[Review] Convoy S2+ my point of vew

Hi kiak! Thanks for your review and points of view :wink:

You summarized some things very well :wink:

Please just let me say some things about this light as well, that you may already know, or not!

To use it as a “headlight” there are some headbands that “allow” you to use this light as a “headlight” despite its design!
Here you have 2 of them (from AliExpress, but you can search them in other stores):

- https://www.aliexpress.com/store/product/Free-shipping-flashlight-headband-for-22-30mm-flashlight/330416_1532841941.html?spm=2114.12010612.0.0.18c659e1jyJUaK

Also, unless I didn’t saw that information, you didn’t mention where you bought the flashlight. Please notice that there are some places where you can buy them with a 3/5 modes driver (Gearbest, Fasttech, Banggood, ….) but you can also buy it with a the Biscotti driver installed on the Convoy Store in AliExpress .

There you can ask Simon Mao to install the Biscotti driver on your flashlights.
This driver allows you to configure a lot of options and output levels including:
1 - configure it to have 100% on the first click (with or without memory)
2 - have strobe in 1 click (with memory settled in some group levels)
3 - not having “flashes” to change modes
4 - Always start on low modes or high modes, depending on the group you choose !

Also, you can ask Simon to incorporate a “forward switch” in you flashlight so that you can have “mometary on” feature with half click.

Hopes this helps! And being a new member here, welcome aboard :wink:

Thanks for keeping this as a simple primer for those who aren't intimately familiar the S2+

Thanks for the warm welcoming, MascaratumB!

I bought the flashlight from Fasttech, because at that point the price was the lowest.

After that I started reading here in the forum about the Biscotti driver, the Aliexpress oficial store and so on. I would not mind to test the driver ( If I decide to keep the light). May be it doesn’t make sense to bother, because I’m waiting for BLF A6 to arrive.

As for the headbands - I’m aware of those, that you showed. One problem (and that is why I don’t like them) is, that if you want to change the angle, you have to move the whole band. I’m adjusting it frequently, especially when the weather is not so nice. With the Fenix headband it is very easy and convenient.
I decided to enlarge my flashlight collection and solved the problem by ordering Skilhunt H03!

The links that you gave could be very useful to someone who is planing to buy the Convoy S2+, or any other model. Thank you!

@Terry Oregon
A month ago I was not aware of that flashlight as well. When I took it, I thought that it would be good if I can share what I know, like or unlike.

Nice review.
Just to add. New Biscotti driver also has twice fast PWM than old one.
You can also check Eagle Eye X2R and X5R on AliExpress store. They are nice budget flashlights too.

I was thinking to mention PWM in the review, but I forgot. Anyway, it is with enough high frequency and it is very hard to see. I had to shake the light really fast, and even though i hardly noticed it.
Thanks for the other budget recommendations - I’ll take a look.

Nice review of a great flashlight! :smiley:

The lumens of the XPL HI V2 are not right

993 Lumens @2.8A 25°C Tj

those are taken from Cree LED comparator tool, so OTF lumens will be lower lens, reflector and LED temperature

There’s no need for a high-discharge battery with S2+.
Nearly dead laptop pull won’t do, but any high-quality battery should be fine.

Anyway, nice review, thank you. I haven’t seen the magnet trick before. :slight_smile:

a stock Convoy S2+ wont hit 1000 OTF lumens unmodded

The LED bin is too low, the MCPCB is not DTP so LED gets hotter and less efficient

with XPL HD V6 or XML2 U4 you can get 1000 OTF lumens

Those LEDs on a DTP star with 65°C Tj you get 1150 LED lumens which should be about 1000 OTF lumens

I took the data from the flashlight manufacturer, so it might not be correct.
Note taken and next time I’ll try to find more proven data.

I have the S2+ Blue and Desert Tan. I have been using them for some months now, stock and unmodded. I will eventually upgrade the drivers one way or another, but I don’t mind keeping them stock for now. I know that the S2+ is superb for indoor use and for EDC. It is a fine host for “rolling your own” because of its proven design and good value. I think I will continue to support the Convoy brand, but just out of curiosity, I would like to confirm if the host of the newer S2+ is really made of 6061 grade aluminum and is it Type II anodization?

this is why we all are so different in what features we like from our lights.

OP: CON- “” it is not possible to immediately turn on strobe or maximum regime;””

ME: PRO- “” it is not possible to immediately turn on strobe or maximum regime;””

Typically I’m not “strobe” guy at all, and I don’t mind to cycle trough the modes to get to the highest. Usually I’m using the lowest possible. But now the situation is a bit different - I have to walk the dog every evening, and we are walking at some rural fields and small woods. From time to time I have to “shine” with the high beam to see the dog eye’s reflection, or when we run across some wildlife (moistly dears and rabbits). In cases like this I wish I have shortcut to maximum mode. Because for me two is one and one is none, I always have my trusty Fenix PD35 on the strongest mode on hand.

Nice Review kiak,

I got one of the Desert tan S2+ a few weeks ago because I couldn’t resist the color.

Eventually I want to convert it to a 219c triple.

One thing that I couldn’t stand (although I never hear anyone else mention it… so it’s probably just me) is the action of the metal tail switch .
I just could not stand the weird, gritty, clunky, janky action of that thing…it drove me nuts.
Anybody have any thoughts on how to replace that?

for now I just removed the suction-cup/ metal plunger piece, made a little washer to move the switch closer to the end and covered with a rubber switch cover…but that doesn’t work so well either because you really have to push in far to get it to work.

please help…I want to get this switch sorted before I spend time making a triple with a switch that I cant stand.

Thanks

Although I am one of those person that really likes the metal switch, there are lots of people mentioning things about that in several threads. Maybe you can find some things here: Convoy S2+ Desert Tan Available Now! .

To replace the switch it seems you have to have a “special kind” of pliers. Maybe other members can inform you about that. Post it on that thread or search for something about that there, I guess there are some tips about how to retrieve it :wink:

Thanks for the input…sorry I called your switch Janky :smiley:

Ahah, it’s not “mine”, but I really like it and I wish I could put one in my other Convoys :smiley:
With time I learned how smooth it can be and how silent it is, being a “clicky” without loud “click”. I’ll also make some mods on my S2+ Tan, in some time, but the metal switch will prevail! More: one of the reasons I’ll choose this host for the mod is actually…the switch :wink:

A good review, kiak. It provides a comprehensive introduction to the S2+.

As others have mentioned, your lumen figures are a bit high compared to real life, because the LED manufacturers don’t account for losses in a real flashlight head. For example, reflectors are not perfectly smooth and reflective, so they lose some light. Light can also bounce back into the head from the lens, instead of going through as it should.

If anyone wants a more numeric approach, I posted some tables on CPF a couple of years ago showing LED outputs for Convoy lights with 3/5 mode drivers and XML2 LEDs in various colour temperatures:

Note: those tables don’t apply to the new Convoy lights with XPL HI and Biscotti driver.

Yesterday I was able to compare few Convoys with different emitters. The red one is with XM-L2-U2-1A, and the silver one with XP-L HI V2-1A. Both of them have 2800mA drivers.




Several differences are noticeable on the visual comparison. First, that matters only if you are planing to use the flashlight as a gift, is that they came in more luxurious boxes. The silver is equipped also with pocket clip.

The buttons are metal, but unfortunately I didn’t make a picture. On the red one, the button is gray, and on the silver one - black. The other main differences are, that the silver one has AR coated glass, smooth reflector, and at the end I noticed that the clip can also be put on the head. On the other models that is not possible.

We waited for the dark to make some outside pictures. I want to say, that the conditions were not perfect - there was a full moon and clear sky. The spot was not so good, the time was limited, and it was quite cold. It was the first time for me to make such photos, so please, don’t judge me so hard!

All shots were taken with the same camera settings and are in consequence with flashlights modes:

XM-L2 T6-4C

Low:


Medium:


Hi:


XM-L2-U2-1A

Low:


Medium:


Hi:


XP-L HI V2-1A

Low:


Medium:


Hi:

Just for reference I made some shots of Fenix PD35’s modes:

Lowest Low:


Low:


Medium:


Hi:


Turbo:

At the end, as a result of all that testing, shooting and playing is that my wife liked the silver one a lot, and making the things easier for the upcoming gift shopping! And ours flashlight collection will grow with one more light!

dragging this one to the top…. Best source for an S2+, muggle owner? Banggood has these for $12.45

I know I can get them from Simon for a few bucks more and have biscotti…. But these are for non-discerning guys at work…
I scored a bunch of NOS 2014 nitcore chargers and am basically able to sell the package for $30….

So what I’m asking, if you are not going to be picky, sourcing an S2+ from BG or GB isn’t the end of the world…?

Thanks