I was going to hold off my review until I got my luxmeter, but since x2x3x2 has taken his own readings already, I figure I could start mine with at least some pics and a review. I've had my Dereelight CL1H 2.0s for a few weeks now and used them around the house and outside.
See x2x3x2's review here with runtime plots and lux readings.
First, here's the features copied from Dereelight's thread:
Module: Cree Drop in LED Module with OP-reflector, Smooth reflector for optional, it's a industry standard P60 module.
Circuit: Full-regulated circuit, wide input range, Can feed with 1x18650, 2xCR123A or 2xRCR123 batteries
Output: Two stage output by turnning the battery tuber shift, once the level you have set, the output always on this level for next clicky untill you set again.
1. Output on Low : 110(3.7V)
2. Output on Hight: 900ma(3.7V)
Low operation temp. and good working efficiency
Circuit Protection: reverse polarity protection built in the circuit without any consumption to the battery power.
Reflector: Aluminium OP-reflector standard, Smooth reflector for optional
Runtime: Best performance using 18650, over 2.5 hours runtime to 50% on high, and over 10 hours on Low.
Dimensions: 140mm(Length)x 34mm(Head)x 25mm(housing)
Material: Constructed of aircraft grade aluminum
Surface: Type III hard anodized finish, highly durable
Waterproof: water resistant
Weight: 130-gram weight
Switch: forward clicky
Clip: Removable clip
Glass: Toughened ultra clear glass lens with AR coating
Color: Light grey
Machining, Construction, Quality
I can't find anything wrong! There are no machine marks on the exterior at all. The anodizing is flawless and even. All pieces match in color. The threads are cut deep and spaced well (not too fine a pitch like many smaller Chinese lights). The threads didn't come lubed (ok, one little thing), but a simple cleaning and lube fixed that. Even the threads in the LED module to attach the reflector are cut deep and well spaced. Knurling is consistent with no marks. The clip is well made with no sharp edges to cut or tear anything. It's a wire clip, which I prefer, that provides very good retention, but is still easy to place and remove. The switch module is well thought out and robust. The switch itself is retained in a threaded housing and nothing looks like it's easy to break. The design looks easy to replace or swap switches. Both OP and smooth reflectors are well machined. I couldn't see any flaws on any of the reflectors.
Comfort and Usage
Once lubed, twisting the head to change levels is easy. Only 1/8th – 1/4th of a turn switches from low to high and back. It's very simple. I love the momentary forward clicky, something sorely lacking in this category of lights (with only W-Es offering it from other Chinese brands). I use momentary most of the time. The combination of a separate level switch and a forward clicky is perfect for me and offers versatility without too much complication. For those who use mostly low or want to start at low, just keep the head twisted at low. A small twist to tighten and it's on high. For tactical uses and law enforcement, starting on high with the momentary is perfect. A small twist to loosen and it's on low for looking at documentation, IDs, etc.
The knurling is not overly rough but offers good grip. It could be a tad bit rougher, but I think it's at the perfect point of not tearing up clothes right now. Any rougher and it would add a bit of grip w/o adding discomfort, but would likely start to tear clothes. My hand fits perfectly between the rear of the head and the rear of the clip.
The CL1H comes with 3 switch covers: standard black, recessed black, and green GITD. The standard black cover is easy to click, but can't tailstand. The recessed black cover allows for very stable tailstand and still allows for easy momentary actuation, but is difficult to fully click. You really need to use your thumb tip to click the recessed cover. The GITD looks almost identical to the standard black, but a close look will show it sticks out slightly more. This makes it easier to click, which I prefer. It also glows very bright when exposed to light.
The switch is easy to click. It's smooth and feels like my SF switches thru most of its travel until it clicks. My SF switches feel a bit different, a bit more resistant to click, while the CL1H switch clicks a bit easier. Still feels good and provides good tactile and audible feedback when it clicks. Travel from momentary to full click is fairly far, similar to a SF Z48/49, so accidental activation should be quite rare.
The clip is sweet. I love wire clips. There are no sharp edges to cut/tear clothes. It holds very well, but isn't too tight to impede placement or removal. The clip's location keeps the tailcap exposed, but it is still fairly inconspicuous. The exposed tailcap allows for quick draw from your pocket as the tailcap's knurling is grippy and there's enough length to grab. I also love bezel down clips. For a light of this size, bezel up clips don't make sense. The purpose of bezel up is for use on the brim of a hat. Small, 1x123A lights are great for this as they're lightweight and small enough to fit on the brim of a hat. A larger light such as this is not only too large, but too heavy. Even a sturdy clip will still allow the light to slip a bit on a hat, and the weight will drag the hat down. The clip is the main reason I never got a Lumapower M1.
The CL1H feels good in my hand. W/o battery, it's very light. Most of the weight comes from the 18650. The battery goes in negative end first towards the head. There's a screw at the tailcap end to make contact with flat-topped protected 18650s. My hand fits perfectly with 3 fingers in front of the clip ring and index finger behind. Very comfortable with good weight.
Some pics:
Performance
Light output is great! With the Cree module, it is the brightest of my LED lights. Measured tailcap current is 900mA on high and 110mA on low, just as Dereelight claimed. The OP reflector smooths out the beam a lot. There is a slightly noticeable ring around the hotspot, but you can't see that at all in actual use. With the smooth reflector, the hot spot is more intense for more throw, but it's ringy. I personally prefer the OP reflector.
The SSC module is completely different from the Cree module. Whereas the Cree module is a drop-in with a reflector threaded to the LED module, the SSC module is separate LED module and reflector. The reflector threads into the bezel while the LED module threads into the head. The separated design of the SSC module allows for focusing. The beam with the SSC is very smooth with a nice transition from spot to spill. I really like the beam profile of the SSC module, but in ceiling bounce tests, the Cree module is brighter.
Below are beam shots of the Cree module with both the OP and Smooth reflectors and shots for the SSC module with a Ultrafire C3 thrown in. All my other LED lights are either Lux's or modified, so I figure it wouldn't do any good to compare to those. The C3 is stock (a friend's actually who hasn't picked it up yet).
Here's some beamshots:
Left = CL1H SSC, Right = CL1H Cree OP
Left = CL1H SSC, Right = CL1H Cree OP (-2 underexposed)
Left = Ultrafire C3, Right = CL1H Cree OP
Left = Ultrafire C3, Right = CL1H Cree OP (-2 underexposed)
Left = CL1H Cree Smooth, Right = CL1H Cree OP
Left = CL1H Cree Smooth, Right = CL1H Cree OP (-2 underexposed)
EDIT - Outdoor beamshots added!!! including 5-MODE module!!!
Really sorry for the fuzzy shots. My camera, even in manual mode, uses slow capture for some reason when there's no light. Tree is 30ft away.
First, a reference shot. Yes, there's some ambient light sadly (I'm in the city)
CL1H SSC P4 on Low
CL1H SSC P4 on High
CL1H XRE OP Reflector on Low
CL1H XRE OP Reflector on High
CL1H XRE Smooth Reflector on Low
CL1H XRE Smooth Reflector on High
CL1H XRE 5-Mode on Low
CL1H XRE 5-Mode on Mid
CL1H XRE 5-Mode on High
Summary
Damn I love this light! I will be taking some pics of outdoor shots also with the SSC, Cree OP, and Cree Smooth setups, but it's late now and I should be sleeping already to be awake at work tomorrow.
Overall, the light is perfect for virtually all my uses. It is a bit large to EDC, but for all other uses, I find it perfect. The simple level switching combined with momentary forward clicky is great. I love the bezel down carry also. I really feel the Dereelight CL1H 2.0 is an equivalent light to the Lumapower M1, Huntlight FT-01, and Wolf-Eyes lights at a considerably lower cost (2/3rd that of LP M1 and HL FT-01).
EDIT - Outdoor Beamshots - The 5-Mode High is brighter than the 2-Mode, but the pictures may not really depict that. I'll repeat - I really like this light. It's UI is simple, allows me to choose the level I want it to come on in to suit my situation, built tough and well made, and has a bezel down clip. The 5-Mode is easy to operate with the momentary forward clicky...just push until you're in the mode you want, and full click to lock in that mode. It has memory so the next time you turn it on, it comes on in that mode. Really nice. I honestly don't know why the CL1H hasn't gotten more attention or isn't more popular relative to other lights like the M1. I do love the way the M1 looks, but the CL1H has features such as the forward clicky and bezel down clip that overshadow the M1's looks, combined with a cost that's 2/3rds the price. Can't wait to take the CL1H with me on my trip, exploring and hiking some mountains.
Also, just to tease, here's some nice shots of the Dark Grey...hehe.:naughty:
See x2x3x2's review here with runtime plots and lux readings.
First, here's the features copied from Dereelight's thread:
Module: Cree Drop in LED Module with OP-reflector, Smooth reflector for optional, it's a industry standard P60 module.
Circuit: Full-regulated circuit, wide input range, Can feed with 1x18650, 2xCR123A or 2xRCR123 batteries
Output: Two stage output by turnning the battery tuber shift, once the level you have set, the output always on this level for next clicky untill you set again.
1. Output on Low : 110(3.7V)
2. Output on Hight: 900ma(3.7V)
Low operation temp. and good working efficiency
Circuit Protection: reverse polarity protection built in the circuit without any consumption to the battery power.
Reflector: Aluminium OP-reflector standard, Smooth reflector for optional
Runtime: Best performance using 18650, over 2.5 hours runtime to 50% on high, and over 10 hours on Low.
Dimensions: 140mm(Length)x 34mm(Head)x 25mm(housing)
Material: Constructed of aircraft grade aluminum
Surface: Type III hard anodized finish, highly durable
Waterproof: water resistant
Weight: 130-gram weight
Switch: forward clicky
Clip: Removable clip
Glass: Toughened ultra clear glass lens with AR coating
Color: Light grey
Machining, Construction, Quality
I can't find anything wrong! There are no machine marks on the exterior at all. The anodizing is flawless and even. All pieces match in color. The threads are cut deep and spaced well (not too fine a pitch like many smaller Chinese lights). The threads didn't come lubed (ok, one little thing), but a simple cleaning and lube fixed that. Even the threads in the LED module to attach the reflector are cut deep and well spaced. Knurling is consistent with no marks. The clip is well made with no sharp edges to cut or tear anything. It's a wire clip, which I prefer, that provides very good retention, but is still easy to place and remove. The switch module is well thought out and robust. The switch itself is retained in a threaded housing and nothing looks like it's easy to break. The design looks easy to replace or swap switches. Both OP and smooth reflectors are well machined. I couldn't see any flaws on any of the reflectors.
Comfort and Usage
Once lubed, twisting the head to change levels is easy. Only 1/8th – 1/4th of a turn switches from low to high and back. It's very simple. I love the momentary forward clicky, something sorely lacking in this category of lights (with only W-Es offering it from other Chinese brands). I use momentary most of the time. The combination of a separate level switch and a forward clicky is perfect for me and offers versatility without too much complication. For those who use mostly low or want to start at low, just keep the head twisted at low. A small twist to tighten and it's on high. For tactical uses and law enforcement, starting on high with the momentary is perfect. A small twist to loosen and it's on low for looking at documentation, IDs, etc.
The knurling is not overly rough but offers good grip. It could be a tad bit rougher, but I think it's at the perfect point of not tearing up clothes right now. Any rougher and it would add a bit of grip w/o adding discomfort, but would likely start to tear clothes. My hand fits perfectly between the rear of the head and the rear of the clip.
The CL1H comes with 3 switch covers: standard black, recessed black, and green GITD. The standard black cover is easy to click, but can't tailstand. The recessed black cover allows for very stable tailstand and still allows for easy momentary actuation, but is difficult to fully click. You really need to use your thumb tip to click the recessed cover. The GITD looks almost identical to the standard black, but a close look will show it sticks out slightly more. This makes it easier to click, which I prefer. It also glows very bright when exposed to light.
The switch is easy to click. It's smooth and feels like my SF switches thru most of its travel until it clicks. My SF switches feel a bit different, a bit more resistant to click, while the CL1H switch clicks a bit easier. Still feels good and provides good tactile and audible feedback when it clicks. Travel from momentary to full click is fairly far, similar to a SF Z48/49, so accidental activation should be quite rare.
The clip is sweet. I love wire clips. There are no sharp edges to cut/tear clothes. It holds very well, but isn't too tight to impede placement or removal. The clip's location keeps the tailcap exposed, but it is still fairly inconspicuous. The exposed tailcap allows for quick draw from your pocket as the tailcap's knurling is grippy and there's enough length to grab. I also love bezel down clips. For a light of this size, bezel up clips don't make sense. The purpose of bezel up is for use on the brim of a hat. Small, 1x123A lights are great for this as they're lightweight and small enough to fit on the brim of a hat. A larger light such as this is not only too large, but too heavy. Even a sturdy clip will still allow the light to slip a bit on a hat, and the weight will drag the hat down. The clip is the main reason I never got a Lumapower M1.
The CL1H feels good in my hand. W/o battery, it's very light. Most of the weight comes from the 18650. The battery goes in negative end first towards the head. There's a screw at the tailcap end to make contact with flat-topped protected 18650s. My hand fits perfectly with 3 fingers in front of the clip ring and index finger behind. Very comfortable with good weight.
Some pics:
Performance
Light output is great! With the Cree module, it is the brightest of my LED lights. Measured tailcap current is 900mA on high and 110mA on low, just as Dereelight claimed. The OP reflector smooths out the beam a lot. There is a slightly noticeable ring around the hotspot, but you can't see that at all in actual use. With the smooth reflector, the hot spot is more intense for more throw, but it's ringy. I personally prefer the OP reflector.
The SSC module is completely different from the Cree module. Whereas the Cree module is a drop-in with a reflector threaded to the LED module, the SSC module is separate LED module and reflector. The reflector threads into the bezel while the LED module threads into the head. The separated design of the SSC module allows for focusing. The beam with the SSC is very smooth with a nice transition from spot to spill. I really like the beam profile of the SSC module, but in ceiling bounce tests, the Cree module is brighter.
Below are beam shots of the Cree module with both the OP and Smooth reflectors and shots for the SSC module with a Ultrafire C3 thrown in. All my other LED lights are either Lux's or modified, so I figure it wouldn't do any good to compare to those. The C3 is stock (a friend's actually who hasn't picked it up yet).
Here's some beamshots:
Left = CL1H SSC, Right = CL1H Cree OP
Left = CL1H SSC, Right = CL1H Cree OP (-2 underexposed)
Left = Ultrafire C3, Right = CL1H Cree OP
Left = Ultrafire C3, Right = CL1H Cree OP (-2 underexposed)
Left = CL1H Cree Smooth, Right = CL1H Cree OP
Left = CL1H Cree Smooth, Right = CL1H Cree OP (-2 underexposed)
EDIT - Outdoor beamshots added!!! including 5-MODE module!!!
Really sorry for the fuzzy shots. My camera, even in manual mode, uses slow capture for some reason when there's no light. Tree is 30ft away.
First, a reference shot. Yes, there's some ambient light sadly (I'm in the city)
CL1H SSC P4 on Low
CL1H SSC P4 on High
CL1H XRE OP Reflector on Low
CL1H XRE OP Reflector on High
CL1H XRE Smooth Reflector on Low
CL1H XRE Smooth Reflector on High
CL1H XRE 5-Mode on Low
CL1H XRE 5-Mode on Mid
CL1H XRE 5-Mode on High
Summary
Damn I love this light! I will be taking some pics of outdoor shots also with the SSC, Cree OP, and Cree Smooth setups, but it's late now and I should be sleeping already to be awake at work tomorrow.
Overall, the light is perfect for virtually all my uses. It is a bit large to EDC, but for all other uses, I find it perfect. The simple level switching combined with momentary forward clicky is great. I love the bezel down carry also. I really feel the Dereelight CL1H 2.0 is an equivalent light to the Lumapower M1, Huntlight FT-01, and Wolf-Eyes lights at a considerably lower cost (2/3rd that of LP M1 and HL FT-01).
EDIT - Outdoor Beamshots - The 5-Mode High is brighter than the 2-Mode, but the pictures may not really depict that. I'll repeat - I really like this light. It's UI is simple, allows me to choose the level I want it to come on in to suit my situation, built tough and well made, and has a bezel down clip. The 5-Mode is easy to operate with the momentary forward clicky...just push until you're in the mode you want, and full click to lock in that mode. It has memory so the next time you turn it on, it comes on in that mode. Really nice. I honestly don't know why the CL1H hasn't gotten more attention or isn't more popular relative to other lights like the M1. I do love the way the M1 looks, but the CL1H has features such as the forward clicky and bezel down clip that overshadow the M1's looks, combined with a cost that's 2/3rds the price. Can't wait to take the CL1H with me on my trip, exploring and hiking some mountains.
Also, just to tease, here's some nice shots of the Dark Grey...hehe.:naughty:
Last edited:
)
