Paul_in_Maryland
Flashlight Enthusiast
Yesterday I received the 2AA 8LED version of the Chinese lights that CPF calls the Xnova. I paid the going eBay rate, about $12 shipped. Though the seller's home is listed as Hong Kong, the envelope came from California, arriving in about 1 week.
The head is slightly flared, about midway between the unflared 5LED's and the more-flared 12LED.
With a pair of Battery Station 1.7V lithium cells installed, this torch casts a beam that is about 50 percent brighter than my similarly equipped 1AA 12LED Xnova and 1AA Peak Kilimanjaro 5LED hi output, with the same smooth, broad, white beam (2.5 feet wide at 10 feet) as those lights. It was awesome how it seemed to light up a bedroom or half a garage.
As another member has commented about its 1AA 8LED sibling, the lanyard is too small to fit around an adult hand. At least the lanyard metal ring is in place for those who want to replace the stock lanyard. No lanyard comes with on the 5LED or 12LED models.
One reason I ordered this light was for the advertised momentary tailswitch--another feature not found on the the 5LED and 12LED versions. Well, it's not a true clickie. It's more of an operating mode: Twist the tailcap to the ON position, back it off about a half-turn, and depress the thin-gauge aluminum tail to make contact! Pretty cheesy.
Nonetheless, any momentary is better than none.
I tried to transplant the tailcap to my 1AA 12LED. Alas, no beam; the 1AA's tailcap spring is longer. Unlike the 5LED models, in which the head is built in to the battery tube and cannot be removed, on the 8LED and 12LED the head and tail are both removable. So, in anticipation of modifying my soon-to-arrive 2AA 12LED, I transplanted the 1AA 12LED's head onto the 2AA 8LED's battery tube. Again, no beam; the 1AA's head contact must be too high.
In sum, I'm very impressed with this light. I would recommend it to anyone seeking a BROAD white beam--I would, that is, except that it's bound to be outclassed by the 12LED 2AA Xnova....
The head is slightly flared, about midway between the unflared 5LED's and the more-flared 12LED.
With a pair of Battery Station 1.7V lithium cells installed, this torch casts a beam that is about 50 percent brighter than my similarly equipped 1AA 12LED Xnova and 1AA Peak Kilimanjaro 5LED hi output, with the same smooth, broad, white beam (2.5 feet wide at 10 feet) as those lights. It was awesome how it seemed to light up a bedroom or half a garage.
As another member has commented about its 1AA 8LED sibling, the lanyard is too small to fit around an adult hand. At least the lanyard metal ring is in place for those who want to replace the stock lanyard. No lanyard comes with on the 5LED or 12LED models.
One reason I ordered this light was for the advertised momentary tailswitch--another feature not found on the the 5LED and 12LED versions. Well, it's not a true clickie. It's more of an operating mode: Twist the tailcap to the ON position, back it off about a half-turn, and depress the thin-gauge aluminum tail to make contact! Pretty cheesy.
Nonetheless, any momentary is better than none.
I tried to transplant the tailcap to my 1AA 12LED. Alas, no beam; the 1AA's tailcap spring is longer. Unlike the 5LED models, in which the head is built in to the battery tube and cannot be removed, on the 8LED and 12LED the head and tail are both removable. So, in anticipation of modifying my soon-to-arrive 2AA 12LED, I transplanted the 1AA 12LED's head onto the 2AA 8LED's battery tube. Again, no beam; the 1AA's head contact must be too high.
In sum, I'm very impressed with this light. I would recommend it to anyone seeking a BROAD white beam--I would, that is, except that it's bound to be outclassed by the 12LED 2AA Xnova....