Greetings
I’d like to first give thanks to all the contributors on these forums. You guys have helped me build my knowledge on flashlights and all sorts of light emitters, reflectors, lenses etc.
I’ve been an avid reader here and finally decided I need to join so that I could also contribute in my own very limited way.
I’ve been a flashaholic from the first flashlight I bought when I was only 7 years old. Now 20 years later I’ve spent many hours tinkering with every light I could get my hands on, trying to get the most out of them. I’ve built a couple of simple lights, nothing too special.
My collection consists of a couple of cheap LED lights, a 35w HID with a 3 inch reflector, 100w cob+aspheric floodlight, a dedomed xml C8, a modded 55 watt halogen with 4 inch reflector, and a couple of not yet modded hosts waiting for some ideas.
There are big plans for future light builds and that’s why I’m here, so I can learn and draw from the vast knowledge from the more experienced builders.
Anyway glad to finally be a member here and I hope that I can also be of value to the community.
That’s definitely in the pipeline. Still weighing options on how I’m going to reach my 1 mcd benchmark. I hope to eventually build something running UHP lamp is a semi portable setup.
Welcome aboard, Luxjunkie! I purchase a flashlight once in awhile, but don't trust myself to mod them. I have a Convoy C8, BLF A6, and. most recently, a Sofirn Q8 flashlight. These are the 18650 flashlights that I use the most. I also have a few 14500/AA flashlights as tabulated below:
Manufacturer
Model
LED/Tint
Output in lumins
Runtime (hrs + min)
Dimensions
Weight
(grams)
Reflect
Comments
Length
(mm)
Diam
(mm)
Sofirn
SF14
XP-G2
5350-5700 K
L
M
H
14500:
5 (100+00)
110 (5+40)
600 (0+50)
Alklne:
3 (111+00)
33/(10+27)
230 (1+30)
Steps down from High to Med after 3 1/2 minutes
97.6
20
39
OP
Always starts in Low. No mode memory.
No noticeable PWM.
Enogear
SS AA/14500
XP-G2
4500+5000 K
L
M
H
14500:
44 ()
165 ()
550 ()
NiMH:
9 ()
53/()
163 ()
80
18/21
68
TIR
304 Stainless Steel. No Mode memory.
Always starts in low. Noticeable PWM.
UltraTac
A1
HP-L HD
? K
L
M
H
14500:
20 ()
280 ()
600 ()
AA:
1 ()
30()
220 ()
86.5
18.5
27
OP
Always starts in Low. No mode memory.
No noticeable PWM.
Lumintop
Tool AA
HP-L HD
6500 K
L
M
H
14500:
8 (28+30)
95 (4+00)
550 (0+45)
Alklne:
7 (36+25)
25/(11+00)
110 (1+45)
Ni-MH:
7 (30+30)
25 (11+40)
120 (2+25)
90.9,
Clicky
79.5
Twisty
18
23.5
Clicky
22.5
Twisty
SMO
No mode memory. Always starts in Low.
No noticeable PWM.
Thorfire
TG06S
XP-G2
~ 5500 K
H
M
L
ML
14500:
500 (0+35)
200 (1+15)
50 (3+00)
1 (72+00)
Ni-MH:
150 (0+55)
80 (8+00)
20 (8+00)
0.5 (120+00)
Double tap to activate strobe.
96
20
37
SMO
No Memory. Always starts in High.
No noticeable PWM (to me).
Jaxman E3
219C or XP-G2
4000, 5700 or 5500 K
H
M
L
14500:
? ()
? ()
? ()
Ni-MH:
350(1+00)
60(7+00)
1 (266+00)
92.5
22.5
50
OP
No Memory. Always starts in Low.
No noticeable PWM.
Sofirn
SF10
XP-G2
5500 K
H
M
L
L
14500:
430 ()
200 ()
30 ()
5 ()
Alklne:
100 ()
50 ()
15 ()
2 ()
Double tap to activate strobe.
97.7
21
53
OP
No Memory. Always starts in High.
Noticeable PWM.
How do you power the 35, 55, and 100 watt lights? What are you using them for? Just curious (i.e., nosy). Take care!
Some nice lights you have there. I’ve been wanting some of the Sofirn lights for a while now.
I have been staying in rural areas for the past 5 years. Only the last couple of months with mains power. Before that it has been only solar power. At the previous 2 farms we had some security problems, the lights were used for either spotting or scarring off possible intruders.
The 35w HID came in very handy at the first farm as we had over 500m of open fields in all directions.
The second farm had dense bush all around quite close to our home so I wanted something with a wide beam to scan the area quickly. Hence building the 100w led light.
The 35 watt is powered by a 2200 mah 3 cell Lipo strapped on top of it. Giving me about 25 minutes of run time. I have a couple of 5200 mah packs that I use when I need longer run times but they make the light a little heavy.
The 55 watt started life as a 5 watt 6 volt hand-held. The charging circuit was fried when I got it so I just replaced the globe with one I had laying around. H3 socket I believe. It doesn’t yet have a dedicated battery as it is mostly only used as an extra toy. Throws quite well though with a very nice wide beam due to the horizontal filament.
The 100w runs off a 5200 mah 3 cell Lipo with a DC to DC step up board at 31 volts pulling about 2.5 amps if I remember correctly. Lights up quite a big area.
Where I stay now I am blessed with big open spaces with targets from 300m to a couple of Km away. So my next build will be a super thrower. No real purpose or need for it other than having fun. My goal is to light up a hill top 1.5km away.
I have ordered a host with a 100mm (4 inch) reflector with an old xml in it(probably only running at 1 amp like most of the cheap spots).
Depending on how much heat sinking I can fit in it will determine the emitter I put in. If very little space its going to be an old XRE at about 1.4 amp. If there is enough space its getting an XPG2 at 2.5 amp or as high as I can push it. Will be dedoming whatever I put in.
I’ll be the first to admit that I am not the most skilled modder hence using the cheap stuff to build my experience on. Even my most powerful builds cost less than a small EDC light from the big manufacturers.
My knowledge on electronics are pretty limited and my soldering skills aren’t that great either, but so far I seem to be getting the job done and having fun while doing it.
I will hopefully soon be putting together something more interesting.
I don’t mind the waiting as much. It’s the packages going missing and never arriving when using the postal services. 55 day advertised delivery time, at 60 days they tell you sorry they can help you because you waited too long to complain.
And courier services costing twice the amount of the products being bought. Add to that staying on a farm where they refuse to deliver.
At least we have an abundance of cheap out dated stock to play with locally, some things the other guys wish were still on the market over seas. Maybe in a couple of years we will be getting the old stock from today to keep us busy. Can’t wait for those xpl hi emitters to start showing up.
Btw if you need help sourcing something something locally let me know, I’ve done my fair share searching for suppliers.
I’m also glad to see some other members from our home country , we are privileged to have many torch agencies locally .
The only problem is our postal services (Slowpost) are slow or on strike ordering form overseas (anything from 6 weeks to 4 months) and I’m sure modifying spares are scarcely available locally , haven’t modify or built torches like yourself Luxjunkie , would like to dip a toe slowly in this hot water when time arises .
We do have a very nice selection of the big brands here.
Maybe one day soon we will have a locally manufactured big brand as well. We definitely have the local expertise to put something awesome on the market if Megaray is anything to go by.
Seeing that there are a couple of us flashlight enthusiasts here on the forum, I think we should organise a group buy at some point. It would drastically cut down on courier cost.
That way we can also get a chance to procure some of these awesome “budget” ligts we hear so much about on the forum without paying premium prices or risk never seeing it due to using the postal service.
, would like to dip a toe slowly in this hot water when time arises .