Ultrafire C8 or 501B w/ XM-L T6 for bicycle commuting...help newbie pick pls.

LED Flashlights – General Info 18650 Flashlights
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Hello Everyone,

I’m new to the forum and a new bicycle commuter. I have a 10mi round trip commuting, taking 30 minutes each way through mostly residential neighborhoods and some backroads (but decent amount of traffic on the backroads w/ no street lights, don’t think in the middle on nowhere, I am 1hr North of NYC :p).

Have ability to have a charger at home and work, but I want to avoid swapping out the battery during my ride. I like the 18650 batteries for their voltage.

I’ll connect the flashlight to my handlebars with this:
http://www.dealextreme.com/p/universal-adjustable-bicycle-mount-for-flashlights-2cm-4cm-diameter-31871
(note the .98 diameter)

I’m trying to decide between the C8 and the 501B for my commute. Weight is not an issue, it’s all about the ability to light up what is in front of me in a useful manner. I’ve seen video comparing these lights shining like the batman symbol in the sky, but I really don’t have a good idea how well each would do on my bike. I want something that let’s me see decently ahead (throw) but also doesn’t give me tunnel vision so I can keep and eye on my peripheral (flood).

Some other things to consider…

- I believe both of them to be ok in a rain shower w/ o-rings and such, no? (Similar construction)

- What is the diameter of these two flashlights around the base? (Specs seem to show diameter of the larger reflector)

- 501B seems to have legit XM-L LEDs… I’ve heard of C8s with XM-Ls, but they were scammers on EBAY.

- Only C8 XM-L I’ve seen is unreviewed / unverified here: http://www.dealextreme.com/p/ultrafire-c8-t6-cree-xm-l-t6-800lm-5-mode-white-led-flashlight-1-x-18650-110264?item=10 and here it is again, but not labeled as an Ultrafire: http://www.meritline.com/1000-lumen-cree-xm-l-t6-led-flashlight-torch—-p-82258.aspx

- It also concerns me, it appears the C8s are run with unregulated circuitry…. meaning it’s bright as hell, but by drawing so much, the battery charge won’t last me an entire day of commuting.

Sorry I’ve throw so much out there… I tend to research a lot and I’ve blown my entire weekend on this learning about LEDs and such. I appreciate any help in advance!

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Get the C8 with an XML and carry an extra battery .

And

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Of the two, definitely go for the C8, has a bigger head, brighter, better. And of the C8's consider the XIN TD Version 3 Here:

http://www.intl-outdoor.com/xintd-c8-v3-xml-u2-910lumens-flashlight-p-308.html (Sorry, the web link isn't working at the moment).

You pay more but you get what you pay for! Do a search on this forum to read some discussions about it. Good luck, and have fun!

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First, Welcome to BLF!!!!

Water Resistance: These lights should be OK with rain, but when you get your light I recommend taking it apart and making sure it is properly lubricated and the O-rings are large enough to cause some resistance while screwing them together/apart.

501B Diameter: middle of flashlight (where a bike clamp would go) = 25mm, 0.986"

FandyFire C8 Diameter: a tiny bit larger = 25.15mm, 0.99"

Scams: You may do well to check out this forum's budget dealer section. You will find comments about Chinese and other vendors who are reliable and trustworthy. Many problems with vendors have to do with fake batteries (putting an UltraFile label on an old worn out laptop cell), the flashlights are usually OK. Like I saie above, if you can afford the extra money look at the XIN TD flashlight, you get a lot more flashlight, and you can choose your mode selection as well as color temperature (Cool White or Neutral White - latter tends to give more accurate color rendition at night).

Driver regulation: I'm not sure, but I think driver regulation keeps the brightness at a constant level, and also keeps the battery from overchargng. When the voltage of the battery reaches a certain minimum, the light just goes out. Unregulated means as the battery drains, the brightness of the light dims. But I think the C8 is OK in this regard, but all the rest of you correct me if I'm wrong!

Battery Drain: You will benefit from better 18650 batteries like HiMax (search forum for information) and regular recharging so they don't get too drained. For better battery life you could consider a 2x18650, or better 2x26650 flashlight (like the UltraFire HD2010), but the 26650 lights will not fit your mount (The HD2010 is 1.3" diameter in the middle). Most lights have about an hour capacity on high, so you should be OK. However, you would not necessarily be using the light on high.

As you know, there are specialized bicycle lights complete with mounting hardware, but these are pretty expensive - still worth looking at. In fact, I would suggest you broaden your horizon by checking out the many recommended lights available. For example, go to ShiningBeam.Com and check out the Blaze (in closeout for $30).

In any event, keep asking questions. There's tons of people here who are very helpful, and much more knowledgable than I am!

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Welcome!

From those two, I would prefer by feel and overall quality the generic C8.

Then again, if P60 dropin host is on consideration, I think I would prefer it more as a bike light.
(bigger hotspot, C8 is more throwish).

For P60 host I would recommend “the default host”, the Solarforce L2 “2011” : http://www.solarforceflashlight-sales.com/product_detail.php?t=FB&s=1&id=247

This stretches your budget a bit, since the bare tube without LED is 12.5$ + 2$ shipping.
LED dropin adds another 15+$ depending on what you want.

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If you have not bought your mounts, I would look for the two fish clone mount, and go for a keygos m10 kit, the cells are good, the charger is acceptable and the light is simply brilliant, same size reflector as a c8, but the larger cell gives you a better run time. They come with good o rings, so at worst just need lube, are well put together, give you the option of strobe for high volume traffic situations and are both bright and floody.

However, what you really need to do is pm between rides and cehoward before you spend any cash what so ever, they have seemingly tested every light available on a bike with a good mount, see what they recommend.

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It's a pleasure to know you, Bster13!