You can still use a TIR flashlight for longer distances…
There is nothing that magically stops the beam past a few meters that says “NO YOU CANT USE THIS FLASHLIGHT THIS FAR”
(hint: flashlights have more than 1 brightness mode)
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The point is a TIR will be smaller and more compact than a reflector.
There is also little difference between a triple and a quad in terms of the individual optic diameter, so it is a better choice to go with 4 if it fits (which it will, in something that is 26650 size) because the efficiency increases the lower you run LEDs.
So 4 LEDs making 2000 (or whatever) lumens will be more efficient than 3 LEDs making 2000 lumens.
That means longer run time. Which is again one of the main reasons to use 26650.
Wrong. First of all, tir style triples/quads using a 26650 body with side switch already exist, so there is no point in making another one.
Second, reflector based lights give off good spill lighting unlike tir. You get a great beam pattern with both spill and distance. This is proven in the C8F. It’s great for walking at night or general purposes. It’s also proven with my Supfire which has an xhp70 in a small OP reflector. It’s also proven in my DQG Tiny 7x xpg2 which makes a nice hotspot, but has very weak spill requiring me to wave it around as I walk.
Soda can lights like the BLF Q8 already exited. 18650 lights like the BLF A6 already existed.
The point was to make a better and cheaper one. Not to make some revolutionary strange thing never seen before.
Who told you that TIRs make bad spill?? Have you ever used one?
The benefit of a TIR over a reflector is that you get a more gradual transition between spill and spot unlike reflectors which have everything the same brightness and then a blinding sharp spot in the middle.
This is better for up-close use.
You also don’t get a flower shaped spill like you do with multi-reflector flashlights.
3) Maybe instead of being rude and just saying “WRONG” you can spend some time doing research on different types of optics.
Which of those TIR pics are triple or quads? Those were the discussion and should be compared to the last Flower pic of the multi emitter reflector light.
And I still say… There is also no use for 3500 lumens up close.
Wrong. The point IS to make a revolutionary strange thing never seen before. Something that does not currently exist on the market. Something in between the size of a Q8 and A6. The Q8 head is 59mm (4 x 18650) and the A6 head is 24mm (1 x 18650. I think we should build (a triple or quad reflector) with a head roughly 35mm to 45mm using 1 x 26650. This has never been done as far as I know.
WRONG.
The point is to make something that people will want to buy over other options on the market.
Whether it is cost or performance or both.
Just because something has a specific size head with some number of reflectors in it that is different from another flashlight doesn’t mean it is magically going to make it better in some way such that people will be interested in purchasing it.
Maybe you don’t realize this, but the BLF projects are done for what the majority wants, not for what you want.
May be obvious to you because you posted them.
The side by side pics were the question. PT18 as described, the one next to it was not described and not knowing the distance makes it impossible to tell what it is.
But, you can easily tell from the spot that it’s not a TIR.
If you look up flashlight wall beam profiles you can almost always guess what type of optic it’s using without even knowing what light it is.
Anyway, I made it pretty obvious why TIRs are better for close up use (since he said he didn’t care about throw).
Manufacturers know this, which is why you see so many EDC and non-thrower lights these days that aren’t reflector based.
And FWIW the Q8 has a very distinct 4 petal flower pattern outside.
The 3 emitter C8F reflector has what looks like 9 petals that only appear on the highest levels. Tight spot. Much nicer than the Q8.
I only know of tir what I’ve seen first hand. I’ve only had one light that used tir, which I did mention, it is the DQG Tiny 7x xpg2. It uses 7 small tir lenses and puts out 2500 lumen. Here is a pic.
It has a beam pattern like your example picture. It has a defined hotspot which is surrounded by a fairly strong corona, then a very wide and weak spill. When you have it set at a comfortable brightness level, say 600 lumen, you can see the hotspot just fine, but everything beyond the corona is pitch black. The same 600 lumen from a reflector light, a Convoy S2+ for instance, gives you a similar hotspot, but more spill lighting so you can see the left, right and ground as you walk. I don’t have to wave the light around constantly to see.
I’ve also worked with some wide angle 60° tir lenses, but I usually only put them in certain lights for close up work. Like my headlights which I only need to see out to 10 feet or so. I usually use them at arms length when I’m working on something.
So I don’t know of all the styles of tir lenses out there. Are there any that can give a similar beam pattern to a reflector light? Maybe one that is partially frosted? I haven’t seen any like that. If I can find something like that I would gladly use it to convert an existing 26650 light as there are many to choose from.
I don’t mean to sound rude. That’s just the way I talk. Sorry if I come off that way.
In my experiences I only have seen one type of beam pattern from tir lenses. Strong hotspot and corona (in different diameters of course) with very weak spill lighting. I have not seen any patterns that resemble a reflector flashlight. If they do exist, I would be grateful to learn of it.
My point is that they often don’t resemble a reflector flashlight, which is what makes them better for close range.
If you want to have bright spill from a reflector flashlight you need to turn the brightness up a lot, which results in an overly bright hotspot and dim spill.
For example:
.
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A tir gives a brighter spill and less hotspot, as you can see here:
(both pics are of TIR)
Your confused here. I was not refering to the BLF forum in general. I was refering to the point of making the light I had described. It is a unique light that is not on the market. Well, the Sofirn C8F is basically the same, but with a smaller 18650 battery. The C8F seems to be a big hit around here, especially the xpl version. I was wanting to make a similar light, but with a bigger 26650 battery. I think it would be very popular here.
I have single emitter Spot TIR light that resembles that reflector light pic. You can easily see that its not a TIR… Doubtful.
I also have shallow reflector lights that have a wide spot and hardly any spill.
And a zoomie adjusted to all spill is the best for up close.
I think you’re the one who is confused, this thread is specifically for future BLF projects like the Q8 or A6, not for individual builds or mods that one or a few people would want.
This thread was made during the beginning of the GT thread because a lot of people had ideas for stuff that wasn’t actually going to go into the GT so they put them in this thread for future projects.
For example, 26650, handle, short tube, etc.
Also, the C8F is not a very popular light, maybe you are thinking of the C8?
The C8 is a single reflector 18650.
It is extremely popular because it is cheap and still has good specs and quality.
May want to look into a EE X7 triple too. It is 26650 but uses the Ledil optic. Ledil has less artifacts than the smaller Carclo. But the three legs do make themselves know on the outer spill. However the $13 C8F host build may be about half the total cost of the X7 triple.
I drew another light that I want today….
driverless 10180 thrower based on Osram SYNIOS P2720 DMLQ31.SG and Khatod PL1670UN.
I don’t have any 10180 discharge curves so it’s hard for me to predict the output.
Theoretically, if the LED was driven to the peak level we see on koef3 charts and was cooled as well, it would do ~37 kcd.
I guess estimating 20 kcd is conservative enough.
You posted an extreme example. That is definetly a dedicated thrower light like a C8 or bigger TN42, etc… Those types of light are not good at all for walking at night or general purpose use. Those are more a specialty light.
A better example of what I mean by general purpose would be the convoy S2+ or convoy L6. Textured reflectors would be common. I guess it’s hard to describe. Here are some beam shots from my Supfire which has a big xhp70 in a shortened, OP, C8 reflector.
In this pic you can see the hotspot which gives some distance as well as the bright spill. This is great for walking at night. This pic is it on turbo. For regular walking around the 1500 to 2000 lumen range works very well. Then you briefly have 4,000 lumen on turbo to see extra far should you need it.
