Update: Keygos Admits To Using Different Parts On Some Keygos KE-5 Flashlights

gorann,

I don't know if that is true.

Mine read 3.82 amps last nite at the tailcap with a fully charged Xtar 18700 2600MAH battery. I have got about the same with some Trustfire flame batteries. There may be a particular point that a XM-L led can't de driven much past to make it much brighter, but I don't think 3 amps is it. The Catapult V3 I believe is driven at 3.5amps.

I will forward this thread to Miss Erica at Keygos.

If it does cycle by half-presses on the clickie, it should also cycle by momentary disconnects of one of the ammeter probes. Some drivers need two disconnects for the first mode change if the light has been on for more than a few seconds.

Yes Keygos are now reading our threads here.

I have already expressed concerns over different parts and substandard performance. I told Keygos that customers need to know and expect what they are buying, and Keygos should keep to one constant build and be consistent, even if it means a slightly higher price. Customers need to be sure that they are buying a good light and not lottery light. But saying that and reading a lot of posts, it seems ILIKEFLASHLIGHTS was the better exception.

I think Keygos could do better publishing correct information, and give some stats, then we know what to expect. But still from looking at the videos they look good lights even if powered at 2amp.

Now don't quote me on this. But I seem to remember reading (I think here in this forum) that one member tested this with Cree XML-T6 and went way above 3.0Amps. But above 3.5Amp there was no real additional output. There was a big flat until much higher Amps and then there was an increase. It seemed that 3.0 to 3.5Amps was the most efficient with a 0.50Amp loss.

Like I said just what I seem to remember so don't shoot me if it is not fact.

This seems like the driver is malfunctioning - is it possible that yours is broken at 3.8A and all of ours are working correctly at ~2A? Maybe the battery is pressing too hard on the driver and shorting something? Does anyone else have one running at 3.8(and is it the black driver)? Like Chris01942 said, we need the specs from Keygos to see what the drive current is supposed to be before we make any conclusions.

Edit: If it turns out yours is broken, tell us how so we can break ours the same way

I don't know. I think it used to change modes doing tailcap readings. The only way I could get it to switch modes was rocking the probe quickly that is on the negative end of the battery off the battery completely and touch the back of probe on the top of the tube above the threads and quickly back off tube and back on the negative end of battery. And that don't work all the time either. I think earlier I got it to go to medium mode but the reading would fluctuate up to 1.5 down to about .8 amps. How accurate that is I don't know. And it could be these Xtar batteries are a little long for this light. But they work. I do remember getting a tailcap reading as high as 3.76 amps I believe with the Trustfire flame battery. I do know this light is one bright SOB up close and on a wall. Ranks right there with my TR-1200. But it won't throw better than the TR-1200.

Here is the link for the measurements mentioned above. Match did a really great job of testing this.

Wade

That's the one! XML powered at different and higher Amps. I thought I had read it here. See I am learning.

Emailed Keygos , Erica replied she will be sending me a replacement. :slight_smile:

Good deal!

And your welcome. LOL!

Lol. You got jokes ILF. Good looking out. Let's see if they send me the same O' flashlight . I asked if she wanted me to send back my current one, she said no ,it was on the house. Now that's what I call great CS. Whatever happened to the saying here in the states " The customer is always right" it seems it non- exsistant these days.

I'm glad I helped you out. I got to agree that this was a very nice thing to do. But it makes me want to buy another Keygos. I have bought 3 so far. 2 of them were good ones. Love my Keygos KE-7 6X Q5 light. It's very bright and a good thrower.

It would seem that, for throw, the XR-E emitter is socially acceptabe again. Smile

Often far overdriven, which isn't much of an issue given its current price.

Hrmm.... glad I saw this thread. I saw the keygos lights and was interested in them but it seems like buying one might be more of a hassle than it's worth. I know they're offering to send replacements if you get a bad one but it looks like the chances of getting a bad one are pretty high right now. Not to mention, unless I had a good one, I wouldn't have any way to accurately confirm whether the one I got was one of the defective ones.

I got a KD C8 on the way instead. Those seem to be very consistent from what I've read.

I emailed keygos - got a reply 2 days later. They aren't sending out any more replacement lights. They did offer to sell me a new one.

I just got my KE-5 and it has the green board. I also have 2 of the KE-2, a KE-7 and a KE-1600 I was hearing so many good things about Keygos I ordered the other ones. My KE-2 seem better than my KE-5. I wonder if they would help me out knowing I bought several of their lights. Please send this to whom it needs to get to ...

Thank you,

Rick

Black, white and also green in the same Keygos KE-5 model. Come on Keygos use the same parts or at least improve and use better parts. At the end of the day we want brighter torches!

Of course there will be a difference between models. They are different lights and different models for different needs, and they are different prices, so a KE-5 should not be expected to be the same as a KE-2 etc. But one would hope and expect two KE-5 flashlights or flashlights of the same model should be consistently the same.

As for being better, that is personal preference and what and how you prefer, and what purpose you want if for. For this reason I opened the Keygos comparison thread and your opinion is most welcomed.

I am not hear defending Keygos but are we not being a little unfair and wanting too much??

Firstly these lights are cheap budget lights. Secondly they all work. Thirdly looking at the ‘bad’ light’s photos and videos they still look good lights. Possibly the dimmer lights have been turned down to prolong life. Some members that wanted more have upraded their flashlight and made it better. Hopefully they will share how this worked out and how to do it.

Sure we would all want amazing lights and get them also for free. But from what I am reading it seems Keygos has been very fair. I can personally say Keygos have been excellent with me so far! Their customer service has been great. They are listening and they do want to improve, and maybe we can even help them or influence them, as well as other such companies, and in doing so help ourselves the users.

Sure Keygos should stick to the same good parts and be consistent, but nearly everybody has been happy with their flashlight for the cheap price. Plus also the super light ILIKEFLASHLIGHTS received seems the exception. Possibly like me our expectations have been risen by ILIKEFLASHLIGHTS report on his exceptional flashlight and we all want the same. It would be helpful if Keygos could release the stats and even a parts list, then we could complain if we got something else with poor performance, and I think we are pushing them to be consistent with our debates here. But maybe for development and manufacture reasons they are reluctant to disclose information. Or simply they don’t want customers with unnecessary returns, I don’t know.

Maybe we shall have to return in 6 months and look again at this once they have had chance to source and use regular parts, and present batches made have been used.

Out of good will Keygos has replaced some lights and allowed to keep the existing lights plus posted them out free to people for no charge, but I don’t think we can expect Keygos to go bankrupt and send everybody a new torch. I know it is approaching Christmas - but come on. Next people will request a new flashlight who haven't even bought any Keygos flashlights never mind a faulty one. I think it is reasonable for Keygos to first get the faulty flashlight back and test it before sending out a replacement otherwise some people will exploit their good will, and as I said maybe we are expecting too much.

What we need to do here is examine the majority of what Keygos are selling to the general public (us) and analyse the performance of the flashlights members have here. Then review and compare these flashlights against other flashlights. Compare again in 6 months time to see if they are better and more consistent. Then we can recommend our opinions and people can decide for themselves which they will buy.

I think we all agree that Keygos needs to be consistent with the builds, use the same best parts, manufacture to the best quailty, and produce the brightest lights. There is room for improvement!

Chris01942,

I should rephrase my last post. I mean both of my KE-2 are brighter than the KE-5. I read all the good things about Keygos and that's why ordered the KE-2 and KE-7.

I can say that the KE-2 are both equal.