BLF triple 21700?

Yes agreed. This is why I kept my 4 cell Q8 and ditched my 4 cell mini TN30. It makes a big difference if you don’t have big hands. 3x21700 sounds great. About 25% more capacity than 4x18650.

Have a look here for better price : 18650canada.com

I brought up the idea because shortly a manufacturer is releasing a triple 21700 with 6 XHP70.2’s claiming 25000 lumens for $200. Being BudgetLightForum I figured it could be done here cheaper and with Andúril.

Thanks so much for that link! The prices in Calgary are so much more than from that shop in Red Deer. I will be ordering from them very soon. Thanks again

Great idea. I’d take at least one

Unno, Sofirn could pretty easily grow a SP36 a few mm around, no?

I like the idea of keeping it VERY efficient, AND with (regulated) higher sustainable output Vs. a million lumens for 5 seconds on Turbo… then 500 lumens 5 minutes later :neutral_face:

Kinda like the Sofirn SP33 V2. If that light had ramping, I’d call it near perfect for a 26650 single cell/emitter light as it can sustain good output for a good while. Or the LT1 (which does have a great regulated 600 lumens for hours of run time) could be another design to draw from.

But YES… keep it three cells MAX as we don’t need a Q10 :stuck_out_tongue: I’d even be happy with a thinner, lighter tube to keep it hand-hold’able and lighter weight to boot.

I’ve been using my headlamps picking squash bugs out of the garden almost nightly. I am constantly having to click up a level every 20 minutes (after the first hour of run time). No big deal, they work GREAT as-is. But it would be cool to just get the 700 lumens (or whatever) rock steady FOR 100 MINUTES .

I am not sure about the efficiency delta between regulated and non-regulated drivers, but I’d LOVE a light that could SUSTAIN a steady 3500 lumens? (or whatever three 50G 21700s could do at 5000mAhs each and 10 amps continuous each = 30 amps) for over an hour… “continuous” :beer:

Too thick to hold, and if not too thick, essentially has the same efficiency and capacity as 4x 18650 which are common.

Tubercle, you have a good point :+1:

4 30Qs can deliver 12000 mAhs of capacity and double the current as three decent, higher capacity 21700s.

So it would be the opposite of what I am thinking and they’d have to go for a big-ass pocket rocket with three Molicel or T40 21700s kicking out 90 amps continuous into whatever the highest lumen config is that it would drive. As you said, about the same capacity, but with a little more current… probably not enough to justify it.

Still, in time it will be done as the 21700 format slowly takes over the 18650 market.

Morelumens that is ALSO a great point. I’ve seen many lights that could have deeper heat sinks cut in. I guess they worry about the lightweight “el cheap” factor and the light sinks “bending” if you use it to jack up your truck. :exclamation: I get mass helps too, and cost is due to having to mill more material (and start with a larger chunk).

I need to check out that GT4… sounds ahead of its time.

Yes! I love the Cree XHP50.2 and Cree XHP70.2, they don’t get that much hot.

3-21700’s vs 4-18650’s about the same, but I’m leaning to the newer 21700 format. Maybe 6 XHP50.2 giving up some lumens for throw and less heat. So maybe 15,000 lumens instead of 25,000 but more throw and a lot less heat. Or SST-70 for more throw over the XHP50.2’s. Or 7 SST-40’s. Just something a bit well thought out and a step up from the Sofirn SP36 BLF.

I guess 3 5000 mah 21700s wouldn’t deliver same punch but still some more capacity over 30Qs anyway. I guess going with 4 3400 cells makes it a wash again though.

yes. yes, scalloped is good. hi CRI. charging.

Good idea! :THUMBS-UP:

Actually, I was thinking about this idea, too (at that time with only one emitter) to benefit from the latest high drain 21700 batteries for Luminus's SBT90.2.

Using a multiemitter optic with a design like LEDiL's TAMPA NIS83-MX-7-W, see below, of course bigger, wider to make use of the increased tube diameter. Something like Hank's D18 but less floody, more throwy.

3*21700 sound very intresting

Within a coupla mm, it’s the same exact diameter as 4×18650. <yawn/>

As others have already stated, 3x21700 and 4x18650 are very close in size, capacity, and amperage (depending on which cells are selected.

Also, multi-emitter lights have become commonplace.

So what will make this hypothetical light a standout worthy of a BLF logo?

Because we don’t have one yet. Fenix did LR35R 2x21700 with 6xSST40’s. Imalent did MS06 3x21700 with 6xXHP70.2’s. So I thought some thing practical and in the middle. 3x21700’s driving; 4-7 SST40’s on the throw side or 4-7 XHP50.2’s on the flood side. Since I have zero build ability, I thought I’d just through the idea out and see if it sticks.

Upon further consideration and some VERY LOOSE extrapolating of 4x18650 vs 3x21700 performance (using HKJ battery comparator), I think 3x21700 has the advantage… not only in capacity, but especially in maintaining a given current. I mostly used 40T in comparison to various 18650s.

Of course, I could be reading the graphs incorrectly. :innocent: