Hi X3, thank you for your reply.
I agree that there isn’t much point of me going up if I bought another Convoy S2+, as the battery life to brightness seems good with the 6x7135 for me.
I just guess I would like to try something else, and was wondering what falls in my budget, that is actually worth getting and not junk lol.
If the Convoy is really the best I can get, it will be another one, but it would be nice to try something else out if possible :).
buy S2+ or S3
new UI driver
optional, on other shops items might be cheaper
especially in simons ali express store
AR front glass
magnet for tail
if you want more throw
SMO reflector
In regards to the VG15/VG15S they have a step down from their top brightness at 3mins. 45c certainly isn’t hot. My TN36 hits about 70c which is too hot to hold comfortably.
I really need to do a heat/lux test on that at some point.
Ahh, I understand now. That is not a bad idea, as I remember my Convoy S2+ on high did get very hot near the emitter if used on high, which was why I mainly used it on mid mode, plus for the better battery life.
Is the clip removable on the Thorfire VG15S? As I was thinking if I used it on my bike, the holder for the flashlight may not work with a clip in place.
It seems the S2+ is still a well recommended light, and for the price I will probably grab another.
But, I would also like another flashlight as I fancy one lol.
So, there is the Thorfire, if anyone else has any recommendations please let me know.
I also can’t think of any better than S2+ with the new firmware.
I was removing old Convoy drivers instantly - that was the weak point I could not stand. But with the new FW - it’s perfect! Simple, enough flexibility, no visible PWM, I love it!
For the perfect light - I could recommend S2+ 6x7135 + high CRI Nichia 219C.
Ok then, I think it will be a Convoy S2+ with the new firmware then, although I will also buy another flashlight from another brand, as I fancy another one too :).
It will be the 6x7135 version I go for again, although I will be sticking to the standard emitter, I am not very good when it comes to mods and ruined my first S2+ when I tried to mod it, so I think it will be the Cree emitter over the Nichia.
Also, are there any recommended batteries, or are my high drain li-Ions fine to continue to use? I have 2500-3000MAH Cells such as 25R’s and 30Q’s.
EDIT: Also, which tint would you recommend? I have no idea what my old models were, although they were quite white and not yellow.
I can’t seem to find the model with the new firmware on the Convoy store unfortunately, I do want to get one though so will have to find out how to do this.
I still wish to get another flashlight though too, so the Thorfire seems good, although any other ideas in this price range would be great too.
I will just use my current batteries like I did for the Convoy I lost, I got good runtimes out of a 25R or 30Q in mid mode, so might as well save money by using them still.
For XM-L2 most recommended tint is T6-4C. It’s more warm, but I like it very much. I also like 3B - more neutral.
Go to Convoy store on Aliexpress and write a message to Simon, he’s very responsive. As far as I remember for about $1 more he can make you light with the new firmware.
I could flash you a Convoy S2+ light so no new driver needed
XML2 have a tint shift which makes em look not nice like XPL HI
I would recommend
a Noctigon star with XPL HI V3-3C,
SMO reflector,
Spring bypass
And SS pocket clip
Remember the stock springs are steel so they got an impact in the lights efficiency
Try one of the Jaxman lights with high CRI Nichia emitters. Basically the same size format as the S2+
conanthewarrior
does your S2 with 6*7135 cool off when biking? I can’t believe there is no warning sign on my 8* 
after 10 minutes feels like :smiling_imp:
RobertB
Thanks for your suggestion, Jaxman E2 and E2L look really impressive
If you mod a S2+ 7135*8 with DTP star it can get too hot to touch without damaging the LED
The thermal path is critical, the LED gets coocked on a cheap aluminum star with not enough heatpste
Hmm. What about GearBest? Maybe they have new firmware? It is only $9.99 there.
I am also planning to buy this but I am not sure what can be done after for example getting one with old firmware.
You can ask simon to flash it for a dollar do checkout but dont pay
You can ask simon to flash it for a dollar do checkout but dont pay
There are so far only stock C8 with new firmware
I’m a big fan of the Convoy S2+ and own four of them. I bought a couple of the new firmware drivers but haven’t installed them yet but they should be quite nice. You can’t go wrong with an S2+.
However…
Like you I wanted to try something different as well. I just got the Astrolux S1 last month and like it quite a bit as well. I like that it has the 18350 tube should I choose that option. It has about 7 levels of brightness with a nice moon mode. Turbo is suppose to be around 1200+ lumens. It has the strobe, battery check and bike strobe functions as well. I think they’re around $25 now with a code. Check one of the folks here with GB codes to see.
Like others I own about 4 Convoy’s but haven’t gotten around to testing one out on my road bike. I do like to have a touch of throw up the road so I’ve got the (newer, XP-L) Nitenumen NE01 - an MH20 clone. I’ve only used it for a couple of rides so far but it seems pretty good. I do like the USB recharging convenience (I’ve setup a power supply with a load of microUSB cables where I store my bikes.)
Worth thinking about. If I get the chance I’ll test out the NE01 vs. the S2+ to see if I can live without the extra throw.
If it’s worthy info, I have just bought a Convoy M1 in 7A with Biscotti from Simon, so the costliest combo for the model. It didn’t cost even 20 bucks by itself - it cost me a little more with the BLF discount because I also got two pocket clips. Everyone tells me it gets the flood/throw balance just right with an excellent form factor.
Worth a look, maybe?
Eagle Eye X2R
I own both (S2) and the EEX2R feels like the it has better quality. Doesn’t appear you desire a lot of modes so the 3 simple modes should suit you though it has no moonlight mode. Its a good walking light and I’m sure for trail/slow riding it would do well on a bike. Doesn’t have the throw for any sort of speed riding but in that arena its similar to the S2. Just a very nice flashlight for the money (under $20.00) delivered
Meant to say “under $25.00 USD”.
Not sure how that converts for the the OP in GB