BessieBenny's Budget LED (DX/KD etc) Flashlights Review Roundup (Part XI)

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Aurora SH0030 mini-review

superpial,

Tks for the Aurora SH0030 mini-review. I've been keen to buy it for a while but hesitated due to the lack of reviews.

Took the plunge and bought one today (with the extension tube) for US$16.12

In your assessment, what is the Aurora SH0030's Out-The-Front (OTF) lumen using 14500? and also for NiMH?

I've a AKroay K-106 and its OTF lumen using 14500 seems to be about 130 lumen. So I am keen to see if the Aurora can equal or exceed the AKroay's max brightness.

Based on the specs it looks doubtful as digital regulated current output for the AKroay is 900mA vs 700mA for the Aurora.

On another note, as the voltage input for the Aurora SH0030 is max of 4.2V it seems possible for it to take 3 1.2V NiMH batteries if using two extension tubes.

I feel very tempted to buy another Aurora SH0030 (with extension tube) just to test out the use of 3 NiMH...

Damn, the bug of flasholicness is addictive...
 
Romisen RC-C6 head fit RC-N3 body?

Wonder will DX SKU: 26792 head fit the RC-N3 body? Anyone know?

The N3 is 1.1 in
The C6 is 1.18 in

BTW I like tint on the C6.
 
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AKOray K-106 AA Flashlight Problem

Hi, I have a problem with my AKOray K -106 AA LED 3 mode flashlight. When using new AA Alkaline batteries it works ok in strobe, when switching to high mode it stays on high for about a second or two then drops to low mode. With rechargeable Li - iron 14500 it works fine with new fully charged batteries but after a short time it starts to flicker on and off ( it dose this with AA Alkalines also.) Any suggestions?
 
Is the protection circuit on? Turn the light on and then do 3 quick half presses and retry. The current draw on high may be too much for the Alkalines as well. Do you have an NiMH or Lithium primary you can try?
 
Not sure if it's a good or bad thing.

Based on what I read in a thread about it in the LED section, it seems the smaller die results in more output.

The downside is that the smaller die will not react well if highly overdriven.
 
First post here...

I just wanted to thank Bessie for this (and the other) threads full of great reviews! :thumbsup: I'm a total newbie to flashlights and want to start with an EDC budget LED (although I'm already interested in some larger and more costly lights :devil🙂. I've been poking around this forum for around a week learning all sorts of new terms and brands I didn't even know existed, and I am deciding between the AKOray K-106, Romisen RC-N3 II, Ultrafire C3 Q5, and now MARATAC AAA due to this thread and forum.

So thanks for all the helpful reviews and info! :thumbsup:
 
Akoray 106 from DX -- questions

I'm looking into the Akoray 106, from DX - sku 16607.

It's in my shopping cart, but I'm going to ask more knowledgeable people than DX (great prices, horrible cs) about it. lovecpf

This is my first non Maglite-light (lol), and would like to ask anyone with a few beamshots (if you can find em) comparing the two, that is, the 106 and a MiniMag AA (stock). They seem comparative in size.

The programmable stuff seems so cool, so can I guarantee I'll get a 3 mode programmable (sku 16607)?

(Geek inside screamed!, didn't know flashlights were so customizable!!!) :twothumbs:twothumbs

I also would like to know if LiIon's (14500) are better than NiMH rechargeables? I don't own any exotic battery flashlights, so I don't want to be stuck with them. I'm getting 14500's sku 3435 with a DSD charger sku936. I think I can handle making a spacer.

Can anyone take some measurements for me, if they own a 106?
I'm wanting to replace the ugly off-orange tailcap for a gitd one, and DX has 14mm (measured from the top) caps. Is this the right size?
I can roughly guess that a 20.52mm flashlight, a 14mm clickie sounds right. Less than half a cm clearance on each side.

I would love a water-resistant or even waterproof light, this is definitely going to be an EDC light for me, so kindly, what are the measurements on the original O-rings? If no one cares to measure, I can always go to Ace and trial and error. DX sells 16mm-24mm, except 17mm.
I don't trust original anything that I can easily replace with better and super cheap. This category would include tailcaps, o-rings, and modding for better performance. Not dropping in a HID bulb, or even a new emitter. I'm really bad at soldering. Really bad.


If anyone's wondering why I want everything from DX, it's because they are soooo cheap, and I really dont want to order again and wait 14 days for shipping. I would like to get everything in one go.

Sorry for making this too long.
 
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AK 16 Cree Q5 3 Mode

I'm thinking of getting the AK16 from KD and have some questions.
1. Can I achieve hi and lo mode only, ie, no strobe?
2. Do I need any kind of spacers to accommodate the different battery sizes?
3. Which battery will give the brightest throw?
4. Is there a household lube that can be used for the threads.
5. Being a non flashaholic, what do they mean by protected vs unprotected?
 
Re: AK 16 Cree Q5 3 Mode

deefed said:
I'm thinking of getting the AK16 from KD and have some questions.
1. Can I achieve hi and lo mode only, ie, no strobe?
2. Do I need any kind of spacers to accommodate the different battery sizes?
3. Which battery will give the brightest throw?
4. Is there a household lube that can be used for the threads.
5. Being a non flashaholic, what do they mean by protected vs unprotected?
Click to expand...
This thread has information about the closely related k-106 light, and some discussion about the ak-16.
1) This light should be programmable, so you can set the 3 levels to whatever you want. So, you can have hi/mid/lo and no strobe.

2) The light has an extra spring and a plastic collar which allows it to accomodate a 14500 or a 16340.
If you remove the plastic collar and the spring, you can apparently use a 17500.

5) Protected/unprotected refers to the battery you use. It applies to rechargeable 3.7v lithium batteries. If you over-discharge a lithium battery or over-charge one, you can damage the battery or it may explode. A protected battery contains a protection circuit on the bottom of the battery which 'cuts off' the battery before it gets over-discharged or over-charged.
 
Re: AK 16 Cree Q5 3 Mode

1. It's programmable, but there are 3 mode slots so you can do low, med, high. Each slot can be anything from 5-ish lumens up to 150, strobe, sos your choice.

2. I believe it comes equipped with any spacer you'll need if any

3. Any of the 3.7V Li-ions will provide the same brightness. But the 14500 will run longer than the 16340 in most cases. Edit: Poster above reminded me, 17500 will give longer run time than either of the other two.

4. I just use vaseline

5. Lithium Ion cells are designed to be operated roughly only in the 3.0V to 4.2V range for acceptable lifetime and safety. A protected Li-ion has circuitry built it to protect it from being charged or discharged beyond these ranges. It may also protect against excessive short circuit current.
 
Re: Akoray 106 from DX -- questions

TheInvader said:
The programmable stuff seems so cool, so can I guarantee I'll get a 3 mode programmable (sku 16607)?
Click to expand...
You should check the latest reviews. I ordered one 16 June, shipped 21 June, and it was the 3-mode programmable. You probably will get a 3-mode, but it isn't guaranteed.

The K-106 is 5cm shorter than the 2AA minimag and is a little thicker than the barrel of the minimag.

LiIons should be much brighter than NiMH or Alkaline. The brightness isn't too good on alkalines, but great on 14500.

The tailcap is a nonstandard size, so the DX GITD it doesn't fit.
If you really want a GITD tailcap, you can take the DX tailcap, cut the 'rim' around the button off and cut most of the central inside 'post' off.
Then, you get a 'cup' sort of shape which fits right over the original tailcap and doesn't fall off easily. This also makes the button stick out more, so it's easier to press.

The o-rings are 16mm outer diameter, and 13mm inner diameter.
When on the light and stretched, they are 18mm outer diameter.
 
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