Need advice on choosing flashlight

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jsze1

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Aug 20, 2010
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Hey everyone, I have a couple of flashlights that I've been interested in and was hoping any one here can give me advice as to which is better and answer some questions if you happen to own one of them.

I've been interested in Sky Ray's 3x CREE XM-L T6-850 4300 Lumen flashlight and DRY's version. What are the real lumens these flashlights can put out on high and how long can they sustain those lumens without roasting your hands? Which is build more reliable? Any problems with either flashlight?

Also is there a 3x XM-L flashlight that runs 3x 18650 batteries in a compact, fat body (in other words, the batteries are not lined up in the body but next to each other)? I basically want a compact size flashlight that can run 800+ real lumens on low for hours and if needed blast over 2000+ real lumens on high.
 
Thanks Derek. I appreciate the links. As awesome as that light is; for me, it's just too expensive. I'm hoping for a light under $100 shipped to the U.S.

The DRY 3x XM-L flashlight looks good but I can't seem to access the cnqualitygoods site. Anyone know where I can order the flashlight at a good price or suggest an alternative under $100?
 
By the way, seeing as how you're a new member, I feel it's important that you get the information you need to understand how to use a multi lithium-ion rechargeable cell flashlight safely, because when you go beyond one cell, the risks increase exponentially.

First, here is an excellent resource to learn about rechargeable batteries:
http://batteryuniversity.com/

Just to get you started, lithium-ion batteries contain a lot of energy in a small space and need to be handled with care, which includes charging. The best way to get started is to buy high quality batteries and a good charger from an established vendor, and DON'T leave the charger unattended while it's in use!

AW and Redilast are two battery brands that come to mind that most folks on CPF have had good luck with. For chargers, check out the "Flashlight Electronics, batteries included" section of CPF:
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/forumdisplay.php?9-Flashlight-Electronics-Batteries-Included

In a lithium-ion multi-cell setup it's VERY important for all of the batteries to be charged to the same voltage (balanced), other wise it's possible for some bad things to happen during use. This means you should probably also invest in a small mulit-meter. Even an inexpensive one will do the job.

The old saying "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" goes double for using lithium-ion cells safely, so spend a little time learning about the technology before going to much further in your quest for a multi-cell super bright light.
 
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