Review: Cyclone C88 from Int'l Outdoor Store

Thanks for the help guys!

That’s what I thought but it actually only comes with spare o-rings and lanyard.

Sorry rufus, I should have been more specific. The o-rings need to be a little bit bigger.

Foy

I went to a meeting of UK torch [flashlight] chaps last weekend. During the evening one of the guys set up his IS in the pub and we tested many lights. One of them was this light. Measured 694 ANSI Lumens on a 26650.

Hi Foy, I’ve not yet converted myself to the 26650, and was looking with curiosity at the JM-07. Now this “special” version C88. Would you please be so kind to elaborate more on the differences between the two? Any beam comparison possible?
Thanks :slight_smile:

Between the Cyclone and JM07 . . . .

I guess the biggest difference is that the Cyclone is brighter.

I measured the Cyclone at just under 2.8 amps verses about 2.45 for the JM07.

The Cyclone is a C88 with a 36mm head, the JM07 is slightly smaller at 32mm. (not sure where the manufacturers measure)

The Cyclone reflector is an SMO, the JM07 is OP; not saying either is better, just pointing out the difference.

Acknowledging differences in tint among the same light, a white-wall with my particular JM07 and most of my other lights including the Cyclone, the JM07 is a bit green. Nothing significant but again, difference from the Cyclone.

These two lights are among the most prized in my collection so, I don't believe one is necessarily better than the other. My JM07 is the silver edition and sees little use. It is a very good flashlight. The nod however, must go to the Cyclone. I think it is a significant flashlight and if I didn't own either one, the Cyclone easily wins.

Foy

Foy- I think you’d mentioned owning a UF-980L as well. I have one… it’s bright, has a good beam, modes are fine, it’s competent but a little boring.

Which one do you prefer & why? I keep reading great things about the Cyclone but need a compelling nudge when the 980, to me anyway, seems so similar.

BTW, I enjoy reading your posts, particularly the one where you self critiqued on speaking in the third person, etc. That was an absolute keeper!

My feelings about the 980L are well documented and I guess that's part of why I am so impressed with this torch. It actually measures a little higher on my (admittedly inconsistent/unscientific) light meter, yet pulls a much less insane 2.80 amps and has more heat dissipating mass. The 980L is lighter to carry but 4+ amps gets mighty warm.

I also like the better run time from the larger 26650 battery. I realize the change to another battery size is a hurdle for some people and if it is, the Cyclone obliges by running just fine on an 18650 . . . . or, 3 x AA even.

The 980L is slimmer and lighter but the Cyclone is a better flashlight, overall.

foylikesthecycloneFoy

Got my replacement C88 From Intl Outdoors today…and I like it! 26650 makes it sing!

Any idea how the light knows you using the Eneloops vs a lithium battery, i could understand on high the resistance from the holder, but on medium and low i would have expected an identical current draw since the batteries and holder can easily handle it.

I believe those drivers give you medium and low based on a percentage of the current on high. Medium should be 30% and low 5%. So in Foy's example of tailcap currents, if you take 30% of 1.90A you get 0.57A (Foy measured 0.58A) and 5% of 1.90A gives you 0.095A (Foy measured 0.09A). So the driver must be basing everything on what it can pull from the battery (or batteries) on high.

-Garry

So that means every time you turn it on it must draw full current for a fraction of a second to calibrate its output levels. I’d be surprised if it did that, as i can’t imagine the designer of the chip would go to that much work and wasting battery energy use just to figure out how much power to provide on lower settings. And where does that power go if its doing it?

I believe resistance is resistance no matter what mode it’s in. Having resistance in the battery holder is the same as soldering a resistor in line with the circuit. All modes are effected by it no matter how much the draw is. Just because medium and low do not pull the same from the cells as high, doesn’t mean that cell holder resistance does not effect them the same percentage.

No. With drivers that use PWM to regulate output levels, the full current is always being drawn. It’s just not always being drawn all the time. Basically, power to the LED is just being switched on and off at a particular frequency. This results in a perceived decrease in overall brightness, even though each time the LED is switched on it is technically at full brightness.

Wow, seems like that would be hard on the batteries. Is there an advantage to doing this instead of reduced current draws at lower settings?

No, its not hard on them.. its a little less efficient, but a lot cheaper.

how much cheaper?

I dont build drivers so I dont know exactly, but for current regulation, you need more parts on the driver board and/or more complex programming of the software.

Also, with lower current, light color can change.

Got one of these yesterday - it’s a lot chunkier than I was expecting, and came, in excellent shape, very well packed in a strongcardboard box (with a P60 drop-in), in record time. Just 8 days from China.

I was planning to use eneloops, but didn’t much like the AA carrier. It’s strong enough, but the tinny contacts look a bit meh. I even managed to put the AA batteries in the wrong way first of all. Fixed that, and put the carrier in the wrong way before I noticed the + and - markings/ Doh!!

Fortunately I ordered a sleeve for a 18650, and used that. Had a quick play with the dogs in the back garden, and it’s pretty bright (to say the least). Surprised it still worked after all the messing about I did.

Thanks for the update Woody!! I’ve got one one the way from IO. It would be nice if it were here in 8 days but, I dont see that happening!

Mine took 18 days, which is about the range others have gotten theirs, so thats what you should expect, and anything less would be a very nice bonus!