Not if we have 4x18650 in serial connection.
Having more lumens is great, but not if they don’t go where you want them to. Any increase in emitter size or number will lead to a floodier beam, unless the reflectors are made proportionally larger too.
I don’t see the benefit unless you want more floody lighting (there are options for that already) or bigger numbers on the spec sheet just to have them.
Any successor to the Q8 needs to be have practical improvements on the positive qualities the current model has IMO.
I was looking Samsung 48G 21700 4800mAh. 14400mah available. I think there is also some 5200mah batteries. Above the best 18650.
Not huge, but there.
The 21700 is not mandatory, but it’s the latest size for high volume.
In a flashoholic forum, I’m suprised on the amount of why instead of the why not!
If we can land a man on the moon….Shirley we can come up with a better soda can.
Wellp, you already got the MT09Rs out there. 35s for throw, 70s for flood, both versions painfully bright, and not terribly bigger’n the Q8.
If 5k lemons isn’t bright enough from a sody-can light…
At least the Q8 keeps the cells in parallel, not series. So no need for balancing, BMS, at the very least protected cells, and all other rot which just complicates things.
And what’s nice about the DC7 I mentioned is the ability to charge the cells in situ.
I realize that some are seeking advancement as its own end. Others are looking to meet specific purposes. Both are interesting and useful parts of this hobby. My interest in the post is application specific.
The Q8 achieves a sort of ideal compromise for one of my primary use cases. Hiking and walking in areas that can be creepy in the dark. One of my single 18650 lights is more than enough for basic navigation. The Q8 adds an additional, sustainable output level that adds a visual security blanket that puts me at ease. It’s big enough to sustain high output. It’s small enough to fit in my coat. It’s throwy enough to see as far as I need. It’s floody enough. It provides big runtime but I find it comfortable to hold for long periods of time. Its neutral tint probably appeals to a broad audience that strikes a middle ground. I’d prefer 5D tint but that’s almost splitting hairs. Almost any deviation seems to be to a bigger detriment. The Sofirn SP36 is a smaller version of these attributes with the associated compromises. I find the Q8 just right.
More output is always fun. I simply don’t need that to fulfill my needs and I have little interest in impressing anyone. Q8 is my outdoor grail light.
$232.91 CDN
Aint happening…….
“’If you like your holly grail, you’ll be able to keep your holly grail”…I think I heard that line before! :confounded:
I fully agree on the size. That is why I’m arguing for the same size but to push the envelop.
…and most the suggested changes to the Q8 will quickly push it close to that price range as well.
Emitter options, different UI, etc. cost little or nothing more vs the current Q8s.
I don’t think it’s worth reinventing the wheel until another round of emitters, batteries or driver tech comes out.
The D18 and MFO1S sound very close to what a lot of people are expressing they want here though.
Wellp, a little over a hunnert murrrrcan here.
Why not?
My Q8 with 4 of the 3V XHP-50.2’s and 4 brand new Molicel 26P 18650’s just showed me 15,000 lumens on my calibrated light box. Of course, that’s a start value and the numbers fall pretty fast from there, but the hot spot is decent, can be made better by slicing and dicing, so yeah, there it is, why not…
Perhaps someone should be trying to talk Sofirn back into those parallel extension tubes…
I’d be thrilled with 3 minutes of full blast controlled by a heat sensor. Then back to earth with maybe 1500 continues.
With X-PLs the Q8 get VERY hot after 3 min of turbo, you’re looking at closer to 30 seconds before an aggressive step down with that kind of wattage.
I’d be good to “hot” but hold-able. 120 degrees? If that buys 3 minutes of massive light, I’m good.
DBCustom….you want to weigh in on this? How long does your mod go before it hits 120.F?
I travel for a living and the original BLF Q8 is a permanent fixture in bottom of my bag. Not only is it a great light, but if needed I always have several “spare” 18650s available.
I wonder if it is possible to develop a USB charger retrofit.
I have ZERO circuit design knowledge, but what about a tail pcb replacement that contained a charging circuit… unscrew tailcap to access.
Again, I know nothing and could be way off base.
SP36
It was the first wow light I looked at because of the USB charging. It’s great for a car because of the ability to recharge BUT, I decided on smaller and redundancy.
Check out the SP36…even more light then the Q8 but smaller, therefore peak will be shorter.
Started a timer upon initiating Turbo, Anduril kept the light under 111º even at up to 2 minutes, I double clicked into Turbo after checking a 2700 lumen reading at that point and the light did go to 120º at 2:34. So Anduril pretty seamlessly manages the output to control the heat, I didn’t notice it stepping down but was watching the heat on my Turnigy gun with the light tail standing pointing at the ceiling. This gave my Turnigy gun a clear shot at the head. I’ll recharge the cells and check to see the timing on step down while reading lumens in the box.
Turbo to usable?
Here’s my thinking….in an emergency walk around, you want max lighting to act both as a light source and a perp blinder. 3-4 minutes does it. Then a step down to what it can on a continuous basis.
Is 120F holdable? I think it is.
Can you do that and give us the numbers? It will go a long way to the next gen justification.
<tap, tap> This thing on?
Airpro DC7.
Fitty bux with 26buk-off coupon… right… now.
I started to make a “charging cap” for my Q8. PVC end cap to screw onto the battery tube and charge all 4 cells at once, but don’t quite know how to cut threads on the inside for it to stick. No lathe or anything fancy. Was thinking press-fit, weighted, etc., but nothing jumped out at me.
It’s in my cart… coupon applied… finger twitching… sweat on brow… MUST… RE… ZIST…
Resistance is futile.