Is it worth to upgrade from R2 to a XP-G R5

[vcreation]

i've been always using Ultrafire lights, not the best quality but i just can't spend money trying out other brands.

the WF-502B is a joke, the tail cap fails so badly

now i finally find a model that is good, the WF-503B with R2 LED

i used to have Q5 LED in 5 modes and 1 mode, what i notice is that the 1 mode Q5 LED is a bit brighter than the 5 modes Q5.

so now my question is... should i buy this http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=140388027221&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT
and put it in my Ultrafire WF-503B

please explain to me if the Clear reflector will be better than orange peel reflector, if the 'high' on 5 mode will be not as bright as the 1 mode. if u have used it before... is R5 significantly brighter than R2 ???

 

[sol-leks]

IMO it seems like saving money is very important to you. If that is the case, I don't think you will find the upgrade worth it. It will most likely not revolutionize your flashlight.

 

[eproblemsolver]

so now my question is... should i buy this http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=140388027221&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT
and put it in my Ultrafire WF-503B

please explain to me if the Clear reflector will be better than orange peel reflector, if the 'high' on 5 mode will be not as bright as the 1 mode. if u have used it before... is R5 significantly brighter than R2 ???

Cree XP-G brightness at 1A

R2 285-305 lm @ 1A 380-406 lm @ 1.5A
R5 348-370 lm @ 1A 463-493 lm @ 1.5A

Lets assume these drop-ins run at 1 amp, 295 lumens average for R2, and 359 lumens for R5 a difference of 64 lumens at the emitter. Whether or not this is significant is a matter of opinion.

In many cases this difference is greater because of the bin lottery. Say you got a 305lm R2 and a 348 lm R5, you many not notice the difference visibly because the difference isn't great enough.

If your R2 is driven at 1.2 amps and your R5 at 1 amp, your R2 might be brighter. Your Q5 light single mode was probably more efficient than your 5 mode driver and allowed for more current at the led.

As far as the reflector, in general the Smooth reflector with throw further, and have more beam artifacts. The orange peel reflector will look better all around at the expense of throw and some overall lumens. Most people prefer orange peel as it makes for more usable/useful light for general purpose.

-david

 

[gcbryan]

One additional point. If you just comparing the increase in lumens from a XR-E Q5 to an R2 ...you wouldn't notice the difference.

However, you are talking about going to a XP-G so you would notice the difference in beam. It wouldn't be brighter but the hotspot would be bigger. That's the difference that you would notice.

Whether that's difference you would care about is up to you. It would be bigger but not quite as bright.

 

[old4570]

Throw VS Flood

The R2 will throw further , the XP-G will be brighter with more flood or spill and not throw as well .

The increased output will help with the throw , but not enough beat a good R2 .

There will be noticeably more light ...

Question is , how do you want that illumination delivered ...
If you use the light around the house , the yard , in the woods - walking , a Xp-G is fine .. Some folks just demand throw and want all they can get , I like both and find that I can live with either .

 

[vcreation]

Your Q5 light single mode was probably more efficient than your 5 mode driver and allowed for more current at the led.

so are u saying, if the LED, battery and everything else are exactly the same, single mode on/off is always be brighter than the one with 5 modes driver chip?

 

[^Gurthang]

My $0.02 worth...

Going from a R2 or Q5 to a R5 probably isn't going to be a MAJOR improvement.

#1 Depends on the drive current
#2 Depends on the battery and the V sag
#3 Depends on the reflector type and which die its optimized for.

I ordered a XP-G Seraph clone along w/ some different drivers and some empty reflectors / pills. I have some spare Q5 & R2s on hand for experimenting.

If #1 & #2 are equal then #3 is the tricky part. I know from my own M@G mods that LED / reflector location makes a HUGE difference in the beam shape / throw/ artifacts compared to which emitter used.

 

[samboy]

I went from:-

WF-502B R2

To:-

UniqueFire L2 Cree XPG-R5

Which arrived last weekend.

I paid around $19 for the R2 and $23 for the R5. I opted for the the complete torch, rather than a P60 module, since a few extra dollars gave me a complete second torch (ok, I probably have no need for it)

For me, it was worth it. I love the tint on the R5 I received, it is bright white like another Q5 AA torch I have. The R2 was decidedly bluish....... but this is all Cree lottery anyway (I may just be lucky on the R5).

The R5 is noticeably brighter; more so than going from Q5 to R2. The one thing I do like is the extra spill and it does a much better job of lighting up a large area and I actually like the throw better than the R2 (its large area more than makes up for any loss in spot size of the R2 I have).

It really depends on whether you have the money to spare..... the R2 is still a very decent torch. I expect that the R5 will probably rule for the next 12 months.... so now is a good time to upgrade if you can't hold off for 12 months.

I purchased a second R5 as a present for a relative and this was an upgrade to an older Luxeon 4AA streamlight I got him a few years ago........ he should notice a difference!

Best of luck

 

[kramer5150]

Throw VS Flood

The R2 will throw further , the XP-G will be brighter with more flood or spill and not throw as well .

The increased output will help with the throw , but not enough beat a good R2 .

There will be noticeably more light ...

Question is , how do you want that illumination delivered ...
If you use the light around the house , the yard , in the woods - walking , a Xp-G is fine .. Some folks just demand throw and want all they can get , I like both and find that I can live with either .

x2, old4570 pretty much sums up what I have found using XRE and XPGs in differing P60 modules...

Added note, the 503B is a very good quality host. Its better than Surefire and solarforce in that the body tube diameter is bigger+fatter around. So its wall thickness is considerably heavier, and therefore capable of sinking more heat away from the emitter. Just foil wrap the module to maximize heat conduction.

 

[Benson]

so are u saying, if the LED, battery and everything else are exactly the same, single mode on/off is always be brighter than the one with 5 modes driver chip?

No, he didn't say that, and that wouldn't be accurate.

There are more ways to screw up a multimode driver than a 1-mode, but done right, and assuming they're both trying for the same current, there's no reason they shouldn't be equally bright.