want, isn't 42 USD or 58 USD - it's closer to 74 USD (am looking at a Stone White D4K, dual-channel W2 Blue + Deep Red, plus optional extras, right now). But if everything goes smoothly, a 42 USD Hank-light would be 42 USD delivered, possibly with a 5-10 USD postal fee (based on package size and weight) to have it shipped from whatever Norwegian airport the parcel arrives at and to me. And that extra charge has been random.

 

[jon_slider]

thank you for explaining how things work for you in Europe
Im very lucky here in USA

I only pay the price shown on Hanks site..
nothing is added after it arrives.

My most recent purchase is a Polished Silver Dual Channel D3AA w NTG35 4200K and Red with metal button, magnet and clip, for $48 delivered..

Im really enjoying it with a fully captive clip from a KR1AA:

For whatever reasons, the NTG35 4200K in the D3AA, have slightly higher CCT and slightly lower DUV, than the NTG50 4200K in my KR1AA.. notice the difference between where the dots land on this spectrum plot:

 

[dc38]

thank you for explaining how things work for you in Europe
Im very lucky here in USA

I only pay the price shown on Hanks site..
nothing is added after it arrives.

My most recent purchase is a Polished Silver Dual Channel D3AA w NTG35 4200K and Red with metal button, magnet and clip, for $48 delivered..

Im really enjoying it with a fully captive clip from a KR1AA:
View attachment 96794

For whatever reasons, the NTG35 4200K in the D3AA, have slightly higher CCT and slightly lower DUV, than the NTG50 4200K in my KR1AA.. notice the difference between where the dots land on this spectrum plot:
View attachment 96789

nice! If possible, be careful with the solder wick...It could fall apart if messed with enough, and leave thin strands of copper that could short things that shouldn't be shorted...