Convoy S11 vs 2 x Convoy S2+?

[prof student]

So I've tried to gather as much information as I can (though not much around regarding the driver + LED at the same time), and I THINK I finally have narrowed it down.

I originally wanted a light that could run off of 18650s as well as primaries when in a pinch.

MAIN purpose would be used as a bike light. The light(s) would be mounted onto the handlebars.
Was looking for a constant output of 1,000 lumens, or as close as possible.

I was about to pull the trigger for a Convoy S11 XHP50.2.
At 30% = 844 lumens!
Running a 26650 5,000mAh battery = 3 hour run time. Typical ride is ~ an hour or less. So possibly 3 rides on 1 charge.
Not focusing on the 100% output, as it only lasts about 2-3 minutes tops before temperature regulation kicks in.
It is a bit wide. Someone said its as wide as a C-cell battery?

I thought about the Convoy S21A/B SST-40.
At 30% = 675 lumens.
Running a 21700 4,800mAh battery = 2 hours 40 minute run time.
I like that it wasn't as wide as the S11 but bigger than the S2+.
However, the reviews that I have read on the SST-40 LED are that it isn't bad, but there's better & that it generates a lot of heat.

But yesterday, I came across a review of the Convoy S2+. I light was using the XM-L2 & the other light used a XL-P HI.
Both lights had the 7135*8 driver.
XM-L2 6,500-7,000K = 1067 lumens
XPL-HI 3,00-3,200K = 840 lumens
5%-10% lumens fluctuation.
So it will put out the lumens that I am looking for, but not a very wide beam.
Don't know about the run times.
I have read a few reviews saying they did not have overheating/temperature issues, but not 100% on that. If anyone can chime in on that for certain, that would certainly help me out.



So, I was thinking of using 2 x S2+, one on each side of the handlebars.
1) Which LED would you choose if its primary purpose was a bike light?
2) he offers a 45 & 60 degree lens, as well as a striped lens. Any worthwhile choosing?


I am open to using 2 x S21A/B, but not sure about the SST40 LED. Anyone know if another LED would be compatible in that host/driver?


S11 i think is what I am looking for, but it does seem a bit fat to put on a bike. Any comments?


The only other option i was thinking of going with was buying another TK09. That's what I use right now. 900 lumens is nice, except its only for 5 minutes at a time. Next level is medium @ 450 lumens, which is ooooooooooooooooook, but I want more. The TK09 runs on both 18650s as well as primaries, & its only $40, reputable brand (i have bought 3 other Fenix lights), easy peasy.

Also looking for something simple, as little kids may sometimes commandeer the lights & put them on theirs. I'm riding in the subdivision, with some pitch black trails, with my nieces & nephews, so no need to spend $300 on a dedicated bike light, but want to make sure there's ample lighting.

 

[justanotherguy]

Lumintop b01?

Good reviews, bike specific reflector.

I run an older kaidomain BLS2 light... Not sure about comparison to flashlights, but it is nice that it plugs into a 4 cell pack I can strap to the bike. 2 series/2 parallel, 4x18650. There is a 6 cell holder out there too 2 series / 3 parallel

 

[prof student]

Lumintop b01?

Good reviews, bike specific reflector.

I run an older kaidomain BLS2 light... Not sure about comparison to flashlights, but it is nice that it plugs into a 4 cell pack I can strap to the bike. 2 series/2 parallel, 4x18650. There is a 6 cell holder out there too 2 series / 3 parallel

I did look at the B01. For the most part, its a dedicated bike light. I like it (I do like how they created a beam cutoff), but I am trying to stretch my $$ & make it a bike light AND a true flashlight when needed. The B01 is $40. If I am going to do $40 in one shot, I think I'd rather buy another TK09 for the same price.

I want to stay away from anything that needs a battery pack, just because i want ease of use for family members. I don't want little kids handling recharging & monitoring battery packs, you know?

 

[Buck91]

Lumintop b01?

Good reviews, bike specific reflector.

I run an older kaidomain BLS2 light... Not sure about comparison to flashlights, but it is nice that it plugs into a 4 cell pack I can strap to the bike. 2 series/2 parallel, 4x18650. There is a 6 cell holder out there too 2 series / 3 parallel

Just got my Black Friday B01 in the other day and I'm pretty impressed by it! Not the brightest light out there in these days of xhp70 multiple thousands of lumens but bright enough (and way, way brighter than what I rode with back when I put on a lot of miles). Excellent beam pattern. I'm particularly impressed with the tint! Really nice. Like a very high temp halogen (kinda).

Now it's not enough to replace a helmet light for trail riding but on groomed or pavement then it's really solid.

 

[Chicken Drumstick]

A ConvoyS2+ gets pretty toasty on the 2.8 amp driver (7135 x 8). If you want to use it for extended runtimes in High I'd say go for a 7135 x 6 or even 4 driver. Or maybe one of each.

Really these things are cheap enough that you might as well just buy one and see how you get on, rather than spend weeks and weeks looking up stats that don't mean much :hahaha:

As for which LED. I'd have thought unless you are going at high speed, the XM-L2 would be sufficient. However buy one of each, that way you'll know the differences

Personally I'd suggest going for a neutral white tint, colours will just look better and it will induce less eye strain than cool white. As for the optics, really hard to say, you need to try them and see which you prefer. Some of the optics will give a hot spot a bit like a reflector, just different....

Others will smooth out the beam into more even lighting. But this will normally cost you beam distance.

 

[prof student]

A ConvoyS2+ gets pretty toasty on the 2.8 amp driver (7135 x 8). If you want to use it for extended runtimes in High I'd say go for a 7135 x 6 or even 4 driver. Or maybe one of each.

Yeah, I figured it would get toasty, right? I asked the reviewer regarding 100% output & heat, but he doesn't remember that much about it when he did the review.

But also, if you go with a weaker, doesn't that also lower the output considerably? I.e. 7135 x 8 = ~1000 lumens, so would the 7135 X 4 = ~500 lumens?

Really these things are cheap enough that you might as well just buy one and see how you get on, rather than spend weeks and weeks looking up stats that don't mean much :hahaha:

Haha.....too late. Been looking to buy one for weeks, but accurate information is hard to come buy with so many different LED, tint & driver options on the same host........ugh. Years ago, this forum use to be a flood of information. Post a question and you'd get so many quick replies. Now? Many views, but little to no replies

 

[WalkIntoTheLight]

But also, if you go with a weaker, doesn't that also lower the output considerably? I.e. 7135 x 8 = ~1000 lumens, so would the 7135 X 4 = ~500 lumens?

That's correct. As a rough rule-of-thumb, 500 lumens is about the maximum output for a small 18650 light, if you want to run it constantly without it getting too hot. Of course, if you're gripping it tightly (acting as a heat-sink), using it outside in cool weather, or outside in a breeze, you can run it at higher output without it overheating.

I like the option of running at 1000 lumens or higher. You don't have to use it that high, and can use a 7135x8 at 50% brightness for a similar result. It's almost as efficient as running a 7135x4 light at full output. So, I'd go with the 7135x8 format, and program it to 50% output if you want to run it that way for long periods.

 

[Chicken Drumstick]

Program it? The stock Convoy drivers.

The 6*7135 on High puts more light out than the 8*7135 on Medium. I think Banggood have the S2+ on offer for under £10 at the moment. I just buy one and see how I got on. Or buy two and be able to directly compare.

 

[prof student]

I like the option of running at 1000 lumens or higher.

Well, that is EXACTLY what I am looking to do, but for an extended period of time, without having to use a flashlight the size of a Maglite to achieve that. If i can find a light that can run for 900- 1,000 lumens for a 45-60 minutes & not have any heat issues, & have it be reasonably sized to put it on the handlebars & to carry around (not necessarily as an EDC) but in a bag or coat, that would be golden.

So far, the only thing i have come across is the S11, where at 30%, puts out ~844 lumens.

But as I mentioned in the OP, using 2 x S21A/B is an option. At 30%, puts out ~675 lumens.

But, I seem to like the beam shots that I have seen of the XHP50.2 (S11)
There doesn't seem to be much love for the SST-40 though (S21A/B)

 

[WalkIntoTheLight]

Well, that is EXACTLY what I am looking to do, but for an extended period of time, without having to use a flashlight the size of a Maglite to achieve that. If i can find a light that can run for 900- 1,000 lumens for a 45-60 minutes & not have any heat issues, & have it be reasonably sized to put it on the handlebars & to carry around (not necessarily as an EDC) but in a bag or coat, that would be golden.

For handlebars, I use a Zebralight mkIV Plus, which has no problem maintaining 1200 lumens on my bike handlebars (it will maintain 2300 lumens on a cool night). It's a very small 18650 light. That's with a bit of breeze from riding, though. No way would it do that just sitting idle. The Zebralights are better at shedding heat than a Convoy, but you could probably run the 8x7135 convoy at max, as long as you have that breeze from cycling.

You just won't be able to do 1000 lumens indefinitely from a small light, unless it's cold outside, or there's a decent breeze, or you grip it tightly so your hand sucks away the heat.

 

[spoonrobot]

For bike use, the 7135*8 S2+ is the worst option. Riding, it is almost visually identical to the 7135*6 but has much worse runtime.

If you are considering the S2+ for bike riding, there is no reason other than saving very few dollars, to not use the SST40 model with 5A driver. It has significantly better brightness and runtime. I use it for my rides except when I need very long runtime (7+ hours) for which I have a Lumintop B01.

The S2+ will also do a decent job of maintaining it's output in very cold weather, but not as well as a Zebralight H600w MKIV. These runtime charts were recorded outside when the air temperature was between 28°f and 30°f (-2°c to -1°c). A fan was placed on the lights to simulate riding a bicycle between 16-19 miles per hour (25kph-30kph).The inside runtimes were performed with the same fan speed at 70°f (21°c).

 

[prof student]

If you are considering the S2+ for bike riding, there is no reason other than saving very few dollars, to not use the SST40 model with 5A driver. It has significantly better brightness and runtime. I use it for my rides except when I need very long runtime (7+ hours) for which I have a Lumintop B01.

From what I have gathered, doesn't the SST-40 generate more heat though when running full or near to full output?

If the S11 where just a bit narrower, say like the S21, i'd go with that for sure. Heck, I'd buy 2. But having 2 C-cell width flashlights on my handlebars, SEEMS like they would be just too big?

 

[mccririck]

Can I ask what optics you use with the S2+ on a bike?