I just recently started getting into flashlights a couple weeks ago. The reason for being interested in them is because I am an avid hiker/backpacker. For a few years now I had just used extremely cheap 5 dollar flashlights that you can buy at Wal-Mart and have been disappointed by the performance of them, especially outdoors in the woods.
I just bought and received the Romisen RC-N3 Q5 flashlight from Shiningbeam and think it's a great light and has a good output. However I would like to buy another flashlight with more output. I believe the Romisen is putting out around 190-200 lumens.
I would like to find something that puts out 400+ lumens and have been interested in the p7 lights on dx. Has anyone had any experience with anything 400+ lumens. I'd like to find something that will really light everything up around me when walking on a trail at night in total darkness. Any recommendations/advice would be greatly appreciated.
Hello there pattersonbrl, a warm welcome to BudgetLightForum! Hope you enjoy your hobby here.
The large, extremely bright flashlights are not really my area of knowledge, but I do remember several excellent threads here about barn burner lights that that you may have read already....
By the way, you can post all the links you want here to DealExtreme or Kaidomain product pages and the like, if it makes it easier to show what products you're considering. Pretty soon some of the guys who own and use a lot of these high power lights will come along with their expertise.
Most are lucky to do 350 - none of the ones with only one 18650 will hit 400 - some of the two 18650's will just about make it. You need to drive a P7/MC-E at a real 2.8A and heatsink it properly to keep those levels of output - with a single 18650 it is not going to be able to push out that much current for long, if at all. Drivers that can keep this up tend not to be all that cheap. Small P7 / MC-E lights aren't going to be able to lose the heat from the LED / driver. That said, you'll get a good 300-350 from most of them and that is still a lot of light.
thanks for the quick reply Don... do you have any recommendations for 2 18650 lights? I don't have any lights to compare anything to other than the Romisen RC-N3 Q5 which I believe is probably putting out around 190-200 lumens? it is pretty bright, but I'd like to find something even brighter. I would be happy with something around 400 lumens. I know the Romisen t6 has gotten good reviews, but I'm afraid that's a bit out of my price range. I'd like to spend 40-50 dollars.
It is very bright and throws well, but is not all that well made at least in my example is the MC-E Piritlight SG-L8 and it isn't that budget a light at $45. Review: Piritlight SG-L8 MC-E