Thanks G, The one I received has an alloy retaining ring so it might be a fake. Quality feels pretty good and the light functions fine so far. Kinda wish I didn't have two more on the way from Gearbest if these are fakes!!!!
Review: Convoy S2+ (the red one!) – Fantastic 18650 EDC
- Thread starter Chicken Drumstick
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Thanks G, The one I received has an alloy retaining ring so it might be a fake. Quality feels pretty good and the light functions fine so far. Kinda wish I didn't have two more on the way from Gearbest if these are fakes!!!!
gunga
Flashaholic
Quality of the fakes varies. Some good. Some not. So you could have a good one. Note. Gearbest is aware so you can do a Paypal claim if unsatisfied.
chuckhov
Enlightened
Also check the switch - The Real one is Stainless Steel, while the Fake one is Aluminum.
I have one of the Real ones and am very pleased with it.
I would like for the tint to be a little less yellow, but that involves an "A" or a "D" emitter. - 3D - 4A - 4D, etc and those are hard to find:-(
http://flashlightwiki.com/images/c/cb/Ansi-white.jpg
Thanks,
-Chuck.
I have one of the Real ones and am very pleased with it.
I would like for the tint to be a little less yellow, but that involves an "A" or a "D" emitter. - 3D - 4A - 4D, etc and those are hard to find:-(
http://flashlightwiki.com/images/c/cb/Ansi-white.jpg
Thanks,
-Chuck.
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Well this makes 3 fakes I have gotten in the last month. I'm pretty happy with the fake S2+ and don't mind that I have two more on the way. The two fake Hugsby XP-1's I got are pretty bad but I can give them away to my enemies!!!! So now the Chinese are making fakes of their own flashlights???
Phlogiston
Enlightened
I have three of these lights now, and I'm really happy with them. Your review was very helpful in deciding whether to try one or not. Thanks :thumbsup:
It took a while to nail down which customisation options to get, though I've posted some comparison tables here on CPF which I hope will make the number-crunching a bit easier for anyone else in the same boat.
It took a while to nail down which customisation options to get, though
I've posted some comparison tables here on CPF which I hope will make the number-crunching a bit easier for anyone else in the same boat.
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Danielsan
Enlightened
How can you check if its Alu or SS?
I dont know if i have a fake or not but it looks really good for a budget light and the machining and the contacts looking not bad. The board of the head says N A N J G and a number.
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Very nice review! I wanted to order a S2+ until i read some people saying you can't do half presses and have to do a full click every time to change the mode. After reading your review it does seem possible. So just to be clear, with this reverse clicky switch it is possible to change the mode by doing half presses? Do these flashlights have momentary on also or is a full click required to turn it on at first? Thank You.
emarkd
Flashlight Enthusiast
I'm not the original reviewer but I can answer your questions. Inside all that stainless steel goodness, the switch in these lights is a normal reverse clicky. That means you can easily switch modes with a simple tap. Fully cycling the switch is not required. It does not, however, offer a momentary function. You must turn the switch all the way on to activate the light.
Danielsan
Enlightened
i can not switch the modes with a single tap, i have to do two taps for changing mode everytime or one full click.
Thank you! I plan on using the BLF A6 firmware so it seems this switch will work very well.
KeepingItLight
Flashlight Enthusiast
Mountain Electronics sells the Convoy S2+. So does the manufacturer of Convoy flashlights, Shenzhen Convoy Electronics Co., Ltd. No problem with fakes from these vendors! Simon, the owner of Shenzhen Convoy Electronics, is currently offering members of BLF a 15% discount on the blue S2+. If you send him an email, he might extend that offer to the red S2+ as well.
Mountain Electronics can also make a modded version of the S2+ that uses the same emitter, driver and firmware as the BLF A6 Special Edition.
The BLF driver and firmware are great because they give you seven constant brightness modes, including a sub-lumen low and a direct-drive turbo that produces anywhere from 1100 to 1400 lumens, depending on battery. I like this better than the three constant modes the stock S2+ has.
If I were buying a stock S2+, I would go for 7135*3 or 7135*4. That way high, medium, and low modes all become more usable (at least for the way I would use the S2+). The 100% high would not overheat as quickly. Both medium and low would be lower than they are in the 7135*8 version, in the ranges I prefer.
The S2+ has a short body tube that is sold separately. By swapping the regular tube with the short one, you create a "mini" S2+ that runs on 1x18350.
Blue and gray versions of the S2+ are currently available. Green is on the way. As I recall, the gray version does not use the steel switch. It has a "regular" switch that is covered by a rubber boot. Because of this, I think the gray S2+ it is a bit more waterproof than the colored versions.
Are there any other differences between the gray (natural) version and the colored ones? I am not sure. I have read that the dye process used in colored anodizations limits you to type II. Natural anodization, of course, can be type III. It is possible that the gray S2+ uses type III anodization, while the colored versions use type II, but I do not know the fact.
I bought a couple of BLF A6 flashlights to have around the house as backups. They won't replace the two flashlights that are my go-to general purpose lights. Those are the Zebralight SC62w and the Nitecore P36, both of which I feel are more dependable than the A6. At the price, however, the A6 is an amazing backup.
If I did not already own the A6s, I would probably buy a couple of S2+ lights for the same purpose.
By the way, the Convoy L2 is back in production, with a design that is close to the original available now. This light has an XM-L2 emitter in large, SMO reflector that is mounted in a 65.4mm head. It runs on 1x26650 (or 1x18650) and has a current-controlled driver that has no PWM.
The L2 is getting good reports, but I have never tried one.
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emarkd
Flashlight Enthusiast
I built one like that a couple of weeks ago using mtnelectronics version of the blf fet+1 driver, TKs firmware from the A6, and a triple XP-L HI noctigon. It's an awesome little light and yes, the clicky A6 firmware works great with the steel button of the S2+. The switch has a great feel to it that makes the click timing easy to get a feel for, much better than rubber switch boots to me.
Total cost invested isn't even a fair comparison, but my BLF-inspired S2+ triple is by far a much better light than my two "real" BLF A6s.
Thanks so much for all that great info. Everything is in my cart at Mountain Electronics. Just waiting to pull the trigger.
I really don't need the FET+7135 driver and BLF A6 firmware but it seems to have the exact settings I want. I don't need a moonlight mode but I guess it doesn't hurt to have one there if needed. I just want a light that has 5 modes. Using a scale of lumens my ideal light would be 10, 60,200,500,1000.
My initial thought was to use the Qlite 7135 driver with the Star Off-Time firmware and use custom settings with a XP-L 3D V6. The problem is, I have no idea how to figure the percentage needed for the proper lumen rating I want. I was thinking maybe something like 1%, 6%, 20%,50%, 100% would be close.
From using the Cree product characterization tool it appears I should run @ 2.2A to a XP-L V6 to get 100% to be @ 1000 lumens which means I should remove 2 of the 7135 chips from the qlite driver. Still trying to figure out if once you have the max lumen setting, you can just use the other percents as lumen figures for example, 1% = 10 lumens, 20% = 200 lumens etc, but then I don't know exactly how the efficiency works into this and all the other factors.
But then, you add the fact that BLF A6 firmware can run either 7 mode or 4 mode. It seems the 4 mode is pretty darn close to what I am looking for and the 7 mode has exactly what I am looking for with a few extra modes. The ability to cycle through the modes forward and reverse is also a plus. To top it off, it is always nice to have a firmware that has different options that you can change in the future easily with a few clicks of the tail switch. I think I may have just solidified my decision to use the FET+7135 driver and BLF A6 firmware while writing this post. lol.
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Oh my. That is one nice looking light! One other question I had is how is the stock lens that comes with the S2+? Is it worth it to upgrade to one of those AR lenses Mountain Electronics sells?
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KeepingItLight
Flashlight Enthusiast
Go for it!
Because the A6 firmware allows you to step down as well as up, I have found that seven modes is not too many. I would feel differently if I had to cycle through 6 other levels just to step down.
Did you resist the optional short tube? It's darn cheap, but buying a high-draw 18350 (such as the purple Efest) may cost you a bit more.
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I am going to get the regular tube for 18650's since I just bought 2 brand new Protected NCR18650GA's from Mountain Electronics. I am new to this flashlight thing having just got my first light 3 days ago which is a Fenix PD35 TAC. But as I am quickly becoming a flashaholic....I need moar lights!!
KeepingItLight
Flashlight Enthusiast
Going for a custom on just your second light! I am impressed.
In many ways, the Convoy S2+ is similar to the Fenix PD35TAC. Both are general purpose, 1x18650 tube lights with good flood. On high and turbo, they output enough light to throw a fair bit as well.
As you acquire more lights, you will probably want to branch out, by getting some lights that do not duplicate what your tube lights already do. A headlamp for hands-free operation, for instance, and a small pocket or keychain light, are good candidates.
Whichever way you go, enjoy the fun!
In many ways, the Convoy S2+ is similar to the Fenix PD35TAC. Both are general purpose, 1x18650 tube lights with good flood. On high and turbo, they output enough light to throw a fair bit as well.
As you acquire more lights, you will probably want to branch out, by getting some lights that do not duplicate what your tube lights already do. A headlamp for hands-free operation, for instance, and a small pocket or keychain light, are good candidates.
Whichever way you go, enjoy the fun!
Yea. I want this S2+ to have similar mode spacing as the PD35 because I think the spacing is perfect on it. The only thing I am not sure about is the side switch. Kind of awkward to find. I may sell the PD35 actually. I want a rear switch only light where you don't have to fumble around to find the side switch after turning it on with the tail switch. The TAC mode is awesome but only offers Turbo, Strobe, Low.
KeepingItLight
Flashlight Enthusiast
One bit of advice that I am having trouble heeding is to limit the number of battery formats I am using.
Your Convoy S2+, for instance, and your Fenix PD35TAC, both feed on 18650. If you buy a headlamp, therefore, perhaps you should limit yourself to 18650 for that. Similarly, if you buy a lantern, you could get one of the many models that run on D-cell batteries. You will probably be better off, however, it you stick to 18650.
The problem is you miss out on a lot of fun. The short tube that swaps onto a Convoy S2+ is pretty cool. Buy yourself a high-draw 18350 battery, and you have an S2+ that fits in the bottom of your pants pocket. That's nice. In my case, I have the same option with the BLF A6 Special Edition. 18350, here we come!
I like the narrower diameter, however, of a 1xAA flashlight for pocket carry. So now I have Eneloop and E91 Energizers in that size. Those fuel my L3 Illumination L11C Nichia 219B flashlight.
Next thing, I decided to buy a handful of the $7, 1xAAA BLF-348 Special Edition stainless-steel, tube flashlights. A single-mode at around 50 lumens is all you get, but the emitter is a high-CRI Nichia 219B. Man, I need a bunch of those for myself and also to give away! So I said hello to AAA rechargeable and E92 lithium primary batteries.
Now I am signed up for the forthcoming BLF X5 and X6 Special Edition flashlights. The X6 is okay. It runs on 1x18650. But the X5, it turns out, runs only on 14500 Li-ion. Uh, oh! Another battery format incoming.
From the start, however, I have always suspected that I would like the higher capacity of 26650 more than that of 18650. I think I like the larger diameter better as well. It makes for better hand-holding.
Care to predict what will be in my future?
Your Convoy S2+, for instance, and your Fenix PD35TAC, both feed on 18650. If you buy a headlamp, therefore, perhaps you should limit yourself to 18650 for that. Similarly, if you buy a lantern, you could get one of the many models that run on D-cell batteries. You will probably be better off, however, it you stick to 18650.
The problem is you miss out on a lot of fun. The short tube that swaps onto a Convoy S2+ is pretty cool. Buy yourself a high-draw 18350 battery, and you have an S2+ that fits in the bottom of your pants pocket. That's nice. In my case, I have the same option with the BLF A6 Special Edition. 18350, here we come!
I like the narrower diameter, however, of a 1xAA flashlight for pocket carry. So now I have Eneloop and E91 Energizers in that size. Those fuel my L3 Illumination L11C Nichia 219B flashlight.
Next thing, I decided to buy a handful of the $7, 1xAAA BLF-348 Special Edition stainless-steel, tube flashlights. A single-mode at around 50 lumens is all you get, but the emitter is a high-CRI Nichia 219B. Man, I need a bunch of those for myself and also to give away! So I said hello to AAA rechargeable and E92 lithium primary batteries.
Now I am signed up for the forthcoming BLF X5 and X6 Special Edition flashlights. The X6 is okay. It runs on 1x18650. But the X5, it turns out, runs only on 14500 Li-ion. Uh, oh! Another battery format incoming.
From the start, however, I have always suspected that I would like the higher capacity of 26650 more than that of 18650. I think I like the larger diameter better as well. It makes for better hand-holding.
Care to predict what will be in my future?
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Care to predict what will be in my future?
I hear that. I have already eyeballed the 26650 lights. For now I am sticking with the 18650's. One thing I quickly learned is I probably won't be paying $70+ again for a light filled with a few chinese parts just because it has a "big name" stamped on the side when I could just build something myself in about 10 minutes using similar chinese parts for a fraction of the cost.
