New tacticool flashlight at.....Walmart!!

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mikekoz

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Jul 19, 2007
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My wife and I just got back from Walmart and while looking at my usual stuff(lights, electronics) this was in one of the aisles:
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Uploaded with ImageShack.us I am normally not a fan of multiple 18650 lights, but I have just never seen anything like this at Walmart. It is 750 lumens on high, has a low (brightness not specified), and a disco strobe. It also charges via a USB cable, and comes with a 2 amp AC charger, USB cable, plus a USB charger to use in your cars DC socket. It is also regulated! The battery that came with it is a low capacity 2 18650 2000 mAh battery pack, but any 2 18650's should work. Going to test it this eve when it gets dark!
 
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Ironically, i picked one up as the display was being put out, and found the price at the register. While i did buy it, i ended up returning it, still in the package:
- Tail cap is rear clickly
- Mode selection does not hide the SOS beacon
- Front lens is very cheap plastic
- Not waterproof

For a $20 light, i wouldn't care. But for $50, there are other, quality lights (not dual 18650) that are better construction all around. I couldn't justify half a c-note on a light that i can't even EDC (i am odd, i EDC my Fenix Tk15...).
 
Thanks for the follow up, mad cat. I was gonna jump on this one for my shotgun, but I want waterproof!
 
After testing it and looking at the light more carefully, I think I am going to return it. I was going to use a few 18650's I have that are much higher capacity, but then I noticed something odd about the battery pack that came with the light. If you look carefully at the end of the battery pack that goes towards the head, it actually has a + and a - connection. There is a metal ring around the center area of the cell that registers as a negative terminal on my multi tester. Standard 18650's do work, but I think I see a danger in using them. Under the head of the light there are two metal contacts which protrude. One makes contact with the + terminal at the end of the cell, one makes contact with the -. A standard 18650 has a larger + terminal connector than the stock cell , and it looks like if the battery just moves a tad bit, the + end of the battery will touch the - connection under the head. I am not an expert, but I believe this could cause a short in the battery and then :poof:!.
 
mikekoz said:
After testing it and looking at the light more carefully, I think I am going to return it. I was going to use a few 18650's I have that are much higher capacity, but then I noticed something odd about the battery pack that came with the light. If you look carefully at the end of the battery pack that goes towards the head, it actually has a + and a - connection. There is a metal ring around the center area of the cell that registers as a negative terminal on my multi tester. Standard 18650's do work, but I think I see a danger in using them. Under the head of the light there are two metal contacts which protrude. One makes contact with the + terminal at the end of the cell, one makes contact with the -. A standard 18650 has a larger + terminal connector than the stock cell , and it looks like if the battery just moves a tad bit, the + end of the battery will touch the - connection under the head. I am not an expert, but I believe this could cause a short in the battery and then :poof:!.
Click to expand...


that's how it charges two 18650's with a 5v USB. probably safer than Nitecore's "solution" of charging two 18650's in SERIES WITHOUT BMS!
 
StarHalo said:
Ozark Trail's 500 lumen 6xAA light is the better deal; lots of box-store high-output lights to choose from this year..
Click to expand...

Damn right there are! It seems to nearly every big box store carries at 500+ lumen flashlight now. Home Depot being the front runner at the moment. I want to get a couple of the duracell rebrands at Costco.
 
Overclocker said:
that's how it charges two 18650's with a 5v USB. probably safer than Nitecore's "solution" of charging two 18650's in SERIES WITHOUT BMS!
Click to expand...
Thanks. I figured that was the way the battery charged, but I am just concerned the positive terminal of a standard 18650 may touch the negative ground contact. The form factor of the light is also not my favorite. I agree with StarHalo, the 6AA OT is a better deal and I like that a lot better.
 
I wonder which manufacturer did Wal-Mart rebranded this light from.
 
I'm a little weary of lights like this. Rechargable series 18650's in a really cheap light like this seems to be a bit risky. Ozark Trail lights seem to have some QC issues.
 
I was looking at this light tonight, I'm glad I decided to try to read up on it before buying it. It might be worth it at half the price but 50 dollars I want a little more bang for my buck.
 
At $50 a Jetbeam BC40 would be a much better buy. If you looked around you could get a BC40 for around 40$, possibly less.
 
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