Tell me how to spend my paltry $100

I need a single 18650, some protected cells, and a charger

A bit of background first: I've purchased a few ultra-fire lights and batteries and love almost everything about these lights.. except the low build quality, low durability (most all have the ones I've used have had the switches quit working), and the questionable batteries.

I'd like to keep budget in mind. Would really like to stay about the $100 dollar mark for the setup but if major gains would be made by a few extra bucks I'm sure I could swing it.

Uses for light: general car/backpack carry and use while hunting, fishing, boating, and just generally working.

Things I'll be looking for in the light are:

Durability - Want this thing to hold up to 3-5ft drops during normal use and temporary submersion in water (30min max)
Interface - Simple is better, just want it to remember my last mode

I've had my eye on the Olight S2 baton, like the small sleek size, magnet in tail cap is a neat feature, not a big fan of the position of the switch, but not a deal breaker.

I also like the Nitecore P12, it looks to have most of the features I'm looking for but I'm unsure of the durability and build quality.


Charger:
I would like a simple charger that could also charge my eneloops
I'm thinking the Xtar VC4

Batteries:
Like the idea of a protected panasonic cell so I'm thinking the orbtronic 3400mah would be a good choice

I'm open to switching any of these items for a better package if you think I would benefit.

Thanks in advance!

For durability, ease of use, quality of componentry, and after-sale service, I would consider spending your budget plus a few dollars on a Malkoff MD2 with a high/low ring. Use the charger and batteries you have now until you can afford to replace them. The Malkoff is fantastic out of the box, but opens a whole world of dropins to customize tint and output down the road. Heaven forbid you have a problem with it, Gene and family are fantastic to deal with and you'll be taken care of quickly, and with a smile.

For around $100 you can get a zebralight SC63 and a budget charger. best combo of size/lumens/quality in a factory light. I'd recommend the MKIII, which is larger, but it is at your budget without batteries/charger.

If size is not an issue, you can get an olight R50 seeker (26650 battery though) for well under $100 on a group buy (PM me for further info/guidance), which comes with a battery, built in charger and is pretty fantastic (think larger olight s2). My primary hunting flashlight.

I can recommend the olight S2, it is well below your budget and leaves lots for a good charger and batteries.

scout24 said:

For durability, ease of use, quality of componentry, and after-sale service, I would consider spending your budget plus a few dollars on a Malkoff MD2 with a high/low ring. Use the charger and batteries you have now until you can afford to replace them. The Malkoff is fantastic out of the box, but opens a whole world of dropins to customize tint and output down the road. Heaven forbid you have a problem with it, Gene and family are fantastic to deal with and you'll be taken care of quickly, and with a smile.

Click to expand...

I'd 2nd this. You can always get the hi/lo ring later to reduce your current expenditure.

For a hunting light, i'd also recommend a Armytek Predator, Viking or Doberman. If you are patient, they go on sale every so often even with the US Dealers. Illumn has the later on clearance in cool white (I prefer warm, but those are sold out). Be aware that Armytek has quality issues, so buy from a US Dealer so that you can return it if there are any problems. If you get a good one that works properly, they are extremely waterproof and rugged.

There really is no need to spend a fortune to get good quality flashlights.

Think about it. If you need a car to go to the shops, take you to and from work. You don't need a Bentley or a Rolls Royce. And no need to pay that much.

The only thing on your list that might be a decider is water submersion. Many lights might be rated as different degrees of water proof, but if this is a real likelihood, then make sure what you get is suitable, or even a drive light might be worth looking at.


As for batteries, my advise would be to read up on them. The biggest capacity number does not mean the best. But it will depend on it's use.


Again, if you think along the lines of cars. Does a car with a 20 gallon fuel tank mean it's a better car than one with a 12 gallon fuel tank?


Chargers, there are many. And most are quite affordable. I personally like different chargers for different tasks, so have Li-ion chargers (multiple ones, so I can charge many batteries at a time and due to the different sizes in Li-ion batteries) and I have dedicated NiMH chargers.

I've always got on well with Xtar chargers for Li-ion, but there are many others.


Back to the batteries again. You do no need protected batteries. So again, very worthwhile reading up and understanding what protection circuits are for, why they are there and what they don't do.


Here is an example of what I mean by the batteries. Essentially you want the line as high as possible, as that is volts and gives you the performance (ie the higher lumen outputs). The further right it goes, the longer it lasts for. But once you get to a low voltage, it matters not at all really, as low voltage either won't power the led or will only give you moonlight like outputs.





In terms of torches. Convoy make some great torches and they start around $10, very good quality and performance.

The Astrolux brand also offers some massively high output lights that perform brilliantly. You can get both from places like banggood (dot. com)

Just search for them.


As I say, you'll want to watch for and understand the IPX ratings for water proofing though. And consider what type of water they will be exposed too.

A lot of new ideas here. I've heard of the malkoff lights but not looked into them much until now. It looks like they cost a bit more than I'd like to spend ($100 for light, batteries, and charger). From what I see they appear to have the build quality and durability nailed, but I think they're just above my price range. It may be something to look into in the future if I find I need something one step up.

Ive looked into the convoy lights and they seem like a great value. I like the simplicity and low cost but wonder if for just a bit more money I could get a little more. However I will likely be buying a convoy S2 just to have a spare light that can use 18650's.

It was also suggested that I just go with unprotected cells. I like the idea of saving money but like the extra safety afforded by protected cells. I dont want to have to worry about fully draining my cells or short circuiting them in a pocket. (still may be a concern but would be less likely with protected cells)

Any other ideas on specific lights or brands to consider is welcomed.
I've looked at and continue to debate between:

Fenix
Thrunite
Nitecore
Olight

and now
Malkoff
Convoy

Batteries - I'd like to amass about 8-10 which will work for any application I have
Charger - simple and effective - definite plus to also recharge NiMH

A lot of new ideas here. I've heard of the malkoff lights but not looked into them much until now. It looks like they cost a bit more than I'd like to spend ($100 for light, batteries, and charger). From what I see they appear to have the build quality and durability nailed, but I think they're just above my price range. It may be something to look into in the future if I find I need something one step up.

Ive looked into the convoy lights and they seem like a great value. I like the simplicity and low cost but wonder if for just a bit more money I could get a little more. However I will likely be buying a convoy S2 just to have a spare light that can use 18650's.

It was also suggested that I just go with unprotected cells. I like the idea of saving money but like the extra safety afforded by protected cells. I dont want to have to worry about fully draining my cells or short circuiting them in a pocket. (still may be a concern but would be less likely with protected cells)

Any other ideas on specific lights or brands to consider is welcomed.
I've looked at and continue to debate between:

Fenix
Thrunite
Nitecore
Olight

and now
Malkoff
Convoy

Batteries - I'd like to amass about 8-10 which will work for any application I have
Charger - simple and effective - definite plus to also recharge NiMH

One word of advice on the cells. Don't go for the greatest capacity unless you need the longer runtime, and even then I would think about it. As an example, right now the highest capacity on an 18650 cell is 3400-3600 mAh. Then they drop down from there. I personally would rather buy two 2200 mAh cells for about the same price as the one 3400 mAh cell. If I think I might need to change cells, I have the little plastic soapbox type holders for all of the cells I use, so it is easy to just slip one into a pocket or go bag in case I need them.

Here's the calculation I use: [capacity of highest capacity cell - capacity of lower capacity cell)/capacity of lower capacity cell]

That will tell you how much a percentage increase in capacity you would get by buying the larger cells. Then compare the cost of one high capacity cell to the cost of two low capacity cells. Keep in mind if you buy the two lower capacity cells, you will be getting double the run time in total compared to whatever percentage increase you came up with with the first calculation.

Also, since the only way manufacturers can cram more capacity in to a given cell size is be making it slightly (and sometimes not so slightly) larger, with the result that the cell may not fit into the light you want to use it with. You will usually not have a problem with a lower capacity cell fitting into the light.

It's the little things that sometimes makes the difference.

Thanks Timothy, I'll keep that in mind while I'm looking into selecting some batteries. I like the idea of the longest runtime available but it wouldn't be that big of a deal to swap a battery while out and about.

Most of the protected batteries I look at seem to be around $2 to $3 per Ah independent of capacity. For example, I've seen protected Panasonic 18650 NCR18650B cells for $7 to $10 depending on the seller. For some reason I had trouble finding a quality sub 3Ah protected cell to use for an example, but I did find a 2600 mAh protected Samsung ICR1865026F for $7. That said, the Sanyo NCR18650GA which is only 100 mAh over the NCR18650B seems to run a full $1 more, which generally isn't worth it.
Anyway, let us assume 4 protected batteries (such as the aforementioned Panasonic NCR18650B), a couple cheap cases, and an Xtar VC4 (which is a very good and reasonably priced 4 bay charger). After shipping and possible tax it will probably run $65. For the light itself, the Astrolux A1/BLF A6 is a pretty fantastic light and is the step up from the Convoy you were looking for. It is around $25-$30 shipped (slow shipping) comes with your choice of tint (I would recommend the 3D or 5A). Compared to the Convoy S2+, you get a few better internal parts, robust UI that includes more modes, and easily over 1000 lumens OTF with a decent battery or close to 1600 with a high drain battery and spring bypass.
It isnt as durable as Armytek or Malkoff, but it keeps you in budget and provides excellent value. I use mine for hiking and the like as well, but I haven't beaten it too harshly.

SolarFarce L2M and a Malkoff M61 to your taste.

I'd consider a drop-in and Solarforce L2P host combination, or a Convoy M1 host, from PFlexPro. They're extremely durable and very efficient lights, come with a lifetime warranty, and have very flexible interfaces. He offers a wide range of emitter choices as well, and there's a package deal for $105 with a charger and cell.

I like the looks of the pflexpro options! thanks a bunch for the idea. I'll have to look into it.

Just so I understand what kind of product pflexpro offers... is it just different modules that drop into other flashlight bodies that enhance performance?

Just to add a little more confusion....
Check out Adventure Sport Flashlights. A long time modder here has opened up his own web based store selling modded Convoys also.




Welcome to CPF, your wallet will hate you


Barry

ArmyTek is a very durable flashlight, although there appear to be problems with the lights I (fortunately) have not encountered such.

laxtond said:

I like the looks of the pflexpro options! thanks a bunch for the idea. I'll have to look into it.

Just so I understand what kind of product pflexpro offers... is it just different modules that drop into other flashlight bodies that enhance performance?

Click to expand...

That's the basic idea, yes. The "P60" format is based on an older Surefire series. P60 lights consist of a "host" (the flashlight body, lens and switch) and the "drop-in" (reflector, LED and driver). Many companies and custom manufacturers offer hosts and drop-ins. In theory, yes, you can swap them around. In practice, today's LED's put out so much heat that you need to keep the drop-ins tightly wrapped with copper in order to get good heatsinking. So that tends to limit the swapping, at least for me.

ETA: They also offer lights built into Convoy hosts. Convoy is a very highly regarded "budget" brand that sells both complete lights for $15-25 or so, and also parts for people to make their own. A light in a Convoy host would be permanently installed.

laxtond said:

I like the looks of the pflexpro options! thanks a bunch for the idea. I'll have to look into it.

Just so I understand what kind of product pflexpro offers... is it just different modules that drop into other flashlight bodies that enhance performance?

Click to expand...

Unless you have a specific need or want for a p60 light. I'd say look at others first.

I'm not against p60's, indeed I own more than one or two. But these days they are rather old hat.

The p60 format is essentially a metal tube, aka the flashlight host. And a module that has the LED, driver and reflector screwed to it. These drop in quickly and easily.

But you can buy more light for less money that is the same size these days. And tbh, swapping drivers and LEDs is pretty easy on many and when you know what sort of setup you like, you probably won't change them that often anyhow.

And this is true with the p60's. The idea and concept of changing the LED quickly sounds appealing in theory. In practice you'll just end up buying other lights. So makes this feature largely redundant.


This is what a p60 module looks like:




These vary in price and quality. But they don't do anything normal flashlights do. Indeed they usually use the same driver and LED. But the p60 format means less mass in the pill normally and a less efficient thermal path.

Also some p60 prices are comically expensive. Some are very good, but others are just playing on the band wagon that they are cool and a must have. But that's from times past largely.

A Convoy M1 or M2 are very similar size to a p60. But will out perform most p60' and are a lot cheaper than many as well. (The Solorforce light on the right is a p60 and about as small as you get them, some are more bulky than this one).

Thatnks for they very detailed replies! I was really looking to steer clear of these custom made flashlights (albeit on the lower end), but the more I look into them the more I'm liking what I see. I really seem to be impressed by the pflexpro lights and can see myself ordering one of the solarforce L2P's. I was going to try to contact him directly but suppose asking here may be just as good based on the responses I've seen.

I've ordered some protected panasonic 18650's (the ones with the clear wrapping that are supposed to be pretty long) anyone know if these will fit in the L2P?

Thanks again guys!

If you buy more batteries, or when shall we say, when you buy some more I'd recommend the Samsung 30Q. They are an INR/IMR cell. No need for protection, are short and narrow, so fit most things. Good performance and runtime. I'm yet to find a better all round battery for the money,