VB-16 from DealExtreme.

Does somebody allready have experience with the VB-16 from DX?
My question is:

- Does it have a real HA3 finish ?
- Does it have SSC P4 U bin ?
- Is the workmanship of this model good ?
- Is it a good light for the money ?
- Does it look like the original......?
- Does it meets your expectations ?

**REOPENED** After review...

Experience with the non original VB-16 ?

Does somebody allready have experience with the non original VB-16 light?

Re: Experience with the non original VB-16 ?

What is the non original VB-16?


rob

The one that is not sold by Waion.

I'm also waiting to get a comment from someone that has actually gotten one from DX. I keep checking for comments on DX and here and haven't seen anything yet.

I dont really need to spend $60 on a light, and even $35 is a bit. But I think I'd like the simple on/off UI, and I'm good with no strobe.

bguy said:

I'm also waiting to get a comment from someone that has actually gotten one from DX. I keep checking for comments on DX and here and haven't seen anything yet.

I dont really need to spend $60 on a light, and even $35 is a bit. But I think I'd like the simple on/off UI, and I'm good with no strobe.

Click to expand...

DELETED ORIGINAL POST after being reminded that the comments were inappropriate for this Thread.


My apologies to DX and the Forum participants who may have read them. I can see now after Empath's comments below that my comments were out of place (the info they contained would perhaps??? have been better in another Thread, i think???), and also that not everyone would have found them humorous.

I will need to remember to only reply to the topic started by the OP and not to reply to others' posts which are not on the same point as the OP's. The goal is to keep the Thread on the OP's intended thought. I think that, in part, this is what Empath was trying to communicate to me. Is that correct? We should only reply on the specific subjects introduced by the OP? Is that how it works here on CPF?

I never had any problems with DX and they said, that the VB-16 is in stock...and that it is not a SSC P4 USW01 emitter.
But what? I don't know. Anybody have a clue?

- Does it have a real HA3 finish ?
- Does it have SSC P4 U bin ?
- Is the workmanship of this model good ?
- Is it a good light for the money ?
- Does it look like the original......?
- Does it meets your expectations ?

Click to expand...

The above questions are what this thread is about. It's not a thread about DX, whether you like them or not, or whether you think they ship properly and timely, or whether you feel their filling of orders pleases you. It's a thread about a product, not a supplier.

Half-Watt, your post is a jeer mixed into a thread not related to a discussion about a vendor. That's just opportunistic posting, off-topic, and won't be tolerated. Corrective action is expected.

Edited to add a thank-you to Half-Watt for corrections and cooperation

Empath said:

Half-Watt, your post is a jeer mixed into a thread not related to a discussion about a vendor. That's just opportunistic posting, off-topic, and won't be tolerated. Corrective action is expected.

Click to expand...

Understood. I'll get right on it. Many thanks for the correction.

Flymo said:

- Does it have a real HA3 finish ?
- Does it have SSC P4 U bin ?
- Is the workmanship of this model good ?
- Is it a good light for the money ?
- Does it look like the original......?
- Does it meets your expectations ?

Click to expand...

I just received mine. I ordered it for the $25 price, I can't remember if it was advertised at that time to be Type II anodize or hard anodize. I see that the $35 one for sale now is listed as hard anodize, and a Type II version can be ordered seperately. Ok here goes:

- Finish on mine is type II, but is very nice. Seems pretty tough for type II.

- Not sure on the bin, as there's no way to tell. Mine seems as bright as a U bin. The light drives the emitter around 700 mA on high, and this one seems as bright as other P4 U bins I have that are driven at that level...which is bright. Flawless beam, perfect for indoor/close range use, but also has very good throw. Appears to be a SWO tint, which is classified as pure white.

- Workmanship is excellent

- EXCELLENT light for the money

- It is original, just not the current Version 4 that Waion sells. Waion talks about this particular version somewhere else on the forum.

It only has the two buttons as shown, press the top one to increase brightness, press the lower one to decrease brightness. Low is lower than any of the Fenix lights, but not as low as a LiteFlux LF2 or HDS. Pretty low, though. It doesn't have the strobe or SOS modes.

The tail switch is a forward (tactical style) clickly that is SUPER smooth and almost silent. The amount of force required for momentary is almost too little. I'd be afraid that just the pressure from being in a holster would activate it. The tailcap can be locked out by unscrewing only 1/8 turn or less.

It has more than 16 levels. I've counted about 22 visually (the high levels start to blend together), but it does take 32 presses to get to low from high. You don't have to press separately of course, I was just trying to count the levels. It takes about 2.5 seconds to sweep from low to high, and 2.5 to go back. You can stop anywhere in between. One cool thing is that when turned off, the light will stay at that level when turned back on. It's neat to have it on low, then turn if off. Then you can use the switch for momentary low...very useful for navigating in the house during the middle of the night.

All in all, I LOVE this light! I'd buy it again even at $35.

Thank you! FlashCrazy, for your information.
Sounds good !

FlashCrazy said:

I just received mine.
It only has the two buttons as shown, press the top one to increase brightness, press the lower one to decrease brightness. Low is lower than any of the Fenix lights, but not as low as a LiteFlux LF2 or HDS. Pretty low, though.

Click to expand...

Bummer. My original version 2 had a low that went all the way done to just barely visible, so you could actually turn off the light using the buttons on the side.

You might have version 3, which had a brighter lowest setting.It probably wouldn't matter to me if we didn't use it as our chief baby checking light.

Waiting for the DX model, which hit the market at the same time as Kai's.

I've just got the DX VB-16. It arrived wrapped ina jiffy vag with some bubble wrap. No box or instructions. A quick release lanyard was attached.

The matt black finish is flawless, finely textured. finish, and appears to be ha-iii - my pocket knife will not scratch it readily. There is some dust inside the lens. The threads are well cut and clean, but benefited from some silicone grease. The clicky tail cap is "forward" i.e. allows momentary on from the off position. It is very stoutly constructed, slightly larger and heavier then an invova xo2 or t3.

The beam is as described above, with a very bright hotspot and a graduation to the spill. 32 levels from high to low, as best I can tell. Draws approx 700ma from a freshly charged 18650 at 4.2v.

Ther is no red button on the reverse side, and therefore no strobe or sos mode.

The very lowest setting is extremely low, lower than on any of my other lights.

I can't open it up to show you the insides, as it appears to be bonded shut. Shame as I am sure by next year seoul will have an even more effiicent led.

All in all, really really nice.

I'm thinking to buy this light too. Do you know if a protected 18650 would fit and could you give my any idea of how bright it is? (in comparsion with a fenix l2d-ce for instance) It's seems a very cool light for a very good price to me ;-)

persoontje said:

I'm thinking to buy this light too. Do you know if a protected 18650 would fit and could you give my any idea of how bright it is? (in comparsion with a fenix l2d-ce for instance) It's seems a very cool light for a very good price to me ;-)

Click to expand...

Protected 18650's fit without any problems.

The L2D and VB-16 are pretty close in overall output, but the VB-16's hotspot is brighter. The spillbeam size is about the same on both, (slighty bigger diameter on the VB-16) but the L2D's is a little brighter. All in all, the VB-16 matches the L2D, but has more throw.

Chevrofreak tested the L2D at 111 (real) lumens. I'd estimate the VB-16 at about 125...not a whole lot of difference. They're both great for indoor use, but the VB-16 has better throw for outdoors.

Definitely worth the money!

julesb said:

I've just got the DX VB-16.

Click to expand...

Me, too. The VB-16 arrived today, under separate cover from the DSD charger and batteries I ordered at the same time.

The beam is flawless and is, how do I say, HOLY SH*T bright!!!! I have never seen an LED light even close to this, even my older VB-16, which itself was a barn burner. It makes my Orb Raw NS on high look like a micro keychain light. Another great throw light I have, the Streamlight ProPolymer AA is also a weakling next to the VB-16.

The light came with no lube on the o-ring but that's easily remedied. The finish is beautiful and looks to be HA3 to me, although I'm not the type to start taking a knife to it to check.

This light is simply unbelievable. I've tried it on CR123s, the Ultrafire protected R123s and the unprotected Ultrafire 18650. Both types of Ultrafire batteries were from DX, too, and fit with no problems.

This is a must have light and now I'm glad my wife lost my earlier VB-16, which was also terrific but had some ringyness in the beam. This one is silky smooth. The clicky is almost too soft but I'll get used to it. No dust inside the head either.

The only downside is that the lowest low is brighter than the earlier version I had. On that one, you could turn off the light with side buttons. On this version, the lowest low is still lower than my ORB raw low setting (4.8 overall and 10.0 throw) and even slightly lower than the Fenix LOP-SE (3.3 overall and 6.32 throw). At it's lowest, the VB-16 seems to have more throw but less spill than the Fenix.

Wow. This VB-16 is a no-brainer and I'm glad it doesn't have the strobe and SOS settings. I would also estimate at least 125 lumens! Beyond the Surefire U2 for sure.

Thanks for your answers.
What would be better, to run this light with two protected rc123's or 1 protected 18650?

persoontje said:

Thanks for your answers.
What would be better, to run this light with two protected rc123's or 1 protected 18650?

Click to expand...

RCR123's will give you a little more brightness, but the 18650 will give you longer runtime. On the highest setting, RCR123's will give about an hour of runtime....an 18650 should give around 3 hours.