Whats the best 900 lumen p7 flashlight

krisman136

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Apr 9, 2009
Messages
4
I'm looking for a p7 flashlight not more than 50 bucks. There are so many out there and for newbie like me, there's so much info! But I'm looking for one that has a flooded beem, mainly used for hiking or caving. Can u guys suggest any :)

thanks!!!
 

jake25

Enlightened
Joined
May 13, 2007
Messages
864
Location
Santa Rosa, Ca
In my opinion, anything less than $70-100. I think you'll have better luck with a quality single emitter light. CREE Q5 or R2.

$50 and you're in the cheap P7 range, troubles can arise. Don't forget that the P7 emitter alone is $20-$30.

Also since you are new I doubt you have the right batteries to power a P7 Light, 16340s or 18650s. Those + Charger is usually $20 alone.
 

yellow

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Oct 31, 2002
Messages
4,629
Location
Baden.at
in that price class: makes no difference

have Your soldering iron ready, as well as the site to order spares (emitter/driver) from, if something goes :poof:
(imho: 50:50 chance)
 

HKJ

Flashaholic
Joined
Mar 26, 2008
Messages
9,715
Location
Copenhagen, Denmark
I'm looking for a p7 flashlight not more than 50 bucks. There are so many out there and for newbie like me, there's so much info! But I'm looking for one that has a flooded beem, mainly used for hiking or caving. Can u guys suggest any :)

thanks!!!

I do not believe that you can find any 900 lumen P7 flashlights, they are more like 400 to 700 lumen.
 

krisman136

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Apr 9, 2009
Messages
4
hey thanks for helping me out. q7 seem nice to have, but I don't own any sodering iron or stuff like that. I'm not willing to spend hundreds of dollars on my first cool flashlight ether. What about q5's? Any of you flashlight experts have any suggestions of a good flashlight? I already have the specal batterity and the charger in my shopping cart on dealtime. Just somthing bright, floody, and somewhat realibile.

here are some that intrested me

UltraFire U4-MCU Cree Q5-WC seems pretty cool

I'm soo excited, I love flashlights and I can't wait to get somthing actally bright! My old led flashlight, I carried it around where ever I went, I would lay in my bed and click the button on and off. But now the led flashlight lost alot of it's power, and looking for somthing more than typical walmart lights.
 

StandardBattery

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Sep 2, 2007
Messages
2,959
Location
MA
Maybe look at the new shinningbeam models? MC-E based ones are slightly over $50 though.

Or get a Solarforce L2, with a good Q5/R2 pill. Later without too much trouble you can drop in a Malkoff M60-MC-E module if you still want more lumes/flood (that module alone though is more than $50)
 

yellow

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Oct 31, 2002
Messages
4,629
Location
Baden.at
When still "new" to the problems cheap light can give (and how to repair that),
better stay with the medium prices makers lights.

These are Fenix, Jetbeam, ..., You will read of them here with ease.

The 2*AA models of Fenix (or Jetbeam) are the perfect start!
Sure, they cost more than the ones You checked till now, but they are worth the price. Imho the value ratio of these single emitter lights in the price range of 50-60,-- is yet unbeaten.


Much cheaper ones --> same as P7 lights --> have Your iron ready

PS: You will end up buying one of the 50-60,-- lights when getting the cheap ones, so why not save that money? ;)
 

fixitman

Newly Enlightened
Joined
May 27, 2006
Messages
138
If your looking for bright but decent quality, at lower cost, I would say Eagletac. specifically, the P100A2. At around $45 and 195 lumens, its a pretty good deal.
Lots of good Fenix lights too.
 

krisman136

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Apr 9, 2009
Messages
4
If your looking for bright but decent quality, at lower cost, I would say Eagletac. specifically, the P100A2. At around $45 and 195 lumens, its a pretty good deal.
Lots of good Fenix lights too.

I checked out the eagletac and it seems to be really nice. The reviews seems to be good. Another thing is that it can take typical aa batterys, don't have to buy special ones and the charger.

So I bought it, and now I am very excited to get it. Eagletac has this new 900 Lumen light coming out, $150 but it sounds like a well made light. I will see what people have to say about that, that could be my future light later on the monthes.
 

makapuu

Enlightened
Joined
Oct 17, 2008
Messages
635
Location
Honolulu, Hawaii
When still "new" to the problems cheap light can give (and how to repair that),
better stay with the medium prices makers lights.

These are Fenix, Jetbeam, ..., You will read of them here with ease.

The 2*AA models of Fenix (or Jetbeam) are the perfect start!
Sure, they cost more than the ones You checked till now, but they are worth the price. Imho the value ratio of these single emitter lights in the price range of 50-60,-- is yet unbeaten.


Much cheaper ones --> same as P7 lights --> have Your iron ready

PS: You will end up buying one of the 50-60,-- lights when getting the cheap ones, so why not save that money? ;)

I agree.
If caving and hiking is what you will be using it for, build quality is important.
I don't think you would enjoy being left in the dark from a cheaply made light.
Also, being able to count on it as signaling beacon should you get into a accident during one of your treks.
 

easilyled

Flashaholic
Joined
Jun 25, 2004
Messages
7,252
Location
Middlesex, UK
I would recommend the XTAR SSC-P7 or XTAR-MCE within the price range that you're looking at.

You can buy them at Quality China Goods for under $50.

I bought an XTAR-C2 SSC-P7 from Lighthound for a bit more than that, but I'm assuming that its the same light.

The build is much better than the light I have from Deal Extreme ie. the original MTE-SSC-P7 and yet its not much more expensive.

There have been several other purchasers that seem to have been happy with this light and there is also a review by CPFer Amonra.
(you'll find this using the Advanced Search function)

I'd estimate the starting output to be 500+ lumens which very gradually drops due to it being Direct Drive.
 

moviles

Enlightened
Joined
Feb 27, 2009
Messages
456
2 very cheap and powerfull options:
option 1:
Aurora AK-P7-5 HA-III SSC P7-C
36$

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.15739

sku_15739_2_small.jpg

its bin c only 750 lum at 2.8 amp but direct drived current draw will be arround 4 amp (920 lum)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jd_Q16O_LsQ

Seoul_Semiconductor_P7_bin_C_Lumens.gif



option 2:
MTE SF-15 SSC P7-D
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.22567
30$

sku_22567_1_small.jpg

its bin D but not direct drived, you must make it dd for get arround 1000 lum at 4 amp

option 2 its better but you need make it dd
 

HKJ

Flashaholic
Joined
Mar 26, 2008
Messages
9,715
Location
Copenhagen, Denmark
its bin D but not direct drived, you must make it dd for get arround 1000 lum at 4 amp

And remember that it is emitter lumens, not "out the front" lumens and with DD you only get the specified value with freshly recharged batteries, after a short time the output will be lower.
 

easilyled

Flashaholic
Joined
Jun 25, 2004
Messages
7,252
Location
Middlesex, UK
2 very cheap and powerfull options:
option 1:
Aurora AK-P7-5 HA-III SSC P7-C
36$

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.15739

sku_15739_2_small.jpg

its bin c only 750 lum at 2.8 amp but direct drived current draw will be arround 4 amp (920 lum)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jd_Q16O_LsQ

Seoul_Semiconductor_P7_bin_C_Lumens.gif



option 2:
MTE SF-15 SSC P7-D
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.22567
30$

sku_22567_1_small.jpg

its bin D but not direct drived, you must make it dd for get arround 1000 lum at 4 amp

option 2 its better but you need make it dd

I think you have to take the specs on DealExtreme with a huge pinch of salt.

Taking your second example, it says its digitally regulated at 2.8A with a runtime on hi of 2.5 hours.

This is clearly rubbish since the capacity of an 18650 isn't nearly high enough to provide 2.8 X 2.5 Ah

My guess is that if these lights are true to form for all the other DX lights, they are unregulated and have quite a lot of resistance in the circuit
so that in actual fact they provide nowhere near 2.8A to the P7.

Probably more like 1.5A.

This is certainly the case for my DX-MTE-SSC-P7.

Tight regulation is expensive and at $30.80, its highly unlikely that there's any regulation at all.

The 4 modes are probably controlled by PWM which is very inexpensive to provide.
 

Disco888

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Apr 7, 2009
Messages
56
Location
Wirral, UK
At what sort of price do these lights become worthwhile????? And what are some worthwhile makes and models???????

Have been eyeing up a D cell maglite P7 upgrade but after adding up all the prices am beginning to wonder if it isn't worth getting a readymade P7 ? Just not sure which are the ones worth having.........

Disco:wave:
 

jirik_cz

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Jul 29, 2007
Messages
1,605
Location
europe
its bin c only 750 lum at 2.8 amp but direct drived current draw will be arround 4 amp (920 lum)

You will get 4 amps only for a very short time and only with fresh battery, then the current will drop pretty quickly below 3 amps.
 

moviles

Enlightened
Joined
Feb 27, 2009
Messages
456
I think you have to take the specs on DealExtreme with a huge pinch of salt.

Taking your second example, it says its digitally regulated at 2.8A with a runtime on hi of 2.5 hours.

This is clearly rubbish since the capacity of an 18650 isn't nearly high enough to provide 2.8 X 2.5 Ah

My guess is that if these lights are true to form for all the other DX lights, they are unregulated and have quite a lot of resistance in the circuit
so that in actual fact they provide nowhere near 2.8A to the P7.

Probably more like 1.5A.

This is certainly the case for my DX-MTE-SSC-P7.

Tight regulation is expensive and at $30.80, its highly unlikely that there's any regulation at all.

The 4 modes are probably controlled by PWM which is very inexpensive to provide.

you must make it direct drived for get 4 amp current draw and 1000-1100 lum the first minutes
 

easilyled

Flashaholic
Joined
Jun 25, 2004
Messages
7,252
Location
Middlesex, UK
you must make it direct drived for get 4 amp current draw and 1000-1100 lum the first minutes

You will probably kill the led if its allowed to have 4A going to it, unless the heat-sinking is extremely good.
Even then it would be asking for trouble in such a small sized light.
This is assuming that you can even eliminate all the resistance in the circuit.
Then there are not many conventional tail-switches that can stand 4A.
Seems to me you are just asking for trouble.
I also have to ask what the point is of driving it to 4A only for a few minutes anyway?
 

bigchelis

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Oct 30, 2008
Messages
3,604
Location
Prunedale, CA
Impossible for a $50 dollar light P7 to give you 400 plus reliable lumens. The DX MC-E drop-in for Surefire made 348 LUmens out the front and that would run 30 to 40 minutes on a single 18650.

I say get a Malkoff Devices M60WF. This is a drop-in module for Surefire 6P, G2, ect... or at lighthound.com you can get a Hosts made by Solarforce for $25 which is good overall. IMHO: the flood Malkoff stuff is king of flood. The warm makes the color of objects seem more realistic. You will have to spend around $90 for this set-up, but it seems like a good first purchase.

If you do get the cheaper P7 or Q5 LED lights it will teach you alot about flashlights and dealing with all the issues you will likely encounter will make you appreciate the Malkoff and Surefire more.:twothumbs:crackup::grin2:
 

easilyled

Flashaholic
Joined
Jun 25, 2004
Messages
7,252
Location
Middlesex, UK
Impossible for a $50 dollar light P7 to give you 400 plus reliable lumens.

Actually, at risk of sounding very repetitive the XTAR-C2-P7, which I have, does just this.

Please look at the review by Amonra.

Maybe its the only reliable light in this price range, but presumably that is why Lighthound stocks it since they are one of the best
retailers known on CPF and are not known for selling bad products.
 
Top