Sipik clone, q5, £3.99
Ultrafire branding
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CREE-Q5-LED-300-Lumens-Zoom-Torch-Flashlight-Lamp-Light-/170867315528?pt=UK_SportsLeisure_Camping_LightsLanternsTorches&hash=item27c87c5348
Ultrafire too
£3.99
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CREE-Q5-LED-300-Lumens-Zoom-Torch-Flashlight-Lamp-Light-/280909227724?pt=UK_SportsLeisure_Camping_LightsLanternsTorches&hash=item41677ea6cc
Do ya have to add VAT to that too?
Thank you for the links!
I’m not actually sure. According to this we only have to pay VAT on non-EU imported items if it’s worth more than £15. The thing is if Customs get hold of something (they usually do >.<) they also charge an £8 handling fee. In the end it can cost quite a lot, but some goods are marked up so much here one wonders where the money goes…
I forgot to say if you check “the-whole-list” link, observe for 3-mode.
If English customs charges for items over £15, go for it.
If they pull some junk, refuse shipments.
US customs tried to charge me $48 to inspect a large software order.
Tough s¥§t, I ignored them. About 7-8 yrs back.
It’s funny, one of the links said 5-mode and included the zoom in/out as two. :bigsmile:
Unfortunately they always leave a card and hold onto the parcel at the sorting office. There is no way to refuse; they simply won’t release it if you don’t pay.
Our Customs can be pretty horrible too. I read one rather scary account of someone’s local constabulary being notified over importing a perfectly legal knife. >.< Something like that on the system can cause you to lose your job, if it requires a CRB check.
The 5-mode is, Hi-Lo-Strobe-Zoom in-Zoom out.
Lost in translation is the word I think.
Customs, if the limit is £15, why worry.
It’s the more expensive stuff I worry about!
It’s going for $5.99 at aurabuy currently.
That one says digitally regulated - does that mean it stays the same brightness then cuts off suddenly?
The ones I have, 3 Sipiks, 2 UltraFires and a brand X, all fade out slowly on alkaline or Ni metal hydride AA cells. They go for at least half an hour on about full and then fade but still put out useful light for at least 1.5 hours more. Apparently the driver makes use of whatever is there. The cells recover when rested, to some extent. Near the end they won’t come on immediately when turned off, but come back on after about a minute.
This is as good as the way old 2D dry cell lights worked. The battery’s output drops off faster, but the led’s efficiency doesn’t drop off at low current like the incandescent’s.
|In my experience alkalines are not very good in this light. They start nice and bright but drop off rapidly and they cannot maintain the current demand. NiMH are much better and stay brighter for longer. Alkalines will cut out eventually and need time to recover, well before a NiMH would.
Put a 14500 in though and the brightness increases about 2.5 times. Best to use a protected cell though as you dont want to run them dry, and therefore they will suddenly cut out.
Sorry, I might have missed this, but what is the MCPCB & Driver size on the original SIPIK SK68? I believe the driver is 15mm & MCPCB is 16mm? Can anybody confirm this please? Thanks!
I’m thinking on doing DD dedomed XP-G2 on coppper in an original SIPIK SK68… Thanks
Driver would be 15 mm and led 16mm confirmed I would be doing a mod on my sipik too! waiting for parts 
Great, thanks for the info Candil. A last question. Does the original Sipik SK68 have a solid or hollow pill?
The original Sipik 68 has a solid pill.
However, there are so many clones and copies out there it may be hard to tell if you’re getting an original.
Where find currently original sk68 with solid pill?
Bought my first one a few months ago, not an XRE so certainly not Q5 and single mode only. Was using it for about 15 min when the led clone dimmed with a blue shift. I’ll be pulling the star and replacing it with an xpe torch emitter on copper from RMM probably dedome it and see about improving the pill and boring and lengthening the tube for 16650.
In 2018, is this SIPIK or UltraFire SK68 being sold with a solid pill anywhere?? I’m kind of interested in a mini zoomie, but only if I can find one that’s properly put together.
I just got one off ebay <$3, i am shocked how good this thing is. I really like the pull push zoom feature (always wanted a light that does that). It looks like there’s slight updates to many flaws previously described (cleaner, and better machined?). I put in a lithium battery at 3.7+ volt, its very bright, and heats up with prolonged usage. Poor CRI as its very white, but I don’t mind. This gives my $60+ emissar D4 a run for its money. apples to oranges, but I, too, would highly recommend this to any/everyone.
Good to hear that this classic light still attracts new fans and even impresses an owner of a D4 