Can a Newbie to LEDS handle a light like Dereelight, Raidfire or Tiablo?

djans1397

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Just when I thought I had an addiction to lights, Then I found this sight...OMG! I can't believe the wealth of knowledge in here not to mention the complexity of some of these lights. It's going to take months for me to soak up all technical info in here.

I just bought my first LED light...a Novatac 120P and really like it. I've been looking at getting a Retina Burner light though to carry in my truck or occassionally with me on hikes etc. I want a high lumen ultra thrower with a fairly long run time. I'd like it to have multiple settings as well as a strobe should I need it. I'm not that advanced or knowledgable yet in all the user options or mods that a guy can do to them, so I'd like to keep it fairly simple for now with the option to expand. It looks like I'll be buying more lights in the future anyhow as I've found a new addiction it appears.

I've been looking at the Dereelight DBS, the Tiablo A9 and the Raidfire. I kinda like the option of beeing able to recharge my batteries, but don't know enough about this yet and I don'tthink all ofthe above lights offer this option. Money is no object for me and I'm just dying to get a bigger light.

I'll keep reading these posts in order to self educate, but I'm hoping that some of you all can give me a head start as to what I should buy based on the above criteria.

Thanks,
Dan
 

Frankiarmz

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Dan, I'm a relative newbie myself but you sure picked some great lights. This is a great place to learn more about LED's , batteries and everything else that makes these lights so high tech. Rechargeables make a lot of sense and sure save you loads of money ( I know, it's not a problem for you). I would like to get that Tiablo but lets see what the Flashaholics have to say. Good luck.
 

djans1397

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Thanks Frankiarmz. Money or not, It just seems easier and more responsible to recharge ones batteries. I'm looking at getting the Tiablo to start. If you want I can refer you to a guy who gets them ? directly from overseas at a great price which he quoted me. Also, they are "hand picked" according to him.

Welcome to CPF my friend,
Dan
 

cdosrun

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About the only thing you might need to worry about soon with LEDs is the recoil ;-)

With the usual caveats about lithium ion cells and careful treatment, you should be fine. If you would like a 'hard and fast' rule, I wouldn't advise anyone recharge generic lithium ion cells without a DVM/DMM and the knowledge to use it (unless you have the money for a seriously expensive charger). Please exercise caution with these things but with knowledge and sense, you won't have a problem. It looks like you have been lurking for a while so I would imagine you have seen some of the stories.

My torches that use Li rechargeables are the Novatac and Dereelights (CL1H & DBS), I like the potential to upgrade the Dereelight torches cheaply as new emitters are released but all of the lights you mentioned appear to be highly regarded here so pick the one you like the look of best!

One thing that most people here have in common (and I am no exception) is that at the begining, with much eagerness and excitement, one buys many torches of differing configurations as a slightly brighter LEDs/better bins come along. After a while, you appreciate only a couple of them for frequent use and the rest get given away etc... If I had known I would spend such an amount of money at the beginning I would probably have bought fewer, more expensive torches. It is said frequently enough that I think it is normal to go a little over the top, at least you then have a frame of reference and the ability to be more discerning.

Welcome and good luck,

Andrew
 
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Abumustafa

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:welcome: I have the Raidfire an all i can say is that it is awesome i was considering a thrower for along time but could not decide between the DBS, Tiablo, an the MRV but then along came the Raidfire in performance it is right up there with the best which is supposed to be DBS it has more Lux readings than the DBS read Selfbuilt's Review here https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/190999 Then decide but there will other opinions from fellow Members but i would say go with the Raidfire you wont be dissapointed and enjoy your stay here we all know your Wallet is gona cry :crackup:
 

Lighthouse one

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Keep in mind that the long throwers you mentioned are NOT as good for hiking, or around the home use- because of the tight and very bright hot spot. I would suggest the regular dereelight...It still has a long throw, and with the OP reflector is a much better all around useful light. Get the 3 mode one...and you're set for a while.
 
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I came to the light...

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I've also heard great things about the DBS with OP reflector - no artifacts, still a ton of throw, and a more useful spot. I'd recomment buying the DBS with both reflectors and a 1.2A 3SD Q5 or R2 pill.

In terms of center lux intensity, the order is simple: DBS with a 1.2A digital pill (not DI), then Spear, then other DBS pills, then A9. But the A9 has a slightly wider spot, the DBS has an intuitive UI, the Spear has a simple UI, the DBS uses PWM... it may take a while to figure out what you want most :D

As for rechargeables:
The DBS's circuitry changes based on the pill. Pills with a "M" take CR123s, RCRs (16340s), 18650s, or 17670s. Pills with a "D" take only an 18650 but are more efficient and better regulated.
The A9 can use everything a M pill can, and has good regulation with RCRs and poor regulation with an 18650. The A8 Q5 is identical to the A9 except that is well regulated with an 18650 and cannot take RCRs.
I'm not sure about the Spear, but I know it can take an 18650.

A 16340, 17670, and 18650 are rechargeable li-ion batteries, so all three are rechargeable compatable.
 
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Frankiarmz

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Thanks Frankiarmz. Money or not, It just seems easier and more responsible to recharge ones batteries. I'm looking at getting the Tiablo to start. If you want I can refer you to a guy who gets them ? directly from overseas at a great price which he quoted me. Also, they are "hand picked" according to him.

Welcome to CPF my friend,
Dan

Thanks for the generous offer Dan, but I'm saving up for the SurefireUB2. Looks like the good advice is starting to appear. I still like the looks and features of the Tiablo. Let us know what you decide on. Best of luck, Frank.
 

gilly

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:eek:Money is no object? You just opened up a whole can of worms!!! I too lurked around this forum for many months before joining up. Was (and still am) a bit intimidated by all the super knowledgeable members there are. Based on my limited experience, I can highly recommend the Raidfire Spear. I have had it since January and love it. As far as looks go, I'd say it wins hands down. The designers at Edge Tactical did a super job with this one. Fit and finish is impeccable. Very well balanced and comfortable in the hand. The low setting (2 lumens) is still quite usable with the deep reflector and I use it around the house all the time. It is rated at running for 250 hours on this setting!! Tailstands nicely - there's your emergency light for the next outage, running for a week while tailstanding on the kitchen table.

Now, simply tighten up that head a tad and WHAM! As a previous poster said, it's right up there with the best! VERY impressive. I'd recommend getting the optional orange peel reflector as well. I have been on a few hikes with the Spear and found it to be very effective. Definitely check out Selfbuilt's review on the Spear, mentioned above my another poster. He does a super thorough review...

Now, for support equipment etc:

Moderator DM51 recommended the Pila IBC charger when I was looking for a good, reliable charger for Li Ion batteries. Works great - I'd highly recommend it. It will charge 18650 and 14500 cells as it comes, and you'll need to pick up a couple of 123 dummy cells if you want to charge RCR123 cells.

As for cells - The Spear uses 18650 rechargeable lithium ion cells exclusively. CPF member AW does a good business and makes great, reliable cells. I would recommend his 18650 protected cells, which can be ordered right here at the CPF Marketplace with Pay Pal. Here's his sales thread:
http://www.cpfmarketplace.com/mp/showthread.php?t=177100


I've heard many good things as well about the Derelight DBS V2. WadeF raves about it and I respect his opinions a great deal. But in my book the Spear is top pick for its looks!

I'm sure you'll be looking forward to the 400 lumen Surefire INVICTUS this fall - I sure am!

Good luck and welcome!:thumbsup:
 
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TOOCOOL

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Lot of good advice here ......however personally I will not leave $50.00+ lights in my car/truck I leave lights in the vehicles that won't make me :mecry: when/if they get stolen. After all I always a light or three on me :thumbsup:
 

djans1397

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Lot of good advice here ......however personally I will not leave $50.00+ lights in my car/truck I leave lights in the vehicles that won't make me :mecry: when/if they get stolen. After all I always a light or three on me :thumbsup:

Small town Montana here where most people still leave thier homes unlocked. I still prefer to lock EVERYTHING up though. I also have a "secret" storage area in my truck for more expensive items.

? for the Tiablo fellows... is the A8 as bright / offer the same throw as the A9. Is the only difference the battery set up?

? for the Dereelight fellows... so I can simply set up the light with either a smooth or OP housing AND pic my UI setup. Sorry, but the whole Pill thing and such still confuses me.

With the Raidfire, you have to twist the head to change the brightness..correct? Doesn't seem too tactical for me. I still like the thought of a one handed light. Never the less... I too think it's a kiss butt looking light.

Thanks for all the input so far. Just what I was looking for. Keep it coming.

Dan
 

Citivolus

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? for the Dereelight fellows... so I can simply set up the light with either a smooth or OP housing AND pic my UI setup. Sorry, but the whole Pill thing and such still confuses me.

The pill screws into the reflector, so you can mix and match. I have both a DI and 3 stage pill, as well as the smooth and OP reflectors in my CL1H. The 3 stage in the the OP gets the majority of use, although it is still a tad "ringy" for my tastes.

With the Raidfire, you have to twist the head to change the brightness..correct? Doesn't seem too tactical for me. I still like the thought of a one handed light. Never the less... I too think it's a kiss butt looking light.

The body just needs a slight twist to switch between high and low. Low is quite low as compared to high with this light, and due to the spot size it is of limited utility on low. I tend to carry a Jet-III Pro or CL1H for flood, and the Spear for throw. I don't know what it is about my Spear, but it seems to have a high gravitation field and always be crashing to the ground.

Regards,
Eric
 

djans1397

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The pill screws into the reflector, so you can mix and match. I have both a DI and 3 stage pill, as well as the smooth and OP reflectors in my CL1H. The 3 stage in the the OP gets the majority of use, although it is still a tad "ringy" for my tastes.



Can you PLEASE explain all the differences in the pills for me. I'm trying to understand them all, but I think I'm getting a migraine.:ohgeez:

Does the D1 only have one light level? Are there any that offer a strobe or SOS.

With the Dereelight, can I also get a tactical or momenetary on switch?

Thanks,
Dan
 

gilly

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With the Raidfire, you have to twist the head to change the brightness..correct? Doesn't seem too tactical for me. I still like the thought of a one handed light.

Dan - yes, you twist the head very slightly to go from low to high. Just got done manipulating my Spear from low to high back to low several times - with one hand. With the pronounced knurling and aggressive edges, it's really quite easy. A little silicone grease for the threads and o-rings and one-handed operation is certainly feasible.

Also, I disagree with a previous poster that the Spear's low mode has very little utility. On the contrary, I use it to read in bed, search for things in the house after lights out, check thermostat settings from across the room, etc. The narrow spot is not IDEAL as many other lights have a nicer, wider low mode spot - but we're talking about throwers here. Additionally, one advantage of the thrower on low is that even though it's only putting out a couple of lumens, it can still project those lumens pretty far! As I mentioned above, I can use low mode from across a pitch dark 20 ft wide room to see what a digital thermostat is reading. Try doing that with a non-thrower's low mode!
 
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tsask

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? for the Tiablo fellows... is the A8 as bright / offer the same throw as the A9. Is the only difference the battery set up?
quote]

Yes the brightness and throw are the same. Get the A9 only if you want to run on (r)CR123's.
 

Fird

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+1 to the Pila charger unit for 18650 batteries. Plug it in, insert batteries, wait for green lights, batteries are now 4.2v EXACTLY (measured with a fluke 92b scopemeter). Dual channel means you can charge different types/capacities of battery at the same time.

Dereelight = top notch brand, I own the CL1HV3 and love it!! I prefer it over *fire just because it's different, capable of easy upgrades, Alan = great to deal with, and it's bright as all get-out.

Caution: 18650 shorted = grenade unless it's protected and the protection works. Being a higher capacity cell, it will vent with more enthusiasm than an RCR123 or other smaller batteries. Treat them right and they're the highest capacity/size of commonly used flashlight batteries. Now that I'm using them, i'm naturally tempted to buy more 18650 lights, another caution to your wallet :poof:

Fird
 
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