Any New 18650 Flashlights Being Sold These Days?

[MrAl]

Hello,

Any new designs with maybe upgraded power white LED's ?
I had gotten a number of T6's types that take 18650 but now maybe there are better ones with the newer higher power LED's.
I prefer the single 18650 cell types, with hopefully LOW MED HIGH, but would put up with just two modes LOW and HIGH.
I'd say either 5000k or 6500k or in between.
Looking for the smaller size like the older T6's used to be. They weren't as small as the single alkaline AA lights but still smaller than the ones I see today that have the combination 18650 and 3xAAA battery compartments. I don't want that because the 3xAAA battery compartments are too wide and unnecessary if you intend to always use an 18650 cell in the light.

Thanks a bunch.

 

[yellow]

For me that sounds like You should go the
18650 host body
+ three Level P60 led insert route



Newer, "more powerful" led are not always "better"

f.e. I have an older Zebralight H600 (XM-L2 led) and a newer one with that actual led
("actual", just be4 they started to not send outside of the US anymore)

Sure, the turbo of the superled is crazy bright, especially for such a tiny light,
but that also lasts just around 35 mins, because it needs high power

On the other hand, in every lower power setting, the beam (even the brightness) sucks,
+ I also like the light color not that much

Sooo... even when I have a light with super led, I typically grip my older ones
(primarly the XM-L2 ones)

 

[MrAl]

For me that sounds like You should go the
18650 host body
+ three Level P60 led insert route



Newer, "more powerful" led are not always "better"

f.e. I have an older Zebralight H600 (XM-L2 led) and a newer one with that actual led
("actual", just be4 they started to not send outside of the US anymore)

Sure, the turbo of the superled is crazy bright, especially for such a tiny light,
but that also lasts just around 35 mins, because it needs high power

On the other hand, in every lower power setting, the beam (even the brightness) sucks,
+ I also like the light color not that much

Sooo... even when I have a light with super led, I typically grip my older ones
(primarly the XM-L2 ones)

Hello there Yellow and thanks for the reply.

I am not sure what you mean by "18650 host body" nor "three level P60 led insert route" as I have not been following flashlight products as much as I did back in 2001 when I first joined here. I still use and buy them though, that's for sure (ha ha). I'd be lost without my lights.

I liked the T6 lights and they were about 1000 lumens. I don't mind parting with them though if I can find something better and about the same size (not the 3xAAA barrel type I hate them, too wide).
I recently got one with the newer LED's and I have to say I was impressed. The chip has four sub chips, it's the P70.2 LED and it is amazingly bright. I don't really mind a shorter run time because I only need if for short runs at night.

I am very interested in that P60 three level insert maybe you can explain that a little more, as well as the 18650 host body. Do you mean buy any 18650 flashlight and buy a P60 LED with three levels of brightness and put that into the 18650 body?

Thanks for the info.

 

[jon_slider]

1. This is new, small, 18650, High CRI, Throwy
the maximum output is 660 Lumens
Zebralight SC65c-HI
Here is a Review

2. if you want 1700 lumens, and are OK with a slightly larger heavier body:
SC600w IV Plus HI
Here is the official webpage

both lights do use 18650 batteries, but they must be unprotected flat tops.. the ones with button tops are too long.

3. or if you want a very simple, inexpensive 1800 Lumen option, the Wurkkos WK03 is available for under $20, battery included. It even has built in USB charging, and a light on the button that turns red to remind when to recharge.

 

[KITROBASKIN]

There is this looming on the horizon. Last post seems to report preorders eminent.

https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/im-building-a-new-titanium-flashlight-id-love-your-feedback.482641/page-5

 

[MrAl]

1. This is new, small, 18650, High CRI, Throwy
the maximum output is 660 Lumens
Zebralight SC65c-HI
Here is a Review

2. if you want 1700 lumens, and are OK with a slightly larger heavier body:
SC600w IV Plus HI
Here is a Review

both lights do use 18650 batteries, but they must be unprotected flat tops.. the ones with button tops are too long.

3. or if you want a very simple, inexpensive 1800 Lumen option, the Wurkkos WK03 is available for under $20, battery included. It even has built in USB charging, and a light on the button that turns red to remind when to recharge.

Hello,

Thanks for the reply I'll look into these lights.
I see some of them are a lot more expensive than others, but the programmable features look very nice. I've long felt that the hi/med/lo settings on all the lights were never good enough, ever. I got a new light recently that is very very bright but the med and lo settings are BARELY med and lo, just a tiny bit lower than the Hi setting, which means battery runs down almost as fast as on high. Not good. The 'moon' mode is good on some of these lights too because it's just enough light for some things yet allows the battery to run for a long time. We get storms around here and we need long running lights so a light with a very low mode is really great for me, and wouldn't mind spending a little more for that feature.

 

[yellow]

Hi Al.

as to the barely lower ... when we (very limited vision) "feel" to see that med / lower level "just a bit lower", than there is a high chance it is at least half the power
--> best / be sure ... only by measuring the current (open end cap and put Ampere-meter in between battery and flashlight body)

regarding that "host light" thing:
Your lights, or the ones linked above, are "fixed" led-lights.
The electronics / led inside can not be changed - whenever there is a newer led out, the old light gets obsolete.
vs:
"host light" = just the "outside" hull of a light +
+ a led insert ("P60 led insert") = electronics + led + reflector ... combined in an extra "package" --> to be put into the host.
that way, one can stay with the host and mod the complete light with new led, whenever that is needed.
(or a more powerful electronics, other level sequence (1 level, 3, 5, whatever), or for other battery (Voltage) setup, ...)


the last 20 years the typical 18650 host was a Surefire 6P, modded to house the large 18650 battery.
or some specially made 18650 hosts (ranging from cheapo, to luxury, like Fivemega`s offerings, or. similar).
unfortunately those days are gone, it now seems more and more difficult to get a good quality 18650 host.

that typed:
there is a change,
instead of the 18650, the newer, bigger diameter 21700 cell seems to take the 18650s place.
more power in the light, for almost no change in size.
... if You want to try that.

best host so far (in my opinion): Kdlitker 21700 host light

KDLITKER E6-21700 P60 Flashlight Host

KDLITKER E6-21700 P60 21700 Flashlight Host

kaidomain.com

that is really nice, especially for the price.
+ 21700 battery

PS: even when I have that, + the Malkoff 21700 host, I still tend to take my 18650 ones.
Dunno why, maybe just that they are a bit lighter

 

[jon_slider]

a light with a very low mode

The two zebralights have extremely low minimum outputs...
There will be a learning curve to get to them.
I encourage you to read the review link, and the official website link, to get some idea whether it is something you want to learn.

> the programmable features look very nice

Im glad you are open to programmable lights.. there are a lot of newer lights that use a very sophisticated UI called Anduril. Im a big fan.

Here is one example, an Emisar D4V2.
and a Review
I personally would buy the D4V2 instead of a Zebralight.
Because I find Anduril UI easier to use.

Another quality option is the Skilhunt EC200. It has a good driver, good LEDs, good low modes, and built in charging.
Here is a Review
I find the Skilhunt UI easier than a Zebra.

good luck w your quest, I hope you find a light that suits your needs.

 

[MrAl]

The two zebralights have extremely low minimum outputs...
There will be a learning curve to get to them.
I encourage you to read the review link, and the official website link, to get some idea whether it is something you want to learn.

> the programmable features look very nice

Im glad you are open to programmable lights.. there are a lot of newer lights that use a very sophisticated UI called Anduril. Im a big fan.

Here is one example, an Emisar D4V2.
and a Review
I personally would buy the D4V2 instead of a Zebralight.
Because I find Anduril UI easier to use.

Another quality option is the Skilhunt EC200. It has a good driver, good LEDs, good low modes, and built in charging.
Here is a Review
I find the Skilhunt UI easier than a Zebra.

good luck w your quest, I hope you find a light that suits your needs.

Yes, and thanks much for the links I will take a look next.
I have not lost my natural love for LED lights I just am on the search for one that does exactly what I want it to do. I had created my own design years ago but it's time to upgrade again

 

[MrAl]

Hi Al.

as to the barely lower ... when we (very limited vision) "feel" to see that med / lower level "just a bit lower", than there is a high chance it is at least half the power
--> best / be sure ... only by measuring the current (open end cap and put Ampere-meter in between battery and flashlight body)

regarding that "host light" thing:
Your lights, or the ones linked above, are "fixed" led-lights.
The electronics / led inside can not be changed - whenever there is a newer led out, the old light gets obsolete.
vs:
"host light" = just the "outside" hull of a light +
+ a led insert ("P60 led insert") = electronics + led + reflector ... combined in an extra "package" --> to be put into the host.
that way, one can stay with the host and mod the complete light with new led, whenever that is needed.
(or a more powerful electronics, other level sequence (1 level, 3, 5, whatever), or for other battery (Voltage) setup, ...)


the last 20 years the typical 18650 host was a Surefire 6P, modded to house the large 18650 battery.
or some specially made 18650 hosts (ranging from cheapo, to luxury, like Fivemega`s offerings, or. similar).
unfortunately those days are gone, it now seems more and more difficult to get a good quality 18650 host.

that typed:
there is a change,
instead of the 18650, the newer, bigger diameter 21700 cell seems to take the 18650s place.
more power in the light, for almost no change in size.
... if You want to try that.

best host so far (in my opinion): Kdlitker 21700 host light

KDLITKER E6-21700 P60 Flashlight Host

KDLITKER E6-21700 P60 21700 Flashlight Host

kaidomain.com

that is really nice, especially for the price.
+ 21700 battery

PS: even when I have that, + the Malkoff 21700 host, I still tend to take my 18650 ones.
Dunno why, maybe just that they are a bit lighter

Hello again,

Thanks for the info here, and let me elaborate on what I mean by 'hi' and 'lo' settings and the like.

First, when I say 'medium' or 'low', I am referring to the light output, not the current. The reason I point this out is because if the light is set to med or low and the light output does not look (or 'feel') low, then to me it is absolutely NOT low (or lower). It does not matter to me if the current is half, because if the light output on low is almost the same as on high, then half current could be reduced significantly to one-quarter current or even one-tenth current if the light output was what I really wanted it to be. To put this another way, since I do not need light that is 'almost' as high as the full-on high setting, I know I can save even MORE current by reducing the light level even more to a level that would be just fine with me in those situations.
A quick rundown of the difference of two lights, one that I have and one that I want, would be light #1 on high draws 4 amps and on low draws 2 amps, then the light I want draws 4 amps on high but only 1 amp on low, more or less regardless how much light it puts out on low because I can live with that.
There would be even more extreme examples of course with the 'moon' modes. If the first light draws 2 amps on low the second light might only draw 20ma on low in moon mode, which means I will at least get some light out of it during a long storm.

I actually had experience with this several times because of the storms we get here. One lasted for four days with no electricity. I was lucky though because I had a light prepared for that. What I found was that when I was not doing anything like reading or when sleeping or out for a little while, it was good to have even two small 5mm white LEDs running 24 hours a day for as many days just to have some light to avoid total darkness at night and in dark rooms. The current draw for that was about 2ma to 5ma, yet it was enough light for the time being and allowed the 12v LA battery to last a long time (I think I calculated at least 30 days or something like that).

So that's what I am looking for. A light that can be both bright and not bright at all but conserve battery power over say a week's time.

Thanks again for the reply.

 

[jon_slider]

The current draw for that was about 2ma to 5ma, yet it was enough light for the time being and allowed the 12v LA battery to last a long time (I think I calculated at least 30 days or something like that).

Nothing beats a Zebralight for long runtime at low levels..

for example, the SC65 Hi:

Output, Runtime, Power use
Medium 4: 4.7 Lm, 7 days, (10 milliamps)
Low 1: 1.3 Lm, 18 days (3 milliamps)
Low 2: 0.33 Lm, 2 months (0.75 milliamps)
Low 3: 0.11 Lm, 3.7 months (0.25 milliamps)
Low 4: 0.03 Lm, 5.4 months (0.07 milliamps)

Note the Zebra UI only allows access to two of the four low modes. By default it ships with Low 1 and Low 2 enabled. Medium also has four options, as does High.

The Zebra does not let you access all 12 outputs directly. In normal use the Zebra is a 3 mode light, with access to 3 alternate modes. The remaining 6 modes can only be accessed through programming.

 

[Hooked on Fenix]

If you want something bright, far throwing (568 yards), with a simple U.I., try a Nitecore MT2C Pro. 1800 lumens high, 50 lumen low/28 hours. Has USB-C rechargeable 18650 battery. Costs $60.

For more settings, Acebeam T35, also $60.

Edit: I'll add a Thrunite TN12 Pro, $50.

 

[MrAl]

Nothing beats a Zebralight for long runtime at low levels..

for example, the SC65 Hi:

Output, Runtime, Power use
Medium 4: 4.7 Lm, 7 days, (10 milliamps)
Low 1: 1.3 Lm, 18 days (3 milliamps)
Low 2: 0.33 Lm, 2 months (0.75 milliamps)
Low 3: 0.11 Lm, 3.7 months (0.25 milliamps)
Low 4: 0.03 Lm, 5.4 months (0.07 milliamps)

Note the Zebra UI only allows access to two of the four low modes. By default it ships with Low 1 and Low 2 enabled. Medium also has four options, as does High.

The Zebra does not let you access all 12 outputs directly. In normal use the Zebra is a 3 mode light, with access to 3 alternate modes. The remaining 6 modes can only be accessed through programming.

Hi,

That sounds good. Can you setup the 3 main modes to do whatever low or high you want through programming, or is it always harder to access the lowest mode you program in?
I'd be happy if I could program all the 3 main modes to whatever low I want and any medium I want and high would always be the highest.

 

[MrAl]

If you want something bright, far throwing (568 yards), with a simple U.I., try a Nitecore MT2C Pro. 1800 lumens high, 50 lumen low/28 hours. Has USB-C rechargeable 18650 battery. Costs $60.

For more settings, Acebeam T35, also $60.

Edit: I'll add a Thrunite TN12 Pro, $50.

Hi,

Oh that sounds pretty good too. I'll have to check that out next.
Most I ever paid for a flashlight was around $25 USD, but I'd go that high if it does what I want, exactly or very close to that.

I am also starting to think about the evolution of flashlights now due to the info on the Zebra light. They used to be very simple low med high now then have lots of options, as well as more efficient LEDs. Wonder what will be available in say 5 more years.

 

[this_is_nascar]

Nothing beats a Zebralight for long runtime at low levels..

for example, the SC65 Hi:

Output, Runtime, Power use
Medium 4: 4.7 Lm, 7 days, (10 milliamps)
Low 1: 1.3 Lm, 18 days (3 milliamps)
Low 2: 0.33 Lm, 2 months (0.75 milliamps)
Low 3: 0.11 Lm, 3.7 months (0.25 milliamps)
Low 4: 0.03 Lm, 5.4 months (0.07 milliamps)

Note the Zebra UI only allows access to two of the four low modes. By default it ships with Low 1 and Low 2 enabled. Medium also has four options, as does High.

The Zebra does not let you access all 12 outputs directly. In normal use the Zebra is a 3 mode light, with access to 3 alternate modes. The remaining 6 modes can only be accessed through programming.

The ZL UI allows you to have 12-preset brightness levels without continuous reprogramming. G6 allows 6 levels to be set and so does G7. That's not counting the preset modes of G5.

 

[jon_slider]

Can you setup the 3 main modes to do whatever low or high you want through programming

yes

G6 allows 6 levels to be set and so does G7. That's not counting the preset modes of G5.

agree

contrast a Zebra with Anduril:

in a Zebra, if I have the light programmed to fill all three separate mode groups, each with 3 primary and 3 secondary modes, and then I hand the light to an untrained user, they wont have any idea which modes are in which group. In fact,, I would also forget and it would take quite a while to explain the use of the light to an untrained user.

otoh, If I set my Anduril light to use 12 modes, they are all available to scroll through, in order. I can hand the light to an untrained user and with a simple instruction, of "hold the button down until you get the amount of light you want".. they can access any of the 12 modes.

The advantage of a Zebra is that it has longer runtime. The advantage of Anduril is the simplicity of operation.

 

[KITROBASKIN]

Yes but with a Zebralight, one can hold down the switch until one of the three group choices will meet the need. If programmed logically (I always kept ours stock) one can do a quick double click to see the alternative near the initial choice. I prefer Emisar ramping Anduril flashlights even though they can be squonky with me (very rarely these days).

Dog walk at early nighttime, lightning all directions around us, though nothing close hitting the ground. Our wonderful Emisar just blinked a few times then turned off, when trying to activate. Talk about crestfallen. Thing is, a couple days later it was fine and continues to function normally for a few months now.

I went ahead and emailed a preorder to Exceed Designs, for the Rampant flashlight. It probably will not meet our needs for lux at distance, but we'll see.

 

[jon_slider]

with a Zebralight, one can hold down the switch until one of the three

agree, on a Zebra holding the button will cycle 3 modes... after that it gets more complicated..

A Zebra can not access all 12 modes by holding the button down.

 

[KITROBASKIN]

Who really needs 12 modes?

I found six to be sufficient. It's just that I usually did not know if secondary mode was more attuned to the need than the primary setting at the time (primary is the last used setting of that mode).

With ramping, how I usually do it is (from off) hold the switch until desired brightness. If, after a while I want a lower level of light, I usually just turn the flashlight off and then hold to let it ramp up, maybe a momentary hold to get the lowest light level. Almost never do I click once from off, and the wonderful double click goes full on bright, anytime/anywhere. Quite handy.

 

[jon_slider]

Who really needs 12 modes?

When Im not using smooth ramping, for me 12 steps is the sweet spot. But default Anduril has 7 levels, and that might suit your preferences. The beauty of Anduril is it lets us choose how many stepped levels we want. It also lets us constrain the output of the top level to an output we feel provides the best maximum output for most runtime.

If, after a while I want a lower level of light, I usually just turn the flashlight off and then hold to let it ramp up

whatever works for you, is good
when I want a lower level I use one of the two ways Anduril can be told to ramp downwards... but at this point Ive been using Anduril intensively for several years, so Im pretty familiar with some of the more advanced features.

Almost never do I click once from off

I do, often. I use basic last mode memory and for most of the day, I just clic on and off at the memorised last used output..

When I go to bed, I set the output very low, then turn off and put the light on the nightstand. That way I know when I wake in the dark, a single clic will give me a very low output.

I seldom need to ramp up from floor, to get the brightness I want. But if I hand the light to a beginner, I tell them to do what you do.. "just hold the button and let go when you have enough light"

I also set the smooth ramping speed to be slower than stock, to prevent overshooting and wasting power.