Help deciding which flashlight to get.

Hello,

I am looking for a small LED flashlight that is bright. 5-7watt range, well built.
I also want it rechargable.
any suggestions? I would like to buy it off E-bay.

Also do any of them ship from the US, it seems most come from Hong Kong.
Thanks

Whats it for and the budget that you have...

The 5-7 watt ratings that you see on some ebay lights are false or they are the manufacture's maximum recommedned drive voltage. Most High powered LEDs are 5 watts or below most are driven at 1-5 watt.

What do you need it for and what's your price range?

The newer Cree and Seoul LED (if you haven't read about them yet) have twice the efficiency as Luxeon LED.

Here's Flashlightreview's page of Cree/Seoul lights

The Fenix L1D-CE is a AA light that can run on 14500 Lithium rechargeables(not recommended). Or the Fenix L2D-CE(the head is interchangeable with the L1D-CE, and the P2D-CE body). Simple userinterface and I find the fact that it has more overall output on turbo then the Surefire L4 amazing. The L0D-CE is a small light that some here like. I'd recommend Fenix store for Fenix lights, great service and they are based in the USA.

For something small(tiny!) but amazingly bright, go for he Draco, 100+ lumen on Burst(With Cree LED)!

There are many new choices for pretty much every price range, Good Luck!

Go for the Fenix L2D-CE, and buy it at the http://fenix-store.com/product_info.php?cPath=22_55&products_id=195. Better than ebay.

+1 on the L2D CE. The P2D is also a nice form factor for a singe lithium using the same head as the L2D.

My wife has an Inova T4. It is a rechargeable Luxeon LED flashlight. It is definitely well built. The next one down are the Streamlight Stinger LED flashlights. I use a Streamlight Stinger, but I have no experience with the LED version. The next one down is the Surefire L7. After that is a Pelican rechargeable.

http://search.ebay.com/search/searc...ftrt=1&ftrv=1&saprclo=&saprchi=&fsop=1&fsoo=1

http://search.ebay.com/search/searc...37&satitle=Streamlight+Stinger+LED&category0=

http://search.ebay.com/search/search.dll?from=R40&_trksid=m37&satitle=Surefire+L7&category0=

http://search.ebay.com/search/searc...action=compare&copagenum=1&coentrypage=search

http://www.galls.com/style.html?assort=general_catalog&style=FL554

I am sure that there are others, too, and, as an aside, I just ordered a Pelican 7060. Of the above lights, it would be pretty easy for me to narrow the list quickly. The Surefires are kind of spendy, but have a great reputation. I know the Inova T4 is solid. The Streamlights have a nickle cadmium battery stick, but you didn't mention anything about which type of rechargeable battery or how small you want it.

Here are a couple more links that might help:

http://www.uwgb.edu/nevermab/led.htm

http://www.flashlightreviews.com/reviews_index/reviews_by_mfgrs.htm

http://www.flashlightreviews.com/reviews/inova_t4.htm

I have the Fenix L2D CE with Eneloop rechargables, definately recommend it

Another source that may helpful http://ledmuseum.home.att.net/

fenix l2d-ce,,,great light,,,,using AA rechargeables ...

jumpstat said:

Whats it for and the budget that you have...

Click to expand...

+1. ledebuhr1 -- No-one can give you a good recommendation unless you say what you want to use your light for (in the house, outdoors, keychain, in the car), and what your budget is. Also, do you have any other preferences, such as how it looks, type of switch (clicky or twistie), runtime?

Dear sir:
I'M glad to hear that you want a such product ,I suggest you can go though the www.shenzhen-wholesale .com ,there are a lot of such products

is it possible to get single lights there?
Thought that is just for mass purchase...

PS: I also give a vote for the Fenix L2D-CE and/or the smaller L1D-CE

I would go for the P2D-CE

Go to eBay.com,
search FLASHLIGHT,
on the 1st flashlight page scroll down,
on the left hand side select STORE INVENTORY ONLY
under locations select USA ONLY
click on the FIND ITEMS button
eBay will limit your search to available items in the USA (more or less)

Remember you do not get 7 watts from a '7 watt' flashlight. It is a 3 watt overdriven at 4 watts with the rest wasted as heat.
With the high efficiency of the Cree XRE & Soeul SSC-P4 any of those lights feeding the LED at 2 watts or more will outshine the old technology '7 watt'. Check the sticky at the top of the LED forum.
http://candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=147393
The single AAA/AA lights run from 0.5W to 1.25W so may not be as bright as you want but if you run them (those that are designed for it) on 10440/14500 lion they can be surprisingly bright.
For example the L0D-CE high mode on 10440 is twice as bright as a 7 watt. And it is a keychain light. This is NOT recommended as both the batteries and LED are driven beyond spec. Use only in short bursts. Also using a non approved battery voids the warranty of the light.
http://www.lighthound.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=2588
The 10440 batteries and charger are at the bottom of the page.
The 2AA/1xCR123 at 3 volts can not drive a Cree/Soeul to max (about 3.37V according to Newbie's tests) so is dependant on the boost circuit. Most boost circuits are 700mA so cannot drive the Soeul/Cree to the max 1000mA.
The 2xCR123A 2x18650 provide too much voltage and a lot of the power is wasted like the old 7 watt. Probably the brightest lights if designed properly.
The smallest brightest lights are probably the 1xRCR123A. The rechargeable battery is 4.2V dropping to 3.6V. Sufficient to max out the LED without the extra battery. CHC lists all CR123 & RCR123 under the CR123 battery so you need to follow the link to find out if if the light can use the rechargeable battery.


Here are a couple of 7 watt available from US cources.
http://www.lighthound.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=1790
XTAR 7 Watt 18650 Rechargeable Flashlight $39.99
Batteries - 1x18650 Rechargeable(2 pcs XTAR PROTECTED included)
Lux @ 1m - 863(Peak)
Length(mm) - 123
Diameter(mm) - Bezel - 29; Barrel - 26
NetWeight(g) - 92
Switch - Reverse Clickie Tailcap
Color - Black HA III finish
Charger - DSD 2-bay(included)
Holster - included
Lighthound also sells on eBay so you might also find it there.
http://www.glowbug.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=288
7 Watt LED Flashlight
This is a bright 7 Watts Luxeon-type flashlight. Its actual light emission is very strong. Light beam is in focus (manual focusing is available by turning the flashlight head). (Light is still strong with a warm flashlight body after 15 minutes of use.) Black matte finish. Weighs 4.23 oz without batt. 2 CR123 batts included. Length: 5.39 " Width: 1.18 "
You have to buy rechargeable batteries and recharger yourself.

Thanks for your help

I dont have a specific amount that i was looking to spend.
I would like lithium ion batter if possible,but not a requirement.
I want something i can use to carry with me that has good through and spill.

I is confusing as there is too much information aviailable.

I was lookiing at geting the Fenix L2D, how is the output of this unit? and where would you reommend one buy it?
or is there another one better?
thanks.

ledebuhr1 said:

I was lookiing at geting the Fenix L2D, how is the output of this unit? and where would you reommend one buy it?
or is there another one better?
thanks.

Click to expand...

Buy from Fenix-store, David is a member of this forum, they have great customer service. You can get a 5% discount as member of CPF - use the CPF5 code at checkout.
http://fenix-store.com/product_info.php?cPath=22_55&products_id=195

General Mode: 9 lumens (55hrs) -> 40 lumens (10.5hrs) -> 80 lumens (4hrs) -> SOS
Turbo Mode: 135 lumens (2.4hrs) -> Strobe

There's a new CPF8 8% discount code at Fenix Store.

The Ultrafire C2 at Dealextreme has pretty good throw and spill and is only $23 shiped. Runs on batteries form 3.6-9v so a 18650 will work. If it will be an EDC light, then the Fenix L1D-CE(review, the L1D-CE, P2D-CE and L2D-CE use the same head so you can just buy a new body if you want a shorter/longer light) or P2D-CE(review) might be good. For Lithium rechargeable, both Fenixes will work but it is not recommended. The Dexlight at Dealextreme seems like a great light and it will run on batteries between 0.7-4.2V, runs on 14500s. But is uses PWM and the UI is a bit confusing.

Thanks,

It says the L2D can go up to 135 lumens, is that as a strobe or flashlight? and what is SOS mode?

I went to the fenix-store.com but the LSD seems to be out of stock.