210 lumen's for 59$???

210 lumen\'s for 59$???

What do you all think of this offer?
Is this bogus, or a good light at a good price?
Tim

Re: 210 lumen\'s for 59$???

http://www.shoplifestyle.com/store/product.asp?dept%5Fid=39&pf%5Fid=5151&mscssid=AG9764CBL2BJ9NWRNPG7X41JP8GB65E5Sorry,

Re: 210 lumen\'s for 59$???

I do not know the light, but the vendor has well known tendencies to exaggerate more than a little bit with the product descriptions. If I were you I'd be careful and wait for someone who knows this light here on CPF.

btw, let me be the first to say ... WELCOME TO CPF, TIM !

bernhard

Re: 210 lumen\'s for 59$???

Tim....your mission, should you decide to accept it, is to buy this light and post a complete review on CPF.

The Flashaholic's pursuit of the perfect Flashlight is not without its challenges.... Good Luck Tim!

Re: 210 lumen\'s for 59$???

Sure you could get 200+ lumens off 3x123, but what's the runtime? My guess is that the lumen rating is inflated.

Re: 210 lumen\'s for 59$???

FYI ... the SF M3 on HOLA puts out 225 lumen for 20 minutes on 3 x 123.
bernhard

Re: 210 lumen\'s for 59$???

Whats the runtime of the SNII and what type of batteries does it use?

Re: 210 lumen\'s for 59$???

A quick google search for 'xenon compass lithium' turned up the following site:

http://www.justshop.com.tw/products/products-b01-00002.htm

This shows the 3 cell as being 169 lumens. Not sure if this is the same light, but they look similar.

Erik.

Re: 210 lumen\'s for 59$???

At the bottom of the largest drawer in my desk in my home office are over a dozen 2 to 3 CR123, 3-volt lithium battery powered tactical-type flashlights waiting for my evaluation. These products are sent to me from friends in several countries. I somehow fell into this precarious position of evaluator beginning in 1998 when I submitted a somewhat formal evaluation of the Surefire 6P flashlight to a good friend when he called his marker for a favor I owed him. I haven't made a big deal of it here in CPF. The criterion I generally work with is somewhat esoteric to the interest of the average CPF member.

Before shelving these dozen lights, I quickly did an ops-check just to see if the sample provided does indeed work. The sample product marketed by Lifestyle has a mirrored reflector and good output, but likely not in the neighborhood of 200 lumens. The knurling on the body is rather smooth like the original Surefire 6P. I should make a decent glovebox light.

The sample provided by a friend in Taiwan is made by a company with a name that I cannot pronounce and marketed as the J-TECH product line. My sample is the 9J. Unlike the Lifestyle sample, the 9J is a robust, well-made flashlight in the mold of the old style Surefire 9P. It has more aggressive knurling and a very good positive switch. It has a stochastic reflector. It provides a tight smooth output similar to the old Surefire 8X rechargeable duty light. Although I believe not 200 lumens, its ouput is somewhere between a P90 and P91 LA output with a pronounced hot spot. The manufacturer of J-Tech may be the Taiwan equivalent of Surefire.

I once made an effort to present several variations of this type flashlight to CPF. My posts were received with much criticism about these products being mere knockoffs of Surefire products. They may invariably be just that. I have tested several that are inferior by the standards I judge by but would serve adequately under less demanding circumstances. Several others were better. Still, a few are of such quality that I would readily carry them daily if I had not already decided on my present EDC. The J-TECH sample is one of those few.

I pulled the plug on the posts about these knockoffs due to the disdain by a few members towards these products. That disdain is again being displayed toward those LED flashlight products made overseas that are invading our shores. I have to agree that some seem like minimal thought were given to them in the design stages and only a modicum more during the manufacturing processes.

I once made the statement that I would likely not get caught dead using one of these imitations but I feel that I should at least be familiar with them in the event that I happen to be in a part of the world where these were the only flashlights available to me to help me save my snobby, elitist, disdainful, arrogant American backside.

Re: 210 lumen\'s for 59$???

Hi KT,

There are plenty of us who would be happy to read any evaluations you cared to post, and to take them very seriously.

Brightnorm

Re: 210 lumen\'s for 59$???

It is likely that I will have bashed "cheap copy imports" far more so a few years ago than today. I try very hard not to get to emotional about this sort of thing now-a-days.

I do like to see photos of the products reviewed, it's good to see them next to the products they are compared to as well. Beamshots are good to see too.

We have a Reviews Section here at CPF that it would be great to see filled up with reviews of as many different flashlights as possible.

Al

Re: 210 lumen\'s for 59$???

Just a thought. Alot of times you can get unbranded or "off-brand" merchandise made buy the very same manufacturer as well known, name brand items.

With some manufacturers making lights overseas in China I'm wondering when or if we are going to see this happen with flashlights?

Just a thought

GregR

Re: 210 lumen\'s for 59$???

Wow, looks a bit similar to Elektrolumen's upcoming FT-3C. But just a tad bit different in detail, specs, & size. I can't wait for my FT-3C. I'm tempted to buy a SG849, mod it with a 5Watt DD and call it my FT-3L. Close coincidence, what to you think?:

SG846/SG849 Xenon Army Light


Elektrolumens FT-3C


EDIT--
uh, I guess scratch that. After looking at the pics together they do have alot of differences. And the fact that after reading finding out that it also has a compass built in the tailswitch. That's quite a few differences. Either I'm still drunk from last night or I just want a FT-3C in my hands already. I think it's a bit of both. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinser2.gif
I am tempted on doing that SG849 5W DD mod but like everyone else would like to know more about the pricey host first.

Re: 210 lumen\'s for 59$???

KT,

I'd be glad to see reviews of the lights you mention, at least the good ones. Wouldn't hurt to mention, by name, junk you wouldn't bother to test, either.

For example, if in the summary you mentioned something like:
"Upon close examination and testing, the model X3000 from XYZ company appears to be the same light as this one with <some minor difference>. However, the MNO and PQR, although both initially appear to be the same, are markedly inferior in light output and construction quality".

Seems to me we'd want to hear if some no-name is any good, and also to hear that some other one is a POS. After all, isn't that the purpose of a review?

Re: 210 lumen\'s for 59$???

I never could get a compass to work around an elctromagnetic field. Wonder how they did that?

Re: 210 lumen\'s for 59$???

Bravo25-

You have to unscrew and remove the tailcap, it should work fine.


GregR

P.S. Oh yea, work fine until you drop the tailcap in the mud. Of course as your grabbing for the tailcap you tip the flashlight and the batteries fall into the mud also. You wipe everything down pretty good and maybe the flashlight works. but the extra moisture inside the light now fogs up the reflector for a few minutes...

Re: 210 lumen\'s for 59$???

Koga, please post any finding you make at CPF. I always enjoy your reviews. I also remember your review of the HALO and the storm it caused with the manufacturer and how you stood the high ground and held it.
Was the name of the Chinese light the Sunfish?

Re: 210 lumen\'s for 59$???

KT,,,, I would also be interested to read any objective reviews with beamshots, size comparisions, etc.

Thanks.

Re: 210 lumen\'s for 59$???

Tim_B, like others have said, that listing seems to be full of hype. I doubt the light is putting out 210 lumens.

However, I feel compelled to mention that for about $80 you can get 500 lumens! Go find your best deal on a MagCharger, then get a WA01160 bulb from one of your fellow CPF members for maybe $4, and replace the stock bulb with that one. VERY VERY bright! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif

Plus this light is rechargeable (no battery costs), and the claim for its performance is hype free. There are several mentions of this combination. Given the performance, it's a great value!

Re: 210 lumen\'s for 59$???

Know where I could get one of those elusive WA 01160 bulbs?
I tried posting a WTB; got some good replies, but no sellers. Even offered $10/bulb. Still, no takers.

Guess I'm waiting for the next group buy... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon23.gif