Review: UniqueFire R5

The test range is rather more reflective than usual and it is kinda cold out there. Apparently we are getting snow on and off for up to two weeks. This is pretty unusual for here, while I'm way north of Moscow, the weather is kept in check by the seas all around us.

As you can see by the doggy footprints, Fizz likes it for a bit - gets herself coated in snow then tries to climb into my lap.

Beautiful snow... You would miss it if you moved elsewhere, the weather is quite boring when it doesn't snow.

But not so pretty when it takes 20 minutes to get out of my street (As it did this morning) and most of an hour to get to work which is less than 3km away. My car hates snow even more than I do. Boring weather is good. I lived on the edge of the Kalahari Desert from '84-'86. The daily weather forecasts used to amuse me. "Cold" was below 35C (95F) - "Hot" started at 40C (104F) and in October it did hit 50C with 100% humidity. But the cold season from June-Aug/Sep was great. The rest of the year, not so good. But predictable is a very good thing when it comes to weather. Even when it does mean 50C and 100% humidity. You knew to stay in bed those days.

When I looked out the window this morning to see the white stuff, all I wanted to do was go back to bed and pul the dog over my head. I tried but a 47kg dog does not make a good scarf

In between customers yesterday, took it apart and took some poor pictures. Sadly my colleague who owns a much better camera wan't in then.

Here's the dropin with its cockeyed spring that can't be persuaded to be straight. Note the exquisite soldering. I could do better while blind drunk with a stick. And I'm a messy solderer.

The reflector is nice. Solid metal and screws into the pill. Light Orange-Peel (LOP) finish.

Body - When screwed together, it is airtight. the body is very high quality.

It has a constriction at the throat so that batteries can't fall out of the front. This is a very good thing and is almost unique in P60 host bodies.

With an 18650. the perspective here is really messed up. This pic makes it look about the length of 9 18650's. It isn't - it is about 5mm longer than two 18650s

Head and tailcap

The parts.

Beamshots when the white stuff goes away.

I would not mind getting this light at all if the specs were right and the dropin performed as it should.

As long as you run it at 4.2V it ought to be fine. 8.4V it can't cope with. And the body is one of the best. Personally, I'm not keen on the styling, but it is very, very well made. I suspect the Seraph comes out of the same factory. One of Nailbender's dropins will work just fine. Irather fncy his 2xXP-G R5 and it isn't that expensive.

No idea if it's Surefire compatible as I'm not crazy enough to spend that sort of money on parts. It quite probably is. Certainly any P60 dropin will work. Will probably keep the (now single mode) dropin in it as it is still pretty bright - just single mode.

Well let us know how the new dropin works out....might just get it for the body.

Thanks, I see the spam is gone.....

But manual removal is going to be a pain for our administrator. I'd be willing to help since I seem to be awake at different times. The folkd.com spam seems to appear mostly 7-11am UK time.

I just blocked a HUGE range of IP addresses, which is obviously just a stop-gap. I'm still researching best-practice methods for Spam abuse and management. And many thanks to all who have offered to help remove it, I would be happy to have you guys help once I get the infrastructure in place. I sincerely appreciate your efforts to help with this site. Meanwhile sorry for the hassles...

Its all good man......just put a thread up asking for qualifications on being a mod.....give them the power to remove and delete.

Hey, thanks again for offering, I'll probably take you up on the offer, I'd trust you guys with admin password! It just irritates me that ANYONE should have to manually delete this junk. I'm looking for a way to try to reduce the actual amount of spam posts that appear. Meanwhile I'll go through deleting the rubbish morning and evening.

Hey it would help you and the forum out.....and its just a suggestion. And please dont think that im suggesting myself......because i rather enjoy being part of this forum as a member.

You're absolutely right, it would be a huge help. I'll try to get around to doing it soon. But if I can find a way to actually reduce the spam posts that would be great, I'd prefer to see you guys enjoying yourselves posting sweet beamshots rather than deleting pharmaceutical links.

Yes i do know what you mean......thats the admins job....lmao.

I don't even have a decent camera to post those amazing shots that you guys are posting. The least I can do is zap some spam.

Hey as long as it takes pics right......that should be good enough.

It doesn't really. We're talking about a 5 year old chinese camera that cost me $40. It's only good for infinity shots of scenery, produces worthless blurry images of anything up close. I suppose it's time for me to get another budget camera for this budget flashlight user....

Found a review on CPF here:

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=275485

I swapped out the drop in for a xm-l. Its a solid light and the xm-l should appreciate the extra heatsinking.