In search of the Farthest Throwing Hi CRI Flashlight Stock or Modded

Hey, I'm looking for the farthest throwing Hi CRI flashlight say 800m + or more of throw. Is there one that exists that is stock or which flashlight and emitter swap would give me the farthest throwing Hi CRI flashlight?

Why didn't I think of this thread?

A few options come to mind.

• In any of the large-reflector 3 volt throwers like the Fenix TK61, Maxtoch 2X or even the mid-size Olight M3XS-UT or Maxtoch M24, you could use the Luminus SST-20 in 95 CRI. The 2X would probably be my pick unless you have a TK61 sitting around. Note the TK61 will need a rather large MCPCB for the leads to clear the reflector.
• The BLF GT, Thrunite TN42 or similar could be swapped to a 90 CRI XHP35 HI, if you can find one. Arrow had a few in 3000K, and the search to use on Octopart and the like would be "XHP35A-H*-0000-**0U*" With those lights, even an XHP35 HD would give you well over 1km; the search for any 90 CRI XHP35 is "XHP35A-**-0000-**0U*". Mouser has a couple in 2700K and 3000K. Arrow has one in 5700K (with free overnight in the US and free shipping to most of the world). You could, of course try shaving or dedoming it.
• Emisar will put an SST-20 in the D1S if you send a message requesting it and promising not to complain if it burns out. It will fall a bit short of 800m with the high-CRI SST-20, but the D1S is a much more compact light than these others, and inexpensive at $35.
• Convoy will probably put an SST-20 in the L2 on request via their Aliexpress store. Throw with the XP-L HI is 750m, and the high-CRI version of the SST-20 will be near-identical.
• The Acebeam W10 laser-excitation phosphor pocket thrower claims 1km throw and has been independently tested at over 900m. There's a 90 CRI option, which Androw & Amanda has in stock. It's $60 extra for high-CRI.

Lemax or Peak Beam Systems. Both multi-thousand meter throw with good CRI...

I just want to ask in all seriousness. What application is high-CRI needed at 800 meters where you can hardly distinguish what you are looking at anyway? This is a serious question, not sarcastic or belittling at all. Educate me.

Bigburly912 said:

I just want to ask in all seriousness. What application is high-CRI needed at 800 meters where you can hardly distinguish what you are looking at anyway? This is a serious question, not sarcastic or belittling at all. Educate me.

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Mainly for fun and to see out into a field at my uncles farm at least 250yds away. I had a GTvn mini with the Samsung LH351D 4000K in it and his specs on that light was 1100 lumens, 65kcd, and 510m throw and it wouldn't reach out to that 250yds. Thats why i said 800m + so i can actually have some usable light to see out to that 250yds.

Zunkted said:

I had a GTvn mini with the Samsung LH351D 4000K in it and his specs on that light was 1100 lumens, 65kcd, and 510m throw and it wouldn't reach out to that 250yds.

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The ANSI method in your light means a light meter will register 0.25 lumen at 510 meters. A lot of good that will do the fellow holding the flashlight. If you're standing at 510 meters, you will be able to see the light. So, you're correct. You need a lot more than the ANSI spec to be useful.

The SST20 95 CRI will be your best chance at getting that kind of mix of throw+CRI. The SST20 has a tiny die, so putting it in a large reflector assures great throw.

Reflector wise, you'll want to look at Manker U21 or Convoy L2 size at minimum. Those reflectors plus the SST20 should net you around 300kcd and 700-800 lumens.


You could also go HID.

Bigburly912 said:

I just want to ask in all seriousness. What application is high-CRI needed at 800 meters where you can hardly distinguish what you are looking at anyway? This is a serious question, not sarcastic or belittling at all. Educate me.

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For a farmer it will help differentiate between the neighbors cat or something else getting ready to eat the chickens before you shoot it. But Only one of them you need to apologize for.

Bigburly912 said:

I just want to ask in all seriousness. What application is high-CRI needed at 800 meters where you can hardly distinguish what you are looking at anyway? This is a serious question, not sarcastic or belittling at all. Educate me.

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I was thinking the same thing.

aginthelaw said:

For a farmer it will help differentiate between the neighbors cat or something else getting ready to eat the chickens before you shoot it. But Only one of them you need to apologize for.

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I can give you the most pukish tinted zero cri LED on earth and you can do the same.

Zunkted said:

Mainly for fun and to see out into a field at my uncles farm at least 250yds away. I had a GTvn mini with the Samsung LH351D 4000K in it and his specs on that light was 1100 lumens, 65kcd, and 510m throw and it wouldn't reach out to that 250yds. Thats why i said 800m + so i can actually have some usable light to see out to that 250yds.

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I don't know of a light that fits your exact requirements, although it appears the others have made suggestions. I would only add that most LED's are good enough now that you don't need 90+ CRI for this application. You just need a thrower. If you relax this requirement, you'll open the door to many, many more options. I'm a CRI junkie myself, but I find that high CRI lights are better suited to close up work. Just a thought.

Modernflame said:

I'm a CRI junkie myself, but I find that high CRI lights are better suited to close up work. Just a thought.

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This is ultimately where I'm trying to get with the questioning. I just see no practical reason it has to be high CRI and we could open you up to a whole new world of throwers. And another question why does it need to be stock? If not stock then skylumen.com has everything you could imagine. You can even email Vinh with specifically what you are looking for and he will give you suggestions on what to get.

twistedraven said:

The SST20 95 CRI will be your best chance at getting that kind of mix of throw+CRI. The SST20 has a tiny die, so putting it in a large reflector assures great throw.

Reflector wise, you'll want to look at Manker U21 or Convoy L2 size at minimum. Those reflectors plus the SST20 should net you around 300kcd and 700-800 lumens.

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That's a little optimistic. In a regulated light, replacing an XP-L HI with a 95 CRI SST-20 results in nearly identical intensity. The Convoy L2 with an XP-L HI is about 140 kcd.

The good part is it uses a regulated buck driver, so the 1 cell version will stay in regulation longer with the SST-20s lower forward voltage and the 2 cell version will get a little extra runtime.

The U21 is a 12 volt light; it would need a driver swap to use an SST-20.

The L2 does not just throw 140kcd. The GT Mini, with only a 50mm head, throws 135kcd.

L2 can get upwards of 200kcd with XPL HI and 300kcd with SST40 dedomed, and 500kcd with a Black Flat.

My L2 figures are from https://zeroair.wordpress.com/2017/04/26/zeroair-reviews-convoy-l2/ - if you have other figures for a stock L2, please share them.

The L2 uses a regulated buck driver with a maximum of 3A. It's a conservative light that can run cool and produce full output for a very long time when using two 26650s. The GT Mini uses a FET driver, which should pull 4.5A or more. I'm sure an L2 can produce much higher numbers with a current boost or a different driver, but I was talking about stock.

This thread is delicious.

Questioning why someone wants something when this place is devoted to feelers about flashlights.

I'll give it a go.

i just got a lot of decent flashlights from years of yore, and they're excellent including the throwers. However, I realize how much I never want to stare at a non accurate CRI sight picture again. Even if far off. I should be done with flashlights for a while, but the one thing that would get me back in the game is swapping everything/modding for high cri in all my lights. That way, even if I pick up a thrower; if I end up using it for close work I have the cri I want.

So:

interchangability of tools and if I pick up a thrower but end up using it close it's got high cri.

Zak said:

My L2 figures are from https://zeroair.wordpress.com/2017/04/26/zeroair-reviews-convoy-l2/ - if you have other figures for a stock L2, please share them.

The L2 uses a regulated buck driver with a maximum of 3A. It's a conservative light that can run cool and produce full output for a very long time when using two 26650s. The GT Mini uses a FET driver, which should pull 4.5A or more. I'm sure an L2 can produce much higher numbers with a current boost or a different driver, but I was talking about stock.

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I pulled them here and there throughout the web. For instance, had the SST40 dedomed version at one point myself from Skylumen, which was measured at 280kcdk that is using a fet driver though. The other was a user's mod on BLF that was a fet driven black fat which pulled 500kcd.

The warmer CCT of the XPL HI in ZeroAir's review and the fact that it was driven only moderatly could explain lower kcd performance. With that in mind I have to apologize because I was assuming numbers for a cool white non hi cri SST20. The 400k 95cri one should pull lower kcd in comparison-- 150-200kcd more likely. 200kcd is enough to get an ansi rated 800m of throw, but ansi rated and actually being able to see stuff at 800m are two different things.

Somewhere someone on BLF put a 4000k 95cri SST20 in their BLF mini and got 100-150kcd.. or maybe it was 200k, can't remember. If I can find it I'll confirm.

I made myself a triple SST20 high CRI Eagletac m30lc2c. From the stock xpg2, there was a noticeable drop in output, but color rendering at far distance is beautiful as long as there isn't too much hazyness in the air. I'm a sucker for high CRI, but I think depending on intended use, an 80cri thrower will still render colors fairly well but give you the extra reach.

In a world without compromise, I do think that high CRI is useful in a thrower as well.