Solarforce L2 impressions (Cree R2 5-mode)

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old4570 said:
Throw / Measured by finding the hottest part of the beam on a light meter about one meter from the flashlight .

Light box readings are more about total output .

Throw can be good if you need to see stuff a real long way away , but total output might be better around the house where lighting up dark corners is better with more spill / flood so you can see more .. Like lighting up the entire back yard rather than part of it ...

If you want something for around the house , DX has plenty of SSC P7 flashlights to chose from , from $30 and up .
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well the SSC P7 lights look good but how do they compare to the cree R2 flashligths in terms of run time and the heat.
also is SF6-R2 the same as the current solarforce L2 R2 version available.
 
phantom23 said:
First impressions - nice finish, good threads, bright on high, too bright on med and low, ugly beam.
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Just curious, what is it about the beam you don't like? I've read most of the stuff here on the L2, and don't remember seeing any other remarks that negative.
 
Cree rings around the hotspot - dark and yellow ones. Somebody said it's ok with new models but it's not. Hotspot itself is narrow with no corona.
 
Wiggle said:
Mine is like that too, not pretty on walls but looks just fine in normal use.
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Mine too, pretty much like my other Cree lights. I managed to make the hotspot bigger by adjusting the pill in the reflector.
 
tbenedict said:
I may have missed it, but has any one posted beam shots of these?
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I've posted beamshots in the link in my sig, but they are outdoor so it doesn't show the rings he's talking about. It's also the single mode, not multi but I'm sure the beam profile is going to be pretty similar.
 
Solarforce L2 R2 5-mode Beamshot on white wall... about 2-3 from the wall. You do notice the cree rings on a white wall but in use they don't bother me at all and outside I'm very happy with the throw and the spill. I may try and take a few more shots tonight I'm on my lunch break and don't have time to take any more...

L2beamshot.JPG
 
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Yes, hotspot is wider indeed but still "flat" - no corona, no brighter center. Besides yellow ring is tighter=brighter. I think it's impossible to get nice beam from D26 reflector and XR-E.
 
phantom23 said:
I think it's impossible to get nice beam from D26 reflector and XR-E.
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Well yeah, I've yet to see one I'd call beautifull. :sigh: Still, I'm satisfied with both the Solarforce and DX "R2"s for the price.
 
How do these compare to a Surefire 6P as far as quality goes? After putting a cheap DX R2 in my old 6R/6P, it has become my most used torch. I'm thinking about picking up another 6P or this Solarforce.
 
For Price vs. Quality I'm willing to put money that the Solarforce is better.

When you get up to the HA Surefires, ya those are great machining.

However the Solarforce L2 is a very strong competitor. Not to mention that you can get a L2, batteries, charger and a holster for the price of a 6P

That's just my 2cents

Surefires are great, I own a C2 but I think the L2 is a perfect light. The machining is on par if not better than the 6P
 
I've got a bunch of Surefires and they're great lights for sure. I've also got a number of Solarforce L2s/L2ms. If considering a Surefire 6P vs. a Solarforce L2, I'd take the L2 without any hesitation... they're that good and priced unbelievably low. Solarforce has a formidible competitor with the L2/L2m line... very high quality.
 
Wow! I can't believe what I'm hearing about the quality of these low-cost lights! I'm gonna have to order me a few tonight to see what all the fuss is about! Think I should get the 5 mode or single? I'm hoping that the Solarforce R2's are as nice as the two single modes I got from DX. I think I'm gonna order one black and one gunmetal. Are the batteries and charger that come with the package deals any good? I'm still running primarys in all my 123 lights.
 
Is anyone worried about using the 18650 batteries that come with the Solarforce L2s from the Solarforce Store? I guess that they are unprotected. If I get the L2 combo, should I throw the supplied 18650 away and get some AW protected 18650s? Thanks for any info.

Hugh
 
oldpal said:
Is anyone worried about using the 18650 batteries that come with the Solarforce L2s from the Solarforce Store? I guess that they are unprotected. If I get the L2 combo, should I throw the supplied 18650 away and get some AW protected 18650s? Thanks for any info.

Hugh
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I think people's experiences with the included battery varies to an extent. So far, the blue unprotected battery that came with my L2 has yet to fail for me.
 
You should get AW protected 18650 cells because those are about as good as it gets... but no reason to toss out the freebie blue ones that come with the lights... use 'em... they work. And when the day comes when they don't, then toss 'em (er... recycle them).
 
supasizefries said:
I think people's experiences with the included battery varies to an extent. So far, the blue unprotected battery that came with my L2 has yet to fail for me.
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I think I am the only one to pipe up so far about getting a bad cell.

Considering that Solarforce Store sent me a replacement R2M drop-in with memory for free, I'm not going to complain about getting a bad cell that was basically free to begin with.
I'm using AW 18650 and 17670 cells in the L2s anyway.
 
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