My 2 shell queens are a DDed XPG2 one that does 200k cds and DDed XPL V6 1D doing 155k cds, i also use a XPG2 based one( arround 200k cds too) on my .223 rifle
Well there is always some compromise between output and throw when choosing emitters. It’s just a matter of what your priority is.
Top binned dedomed XPL can really throw a lot, as evidenced by mitko’s result above. So you get a larger hotspot (more lumens downrange) with almost as much beam intensity.
Some measurements of mine, to approximately illustrate the output difference:
old production style XPG2 S4 2B dedomed in C8 with stock lens: ~911 lumens OTF. This light does 185Kcd @30s.
dedomed XPL V6 1A in EE X6: 1692 lumens OTF. This light does 94Kcd @30s.
Don’t laff. but my favorite emitter for a C8 is an XP-E2, or those “bead” type LEDs. Small chips, wonderfully small and tight hotspot, lots of throw even when not nearly as high-strung as the usual 3A setups. 1A-1.4A is plenty for some decent throw, without stressing out anything much, and giving multiple hours of runtime.
And in that config, you can get all sorts of colors from IR through VIS into UV.
To me, the C8 is meant to throw. I never considered it a general-purpose light at all. Even an XM-L2 puts out a way bigger hotspot, and you’d have to ramp the amps accordingly to get the same throw, despite a few times the lumens coming out the front.
About the only thing I can see coming close would be a dedomed XP-G# driven harder. Probably get the lux, but at half the runtime or less.
Just played around with my new L2, and that’s a great thrower, but it’s not quite pocketable, if you know what I mean. All my P60s aren’t as throwy as the C8 and are more general-purpose. Floody lights and those with OP reflectors are only really good close-in, no matter how bright.
Nah, a C8’s what I want to use to see at a distance, without carrying a club like an L2 or L6. So yeah, I’ll go for runtime with a nice teeny XP-E2.
True, if made properly a nice driven DDed E2 would give like 130k cds in a C8 host- a setup especialy good for a hunting flashlight with a single battery where the mech switch matters( if a remote switch is used ofc), the same but XPG build will make 60-65k due to the switch current limmitations
Yet its the only reasonable situation to use XPE2 over G2 in a C* host
I’m so tempted to do that for a while, I looked up E2s in a 1D tint if possible.
The ~4300Ks (dunno what bin, but a nice color, no hint of green at all) I have now are quite nice with the dome. If I’d DD a 1A or 1D and see what color/tint it ends up as after DDing, oh man, that could be killer!
The ones I got originally were these: Amazon.com .
They also have some WW and CW versions, like this for CW: Amazon.com .
That C8+E2 I’ve got is pretty much my go-to light for checking out the backyard if I hear cats killing each other, etc. Doesn’t light up the whole yard, but sure does light up what it’s aimed at!
Oh yeh, 1-mode 1050mA driver, 1400mA on my to-do list. 1-mode makes it reeeeeeeally good for remote switches.