I find a floody handlebar light works pretty well at ~20 mph… but it’s also nice to have a throwy headlamp on my head, for looking at specific things in the distance or for shining directly at cars which don’t appear to notice I’m there. My oldest Zebralight (H51w) works reasonably well for that because it’s surprisingly throwy.
Dale, have you ever looked at Covertec / Covertech knobs? They’re normally used to hold a light saber onto a belt, but it should be just about as easy to put one on a flashlight.
The one’s I like best are from a company simply called The Clip.
High strength polymer is used and the belt clip is nicely rounded and smooth so it doesn’t bind when you sit or squat to pick something up or such. If I can’t find the spare one I should have I’ll be ordering this one and some spare knobs to see if I can make a few of my favorite EDC’s much easier to carry.
Edit: Their marketing hype…
“THIS IS NOT YOUR AVERAGE CLIP YOU WILL FIND ON AMAZON.COM. The 764 offers superior strength, quality, and comfort. It’s not one or two things that make this perhaps the Worlds best plastic swivel belt clip, it’s actually a dozen things that we’ve engineered into the design. From our smooth, more comfortable shape, to our outstanding strength, we built a new level of confidence for anyone who values their electronics. The 764 Belt Clip was designed from the ground-up offer more protection for high-end portable devices. The 764 Swivel Belt Clip is significantly stronger and offers more security than anything similar on the market today. The 764 Clip can withstand pulling forces in excess of 130 pounds in any direction. The 764 Clip, meets or exceeds the needs of anyone who’s carrying expensive electronics. It is the cumulative result of everything we’ve learned in the past decade and some new tricks we’ve learned along the way. If you want to protect your PDA, MP3 player, GPS receiver, FRS radio, camera or other device, you need a strong clip.”
That certainly looks like a cool clip but it doesn’t do anything to protect the lens or avoid accidental activation. Those are the main reasons I use a holster. I carry a backpack that always has a bunch of lights in it among other things and my lights being in a holster works great for protecting them during travel. The only time I actually have a holster on my belt is when I’m in the woods, hiking, hunting, etc. True EDC for me means being able to comfortably slip into my front pants pocket and carry comfortably all day. For that reason they’re usually AAA sized lights.
I think you could tap a hole into a thick part of the C8 tailcap, or go through the part where a clip attaches, to keep the knob on without adhesive. Or you could maybe tap into the head or heat sink somewhere.
Saber Covertec wheels come in silver to match this C8, but they’re not shaped very well for it. They have a curved back, but the only place the curve really matches the light is on the heat sink fins. For tailcap use, you’d probably want to remove a bit of material for a tighter fit. It would probably be reasonably okay on the bezel though, if you wanted lens-up carry.
I bought the BLF X6 when it was launched and has been a stellar performer.
How does this new firmware C8 compare in sheer performance?
I assume it has a larger head and will throw better. What else?
I prefer the Bistro (X6) firmware over the Biscotti (new convoy firmware) it has more features and hidden modes.
You can also toggle forwards and backwards, which is not available in biscotti.
Other than color temperature, what is the difference between the XML U2 1A and XPL HI U6 3A versions?
On gearbest’s website, the XML U2 1A product description mentions some new integrated head for faster cooling. The XPL HI U6 3A version does not mention it…
The “integrated head” thing is because the C8 doesn’t use a pill to hold emitter and driver together; it’s all on a shelf. The ad on that is just old news that they didn’t bother to repeat with newer models like the HI or the Clear versions.
Did I just killed my Biscotti C8? Need help.
Today I was playing with my Clear C8, XPL-Hi, got it from Banggood. I tried to get the configuration mode by doing multiple short haft clicks. The blinking was very fast when I want to get #2 mode (no-blink). I end up getting ONLY MOONLIGHT - I believe- that I can’t get out of. I turn off the light then turn ON into moonlight and it just stay there.
Any way I can “reset” this?
Sounds like a first-batch driver. For a proper fix, it should be reflashed. Otherwise, I hear some people have been able to get un-stuck by tapping the button a lot of times, getting back into config mode, and turning memory off.
Flashing it isn’t all the hard and only cost about $5 in parts. It’s also good experience in case you ever want to do it again. A new driver will cost you more and a new light definitely way more.
The reports I’ve heard were more than 50 taps… after people messed with it for a few days it started working again. Probably hundreds of taps, and I don’t know what the magic recipe is because I’ve never actually gotten to see one in a failure state.
Regardless, the whole thing can be avoided with reflashing.
