UPDATE! “Report on”: Convoy S2+ Mini with 1*7135 chip (Beamshot Comparison)

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3

Mine has now the TIR lens, but I’m using it with the Configuration 2 enabled (5 modes). I like it for the night, at home! But even with 3 chips, this light with 1 mode only is plenty bright! And does not get hot :wink:

Eheh, now I know that :smiley: But first I had to make the mistake :wink: I just wanted to make an experience with forward switch! Next time I…there won’t be next time!
And thanks for the recommendation! Probably with other kind of driver/firmware I’ll be able to use the forward clicky more appropriately!

Well, this was the first XPL-HI 4C I have so I had to try! The OP reflector wasn’t bad at all, but for the current purposes, I’ll stick with the TIR, it is better on the lowest modes, diffusing the light!

I like this tint, despite it is different from the XML2 T6-4C, which tens more to yellow while the XPL-HI with TIR tends to rosy :wink:
All nice :smiley:

4

With a RC, you full-press to turn it on, then half-press to select your mode.

With a FC, you half-press to select your mode, then full-press to keep it.

That’s the main difference in a nutshell. The advantage of a FC switch is the ability to silently flash’n’dash with just a half-press.

Cree doesn’t design their chips for flashlights, so angular tint-shift is the least of their concerns. But reflectors bring out that fried-egginess in their chips.

When I got my first 4C S2+, I thought nfw is that a 4C, as the hotspot is just too yellow! Took me using ceiling-bounce to see what a nice color it actually is… but why? Why, hey! The spill is so blue/cool compared to the yellow/warm hotspot! But combine the two, and you get the nice summed 4C tint!

And you’re also likely to run into the horribly yellow corona around the hotspot, too.

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Eheh, I know that! So far I only have 1 flashlight with FC, the Nitefox UT20, and I like that feature, so I decided to try it with this Convoy, unsuccessfully! As I said, maybe with other driver :wink:

Yeah, the TIR erases those odd things! My S2+ with XML2 T6-4C was a “paradigm shift” in my tint preferences, but it has to be “well” done to avoid those kind of beam artifacts (tint shift and so on).
I’ve been using the Amutorch SS with a XML2 and a TIR lens (original, maybe 45º?) and it works pretty well, giving a nice homogeneous colour.

My next step is to put one if this XPL-HI U6-4C (or 3A…) on the SP10A or B, as I mentioned on other thread :wink:

I will also take 2 of the 7135 chips on this S2+ to check how the lowest mode performs.

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[quote=Lightbringer]
Use of a FC switch in a light whose UI is designed for a RC switch is always a bad idea.

Do you think a FC is a bad idea for a 5/3 mode S2+ ?

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Absolutely, unless you want to get thoroughly confused.

It can be done, and nothing’s going to “break”, but it’ll be a pain in the ass to try to switch modes.

Eg, what you’d normally do with one half-press when on, you’d have to turn off the light, wait long enough, half-press it long enough to simulate it being “on”, then momentarily release the switch and quickly half-press it on again. Or release-then-press multiple times to simulate multiple half-presses of a RC switch, then full-press to keep it once you get to the mode you want.

Like I said, it won’t break anything, but it’ll be damned cumbersome.

FC lights like it best when you just keep it on one usual mode (eg, moonlight for not blinding yourself at night, or 100% if you want it at its brightest), and optionally just half-press initially to get to a different mode if you want.

That’s why, to me, my favorite lights are FC 1-mode lights (eg, my F13, L2M, etc.) that are full-tilt all the time, and I don’t have to worry about changing modes. Should do up a few C8s that way…

My WK50 is an exception, as I normally keep that on moonlight, know it’s on moonlight when I’d flick it on once, so if I want anything different, I half-press as needed to get to the mode I want. Then when I’m done, go through the process again to put it back on moonlight.

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Thanks , I did not know the light could not be half pressed from ON to switch modes .

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Only lights with reverse-clicky switches, not forward-clicky switches.

RC is momentary-off from on.

FC is momentary-on from off.

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Got it now . If a light is designed for FC from the start such as tactical lights , the same holds true ?

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Yep.

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So if momentary on were used it would change modes and not stay in original mode selected ?

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No, on is on. It doesn’t turn “more-on” with a half press.

You either have to do it the way I listed in detail above, or swap it for a RC switch.

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I mean from off , as in a quick half press , then back off . Would this not change modes so next momentary on would be a different brightness ? Pardon my lack of understanding of this , I have no FC to experiment with .

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It’s all a matter of timing. I have no idea how long you’d half-press it on, wait ’til the next half-press, etc.

That’s why I said it’d be cumbersome if using a FC switch on a UI meant for RC switches.

Kinda just proved my point. :smiley:

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Yeah , it is . The reason I was asking is because I was toying with converting one of my S2+ to a weapons light . Now that you have explained it to me , I don't think it would be any good . Momentary on could be any length of time and single light level would be a crap shoot . Too many failure chances .

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Same with a RC switch. A “flicker” even with a RC switch could change modes.

Off, “ooh, what’s that?” back on, unwanted mode-change.

A 1-mode is the only way to avoid unwanted mode-changes. Otherwise, FC or RC, you can have an unwanted/accidental mode-change.

Weapon-light? Hell, even a flicker from recoil could break contact enough to cause a mode-change. The battery would bounce back’n’forth in the tube like a shaken-baby’s head.

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Good point . My current light for this is a combo FC/ side switch . It does have multi modes but so far no mode change . Atactical A1S . Nice light for the money .

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Hi MascaratumB. Can you give more info on the switch in your mini S2? It appears the tail is the same as a normal blue/red/green S2, but without the metal switch. Is the hole threaded? Did Simon just stick a small rubber tail cap in it?

I’ve been wanting to buy a non-grey/black S2+ host and stick in a color matching lighted switch in it, but I want to do it with a white rubber tail cap. Looks like this may be a way to do it.

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So, in the name of the “flashlight science”, I was messing with the S2+ Mini I received.
It had a 3*7135 Biscotti driver, and I wanted to test how low the lowest mode would go, meaning, I modded it and extracted 2 chips. Current driver situation is 1*7135.

I made some beamshots still with 3 chips and after taking the 2 chips out. I present you the results below.

S2+ Mini (1*7135 + XPL-HI U6-4C + Pebbled TIR) >>>> S2+ Mini (3*7135 + XPL-HI U6-4C + Pebbled TIR) >>>> S2+ Desert Tan (8*7135 + XPL-HI U6-3A + SMO Reflector)

———

S2+ Mini (1*7135 + XPL-HI U6-4C)
Pebbled TIR >>>> SMO Reflector >>>> OP Reflector

On the lowest mode (0,1%)
S2+ Mini (3*7135) >>>> S2+ Desert Tan (8*7135) ||||| S2+ Mini (1*7135) >>>> S2+ Desert Tan (8*7135)

S2+ Mini (1*7135 + TIR) >>Nitefox UT20 >> Zanflare F1 >> S2+ Desert Tan >> S2+ XML2 U2-1A >> S2+ XML2 T6-4C

And my final conclusion is… even with 1*7135 chip, the lowest mode (0,1%) is still brighter than some moonlight modes of flashlights like the Zanflare F1 or the Nitefox UT20 (especially when using the SMO or OP reflectors instead of the TIR lens).

I would compare it with other lights with “true” moonlight modes (Jetbeam RRT-01 or a modded light with Reylight Pineapple Brass driver), but those are the lowest output lights I have (firefly level), so I don’t think they are useful for this comparison.

When comparing it with 3 Convoy lights with Biscotti drivers with 8*7135 chips, this Convoy S2+ Mini doesn’t get a 0,1% mode higher than the ones of the other S2+, but the “Mini’s” level isn’t much below them (either using OP or SMO reflector or even Pebbled TIR lens).

With 1*7135 and/or with 3*7135 chips it is a light with a very low output on the lowest and nice output on the highest modes, very useful for indoor and/or outdoor at close range.

21

Hi Neutral Fan!
The switch that Simon put on this light is a “regular” forward clicky switch. I asked him to install a transparent rubber tailcap, and he did that without the inner rubber part (for pressing the switch) as the forward clicky is taller than the reverse clicky switches we normally get on Convoy lights.

The tail hole is not threaded as this is not one of the “colour” or Desert Tan or Clear (silver) versions. It has the regular size of a Black or Grey Convoy S2+. This host is the specific 16340/18350 version.
Also, I don’t know if the gray 18650 tube matches the colour of this version as this seems a mix of gray and blue, not so gray as the “long version”.

BTW, this works well with 16340s and at least the unprotected Keeppower and Aspire 18350 cells.

A simple opinion and taste: I like a lot this host and the combination with the transparent tailcap! So a lighted switch will fit perfectly :wink:

22

Thanks for the info. So does that mean Simon will make a green/blue/red S2+ host with the gray/black specifications if you ask?