HOT SUPERBRITES: Amilite Neo T3 or Peak CPF special?

This has been a big news week for those of us who love a super small, bright light. Which of these to buy?

The Amilite Neo T3 is $62 at the just announced CPF group buy price. It received a rave five star review from Quickbeam as the brightest small light he has yet reviewed. (He hasn't reviewed the ORB Raw so I wonder how they compare?)

The just announced Peak CPF light in red seems to also go after the ORB market. It, too, has a short runtime, is said to be twice as bright as the already blazing Caribbean. Yet, the brightness is only achieved with the rechargeable R123s that come with the light. Yet, using regular CR123s, the bright is only 1/3 as bright as the Caribbean. It's $89 with charger.

Also, Peak warns that the CPF special gets exceedingly hot and is only for intermittent use when using the R123s. So, it's not a practical EDC, in my opinion.

Anybody know how hot the Amilite gets yet??

What's a flashaholic to do? I want the ORB, the Peak and the Amilite, too! They are redundant in the collection but I can rationalize that I have nothing near the brightness of these blazing beauties.

I wonder which of these is brighter?

Re: SUPERBRITES: Amilite Neo T3 or Peak CPF special?

Correction: The Peak Special runs 45 minutes on the R123s. It only runs 15 minutes on a CR123, and at a very low foot candles level. Then it runs for some hours at an even lower level, about 200 foot candles. So, basically, it's a must use R123 light, but gets extremely hot, 130 degrees they say!

Does the ORB get that hot??

Re: SUPERBRITES: Amilite Neo T3 or Peak CPF special?

On the heat issue, Quickbeam was kind enough to take the temp of the Amilite after 10 minutes. Thanks, Quickbeam. It hits 130 degrees.

According to Peak, their new CPF special that runs on R123s heats up to 130 as well.

Can someone give us a read on the ORB Raw, in either U or T bin, 3 watt version. How hot??

Re: SUPERBRITES: Amilite Neo T3 or Peak CPF special?

Just turned on my Orb Raw U-bin. Give me ten minutes...

Re: SUPERBRITES: Amilite Neo T3 or Peak CPF special?

Well, I ran the Orb Raw Ubin for ten minutes while sitting on my desk, but my infrared thermometer refuses to take a reading from the surface of the light. Maybe it being bright aluminum affects the reading?

Anyway, the Orb is very hot to the touch after ten minutes and not comfortable to hold. I could continue to hold it, but just barely.

Ouch, the price we pay for the love of lotsa lumens!

onthebeam said:

Also, Peak warns that the CPF special gets exceedingly hot and is only for intermittent use when using the R123s. So, it's not a practical EDC, in my opinion.

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All the small super-brights will get hot if not blood-cooled. No matter who makes them, when you run an LED that hard, it's going to put out some serious heat.

I was having the same dilemna (whether to order the Peak CPF Special or the AmiLight), so in true CPF fashion, I ordered BOTH! Not only that, but I ordered a light from ebay called an iLUMiBEAM 1W...a VERY small 1W light that's "supposed" to have better output than the QIII. I'll post my impressions on that one when it arrives this week. Also, I'll post a link to the iLUMiBEAM in a few minutes! On top of the lights, I also have a Traser H3 diver's watch with an orange face and blue/green/orange tritium trasers in it on the way! Boy, it's gonna be a good week at the ol' mail box!

PJD

...here's a link to the iLUMiBEAM:

http://cgi.ebay.com/iLUMiBEAM-ULTEO...t_W0QQitemZ8732070336QQcategoryZ16037QQssPage

PJD said:

I was having the same dilemna (whether to order the Peak CPF Special or the AmiLight), so in true CPF fashion, I ordered BOTH!

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PJD, I would love to hear your opinions on the lights once you get them. I've ordered the Peak, but have held off on the AmiLight so far mostly due to lack of funds, not out of choice! ...it's all gotta stop somewhere--albeit temporarily--unfortunately :mecry:

Cheers

Somy...as soon as they get here and I've had a chance to play...er, I mean TEST them, I'll post my impressions. I won't be able to post pics though...no gottum digicam ( I can't afford one...I've spent all my $$ on LIGHTS!).

PJD

PJD said:

Somy...as soon as they get here and I've had a chance to play...er, I mean TEST them, I'll post my impressions. I won't be able to post pics though...no gottum digicam ( I can't afford one...I've spent all my $$ on LIGHTS!).

PJD

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*grin* the last 3 months has been me spending *all* my dSLR stash (and more) on lights! I admit, i've already got a p&s digicam though, so I suppose it wasn't too hard to do that =)

nevertheless, i'll be looking forward to your impressions on the lights, pictures or no :thumbsup:

cheers

Ordered both!!!!!

Hey PJD .......Gonna get a H3 Tritium watch eh ??
..... WELL YOU ARE GONNA LOVE IT !!!! ...... i`ve had one for a year and i still smile everytime i look at it in the dark, anybody else considering one, go ahead and treat yourself, you know you deserve it !!!!!

PJD said:

I was having the same dilemna (whether to order the Peak CPF Special or the AmiLight), so in true CPF fashion, I ordered BOTH! I'll post my impressions on that one when it arrives this week.

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Great, PJD. Can't wait to see your review comparing the Amilite and CPF specials. Boy, you better have a bucket of cold water handy. Can't believe these lights warm up to 130 degrees each. . .

HEY HEY ITS HENDO said:

Hey PJD .......Gonna get a H3 Tritium watch eh ??
..... WELL YOU ARE GONNA LOVE IT !!!! ...... i`ve had one for a year and i still smile everytime i look at it in the dark, anybody else considering one, go ahead and treat yourself, you know you deserve it !!!!!

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Hendo...I had a Luminox watch a couple years ago, but sold it in my never-ending quest to find something "better". Well, I've probably bought no fewer than a dozen watches since then, and have yet to find ANY watch that I like nearly as much as I liked the Luminox. I saw the Traser H3 on ebay, and went nuts over the 3 color tritium scheme! I can't wait to get it!

...back on topic...one of these days I'm gonna hafta break down and get a digicam. Your reviews/opinions seem to get a LOT more attention when there's pics posted, which makes sense. A light review without pics is sorta like trying to describe the taste of a strawberry to someone who's never had one...it sorta leaves you "flat"! Anyway, when I get my hands on all three lights, I'll do my best to post my impressions in lieu of pics.

PJD

I had to order both also! I have already recieved my Peak CPF special and it is very bright, better than my Fenix L1p & QIII. Still waiting to recieve my Amlite Neo T3 to see which is brighter.