call me crazy, but I've come to prefer these pills w/ a hole in the center
I have 1/2", 5/8" and 3/4" copper rod here and I drive that into the hole.
The laborious part is facing the rod. I need a lathe...
This also makes is possible to solder the emitter directly to the copper - which is a bit easier w/ a zoomie (instead of reflector) because it isn't as crucial that the emitter be perfectly centered.
The nice part about this light vs the 'new c55/c56' (aside from the switch) is that the pcb 'holder' and the threads are one piece, so at least there is a good heat path to the body...
Looks like this will be my next purchase, after a visit from the credit fairy
Scratch that for the moment. Looks serviceable. Tried to dissasemble the switch but there's a plastic piece under the alu threaded ring that I can't take off.
I have a Yezl T9 Big Head (18650) http://www.cnqualitygoods.com/goods.php?id=1107 , the Yezl is larger, has a bigger lens and projects a smaller/brighter hot spot and feels more solid (as well as being bigger/heavier) it also sells at around $27.00 plus shipping compared to $14 inc. I changed the driver in it to get rid of the strobesand get a little more output.
Most of the time I grab for a C8 or a XML P60 but this light will get some use as it is a little smaller and has a novelty factor to it.
Thanks UPz. That's quite a difference, although the SK68's bezel and lens can be easily removed so that it can be used in mule mode to flood a room. Can this also be done with the SK98?
HEY, this thing is SMALL for an 18650 light. With the lense set to "flood", it is exactly the length of an S-Mini, almost 3/4 of an inch shorter than a P1, which I consider a small 18650 light.
The headpiece has plenty of friction to keep it from getting loosy-goosey, and my light focuses fine on max throw. My only complaint is that is has a strobe mode instead of a Medium mode.
The light always starts on High, which is good since I might not have to cycle past Strobe.
Tailstands VERY nicely, good machine work, clip is functional, lots of cooling fins, and it looks to be a real Sipik.
Still daylight out, so I can't say much about the beam, but for $14 it is a nice light. It is my only zoomie at this point.
Hey Troop, please give us a report on the outdoor experiments ASAP! :bigsmile:
I'll order one this weekend if I can get your endorsement. I know it's pretty inexpensive and I shouldn't bother so much but I suppose it's more principle since these flood-to-zoom lights are sort of a hit or miss and generally lower quality. I'm just making this hard on myself :p
Thanks for the quick update. So maybe the XR-E is still better for throw in the SK98? I wasn't sure if the XM-L could possibly match it based purely off of the significantly increased power.
So how do you figure it fits in to your collection as a practical EDU (Every Day Use) type of light? Is it worth keeping at the top of your rotation? I suppose it's very similar to the SK68 but with more power.
Thank you for those beamshot. It looks like it floods in a very wide angle. That is just what I need from a work light.
Biiig flood for the up close are work. And a strong clip so I can clip it on to my ear protection. And cheap. And 18650 battery runtime. And a really low low - oh well. After driver swap it is still only 20 $ ;-)
My thoughts on zoomies in general and this Sipik98 specifically;
It is a fun light, but I don't take it seriously. If I needed an EDC, this would not be it. If I was a LEO, this would not be my daily light. Fun to play with, but the lack of a real reflector makes it a weak light in my eyes.
But it is a cool toy for 14 bucks, and I'm sure it will get a lot of attention from non-flashaholics. Way better light than the multiple LED stuff people buy at checkstands or Hardware stores, but not on par with a P1 or C8 or such. I'm just not a fan of aspherics.