I need Solarforce L2P advice on what LED to buy.

waxycap

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Oops. I bought the L2P thinking it came with an LED, but it's just the body and head (I also got the extended body for two 16650's). Any Solarforce owners who have a preferred LED?

I plan on using both the 16650's in the extended tube (seen in the picture), and I would like to get an LED that is a bright as I can get, but not a thrower... hopefully something more floody.

See pic for what I am referring to:
CameraZOOM-20151003154757221.jpg
:shrug:
 
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RobertMM

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Those Solarforce hosts will take 18mm batteries so you can use batteries with capacities up to 3600mAh, with no rattle unlike those 16650s.
I would have suggested a Sportac Triple led dropin but those only take 6volts max.
Maybe one of Solarforce's XPL dropins will do for you, as long as maximum voltage indicated is above 9volts so you can use two 4.2V cells. It will be throwier than a triple so you will need some diffusion film of the stick-on type or a diffusing filter.
 

waxycap

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Thanks RobertMM, I had absolutely no idea.

Honestly, I bought the Solarforce L2P only because I wanted to be 100 percent certain that I would be able to use these weird-*** 16650s.
And also because I had an emergency and needed a work light ASAP.

Your news is good news considering that I already happen to have three excellent 18650s that I use (for photography purposes) in an EagleTac "soup can" style flashlight. That is my "expensive" flashlight.

I am trying desperately to avoid using it for work purposes. (I don't want to accidentally lose it)

But the batteries used in it are here, and based on what you have told me, this is important:

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31usNhFPV7L.jpg


So... now I have even MORE questions. I want the very best and brightest LED if I am using either two 18650s, or two 16650s. What is every possible option?

SUMMARY:
This is for the Solarforce L2P with extended body that can accommodate either two 16650s or two 18650s, but I imagine that 18650s are better in any given situation. (?)
 
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waxycap

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Since I prefer to use high CRI leds and warm leds for photography purposes (in pitch black or better) I usually lean on the floody side. However, a higher output led with a diffuser is also going to be important. I am confused as to whether I need a high output floody beam, or an even higher output thrower with a diffuser.
 

thslw8jg

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The beauty of the P60/D26 format is you can have several drop-ins for different purposes. Eagletac Sportac series has several options available from a hi CRI triple to single emitter options. You can also have some custom built by Vinh or Custom lights
 

scs

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If you're in the US, give mtnelectronics.com a try. They offer a build option for their bare P60 module. Just pick a driver and MCPCB with LED per the instructions. It's a cheaper alternative to the other module makers mentioned for starting out.
 

Crazyeddiethefirst

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What type of work do you need the light for?The reason I ask is that I Have a Sportrac triple Nichia and with over 1200 lumen output, I have never come close to needing more light. I have lights that put out a lot more lumens, but to be honest, I have never needed them. Most the time I need to use lower modes, so the single 18650 battery and Sportrac are all I need.
 

Tac Gunner

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waxycap

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Wow, thanks for all the advice guys. It's going to take me a while to research all of this, and to be honest, when I bought the Solarforce L2P, I had no idea it was a P60 dropin style flashlight!!!

So now I have weeks more research to do. But in a nutshell, I want the biggest/ brightest ultra high CRI (and neutral tint) option possible using two 18650's (I bought the extension tube)

I would also not mind knowing what I can do with a single 18650, or perhaps two 16650's together, since I have two of those laying around, and I don't know what the hell to do with them.
 

thslw8jg

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If you are looking for a hi CRI option, a Nichia 219B triple or quad drop-in with a guppydrv FETDD driver or a hybrid FETDD/7135 driver from Mountain Electronics should fit your requirement. This should get you in the 2000 lumen zone. This option is best for single cell high drain cell use(Samsung 20R/25R/30Q or Sony VTC 4/5) due to the 8+ amp draw on high. The Nichia 219B emitter's forward voltage is around 3 volts and doesn't need the higher voltage of 2 cells. If you are using one of the newer lower CRI 6 volt forward voltage Cree emitter's (MT-G, XH-P 50/70), then you would need 2 cells in series for the 6 volt forward voltage requirement. Good luck and keep us posted on your decision[emoji106]
 

waxycap

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If you are looking for a hi CRI option, a Nichia 219B triple or quad drop-in with a guppydrv FETDD driver or a hybrid FETDD/7135 driver from Mountain Electronics should fit your requirement. This should get you in the 2000 lumen zone. This option is best for single cell high drain cell use(Samsung 20R/25R/30Q or Sony VTC 4/5) due to the 8+ amp draw on high. The Nichia 219B emitter's forward voltage is around 3 volts and doesn't need the higher voltage of 2 cells. If you are using one of the newer lower CRI 6 volt forward voltage Cree emitter's (MT-G, XH-P 50/70), then you would need 2 cells in series for the 6 volt forward voltage requirement. Good luck and keep us posted on your decision[emoji106]

I get what you are saying, but I have questions about my battery configuration. (see end of this reply for details) Adding or subtracting the extension tube is throwing a curveball into this. I think I should make another thread about it, because there must be a lot of differences between using one 18650 vs. using 2x 18650s, in the one flashlight.

But in terms of quality, I get the feeling that this is what I am looking for:

P60-drop-in-best.jpg




I already have Nichia 219 neutrals in my EagleTac, but that is in a much larger flashlight with 6 LEDS in the head.
What I really want to know is how variables in the batteries and battery compartment (for example extended 2x 18650s OR 1x 18650) effects my LED choice decisions.
 

thslw8jg

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If your driver is rated to handle the higher voltage you are fine, however if you use 2 cells in series, you are doubling your voltage and not your battery capacity. If you use 2 cells in parallel, your voltage remains same as a single cell but your capacity doubles.
 

waxycap

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If your driver is rated to handle the higher voltage you are fine, however if you use 2 cells in series, you are doubling your voltage and not your battery capacity. If you use 2 cells in parallel, your voltage remains same as a single cell but your capacity doubles.

I understand what you are saying. My RCR123s are the same way in my Streamlight ProTac HL, since I have to chain two together to get it to work (I really hate CR123s) But what will doubling up on cells do for me? As opposed to using just one at a time with the extension piece I mentioned?
 

thslw8jg

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All doubling up will do is double the voltage and capacity will not double. An example is if you have 2 protected Panasonic NCR18650B cells used in series. Your voltage will double to 8.4 volts while your capacity is 3400mAH. It depends on the emitter's you use, using a triple copper noctigen in parallel with 3 Nichia 219B emitter's requires a fv of about 3 volts. Your driver is receiving 8.4 volts from your cells and has to buck the voltage so you don't fry the emitter's. So using 2 cells has no benefit for the Nichia emitter's. If you use a single XH-P 50/70, MT-G emitter that has a forward voltage of 6 volts, 2 cells would be required. I have several extenders/cells which I remove or add depending on the drop-in forward voltage I am using. Hope this helps[emoji106]
 

PapaLumen

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You will get longer runtime with 2 cells. Yes the input voltage will be 8.4v but the current will be less. Capacity should really be thought of in w/h not mah. Try it and see.
 

waxycap

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All doubling up will do is double the voltage and capacity will not double. An example is if you have 2 protected Panasonic NCR18650B cells used in series. Your voltage will double to 8.4 volts while your capacity is 3400mAH. It depends on the emitter's you use, using a triple copper noctigen in parallel with 3 Nichia 219B emitter's requires a fv of about 3 volts. Your driver is receiving 8.4 volts from your cells and has to buck the voltage so you don't fry the emitter's. So using 2 cells has no benefit for the Nichia emitter's. If you use a single XH-P 50/70, MT-G emitter that has a forward voltage of 6 volts, 2 cells would be required. I have several extenders/cells which I remove or add depending on the drop-in forward voltage I am using. Hope this helps[emoji106]

So, basically if I get the Nichia 219s mentioned in my picture, I might have slightly better run time? Or will the difference be so slight that I should not bother with the extension tube?
 

Tac Gunner

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You might see a little increase in runtime with the extension due to there being less stress on a single battery but amperage remains constant in series so it will be the same current draw whether there is one battery or two.
 
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