Brightest single LED with throw?

Have a Fenix T1 now. What is the next step up? Looking for the brightest single LED torch with a narrow beam. Run time not important.

I've wondered the same thing but decided that for now, the power limits of single leds are too constraining so if you want to maximize throw it's better to go to multi led. I'm waiting for some reasonably compact lights (Streamlight TL3 size) using 3x123 or 4xaa (or even 8xaa like a PT Surge) for 500+ lumens and a decent sized reflector.

DOn't the multiple LED designs have a wide beam?

Not if the reflector is big enough. It helps that the Rebel tri star cluster has the leds very close together.

For real throw, get a laser, move over to the forum:
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/forumdisplay.php?f=53

Dereelight DBS will throw 800-1000 feet with a single LED.

Tiablo A8 and A9, and Lumapower MRV out-throw the T1 by quite a margin. And the Lumapower D-Mini has more throw than anything else I've found of that size.

c_c

Yup, that or the raidfire spear or the Lumapower mrv or the Tiablo A8s/ A9.

+1 Dereelight DBS with SMO

WadeF said:

Dereelight DBS will throw 800-1000 feet with a single LED.

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Dereelight DBS seems to have the most throw from a single LED production light. I mean, you could buy an Aspheric M@g and be above 30,000 Lux but that's up to you. There are 5 or 6 pretty decent throwers available, so just take your pick based on which one fits your needs. The Tiablo A8/A9 are awesome lights with apparently beautiful fit and finish. The Dereelight DBS is also said to be close to as nice in finishing, but with a very easy upgrade system which allows you to swap out the "pill" for newer releases. The MRV from Lumapower has been very well liked as well, but they were one of the first on the market and they have had trouble keeping up with the others in overall output. More recently, the Raidfire Spear has made its way onto the scene. From reviews it fits my preference the most which is why I finally pulled the cord and purchased a long range thrower. It just seems that the UI and solid build construction make it a great light, so I'll make a review of it when I receive the light. The second batch won't be available for purchase until probably the end of the month. If you run a search on all these lights you will find plenty of information. For overall throw, the Raidfire and the Dereelight seem to be the highest rated, with the Dereelight posting slightly highe rnumbers. Choose wisely but keep an eye out cause I have a feeling 250 lumens is just the tip of the iceberg.

I have a T1 & an A9 Tiablo (smooth reflector). There is really no comparison in throw, the Tiablo is the clear winner. From other posts however, the DBS may be a step above the Tiablo.

paulr said:

the power limits of single leds are too constraining so if you want to maximize throw it's better to go to multi led.

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Actually the opposite is true. One LED can throw farther than a multi-LED setup in the same sized light. Check this out.

For farthest-throwing single-LED handheld unmodded lights, this is the order: Dereelight DBS - Raidfire Spear - Tiablo A9/A8 Q5 - Lumapower MRV. But these are all quite a bit larger than the T1... if you want to stay in that size range a Dereelight CL1H, Lumapower M1-T, or Wolf-Eyes Sniiper/Defender/Fox would do the trick.

Of course, all Q5 flashlights with the same power source(s) are about the same in overall brightness for their runtime, but it looks to me like you're talking about throw (central brightness, not total).

I came to the light... said:

But these are all quite a bit larger than the T1... if you want to stay in that size range a Dereelight CL1H, Lumapower M1-T, or Wolf-Eyes Sniiper/Defender/Fox would do the trick.

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...or Regalight WT1.

DBS is king. EdgeTac RFS in close second.

jirik_cz said:

...or Regalight WT1.

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How could I forget! The WT1 is an amazing flashlight. Regalight just came out with v2, a bit brighter. A bit longer than the others, but still highly compact because it's not any wider, the main problem with carrying around throwers. Around 1.5x the throw of the T1, and ~65-70% the throw of the larger headed ones.

Many people have remarked on the WT1's build quality as being excellent. It also uses T7075 aluminum, significantly stronger and lighter than the aluminum used in almost every other tactical flashlight.

swxb12 said:

DBS is king. EdgeTac RFS in close second.

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The most reliable figures I've seen (x2x3x2's on his website) put the DBS at ~20% more throw... not that close :ironic:. Additionally, the spear diffuses more over distance than the DBS - WadeF posted numbers indicating that the DBS was ~30% brighter at 30 feet.

But it's true the Spear clearly beats every thrower but the newest DBS, and has a slightly smaller head.