Q2-->R2 Guider: Worth it?

[LEDAdd1ct]

I own the original Guider with the Q2 emitter. It is a very solid light (as many know), and I really like the positive clickey. I avoided CPF for some time now, to allow my wallet to recover. However, when contemplating a purchase, it is always great to "come home." So,

I've been looking here at this one:

http://www.pts-flashlights.com/products/product.aspx?pid=96-98-114-147-6520

and wondering if it is worth the upgrade. In particular,

1) Has anyone here made the exact same leap, in the Guider, from the stock Q2 to the R2, and if so, what are your impressions with respect to:

a) battery life?
b) quality of regulation?
c) perceived change in brightness from Q2 to R2?
d) any flickering/issues?
e) anything else of note?

2) Has anyone here upgraded any other Q2 light to an R2, and,

a) been happy?
b) been sad?
....?



LEDAdd1ct

 

[TONY M]

Can't say about the light but the jump from Q2 - R2 is generally noticeable in light output but nothing extraordinary.

 

[Tekno_Cowboy]

If you already have the Q2, I wouldn't go out of my way to get the R2, unless you have a single-mode light, and you're looking at going multi-mode. Of course, I'm cheap
If you really want those extra lumens, go with the R2.

 

[LEDAdd1ct]

I do have a single-mode Wolf Eyes Guider, and I was thinking of going multi-mode. I was debating mentally between high/low and high/strobe. High/low would probably be good in the woods while hiking when stooping to tie a shoe or read a trail marker without blinding myself; high/strobe would probably be good when walking town streets to alert cars to my presence.

I should have mentioned that above, that my primary use for this light is hiking in the woods at night. I took one hike in January or February of this year: it was about fifteen degrees, everything covered in snow and ice, and a nearly full moon. I did not need my Fenix L2P with SSC-P4 at all, except to read signs on/off the trail. I decided to do a similar hike a few nights ago, and thought, "It's seven P.M.! I don't need a flashlight!" At ten P.M., after getting badly lost, I paid for my shortsightedness. ;-) For anyone in the lower Hudson Valley in Putnam and Dutchess counties, or for anyone dropping by, *always* take a flashlight when venturing into the woods. Adventures and getting lost happen regardless of daylight!

So yes, this light is used for hiking in the woods at night, and walking around town (some quiet back roads, some major roads with lots of traffic) to alert cars to my presence, and of course, to see where I am going.

 

[Tekno_Cowboy]

If you want a low and a strobe, check out this 4-Mode WE Drop-in, or if you want to save a few bucks the Q5 Version. I don't like the 100/20/2/Strobe breakup myself, but I can see where it would be useful. I prefer something closer to 100/80/40/20(or 5/10 for certain applications) myself =)

For curiousity's sake, what do you think of your Guider?

+1 for taking a flashlight with you. I always have at least 2 if I'm going anywhere where I could get lost. To be completely honest, I always have a Raider or 9P with me, and a fauxton on my keychan. I used to go without, until I wandered for 6 hours in a 1/2 mile square chunk of woods.

 

[adamlau]

Go for it. I have the WE R2 3.7-13V. It is visibly brighter than my WE Q5 3.7-13V.

 

[LEDAdd1ct]

Grrrrrr...I just typed up a very long response, and my browser ate it! I hate it when that happens!

Okay, let's try this again:

"If you want a low and a strobe, check out this 4-Mode WE Drop-in, or if you want to save a few bucks the Q5 Version."

I have a big aversion to multi-mode lights; in fact, if I purchased the drop-in, it would be my first multi-mode light. I have tried others, and hate it. I like simple "ON/OFF" lights. If I do purchase the module, I am considering the high-low or high-strobe for the reasons outlined above; however, I have to admit I am prejudiced towards simplicity. ;-)

"For curiousity's sake, what do you think of your Guider?"

Positive Points:

a) meaty construction
b) nicely weighted
c) simple, ON/OFF clicky beats cheaply-made tactical rear switches
d) switch has very nice positive feel to it
e) lanyard is terrific
f) capable of being charged with small wall-wart means I can drop it in my bag for traveling with ease

Negative Points:

a) light is sort of pukey colored. I remember reading somewhere around here that oftentimes blue-tinted diodes appear brighter to the human eye, but make trees/leaves/soil look less natural, while diodes with better color-rendering capacity make things look better but appear less bright. It *does* seem to render reds better, but it also looks less white than my Explorer.
b) the hotspot is not as large as I would like. My Fenix L2P SSC-P4 has a very nice, smooth transition from hotspot to spill, almost floody in nature, which is very easy on the eyes. The Guider has a bolder, brighter, smaller hotspot, which causes some eye strain. However, the Guider really is much brighter than my upgraded Fenix, and throws quite a bit more.
c) not as bright as I would like. But then, that is the purpose of this thread! ;-)
d) the "charging circuit" in the light is dumb; that is, it relies on the 18650 cell to terminate the charge using the cell's overcharge protection. This sort of scares me; I would prefer an intelligent circuit that uses some sort of cut-off based on capacity. Most of the time I use my external Pila charger, which I know works very well. But, as noted above, being able to take the light, a single [installed] cell, and the charger is a definite plus.

In the best of all worlds, I would be able to compare the new R2 to my current emitter. I am holding my breath that somone may yet post a comparison with beamshots, comparing the Guider Q2 to the Guider R2.



LEDAdd1ct

 

[LEDAdd1ct]

Go for it. I have the WE R2 3.7-13V. It is visibly brighter than my WE Q5 3.7-13V.

...which can only mean, I hope, that the difference between the Q2 and R2 is even greater!

 

[LEDAdd1ct]

As listed here,

http://www.pts-flashlights.com/products/product.aspx?pid=1-139-114-147-6516 ,
the emitter is a "Cree R2 WC LED 280 Lumen." I confess my knowledge of binning to be less than optimal.

What does the "WC" tint connote, and does anyone know how that tint relates to the stock guider Q2?

 

[kosPap]

well the Wc is the bluish tint...That bin has the highest lumen output I think, and all the bluish LED issues. It is the most white for the eye and white wall hunting,,,

In case you are not covered there are others members that can chime in...

BTW going to higher bin will not necessary mean that you will get more lumens 9in the case of the wolf-eyes probably you will) The issue is to know the driving current (and bin). All thosa chinese generic R2 modules are not THAT bright cos tey are never driven at the 1000mA max...

all the best, Kostas

 

[LEDAdd1ct]

On this thread here, http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=190470 ,
there is a discussion about how the higher forward voltage of the Q5 leads to less than optimal runtimes in the drop-ins. Does anyone know if the claimed "*Low VF*" in the R2 drop-in should fix that issue?

Does anyone have a measurement for the R2 forward voltage?