C8 addicts thread

I just built an XPG2 C8 with OP reflector from KD and a 5xAMC driver from FT. Well after tweaking the pill height vs reflector it gave out a bright and well focused beam. Smooth too. I don’t have a lux meter but after a try outside, C8 vs Armytek Predator 2.5, I can’t say C8 is much behind of Predator. So it appears the $60 difference is all for the build quality I paid for Predator. I feel somewhat guilty. :slight_smile:

I can justify $40 quality light vs a C8, due to better builds, water resistance, body strength, modes, efficiency etc. But if you want a small size thrower, a C8 can still beat the lights a few times more in price.

I just built an XPG2 C8 with OP reflector from KD and a 5xAMC driver from FT. Well after tweaking the pill height vs reflector it gave out a bright and well focused beam. Smooth too. I don’t have a lux meter but after a try outside, C8 vs Armytek Predator 2.5, I can’t say C8 is much behind of Predator. So it appears the $60 difference is all for the build quality I paid for Predator. I feel somewhat guilty. :slight_smile:

I can justify $40 quality light vs a C8, due to better builds, water resistance, body strength, modes, efficiency etc. But if you want a small size thrower, a C8 can still beat the lights a few times more in price.

I was wondering have any of you guys found a replacement tail switch for the c8 that can handle higher amps? I have ruined two of them with a build I am doing with a red phlatlight direct driven from ncr18650pd battery.

mhemling, see this thread.
:beer:

Thanks for the link!

LMC12XML2 today. And partly because of your short review and posts. Thanks Tim

got my first c8 the other day, the banggood 8.88 xml t6, and i like it.
its bright, throws well and has usable spill, the only downer is a hollow pill?? star only sits on a small edge so i wouldn’t run it on high for a long time. oh and the next mode memory, i hate it its s frustrating its my first light with it |(

i also have the convoy c8 on the way. im very interested to compare the 2

I have both the C8 from Banggood and the Convoy. You will be much happier with the Convoy. The quality is much better.

for 8 bucks i like it :bigsmile:

i just posted in the bangood 7.99 c8 thread, im interested to see weather yours has a hollow pill and what amps yours pulls on high?

I agree it’s not bad for 8 bucks. The pill is hollow and I pulled the switch out and it looks kinda cheap to me. I tried getting measurements on high and the best I got was .87A but my DMM is a turd from HF so I have no idea if thats acurate.

The XM-L2 U2s finally arrived so I stuck one in direct drive in a C8:

Stock C8 (Ultrafire, XML on Alu board) was ~22K lux (700-750 lumen)

With XM-L2 U2 on copper:

Before de-dome was ~42K lux (1300-1400 lumen?)
After de-dome is ~85K lux
After de-dome without the front lens is ~95K lux

Current reading was ~3.5 amps but probably closer to 4 without the DMM… I will try compare lux readings with and without the MM.

Over 10% is lost due to the front lens alone, time to get some AR coated lenses (99% transmittance) for them I think as well as better switches (shorted the battery and got a puff of smoke from the one I was using)

Will stick up results for the C8 XP-G2 once I get around to piecing it together.

Manual,

When you say direct drive, meaning VBat+ on LED+ and VBat- on LED-?
and wow! 42K, 85K and 95K lux! Is that 1 meter to a Lux meter readings?

:beer:

Yip… other then the switch and contact board the battery is connected strait to the LED. Measurements were taken at 4.56m so multiplied by 20.8 to give lux @ 1m.

I've gotten about 100 kcd on a full mod'ed C8 (XM-L2 U2 de-domed, Nanjg driver w/extra 7135's), and up to 142 kcd with a de-domed XP-G2.

Did anyone noticed this:
UltraFire C8 SST-50
?

wow. u doing any custom work again? :slight_smile:

I'm trying to catch up - still got a TN31 and 3 Shockers to do, not to mention so many of my own lights/projects... The magic #'s are at or close to 100 kcd for C8 class, and at or class to 200 kcd for HD2010/SS T08 class lights. It's been pretty consistent like this for the full set of mods -- maybe 95-100 or 190-210.

I don’t think there’s any point to that esp considering the cost, the XML2 is brighter for any given drive current.

The LM XML2 U2 and xintd XML2 U2 are both brighter than my 6P with DD SST90.

cool - thats fine i wont have money for about 3 weeks anyways hehe… that hd2010 200k mod sounds cool too

Littte off topic, here's the last HD2010 I did, and I'm thinking, if this was a U2 1A from KD, these #'s could have been better with a real U2 1A or 1C. Wish I had tracked vendor sources of the LED's to the lights I built...

lumens: 1,149 at start, 1,125 at 30 secs, throw: 200 kcd (894 meters) — all on a fresh KK ICR 4000 cell

It just barely made 200 kcd measured at 4.3 meters, so may be 205-210 kcd if measured from a longer distance of 10-15 meters. I think it came out pretty well, really right there where I expected. The light’s body is clean and I like the look in black. Summary of mods:

- UCL/p lens

- XM-L2 U2 1A de-domed on a 20mm Noctigon copper star

- Nanjg 2.8A, added 4 7135’s to bring it up to 4.2A

- 3 copper discs of 18 gauge, 5/8” diameter added for heat sinking to the pill

- brass ring added for mounting the driver, press fit in, dremel’ed the pill to fit

- both + and – springs wired with copper to reduce resistance

- Nyogel on threads, special pricey thermal conductive grease used on pill threads

  • Please note the pill is intentionally loose – if it’s full tightened, the emitter sits too far out of the reflector, resulting in much lower #‘s. So if for whatever reason you need to take it apart in the future, count how many turns it takes to tighten the pill down, and re-seat it the same way. Though it’s not tightended down (screwed from the reflector side), the reflectorr sits on it very tightly — must keep the bezel tightened well, and with the expensive grease, both thermal and electrical conection to the pill is strong.

From the owner:

Tom, my flashlight came in on Friday but I didn’t get to play with it until sunday night when I got back home from vacationing with the family and man am I impressed! THIS THING IS INSANE! I think I told you before that I have an LED maglite, and I thought that thing had some power, NO SIR. This HD is FREAKING UNREAL! And talk about how great the flashlight looks just sitting there. Man I am blown away! I honestly didn’t expect this thing to be that powerful.

I played around with the modes and you were right; I really like them. The cycle through is cool with the half click, or if i cycle full clicks fast, but has memory to where if i let it sit for a while, itll stay on the last mode I had it on.