Are modded lights worth it?

[outofthedarkness]

The thought of having nothing but mass produced cool whites makes me feel sad and missing out tbh, crazy high output is not everything, the colours your illuminating is!

Gunga is da man, thanks to this awesome gent, my too cool xml U3 in a v11r is now a nichia 219C and gets used all the time rather than taking space up in a draw .............

I cannot understand this yet?

To me the Cool white brightest light looks the most futuristic and more impressive, the neutral light just takes me back to the old torches of the 1990's with bulbs. Ive only got photo's to go off tho

I wish I understood more!

I want my light to be so bright it stuns people, would neutral tint be easier to look at, lets say an intruder was in my back garden and I hit him with some cool vs neutral light, I feel the cool would be harder to look at. the neutral would be like normal sunlight?

Am I right or wrong ?

I wonder if the neutral tint is something of an aquired taste or just something that comes with time of having lights.

I agree that the colours pop more which is a good thing

 

[ven]

I cannot understand this yet?

To me the Cool white brightest light looks the most futuristic and more impressive, the neutral light just takes me back to the old torches of the 1990's with bulbs. Ive only got photo's to go off tho

I wish I understood more!

I want my light to be so bright it stuns people, would neutral tint be easier to look at, lets say an intruder was in my back garden and I hit him with some cool vs neutral light, I feel the cool would be harder to look at. the neutral would be like normal sunlight?

Am I right or wrong ?

I wonder if the neutral tint is something of an aquired taste or just something that comes with time of having lights.

I agree that the colours pop more which is a good thing

Cool white at the same output(to keep simple 1000lm) will appear brighter to the eye, but colours will not be as vivid, so even though you may loose 10% brightness, its not quite as simple as colours look better and more true to the real thing. You will get past the futuristic bit as it looks washed out.

Thats 5000k so kind of cool side of neutral

Thats 6500k cool white


See the colour difference? and its better in real life as thats on a phone

1000lm of neutral white or 1000lm of cool white will dazzle someone regardless, its completely subjective with no rights or wrongs, just personal preferences. I like cool white in some case, but prefer more 4000-5000k for colours, the little lost in output(who cares if its 10,000lm or 9,000lm as your eyes wont tell much at all, yet the colour difference will give more details back to your brain.

1990's bulbs might be 3000k so warm in tint, very high cri=great for colour. 1990's flashlights are lame in comparison for output, so nothing to even compare to today..............you were lucky for 30lm from 4x D cell light.

Definitely not an acquired taste, in fact the opposite, cool white fans on here would be in the minority as here we know better. General public do not know any different, but once enlightened it soon sinks in and then understand the benefits. Both have benefits, but more neutral is a lot easier on the eye!

Normal sun light varies continuously, dependent on time of day, cloudy or overcast. On a cloudy day or overcast, check some colours out, then on a bright sunny day(good luck with that in the UK :laughing see how the 7000k bright sunlight fades colours.

If its bright its bright regardless of colour temp, if i strobe you with 5000lm of 4000k or 5000lm of 6000k, i will disorientate you with both.

Time will change your thoughts on things , experience in tints and outputs etc .

I have a few 6000k cool white lights and like them, no issues, i just prefer more 5000k for stuff which is still a cool white . Some class 4000k, others 5000k as neutral , iirc incan is 4000k for neutral.

I am not a tint snob, nor do i know the ins and outs as many. If you want accurate colour rendition when using your light, then take note of the K. If you just want bright white light that will be blue-ish, washed out colours then it wont be a problem. The cheap chinese junk on ebay are great example of crap leds(usually fake) but if not, ringy ice cold tints .

Very subjective again, my advice is try for yourself and see the light! :laughing:

 

[staticx57]

You will eventually get to the point where you only want nicha 219B's

 

[ven]

Love nichia 219B's, yes there will be a point for sure, i like them in my work lights for close up flood/rendition, like them in triples(sportac to name one).

Far right is a 4 mode nichia triple i got off SOYCD

From left to right in K :laughing:
m361N 4000k/EDC+ triple 4000k/P60vn quad 5000k/triple 5000k/triple nichia 219B 4500k

Love them all!!!!

 

[jorn]

Costs like 6-7$ for a new led. So yes it's really worth it, if you can do it yourself

 

[Cobraman502]

Costs like 6-7$ for a new led. So yes it's really worth it, if you can do it yourself

List of goodies I just bought for my first p60 build.

Product	Model	Quantity	Price	Total
17mm DrJones H17F Driver w/ lucidrv2 - 7135 + FET - H17F Spring: QLITE Spring	DRJONES-H17F-17MM	1	$17.29	$17.29
CREE XP-L HI V2 3B LED on Noctigon 16mm MCPCB	XP16-XPL-HI-V2-3B	1	$6.89	$6.89
P60 XM Dropin - Smooth Reflector	P60XMDI-SMO	1	$2.99	$2.99
Solarforce L2P Host - HAIII - FWD Clicky	SOLARFORCE-L2P	1	$18.79	$18.79
CREE XP Series 15mm OD Translucent Insulation Gaskets (XP-G2, XP-E2, XP-L)

 

[outofthedarkness]

Cool white at the same output(to keep simple 1000lm) will appear brighter to the eye, but colours will not be as vivid, so even though you may loose 10% brightness, its not quite as simple as colours look better and more true to the real thing. You will get past the futuristic bit as it looks washed out.

Thats 5000k so kind of cool side of neutral

Thats 6500k cool white


See the colour difference? and its better in real life as thats on a phone

1000lm of neutral white or 1000lm of cool white will dazzle someone regardless, its completely subjective with no rights or wrongs, just personal preferences. I like cool white in some case, but prefer more 4000-5000k for colours, the little lost in output(who cares if its 10,000lm or 9,000lm as your eyes wont tell much at all, yet the colour difference will give more details back to your brain.

1990's bulbs might be 3000k so warm in tint, very high cri=great for colour. 1990's flashlights are lame in comparison for output, so nothing to even compare to today..............you were lucky for 30lm from 4x D cell light.

Definitely not an acquired taste, in fact the opposite, cool white fans on here would be in the minority as here we know better. General public do not know any different, but once enlightened it soon sinks in and then understand the benefits. Both have benefits, but more neutral is a lot easier on the eye!

Normal sun light varies continuously, dependent on time of day, cloudy or overcast. On a cloudy day or overcast, check some colours out, then on a bright sunny day(good luck with that in the UK :laughing see how the 7000k bright sunlight fades colours.

If its bright its bright regardless of colour temp, if i strobe you with 5000lm of 4000k or 5000lm of 6000k, i will disorientate you with both.

Time will change your thoughts on things , experience in tints and outputs etc .

I have a few 6000k cool white lights and like them, no issues, i just prefer more 5000k for stuff which is still a cool white . Some class 4000k, others 5000k as neutral , iirc incan is 4000k for neutral.

I am not a tint snob, nor do i know the ins and outs as many. If you want accurate colour rendition when using your light, then take note of the K. If you just want bright white light that will be blue-ish, washed out colours then it wont be a problem. The cheap chinese junk on ebay are great example of crap leds(usually fake) but if not, ringy ice cold tints .

Very subjective again, my advice is try for yourself and see the light! :laughing:

Thanks Sir Ven

 

[ven]

No probs, skyway 3x xml very cool white

Armytek Viking cool white

tn35vn which is an MT-G2 5000k(cool side of neutral)

tk75vnQ70 which is the xhp70, as its flood in this light, no washing out of colours





Not much colour to go off, but a couple of examples, the tn36vn with CW MKR's(not bad for cool white tbh)

x40vn triple quad


Just better colours, easier on the eye.

 

[outofthedarkness]

No probs, skyway 3x xml very cool white

Armytek Viking cool white

tn35vn which is an MT-G2 5000k(cool side of neutral)

tk75vnQ70 which is the xhp70, as its flood in this light, no washing out of colours





Not much colour to go off, but a couple of examples, the tn36vn with CW MKR's(not bad for cool white tbh)

x40vn triple quad


Just better colours, easier on the eye.

Last pic looks like it was late afternoon, the sky dont look too dark at all, ?

I can see the colour difference, defo more colour on the neutral

 

[ven]

Cant remember the exact time, was late on at least 9 or 10pm at time. Sun was virtually gone anyway and thats behind the house. If anything it gives a disadvantage , complete darkness shows the light easier..................Probably as the sun has gone down, the last little light across the sky as the garden was dark.

Yes, colours are better and less strain on the eyes. For throwers, i dont mind cool tints, for flood or close up i like them to be a little more warmer or neutral.................everyone is different and it is what you prefer. Does not mean i am right or wrong, just my preferences and before you start buying lots of lights, its good to try and find preferences early on as most new to decent light dont know any different due to not having that choice. Shops etc tend to cater for the masses, cool white or cool white .

What your interested in now, in maybe a couple of years or so, will more than likely quite different ! Happens to most of us if not all maybe! All a learning curve and to find what suits us the best for that use

 

[NICSAK]

I know that when I first started buying lights a few months ago I did what most people did and just bought cool white. It seemed like that was the way to go but after joint CPF and learning more..mostly from ven[emoji6]...I have now come to really appreciate and only want lights at 5000k or below. It just makes it so much more real and comfortable. The colors are just amazing with neutral/warm led's. I still use my cool white lights once in a while but I almost always grab a neutral one now. I am in the process of reflowing the led's on my cool white lights.

 

[outofthedarkness]

I know that when I first started buying lights a few months ago I did what most people did and just bought cool white. It seemed like that was the way to go but after joint CPF and learning more..mostly from ven[emoji6]...I have now come to really appreciate and only want lights at 5000k or below. It just makes it so much more real and comfortable. The colors are just amazing with neutral/warm led's. I still use my cool white lights once in a while but I almost always grab a neutral one now. I am in the process of reflowing the led's on my cool white lights.

Sounds like I should start on the Neutrals right away then.

 

[ven]

Aim around the 5000k, if used to 6000 or 6500k its not huge to the eyes, but colours are accurate. Take from there, only to save money in long run and not end up buying 10 cold white lights to find you like neutral and then not use them! I might know someone who has done that....................

Then maybe in time experiment a little, try a nichia 219B, maybe a nice triple sportac drop in and solarforce host(not expensive and very good) to see how you like some 4500k goodness. See the colours pop..........

Just thoughts................

 

[NICSAK]

Aim around the 5000k, if used to 6000 or 6500k its not huge to the eyes, but colours are accurate. Take from there, only to save money in long run and not end up buying 10 cold white lights to find you like neutral and then not use them! I might know someone who has done that....................

Then maybe in time experiment a little, try a nichia 219B, maybe a nice triple sportac drop in and solarforce host(not expensive and very good) to see how you like some 4500k goodness. See the colours pop..........

Just thoughts................

This is very good advice!! 5000k is a great place to start. It's not quite warm but not cool either. Right in the middle and perfect.

 

[liteboy]

Yes agree with all above. My Toolvn is first light with 4K tint and it is sooo amazing the color rendition . I'm looking for seeing how the 219b looks like, on the swm c22cvn

 

[staticx57]

I have nicha 219B lights with 4000k, 4500k, and 5000k. 4000k is my favorite followed by 4500k and lastly 5000k. I am not interested in 5700k nichia 219B. Too cold for my tastes.

 

[KITROBASKIN]

Are modded lights worth it? With the heat issues allowing little run time would it be better to just buy stock?

Seems like it would be safe to say that flashlight modders have helped to up the ante for stock lights, so that is a win-win situation in my book. Modders are able to fine tune what a person would like to try, or fulfil very accurately what they want. That, my friend, is a good, good thing.

Having said that, in this day and age, many power/emitter modifications may only get you a 5-10% increase that is just about indistinguishable to the naked eye. (Dispute is welcome, and that is different that something like dedoming for throw, which does make a big difference)

 

[neutralwhite]

I wish they'd make a Yuji led available for flashlights.
5600k 98cri!.
Perfect!.

 

[Str8stroke]

Aim around the 5000k, if used to 6000 or 6500k its not huge to the eyes, but colours are accurate. Take from there, only to save money in long run and not end up buying 10 cold white lights to find you like neutral and then not use them! I might know someone who has done that....................
Then maybe in time experiment a little, try a nichia 219B, maybe a nice triple sportac drop in and solarforce host(not expensive and very good) to see how you like some 4500k goodness. See the colours pop..........
Just thoughts................

Sorry to clutter the page, I know this was already quoted, but.......................^^^^^ I 1000% agree with this advice/thought process. Everybody has different eyes & likes. My first Triple was a Sportac. I still have it and even though it is "dated" it performs very well. This is assuming you want a Wall of Light. After buy, building and trying just about every type of drop in I can think of, I find the Triples are the most useful in a light.
Wait, I have yet to get a Quad. That is coming soon. I know you are thinking, St8 doesn't have a Quad? Wth?? Well I had one kid when I started lights, now with 3, I have had to slow the buying down! lol So that way the kids have their legos, and I have my Legos!!!

 

[LedTed]

For me ... no. And that negative response is based on the experience of about ten modded lights; bodies and LEDs.

The wait was usually much longer than originally planned.
The level of workmanship was usually lower than touted by this group.
There were also technical issues such as: fitment issues, greater heat, LED color shift, new battery requirements, and reduced run times

Do as you will. At lest for now, I'm somewhat put off of modded lights.