Budget Warm White 18650?

[trickartt]

Hello Candle Power Forumers!

I'm looking for a new flashlight and wonder if anyone has some good recommendations. My brother-in-law got really big into flashlights about a decade ago and he has previously been my source of recommendations, but he is a family man with two kids and a dog now, so I'd rather not burden him with the research.

I have a nice Zebralight headlamp, a tiny 10-year-old AA Fenix that won't leave my partner's handbag as it has been so surprisingly good, and a Sunwayman that runs on 18650s that I love, but I'd like another small EDC-type light like the Sunwayman.

So following your guidelines on asking for recommendations:

1. This will be online-ordered. I am in the UK if that helps narrow anything down.
2. Budget: I guess up to $50 - probably around £30 sounds reasonable
3. I want a flashlight
4. Small / EDC - 4-7in
5. Emitter - LED I assume, no preference. The one crucial thing that I would like (and haven't been finding intuitive to search for) is I would like it to be a warm-white light. That's how I would improve on my Sunwayman.
6. I don't really have a preference on manufacturer- I'm not against assembling from my own components but I'd imagine that wouldn't meet my budget!
7. I want to use protected 18650s as I already have them and a charger for them
8. I think around 150-300 lumens for normal use is what I'm targeting. My primary use case is that I walk my dog in the woods and in the UK dusk is getting earlier and earlier cos it's becoming winter, so I would like something I can use to light our way home if we're out for longer than I expected. Turbo modes are fun but not essential.
9. No strong preference but from the list in the guideline thread, Narrow flood, for trail walking
10. Runtime - I'm probably talking about using this for like 30 minutes at a time at most, but who wants to be constantly charging batteries?
11. Durability is relatively important - I don't want this to die in a minute from being dropped if my dog lunges suddenly
12. No strong preference on a switch but if I had to choose, I would opt for a forward click on the tail
13. Anywhere between 2-5 light levels seems fine, not essential to me. TBH I'd like the interface to be as simple as possible. My Sunwayman does some ridiculous stuff, like if you don't get the click sequence right to activate its secondary footlight, it goes into mad strobe mode, which I never enjoy.
14. I wouldn't mind a metal body, but no strong preference for the type of metal.
15. Water resistance to some degree would be preferable as it rains here
16. Storage conditions would be in-house

So tl;dr is - Waterproof flashlight, runs on protected 18650s, Warm white light, normal use 150-300 lumens, for around £30. Everything else is inessential.

Thank you all for your knowledge and time to read/respond.

 

[kerneldrop]

https://a.aliexpress.com/_mOHT49I

 

[bigburly912]

I would get 2 or 3 of the convoy S2 with the high cri warm emitter. They get warm but man they are nice and good lights.

Edit: well, should have looked at kernels post. Yes that is the exact light. Don't let the 10 buck price tag full ya. They are really good lights.

 

[kerneldrop]

I would get 2 or 3 of the convoy S2 with the high cri warm emitter. They get warm but man they are nice and good lights.

Edit: well, should have looked at kernels post. Yes that is the exact light. Don't let the 10 buck price tag full ya. They are really good lights.

Stick a Fenix or Olight sticker on the Convoy and it becomes a $100 light

 

[trickartt]

I love getting a simple concensus response. I ordered a Convoy - and at that price I threw caution to the wind and got it with a 2700K light. It is *very* yellow, but I am happy. It arrived surprisingly quickly and has been doing me proud while walking the dog all week.

It took me a minute to get into the configuration mode to turn the strobing modes off, but now I have, this light couldn't have ticked more of my boxes if I tried!

Thank you all for replying, I appreciate it!

 

[Jean-Luc Descarte]

Convoy never disappoints. Good recommendations and good choice. I have an S3 (same line as the S2 and S2+) right now with me, with a Nichia 719A 2700K emitter, and it is FAR AND WIDE the warmest light I've ever owned after I stopped getting incandescents. The 519A shouldn't be too far behind - I have one (on an S21A, basically an S2+ scaled up for 21700 cells) in 3000K and it's noticeably cooler than the 719 S3, but still very pretty.

Have fun with your Convoy, may it keep you safe in your travels

 

[kerneldrop]

I've got a convoy in my pocket today

 

[vicv]

It's funny I came here to give the same answer. How are the new s2+ with the 6A driver? Must get hot quickly. Mine is an older 7135 driver model, and I only wanted 4 chips for 1.4A. It's still like 400 lumens with the 4k sst-20

 

[Lips]

I love getting a simple concensus response. I ordered a Convoy - and at that price I threw caution to the wind and got it with a 2700K light. It is *very* yellow, but I am happy. It arrived surprisingly quickly and has been doing me proud while walking the dog all week.

It took me a minute to get into the configuration mode to turn the strobing modes off, but now I have, this light couldn't have ticked more of my boxes if I tried!

Thank you all for replying, I appreciate it!

Does the light you got in have a Reverse Clicky or Forward Clicky? Looking at getting one but hope they have a Forward Clicky...

 

[vicv]

Does the light you got in have a Reverse Clicky or Forward Clicky? Looking at getting one but hope they have a Forward Clicky...

They all have reverse clickies

 

[Lips]

They all have reverse clickies

Wonder if a McClicky FC fit these?


I have an old one and it's RC.

I think he is moving to Anduril for these next year too...

 

[vicv]

You can get a forward Clicky for it. But takes some soldering

 

[hamhanded]

Do any of the convoy listings have forward clicky from the factory?

 

[vicv]

They make a lot of lights. I believe the L6 does but you might want to start searching on their AliExpress store

 

[kerneldrop]

I can put a McClicky in any 18650 Convoy.
But I'm a tacticool redneck with tools and just enough know how to get it done

 

[Monocrom]

Budget, Warm tint, + 18650 = Convoy and pick your own emitter.
(Just like others mentioned above.)