Need decision help: SST-50 or XM-L for a new light and what size

I've been racking my brain on this one and it now is beginning to hurt. I'm looking for a little input to assist my decision making as I have already ready as many reviews as I can on these and similar lights.

I am currently between picking up one of the following lights:

• JetBeam RRT-3
• Fenix TK41 (when available)

What I think I want is a decent size light, with good throw for outdoor use. Good runtime is important for an emergency as well. I would like at least 3-4 well spaced light levels so both lights have appeal there. I think the RRT will throw more than the TK41 (at least based on MCE TK40 vs SST-50 RRT-3 beamshots and reviews I've read), but by how much with an XM-L since the XM-L will have less surface area than both a SST-50 and a MC-E with the 4 spread out dies - the gap may narrow.

So my questions are these.

• Am I buying old technology with the SST-50?
• Will the XM-Ls be able to out throw the SST-50s while still giving good flood?
• At 3Amps will the XM-L be able to produce as much OTF light as the SST-50 pushed to 5A? What about after running for 10 minutes or more on high?
• Is it realistic to consider a P60 XM-L drop-in with a good 18650 cell which may run for 45-50 minutes on high (obvisouly not in one shot due to heat) as an alternative? I realize throw will be less, but by how much than these bigger lights?
• How are companies coming up with 800 ansi OTF lumen outputs when a T6 bin XML driven at 3Amps is only 910 bulb lumens? There a 10% loss alone just at the junction when temps hit 75*C. I've read the XML takes big dump in efficiency with no real output gain when the drive is above 3A.

Thanks for any help provided.

Hmmm..... What about the Dereelight DBS (are they any good) versus the RRT-1. Based on reflector size it looks like they me be more throw than a P60 drop-in when both pushing a XP-G, but the Dereelight has the option for the XM-L or SST-50 pill.

ShineOnYouCrazyDiamond said:

So my questions are these.

• Am I buying old technology with the SST-50?
• Will the XM-Ls be able to out throw the SST-50s while still giving good flood?
• At 3Amps will the XM-L be able to produce as much OTF light as the SST-50 pushed to 5A? What about after running for 10 minutes or more on high?
• Is it realistic to consider a P60 XM-L drop-in with a good 18650 cell which may run for 45-50 minutes on high (obvisouly not in one shot due to heat) as an alternative? I realize throw will be less, but by how much than these bigger lights?
• How are companies coming up with 800 ansi OTF lumen outputs when a T6 bin XML driven at 3Amps is only 910 bulb lumens? There a 10% loss alone just at the junction when temps hit 75*C. I've read the XML takes big dump in efficiency with no real output gain when the drive is above 3A.

Click to expand...

1. SST-50 is not old, XM-L is just better.
2. Yes.
3. No, but SST-50 in RRT-3 is not pushed @ 5A.
4. Much less, almost no throw compared to RRT-3/TK41. Fenix TK35 is quite good compromise between size and throw.
5. ANSI lumens were measured 3 minutes after turn on.

TK41 will significantly outthrow both TK40 and RRT-3, you can compare them here:

http://fonarik.com/test/indexen.php

SST50 needs IMR cells to fully achieve top output. XML works well w/ regular Li Ion cells. Another plus for the XML is smaller die w/ give you better throw vs. the SST50 in similar sized reflectors.

XML P-60, I'm running the 3 mode Manafont in my Seraph and it easily runs 30+ min at 3A w/o getting over heated. Adding aluminum shim and heat sink compound makes a big improvement. On low it should run 12+ hrs w/ a nice usable output. As far as 800 OTF claims.... I doubt it. OTOH, when I'm walking the dog at 5 AM down our dirt road and kick the XML into high its like a frikkin' locomotive lightin' up the lakeside... nuff said.

+1 for the TK35. This torch is just that. Plenty of light in a small package. Running it with 2900mAH Lith-ion battery's will provide hours of night time fun with the dog. I think XM-L is a better choice for long run times.

I am not a big fan of the TK35. It reminds me of the EagleTac light which was just so off balance it felt like you had to work to keep the light upright because it was so head-heavy. Is the TK35 different?

I can see the XML being a more efficiently driven LED and if it can stay cool at 3A for a long period that would be a benefit over a SST-50 in a small package as those just seem to get a bit hotter (ie: higher Vf)

@ Gurthang - I disagree that the SST-50 needs to be driven by IMR cells if running in a 3s 11.1V config. A buck driver would have no problem pushing 5A through the driver.

@phantom23 - Are you sure about the drive level? Where do you get the information? If you calculate that those a led lumens and not OTF you'd need 5A to drive the highest bin [email protected] SST-50 to 1200 lumens (and even that is a touch of an exageration). In HKJ's review here: http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...Beam-RRT-3-a-powerfull-light-and-good-thrower he measure the tailcap current at different voltages. The current at 11.5V is 1.5A, brought down to a 3.6Vf that is just about 4.75Amps.

BTW phantom23 - I forgot about the fonarik site. That site has become one of the best sites for comparing beamshots in a similar setting for every light. HKJ has awesome beamshots, but just pointing at grass they don't really mean much to me. Showing true distance is the real grabber.

I don't know how fonarik got a TK41 but for the $$$ it seems pretty awesome.

I received the TK35 I ordered before the holiday weekend and I am quite impressed. I read Selfbuilts review and even though he wasn't thrilled about the battery holder or the grip on the, I have no issues and quite like the UI. The battery holder looks fine to me that it will stand up to anything I'll throw at it.

I've always been impressed with Fenix's drivers, but in general their LED tints make me :green: - this light did not disappoint in that regard. So after a few minutes of runtime to make sure the light worked it was in pieces on my workbench.

About 45 minutes later (most of that time getting the LED out of the head - lot's of thread lock) the light had a E5 T4 XML reflowed to the heatsink. Now I LOVE this light.

My beam and throw comparison:
- The size of the spot from the TK35 XML is the same size as a XPG LED in a P60 drop-in.
- On Hi the TK35 is just about the same brightness as the P60 XP-G running at 1.4A.
- On Turbo the XML blow the XPG out of the water.

I have a DSB V3 XML in the mail and some drivers of different powers to play around with so I'll have something to compare the TK35 to.

What are you primarily going to be using the light for short or longer distances (60+yards)?