NOOB here just ordered the TK35....

Hi everyone. Brand new to the forum. I thought I was alone with my quest for flashlight greatness but after discovering this site I see that many have blazed the trail ahead of me. After trolling here for a few hours I see I have some tall shoes to fill.
Anyway, my name is Marco. I live in northern california on the coast, about 20 minutes from the oregon border.
I have many interest which leaves me very little money and time to throw at any given hobby.
Anyway, enough about that. I just made my very first serious flashlight purchase.
I have several expensive weapon mounted lights but after seeing some of the videos of what the world has to offer now days at a much better price point(?) I have some replacing to do.
Back to my purchase. I bought a TK35 with the charger and 3000mah li-on batteries.
Hope to get it in the mail by the 4th.
I look forward recieving my new light and visiting the forums to keep up to date.
Thanks for all the great info here.
Jeep up the great work,
Marco.

hey marco, :welcome:

the subforum you posted your thread in is meant for questions or suggestions about the forums. your post would be better suited to the general flashlights subforum


the TK35 is a very nice light and a true bargain, really bright too. I'm sure you will like it! :devil:

May I ask what kind of 3000 mAh batteries you bought?
some cheap 18650 batteries that claim 3000 mAh capacity are nothing less than junk, that's why I'm asking, I don't want you to not be able to use your expensive new light to the max because the batteries are crap.

Congrats on the light I first discovered this forum after I bought a Fenix LD10. I guess fenix is a bit if a gateway drug :devil:

Take a look in the review subforum for lots of great info and then check the collecting subforum to see what your in for

Helmut, the batteries that are shipping with the TK35 are ultrafire brand. I assumed that they would not be the better quality due in part to the origin. Do you know where I can find the best batteries for this light? I am new to high performance lights but have experience with li-on, li-po, LiFe. etc batteries.
Also, thanks for the heads up on the post as well. As with any forum each has its own format. I knew ahead of time I would without a doubt be corrected a couple of times before I got it right.
Thanks again for the advice and the heads up.
Marco.

Moving this to the LED Flashlights forum.'

Bill

thanks bullzeyebill. I knew it was only a matter of time.
come to think of it. I thought I originally posted this to the LED flashlight forum...hmmm, now im startin' to get confused. Ill pay closer attention.

getafterit-

The ultrafires are not exactly trash, but should be handled carefully. It's a bit of a gamble as to their quality. The common consensus it seems is that the cells that are best for simply charging and using with the least amount of worry are AW cells. Consistent would be the word I attach to them, a good word considering what Li-ion cells can do when not taken seriously. I keep close tabs on my cells, not excel spreadsheet compulsive but number them and watch for signs of weirdness. AWs thus far have been rock solid, while other XXXXfire cells do some dodgy things.

Welcome Marco the TK35 is an awesome light! I use the AW 18650's 2900mah batteries for my TK35. I also use 4 CR123's when my other 18650 lights are being used. They both work terrific in the TK35 and the light actually seems a touch brighter on the CR123's I don't know why. Have fun with your hand sized spotlight!

brembo, do you know where I can find the AW cells at a decent price? Are there forum vendors here taht we can buy from that carry them?

getafterit said:

brembo, do you know where I can find the AW cells at a decent price? Are there forum vendors here taht we can buy from that carry them?

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Oh yeah, dig around in the marketplace and AW cells pop up all over. Keep in mind that AWs cost a tickle more than other good cells and a LOT more than the trash out there.

Read up on Li-xx cells, read up on chargers and make some decisions. CPF has so much information, it is akin to trying to drink from a firehose....but with some diligence and patience all the answers are here. I hesitate to suggest brand X over brand Y (with the exception of AW, as it's pretty universal). Half the fun is in the hunt for the perfect item for YOUR needs.
http://www.cpfmarketplace.com/mp/forumdisplay.php?13-Dealer-s-Corner

Ultrafire 3000 mAh are not the worst, they do not deliver maximum power compared to other cells but they should work ok since the TK35 doesn't demand extreme power levels. of course the 3000 mAh claim is a lie.

Make sure you have protected cells, I know that there are Ultrafire 3000mAhs around that say protected on the label but actually aren't.
you will be able to see where the protection circuit is attached at the negative end of the battery. protected cells are a bit longer and the have a groove where the transition between the cell and the circuit element is.
check those pics:
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...Battery-Unwrapping-(w-trustfire-2400-post-50)


AW und Redilast cells are considered very high quality and are sold in the marketplace. (www.cpfmarketplace.com, you need to register there separately, it's technically another forum and your CPF main account won't work there)

also the Trustfire 2400 mAh red/black batteries with the flames logo are considered pretty good and consistent ones from the crowd of chinese cheapo cells, but they won't reach the AW ones in durability and capacity.

brembo, good post. :thumbsup:

Bill

Welcome to CPF getafterit! There are many hours to be spent here and rich content to be absorbed. Enjoy your new light. It'll likely be the first of many...

Thanks for the support guys. I look forward to my first (of many) real flashlights.

getafterit said:

Thanks for the support guys. I look forward to my first (of many) real flashlights.

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Your started with a real winner! You're in for a wild ride!

:welcome:

It's a really good light... I'm alternating 2 pairs of Ultrafire 2600 MAh (protected) 18650's in my TK35, and I've had no issues, they've all performed very well. Faultlessly even.

Great choice with the TK35 it's a really good light and extremely bright, there may or may not be issues using Ultrafire 300mah with it. I have a few of them and they work fine with light's that do not require extreme amounts of power to run it on max output. For instance I have a custom light that requires 2.8A for full output and when using the UF 3000mah with it the output on max will sag and run at about 3/4 full power, this is common with these cells.

I suggest if you have not already read the TK35 thread their are reports of members using them in the TK35 with no problem and others who have had problems like the light turning off, personally I have only tested them in my TK35 for a few minutes and I had no problems during that time.

As other have suggested some of the best Li-Ions you can buy are AW and also Redilast, buy a couple they are worth it.

Hi guys, just wanted to give an update on my order. It should ship out today. I did however get an email from the seller. He told me that he is out of the 3000mah batteries but could substitute them with a 2400mah set and refund me $5. He said he has Ultrafire and Trustfire. I opted for the Trustfire just because of what I have been told about the Ultrafire brand. I also asked if he could hand pick a light with less of a green tint. He said he could do that. He stated he would pick one with a warmer tint. Thats what we want right?
Funny how one can get so excited over a flashlight. I mean, Im not excited or anything...

many here like warm tints, but there are also some that like cold (blue) tints and many that just want the maximum light output and don't care about warm or cold.
be aware that a hand picked "warm" TK35 will not come close to a true neutral white LED with a lower CCT.

It's only natural to be excited

getafterit said:

Hi guys, just wanted to give an update on my order. It should ship out today. I did however get an email from the seller. He told me that he is out of the 3000mah batteries but could substitute them with a 2400mah set and refund me $5. He said he has Ultrafire and Trustfire. I opted for the Trustfire just because of what I have been told about the Ultrafire brand. I also asked if he could hand pick a light with less of a green tint. He said he could do that. He stated he would pick one with a warmer tint. Thats what we want right?
Funny how one can get so excited over a flashlight. I mean, Im not excited or anything...

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Whichever battery you get, make sure they are protected, circuit built in to protect from over and under charge. Not all of them do. But you said you already know about Li-ions, so you'll be onto that already.