Dereelight CL1H V4 Review (pics, comparison beamshots(incan, too), outdoor shots!)

[csshih]

Hello Everyone, this will be my 5th review. Wish me luck!
Up for review is a Dereelight CL1H V4 1SM-2 R2!
This flashlight can be bought from Dereelight directly, or from FlashCrazy in NorCal. He has a website setup here.

For those of you that haven't heard of this light.. Here's a quick summary of light:

• Cree XR-E R2 LED, WC tint (neutral/cool white) driven @ 1.2A
• 1SM-2 circuit: Accepts one 18650 (or 17670) 3.7V rechargeable Li-Ion, 2 x CR123, or 2 x RCR123 batteries. Will also accept 2 x 18650 batteries with optional extension tube. 3.0V - 16.0V input voltage
• Single output
• Forward Clicky
• Type III HA
• Tailcap Lockout

Note: The 1SM-2 takes pretty much any battery combination, but will be a bit brighter with either 2 x CR123 or 2 x RCR123 batteries. The 18650 will start out at about the same brightness, but it's not regulated on that battery. However, it is regulated when using 2 or more batteries. -FlashCrazy


More information can be found in the threads linked below.

Light provided by: FlashCrazy, dealer for Dereelight in NorCal.

Background:
The Dereelight CL1H V4, released on the 6/15/08 here, is an upgrade of the previous version, released 1/12/08 here.

This flashlight is built as a medium sized flashlight. It is a P60 host, and includes one of Dereelight's high quality dropins.It is built to be as compact as possible, while not losing performance or runtime, compared to Dereelight's other offering, the C2H.

Packaging pics:

The light is packaged in an attractive, nicely made box. Lettering is nice and shiny :thumbsup:

And how nice! A little note from Jay @ FlashlightConnection himself!


Accessories:

There are 2 sheets of instructions packed into the box.
1 for general flashlight instructions,
and 1 for lithium ion battery, and flashlight safety written by Jay himself!
I've never seen something like this... dedication to consumer safety! :huh:
Also included is another Light pill, a SMO reflector,a few o-rings, and a extra button cap.

Pics of lights:

The lettering on the Dereelight isn't as sharp as some other lights I've seen. Regardless, the HA coating is what matters, not the lettering on the HA coating.
NOTE: FlashCrazy has informed me that Dereelight has stepped up on it's lettering, and they're now sharp

double orings.. EVERYWHERE!:duh2::duh2:

Size comparison:

you can probably tell where the dereelight is.

as you can see, the dereelight is thicker than the nitecore D20, though the d20 is an 2xAA cell light.

Beamshots:
From left to right:

Dereelight CL1H 1SM-2, Romisen RC-n3 Q5, Jetbeam II IBS, Nitecore D20

as you can see, the dereelight is a quite floody, with a decent sized hotspot.. the d20 is floodier, but the dereelight has a more intense hotspot


Surefire P60 module compare to the Dereelight 1SM-2

Outdoor Beamshots:

Dereelight

Tiablo A10-G

Nitecore D20

Jetbeam II IBS

Romisen RC-N3 Q5:

Initial impressions:
Straight out of the box, the threads were slightly gritty, but they came lubed..
Jay @ flashlightconnection said that tiny bits of HA were wearing off the edges, hence the grittiness.. it passed after a few days of use, and after I relubed with no-ox-id.


The cree ring is noticeable in both OP, and SMO reflector. that being said, the OP reflector is less noticeable, so I prefer it more..



Conclusion:
This is an incredibly sturdy light! I would not be afraid to take it swimming, or to a trek in the jungle.
Versatile, too! It can accept any P60 drop in...

high quality, versatile, easy to upgrade, what more could you ask for?

 

[Youfoundnemo]

Re: Dereelight CL1H V4 Review (pics, comparison beamshots)

Nice review csshih, I wonder what a incan looks like compared to that LED... think you could arrange that?

 

[csshih]

Re: Dereelight CL1H V4 Review (pics, comparison beamshots)

I'll get a comparison with a surefire P60, using a ultrafire for the host... after it gets dark... ~3 hours.

 

[1996alnl]

Re: Dereelight CL1H V4 Review (pics, comparison beamshots)

Nice review.
Looking orward to the outdoor beamshots.

 

[csshih]

Re: Dereelight CL1H V4 Review (pics, comparison beamshots)

outdoor shots uploaded! (incan,too)

no outdoor and incan though

 

[flatline]

So if one were interested in getting a P60 host, is the CL1H host enough better than the Solarforce L2 to justify the price difference?

Specifically, I'd like to know the features of the CL1H that are improvements over the Solarforce L2.

Thanks!

--flatline

 

[csshih]

Hi flatline, I have not handled a L2 yet, but that will hopefully change soon.

the Dereelight CL1H has

-HAIII anodization, this is quite a bit harder to scratch compared to the Solarforce L2's Type II anodization.

- 2 orings at the threads, compared to a single oring for the solarforce, making it less likely to leak.

- a built in wire clip (no additional part to buy)

Thanks

-Craig

 

[Midnight Oil]

Anyone prefer to have either a lanyard ring accessory or an integrated lanyard ring for the CL1H host?

As for the clip design, I prefer one with a ring that slides down the tail end and is secured by the tail cap, like the Quarks'. IMHO the screws give the CL1H an unfinished look.

 

[Gryffin]

Anyone prefer to have either a lanyard ring accessory or an integrated lanyard ring for the CL1H host?

As for the clip design, I prefer one with a ring that slides down the tail end and is secured by the tail cap, like the Quarks'. IMHO the screws give the CL1H an unfinished look.

I love the CL1H clip. The ring is just high enough to serve as a "tactical grip ring" in a cigar grip. And since the clip is wire, I just clip a lanyard to the clip when I need one. (I don't keep a lanyard attached full time. YMMV.)

 

[radu1976]

So if one were interested in getting a P60 host, is the CL1H host enough better than the Solarforce L2 to justify the price difference?

Specifically, I'd like to know the features of the CL1H that are improvements over the Solarforce L2.

Thanks!

--flatline

The DEREELIGHT has also a forward clickie and it's a bit smaller than a SOLARFORCE L2 , it also feels better in hand !

 

[WBryan]

Thanks for the review - very informative!

 

[Gryffin]

The DEREELIGHT has also a forward clickie and it's a bit smaller than a SOLARFORCE L2 , it also feels better in hand !

Good point. I don't own that many D36 D26 hosts, but the Dereelight is the most compact I know of. :twothumbs

 

[csshih]

I do think the dereelight is a d26 host.. Just setting the record straight.
D36 is a larger "turbohead".

 

[Gryffin]

I do think the dereelight is a d26 host.. Just setting the record straight.
D36 is a larger "turbohead".

GAH. Yeah, I know that, I just hit "3" by accident. Edited above to remove my mistake.

 

[Midnight Oil]

Got my own CL1H V4 host from Jay about two weeks ago. The inside of the body had a visible scratch/crack that extended 1/2 the body length and two gnarly 1/4" long "gouges" at the tailcap end.

I notified Jay and he quickly sent a replacement body. Though the new body itself has specks of missing anodization all round, as it's my first purchase and at only around $32, and Jay went out of his way to disassemble some of his lights so he could supply just the hosts, I knew better and decided just to keep the light.

I'm not too thrilled about the double o-rings though. On my sample, they make it very difficult to screw the parts together, especially the tailcap. The threaded section is too short, so the end of the tailcap catches onto the first o-ring before the threads can be lined up. I have to wiggle and twist the tailcap several times, even grinding a little in the process, before finding the right fit. The same goes for the headcap. I think a single thicker o-ring instead of two thin ones at all the jointst may have been better.

It also would have been nice had the piece below the head cap and the body been made as one piece instead. Why are they separate anyways? For the extension tube?

The threads everywhere seem a bit thin, almost delicate. Perhaps square threads in the future?

The knurling is too shallow and not grippy enough for me; I prefer the Eagletac style knurling, and I also prefer knurling on the entire length of the body.

As for the finish, to my untrained and uneducated eye, that on my Eagletac P100A2, that's right, the P100 series, looks more high quality.

 

[JG87]

I purchased the CLIH V3 version with a Q5 nearly two years ago. I was very impressed with the output and the design quality, but not the soft aluminum from which the body is made.

I'm a full time LEO and have been working nights for quite awhile. I use my lights a lot, and consequently I have to unscrew the tailcap to recharge the battery more often than most people do. (I use AW 18650 batteries and prefer the 1S module.)

I later purchased a CL1H R2 version for a fellow officer, and he absolutely loves it. However, there is one persistent problem...

The aluminum is noticeably softer than that of other lights like my old SF 6Z. The tail cap threads completely wore out on my CL1H after about a year. (I've also noticed that the body seems to dent easier than that of my SF when accidentally dropped on cement.) I took my SF 6Z, bored out the body using a home made sanding roll and an electric drill (PITA, but it worked) so I could drop in an 18650 battery (didn't have any 17670s, and I had to work the following night), and installed the Dereelight module in the SF body. It didn't fit perfectly (I had to make a spacer to fit between the SF lens assembly and the top of the reflector, and the shoulder of the pill didn't make contact with the flashlight body - thus requiring heat to conduct from the pill, through the reflector, and out into the front of the light). This less efficient heat transfer resulted in the LED cooking (developed a yellow/brown spot and becoming significantly dimmer). I had a spare 3S Q2 (warm tint) pill, which I installed. I now use the bright mode sparingly, as needed, to control the heat buildup in the LED. But this is also a PITA during building searches, when the modes keep changing during tactical momentary use...

I cringe at the thought of permanently modifying my SF body to obtain good contact between the pill and the flashlight body (for proper heatsinking), but I may eventually do this. I may also try a Malkoff module, although from what I've read I'm not expecting it to have the same throw - and the throw is what I like most about the Dereelight module (I prefer the SMO reflector). You can't beat SF quality for mechanical parts, even if they are still a bit behind on their LED technology, and reliability is still the most important thing for me.

Since I purchased my CL1H, I read about the need to clean the threads. Accordingly, before I gave my friend his CL1H, I carefully cleaned the threads (and they needed it), then re-lubricated everything. This helped, but the threads have never felt buttery smooth and they are most definitely wearing out (I inspected them recently). I attribute this to a poor grade of aluminum. Deeper threads couldn't hurt, either.

I think that eventually I will either have to 1) find a better host for the Dereelight module, 2) simply buy replacement Dereelight bodies on a regular basis, or 3) find a different light altogether.

John

 

[vvs]

JG87
I have the same experience with soft aluminium on body, but on different angle of use: the clip and connection between clip retaining ring and body. There's 3 holes with threads for 3 small bolts look:

When light comes to me, one thread was destructed, after two weeks second gone too. For now I unscrewed all bolts and removd clip, coz a) the clip itself not usable at all, very hard to clip even to jeans pocket b) retaining ring is rattling over the body.

After 1 month of use CL1H V4:
a) CL1H have excelent throw with XP-E Q5 5C, very nice beam, no artifacts, 7000 lux on 1 meter
b) 3SD driver have low efficiency: 1h 24min runtime on high reported by CPF'ers, quite low, compared to top brands: 4sevens, fenixl; 100mA on low, 500mA on med and 1.5A on high measured on tailcap on freshly charged 18650 (5.5W on high, where XP-E on 1.2A*3.5V = 4.2W - 76%), dunno how it can be according to specs 5-50-100%, looks like 6.5%, 30%, 100%
c) According to specs of 3SD led is driven at 1.2A on max - 20% more than maximum permitted (1A); after 5 minutes on high the light is HOT - around 45C, even running on medium there's plenty of heat
d) heat dissipation are excellent: whole flashlight get hot, but battery stays cold after 2hours on medium (maybe coz I put paper between battery and body to prevent rattling - see next - (e))
e) All of my 18650 rattles and therefore when you shake the flashlight when "on" you will get flashing "low battery warning" and/or accidental mode changes - puttin' paper between battery and body helps
f) Mode memory lives by their own, you cannot predict what level will be pulled next time from off, even when you run flashlight on low for 10 seconds, when next turn on there easyly can be max.
g) Body came with minor chips on body knurling, knurling itself is decorative, didn't help with grip
h) when clip retaining ring removed, flashlight is very hard to operate coz very stiff forward clickie
i) gold plated springs, brass contact on tail - good
j) Whole anodized threads will lead to bad contact between head-body-tail - need to tight parts hard and remove lube permanently to avoid this; not able to tailstand

For $70 flashlight I should NOT expect such quality and engeneering problems, the REAL price for CL1H should be on the DX/KD *fire price tag - $20-35 shipped, even my MTE P7 have only flickering problems, that was fixed in 5 minutes

The only scenario when I can use it without problems - as a candle light with Olight M20 diffuser on low (diffuser cap too big for Deree small head, paper clip will help there too), when I need to run ambient light, no more.

Final conclusion: avoid it, really, it will not work when you need the light.