Nice review as always!
I like the smooth bezel and tail cap. I wish there were more lights like that. I don’t see the need for heat fins on any flashlights. The whole body is the heat exchanger.
Regarding it being underpowered. I don’t look at it that way with smaller diameter heads and XM-L emitters. There is no throw so what does doubling the current do? It cuts the runtime in half.
If you make the light brighter without focusing that light all that happens is that your iris shuts down and blocks out the additional light. It doesn’t seem any brighter and your run time is reduced.
What I don’t like it large diameter lights that are underpowered.
This would be an excellent light if it was single 18650 with a side switch.
touchéFoy
Very well done. Frontpage'd and Sticky'd. Sorry for the delay!
Nice reviews + pics. Will pull the trigger tomorrow!
You won't regret it, my.
This is a run-time update with two unprotected Panasonic 18650s charged to 4.22 volts each.
Flashlight on high.
| time | Foyometer |
| 11:26 | 148 |
| 11:34 | 144 |
| 12:06 | 142 |
| 12:28 | 140 |
| 1:06 | 144 |
| 1:26 | 144 |
| 1:55 | 143 |
| 2:00 | 118 |
The VG-20 gets a solid 2.5 hours on high. Not too shabby.
Foy
Nice review. I recently got the VG-10 with XM-L T6 3C and I love it. I was wondering if your VG-20's head was glued to the the battery tube. I'm asking this because my VG-10 seem like it is glued to the battery tube. I manage to unscrew everything but the head. If I look closely where the flashlight head and the battery tube screws together, I can see some green residue.
I tried heating it and that did not work. I even place the flashlight in a vise and used a strap wrench and that still did not work. I did "nicked" the anodize a little bit so I'm pretty sad about that but oh wells.
Stanley -
This is how mine comes apart. The top tube flares out to the size of the head . . .
hopethishelpsFoy
Yeah I did some research on how the VG-10 looks like taken apart and it is the same as your VG-20. But I still can't get it off. Is itreserve threaded? Or is it the normal "Righty tighty" "lefty Loosey"?
Thanks,
Stanley
Righty-tighty here. It might have some loose aluminum dug into the threads or (more likely) just screwed down by a Chinese sumo wrestler. It is odd but thankfully, the need to remove the head is infrequent. I say that but it would bother me if I couldn't get it off.
getbiggervisegripsFoy
Haha... Thanks for the help Foy. Yeah it does bother me that I can get the head off. Also when I took the bezel off, the reflector doesn't come out. It seems to be taped down on to the emitter star. I can wiggle it side to side but it doesn't come out.
Oh, that's right . . . I forgot about that. Yes, my reflector had clear silicone holding it to the head. It's not a real strong adhesive though - a couple of taps popped it out. Also, I thought I saw some white potting in there too.
Foy
Thats good to know. I thought it was going to be a strong adhesive or something. As for the head I'm just going to leave it alone. I already "nicked" the anodize and dis-colored it for the head gun. Now it is a darker than the tail cap. But I think if I heat the tail cap and it should, hopefully, be the same color. Again, thanks for the help and info.
Stanley
Oh I just took my reflector off and it is screwed into the head. This was the picture I found with the head taken apart.
That is completely different than my VG-20. Not even the same. Wow, I thought they were the same light. That's a totally different set-up.
interestingFoy
Yeah I thought its was the same as your VG-20. Everything else looks the the same except the reflector.
New-Wears-Off-Update
I'm still waiting for the new to wear off this torch. Probably the most satisfying new-flashlight experience I've had since I first discovered the L2P.
Not only that; this charismatic Shadow is proving a worthy partner in the dark. No failures or missteps so far and even if I do admit to being extra careful with it, the ano has withstood the few knocks it's had.
I'm guessing the VG-20 is somewhat less than popular, in part because it seems like just a double-long P60. Remember that a P60 reflector is 26mm and the VG-20 is 30mm. It's a dead reliable, XM-L looker with a simple 3-mode UI and hidden strobe . . .
sofarsogoodFoy
Now that's what I call a super review!
Awesome job!
update:
My VG-20 is still making me smile. I guess I'll have to accept that I'm among the few that likes this form factor. This is the light I fondle idly while watching Stargate: Universe and Firefly reruns.
What better recommendation is there than that?
destinyandserenityFoy
Hi Foy, I’m pretty eager to get this light, especially after experiencing the outstanding new JM07 which has an unbeatable finish. I’ve now got a bit of a fix for shadow lights. I’m wondering if you can answer a question, I’m thinking of modding this light with a new driver.
Is the contact board 20mm? The driver I’m considering is this one:
http://www.intl-outdoor.com/ld29-28a-12-cell-circuit-board-p-416.html
(20.3mm contact board)
helps if I read the entire thread, this already has the LG-29 inside at a lower amp level, so question answered. :bigsmile: