Single 18650 or 2xCR123 - Thrower Light... need some help please!

After buying a Fenix PD31 I found its one of my most used lights... Ive really grown to love the 18650 cell, so I have been shopping for lights that can take advantage of this.

The Klarus XT10 is a light I ordered, still waiting for it to arrive.

I see a lot of new lights hitting the market today use the XM-L led, love the emitter, but I know it presents a new challenge for size/design since its turned most XP-G lights into flooders.

Does anyone make a decent single 18650 or 2xCR123 light that uses an XM-L and actually has decent throw?

The new Jetbeam BC25 caught my eye... any others worth considering?

Thinking out loud here.... If the XP-G lights make better throwers, can something like the XT10 Klarus still throw the same distance based on just sheer output using an XL-L led? Is that something I should factor in?

Thanks.

There's plenty out there.. TN11 for one!

I think the trouble is most people ignore the amount of light coming out of the XML lights. A lot of the time they do throw as far as xpg but the spill takes the eye off the throw. I've tried this in practice, the XML will throw it just floods out and bounces off more stuff closer up. If you could ignore the side spill
You'd see it gets out there. I think a lot of manufacturers were hurrying to put out XML led's in xpg optimised reflectors. The XML with the right reflector will throw like hell.

XM-L lights do throw well, but you are right, the amount of spill takes away from the light being thrown.

I do have an Olight M3X and I feel that reflector and the XM-L are a well made match, that is currently my best thrower in the collection, but it really doesn't get used often due to its size.

Its the reason I would like to find a single 18650 style light with a reflector that has been designed with the XM-L in mind.

Im a little wary of the BC25 since JetBeam has been playing that consumer be ware game with marketing lumens. I would like to find a solid brand with a good design for a compact XM-L thrower.

A lot of people recommend the Malstrom G5 to me, but I would really like to see more output.

I can vouch for that. I have a nailbender XM-L 2.8A and it throws like crazy!!

NightKids said:

I can vouch for that. I have a nailbender XM-L 2.8A and it throws like crazy!!

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Thats is just a P60 drop in correct?

I have a DX and Solarforce single mode XM-L drop in, how is this one different?

ExtremeX said:

Thinking out loud here.... If the XP-G lights make better throwers, can something like the XT10 Klarus still throw the same distance based on just sheer output using an XL-L led? Is that something I should factor in?

Thanks.

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That depends. At similar output levels, XP-G will beat XM-L in terms of throw. However, if the XM-L can be driven hard enough, it will be able to brute force its way past the XP-G. A good comparison would be ArmyTek Predator and Lumintop TD-15 versus ThruNite TN11, all similarly sized. The two former lights both put out about 320 lumens and have nearly 17k lux. TN11, on the other hand, drives the emitter so hard that it reaches 830 lumens and almost 29k lux.

As for recommendations, like AutoTech has mentioned, ThruNite TN11 is certainly a viable candiate. At its full power, using 2x18650 or 3 or 4xCR123A, it will put out 830 lumens and throw out to 355 meters, according to the manufacturer's ANSI specs. At reduced power, using 1x18650 or 2xCR123A, it will still produce something like 760 lumens and more than 300 meters of throw.

enomosiki said:

At reduced power, using 1x18650 or 2xCR123A, it will still produce something like 760 lumens and more than 300 meters of throw.

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Yes, using a single 18650, the TN11 via it's biggish 41mm head diameter can out-throw the Armytek Predator R5 and the Lumitop LD15 R5.
Single 18650 powered XM-L's can throw, provided they have a big enough reflector size; here, the TN11's bezel diameter is 41mm...

TN11 ... :thumbsup:

I too recommend the TN11, got it for a few weeks and absolutely love it. A have the NW version (although it is Warm White, which was a very pleasant surprise for me, as I use it mainly in the woods) so it surely has a bit lower output then the CW version, but still, for such a small light, great throw.
I believe the 19k lux measured at light-reviews.com, since it has a bit lower throw than my Eagle M3C4 XR-E NW which should be around 24k lux.

I understand that the Xeno G42 does very well in the throw department. For a single 18650 light, it looks to be on the large side though. I just received another light last week that has impressed me quite a bit and it didn't break the bank. It's a Shiningbeam Blaze and can be had about $55 when using the CPFuser code. I like it's size, shape and overall brightness. No it's not going to be in the same league as your M3X. (I have one and I know it's a huge thrower) It's probably the most solid feeling light that I own. I have one complaint. It doesn't have a pocket clip but for the price it's a wonderful light. High is listed at 720 lumens and medium is listed at 400 lumens.

Im getting tired of posting this, but here it goes.

Lumapower D-Mini with XR-E R2 at 1.2A with TurboForce SMO 66mm bezel = 70~80K lux. Yes, thats laser like throw and at 240ihs OTF lumens it will out throw all those 500~1000 lumen newer type of Thrunite/Fenix ect...lights.

You can have somebody even build you a custom Pill with XR-E R2 at 1.4A~1.8A and you will get 80~90K lux out of the same 1*18650 package.


bigC