I have a Convoy C8+ that I am pretty happy with. Though there are many times it does not quite have the range I need. I have had my eyes on the Astrolux MF02 for a bit and am tempted to pull the trigger, but it may be overkill. What is a good thrower that sits between the C8+ and the MF02? Something that takes 2, 3 or 4 18650 cells. Size and weight are not a concern and would like to keep budget under $150.
If you like the size of the C8s, definitely look at the KD Litker C8.2 with a XHP35 emitter. It will smoke the Convoy in output:(Kaidomain.com).
In a bigger form you’ll get the extra throw you’re looking for. The following lights around or well above 100,000 CD:
Klarus G35, Emissar D1S, Thrunite Catapult V6 and the Lumintop ODf20C.
Even larger, the Aasrolux MF02 is VERY good at throwing.
I am STILL waiting for the two Astrolux MF02s I ordered to ship so no word on those yet but in testing they look very impressive.
Olight m2x, m3x, maxtoch lights, Amutorch am33 is same throw as C8 with more lumens, if you slice the emitter dome, should give more throw. If you move to 26650, Convoy L2 is worth looking.
Sofirn q8 perhaps?
Tn42
Your C8 is 70-100 kcd I think. The MF02 is 480kcd I think. What do you mean by overkill, given that you can just go to a lower mode when using the MF02 if you don’t need the full power? The disadvantages of the MF02 might be that it is large and heavy, and that the beam is relatively narrow. If size and weight are not a concern for you than that is not a disadvantage. Do you want a beam as big or bigger than your C8?
Lots of good suggestions here. I would like to stay in the 18650 arena so the Convoy L2 and Catapult V6 are out.
The Klarus G35 looks like it has potential. Though I am not sure about the 6500K color temp. My other favorite lights are in the 4500-5000k range. This light may fall pretty well into the range I am looking for though. Any others that compare to this?
That KD Litker C8.2 looks promising, but I think I would lean more towards something physically larger with more battery capacity.
The Emissar D1S may be a step up, but maybe not as much as I would like.
Olight M2x/M3x, going to have to look into these a bit more.
Maxtoch, the 2S also may have some potential, going to research this a bit also.
Sofrin Q8, definitely more flood-oriented than what I am after.
TN42, I would probably buy the MF02 before the TN42, as the MF02 is probably more than I need, and quite a bit cheaper.
As far as the beam size goes, I like the size of the C8 beam, but would not be opposed to a slightly wider beam. Any idea how the MF02 compares? Maybe the MF02 at a lower mode makes sense.
Another light in the MF02 class is the imalent RT35. It should have similar performance, but is shorter than the MF02.
The MF02 will have a bit more narrow beam than the C8. To get throw and wide beam you need a larger more powerful emitter or multiple emitters, and of course a large reflector. In the high output thrower class there are the quad emitter TN40 and TM16GT. Not sure on the prices on these, but they would have around 350kcd and 4000 lumens, so similar beam size to the C8.
Another high output thrower option is the large reflector with XHP70.2, like the imalent RT70 and MF02S. These could be great with sliced dome XHP70.2 but are held back because they come stock with-dome XHP70.2. Check reviews for specs because the advertised specs can be inaccurate.
I can’t find the thread now but there was some testing of the XHP35 KDLITKER models and they were severely under-performing vs the listed output numbers.
Found it: KD (kaidomain): Deals and new products thread - #828 by maukka
Testing by Maukka so as trustworthy as it gets.
You’d be much better off with a FET driven XP-L HI C8 vs the C8.2 if max throw is the objective.
Before settling for the Astrolux FT02 (single cell) , I was just about sold on the Wowtac A4 (2x 18650) because it was the cheaper option to the Thrunite Catapult V6 and the Lumintop ODLC20.
Going into the next price bracket and heft I also agree with the other who have suggested the Imalent RT35
@biodtl, I would advise looking at the Astrolux FT02 quite a bit more throw than the Convoy C8 with more capacity.
i believe utorch ut02 is most suitable, running 26650, which is equivalent to 2*18650, xhp35, over 800m throw
If you want a significant throw increase over your C8 (I assume it has XPL HI with 70-100 kcd) I think you want a light with 250+kcd. Because of the way we perceive brightness a 1.5 or even 2x increase in brightness is not very impressive.
Another option is the acebeam T27 with 350kcd from a hard driven XHP35 HI. It is a single cell 21700, so if you use 18650 the capacity might be too small.
Another option in the XHP70.2 in large reflector class is the acebeam K65. It actually comes with the emitter dedomed so it has 250+kcd I think and is a good high output thrower option. It might be expensive though.
The Utorch UT02’s are de-tuned now and the switch quality is gone. I don’t recommend it to anyone any more. My last two were weak compared to the prior version. I believe the author of this post was wanting to stay with single or multi 18650 lights.
I’ll second the $40 wowtac A4. It won’t touch the MF02 but it kills the C8+ and leaves you $110 of your budget for other lights too!
Overwhelming response, thank you all.
Imalent RT35, this is at the top of my list right now. The magnetic charging thing seems a bit odd and gimmicky, but charging method really does not matter much. I am more likely to use a dedicated charger anyway.
Klarus G35, I still like this light. What turns me off the most is the “High” mode is a huge step down from turbo. Seems like this makes it a bit less usable.
Choosing one of these over the MF02 seems to make a lot of sense for the size and weight tradeoff.
It seems I am most attracted to the XHP35 based lights.
Acebeam T27 looks nice if I want to jump to a 21700, but is fairly comparable to the others. Has a couple value added features like USB-C and powerbank function, but I’m not worried about those.
Wowtac A4, I like this, and is cheap enough I may go ahead and buy it along with whatever else I settle on.
The XHP70 lights like the MF02S, RT70, and K65 look pretty good but are pushing my budget quite a bit. I am more tempted to choose to purchase both the Imalent RT35 and the Wowtac A4 over something like that.
Probalby going to pass on the Olight M2X/M3X, I think the other options have better output for my usage.
Not sure about the HaikeLite MT07S. Multiple versions available with either XHP35 or XHP70. Doesn’t seem nearly as throw oriented. Maybe buying a XHP70 version along with the RT35 would give me a little variety to play with.
In output: XHP70 >> XHP35 > X-PL HI
In throwiness: XP-L HI > XHP35 >> XHP70
If you want a dedicated thrower I would rule the XHP70 out completely unless you are looking at very big, very expensive lights like the MF04 and GT70.
Otherwise its just how wide a beam you need. In two lights of equal throw the one with higher max output will also have a larger hotspot which can be useful for even a thrower by making it more versatile.