Better for Throw: Stock Convoy L2(SMO), L6(OP), or L6(SMO)?

I intend to buy an L2(SMO), L6(OP), or L6(SMO) with these requirements in priority order:

  1. Stock Convoy
  2. Clean center spot (minimum artifacts)
  3. Longest throw distance
  4. Minimum spill

I think the answer is the L2, but would welcome some of your guidance please.

Convoy L2 would be your best bet.

Now I see that Convoy L2 is newly available with the XHP50.2 emitter at over 2x the lumens of the earlier XPL Hi version. Any comments about how the two compare in terms of throw?

I believe the XPL-HI will still beat it. Throw is about the emitter's light intensity, meaning the total lumens emitted divided by the area over which they're emitted. The XPL-HI still wins that.

Now, if you were able to mod, the L6 SMO has more potential, but the XHP70.2 that comes stock is even worse for throw.

The XHP50.2 will have 2/3 the throw of the sst-40.(edited)

At least those are the result in the FT 03 which has a similar size SMO reflector.

Xpl Hi has even more throw than sst-40.

Assuming budget isn’t a big concern, if you were looking at lights as large as the Convoy L6, you’re better off just getting a Maxtoch ProX.

If you wanted to go with something smaller, then the L2 stock is a good thrower.

Here's my ranking from most throw to less:

L2 (White-Flat , modded) > L2 (XP-L HI) > L2 (XPH50.2) > L6 (XHP70.2) > L6 (XHP70)

There is also the L21A, a 21700 version of the L2 that accepts a 22mm driver so should allow for easy to find XHP35 boost drivers. Right now you would need to put this together yourself but IIRC Convoy/Simon are planning an XHP35 HI L21A variant which might be worth considering over the L2 variants.

For minimum spill (as in near-zero), ever consider a zoomie like a Jaxman Z1? Great quality, and I think it has a stop when zooming to keep you from projecting a Bat Signal (image of the LED die), or you can always add an O-ring to do that.

Even if at 1000lm from the LED, only 300lm gets on the target, that’s about as good as a reflector, where only what light comes off the sides and hits the reflector gets put on the target (ie, the hotspot), vs the majority of light from the middle which becomes spill.

If the “ratio” of the reflector is about 1:1 (diameter:depth), then every bit of light from 0° to 45° will be wasted as spill, and from 45° to 180° hits the reflector and gets focused on the target.

Brynite and others make similar zoomies, some with huge lenses, that’ll fry an ant a half-mile away.

I’m not a zoomie lover, but I do have a few Cometas (Z1 knockoffs) which are hella nice. Crappier plastic lenses, though, vs real glass ones in the Z1.

Fry an ant half a mile away? A bit far fetch, methinks.

But, now I have ants in my pants.

How much $$ is this beast?

Add a little soy sauce….

L2 all the way, my friend. No comparison.

XP-L HI L2 is “pencil beam” throw and SST-40 L2 is the “whop” of fat but still super-impressive through and output. I’d go with the SST-40 version and get the best compromise.

The XP-L HI in the L2 didn’t really wow me tbh.

A pencil beam is not much throw, wouldn’t throw me much, either.

SST-40 L2 has the better throw—how many Km?

Doesn’t have enough light to really make a difference, but the profile is very throwy. The SST-40 just looks like an XML2 in a 63mm reflector to me. But it’s brighter.

My “ ’merican” ain’t up to snuff, please define “whop of fat”.

Sounds like a slop of grease.

Does the L2 have the same size reflector as the L6?

I just got the new version L6 with the xhp70.2 SMO reflector (my first convoy) and am so pleased with it im already eyeing up another but this time id like a throw version

I hear the L2 throws better than the L6 is this purley down to the smaller die size of the XP-L HI or does it have different optics as well?

I have both Convoy L2 and L6. Convoy L6 has a larger reflector. Optics are the same, only L6 can have both OP and SMO reflector. The XPL-HI will always have a larger throw than the XHP70 LED.

Anyone tried swapping out the XPL HI with a white flat? i assume its a 3v 3a driver?

How do they make these things so cheap?
L2 XPL HI

I changed the LED on the copper star (the original is the aluminum star) and the driver for the Astrolux S1. The power is about 1500 lumens.

I would go for the astrolux ft03 with sst40 if you want throw. Still very good in lumen output nice UI and pretty cheap. I would go with convoy if you want to mod your light.