10 minutes with a Dereelight 3SM Q3 5A

cfromc

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Jan 8, 2007
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Illinois
I just got my first Dereelight drop-in today and wasted no time dropping it into my C3 for some comparisons against a Surefire P60L. This is only a 10 minute review so I'll just note the obvious. I don't have a lightbox, just my two integrated optical spheres so no exact lumen or runtime figures will be given.

About the drop-in's physical characteristics: It is relatively heavy and appears to be well built. I tried it in two Surefires and both had a gap between the bezel and body. That was without the removeable outer spring on the drop-in. It is a slight gap and I would have prefered no gap but its not a deal breaker for me. The reflector unscrews and a mirror one or OP can be used. I chose the OP reflector. It is noticably deeper than the P60L and should throw better (I'll get to that soon). The outer shell of the drop in is longer than the P60L and definitely has more metal and may make a better contact on the body of the light.

White-wall test: This might not be a white-wall hunter's dream. There is an obvious donut around the hotspot with the reflector screwed down all the way onto the pill. There is a corona around the donut that is brighter than the rest of the spill, but otherwise, beyond the corona, the beam is pretty smooth. In contrast, the P60L has a hotspot and transitions smoothly and quickly into uniform sidespill. The color is the closest to an incan as I've even seen from an LED. I compared it to one of my "whitest" P60Ls and now the P60L looks purple. Of the three levels, the middle seems very close to the same brightness as the P60L but the Dereelight seems to just be a little brighter. The brightest level is clearly a lot brighter than the P60L. I tried 5 different positions of the reflector by screwing it out a little to see if the beam would smooth a little and I saw a big difference with the LED deepest down the reflector. The problem is that the more its screwed out, the looser the reflector is and the bigger the bezel/body gap is. With the LED down low the donut is very minimized and almost gone, as is the corona. I am going to play around a little more with that for a happy compromise.

Outdoor test: Outside is where this drop-in really shines. It just blows the P60L away at more than about 10 feet away. Scanning my small back yard (about 40 feet wide and 35-40 long) the P60L does a decent job of lighting it up using a sweeping motion. The high beam on the Dereelight really throws a lot of light and would light someone up at the furthest spot like it was daylight. The hotspot on the wood fence 35-40 feet away is just amazing as compared to the ho-hum, now dim looking, hot spot from the P60L. It is like comparing purple haze to an incan spot light. There is a tall oak tree (actually several) that is about 50 feet away and 40-50 feet tall. The P60L lights it up fine, until the Dereelight drop-in is shined on it. The depth becomes several feet into the tree instead of just the superficial surface foot or so that the P60L lights up. The color rendition is close to incan and the brightness is significantly higher than the P60L. Big difference. On medium, the drop-in is similar in brightness to the P60L on the tree but the color rendition is still better as is the depth of light penetration.

I haven't experimented with the low much but it does seem to be a very usable low. It may be too bright to save night vision but it is enough to do many tasks and will probably run forever. One note on the medium and low levels is that the light seems to blink at the brightest level for a split second when entering the two lower levels.


Pluses:
  1. Build quality (weight, expected heat transfer, general finish)
  2. Removeable/Replaceable/Adjustable reflector
  3. Mode levels seem to be well thought out - Bright high, 80-90 lumen medium, usable low
  4. Beam color (if you like incan)
  5. Color rendition and depth
  6. Voltage range from 3V-9V
  7. Good throw for a D26
  8. Intuitive cycling, press and release to switch levels
Minuses:
  1. Have to choose between smooth beam or small bezel gap
  2. Flash when going into lower modes (minimal but thought I'd mention it)
Comments:
  1. Price is good if comparing against a P60L or Malkoff but is more expensive than DX or Kia, etc. drop-ins. IMHO, it is worth the price.
  2. Has a memory mode. I did not put this as a plus or minus since for some people it is a plus, for others a minus. You decide.
Overall, I am pleased with this drop-in and it is going in my most used light. I'll have a more comprehensive opinion in a few weeks.
 

kramer5150

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Sep 6, 2005
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Palo Alto, CA
Nice summary/review.

BTW... I agree with your opinion that warmer tint emitters penetrate deeper through leaves and foliage. I have perceived the same thing when comparing my RC-N3-Q5 with 6090, the former having the considerably warmer tint with near-equal hot spot intensities.
 

UWAK

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Aug 7, 2004
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nearby...
Thanks for sharing. A very deep 10 minutes. This is exactly what I'm lookin' for.
 

FlashCrazy

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Jan 7, 2007
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Northern CA
how come the 3SD Q3-5A isnt listed on their website?

Because I bought 'em all! :lolsign:
Ok ok, I'm kidding. I'd guess Alan at Dereelight has more, but just hasn't listed them yet. I have a couple 3SM 5A Q3 versions left in the P60 drop-in, but only have the 3SD version available in the CL1H... the 3SD 5A Q3 P60 drop-ins have sold out. I love this tint... it has very nice color rendition for an LED.

crfromc, very nice write-up! :thumbsup: Yeah, it does have the infamous Cree ring. The P60L uses an SSC emitter, which gives a super-smooth beam. But like you mentioned, it's no match in the throw department, or tint.
 
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cfromc

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Jan 8, 2007
Messages
882
Location
Illinois
I think the write-up took longer than the time I was playing with the light.:shrug:

Forgot to mention, FlashCrazy shipped this very fast. I think I got it in about 3 days.

To often we get caught up in white-wall hunting, I am definitely guilty of this. But in real usage, unless working very close-up, a ringy beam would not be noticed. Look at how many people think a stock maglight it just the "best". Now I can't stand the horrible beam of a stock incan Maglight. To me the light seems unusable. This drop-in is way better than the Mag beam.
 

tx101

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May 17, 2008
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London UK
To often we get caught up in white-wall hunting, I am definitely guilty of this

That is so true. I brought a modded SF a while ago, tested it on a white-wall and I was so disappointed. The light just sat in the safe for a couple of months until one night I took it out and used it outside .... boy was I surprised :huh:
now its my regular EDC.


Been looking for a P60 dropin, cant decide between a Malkoff or a Deerelight
 

TexLite

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Jun 30, 2007
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Texas
White-wall test: This might not be a white-wall hunter's dream. There is an obvious donut around the hotspot with the reflector screwed down all the way onto the pill. There is a corona around the donut that is brighter than the rest of the spill, but otherwise, beyond the corona, the beam is pretty smooth.

The pill can be adjusted to eliminate the donut around the hotspot.Unscrew the pill and place an o-ring between the pill and reflector.With the right size it will tighten up to a really nice focus sans donut.

The bezel gap can be removed as well,but thats a little more complicated.

Try it out,I think you'll be pleased with the results.

Its a nice drop-in;warm/neutral tint,nice beam,good regulation,multi-mode.

-Michael
 
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cfromc

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Jan 8, 2007
Messages
882
Location
Illinois
How does it compare to Malkoff M60 drop in?

I haven't had an M60 for several months. From memory I'd say the 3SM has less output, more bezel gap, and not as nice of a beam. I've also noticed lately that bumps will sometimes shut the light off and it won't always come back on unless I tap it a few times or I unscrew the tailcap and then screw it back on.
 
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