Convoy flashlight opinions?

[Monocrom]

Simon speaks English. Maybe not fluently but to a very good degree. Speaking from experience. Funny.... after my very negative experience and e-correspondence with him, THAT was when Simon began to take customer service far more seriously than he did in the past. But again, he speaks English.

 

[Jean-Luc Descarte]

While I don't expect him, or any other Chinese E-tailers to be fluent, I do expect them to have the basics down. But I am still keeping it courteus and as short and simple as I can.

You should be careful about those kinds of expectations. Simon is an industrial, not a salesman. You and I are both ESLs, we both know how tough it is to pick up another language when you work for a living, doubly so when your work isn't a white-collar one at a computer where you can futz around with internet searches the moment you're curious.

Besides, English is far from the only language he deals in. He converses in Russian, Thai, Hindi, Portuguese, Spanish, and all Global South languages you can think of, because Convoy is a lot easier to access for those countries than any other brand.

 

[Monocrom]

Who knows, maybe his Russian is better than his English. He and I could have conversed in Russian, and maybe gotten the issue resolved. Though I doubt it.

 

[PaladinNO]

Well, clearly the SFT-70 in the S21E is popular. ^^

Simon just added the LED to the S21E emitter range.

Convoy S21E silver 21700 flashlight - Convoy flashlight

Convoy S21E silver 21700 flashlight

convoylight.com

Now just waiting for a buck driver. I am all over the S21E - we got like 9 of them now, including 4 for my mother.

Question about the Silver version though. Is that paint, or just polished and lacquered aluminium, or is it something else? Based on the pictures, I just can't NOT see that colour flaking off. And that puts me off buying them.

 

[Jean-Luc Descarte]

It's aluminium with a clear coat of anodisation. And that being the case, it ages so much better than any of the other finishes. It never stops being shiny metal no matter how dented or scraped it gets.

Since Convoy doesn't offer Type-III HA, I'd consider that the best finish you can ask for unless you insist on colors.

 

[orbital]

Well, clearly the SFT-70 in the S21E is popular. ^^

Simon just added the LED to the S21E emitter range.

Convoy S21E silver 21700 flashlight - Convoy flashlight

Convoy S21E silver 21700 flashlight

convoylight.com

Now just waiting for a buck driver. I am all over the S21E - we got like 9 of them now, including 4 for my mother.

Question about the Silver version though. Is that paint, or just polished and lacquered aluminium, or is it something else? Based on the pictures, I just can't NOT see that colour flaking off. And that puts me off buying them.

+

Owner of three S21E myself ,
really great light and becoming a true favorite being sooo small a 21700 light

If you get the 10degree TIR, smaller emitters work slightly better with it
like SFT40 ~ SFT-25R
I also have a LHP531 along with the other two I mentioned.

The W5050SQ5 emitter in 4000K is on my radar

 

[Jean-Luc Descarte]

+

Owner of three S21E myself ,
really great light and becoming a true favorite being sooo small a 21700 light

If you get the 10degree TIR, smaller emitters work slightly better with it
like SFT40 ~ SFT-25R
I also have a LHP531 along with the other two I mentioned.

The W5050SQ5 emitter in 4000K is on my radar

In my experience, the 15º and 20º beaded TIRs have changed the game for me. The B35AM works beautifully with them.

 

[PaladinNO]

Owner of three S21E myself ,
really great light and becoming a true favorite being sooo small a 21700 light

If you get the 10degree TIR, smaller emitters work slightly better with it
like SFT40 ~ SFT-25R
I also have a LHP531 along with the other two I mentioned.

Mine are all with various 519A or SFT-70.
5x 519A 2700K and 1x 1800K, plus 1x SFT-70 3000K, with 2x 5000K currently on the way.

I'm a floody guy, so everything is 45° bead TIR (works excellent indoors, no blinding reflection in a window, and at short to medium range outdoors), except the 2x 5000K which is 60° TIR (will be handsfree worklights attached to a belt, in rotating holsters).

As far as I could find, the SFT-70 is more suited to floody setups, with the SFT-40 is more of a thrower. And I can imagine especially so with a 10° TIR.
But I have tried the 10° TIR, both bead and flat (according to a review, the 10° bead gives slightly better throw than the flat one), in the 3X21E. I currently got a trio of 10° bead TIR lenses in the 3X21 519A 1800K nightstand light.

 

[PaladinNO]

It's aluminium with a clear coat of anodisation. And that being the case, it ages so much better than any of the other finishes. It never stops being shiny metal no matter how dented or scraped it gets.

Since Convoy doesn't offer Type-III HA, I'd consider that the best finish you can ask for unless you insist on colors.

Are you serious!? :O
That got me so excited, i couldn't evne type properly for a monment. <- Just like that.

Damn, if I had known that before I ordered the Tan ones, I should have gone with the Silver. Because for my intended usecase, the Silver ones would have been even funnier. Will be carrying the pair as work lights in rotating holsters attached on the belt on each side of me, and the moment I saw the Silver ones, I thought of old western revolvers.

Just "slap the sides", and both lights rotate and turns on, like the muzzle flash of dual wielding revolvers in a duel. That's the meme I was hoping for anyway, likely much more epic in my head.

Oh well, there is always a later order. Though that wasn't intended to be happening for a good, long while now...

 

[orbital]

+

anyone try one of these tailcaps for S21E ?

 

[glockboy]

I got it, work great.

 

[Jean-Luc Descarte]

Mine are all with various 519A or SFT-70.
5x 519A 2700K and 1x 1800K, plus 1x SFT-70 3000K, with 2x 5000K currently on the way.

I'm a floody guy, so everything is 45° bead TIR (works excellent indoors, no blinding reflection in a window, and at short to medium range outdoors), except the 2x 5000K which is 60° TIR (will be handsfree worklights attached to a belt, in rotating holsters).

I said before, but both of mine are B35AM. I used to use OP reflectors on them, but after I switched to 15º matte and 20º beaded TIRs for the 3000K and 5700K respectively, I've found myself using them a whole lot more. Incredibly pleasant smooth beams, and useful outdoors too.

NOTE: Those interested, make sure to get the 21mm size, not the 23mm one. The 21mm version allows you to keep the glass lens over the TIR, for that extra water and dust ingress resistance.

 

[orbital]

+

Thanks for the info on 21mm TIR

edit/add: Have one of these 23.5mm TIR (15 degree bead) in my next order, it doesn't have the 'white holder'.
If it fills the head without lens that's fine because it's solid

It was less than a buck, so either way

 

[PaladinNO]

I said before, but both of mine are B35AM. I used to use OP reflectors on them, but after I switched to 15º matte and 20º beaded TIRs for the 3000K and 5700K respectively, I've found myself using them a whole lot more. Incredibly pleasant smooth beams, and useful outdoors too.

To each their own, my friend. And, damn, I am so glad there is an option for everyone out there!

I have to admit I am getting the feeling I have fallen down a rabbit hole, but the more I use the 45° bead TIR, the less I like any kind of a hotspot. With the 3X21E, I have now tried 10° flat, 10° bead, 45° bead and the 60° bead. As well as seen what the 5° flat in the Sofirn IF22A can do. And I don't see - for me - any need for any further middle ground.

I did take a good, long look at the B35AM, but after reading some reviews, I figured the SFT-70 (3000K) would be a better emitter for my usecase. And with its higher output vs the 519A, I feel I have found a third go-to emitter. E21A for the best CRI for detail work, 519A for general purpose indoors, and the SFT-70 for outdoors.

How can I put this? I feel my needs have finally been sated - and after 75 lights, about damn time too! As far as my Fenx lights go, that's where neither the emitter, CRI, CCT or the beam pattern matter as much - those are "work" lights, where I need them to perform (Lumen number) as needed, but much more importantly be reliable. Drop them, bash somebody in the head with them (hey, some time gotta be the first time, right?) or throw them - I would need them to still work afterwards, and I don't trust a Convoy or Emisar or Fireflies light that much.

Everything nearby is twisty gravel roads with a lot of trees everywhere - even a close range thrower feels pointless, as I (as I use my lights) would just hit a tree or a corner anyway. So anything illuminating past 100 meters is just a reflected waste of Lumen. I am exaggerating here, but seriously, all I want is good spread with no hotspot.

But for all my love the 519A, the one thing I don't like about it is the wide band of actual CCTs you can get from it. You can order 2 lights, both with 519A 4000K, and you'll get one at 3800K and the other at 4200K. From what I've seen of the E21A (3500K, since there is no E21A 4000K), if you do the same there, you'll get 3502K and 3498K.

So while I have found 3 emitters that works for me, each of them have their own flaws.
E21A - low output power.
519A - inconsistent CCTs.
SFT-70 - tint shift.

So even if the B35AM is a middle ground of all of those, it's honestly (and I apologize in advance for uttering a sinful word) not something I need at the moment.
I know we don't use the word "need" around here.

 

[Jean-Luc Descarte]

To each their own, my friend. And, damn, I am so glad there is an option for everyone out there!

Oh yes, don't get me wrong, I'm not dissing anyone's use case. Just adding my two cents to the fountain, so to speak.

Related, but aye, I get not wanting or needing any B35AM lights. It's not a powerful emitter, it has atrocious heatsinking, and a slew of other problems that, say, the SFT70 or XHP50 don't have. Not a great choice for actual luminosity. I tend to favor it because my applications are all low-power, so might as well have the CRI, wide CCT choice and boost driver.

As far as my Fenx lights go, that's where neither the emitter, CRI, CCT or the beam pattern matter as much - those are "work" lights, where I need them to perform (Lumen number) as needed, but much more importantly be reliable. Drop them, bash somebody in the head with them (hey, some time gotta be the first time, right?) or throw them - I would need them to still work afterwards, and I don't trust a Convoy or Emisar or Fireflies light that much.

Totally agree. I use my lights on light duty, and while a number of my Convoys, Lumintops, Thrunites and so on have withstood an impressive amount of bashing and colliding, an equal number has failed in the same circumstances, typically from broken drivers. I'd have to pot them to really trust them for hard use, and I'm not willing to go that far.

Fenix is rugged and reliable, and if I could get even an old PD35 XM-L2 for cheap, I'd nab it in a heartbeat to be my roughneck light.

 

[PaladinNO]

Fenix is rugged and reliable, and if I could get even an old PD35 XM-L2 for cheap, I'd nab it in a heartbeat to be my roughneck light.

The old PD35 were excellent. I had a PD35 (2014 model, 960 Lumen - the v1 / gen. 1 as far as I know) on my work belt for years. It's been through some stuff, and still works 100 %. Liked it so much I bought 2 more - but of course, shortly after that, I switched jobs and replaced the light, as I suddenly found myself needing more Lumen (went for Acebeam EC50 gen. II, 3000 Lumen). So that's a pair of brand new PD35's just sitting on my shelf.

The old PD35 also has the switch setup I want - tail switch for On / Off, plus side switch for mode selection. Simple, intuitive, and very much usable with gloves. Everything I look for in a serious light.

 

[glockboy]

Put the tailcap on your S21E, work like your PD35.

 

[PaladinNO]

Put the tailcap on your S21E, work like your PD35.

I did think about that, but I thought that optional S21E tailcap with switch would override the side switch?
Makese sense it would work like that though, I just couldn't find anything conclusive.

If I do it, would the tail switch still work as a physical lockout? I can live with the different colour (as the tail cap is only available in Black), but I do want the physical lockout.



EDIT:
Dang, it does work! Doesn't show the lockout feature though.


Alright, well, I already got something in the cart over at Convoy, so...we'll see when I make another order. But that makes the tailcap with switch definitely interesting, as I got plenty of S21E lights now.

 

[PaladinNO]

Is my Nitecore UMS4 charger reading the cell wrong (or am I reading the charger wrong), or is there something else going on? With my latest purchase of Convoy lights, I included a Molicel P50B in all of the 21700 lights.

But when all of them reads 4,20 Volt, and the charger says they are full, the capacity - according to the charger - is only 3500 - 3600 mAh. Or is that what the charger has put into the battery? First time I charge them though, I guess that can have something to do with it as well.

Took around 7 and a half hours to charge them to "Full".

 

[glockboy]

Try the discharge function, it show the capacity of the battery.
Get the Vapcell S4 Plus V3.0, it charge much faster.
Convoy sell it too.