and it links to Amazon with a Convoy S2+ costing $34 But from gearbest and others, you can get a convoy 2+ for much less. Are they legit? Or fake?
Anyway, I’m looking for a really bright 18650 flashlight (what’s the brightest I can expect?) at low cost (are those 2 opposite things - brighter = higher cost?)
I saw an S2 that said it would put out 960 lumens? Is that accurate?
I don’t care about color of the flashlight and don’t care about tint. Just want to be able to pull it out amongst friends, turn it on and have them be impressed by the amount of light : )
yes, those are legit product
btw, you can check some topic in forum, provide coupon, the price becomes very competitive
it can pull out 900 lumen, and with some modding, 2500-3000 lumen is not hard
Two nice options that fill the gap between the throwy C8 and the floody S2+ are both the Convoy M1 and M2. Personally I find that beam to hit a sweet spot between throw and flood and have a nice beam profile while also handling heat way better than the S series lights. As The Miller said the S2+ will run warm to hot in high mode in either 7135 x 6 or 7135 x 8 depending how long you run them. The M1 and M2 are both a little bigger than the S2+ but more pocketable than a C8. Those both run $20-$25 from several reputable sellers.
“I am the tyranny of evil men. But I’m trying, Ringo. I’m trying real hard to be the shepherd.” - I feel like this when I’m resisting the temptation to buy a light.
From hanging around here, I thought the more 7135’s the brighter the light will be. This has 6 x 7135 so not as bright as it could be? Although 940lm sounds nice!
Again, what is the upper limit of lumens I can expect from a single 18650?
IIRC each 7135 is good for 350 mA. So a 6x7135 driver is capable of 2.1A provided the battery and current-carrying components of the host can actually deliver the current.
The emitter output does not increase linearly throughout the range, and heat buildup is an increasing problem at higher current draws. There is a practical break-even point between output, battery life, and heat which, for a single 18650, may be somewhere in the range of 4x7135 but everyone has their own opinion/experience.
A little extra head to get rid of heat does wonders, idk the M1 or M2 but have 3 EDC lights with diameter of the S2+ but a little actra length and a few small fins that really makes the difference between uncomfortable hot and warm.
I see the Thorfire VG10 for sweet prices mentioned here as well often it has nice cooling and moon, very nice light and if I am not mistaken similar to Convoy M series.
If you choose one, I’d recommend getting the shortened tube so you can run either 18350 or 16340. I run an IMR 18350 in mine. It’s amazing how much light that small package can output.
Edit: And of course, much love for ToyKeeper’s firmware/UI.
If you just want a bright light to impress friends buy one already modded. Djburke has a sell thread for modded vg10 $35 shipped and he put in the xpl hi in it if you don’t want the dedomed xml2. Its probably pushing 5+ amps and with xpl hi 1600-1800 lumens. The dedomed xml2 will throw really well nice hotspot but loose some lumens probably around 1200 lumens. Dedomed emitters gain lux but lose lumens. Either emitter in that light will be brighter then you have ever seen. Win situation. A s2 with 4 or 6 chips isn’t that impressive honestly. Even 8 chips is alroght . get a c8 if your going for the wow factor with 8 chips. Get 12-16 chips with a mod now that’s getting into the wow factor. Small lights like s2 can heat up quickly. I have one that draws 6amps and makes 1200+ out the front lumens. Still takes about 5 mins to get scortching hot. My c8s never get to hot to hold even at over 5 amps. But I do have rough hands from over a decade of hard labor. A eagle eye x6 is decent stock 1200 lumens out the front. 3.5 amp turbo 3 min step down. Can get it from there aliexpress store. If your going for that wow factor I don’t see a s2 doing that especially stock. It will flood a small area maybe 50 yards back. Much more powerful flooders around. Crelant makes some cheap decent lights. Eagle eye. Convoy. But modded lights is where the real light comes from
My most used lights are a Thorfire VG 15 with the Blf A6 internals and a triple X6. Still amazes me how much light they put out. I have xpl in the X6 but have broken the legs off the optic and chewed up the emitter domes a bit so may change to Xpl Hi and get a new optic for it.
A single 18650 can do a lot more than 1000 lumens but the trade off’’s are more heat and less run time. You can fit a triple into a tube light but they don’t have either the mass or the surface area to deal with as much heat as larger headed lights like the M1, X6, or C8 for extended periods. The use of FET DD drivers isn’t widespread among manufacturers but it’s the best way to get the most possible out of a given light. Triples don’t throw as well as single emitter lights so you need to decide between “bright and tight” or “lots and loose”. Throw or flood, that is the question.
I don’t have the A6, but chose the S1 on sale over a year ago. Unless someone can contradict, it’s the same light with different branding and INCLUDES the shorty tube. And yes, very impressive light for the size. The ONLY complaint I might have, is that once in a while, after it’s been on one of the higher modes for a while and gotten quite warm, the mode switching seems to hang up (it might actually be some kind of thermal regulation, but I can’t figure out the logic of it).
The thing I noticed is that my triple lights up just as far if not further than the VG 15. VG 15 is neutral white and the triple is a bit warmer. VG 15 shows haze/moisture in the air while the triple cuts through it. Neither are throwers by any means but just something to consider.
Yes the mode switching messes up when hot, the timing goes out. Much harder to reverse modes. It feels quite cheap also so that’s why I swapped all over to the VG 15.
Look at Eagle Eye X5R with XPL HI for 30 $.
Look also at candelas not only lumens.
Personaly I prefer smooth reflectors.
Also check driver efficiency. 7135 are not best one.
Finaly see what is PWM. BLF lights has twice higher frequency than Convoy.
Veritable junk. Expect a fake LED, low current, and certainly not comparable to the other lights listed in this thread. The listing may say 1200 lumens but this is false. Probably more like 4-600. You can buy a light for $6 if you wish but it will not meet your “bright” requirement. The Convoy you linked for $9.99 flash sale is probably your best bet if $10 is you limit. It will do the rated lumens. Bump that up to $20 and your options will grow.
