Hope this is the section to post this in, pics of some lights I modded and a few good budget light that impresed me for the $, with a few crappy beam shots.
Most of my collection:
1st pic: From upper left to lower right…
WF501A - P60 xml2 , this will be used as a comparison for beamshot, figured everyone can relate to an average 1000 lumen pocket light.
C2, xpl hi, cheapie nowhere near as good as the Convoy C8 xpl hi I just sold. (needs a better driver)
L2M - P60 xpl pill.
Stock C8 T6, old but still impressive for a mild thrower.
Original Skyray King tripple T6, my 1st “bright light”.
Haikelite MT03 triple xhp70, total flooder, broken switch, I just unscrew the bat. tube.
Now we get to some of the ones with beamshots.
HD2010 - xhp70.2, Matts 17DD driver, 2 imr 26650s
Kaidomain K6 - xhp35 hi, awsome thrower for $50.
HD2010 - xhp50.2 with a H1A driver (“rigged” 20mm kaidomain boost driver, since the HD2010 holds a 17mm driver) single imr 26650.
Thorfire C8 - good quality C8 that takes a 20mm driver, xhp70.2 with a fried 20mm DD that is bypassed with negative going to outside edge of driver (i’m sure theres a name for this - like “dont do it idiot”)
Trustfire T1 - xhp70, bypassed driver, 2 imr18500, with extension tube removed.
Trustfire C2 - xhp70.2, 17mm DD, 2 imr 18350s, more floody then the C8, but its even smaller, fits in any pocket. (working on an even smaller C2)
Manta Ray C2 - xhp50.2, only a 17mm 2.2mah driver, so only around 1500 lumens I’d guess.
Kaidomain C8.2 - xhp35 HD, single imr 18650, awsome pocket thrower (i’m sure the HI version would throw even better)
Kaidomain C8.2 - xhp50.2, single imr 18650, awsome all around light, great hotspot.
Kaidomain KF8 - xhp50.2, OP, single imr 18650, good all around, mostly floody with a mild hotspot, would make good weapons light.
L2T - with Matts XHP70 copper pill he used to sell, total flooder, but not cheap, would make good indoor weapons light.
Manta Ray - xhp50.2, almost as good as the Kaidomain C8.2 - xhp50.2, very similar hot spot. Keep it in the truck, good runtime with a 26650.
I also want to say I’m a newb, I dont really understand much of the electronic part of lights, I just figure out what driver I can use with what led and cells and mod it. Started modding 2017.
So I will not be able to answer any tech questions, I’m doing this for people like me that want to try modding, and to show that you can build a light with 4000-5000+ lumens at home
for a fraction of the price of a high dollar light, granted it will get hot fast and not have much run time, but will still perform.
So just like in the car world you can build your own engine and hot rod and blow the doors off of a high dollar exotic, in the 1/4 mile that is, for a fraction of the price.
And isnt that what buidling stuff is all about.
These are pretty easy mods that anyone can do and have an impracticle but awsome light.
I’d like to add 2 things:
I have swapped plenty or the reflectors around between the C8s, and even tho they seam very similar they can still get a better hotspot with some compared to others.
And most of my lights were upgraded to from the xp70 to the xhp70.2, the + in the middle of the hotspot is almost gone in most of the modded C8s and C2s,
and Gone on lights with bigger reflectors like the HD2010s. Also SMO reflectors put out way more light with a better hotspot, so when modding a C8 get one with a SMO,
because there will be plenty of flood as you can see.
Also pay attension to the length of the 18350s because it will be a tight fit squeezing 2 in a C8 or C2 thats made for 1 18650.
My crappy beamshots are at 50 yards to the big oak tree, to compare the lights.
And 50ft to the fence behind the garage, for something closer where the hotspot is more visible.
And sorry, I dont know how to do beam shots, thats why I did 2 sets, hope that helps.
Lights labeled in this pic have beamshots: