bessiebenny
Enlightened
UPDATED JUNE 21
- Have put up a partially complete review of RC-A3 with runtime results!
- I've started mentioning some alternative lights to reduce headaches. =)
- Flashlights at a glance chart has been updated for two recent lights.
UPDATED JUNE 16
- I have changed RC-I3 to 6 stars due to its price and versatility.
- I have yet to update the chart yet though. Will do soon. =)
- Jerry @ KD advised he has shipped the three 18650 flashlights!
[FYI]
- New thread created for discontinued, non-high performance, 3 star or less rated lights!
- This is to reduce the bandwidth used on this main thread and reduce confusion.
- I will update the CHART so that you can tell which light is in which thread later on.
[Budget High-Performance LED DX/KD Flashlights Review Roundup]
Part 1 and Part 2 and Part 3 and now it's Part 4!
(Note - Entire main post is carried over each time = Reviews)
(But older threads have some excellent discussions and info still)
Thanks to all who contributed to make this thread as big as it is right now. :thumbsup:
[Coming Soon]
## Lights that are expected to arrive/reviewed within the next 1-6 weeks:
- Eastward YJ-18WF (Still waiting for KD to ship the light!)
- KD Tough Tactic Q5 (Still waiting for KD to ship the light!)
- Aurora Q5 2-mode 18650 (Still waiting for KD to ship the light!)
- NiteCore SmartPD D10 (Direct exchange for my faulty Fenix T1)
## Lights that I'm currently interested in and possibly buy when I have enough funds
- 14V Ultrafire WF-502C 3RCR123A Xenon (bang for buck 9v+ xenon output!)
- SmartFire GT-B5 (Looks like a great WF-606A and RC-N3 alternative)
- Tiablo MA1 (It's now under $30 and should be of excellent quality)
[help~!] [help~!] [help~!]
I am constantly running short on funds to buy and review more recent lights. :mecry:
Feel free to send me $2 or $4 or $8 donations so that I can keep adding new lights. :devil:
(fyi - Paypal takes away a 37/44 cents respectively per donation which sorta sux.)
All new lights from FEB 2008 will be bought with the addition of your donations. (if any )
I thank you for all for the amazing support so far. It helps greatly to keep this thread alive!
You may instead opt to use my referral id at DX. It doesn't cost you anything which is the best part. =)
To use my id, just add ~r.29749062 directly to the end of any product url address. (without "" of course)
Every ~$1300 spent using my referral id, I get $10. Not a lot but better than nothing I guess. =P
Donations received in 2008 (most recent first):
RafS, ScottM, SteveZ, Rizky ,WarriorZ, kostas, yekimak, JoeBob, smootik, RepoUK < JUNE stinky, Wolf359, alohaluau, johnnyngo, OCDGearhead, Wagen < MAY Wolf359, Centropolis, amdaxiom, t3h, Deks, SPRocketman, Flash25296, Fabio, tip61 < APRIL Wolf359, dudu84, marcus, Pokerstud, wmissen, RecycledElectron, qtaco, fizzy, briiansd, meuge, SportyBen, Raymond < MARCH Schierle, HenryL, Andres(ocau), baconheist, Dougmeister, linterno, anarchocap, saedwards, docian37, violatorjf, MikeSalt, Debbie, Luke, dulridge, martinSE, mmbeller191, ReGet, Mascione, Probedude < FEBRUARY
So far, donations received allowed me to get:
- Digitech QM1538 Datalogging DMM ($50)
- Ultrafire C3 Cree 5-mode ($20)
- Romisen Cree RC-N3 ($17)
- Eastward YJ-XAQ5 ($27)
- Romisen RC-I3 ($16)
- KD Buckle V4 Cree Q5 ($22)
- Batteries ($20+)
- Aurora DX Buckle R2 ($15)
[FYI]
- GITD silicone tailcap I mention throughout are all DX sku 5714 unless stated otherwise. (Orange ones are not GITD but are same size)
- Measurements are using my own DMM and Light Meter in near-identical controlled conditions. (Still assume around plus or minus 10% error)
Throw = Firing the center of the hotspot directly at the sensor from 1m away using fully charged batteries. (after initial ~1 minute peak)
Lightbox = My own cardboard box where I fire light in through a hole and measure the lux reading inside after 1 minute. (no direct light)
[Output Photos]
1. Taken in a near pitch dark room with lights firing at a white wall from around 40cm away. (F5.0 1/60sec ISO 400)
2. Taken in a near pitch dark room with lights firing at the back corner of my kitchen from around 7m away. (F2.8 1/25 ISO 800)
[Runtime Graphs]
Light is shone on to the light meter's sensor from about 1 inch away.
There is a small camera lense in between to collect most of the light.
Current output of the light sensor is measured by my datalogging DMM.
Current output is close to the overal amount of light and not just throw.
So it is relatively comparable with graphs of other lights in my review.
But do take into account that my graphs may have up to 10% of error.
Just an FYI - Any reading of 0.005mA or higher is still quite useable.
It's enough to find a key hole or see stuff in very dark environments.
[Batteries]
Some tips/recommendations for some battery types.
RCR123A
Check out Raymond's comprehensive RCR123A battery test thread.
Hence I recommend KD Protected RCR or the White/Grey Trustfires.
AA/AAA
If you use the lights very often and recharge often, get high capacity ones.
It should at least cost you about $4 for 2 AA or AAA if it's a decent battery.
LSD (Low-Self-Discharge) or Ready batteries are better if you intend it as an emergency light.
Coz it holds around 80% of its charge even after not using it for a whole year.
Use a smart charger whenever possible They are better and easier to use than timed ones.
[Glossary]
OP Reflector = Orange Peel reflector. Also called a rough / textured reflector. It helps in smoothing out the beam so there's less of ugly rings or black holes / artifacts. But it results in less throw output.
EDC = Every Day Carry light. For most people, it means it fits in their desired jeans/jacket/bag pocket and it's their most often used light. For me, it's a small enough light which fits in my jeans pocket. =)
Forward clicky - It's a switch which turns on the light when half-pressed while the light is off. So you can simply tap the switch to light it up without needing to press it fully and turn it on permanently. Good for manual flashing signals and quick usage. It's also called a positive clicky.
Reverse clicky - It's the opposite of above. Generally what everyone would think a normal switch would do. You need to full depress the switch to turn on the light permanently. While on, you can do half presses to turn the light off.
Throw - The ability to throw the center hotspot a long way. The intensity or the brightness of the center hotspot determines how far it can light up things. Usually, higher the throw value means smaller the hotspot or a less bright spill. So it may not be as useful for short distances. Flashlights that use smooth reflecters generally have more throw than ones with OP reflector.
[FLASHLIGHTS] - Not all flashlights reviewed may yet be shown below.
Submitted by MetalZone
[OUTDOOR SHOTS]
- It's not the final camera setting nor my final location yet. Just a test.
- Expect my location / distance / exposure / angle to change later on.
Taken from a distance of 25m away.
Exposure: 5 seconds @ F5.6 ISO100
...Eastward YJ-XAQ5 ....Dereelight DBS V2 Q5....... .Fenix TK10 Q5
...Solarforce SF6-R2 .............KD 3xSSC..........Rexlight 2.1 B002 14500
[RESULTS AT A GLANCE] - Split into two parts now!
Star Rating
★★★★★★ - Buy it now! Amazing bang for the buck!
★★★★★ - It is excellent. A great buy! Recommended.
★★★★ - Pretty darn good. It's not the best but is not bad.
★★★ - It's okay but there's nothing that great about it imo.
★★ - Not good. Avoid if if you can coz it's not worth it.
★ - Why am I even reviewing this?! Total waste of $$$.
[HIGH PERFORMANCE / HIGH RATED LIGHTS] - Review in this thread
[LOW RATED, LOW PERFORMANCE or DISCONTINUED] - Link to reviews for below lights HERE
NOTE: Output values are for the near absolute peak while batteries are fully charged at its highest voltage.
Always check the runtime graph if available as you cannot expect all light to maintain such values for very long.
[REVIEWS] - Use CTRL-F to quickly find the light you want instead of scrolling.
Star Rating
★★★★★★ - Buy it now! Amazing bang for the buck!
★★★★★ - It is excellent. A great buy! Well worth the money.
★★★★ - Pretty darn good. It's not the best but not bad at all either.
fyi - The most recent light I reviewed is at the top.
★★★★★ Romisen RC-A3 DX (Reviewed June 21st 2008)
Throw: TBA lux (1 x 3.7v 17670)
Lightbox: 45 lux (1 x 3.7v 17670)
Intro
- This is Romisen's AA light which has now all been upgraded to a P4 bin Cree.
- It's a nice AA EDC sized flashlight with good build quality and price.
Build Quality
- Solid Romisen quality. Bit over 1mm thick aluminium barrel.
- Good threads. No rattle. Mine came slightly lubed.
- Both the light engine pill and reflector is threaded. can be rotated out.
- No threads are glued. So it is mod friendly in that sense.
- Firm press required but easy to press reverse clicky as it sticks out.
- Due to this, it does not tail stand however. It's a black rubber clicky.
- In hand, it feels solid, not cheap, grippy. Three flat sided body.
- Small square shaped knurlings on head/tail. Good quality machining.
- There is a thin non-visible-from-outside o-ring infront of the glass lense.
- Cree LED is thermal paste glued on to the pill. 16mm round base.
- Cree LED was a silver-backed model with 4 wires. (minimum P4 bin)
- Nice and fairly deep textured OP aluminium reflector.
- Unusually thick O-ring on both sides of the battery barrel. Nice.
- One small and round hole in the tail for the lanyard.
- Enough room in the barrel to fit any AA sizes.
Light Output
- Not super bright but still useful output brightness. Nice runtime.
- Smooth blended hotspot with nice and bright spill.
- Has a neutral to cool tint to the beam. No bluish feel still.
- Slight yellow corona around the hotspot but not visible in use.
- No visible donut hole in the centre of hotspot from over 2 inches away.
- As you can see from the graph, it has a initial drop then nice flat output.
In Use
- Doesn't get too hot during long extended use. Gets fairly warm.
- Can easily roll off tables as it's just round cylindrical in shape.
- Nothing to really highlight or fault. Nice simple 1 mode AA light. =)
Final Notes
- Not as bright as the single mode P4 Ultrafire C3 nor can support 2AA.
- And for around $1 more, you can get a RC-I3 which is far more versatile.
- But RC-A3 still has good runtime and has a solid quality feel to the light.
- So I give it a 5 star rating. Very nice, well priced, good as gifts also.
*Alternative lights in similar category/price*
- Ultrafire C3 1-mode AA/2AA P4. (great runtime, brighter, versatile)
- Romisen RC-I3 (Can use 1 or 2AA as well as 1RCR for extra brightness)
- Romisen RC-H3 (which I haven't yet reviewed but many recommend it)
◎ Measurements
- It pulls 1.6A from 1 x 1.2v AA NiMh
★★★ Aurora DX Buckle R2 AAA DX (Reviewed May 27th 2008)
Throw: TBA lux (1 x AAA NiMh)
Lightbox: TBA lux (1 x AAA NiMh)
Intro
- This is Aurora's small AAA light with a buckle clip and boasts a Cree R2 emitter.
- I received mine but it's faulty. Barely turns on and when it does, it flickers badly. =(
Build Quality
- On the outside, it doesn't look that bad at all. Sleek and slim.
- There is no grippy knurlings on the body. Still, it's not too slippery.
- Thread is deep but very loose. Without the O-ring, it's very shaky.
- When tightened enough to reach the O-ring, it's not too bad however.
- I cannot see any O-ring in-front of the glass lense. So not good in wet.
- O-ring is quite thin. Much thinner than the KD Buckle V4. No spare also.
- Inside the battery tube, there is a spring at the end. Good depth for AAA.
- On the driver side, there is a blob of solder for the positive terminal.
- Buckle that it came with was red in color. Quite a big buckle in size.
- But I wouldn't trust it as it doesn't feel that super durable. =P
- Anodizing is quite good. But it's not HAIII. So it does scratch easily.
- It has a very small and shallow aluminium smooth reflector.
Light Output
- Cannot comment too much as it flickers badly if I get it to turn on.
- But 99% of the time, it fails to turn on so can't say anything really. =(
In Use
- Due to having no knurlings on the body or the head, it's not that grippy.
- If you have dry fingers, it's very difficult to rotate it. Quite slippery.
- Tail has a pointy nipple so it cannot tail stand.
- It's a single mode twisty.
Final Notes
- Unless I get a working one, I can't really give a 100% review.....
- But seeing many other people's comments also, I cannot really recommend this one.
- This review will soon go into the low rating flashlights thread I think.
- Well, I doubt I'll buy another one so take your chances. =)
*Alternative lights in similar category/price*
- Kaidomain.com's Buckle V4 Q5 light. (bit more expensive but worth it)
- Tiablo MA1 (even more expensive at around $28 but still very good)
◎ Measurements
- It pulls TBA from 1 x AAA NiMh
★★★★★ Romisen RC-F4 Q5 ShiningBeam (Reviewed June 6th 2008)
Throw: 4300 lux (1 x 3.7v 17670) 5050 lux (2RCR) (Both are peak only)
Lightbox: 120 lux (1 x 3.7v 17670) 150 lux (2RCR) (Both are peak only)
Intro
- This is ShiningBeam's customized Romisen RC-F4 with Cree Q5 emitter.
- Output is brighter by around 30% over the original RC-F4 at DX/KD etc.
- I have also reviewed the standard Romisen RC-F4 previously.
Build Quality
- Build quality wise, it's identical to the current RC-F4 that you can buy elsewhere.
- Switch module is inside it's own aluminium pill. Meaning less contact issues.
- Head is not glued. So you have full access to the emitter and light engine.
- Uses a silver-backed Cree emitter and has a nice deep Alumnium OP reflector.
- The emitter is thermal glued to the pill and the emitter is on a 16mm round base.
- Has "Q5" painted on the side instead of the usual "CREE" sign.
- There is a nice grippy knurlings on the head and on the tail. None on body.
- It does not have HAIII. So expect it to get scratched over time.
- Has O-rings in all the required places. So it should be at worse splash proof.
Light Output
- Noticeably brighter than the P4 version with both 2RCR and 17670.
- Has a brighter hotspot and a brighter spill also. Smooth looking output.
- Soft edged due to OP reflector but still clearly brighter round hotspot.
- Output with 17670 is about the same or brighter than original RC-F4 with 2RCR.
- With 2RCR, it's constantly 20-30% brighter than the original RC-F4 with 2RCR.
In Use
- Single mode reverse clicky. Easy to press with flat part of the thumb.
- It does not tail stand. It rolls off the table if on an angle or gets momentum.
- It fits the non-protected 17670. A little tight but no problems.
- It fits any RCR batteries I've tried so far. Trustfire/KD/Ultrafire etc.
- Even after 30 minutes on constant power, it does not get hot at all!
- It barely gets warm. So it's great for extended use.
- Runtime with 2RCR is great. And it has a super flat regulation after the initial 3 minute burst.
- With 17670, it has a direct drive characteristic but has a very long useable runtime of over 3 hours.
Final Notes
- Brilliant "cheap" 2RCR light. It's very slim and light. Feels great in hand.
- The original version at $15 is one of best flashlight you can get for $$.
- But this Q5 version is definitely still worth it if you want yours brighter!
- Also, ShiningBeam ships it to you much faster than shops from HK. =)
- I give RC-F4 "Q5" 5 stars overall. Well, 6 star performance still. =P
- But I gave it 5 stars due to it being around $10 more than P4 version all up. (including shipping)
- FYI: Get 6% discount using coupon code "CPFuser" at Shiningbeam! =)
◎ Measurements
- It pulls 0.50A from 2 x 3.7v RCR123A
- It pulls 0.52A from 1 x 3.7v 17670 (yes. Not much difference to 2RCR)
.............................................................RC-F4 Q5 vs RC-G2 Q5......2 stops lower
★★★★ Aurora AK-P7 2-mode 18650 KD DX (Reviewed May 27th 2008)
Throw: High 9500 lux Low 900 lux (1 x 3.7v 18650 @ 4.15v)
Lightbox: High 395 lux Low 40 lux (1 x 3.7v 18650 @ 4.15v)
Intro
- This is an Ultrafire C8 body-based SSC P7 light that uses 18650.
- The head is identical in size to the Ultrafire WF-500 flashlight.
Build Quality
- The fit and finish is of high quality as is the case with Auroras.
- Big and fairly deep aluminium OP reflector. Glass lense.
- Big copper pill to transfer heat quickly to the outer body.
- O-ring in all the required places.Double o-ring on tail thread.
- Seems like it is Type II black anodization. Definitely not HAIII.
Light Output
- BRIGHT. Huge hotspot but still throws well also. Bright and wide spill.
- Has a big donut hole when shone close up. But disappears from 30cm.
- Has a neutral-warm tint to the hotspot. Spill is neutral. Very nice overall.
- It can light up a big room as if it's a 75W lightbulb. =P
- The initial output drops very quickly as the temperature goes up.
- So check out my ruintime graph. (output value isn't comparable to other graphs)
In Use
- Caution! Gets extremely hot after about 10 minutes of continuous use.
- I don't recommend using this light for over 30 minutes at a time.
- It can tail stand! The clicky is flat enough that it has no issues.
- Two mode reverse clicky with resistor for low. Needs firm pressure.
Final Notes
- Light is super bright. Well made feel. But not cheap and gets too hot!
- Review isn't complete yet. Final notes later on.
◎ Measurements
- It pulls 1.95A from 1 x 3.7v 18650
★★★★ Ultrafire C3 Stainless Steel Q5 5-Mode 14500 DX (Reviewed May 27th 2008)
Throw: High 1600 lux Med 650 lux Low 250 lux (1 x 3.7v 14500 @ 4.15v)
Lightbox: High 145 lux Med 60 lux Low 23 lux (1 x 3.7v 14500 @ 4.15v)
Intro
- This is a Cree Q5 version of the Stainless Steel C3 that has 5 modes.
- Note that this C3 cannot be used with AA. Only works with 14500.
Build Quality
- Pretty much identical to the other Stainless Steel C3 model.
- I haven't had time to check internally as my friend took it off me. =P
- Aluminium OP reflector and glass lense. Firm reverse clicky.
- Same as other SS C3 models, it does get scratched/grazed fairly easily.
- But I guess you can buff it out again if you want to. =)
- Battery barrel seems to be longer than 1-mode SS C3.
- So even protected 14500 batteries fit fine and tail cap screws in fully.
Light Output
- It's actually very bright as you can see from my lightbox result.
- Well I guess you have to expect it as it uses a Q5 with lithium battery.
- Has a usefully dim low mode. About 20 lumens maybe.
In Use
- It has 5 modes. Med-Low-High-Strobe-SOS. Always turns on next mode.
- So if you were on High mode and turned it off. Need to click 5 times for High again.
- After about a minute of non-use however, it always starts in Med again.
- It does not tail stand and flatter clicky won't make it any better.
- When left on for 10 minutes on High, it's give you a serious hand burn.
- It gets so hot. Even hotter than AK-P7 above. OMG. I burnt my hand.
- So use it less than 5 mins at a time. Or in Winter. Or with gloves. =P
- Runtime seems to be around 50 minutes on High. Graph up soon.
Final Notes
- It's a nice looking light with good brightness but only works with 14500.
- It has 5 modes which I don't need but I'm sure many others might like.
- If it didn't get so hot, I would have given it 5 stars but it's just too hot!
◎ Measurements
- It pulls TBA from 1 x 3.7v 14500
★★★★★★ KD Buckle V4 Cree Q5 AAA KD (Reviewed May 16th 2008)
Throw: 450 lux (1AAA NiMh - output drops to ~350 lux quickly)
Lightbox: 65 lux (1AAA NiMh - output drops to ~58 lux quickly )
Intro
- This is the latest made-from-ground-up version of the KD Buckle light.
- It is now version 4 and has a Cree Q5 bin emitter and HAII anodizing.
Build Quality
- Whoa. What an improvement from the older KD Buckle light I reviewed.
- Threads are big and smooth. Very big for such small sized light.
- Hence it is a bit loose when "off". But not enough to fall off or anything.
- The light is much thicker than the older version. You can say it's fatter.
- Glass lense with o-ring. Lense is recessed deep to prevent damage.
- Thick o-ring on the body thread also. Comes with a spare O-ring as well.
- It has a gold colored spring on the tail end. Thread was lubed nicely.
- Knurling quality is superb. Smooth yet grippy. No flat sides though.
- Smooth aluminium reflector. Very well centred emitter with no gap.
- It is Type II anodized. It's quite tough but not scratch proof.
- Mine did not come with a buckle. Maybe it's not supposed to?
Light Output
- Very wide but well defined hotspot and wide and bright spill.
- No rings around hotspot. Some halo ring outside of the spill area.
- Mine has a nice and neutral to warm tint light output.
- As per runtime graph, it is failry well regulated until it drops off.
- At the final drop off point, it started blinking. Low batt warning?
- Use NiMh or Lithiums whenever possible for longest runtime/brightness.
In Use
- All AAA batteries I have fits in without being tight. No battery rattle.
- It tail stands well on the buckle end. Buckle hole is not too tiny either.
- Body gets quite warm after 5 minutes. But does not get too too "hot".
- Head portion of the threads seem glued. So can't get to light engine.
- Rotated via the middle battery tube. Very easy to twist on and off.
- But the thread is not loose enough to worry about it unscrewing off.
- I've used it as my keychain light and it was quite secure. No worries.
- Very comfortably used via one hand. No need for two hands at all.
- Vicks nasal Inhaler cap fits tight but perfectly as a light diffuser cap!
Final Notes
- Light output beats the older KD Buckle light and it's better made also.
- Well, this is what the KD Buckle V1 should have been. Just superb.
- Best "bright" AAA Cree light you can buy for under $25 right now imo.
- And... You can buy 5 lights for $92 equating to only $18.40 each!
- Here's some more photos by Jerry himself.
- Some say it's too fat or too chunky. It certainly isn't the smallest AAA light.
- But I still don't mind it and it feels very durable so I can't complain.
- But as a keychain light, Fenix E01 is better imo due to longer runtime and smaller size.
◎ Measurements
- It pulls TBA from 1 x 1.2v NiMh AAA
................................................................................................... KD V4 - E01...................3.5 stops lower
★★★★★★ Fenix E01 Nichia GS AAA LINK (Reviewed May 11th 2008)
Throw: 40 lux (1AAA NiMh)
Lightbox: 6 lux (1AAA NiMh)
Intro
- This is the cheapest and least bright Fenix flashlight currently available.
- Uses a Nichia GS 5mm LED and AAA batteries. Good for 10 lumens max.
Build Quality
- Quality is excellent for what it costs. It does not look/feel cheap at all.
- Has HAIII anodization so it should not get scratched by car/home keys.
- The head portion on mine is more grey than olive compared to the body.
- LED is centred perfectly on mine. There is no glass infront of the LED.
- Smooth aluminum reflector is integrated with the head.
- Has a big black O-ring on the head thread. Comes with a spare also.
- Thread is deep and smooth. Easy to rotate the head to power on/off.
- There is a spring on the back end of the battery tube. (Tail side)
- Backend of PCB is exposed and positive end of battery touches directly.
Light Output
- Beam is ringy but only visible closeup as light is very weak anyways.
- Has a purple/blue tint to the beam from a distance of 30cm or over.
- It's not that bright really. It's not meant be. Around 10 lumens max.
- It's near exact same brightness as Rexlight 2.1 in low mode with AA.
- It is still bright enough to faintly light up a room when pointed at ceiling.
- It's bright enough to see everything without waking up your baby/partner at night. =)
In Use
- All AAA batteries I have fits in without being tight. No battery rattle.
- Head is easy to rotate. While facing it away, totate left to on. Right to off.
- It can tail stand firmly even with the keychain ring attached.
- According to wadef, even after 35 hours, it has useable output.
- Vicks nasal Inhaler cap fits perfectly as a light diffuser cap!
Final Notes
- It's very portable and useful. Available in many fashionable colors.
- It also has very long runtime, is light, small, durable. Great as gifts.
- So I give it 6 stars as it's a Fenix quality light for only $15 shipped!
- Just don't expect it to be bright coz it sure ain't supposed to be. =P
◎ Measurements
- It pulls TBA from 1 x 1.2v NiMh AAA
....................................................................KD V4 - E01..................3.5 stops lower
★★★★★★ Romisen RC-I3 CR123A/1AA/2AA/14500 LINK (Reviewed MAY 1st 2008)
Throw: 400 lux (1AA NiMh) 900 lux (2AA NiMh) 1400 lux (1 x RCR123A / 14500)
Lightbox: 25 lux (1AA NiMh) 60 lux (2AA NiMh) 100 lux (1 x RCR123A / 14500)
Intro
- This is a very versatile light that supports many kinds of batteries.
- In 2AA mode, it feels much like the RC-N3 due to thicher RCR barrel.
- In 1AA/RCR mode, it is has a similar look/size as MTE SSC P4 AA light.
- It is available in black or silver finish.
Build Quality
- It came with a yellow Cree with 4 wires. So it's at least a P4.
- Textured aluminium reflector. Glass lense. No defects to note.
- Comes with a side clip which can be removed. It's a very tight clip.
- Easy to press 1-mode reverse clicky. Cannot tail stand.
- Easy to replace the clicky with GITD or Orange / Blue ones.
- Threads are really sharp and not very big. Lube / wd40 is recommended.
- The extension barrel is very thick and solid. 1AA barrel is much thinner.
- Has spring on the tail switch side but not on the driver side.
- Tail part has a spacer which allows AA to fit and not rattle inside.
- It also allows the RCR to not slide all the way down towards the tail.
Light Output
- Beam is clean. No ugliness to it. No donut hole even at close range.
- Tint is neutral. Nice floody hotspot. Good general purpose output.
- In 1AA, the light is quite dim. Maybe good for those who like it dim.
- In 2AA and with lithiums, the light is quite bright.
- It's like having 3 modes of brightness! 1AA=Low 2AA=Med RCR=High
In Use
- In single AA/RCR mode, it is very portable and output is still useful.
- With 1 or 2AA, the light has a nice long flat output runtime.
- With 1RCR, the light is bright but has direct-driven-like output curve.
- This light is so versatile in battery type! 1AA/2AA/14500/RCR123A.
- Battery is replaced by unscrewing the head and not the tail.
- It does not get hot in any battery configuration.
Final Notes
- I give it 6 stars coz of its super cheap price and superb versatility!
- I reckon you won't find much better in this type for this kind of price!
◎ Measurements
- It pulls TBA from 1 x 1.2v NiMh AA.
- It pulls TBA from 2 x 1.2v NiMh AA.
- It pulls TBA from 1 x RCR or 14500.
......... ......... ......... ............. 1AA.................. ....... 2AA ......... ............. RCR
★★★★★ Romisen RC-G2 Cree Q5 AA ShiningBeam (Reviewed Apr 16 2008)
Throw: 1350 lux (1 x 1.2v AA NiMh @ 1.4v)
Lightbox: 50 lux
Intro
- MAY UPDATE - Price dropped to $18.75 when used with CPFuser code!
- This is lightbug's factory customised Q5 version of the Romisen RC-G2.
- Externally, it is identical except for the new "Q5" marking on its side.
- As far as I know, the only difference is the Cree emitter used. Now Q5!
Build Quality
- Big turbo aluminium textured reflector. Glass lense. non-HAII anodizing.
- 1 mode forward-clicky. Has a good quality feel to it. Very easy to press.
- Nothing is glued at the threads. Cree Q5 is on a 16mm round base.
- Thread was a bit dirty. After cleaning and re-lubing, all is good.
- Has O-rings in all the usual places. So it should be at least spash proof.
- Comes with an orange rubber clicky. Can easily change to GITD clicky.
Light Output
- Small smooth-edged concentrated hotspot. Great thrower for 1AA light.
- Spill is clean with no rings / artifacts. Tint is neutral. Not bluish at all.
- Now it's a much more well balanced light output as spill is much brighter.
- If you wanted a brighter version without modding it yourself, this is it!
In Use
- Even after leaving it on for over 15 minutes, it isn't too hot.
- Has a nice neutral to slightly warm tint. Not white-blue. So it's good.
- It's not the smallest AA light but it feels nice in hand due to the shape.
Final Notes
- This is what the stock RC-G2 should have been like. Nice and bright.
- Please check out my original RC-G2 review below also as a comparision.
- I give it 5 stars as it isn't as cheap as original. But still a great AA light!
- FYI: Get 6% discount using coupon code "CPFuser" at Shiningbeam! =)
◎ Measurements
- It pulls 1.50A from 1 x 1.2v NiMh AA.
......... ......... ......... ......... ............. ......... RC-G2 vs RC-G2 Q5 ....... 2 stops less exposure
★★★★★ Ultrafire C3 Stainless Steel P4 LINK (Reviewed Apr 11th)
Throw: 800 lux (1 x AA NiMh) 830 lux (2 x AA NiMh) 1150 lux (1 x 3.7v 14500)
Lightbox: 60 lux (1 x AA NiMh) 60 lux (2 x AA NiMh) 89 lux (1 x 3.7v 14500)
Intro
- This is a 1-mode stainless steel version of the Ultrafire C3 Cree P4.
- First impression was "wow, it's really nice" and "wow, it's really heavy!"
Build Quality
- In terms of finish / feel of the new look, it's top notch. Very nice.
- Nicely engraved markings on the head. Looks professional and expensive.
- Easy to press reverse clicky. Switch is in its own pill. Good quality.
- Comes with a black rubber clicky. It looks much better with GITD clicky.
- Barrel is thick. Has good quality threads. Wasn't lubed but it's smooth.
- Glass lense. No O-ring infront of lense! But there is in other places.
- Has a OP aluminium reflector but it's much smoother than most OP's.
Light Output
- Brightness is about the same as original 1 mode Ultrafire C3 P4 to start.
- But the brightness drops with AA compare to non-SS C3 P4. Different driver?
- However, the output pattern using 14500 is very similar to original C3 P4.
- The tint is much whiter/cooler now. Old UF C3 P4 has a neutral/warm tint.
- Hotspot is well defined with soft blended edges. Faint yellow halo ring.
- No holes in the hotspot. Spill is very clean and still bright.
In Use
- It's heavy. It feels heavier than normal UF C3 with 2AA extension!
- Looks nice but as a pocket sized EDC, it's a bit too heavy for my liking.
- UF C3 2AA extender fits perfectly. Becomes a two tone body. =P
- Can use both 1AA and 14500 and also the extender so it's quite versatile.
- With my Trustfire protected 14500, it was a bit too long for the tail cap to close fully.
- It gets quite warm but not enough to say it's hot even after 20 minutes.
Final Notes
- I give it 5 stars as it's of excellent quality and quite bright / regulated.
- It's a really nice candidate if you need to give someone a present. =)
◎ Measurements
- It pulls 1.60A from 1 x 1.2v AA NiMh @ 1.4v
- It pulls 0.45A from 1 x 3.7v 14500 @ 4.15v
......... ......... ......... ......... AA NiMh ......... ........... 14500
★★★★★ Fenix TK10 LINK (Reviewed Apr 11th)
Throw: High 4500 lux Low TBA lux(2 x 3.0v CR123A) High 4500 lux Low TBA lux(2 x 3.6v RCR123A)
Lightbox: High 195 lux Low TBA lux(2 x 3.0v CR123A) High 190 lux Low TBA lux(2 x 3.6v RCR123A)
- This is not a budget light in most people's books that's for sure. =P
- Build quality is superb. Better than Eastward light below in every way.
- But that is to be expected considering its price. =P
- Olive colored version is very nice to look at. Looks and feels expensive.
- HAIII anodizing is superb. No two tones etc. Very smooth finish.
- Clean round beam with a slightly blended hotspot. Not a full on thrower.
- No holes, rings, artifacts anywhere in the output. Very clean and smooth.
- Due to the OP reflector, the beam is quite soft and floody. I really like!
- Super constant regulated output. Constantly brighter than DBS V2 1S.
- Has 2 modes. High and Low. Low is accesed by turning the front head.
- Loosen the head a bit and it's in Low mode. Tighten it back for High.
- This is great coz you it avoids you having to click multiple times.
- At the same time, it's near impossible to switch modes single handed.
- Textured aluminium reflector and glass lense. Can attach a side clip.
- O-rings all where it's needed. Big thick O-rings also.
- Without the tactical ring, it does roll off table if it gets momentum.
- It comes with a nicely looking gold/copper ring for tactical ring area.
- Has a very easy to press forward-clicky. Does not tail stand.
- The driver side where battery touches has reverse polarity protection.
- Deep but sharp threads. It wasn't lubed when received.
- Gets nice and warm after about 10 minutes. But not what I would call hot.
- Comes with spare orange rubber clicky and 4 CR123A primaries.
- It does not work with 2 x protected Trustfire RCR123A as it's too long!
- But works with protected Ultrafire RCR123A as Ultrafire ones are shorter.
- Due to it being around $90 shipped, I can't say it's superb value. =P
- Still it's a great flashlight. Flashlight itself is 6 stars in quality / performance.
- MAY24 update! Runtime graph updated with new KD Protected RCR123As!
◎ Measurements
- It pulls 0.80A from 2 x 3.0v CR123A Primary @ 3.10v each @ High
- It pulls 0.50A from 2 x 3.6v RCR123A @ 4.15v each @ High
....... . High ..... ....... ............. Low....... ....... ........ High ..... ....... ........... Low ............. .... TK10 - YJXAQ5 - DBS V2 - Solarforce
★★★★ Eastward YJ-XAQ5 18650 KD / DX (Reviewed Apr 9th)
Throw: High 9500 lux Low 1800 lux (1 x 3.7v 18650 @ 4.15v)
Lightbox: High195 lux Low 36 lux (1 x 3.7v 18650 @ 4.15v)
Intro
- It's a 2 mode 18650-only light that is very bright and has solid feel.
- It is overall a bit smaller than the DBS V2. Same length as WF-400.
Build Quality
- Uses a silver core Cree Q5. Not sure what exact bin code. Neutral tint.
- Textured aluminium reflector. Thick 37mm glass lense. Flat rubber seal.
- 2-mode reverse clicky with resistor. Tail stands though not 100% stable.
- The clicky isn't that easy to press without using the tip of your thumb.
- It uses a standard looking 3 way clicky switch. Feels nice and solid still.
- Nothing seems glued. Cree Q5 is on a star base screwed on to pill.
- Pill easily rotates out. Big copper-like pill. Seems very easily moddable!
- Finish is great. No faults. Perfect square indents on the head. Quality!
- Grade 1 anodizing has a good thick "feel". But it scratches still...
Light Output
- Beam is clean. Big and wide bright spill. No distinct artifacts/rings.
- Hotspot is quite tight and well defined. Very bright hotspot. No holes.
- This light can throw. Even if it's an OP reflector. It does a great job.
- I was able to light up building tops in Sydney CBD over 150m away at night!
- Light tint is very good. Not too white. More neutral to warm tint.
- In Low mode, the output is significantly less. But it's not super low.
In Use
- Fits protected 2500mAh Trustfire 18650 without any issues. No rattle.
- Gets quite hot after about 15 minutes of use. But it's still bearable.
- Runtime graph is very similar to the DBS V2 graph. Similar output also!
- Comes with a decent man-sized thick round lanyard. One hole in tail.
- In low mode, it runs for over 7 hours of super constant brightness so far.
- More exact low mode runtime will be tested when time allows.
Final Notes
- It's an excellent 2-mode 18650 LED torch for this price. But no HAIII.
- I give it 4 stars coz it's extremely bright and well built but not the best.
- Mny report that it gets too hot and possibly killing the emitter coz of it!
- FYI - Eastward YJ-18WD / YJ-18WF has HAIII but is same price!
UPDATE
- The Cree emitter is now not as bright as before. Output is halved.
- Pulls same current (~1.5A) from battery still. Just the LED is half-dim.
- Either driver is killing the LED over time or I'm unlucky on the Q5 emitter.
- I've now put in a replacement Q5. All is good again and super bright.
- My Fenix T1 did the exact same thing within 3 days. Bad batch of Q5?
- Wolf359 also reported the "dimming" effect. Seems to be common???
RECOMMENDATION
- For those who are inclined, try improving the heatsinking of the LED.
- By dismounting the star and applying thermal paste on the bottom of it.
- or.. Use it up to ~15 minute bursts at a time. Over an hour is not good.
◎ Measurements
- It pulls 1.50A from 1 x 3.7v 18650 @ 4.15v
....... . High ..... ....... ........... Low
★★★★★★ Romisen RC-N3 CR123A/2AA LINK (Reviewed Mar 27th 2008)
Throw: 1100 lux (2 x AA NiMh @ 2.8v) 1900 lux (1 x RCR123A @ 4.2v)
Lightbox: 50 lux (2 x AA NiMh @ 2.8v) 100 lux (1 x RCR123A @ 4.2v)
- It has a new silver-core Cree emitter with 4 wires = minimum P4-bin.
- Has a glass lense with textured aluminium reflector. Hence less throw.
- Reflector is properly screwed in to the head piece. Can be taken out.
- Brightness is difference for when using RCR or 2AA. RCR is brighter.
- Wide smooth bright spill. Blended soft round hotspot.
- Can see a hole in the centre of the hotspot at 10 inches or closer.
- Light tint is white with a slight feeling of being warmer side. Neutral.
- Feels darn solid. Especially in 2AA form. Feels better than WF-606A imo.
- O-ring in all the right places. One in front of glass lense also.
- Strong-feeling side clip. Can be removed easily by unscrewing head.
- Nothing is glued. All threads are good. Lubing recommended though.
- Forward GITD clicky. Easy to press. Doesn't tail stand in stock form.
- But putting an extra 0-ring inside the switch can make it tail stand.
- Good quality switch module. In its own aluminium pill. Easily taken out.
- In RCR form, it's much smaller than Mini 3W Cree. More like Gree Cree.
- In RCR form, it feels very nice. Expensive. Best feeling single RCR light!
- In 2AA form, it's about the length of the WF-606A with thicker barrel.
- In 2AA form, it does not get hot at all. It stays cool all the way through.
- With 2AA, it gives 3+ hours of full output then "useful" output for another 3 hours!
- With single RCR battery, it seems to run as if it is direct driven but bit longer.
- I give it 6 stars as it's cheap, has 2 forms and is of superb quality!
- But if you want a brighter 2AA light, get the WF-606A (reviewed).
- NEWS - You can get the ~50% brighter Q5 version from Shiningbeam!
- I expect the light to have very similar runtimes but just brighter. =)
◎ Measurements
- It pulls 0.41A from 2 x 1.2v AA NiMh @ 1.4v each
- It pulls 0.55A from 1 x 3.6v RCR123A @ 4.15v
- It pulls 0.41A from 1 x 3.0v CR123A Primary @ 3.15v
....... ....... ....... ....... ....... RCR123A .............. 2 x AA Alkaline ......... 2AA after 3.5hrs
★★★★★ UltraFire C3 AA/14500 Cree P4 5-Mode with Extension LINK (Reviewed Mar 12 2008)
Throw: High 1950 lux Mid 650 lux Low 250 lux (1 x 3.7v 14500)
Throw: High 520 lux Mid 220 lux Low 90 lux (1 x 1.2v AA NiMh)
Throw: High 1100 lux Mid 350 lux Low 150 lux (2 x 1.2v AA NiMh)
Lightbox: 160 lux (14500) 47 lux (1AA) 100 lux (2AA)
- Quality is on par with older single Ultrafire C3 P4 models. No faults.
- Much brighter with 2AA/14500 than single-mode Ultrafire C3 models.
- With 2AA, it's as bright as the Ultrafire 606A or brighter overall.
- With 14500, it's super duper bright. Look at the light box result!
- Switch module has its own pill. Made with aluminium. No flickering issue.
- It can sorta tailstand. If you had a flatter clicky, it'll tail stand better.
- Reverse clicky. 5 mode. Med/Low/High/Strobe/SOS.
- Always turns on at the next mode of what it was last. Lots of clicks!
- Beam is quite clean with no rings or artifacts.
- This light is suitable for 14500 or 2AA. There are brighter 1AA lights.
- But it does run extremely cool with 1AA. And has useable output still.
- It runs VERY hot when run with 14500 on High. Not for bare hands!
- Look at the runtime graph with 14500. I think heat affected the output.
- For those who needs a good 5-mode 2AA or 14500 light, this may be it.
◎ Measurements
- It pulls 1.03A from 1 x 14500 @ 4.10 (0.34A and 0.12A for Med/Low)
- It pulls 0.60A from 1 x AA NiMh @ 1.35v (0.20A and 0.07A for Med/Low)
- It pulls 0.85A from 2 x AA NiMh @ 2.70v (0.30A and 0.10A for Med/Low)
◎ Photos from left to right
Beam -- High(1AA) -- High(2AA) -- High(14500)
★★★★★ Dereelight DBS V2 Q5 1Stage LINK (Reviewed Mar 08 2008)
Throw: 18500 lux (1 x 3.7v 18650)
Lightbox: 215 lux (1 x 3.7v 18650)
- This is not a budget light. Flashlight itself is Amazing. But you pay for it.
- One I have is a Cree Q5 1-mode model. OMG-Off-OMG-Off. =P
- It's a monster thrower. That throw value above is no mistake. Awesome.
- It also is very bright overall. Light box result confirms. Q5 is driven hard!
- Super wide and deep, super smooth aluminium reflector. Just beautiful.
- Super clean beam. Slight corona and faint ring around hotspot. Clean spill.
- Cool tint to the light. Not really blue but definitely not on the neutral side.
- Build quality is absolutely superb. Strong, lubed, double O-rings etc.
- Comes with a strong clip which is also detachable by unscrewing screws.
- Has a forward GITD clicky. Firm but easy to press. It does not tail stand.
- It's not a flashlight for jean pockets. Head is quite wide. It's heavy also.
- Great runtime and regulation. Lasted ~100 minutes with cheap 18650.
- It does get failry warm. Not too hot to let go though. No complaints.
- I had to use 1/200 shutter speed for beam shot as it was too bright!
- It has 6 star quality and performance. But a tad too expensive for me. =P
◎ Measurements
- It pulls 1.85A from 1 x Trustfire 18650
★★★★ Solarforce L2 SF6-R2 LINK (Reviewed Mar 06 2008)
Throw: 4300 lux (2 x 3.6v RCR123A) 2600 lux (1RCR) 5000 lux (3RCR)
Lightbox: 120 lux (2 x 3.6v RCR123A)
- Single mode light with SF6-R2 Cree R2 bin drop-in.
- Size is very close to WF-400. Quite heavy also. Not EDC-size to me.
- Uses Surefire P60 module drop-in. So very easy to upgrade/change.
- Built like a tank. Nicely milled body. But doesn't feel that expensive.
- It doesn't have HAIII anodizing. Tactical crown head. A weapon!!
- Reverse clicky. Easy to press coz it sticks out. Does not tail stand.
- Perfectly centered LED. Aluminium OP reflector. Drop-in is good quality.
- Nice big threads and big O-rings. Doesn't roll off tables either.
- BIG Issue -> It makes a very audible buzzing sound. A dud? =(
- Bright hotspot. Throws well. Slight yellow ring. Bright spill.
- Can fit any RCR batts fine. 17670 fits fine also. But NOT 18650.
- Have tried with 1 RCR and it's dimmer. Tried with 3 RCR. Bit brighter.
- Gets mildly warm even when on for extended time. Not hot at all.
- You can buy different heads at Kaidomain. (Stainless Steel / Two-tone)
- Very well regulated. Constant brightness all the way for over 90mins
◎ Measurements
- It pulls 0.40A from 2 x RCR123A
- It pulls 0.40A from 1 x RCR123A (Yup. Same for 1 or 2 RCR)
★★★★ Romisen RC-W4 3 x AAA DX (Reviewed Feb 20 2008)
Throw: High 2900 lux Low 650 lux (3 x 1.2v AAA NiMh @ 1.4v)
Throw: High 3500 lux Low 800 lux (1 x 3.7v 14500 @ 4.15v)
Lightbox: 135 lux (3 x 1.2v AAA NiMh) 150 lux (1 x 3.7v 14500)
- It is a FATTER but a bit shorter version of the RC-F4 in looks. =P
- Three AAA run in series. Seems to be direct driven. (Not 100% yet)
- High and Low modes. Has a 3 way 2-mode reverse clicky with resistor.
- Bright Wide spill. No artifacts. Tight hotspot also. (Similar to Mini 3W Cree)
- Yellow corona/halo around hotspot. (not really visible in use though)
- Works with a single 14500 without any spacer. (It may rattle a bit though)
- I'm sure 18500 will be the PERFECT battery for it with near double the runtime.
- Check the below runtime graph also as brightness does drop down.
- With AAA NiMh, the runtime is good with over an hour of useable output.
- Doesn't tail stand in stock form. Might with flatter clicky if you have one.
- Big and deep textured Aluminum reflector.
- Build quality is still very nice. Feels solid and strong. Doesn't feel cheap.
- Glass lense with O-ring in front. Head comes off. No glue.
- New silver-core Cree! (Probly a P4 still) 16mm round cree base.
- Overall, it's not a bad light at all. Good Romisen quality also.
- If you have lots of AAA batteries, it might be a light for you. =)
◎ Measurements
- It pulls 1.25A from 1 x 3.7v 14500 @ 4.15v
- It pulls 0.90A from 3 x 1.2v AAA NiMh @ 1.4v
......... Beam ......... .......... High(14500) ............. Low(14500) ............. High(3xAAA)
★★★★★★ Romisen RC-G2 Cree P2 AA DX KD (Reviewed Jan 05 2008)
Throw: 1250 lux (1 x 1.2v AA NiMh)
Lightbox: 25 lux
- Small smooth-edged concentrated hotspot. Good thrower for AA light.
- Spill is clean with no rings / artifacts. Not very bright though.
- So it's not for those who wants a bright spill. Coz it really is dim.
- But the centre hotspot is very bright still so it can still light up things nicely.
- I wish Romisen updated this light with at least a P4. But it's good even with P2.
- Looks and feels expensive. Very good finish and coating. Excellent!
- Big turbo aluminium textured reflector. Glass lense. O-rings throughout.
- Forward-clicky! So it turns on with half-press. Responsive also.
- Nothing is glued at the threads. Cree P2 on 16mm round base.
- Excellent build quality. Feels more like a $25 light. I'm serious.
- For only around $11, it is one of the best AA light to get. Great a a present also.
- It's excellent for DIY'ers trying to make an ultimate throwy EDC AA light.
- FYI - There is a huge thread about this light. Many many followers. =)
- BTW - Now there is a Q5 version of this light at shiningbeam.com
_ I have reviewed the Q5 version up the top so check it out also.
◎ Measurements
- It pulls 1.60A from 1 x 1.2v NiMh AA.
- It pulls 1.40A from 1 x 1.5v Alkaline AA.
★★★★ WF-400 Cree Q2 18650 DX (Reviewed Jan 05 2008)
Throw: High 5400 lux , Low 1300 lux (1 x 3.7v 18650)
Lightbox: High 149 lux , Low 35 lux
- Another switch length longer than Romisen RC-G4.
- Due to the textured reflector, it doesn't have the tightest hotspot.
- But it still has an awesome throw output while being usefully wide.
- The reflector looks near identical to the RC-G4 but is deeper.
- Bright clean spill also. Overall amount of output is very high.
- 2 mode reverse clicky with a resistor for low mode.
- It has an identical switch pcb/module/resistor as Mini 3W Cree
- It tail stands with original clicky. Does not with DIY clickies.
- Low mode of this light looks near identical to the RC-G2's output.
- Build quality is quite good. Dual O-rings on tail. Deep threads.
- Nothing is glued at the threads. Cree Q2 is on a star base.
- It's an excellent 2 mode thrower that is worth the money imo.
- If you want a better 2 mode, have a look at the Eastward YJ-XAQ5.
◎ Measurements
- It pulls 0.90A from 1 x Trustfire Protected 3.7V @ 4.2v 18650 in High.
◎ Runtime Graph
- You can ignore the spikes as they are not caused by the WF400 but by me. =P
- Remains on well past the 4th hour. (Not bright enough to be useful though)
★★★★★ Romisen RC-G4 Cree P4 (2 x CR123A or 1 x 18650) Gray DX / Official
Throw: 2500 lux (2 x 3.6v RCR123A) 1700 lux (1 x 3.7v 18650)
Lightbox: 75 lux
- Similar in size to the Superfire Xenon with a slightly wider head. Looks like Ultrafire C2.
- It has a smaller head than Ultrafire C2. Noticeably heavier than RC-F4. Not too big still.
- Hexagonal spill due to crown bezel. Beam is very clean with no dark rings or artifacts.
- Blended-edge hotspot with some yellow corona-ring visible. Small concentrated hotspot.
- Built very strong. Thick walls. Good quality threads. Nothing is glued. Firm reverse clicky.
- Glass lense and big Aluminium OP reflector. The reflector is threaded which reflects quality.
- Cree is on 16mm round base and on a pill that can be rotated out. LED base is glued to the pill though.
- Good amount of heatsink fins on the head. Does not get hot at all.
- Only pulls 0.2A from dual RCR123A batteries. Good runtime of 3.5+ hrs.
- For it's long runtime, good brightness and excellent build quality for under $18, it is a bargain imo.
◎ Measurements
- It pulls 0.20A from 2 x Trustfire Protected 3.6V RCR123A on High.
- It pulls 0.23A from 1 x Trustfire 3.7v 18650 on High.
★★★★★ Mini 3W Cree 1xCR123A DX
Throw: High 3400 lux , Low 800 lux (1 x 3.6v CR123A)
Lightbox: High 115 lux , Low 30 lux
- Bigger than a Gree Cree. Much chunkier and a bit longer.
- Very bright. It throws well but not as well defined as Gree/RC-F4 due to OP reflector.
- Clean beam and zero artifacts. Wide spill. Nice even brightness for entire spill area.
- It is direct driven. There's no regulator driver board. See this post for more info.
- As the brightness drops over time, it isn't as bright as RC-F4 during use. But it is brighter than Gree.
- 2 mode reverse clicky. High - Low - Off. It is easy to press with one hand.
- Low mode is about the brightness of the MTE SSC P4 AA. It's not super duper low low. But OK.
- Build quality is quite good. Spring on both sides of the battery compartment.
- Good well machined threads. Lightly lubed. Well coated everywhere inside and out.
- Plenty of room for the CR123A battery of any type. Near 2mm thick walls. Feels solid.
- Double big o-rings at the tail thread. O-ring in-front of lense and front thread.
- Switch module and Driver/LED module can also be easily taken out.
- Cree LED is on a star board. Thermal paste below it. Not glued. Perfect for DIY projects!
- BTW, Switch is a cheap tri-state that can be bought from DX. It cannot handle 1.5A+ current.
- With the reflector taken out, it's not a full candle mode but has a wide single tone, no hotspot output.
- Thin glass lense. It isn't secured so it can fall out if you open the front bezel.
- It can semi-tail stand. The rubber clicky does stick out just enough to not be 100% flat.
- BTW, there is a 5-mode version of this light with a 1-mode clicky + 5 mode driver.
◎ Measurements
- It pulls 1.10A from 1 x Trustfire Protected 3.6V CR123A in high @ 4.2v
- It pulls 0.80A from 1 x Trustfire Protected 3.6V CR123A in high @ 3.8v
◎ Brightness over time in stock form (Using Trustfire 880mAh CR123A)
- It is very similar to graph of Gree Cree below but 10 minutes shorter.
(Third photo is from a Mini3W modded with Cree Q5 bin + 3W regulated driver + 1 x 3.6v RCR123A = 43
00lux @1m & 175lux light box!)
★★★★ Gree Cree XRE (1 x CR123A) LINK (Reviewed SEP 2007)
Throw: 2400 lux (1 x 3.6v RCR123A)
Lightbox: 90 lux
- Similar in size to the MTE SSC P4 light. Quite compact. Tactical crown.
- It is direct driven. Very bright well-defined hotspot. Great little thrower.
- Deep smooth plastic reflector. Slightly ringy and tiny artifacts near the hotspot.
- Head unscrews off easily to reveal bare LED for candle mode. LED module is easily taken out.
- Reflector module and front lense is glued to the head. So it's not really possible to change it.
- Does not tail stand. Can swap the clickie to GITD ones. But not much benefit.
- Single mode reverse clickie. Tail clicky is firm but it's still useable in single-hand use easily.
- It still rolls off the table if the surface is slanted on an angle.
- The body does get warm but doesn't get too hot even after extended use.
MAR 2008 Update
- Bit outdated now. Still a good thrower. But in terms of quality, get RC-N3 or Mini 3W Cree light.
◎ Measurements
- It pulls 0.95A from the Trustfire Protected 3.6V CR123A @ 4.2v
★★★★ MTE Z-Power SSC P4 KS-3 (DX/KD)
Throw: High 4000 lux , Low 2300 lux (2 x 3.6v CR123A)
Lightbox: High 115 lux , Low 70 lux (Initial peak is 160 lux but lasts only 2 seconds)
- Biggest in this round up overall. As tall as WF-606A and wide as the DX 7 watt light.
- Very bright hotspot. It starts off at 5000+ lux but drops off to a more constant 4000 lux within 1 minute.
- Clean white beam with a slight blue tint. No significant rings or artifacts. Spill is very wide and bright also.
- It gets quite hot after around 5 minutes. Similar to Romisen RC-F4. But it's not painful to hold.
- Nothing seems to be glued which is rare for MTE lights. So you can do candle mode with head off.
- 2 mode tail clicky has low and high mode. It is fairly easy to click it single handed. It can also tail stand.
- It is a reverse clicky and you cannot change mode by soft-press only. (Need to full press off/on)
- Plastic smooth reflector and plastic lense. Double o-rings at head and tail thread. Tough.
- It is bright. But for some reason, I don't like it heaps. But some might. =)
◎ Measurements
- It pulls 1.3A from 2 x Trustfire Protected 3.6V CR123A in high.
- Tail clickie shows 8.5 ohm resistence in low mode with my DMM.
★★★★★★ Romisen RC-F4 Cree P4 (2 x RCR123A or 1 x 17670) Gray DX / KD / Official
Throw: 3500 lux (2 x RCR123A) 2900 lux (1 x 17670)
Lightbox: 125 lux (2 x RCR123A) 100 lux (1 x 17670)
- Similar look to the beam as the Gree. Slightly Ringy in and out side the beam but no artifacts.
- Bright well defined tight hotspot. Well regulated. Constant brightness from the get go till it dies.
- Feels well made. Very clean inside and out. It does not tail stand.
- Works fine with two Trustfire/Ultrafire 3.6v protected CR123A batteries.
- O-ring at front and at tail thread. Smooth aluminium reflector on my sample.
- But everyone else advised that they have received this light with OP reflector instead. (less throw, less ringy)
- Green GITD tailcap is standard. Switch easy to use. Single mode reverse on/off clickie.
- Tail thread is good but a bit sharp. It wasn't lubed. Switch module can be taken out easily.
- Head seems to be glued at the thread. But can be opened with a strap wrench easily.
- (Seems some doesn't come glued. So it can easily be opened by hand. Oh well)
- Cree is on 16mm round base and on a pill that can be rotated out. LED base is glued to the pill.
- The body gets quite warm after 15 minutes of use. But it isn't too too hot.
- Still, you can't get such a decent flashlight for under $15 than this imo. A great buy!
- Ultrafire 1800mAh 17670 battery fits and works perfectly in the RC-F4.
- UPDATE - Shining beam now has Q5 version of the RC-F4. It's brighter!
- Seems some have had issues with the switch when used with long RCRs.
- There is a thread about this and here is the fix posted by 04orgZx6r.
◎ Measurements
- It pulls 0.6A from 2 x Trustfire Protected 3.6V CR123A.
- According to KD, it will keep near full brightness for 2 hours with a single 17670. (About 75-90 minutes with 2 x RCR123A)
◎ Experiments
- I have bypassed the driver board and made this into a direct driven light. (soldering required)
- Now I get 4900 lux @ 1m instead! Pulls just over 1A from a single 17670.
(Third photo is RC-F4 direct driven via single RCR123A bypassing the built-in regulator board - approx 30% brighter)
★★★★★ Ultrafire WF-606A 3W Cree (2xAA/1xCR2) DX / KD
Throw: 1750 lux (2 x 1.2v NiMh AA)
Lightbox: 95 lux
- It's quite bright for a 2 x AA flashlight. Good throw and good amount of spill.
- No artifacts or visible rings. Has a slightly yellow corona around hotspot. Neutral tint overall.
- It can use CR2's but not CR123A batteries. They just don't fit due to tight barrel.
- Reverse clickie is very easy to press and use with one hand. Does not tail stand.
- Perfect for DIY'ers. Nothing is glued on at the threads. Can expose LED for candle mode.
- Aluminium OP reflector. Well centered LED. Tactical crown shaped head.
- Doesn't get too warm. Very comfortable temperature to hold for long time.
- It doesn't roll off tables too easily. The head is big and has enough flat spots to stop.
- Very goog build quality. Feels very solid and ready for tough times. Feels expensive.
- It is not a small light in terms of length. 4cm longer than RC-F4 above.
- If you want a bright single-mode throwy double-AA light, this is a great light!
- There are alternatives if desired. eg. Romisen Cree RC-N3 (Also reviewed!)
- Rayovac Hybrids apparently fits very tightly. No probs with Eneloops.
- My Powerbase 2500mAh AA do not fit at all. So don't use fat NiMhs. =P
◎ Measurements
- It pulls 1.3A from two fully charged 1.2v Eneloops NiMh AA's.
★★★★★ UltraFire C3 AA/14500 Cree XR-E P4 Single Mode LINK1 or LINK2
Throw: 700 lux (1.2v AA NiMh) / 720 lux (2 x 1.2v AA NiMh)
Lightbox: 56 lux
- Small and cute and very well made. Looks good with extension tube also. Feels expensive!
- Bright enough for general use. Bright well defined hot spot. Clean beam. Neutral tint.
- Brightness is identical in both 1 x AA or 2 x AA mode. Slightly brighter with 14500 at beginning. (See graph)
- It will last 4 hours at full brightness with 2 x AA according to selfbuilt's review.
- Glass lense and textured aluminium reflector. LED wasn't well centered with mine but didn't matter.
- Does not tail stand. Tail clickie feels better when replaced with a GIDT rubber piece.
- Nothing seems to be glued. Great for DYI'ers. It does not get hot either.
- Great quality looking / feeling AA light for the money. Excellent as a present.
- You can buy 2 extenders and use 3 x AA NiMhs for super long run time. (same brightness)
- It isn't the brightest AA light, but it's a great AA light that I highly recommend.
UPDATE JAN 30 2008 - There is now a Single-mode Ultrafire C3 Cree Q5 available.
UPDATE MAR 10 2008 - There is now a Stainless Steel version of the P4 model also!
◎ Measurements
- It pulls 1.25A from 1 x 1.2v NiMh AA.
- It pulls 0.49A from 2 x 1.2v NiMh AA.
◎ Runtime Graph
- The light is extremely well regulated all the way until battery becomes flat.
★★★★ MTE 5-Mode 100 Lumens Rebel 1 x AA / 0100 BIN LINK
Throw: 850 lux (1 x 1.2v AA NiMh)
Lightbox: 60 lux
- More rounder looking than the MTE SSC P4. Slightly smaller also.
- Bright and large well-defined neutral colored hotspot. Some artifacts in hotspot.
- Also has a bright large spill. No rings or artifacts in the spill area.
- 5 modes. Has a memory feature. It will turn back on at the last mode used.
- It can tail stand. But original clickie is very hard to press. Worst one here.
- Tail clicke is MUCH better when replaced with GITD rubber piece. (But then it doesn't tail stand)
- Everything seems to be glued on at the threads like most other MTE lights.
- Not a bad multi-mode single AA light at all. There's a newer 20 mode version also.
◎ Measurements
- It pulls 1.70A from the 1.5v Alkaline @ High mode.
- It pulls 1.25A from the 1.5v Alkaline @ Med mode.
- It pulls 0.95A from the 1.5v Alkaline @ Low mode.
◎ Experiments
- Do not use 14500 or 2 x AA with this light. LED output turns blue VERY quickly.
★★★★ MTE 1xAA SSC-P4 42180-U LINK
Throw: 500 lux (1 x 1.2v AA NiMh) / 900 lux (2 x 1.2v NiMh with custom tube)
Lightbox: 55 lux
- Well made-looking body. Thick barrel. Looks like a Fenix. Well centered LED.
- It is fairly bright. But still it is one of the lesser ones in this roundup. (1W-1.5W light)
- There is no well defined hotspot. It is smooth and widely spread. Good for close up work.
- Ultrafire C3 looks a bit brighter in use due to brighter and better defined hotspot.
- Tail clicky feels much better when replaced with GITD rubber piece.
- It has a plastic smooth reflector.
(DEC 30th07 - It now has an Aluminium reflector. Smooth or Textured is luck of draw though)
- Single mode reverse on/off clickie. Mine broke after a month of use. (DEC 30th07 - Switch module has been improved now in newer versions)
- Does not tail stand. Head/switch module is glued on at the threads. (DEC 30th07 - New one now tail stands!)
UPDATE - Please read this post as this light has now been improved by MTE!!
Due to the changes above with the latest batches. Rating have been boosted to 4 stars!
◎ Measurements
- It pulls 1.10A from unloaded-1.3v NiMH AA
- It pulls 1.35A from unloaded-1.6v Alkaline AA
◎ Experiments
- Output improves when using 2 AA in series with custom tube but output does show a blue tint.
- Tried wiring up 3.6v CR123A. Brighter than 2 x AA. But within 5 seconds, output turns very BLUE. =(
- Tried 3.0v LiFePo4 14500. Brighter than 2 x AA. But output becomes blue still. Not recommended!!
★★★★ Superfire WF-501B (Xenon - 2 x CR123A) LINK
Throw: 3850 lux (2 x 3.6v CR123A)
- This is a non-LED XENON bulb light. I just had it and it's cheap so included it in this roundup.
- Not a small EDC sized light. Still fits in my jean pocket as it's slim enough
- Very yellow beam. But EXTREMELY bright. Great throw + floody beam. No rings/artifacts.
- Wide hotspot and spill. Great work light. Easy on the eye during use due to the color.
- But don't expect long running times. Probably 30 minutes max at full brightness.
- Aluminum textured reflector. Easy to press reverse clicky.
- The flashlight itself doesn't look that nice imo. But it's built like a tank.
- If you want a super bright xenon light. This is not bad for only $10!
- But KD sells a newer brighter better looking Ultrafire WF502B for $12. =P
◎ Measurements
- It pulls 1.34A from 2 x Trustfire 3.6V CR123A (Charged at 4.2v)
★★★★ Pocket 142lm CREE P4 Flashlight (CR123A) KD / DX
Throw: 1100 lux (Gets hot very quickly and it drops to around 900 within 2 minutes)
Lightbox: 95 lux (Initial peak is 120 lux)
- Big and bright smooth hotspot. Has a similar look to the Cree Q4 5 mode beam.
- Output is very smooth and clean. No rings or artifacts or dead center spot.
- Very wide spill. Wider spill area than Gree or RC-F4. Great floody output.
- Very small. It's a tiny CR123A EDC. It's about 2/3 the size of Gree Cree.
- It is direct driven. Twisty switch. It tail stands. It does have a lanyard hole.
- Tail thread is too short for protected batteries. Thread barely holds.
- Non-protected battery is perfect for it though. So don't use protected.
- When off, the battery rattles a bit. A little foam in the tail module fixes this. (DIY)
- Textured aluminium reflector and glass lense. Spring on driver side. No spring in tail.
- Quality wise, looks claen on outside. Inside is not well anodized. (big patches)
- Can take out the pill from the inside. Just rotate the inner copper ring.
- Don't expect to use it with bare hands for longer than 5 minutes at a time. Gets VERY hot!
- It's pumps out a serious amount of light for its size. But it's not a high quality light.
- Run time should be around 35-40 minutes just like the other direct driven lights. (Mini 3W Cree or Gree)
- FYI - There is a higher quality alternative - Ultrafire 602D HAIII or Romisen RC-C3
◎ Measurements
- It pulls 1.2A from the Trustfire Protected 3.6V CR123A
★★★★ Super Bright Cree Q4 5 mode (CR123A) LINK
Throw: 1800 lux (1 x 3.6v CR123A)
Lightbox: 100 lux
- Similar size to Ultrafire C3 (1AA) Well made feel to it. Quite small.
- Very bright overall output. White tint. (I have the green body model)
- Smooth looking hotspot with smooth spill. No artifacts / rings.
- No return memory feature. Every time you turn it on, it's the next mode. Annoying!
- Very easy to press reverse tail clickie. It does not tail stand.
- Switch module is of good quality and is not glued at the thread.
- Two O-rings at the tail thread. Textured aluminum reflector. Glass lens.
- Head is glued at the thread. Look inside and it seems it's soldered on.
- It says 12W on the body. Yeah right! Also says USA. Dunno why.
- This light has erratic brightness output over time. Gets very hot also.
- If you want a small multi-mode light with good brightness, it's not bad.
◎ Measurements
- It pulls 0.82A from the Trustfire 3.6V CR123A (Charged at 4.2v) @ High mode.
- It pulls 0.26A from the Trustfire 3.6V CR123A (Charged at 4.2v) @ Med mode.
- It pulls 0.10A from the Trustfire 3.6V CR123A (Charged at 4.2v) @ Low mode.
[COMMENTS]
- Every sample may vary in brightness by up to around 15% or so.
- So yours could end up being dimmer or brighter than what I have. (But not enough to be distinguishable by eye)
- Also, feel free to send me $2 or $4 or a whopping $8 donation so that I can keep adding new lights. :devil:
- Have put up a partially complete review of RC-A3 with runtime results!
- I've started mentioning some alternative lights to reduce headaches. =)
- Flashlights at a glance chart has been updated for two recent lights.
UPDATED JUNE 16
- I have changed RC-I3 to 6 stars due to its price and versatility.
- I have yet to update the chart yet though. Will do soon. =)
- Jerry @ KD advised he has shipped the three 18650 flashlights!
[FYI]
- New thread created for discontinued, non-high performance, 3 star or less rated lights!
- This is to reduce the bandwidth used on this main thread and reduce confusion.
- I will update the CHART so that you can tell which light is in which thread later on.
[Budget High-Performance LED DX/KD Flashlights Review Roundup]
Part 1 and Part 2 and Part 3 and now it's Part 4!
(Note - Entire main post is carried over each time = Reviews)
(But older threads have some excellent discussions and info still)
Thanks to all who contributed to make this thread as big as it is right now. :thumbsup:
[Coming Soon]
## Lights that are expected to arrive/reviewed within the next 1-6 weeks:
- Eastward YJ-18WF (Still waiting for KD to ship the light!)
- KD Tough Tactic Q5 (Still waiting for KD to ship the light!)
- Aurora Q5 2-mode 18650 (Still waiting for KD to ship the light!)
- NiteCore SmartPD D10 (Direct exchange for my faulty Fenix T1)
## Lights that I'm currently interested in and possibly buy when I have enough funds
- 14V Ultrafire WF-502C 3RCR123A Xenon (bang for buck 9v+ xenon output!)
- SmartFire GT-B5 (Looks like a great WF-606A and RC-N3 alternative)
- Tiablo MA1 (It's now under $30 and should be of excellent quality)
[help~!] [help~!] [help~!]
I am constantly running short on funds to buy and review more recent lights. :mecry:
Feel free to send me $2 or $4 or $8 donations so that I can keep adding new lights. :devil:
(fyi - Paypal takes away a 37/44 cents respectively per donation which sorta sux.)
All new lights from FEB 2008 will be bought with the addition of your donations. (if any )
I thank you for all for the amazing support so far. It helps greatly to keep this thread alive!
You may instead opt to use my referral id at DX. It doesn't cost you anything which is the best part. =)
To use my id, just add ~r.29749062 directly to the end of any product url address. (without "" of course)
Every ~$1300 spent using my referral id, I get $10. Not a lot but better than nothing I guess. =P
Donations received in 2008 (most recent first):
RafS, ScottM, SteveZ, Rizky ,WarriorZ, kostas, yekimak, JoeBob, smootik, RepoUK < JUNE stinky, Wolf359, alohaluau, johnnyngo, OCDGearhead, Wagen < MAY Wolf359, Centropolis, amdaxiom, t3h, Deks, SPRocketman, Flash25296, Fabio, tip61 < APRIL Wolf359, dudu84, marcus, Pokerstud, wmissen, RecycledElectron, qtaco, fizzy, briiansd, meuge, SportyBen, Raymond < MARCH Schierle, HenryL, Andres(ocau), baconheist, Dougmeister, linterno, anarchocap, saedwards, docian37, violatorjf, MikeSalt, Debbie, Luke, dulridge, martinSE, mmbeller191, ReGet, Mascione, Probedude < FEBRUARY
So far, donations received allowed me to get:
- Digitech QM1538 Datalogging DMM ($50)
- Ultrafire C3 Cree 5-mode ($20)
- Romisen Cree RC-N3 ($17)
- Eastward YJ-XAQ5 ($27)
- Romisen RC-I3 ($16)
- KD Buckle V4 Cree Q5 ($22)
- Batteries ($20+)
- Aurora DX Buckle R2 ($15)
[FYI]
- GITD silicone tailcap I mention throughout are all DX sku 5714 unless stated otherwise. (Orange ones are not GITD but are same size)
- Measurements are using my own DMM and Light Meter in near-identical controlled conditions. (Still assume around plus or minus 10% error)
Throw = Firing the center of the hotspot directly at the sensor from 1m away using fully charged batteries. (after initial ~1 minute peak)
Lightbox = My own cardboard box where I fire light in through a hole and measure the lux reading inside after 1 minute. (no direct light)
[Output Photos]
1. Taken in a near pitch dark room with lights firing at a white wall from around 40cm away. (F5.0 1/60sec ISO 400)
2. Taken in a near pitch dark room with lights firing at the back corner of my kitchen from around 7m away. (F2.8 1/25 ISO 800)
[Runtime Graphs]
Light is shone on to the light meter's sensor from about 1 inch away.
There is a small camera lense in between to collect most of the light.
Current output of the light sensor is measured by my datalogging DMM.
Current output is close to the overal amount of light and not just throw.
So it is relatively comparable with graphs of other lights in my review.
But do take into account that my graphs may have up to 10% of error.
Just an FYI - Any reading of 0.005mA or higher is still quite useable.
It's enough to find a key hole or see stuff in very dark environments.
[Batteries]
Some tips/recommendations for some battery types.
RCR123A
Check out Raymond's comprehensive RCR123A battery test thread.
Hence I recommend KD Protected RCR or the White/Grey Trustfires.
AA/AAA
If you use the lights very often and recharge often, get high capacity ones.
It should at least cost you about $4 for 2 AA or AAA if it's a decent battery.
LSD (Low-Self-Discharge) or Ready batteries are better if you intend it as an emergency light.
Coz it holds around 80% of its charge even after not using it for a whole year.
Use a smart charger whenever possible They are better and easier to use than timed ones.
[Glossary]
OP Reflector = Orange Peel reflector. Also called a rough / textured reflector. It helps in smoothing out the beam so there's less of ugly rings or black holes / artifacts. But it results in less throw output.
EDC = Every Day Carry light. For most people, it means it fits in their desired jeans/jacket/bag pocket and it's their most often used light. For me, it's a small enough light which fits in my jeans pocket. =)
Forward clicky - It's a switch which turns on the light when half-pressed while the light is off. So you can simply tap the switch to light it up without needing to press it fully and turn it on permanently. Good for manual flashing signals and quick usage. It's also called a positive clicky.
Reverse clicky - It's the opposite of above. Generally what everyone would think a normal switch would do. You need to full depress the switch to turn on the light permanently. While on, you can do half presses to turn the light off.
Throw - The ability to throw the center hotspot a long way. The intensity or the brightness of the center hotspot determines how far it can light up things. Usually, higher the throw value means smaller the hotspot or a less bright spill. So it may not be as useful for short distances. Flashlights that use smooth reflecters generally have more throw than ones with OP reflector.
[FLASHLIGHTS] - Not all flashlights reviewed may yet be shown below.
Submitted by MetalZone
[OUTDOOR SHOTS]
- It's not the final camera setting nor my final location yet. Just a test.
- Expect my location / distance / exposure / angle to change later on.
Taken from a distance of 25m away.
Exposure: 5 seconds @ F5.6 ISO100
...Eastward YJ-XAQ5 ....Dereelight DBS V2 Q5....... .Fenix TK10 Q5
...Solarforce SF6-R2 .............KD 3xSSC..........Rexlight 2.1 B002 14500
[RESULTS AT A GLANCE] - Split into two parts now!
Star Rating
★★★★★★ - Buy it now! Amazing bang for the buck!
★★★★★ - It is excellent. A great buy! Recommended.
★★★★ - Pretty darn good. It's not the best but is not bad.
★★★ - It's okay but there's nothing that great about it imo.
★★ - Not good. Avoid if if you can coz it's not worth it.
★ - Why am I even reviewing this?! Total waste of $$$.
[HIGH PERFORMANCE / HIGH RATED LIGHTS] - Review in this thread
[LOW RATED, LOW PERFORMANCE or DISCONTINUED] - Link to reviews for below lights HERE
NOTE: Output values are for the near absolute peak while batteries are fully charged at its highest voltage.
Always check the runtime graph if available as you cannot expect all light to maintain such values for very long.
[REVIEWS] - Use CTRL-F to quickly find the light you want instead of scrolling.
Star Rating
★★★★★★ - Buy it now! Amazing bang for the buck!
★★★★★ - It is excellent. A great buy! Well worth the money.
★★★★ - Pretty darn good. It's not the best but not bad at all either.
fyi - The most recent light I reviewed is at the top.
★★★★★ Romisen RC-A3 DX (Reviewed June 21st 2008)
Throw: TBA lux (1 x 3.7v 17670)
Lightbox: 45 lux (1 x 3.7v 17670)
Intro
- This is Romisen's AA light which has now all been upgraded to a P4 bin Cree.
- It's a nice AA EDC sized flashlight with good build quality and price.
Build Quality
- Solid Romisen quality. Bit over 1mm thick aluminium barrel.
- Good threads. No rattle. Mine came slightly lubed.
- Both the light engine pill and reflector is threaded. can be rotated out.
- No threads are glued. So it is mod friendly in that sense.
- Firm press required but easy to press reverse clicky as it sticks out.
- Due to this, it does not tail stand however. It's a black rubber clicky.
- In hand, it feels solid, not cheap, grippy. Three flat sided body.
- Small square shaped knurlings on head/tail. Good quality machining.
- There is a thin non-visible-from-outside o-ring infront of the glass lense.
- Cree LED is thermal paste glued on to the pill. 16mm round base.
- Cree LED was a silver-backed model with 4 wires. (minimum P4 bin)
- Nice and fairly deep textured OP aluminium reflector.
- Unusually thick O-ring on both sides of the battery barrel. Nice.
- One small and round hole in the tail for the lanyard.
- Enough room in the barrel to fit any AA sizes.
Light Output
- Not super bright but still useful output brightness. Nice runtime.
- Smooth blended hotspot with nice and bright spill.
- Has a neutral to cool tint to the beam. No bluish feel still.
- Slight yellow corona around the hotspot but not visible in use.
- No visible donut hole in the centre of hotspot from over 2 inches away.
- As you can see from the graph, it has a initial drop then nice flat output.
In Use
- Doesn't get too hot during long extended use. Gets fairly warm.
- Can easily roll off tables as it's just round cylindrical in shape.
- Nothing to really highlight or fault. Nice simple 1 mode AA light. =)
Final Notes
- Not as bright as the single mode P4 Ultrafire C3 nor can support 2AA.
- And for around $1 more, you can get a RC-I3 which is far more versatile.
- But RC-A3 still has good runtime and has a solid quality feel to the light.
- So I give it a 5 star rating. Very nice, well priced, good as gifts also.
*Alternative lights in similar category/price*
- Ultrafire C3 1-mode AA/2AA P4. (great runtime, brighter, versatile)
- Romisen RC-I3 (Can use 1 or 2AA as well as 1RCR for extra brightness)
- Romisen RC-H3 (which I haven't yet reviewed but many recommend it)
◎ Measurements
- It pulls 1.6A from 1 x 1.2v AA NiMh
★★★ Aurora DX Buckle R2 AAA DX (Reviewed May 27th 2008)
Throw: TBA lux (1 x AAA NiMh)
Lightbox: TBA lux (1 x AAA NiMh)
Intro
- This is Aurora's small AAA light with a buckle clip and boasts a Cree R2 emitter.
- I received mine but it's faulty. Barely turns on and when it does, it flickers badly. =(
Build Quality
- On the outside, it doesn't look that bad at all. Sleek and slim.
- There is no grippy knurlings on the body. Still, it's not too slippery.
- Thread is deep but very loose. Without the O-ring, it's very shaky.
- When tightened enough to reach the O-ring, it's not too bad however.
- I cannot see any O-ring in-front of the glass lense. So not good in wet.
- O-ring is quite thin. Much thinner than the KD Buckle V4. No spare also.
- Inside the battery tube, there is a spring at the end. Good depth for AAA.
- On the driver side, there is a blob of solder for the positive terminal.
- Buckle that it came with was red in color. Quite a big buckle in size.
- But I wouldn't trust it as it doesn't feel that super durable. =P
- Anodizing is quite good. But it's not HAIII. So it does scratch easily.
- It has a very small and shallow aluminium smooth reflector.
Light Output
- Cannot comment too much as it flickers badly if I get it to turn on.
- But 99% of the time, it fails to turn on so can't say anything really. =(
In Use
- Due to having no knurlings on the body or the head, it's not that grippy.
- If you have dry fingers, it's very difficult to rotate it. Quite slippery.
- Tail has a pointy nipple so it cannot tail stand.
- It's a single mode twisty.
Final Notes
- Unless I get a working one, I can't really give a 100% review.....
- But seeing many other people's comments also, I cannot really recommend this one.
- This review will soon go into the low rating flashlights thread I think.
- Well, I doubt I'll buy another one so take your chances. =)
*Alternative lights in similar category/price*
- Kaidomain.com's Buckle V4 Q5 light. (bit more expensive but worth it)
- Tiablo MA1 (even more expensive at around $28 but still very good)
◎ Measurements
- It pulls TBA from 1 x AAA NiMh
★★★★★ Romisen RC-F4 Q5 ShiningBeam (Reviewed June 6th 2008)
Throw: 4300 lux (1 x 3.7v 17670) 5050 lux (2RCR) (Both are peak only)
Lightbox: 120 lux (1 x 3.7v 17670) 150 lux (2RCR) (Both are peak only)
Intro
- This is ShiningBeam's customized Romisen RC-F4 with Cree Q5 emitter.
- Output is brighter by around 30% over the original RC-F4 at DX/KD etc.
- I have also reviewed the standard Romisen RC-F4 previously.
Build Quality
- Build quality wise, it's identical to the current RC-F4 that you can buy elsewhere.
- Switch module is inside it's own aluminium pill. Meaning less contact issues.
- Head is not glued. So you have full access to the emitter and light engine.
- Uses a silver-backed Cree emitter and has a nice deep Alumnium OP reflector.
- The emitter is thermal glued to the pill and the emitter is on a 16mm round base.
- Has "Q5" painted on the side instead of the usual "CREE" sign.
- There is a nice grippy knurlings on the head and on the tail. None on body.
- It does not have HAIII. So expect it to get scratched over time.
- Has O-rings in all the required places. So it should be at worse splash proof.
Light Output
- Noticeably brighter than the P4 version with both 2RCR and 17670.
- Has a brighter hotspot and a brighter spill also. Smooth looking output.
- Soft edged due to OP reflector but still clearly brighter round hotspot.
- Output with 17670 is about the same or brighter than original RC-F4 with 2RCR.
- With 2RCR, it's constantly 20-30% brighter than the original RC-F4 with 2RCR.
In Use
- Single mode reverse clicky. Easy to press with flat part of the thumb.
- It does not tail stand. It rolls off the table if on an angle or gets momentum.
- It fits the non-protected 17670. A little tight but no problems.
- It fits any RCR batteries I've tried so far. Trustfire/KD/Ultrafire etc.
- Even after 30 minutes on constant power, it does not get hot at all!
- It barely gets warm. So it's great for extended use.
- Runtime with 2RCR is great. And it has a super flat regulation after the initial 3 minute burst.
- With 17670, it has a direct drive characteristic but has a very long useable runtime of over 3 hours.
Final Notes
- Brilliant "cheap" 2RCR light. It's very slim and light. Feels great in hand.
- The original version at $15 is one of best flashlight you can get for $$.
- But this Q5 version is definitely still worth it if you want yours brighter!
- Also, ShiningBeam ships it to you much faster than shops from HK. =)
- I give RC-F4 "Q5" 5 stars overall. Well, 6 star performance still. =P
- But I gave it 5 stars due to it being around $10 more than P4 version all up. (including shipping)
- FYI: Get 6% discount using coupon code "CPFuser" at Shiningbeam! =)
◎ Measurements
- It pulls 0.50A from 2 x 3.7v RCR123A
- It pulls 0.52A from 1 x 3.7v 17670 (yes. Not much difference to 2RCR)
.............................................................RC-F4 Q5 vs RC-G2 Q5......2 stops lower
★★★★ Aurora AK-P7 2-mode 18650 KD DX (Reviewed May 27th 2008)
Throw: High 9500 lux Low 900 lux (1 x 3.7v 18650 @ 4.15v)
Lightbox: High 395 lux Low 40 lux (1 x 3.7v 18650 @ 4.15v)
Intro
- This is an Ultrafire C8 body-based SSC P7 light that uses 18650.
- The head is identical in size to the Ultrafire WF-500 flashlight.
Build Quality
- The fit and finish is of high quality as is the case with Auroras.
- Big and fairly deep aluminium OP reflector. Glass lense.
- Big copper pill to transfer heat quickly to the outer body.
- O-ring in all the required places.Double o-ring on tail thread.
- Seems like it is Type II black anodization. Definitely not HAIII.
Light Output
- BRIGHT. Huge hotspot but still throws well also. Bright and wide spill.
- Has a big donut hole when shone close up. But disappears from 30cm.
- Has a neutral-warm tint to the hotspot. Spill is neutral. Very nice overall.
- It can light up a big room as if it's a 75W lightbulb. =P
- The initial output drops very quickly as the temperature goes up.
- So check out my ruintime graph. (output value isn't comparable to other graphs)
In Use
- Caution! Gets extremely hot after about 10 minutes of continuous use.
- I don't recommend using this light for over 30 minutes at a time.
- It can tail stand! The clicky is flat enough that it has no issues.
- Two mode reverse clicky with resistor for low. Needs firm pressure.
Final Notes
- Light is super bright. Well made feel. But not cheap and gets too hot!
- Review isn't complete yet. Final notes later on.
◎ Measurements
- It pulls 1.95A from 1 x 3.7v 18650
★★★★ Ultrafire C3 Stainless Steel Q5 5-Mode 14500 DX (Reviewed May 27th 2008)
Throw: High 1600 lux Med 650 lux Low 250 lux (1 x 3.7v 14500 @ 4.15v)
Lightbox: High 145 lux Med 60 lux Low 23 lux (1 x 3.7v 14500 @ 4.15v)
Intro
- This is a Cree Q5 version of the Stainless Steel C3 that has 5 modes.
- Note that this C3 cannot be used with AA. Only works with 14500.
Build Quality
- Pretty much identical to the other Stainless Steel C3 model.
- I haven't had time to check internally as my friend took it off me. =P
- Aluminium OP reflector and glass lense. Firm reverse clicky.
- Same as other SS C3 models, it does get scratched/grazed fairly easily.
- But I guess you can buff it out again if you want to. =)
- Battery barrel seems to be longer than 1-mode SS C3.
- So even protected 14500 batteries fit fine and tail cap screws in fully.
Light Output
- It's actually very bright as you can see from my lightbox result.
- Well I guess you have to expect it as it uses a Q5 with lithium battery.
- Has a usefully dim low mode. About 20 lumens maybe.
In Use
- It has 5 modes. Med-Low-High-Strobe-SOS. Always turns on next mode.
- So if you were on High mode and turned it off. Need to click 5 times for High again.
- After about a minute of non-use however, it always starts in Med again.
- It does not tail stand and flatter clicky won't make it any better.
- When left on for 10 minutes on High, it's give you a serious hand burn.
- It gets so hot. Even hotter than AK-P7 above. OMG. I burnt my hand.
- So use it less than 5 mins at a time. Or in Winter. Or with gloves. =P
- Runtime seems to be around 50 minutes on High. Graph up soon.
Final Notes
- It's a nice looking light with good brightness but only works with 14500.
- It has 5 modes which I don't need but I'm sure many others might like.
- If it didn't get so hot, I would have given it 5 stars but it's just too hot!
◎ Measurements
- It pulls TBA from 1 x 3.7v 14500
★★★★★★ KD Buckle V4 Cree Q5 AAA KD (Reviewed May 16th 2008)
Throw: 450 lux (1AAA NiMh - output drops to ~350 lux quickly)
Lightbox: 65 lux (1AAA NiMh - output drops to ~58 lux quickly )
Intro
- This is the latest made-from-ground-up version of the KD Buckle light.
- It is now version 4 and has a Cree Q5 bin emitter and HAII anodizing.
Build Quality
- Whoa. What an improvement from the older KD Buckle light I reviewed.
- Threads are big and smooth. Very big for such small sized light.
- Hence it is a bit loose when "off". But not enough to fall off or anything.
- The light is much thicker than the older version. You can say it's fatter.
- Glass lense with o-ring. Lense is recessed deep to prevent damage.
- Thick o-ring on the body thread also. Comes with a spare O-ring as well.
- It has a gold colored spring on the tail end. Thread was lubed nicely.
- Knurling quality is superb. Smooth yet grippy. No flat sides though.
- Smooth aluminium reflector. Very well centred emitter with no gap.
- It is Type II anodized. It's quite tough but not scratch proof.
- Mine did not come with a buckle. Maybe it's not supposed to?
Light Output
- Very wide but well defined hotspot and wide and bright spill.
- No rings around hotspot. Some halo ring outside of the spill area.
- Mine has a nice and neutral to warm tint light output.
- As per runtime graph, it is failry well regulated until it drops off.
- At the final drop off point, it started blinking. Low batt warning?
- Use NiMh or Lithiums whenever possible for longest runtime/brightness.
In Use
- All AAA batteries I have fits in without being tight. No battery rattle.
- It tail stands well on the buckle end. Buckle hole is not too tiny either.
- Body gets quite warm after 5 minutes. But does not get too too "hot".
- Head portion of the threads seem glued. So can't get to light engine.
- Rotated via the middle battery tube. Very easy to twist on and off.
- But the thread is not loose enough to worry about it unscrewing off.
- I've used it as my keychain light and it was quite secure. No worries.
- Very comfortably used via one hand. No need for two hands at all.
- Vicks nasal Inhaler cap fits tight but perfectly as a light diffuser cap!
Final Notes
- Light output beats the older KD Buckle light and it's better made also.
- Well, this is what the KD Buckle V1 should have been. Just superb.
- Best "bright" AAA Cree light you can buy for under $25 right now imo.
- And... You can buy 5 lights for $92 equating to only $18.40 each!
- Here's some more photos by Jerry himself.
- Some say it's too fat or too chunky. It certainly isn't the smallest AAA light.
- But I still don't mind it and it feels very durable so I can't complain.
- But as a keychain light, Fenix E01 is better imo due to longer runtime and smaller size.
◎ Measurements
- It pulls TBA from 1 x 1.2v NiMh AAA
................................................................................................... KD V4 - E01...................3.5 stops lower
★★★★★★ Fenix E01 Nichia GS AAA LINK (Reviewed May 11th 2008)
Throw: 40 lux (1AAA NiMh)
Lightbox: 6 lux (1AAA NiMh)
Intro
- This is the cheapest and least bright Fenix flashlight currently available.
- Uses a Nichia GS 5mm LED and AAA batteries. Good for 10 lumens max.
Build Quality
- Quality is excellent for what it costs. It does not look/feel cheap at all.
- Has HAIII anodization so it should not get scratched by car/home keys.
- The head portion on mine is more grey than olive compared to the body.
- LED is centred perfectly on mine. There is no glass infront of the LED.
- Smooth aluminum reflector is integrated with the head.
- Has a big black O-ring on the head thread. Comes with a spare also.
- Thread is deep and smooth. Easy to rotate the head to power on/off.
- There is a spring on the back end of the battery tube. (Tail side)
- Backend of PCB is exposed and positive end of battery touches directly.
Light Output
- Beam is ringy but only visible closeup as light is very weak anyways.
- Has a purple/blue tint to the beam from a distance of 30cm or over.
- It's not that bright really. It's not meant be. Around 10 lumens max.
- It's near exact same brightness as Rexlight 2.1 in low mode with AA.
- It is still bright enough to faintly light up a room when pointed at ceiling.
- It's bright enough to see everything without waking up your baby/partner at night. =)
In Use
- All AAA batteries I have fits in without being tight. No battery rattle.
- Head is easy to rotate. While facing it away, totate left to on. Right to off.
- It can tail stand firmly even with the keychain ring attached.
- According to wadef, even after 35 hours, it has useable output.
- Vicks nasal Inhaler cap fits perfectly as a light diffuser cap!
Final Notes
- It's very portable and useful. Available in many fashionable colors.
- It also has very long runtime, is light, small, durable. Great as gifts.
- So I give it 6 stars as it's a Fenix quality light for only $15 shipped!
- Just don't expect it to be bright coz it sure ain't supposed to be. =P
◎ Measurements
- It pulls TBA from 1 x 1.2v NiMh AAA
....................................................................KD V4 - E01..................3.5 stops lower
★★★★★★ Romisen RC-I3 CR123A/1AA/2AA/14500 LINK (Reviewed MAY 1st 2008)
Throw: 400 lux (1AA NiMh) 900 lux (2AA NiMh) 1400 lux (1 x RCR123A / 14500)
Lightbox: 25 lux (1AA NiMh) 60 lux (2AA NiMh) 100 lux (1 x RCR123A / 14500)
Intro
- This is a very versatile light that supports many kinds of batteries.
- In 2AA mode, it feels much like the RC-N3 due to thicher RCR barrel.
- In 1AA/RCR mode, it is has a similar look/size as MTE SSC P4 AA light.
- It is available in black or silver finish.
Build Quality
- It came with a yellow Cree with 4 wires. So it's at least a P4.
- Textured aluminium reflector. Glass lense. No defects to note.
- Comes with a side clip which can be removed. It's a very tight clip.
- Easy to press 1-mode reverse clicky. Cannot tail stand.
- Easy to replace the clicky with GITD or Orange / Blue ones.
- Threads are really sharp and not very big. Lube / wd40 is recommended.
- The extension barrel is very thick and solid. 1AA barrel is much thinner.
- Has spring on the tail switch side but not on the driver side.
- Tail part has a spacer which allows AA to fit and not rattle inside.
- It also allows the RCR to not slide all the way down towards the tail.
Light Output
- Beam is clean. No ugliness to it. No donut hole even at close range.
- Tint is neutral. Nice floody hotspot. Good general purpose output.
- In 1AA, the light is quite dim. Maybe good for those who like it dim.
- In 2AA and with lithiums, the light is quite bright.
- It's like having 3 modes of brightness! 1AA=Low 2AA=Med RCR=High
In Use
- In single AA/RCR mode, it is very portable and output is still useful.
- With 1 or 2AA, the light has a nice long flat output runtime.
- With 1RCR, the light is bright but has direct-driven-like output curve.
- This light is so versatile in battery type! 1AA/2AA/14500/RCR123A.
- Battery is replaced by unscrewing the head and not the tail.
- It does not get hot in any battery configuration.
Final Notes
- I give it 6 stars coz of its super cheap price and superb versatility!
- I reckon you won't find much better in this type for this kind of price!
◎ Measurements
- It pulls TBA from 1 x 1.2v NiMh AA.
- It pulls TBA from 2 x 1.2v NiMh AA.
- It pulls TBA from 1 x RCR or 14500.
......... ......... ......... ............. 1AA.................. ....... 2AA ......... ............. RCR
★★★★★ Romisen RC-G2 Cree Q5 AA ShiningBeam (Reviewed Apr 16 2008)
Throw: 1350 lux (1 x 1.2v AA NiMh @ 1.4v)
Lightbox: 50 lux
Intro
- MAY UPDATE - Price dropped to $18.75 when used with CPFuser code!
- This is lightbug's factory customised Q5 version of the Romisen RC-G2.
- Externally, it is identical except for the new "Q5" marking on its side.
- As far as I know, the only difference is the Cree emitter used. Now Q5!
Build Quality
- Big turbo aluminium textured reflector. Glass lense. non-HAII anodizing.
- 1 mode forward-clicky. Has a good quality feel to it. Very easy to press.
- Nothing is glued at the threads. Cree Q5 is on a 16mm round base.
- Thread was a bit dirty. After cleaning and re-lubing, all is good.
- Has O-rings in all the usual places. So it should be at least spash proof.
- Comes with an orange rubber clicky. Can easily change to GITD clicky.
Light Output
- Small smooth-edged concentrated hotspot. Great thrower for 1AA light.
- Spill is clean with no rings / artifacts. Tint is neutral. Not bluish at all.
- Now it's a much more well balanced light output as spill is much brighter.
- If you wanted a brighter version without modding it yourself, this is it!
In Use
- Even after leaving it on for over 15 minutes, it isn't too hot.
- Has a nice neutral to slightly warm tint. Not white-blue. So it's good.
- It's not the smallest AA light but it feels nice in hand due to the shape.
Final Notes
- This is what the stock RC-G2 should have been like. Nice and bright.
- Please check out my original RC-G2 review below also as a comparision.
- I give it 5 stars as it isn't as cheap as original. But still a great AA light!
- FYI: Get 6% discount using coupon code "CPFuser" at Shiningbeam! =)
◎ Measurements
- It pulls 1.50A from 1 x 1.2v NiMh AA.
......... ......... ......... ......... ............. ......... RC-G2 vs RC-G2 Q5 ....... 2 stops less exposure
★★★★★ Ultrafire C3 Stainless Steel P4 LINK (Reviewed Apr 11th)
Throw: 800 lux (1 x AA NiMh) 830 lux (2 x AA NiMh) 1150 lux (1 x 3.7v 14500)
Lightbox: 60 lux (1 x AA NiMh) 60 lux (2 x AA NiMh) 89 lux (1 x 3.7v 14500)
Intro
- This is a 1-mode stainless steel version of the Ultrafire C3 Cree P4.
- First impression was "wow, it's really nice" and "wow, it's really heavy!"
Build Quality
- In terms of finish / feel of the new look, it's top notch. Very nice.
- Nicely engraved markings on the head. Looks professional and expensive.
- Easy to press reverse clicky. Switch is in its own pill. Good quality.
- Comes with a black rubber clicky. It looks much better with GITD clicky.
- Barrel is thick. Has good quality threads. Wasn't lubed but it's smooth.
- Glass lense. No O-ring infront of lense! But there is in other places.
- Has a OP aluminium reflector but it's much smoother than most OP's.
Light Output
- Brightness is about the same as original 1 mode Ultrafire C3 P4 to start.
- But the brightness drops with AA compare to non-SS C3 P4. Different driver?
- However, the output pattern using 14500 is very similar to original C3 P4.
- The tint is much whiter/cooler now. Old UF C3 P4 has a neutral/warm tint.
- Hotspot is well defined with soft blended edges. Faint yellow halo ring.
- No holes in the hotspot. Spill is very clean and still bright.
In Use
- It's heavy. It feels heavier than normal UF C3 with 2AA extension!
- Looks nice but as a pocket sized EDC, it's a bit too heavy for my liking.
- UF C3 2AA extender fits perfectly. Becomes a two tone body. =P
- Can use both 1AA and 14500 and also the extender so it's quite versatile.
- With my Trustfire protected 14500, it was a bit too long for the tail cap to close fully.
- It gets quite warm but not enough to say it's hot even after 20 minutes.
Final Notes
- I give it 5 stars as it's of excellent quality and quite bright / regulated.
- It's a really nice candidate if you need to give someone a present. =)
◎ Measurements
- It pulls 1.60A from 1 x 1.2v AA NiMh @ 1.4v
- It pulls 0.45A from 1 x 3.7v 14500 @ 4.15v
......... ......... ......... ......... AA NiMh ......... ........... 14500
★★★★★ Fenix TK10 LINK (Reviewed Apr 11th)
Throw: High 4500 lux Low TBA lux(2 x 3.0v CR123A) High 4500 lux Low TBA lux(2 x 3.6v RCR123A)
Lightbox: High 195 lux Low TBA lux(2 x 3.0v CR123A) High 190 lux Low TBA lux(2 x 3.6v RCR123A)
- This is not a budget light in most people's books that's for sure. =P
- Build quality is superb. Better than Eastward light below in every way.
- But that is to be expected considering its price. =P
- Olive colored version is very nice to look at. Looks and feels expensive.
- HAIII anodizing is superb. No two tones etc. Very smooth finish.
- Clean round beam with a slightly blended hotspot. Not a full on thrower.
- No holes, rings, artifacts anywhere in the output. Very clean and smooth.
- Due to the OP reflector, the beam is quite soft and floody. I really like!
- Super constant regulated output. Constantly brighter than DBS V2 1S.
- Has 2 modes. High and Low. Low is accesed by turning the front head.
- Loosen the head a bit and it's in Low mode. Tighten it back for High.
- This is great coz you it avoids you having to click multiple times.
- At the same time, it's near impossible to switch modes single handed.
- Textured aluminium reflector and glass lense. Can attach a side clip.
- O-rings all where it's needed. Big thick O-rings also.
- Without the tactical ring, it does roll off table if it gets momentum.
- It comes with a nicely looking gold/copper ring for tactical ring area.
- Has a very easy to press forward-clicky. Does not tail stand.
- The driver side where battery touches has reverse polarity protection.
- Deep but sharp threads. It wasn't lubed when received.
- Gets nice and warm after about 10 minutes. But not what I would call hot.
- Comes with spare orange rubber clicky and 4 CR123A primaries.
- It does not work with 2 x protected Trustfire RCR123A as it's too long!
- But works with protected Ultrafire RCR123A as Ultrafire ones are shorter.
- Due to it being around $90 shipped, I can't say it's superb value. =P
- Still it's a great flashlight. Flashlight itself is 6 stars in quality / performance.
- MAY24 update! Runtime graph updated with new KD Protected RCR123As!
◎ Measurements
- It pulls 0.80A from 2 x 3.0v CR123A Primary @ 3.10v each @ High
- It pulls 0.50A from 2 x 3.6v RCR123A @ 4.15v each @ High
....... . High ..... ....... ............. Low....... ....... ........ High ..... ....... ........... Low ............. .... TK10 - YJXAQ5 - DBS V2 - Solarforce
★★★★ Eastward YJ-XAQ5 18650 KD / DX (Reviewed Apr 9th)
Throw: High 9500 lux Low 1800 lux (1 x 3.7v 18650 @ 4.15v)
Lightbox: High195 lux Low 36 lux (1 x 3.7v 18650 @ 4.15v)
Intro
- It's a 2 mode 18650-only light that is very bright and has solid feel.
- It is overall a bit smaller than the DBS V2. Same length as WF-400.
Build Quality
- Uses a silver core Cree Q5. Not sure what exact bin code. Neutral tint.
- Textured aluminium reflector. Thick 37mm glass lense. Flat rubber seal.
- 2-mode reverse clicky with resistor. Tail stands though not 100% stable.
- The clicky isn't that easy to press without using the tip of your thumb.
- It uses a standard looking 3 way clicky switch. Feels nice and solid still.
- Nothing seems glued. Cree Q5 is on a star base screwed on to pill.
- Pill easily rotates out. Big copper-like pill. Seems very easily moddable!
- Finish is great. No faults. Perfect square indents on the head. Quality!
- Grade 1 anodizing has a good thick "feel". But it scratches still...
Light Output
- Beam is clean. Big and wide bright spill. No distinct artifacts/rings.
- Hotspot is quite tight and well defined. Very bright hotspot. No holes.
- This light can throw. Even if it's an OP reflector. It does a great job.
- I was able to light up building tops in Sydney CBD over 150m away at night!
- Light tint is very good. Not too white. More neutral to warm tint.
- In Low mode, the output is significantly less. But it's not super low.
In Use
- Fits protected 2500mAh Trustfire 18650 without any issues. No rattle.
- Gets quite hot after about 15 minutes of use. But it's still bearable.
- Runtime graph is very similar to the DBS V2 graph. Similar output also!
- Comes with a decent man-sized thick round lanyard. One hole in tail.
- In low mode, it runs for over 7 hours of super constant brightness so far.
- More exact low mode runtime will be tested when time allows.
Final Notes
- It's an excellent 2-mode 18650 LED torch for this price. But no HAIII.
- I give it 4 stars coz it's extremely bright and well built but not the best.
- Mny report that it gets too hot and possibly killing the emitter coz of it!
- FYI - Eastward YJ-18WD / YJ-18WF has HAIII but is same price!
UPDATE
- The Cree emitter is now not as bright as before. Output is halved.
- Pulls same current (~1.5A) from battery still. Just the LED is half-dim.
- Either driver is killing the LED over time or I'm unlucky on the Q5 emitter.
- I've now put in a replacement Q5. All is good again and super bright.
- My Fenix T1 did the exact same thing within 3 days. Bad batch of Q5?
- Wolf359 also reported the "dimming" effect. Seems to be common???
RECOMMENDATION
- For those who are inclined, try improving the heatsinking of the LED.
- By dismounting the star and applying thermal paste on the bottom of it.
- or.. Use it up to ~15 minute bursts at a time. Over an hour is not good.
◎ Measurements
- It pulls 1.50A from 1 x 3.7v 18650 @ 4.15v
....... . High ..... ....... ........... Low
★★★★★★ Romisen RC-N3 CR123A/2AA LINK (Reviewed Mar 27th 2008)
Throw: 1100 lux (2 x AA NiMh @ 2.8v) 1900 lux (1 x RCR123A @ 4.2v)
Lightbox: 50 lux (2 x AA NiMh @ 2.8v) 100 lux (1 x RCR123A @ 4.2v)
- It has a new silver-core Cree emitter with 4 wires = minimum P4-bin.
- Has a glass lense with textured aluminium reflector. Hence less throw.
- Reflector is properly screwed in to the head piece. Can be taken out.
- Brightness is difference for when using RCR or 2AA. RCR is brighter.
- Wide smooth bright spill. Blended soft round hotspot.
- Can see a hole in the centre of the hotspot at 10 inches or closer.
- Light tint is white with a slight feeling of being warmer side. Neutral.
- Feels darn solid. Especially in 2AA form. Feels better than WF-606A imo.
- O-ring in all the right places. One in front of glass lense also.
- Strong-feeling side clip. Can be removed easily by unscrewing head.
- Nothing is glued. All threads are good. Lubing recommended though.
- Forward GITD clicky. Easy to press. Doesn't tail stand in stock form.
- But putting an extra 0-ring inside the switch can make it tail stand.
- Good quality switch module. In its own aluminium pill. Easily taken out.
- In RCR form, it's much smaller than Mini 3W Cree. More like Gree Cree.
- In RCR form, it feels very nice. Expensive. Best feeling single RCR light!
- In 2AA form, it's about the length of the WF-606A with thicker barrel.
- In 2AA form, it does not get hot at all. It stays cool all the way through.
- With 2AA, it gives 3+ hours of full output then "useful" output for another 3 hours!
- With single RCR battery, it seems to run as if it is direct driven but bit longer.
- I give it 6 stars as it's cheap, has 2 forms and is of superb quality!
- But if you want a brighter 2AA light, get the WF-606A (reviewed).
- NEWS - You can get the ~50% brighter Q5 version from Shiningbeam!
- I expect the light to have very similar runtimes but just brighter. =)
◎ Measurements
- It pulls 0.41A from 2 x 1.2v AA NiMh @ 1.4v each
- It pulls 0.55A from 1 x 3.6v RCR123A @ 4.15v
- It pulls 0.41A from 1 x 3.0v CR123A Primary @ 3.15v
....... ....... ....... ....... ....... RCR123A .............. 2 x AA Alkaline ......... 2AA after 3.5hrs
★★★★★ UltraFire C3 AA/14500 Cree P4 5-Mode with Extension LINK (Reviewed Mar 12 2008)
Throw: High 1950 lux Mid 650 lux Low 250 lux (1 x 3.7v 14500)
Throw: High 520 lux Mid 220 lux Low 90 lux (1 x 1.2v AA NiMh)
Throw: High 1100 lux Mid 350 lux Low 150 lux (2 x 1.2v AA NiMh)
Lightbox: 160 lux (14500) 47 lux (1AA) 100 lux (2AA)
- Quality is on par with older single Ultrafire C3 P4 models. No faults.
- Much brighter with 2AA/14500 than single-mode Ultrafire C3 models.
- With 2AA, it's as bright as the Ultrafire 606A or brighter overall.
- With 14500, it's super duper bright. Look at the light box result!
- Switch module has its own pill. Made with aluminium. No flickering issue.
- It can sorta tailstand. If you had a flatter clicky, it'll tail stand better.
- Reverse clicky. 5 mode. Med/Low/High/Strobe/SOS.
- Always turns on at the next mode of what it was last. Lots of clicks!
- Beam is quite clean with no rings or artifacts.
- This light is suitable for 14500 or 2AA. There are brighter 1AA lights.
- But it does run extremely cool with 1AA. And has useable output still.
- It runs VERY hot when run with 14500 on High. Not for bare hands!
- Look at the runtime graph with 14500. I think heat affected the output.
- For those who needs a good 5-mode 2AA or 14500 light, this may be it.
◎ Measurements
- It pulls 1.03A from 1 x 14500 @ 4.10 (0.34A and 0.12A for Med/Low)
- It pulls 0.60A from 1 x AA NiMh @ 1.35v (0.20A and 0.07A for Med/Low)
- It pulls 0.85A from 2 x AA NiMh @ 2.70v (0.30A and 0.10A for Med/Low)
◎ Photos from left to right
Beam -- High(1AA) -- High(2AA) -- High(14500)
★★★★★ Dereelight DBS V2 Q5 1Stage LINK (Reviewed Mar 08 2008)
Throw: 18500 lux (1 x 3.7v 18650)
Lightbox: 215 lux (1 x 3.7v 18650)
- This is not a budget light. Flashlight itself is Amazing. But you pay for it.
- One I have is a Cree Q5 1-mode model. OMG-Off-OMG-Off. =P
- It's a monster thrower. That throw value above is no mistake. Awesome.
- It also is very bright overall. Light box result confirms. Q5 is driven hard!
- Super wide and deep, super smooth aluminium reflector. Just beautiful.
- Super clean beam. Slight corona and faint ring around hotspot. Clean spill.
- Cool tint to the light. Not really blue but definitely not on the neutral side.
- Build quality is absolutely superb. Strong, lubed, double O-rings etc.
- Comes with a strong clip which is also detachable by unscrewing screws.
- Has a forward GITD clicky. Firm but easy to press. It does not tail stand.
- It's not a flashlight for jean pockets. Head is quite wide. It's heavy also.
- Great runtime and regulation. Lasted ~100 minutes with cheap 18650.
- It does get failry warm. Not too hot to let go though. No complaints.
- I had to use 1/200 shutter speed for beam shot as it was too bright!
- It has 6 star quality and performance. But a tad too expensive for me. =P
◎ Measurements
- It pulls 1.85A from 1 x Trustfire 18650
★★★★ Solarforce L2 SF6-R2 LINK (Reviewed Mar 06 2008)
Throw: 4300 lux (2 x 3.6v RCR123A) 2600 lux (1RCR) 5000 lux (3RCR)
Lightbox: 120 lux (2 x 3.6v RCR123A)
- Single mode light with SF6-R2 Cree R2 bin drop-in.
- Size is very close to WF-400. Quite heavy also. Not EDC-size to me.
- Uses Surefire P60 module drop-in. So very easy to upgrade/change.
- Built like a tank. Nicely milled body. But doesn't feel that expensive.
- It doesn't have HAIII anodizing. Tactical crown head. A weapon!!
- Reverse clicky. Easy to press coz it sticks out. Does not tail stand.
- Perfectly centered LED. Aluminium OP reflector. Drop-in is good quality.
- Nice big threads and big O-rings. Doesn't roll off tables either.
- BIG Issue -> It makes a very audible buzzing sound. A dud? =(
- Bright hotspot. Throws well. Slight yellow ring. Bright spill.
- Can fit any RCR batts fine. 17670 fits fine also. But NOT 18650.
- Have tried with 1 RCR and it's dimmer. Tried with 3 RCR. Bit brighter.
- Gets mildly warm even when on for extended time. Not hot at all.
- You can buy different heads at Kaidomain. (Stainless Steel / Two-tone)
- Very well regulated. Constant brightness all the way for over 90mins
◎ Measurements
- It pulls 0.40A from 2 x RCR123A
- It pulls 0.40A from 1 x RCR123A (Yup. Same for 1 or 2 RCR)
★★★★ Romisen RC-W4 3 x AAA DX (Reviewed Feb 20 2008)
Throw: High 2900 lux Low 650 lux (3 x 1.2v AAA NiMh @ 1.4v)
Throw: High 3500 lux Low 800 lux (1 x 3.7v 14500 @ 4.15v)
Lightbox: 135 lux (3 x 1.2v AAA NiMh) 150 lux (1 x 3.7v 14500)
- It is a FATTER but a bit shorter version of the RC-F4 in looks. =P
- Three AAA run in series. Seems to be direct driven. (Not 100% yet)
- High and Low modes. Has a 3 way 2-mode reverse clicky with resistor.
- Bright Wide spill. No artifacts. Tight hotspot also. (Similar to Mini 3W Cree)
- Yellow corona/halo around hotspot. (not really visible in use though)
- Works with a single 14500 without any spacer. (It may rattle a bit though)
- I'm sure 18500 will be the PERFECT battery for it with near double the runtime.
- Check the below runtime graph also as brightness does drop down.
- With AAA NiMh, the runtime is good with over an hour of useable output.
- Doesn't tail stand in stock form. Might with flatter clicky if you have one.
- Big and deep textured Aluminum reflector.
- Build quality is still very nice. Feels solid and strong. Doesn't feel cheap.
- Glass lense with O-ring in front. Head comes off. No glue.
- New silver-core Cree! (Probly a P4 still) 16mm round cree base.
- Overall, it's not a bad light at all. Good Romisen quality also.
- If you have lots of AAA batteries, it might be a light for you. =)
◎ Measurements
- It pulls 1.25A from 1 x 3.7v 14500 @ 4.15v
- It pulls 0.90A from 3 x 1.2v AAA NiMh @ 1.4v
......... Beam ......... .......... High(14500) ............. Low(14500) ............. High(3xAAA)
★★★★★★ Romisen RC-G2 Cree P2 AA DX KD (Reviewed Jan 05 2008)
Throw: 1250 lux (1 x 1.2v AA NiMh)
Lightbox: 25 lux
- Small smooth-edged concentrated hotspot. Good thrower for AA light.
- Spill is clean with no rings / artifacts. Not very bright though.
- So it's not for those who wants a bright spill. Coz it really is dim.
- But the centre hotspot is very bright still so it can still light up things nicely.
- I wish Romisen updated this light with at least a P4. But it's good even with P2.
- Looks and feels expensive. Very good finish and coating. Excellent!
- Big turbo aluminium textured reflector. Glass lense. O-rings throughout.
- Forward-clicky! So it turns on with half-press. Responsive also.
- Nothing is glued at the threads. Cree P2 on 16mm round base.
- Excellent build quality. Feels more like a $25 light. I'm serious.
- For only around $11, it is one of the best AA light to get. Great a a present also.
- It's excellent for DIY'ers trying to make an ultimate throwy EDC AA light.
- FYI - There is a huge thread about this light. Many many followers. =)
- BTW - Now there is a Q5 version of this light at shiningbeam.com
_ I have reviewed the Q5 version up the top so check it out also.
◎ Measurements
- It pulls 1.60A from 1 x 1.2v NiMh AA.
- It pulls 1.40A from 1 x 1.5v Alkaline AA.
★★★★ WF-400 Cree Q2 18650 DX (Reviewed Jan 05 2008)
Throw: High 5400 lux , Low 1300 lux (1 x 3.7v 18650)
Lightbox: High 149 lux , Low 35 lux
- Another switch length longer than Romisen RC-G4.
- Due to the textured reflector, it doesn't have the tightest hotspot.
- But it still has an awesome throw output while being usefully wide.
- The reflector looks near identical to the RC-G4 but is deeper.
- Bright clean spill also. Overall amount of output is very high.
- 2 mode reverse clicky with a resistor for low mode.
- It has an identical switch pcb/module/resistor as Mini 3W Cree
- It tail stands with original clicky. Does not with DIY clickies.
- Low mode of this light looks near identical to the RC-G2's output.
- Build quality is quite good. Dual O-rings on tail. Deep threads.
- Nothing is glued at the threads. Cree Q2 is on a star base.
- It's an excellent 2 mode thrower that is worth the money imo.
- If you want a better 2 mode, have a look at the Eastward YJ-XAQ5.
◎ Measurements
- It pulls 0.90A from 1 x Trustfire Protected 3.7V @ 4.2v 18650 in High.
◎ Runtime Graph
- You can ignore the spikes as they are not caused by the WF400 but by me. =P
- Remains on well past the 4th hour. (Not bright enough to be useful though)
★★★★★ Romisen RC-G4 Cree P4 (2 x CR123A or 1 x 18650) Gray DX / Official
Throw: 2500 lux (2 x 3.6v RCR123A) 1700 lux (1 x 3.7v 18650)
Lightbox: 75 lux
- Similar in size to the Superfire Xenon with a slightly wider head. Looks like Ultrafire C2.
- It has a smaller head than Ultrafire C2. Noticeably heavier than RC-F4. Not too big still.
- Hexagonal spill due to crown bezel. Beam is very clean with no dark rings or artifacts.
- Blended-edge hotspot with some yellow corona-ring visible. Small concentrated hotspot.
- Built very strong. Thick walls. Good quality threads. Nothing is glued. Firm reverse clicky.
- Glass lense and big Aluminium OP reflector. The reflector is threaded which reflects quality.
- Cree is on 16mm round base and on a pill that can be rotated out. LED base is glued to the pill though.
- Good amount of heatsink fins on the head. Does not get hot at all.
- Only pulls 0.2A from dual RCR123A batteries. Good runtime of 3.5+ hrs.
- For it's long runtime, good brightness and excellent build quality for under $18, it is a bargain imo.
◎ Measurements
- It pulls 0.20A from 2 x Trustfire Protected 3.6V RCR123A on High.
- It pulls 0.23A from 1 x Trustfire 3.7v 18650 on High.
★★★★★ Mini 3W Cree 1xCR123A DX
Throw: High 3400 lux , Low 800 lux (1 x 3.6v CR123A)
Lightbox: High 115 lux , Low 30 lux
- Bigger than a Gree Cree. Much chunkier and a bit longer.
- Very bright. It throws well but not as well defined as Gree/RC-F4 due to OP reflector.
- Clean beam and zero artifacts. Wide spill. Nice even brightness for entire spill area.
- It is direct driven. There's no regulator driver board. See this post for more info.
- As the brightness drops over time, it isn't as bright as RC-F4 during use. But it is brighter than Gree.
- 2 mode reverse clicky. High - Low - Off. It is easy to press with one hand.
- Low mode is about the brightness of the MTE SSC P4 AA. It's not super duper low low. But OK.
- Build quality is quite good. Spring on both sides of the battery compartment.
- Good well machined threads. Lightly lubed. Well coated everywhere inside and out.
- Plenty of room for the CR123A battery of any type. Near 2mm thick walls. Feels solid.
- Double big o-rings at the tail thread. O-ring in-front of lense and front thread.
- Switch module and Driver/LED module can also be easily taken out.
- Cree LED is on a star board. Thermal paste below it. Not glued. Perfect for DIY projects!
- BTW, Switch is a cheap tri-state that can be bought from DX. It cannot handle 1.5A+ current.
- With the reflector taken out, it's not a full candle mode but has a wide single tone, no hotspot output.
- Thin glass lense. It isn't secured so it can fall out if you open the front bezel.
- It can semi-tail stand. The rubber clicky does stick out just enough to not be 100% flat.
- BTW, there is a 5-mode version of this light with a 1-mode clicky + 5 mode driver.
◎ Measurements
- It pulls 1.10A from 1 x Trustfire Protected 3.6V CR123A in high @ 4.2v
- It pulls 0.80A from 1 x Trustfire Protected 3.6V CR123A in high @ 3.8v
◎ Brightness over time in stock form (Using Trustfire 880mAh CR123A)
- It is very similar to graph of Gree Cree below but 10 minutes shorter.
(Third photo is from a Mini3W modded with Cree Q5 bin + 3W regulated driver + 1 x 3.6v RCR123A = 43
00lux @1m & 175lux light box!)
★★★★ Gree Cree XRE (1 x CR123A) LINK (Reviewed SEP 2007)
Throw: 2400 lux (1 x 3.6v RCR123A)
Lightbox: 90 lux
- Similar in size to the MTE SSC P4 light. Quite compact. Tactical crown.
- It is direct driven. Very bright well-defined hotspot. Great little thrower.
- Deep smooth plastic reflector. Slightly ringy and tiny artifacts near the hotspot.
- Head unscrews off easily to reveal bare LED for candle mode. LED module is easily taken out.
- Reflector module and front lense is glued to the head. So it's not really possible to change it.
- Does not tail stand. Can swap the clickie to GITD ones. But not much benefit.
- Single mode reverse clickie. Tail clicky is firm but it's still useable in single-hand use easily.
- It still rolls off the table if the surface is slanted on an angle.
- The body does get warm but doesn't get too hot even after extended use.
MAR 2008 Update
- Bit outdated now. Still a good thrower. But in terms of quality, get RC-N3 or Mini 3W Cree light.
◎ Measurements
- It pulls 0.95A from the Trustfire Protected 3.6V CR123A @ 4.2v
★★★★ MTE Z-Power SSC P4 KS-3 (DX/KD)
Throw: High 4000 lux , Low 2300 lux (2 x 3.6v CR123A)
Lightbox: High 115 lux , Low 70 lux (Initial peak is 160 lux but lasts only 2 seconds)
- Biggest in this round up overall. As tall as WF-606A and wide as the DX 7 watt light.
- Very bright hotspot. It starts off at 5000+ lux but drops off to a more constant 4000 lux within 1 minute.
- Clean white beam with a slight blue tint. No significant rings or artifacts. Spill is very wide and bright also.
- It gets quite hot after around 5 minutes. Similar to Romisen RC-F4. But it's not painful to hold.
- Nothing seems to be glued which is rare for MTE lights. So you can do candle mode with head off.
- 2 mode tail clicky has low and high mode. It is fairly easy to click it single handed. It can also tail stand.
- It is a reverse clicky and you cannot change mode by soft-press only. (Need to full press off/on)
- Plastic smooth reflector and plastic lense. Double o-rings at head and tail thread. Tough.
- It is bright. But for some reason, I don't like it heaps. But some might. =)
◎ Measurements
- It pulls 1.3A from 2 x Trustfire Protected 3.6V CR123A in high.
- Tail clickie shows 8.5 ohm resistence in low mode with my DMM.
★★★★★★ Romisen RC-F4 Cree P4 (2 x RCR123A or 1 x 17670) Gray DX / KD / Official
Throw: 3500 lux (2 x RCR123A) 2900 lux (1 x 17670)
Lightbox: 125 lux (2 x RCR123A) 100 lux (1 x 17670)
- Similar look to the beam as the Gree. Slightly Ringy in and out side the beam but no artifacts.
- Bright well defined tight hotspot. Well regulated. Constant brightness from the get go till it dies.
- Feels well made. Very clean inside and out. It does not tail stand.
- Works fine with two Trustfire/Ultrafire 3.6v protected CR123A batteries.
- O-ring at front and at tail thread. Smooth aluminium reflector on my sample.
- But everyone else advised that they have received this light with OP reflector instead. (less throw, less ringy)
- Green GITD tailcap is standard. Switch easy to use. Single mode reverse on/off clickie.
- Tail thread is good but a bit sharp. It wasn't lubed. Switch module can be taken out easily.
- Head seems to be glued at the thread. But can be opened with a strap wrench easily.
- (Seems some doesn't come glued. So it can easily be opened by hand. Oh well)
- Cree is on 16mm round base and on a pill that can be rotated out. LED base is glued to the pill.
- The body gets quite warm after 15 minutes of use. But it isn't too too hot.
- Still, you can't get such a decent flashlight for under $15 than this imo. A great buy!
- Ultrafire 1800mAh 17670 battery fits and works perfectly in the RC-F4.
- UPDATE - Shining beam now has Q5 version of the RC-F4. It's brighter!
- Seems some have had issues with the switch when used with long RCRs.
- There is a thread about this and here is the fix posted by 04orgZx6r.
◎ Measurements
- It pulls 0.6A from 2 x Trustfire Protected 3.6V CR123A.
- According to KD, it will keep near full brightness for 2 hours with a single 17670. (About 75-90 minutes with 2 x RCR123A)
◎ Experiments
- I have bypassed the driver board and made this into a direct driven light. (soldering required)
- Now I get 4900 lux @ 1m instead! Pulls just over 1A from a single 17670.
(Third photo is RC-F4 direct driven via single RCR123A bypassing the built-in regulator board - approx 30% brighter)
★★★★★ Ultrafire WF-606A 3W Cree (2xAA/1xCR2) DX / KD
Throw: 1750 lux (2 x 1.2v NiMh AA)
Lightbox: 95 lux
- It's quite bright for a 2 x AA flashlight. Good throw and good amount of spill.
- No artifacts or visible rings. Has a slightly yellow corona around hotspot. Neutral tint overall.
- It can use CR2's but not CR123A batteries. They just don't fit due to tight barrel.
- Reverse clickie is very easy to press and use with one hand. Does not tail stand.
- Perfect for DIY'ers. Nothing is glued on at the threads. Can expose LED for candle mode.
- Aluminium OP reflector. Well centered LED. Tactical crown shaped head.
- Doesn't get too warm. Very comfortable temperature to hold for long time.
- It doesn't roll off tables too easily. The head is big and has enough flat spots to stop.
- Very goog build quality. Feels very solid and ready for tough times. Feels expensive.
- It is not a small light in terms of length. 4cm longer than RC-F4 above.
- If you want a bright single-mode throwy double-AA light, this is a great light!
- There are alternatives if desired. eg. Romisen Cree RC-N3 (Also reviewed!)
- Rayovac Hybrids apparently fits very tightly. No probs with Eneloops.
- My Powerbase 2500mAh AA do not fit at all. So don't use fat NiMhs. =P
◎ Measurements
- It pulls 1.3A from two fully charged 1.2v Eneloops NiMh AA's.
★★★★★ UltraFire C3 AA/14500 Cree XR-E P4 Single Mode LINK1 or LINK2
Throw: 700 lux (1.2v AA NiMh) / 720 lux (2 x 1.2v AA NiMh)
Lightbox: 56 lux
- Small and cute and very well made. Looks good with extension tube also. Feels expensive!
- Bright enough for general use. Bright well defined hot spot. Clean beam. Neutral tint.
- Brightness is identical in both 1 x AA or 2 x AA mode. Slightly brighter with 14500 at beginning. (See graph)
- It will last 4 hours at full brightness with 2 x AA according to selfbuilt's review.
- Glass lense and textured aluminium reflector. LED wasn't well centered with mine but didn't matter.
- Does not tail stand. Tail clickie feels better when replaced with a GIDT rubber piece.
- Nothing seems to be glued. Great for DYI'ers. It does not get hot either.
- Great quality looking / feeling AA light for the money. Excellent as a present.
- You can buy 2 extenders and use 3 x AA NiMhs for super long run time. (same brightness)
- It isn't the brightest AA light, but it's a great AA light that I highly recommend.
UPDATE JAN 30 2008 - There is now a Single-mode Ultrafire C3 Cree Q5 available.
UPDATE MAR 10 2008 - There is now a Stainless Steel version of the P4 model also!
◎ Measurements
- It pulls 1.25A from 1 x 1.2v NiMh AA.
- It pulls 0.49A from 2 x 1.2v NiMh AA.
◎ Runtime Graph
- The light is extremely well regulated all the way until battery becomes flat.
★★★★ MTE 5-Mode 100 Lumens Rebel 1 x AA / 0100 BIN LINK
Throw: 850 lux (1 x 1.2v AA NiMh)
Lightbox: 60 lux
- More rounder looking than the MTE SSC P4. Slightly smaller also.
- Bright and large well-defined neutral colored hotspot. Some artifacts in hotspot.
- Also has a bright large spill. No rings or artifacts in the spill area.
- 5 modes. Has a memory feature. It will turn back on at the last mode used.
- It can tail stand. But original clickie is very hard to press. Worst one here.
- Tail clicke is MUCH better when replaced with GITD rubber piece. (But then it doesn't tail stand)
- Everything seems to be glued on at the threads like most other MTE lights.
- Not a bad multi-mode single AA light at all. There's a newer 20 mode version also.
◎ Measurements
- It pulls 1.70A from the 1.5v Alkaline @ High mode.
- It pulls 1.25A from the 1.5v Alkaline @ Med mode.
- It pulls 0.95A from the 1.5v Alkaline @ Low mode.
◎ Experiments
- Do not use 14500 or 2 x AA with this light. LED output turns blue VERY quickly.
★★★★ MTE 1xAA SSC-P4 42180-U LINK
Throw: 500 lux (1 x 1.2v AA NiMh) / 900 lux (2 x 1.2v NiMh with custom tube)
Lightbox: 55 lux
- Well made-looking body. Thick barrel. Looks like a Fenix. Well centered LED.
- It is fairly bright. But still it is one of the lesser ones in this roundup. (1W-1.5W light)
- There is no well defined hotspot. It is smooth and widely spread. Good for close up work.
- Ultrafire C3 looks a bit brighter in use due to brighter and better defined hotspot.
- Tail clicky feels much better when replaced with GITD rubber piece.
- It has a plastic smooth reflector.
(DEC 30th07 - It now has an Aluminium reflector. Smooth or Textured is luck of draw though)
- Single mode reverse on/off clickie. Mine broke after a month of use. (DEC 30th07 - Switch module has been improved now in newer versions)
- Does not tail stand. Head/switch module is glued on at the threads. (DEC 30th07 - New one now tail stands!)
UPDATE - Please read this post as this light has now been improved by MTE!!
Due to the changes above with the latest batches. Rating have been boosted to 4 stars!
◎ Measurements
- It pulls 1.10A from unloaded-1.3v NiMH AA
- It pulls 1.35A from unloaded-1.6v Alkaline AA
◎ Experiments
- Output improves when using 2 AA in series with custom tube but output does show a blue tint.
- Tried wiring up 3.6v CR123A. Brighter than 2 x AA. But within 5 seconds, output turns very BLUE. =(
- Tried 3.0v LiFePo4 14500. Brighter than 2 x AA. But output becomes blue still. Not recommended!!
★★★★ Superfire WF-501B (Xenon - 2 x CR123A) LINK
Throw: 3850 lux (2 x 3.6v CR123A)
- This is a non-LED XENON bulb light. I just had it and it's cheap so included it in this roundup.
- Not a small EDC sized light. Still fits in my jean pocket as it's slim enough
- Very yellow beam. But EXTREMELY bright. Great throw + floody beam. No rings/artifacts.
- Wide hotspot and spill. Great work light. Easy on the eye during use due to the color.
- But don't expect long running times. Probably 30 minutes max at full brightness.
- Aluminum textured reflector. Easy to press reverse clicky.
- The flashlight itself doesn't look that nice imo. But it's built like a tank.
- If you want a super bright xenon light. This is not bad for only $10!
- But KD sells a newer brighter better looking Ultrafire WF502B for $12. =P
◎ Measurements
- It pulls 1.34A from 2 x Trustfire 3.6V CR123A (Charged at 4.2v)
★★★★ Pocket 142lm CREE P4 Flashlight (CR123A) KD / DX
Throw: 1100 lux (Gets hot very quickly and it drops to around 900 within 2 minutes)
Lightbox: 95 lux (Initial peak is 120 lux)
- Big and bright smooth hotspot. Has a similar look to the Cree Q4 5 mode beam.
- Output is very smooth and clean. No rings or artifacts or dead center spot.
- Very wide spill. Wider spill area than Gree or RC-F4. Great floody output.
- Very small. It's a tiny CR123A EDC. It's about 2/3 the size of Gree Cree.
- It is direct driven. Twisty switch. It tail stands. It does have a lanyard hole.
- Tail thread is too short for protected batteries. Thread barely holds.
- Non-protected battery is perfect for it though. So don't use protected.
- When off, the battery rattles a bit. A little foam in the tail module fixes this. (DIY)
- Textured aluminium reflector and glass lense. Spring on driver side. No spring in tail.
- Quality wise, looks claen on outside. Inside is not well anodized. (big patches)
- Can take out the pill from the inside. Just rotate the inner copper ring.
- Don't expect to use it with bare hands for longer than 5 minutes at a time. Gets VERY hot!
- It's pumps out a serious amount of light for its size. But it's not a high quality light.
- Run time should be around 35-40 minutes just like the other direct driven lights. (Mini 3W Cree or Gree)
- FYI - There is a higher quality alternative - Ultrafire 602D HAIII or Romisen RC-C3
◎ Measurements
- It pulls 1.2A from the Trustfire Protected 3.6V CR123A
★★★★ Super Bright Cree Q4 5 mode (CR123A) LINK
Throw: 1800 lux (1 x 3.6v CR123A)
Lightbox: 100 lux
- Similar size to Ultrafire C3 (1AA) Well made feel to it. Quite small.
- Very bright overall output. White tint. (I have the green body model)
- Smooth looking hotspot with smooth spill. No artifacts / rings.
- No return memory feature. Every time you turn it on, it's the next mode. Annoying!
- Very easy to press reverse tail clickie. It does not tail stand.
- Switch module is of good quality and is not glued at the thread.
- Two O-rings at the tail thread. Textured aluminum reflector. Glass lens.
- Head is glued at the thread. Look inside and it seems it's soldered on.
- It says 12W on the body. Yeah right! Also says USA. Dunno why.
- This light has erratic brightness output over time. Gets very hot also.
- If you want a small multi-mode light with good brightness, it's not bad.
◎ Measurements
- It pulls 0.82A from the Trustfire 3.6V CR123A (Charged at 4.2v) @ High mode.
- It pulls 0.26A from the Trustfire 3.6V CR123A (Charged at 4.2v) @ Med mode.
- It pulls 0.10A from the Trustfire 3.6V CR123A (Charged at 4.2v) @ Low mode.
[COMMENTS]
- Every sample may vary in brightness by up to around 15% or so.
- So yours could end up being dimmer or brighter than what I have. (But not enough to be distinguishable by eye)
- Also, feel free to send me $2 or $4 or a whopping $8 donation so that I can keep adding new lights. :devil:
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