ITS HERE! SIPIK SK98 - A 18650 based Sipik SK68 with an XML!

The Sk68 looks the same as the sk98 but takes an AA or 14500. What I ordered is something else. Watch the video on
Meritline, it’s not like the Sk68 or 98, you have to twist the head to zoom.

These are Sk68’s or atleast look like them

http://www.meritline.com/cree-led-flash-light-xp-g-q5-convex-zoom—-p-69326.aspx

There are one or two guys around here who love aspheric lenses, but I think most of us are disappointed in them. You also have a light that basically has no relector, so it’s going to give you a beam that you are not used to, has not spill, and really no hot spot unless fully focused.

They are fun to play with, but I just don’t think of zoomies as serious lights.

But then to each his own. I personally think that zoomies are the best thing since I made a flamethrower. And that was seriously funny until the local police officer came around and told me I should probably not be using that any more or he would have to start filing paperwork :cry:
But I digress…
For the size of the package I have yet to find any one flashlight that can do nearly all I want in such a small package as a zoomie can. But thats just my 0,02$ :slight_smile:

The zoomies do give you flood and throw from a single light, I will give you that, but the problem is you can get better flood or better throw from normal lights, but not both from the same light usually. For throw I am not including lights like the Dereelight DBS etc. since they aren’t zoomies, they are full time aspheric throwers.

Hell yeah!

Gonna order the 98 next month, can’t wait for that!

And therein lies the majority of my qualms. I have to carry another light with me if I stop using zoomies. And another spare battery next to the one I already carry.
And then where is the definition of “better flood” ? or “better throw”?.

To me the best flood is evenly distributed. No hotspot/corona/spill transitions and no artifacts. I need the light to have no distractions for my work. I often find myself working in small quarters with infinitesimally small objects that I need to manipulate in awkward ways places where it was never intended humans to access again. Especiallly not 6”1 humans with a bit of flab :wink: And in those situations I have learned that the more even the light distribution is the better are my perception of depth and angles relative to each other.

About throw. To me the best throw is one without any spill! My eyes ability to clearly see details about my chosen target are much affected by the backscattered light from reflectored lights. A XML thrower at full blast being fed 5+ amps and putting out 75 + kcd is often of less actual use to me than a 1,8 amp driven XR-E behind a aspheric. And no I cannot use the spill to put perspective to the target the same way that a reflectored light can but that is the whole point isn’t it :slight_smile: And then again if it is a aspheric lens in a zoomie I just slightly unfocus it to enlarge the target area.

But if “WOW” that is bright is the point then a reflectored light works best on friends because they can compare it to the maglite or other lights that they know whereas the aspheric light beam apparently seem odd and alien to them. But somehow also draw them. Go figure that one out - I haven’t :wink:

Anyhow this is not written to end the discussions about the “best light” or “best flood” or “best throw” differences between reflectored lights and apheric lights. That has been tried over and over on every light forum I’ve ever seen and it doesn’t work that way. It is merely to point out that this is what works best for me and as I wrote to TroopLevis: To each their own.

Oh and I forgot: I am SOOO disappointed with the SIPIK company! BAD COMPANY, BAD BAD BAD!
To market this without proper heat sinking. I feel so let down and I am sorry if anyone bought this light because of this thread and feel like they wasted money. I used my sipik sk68’s for years. More or less since they came out. And they never let me down, I like the design and the clip and in fact the whole package. So I was stoked when I saw the pictures on Manafont. Hoping for a complete upscaling of the 68 model to the 98 model was apparently too much to ask for so to the Sipik company all I want to say is

Sorry.

> and now the the star isn’t contacting the “pill”.

Any chance of a straight on closeup of the driver board while it’s open, or any good picture?
Been wondering what people will find when they start opening those up. I bet it varies from one to the next.

Mine arrived this morning. Based on the problems found, I hope this is different when I open it. Gonna test it out when it gets dark.

Any ideas on how to improve heat sinking? Thermal compound perhaps?


What you see there is a 18x6mm solid coper disc.

That should do it UPz :slight_smile:

My thoughts exactly. Fabricate that disc yourself? Or available for purchase somewhere?

Might just as well dump the star and mount it straight on copper. You know... since it's right there...

No, UPz just likes tempting people with home made things and then saying they aren't for sale. :P

:bigsmile: Cool! I might as well do that.

I see how you still remember that lathe-born mag heatsink :open_mouth:

The copper disk is pretty easy to machine, no electric tools needed. The most important part is to find a correct diammetter stock bar of copper. The hole in the pill measures 18mm (17.8mm in another unit, some tolerance). Go to your hardware store and ask for a copper bar of 18mm, cut a disk using a handsaw of 6mm.

Cut to small bits on oposite sides for the wires.
Try to fit the disk in place, use sandpaper if needed. The hardest fit the better.
I’ve used a vice to push it to the place.

More pics here.

PS: Sorry for my terrible engrish english

I never see any copper bar where I live. Especially not 18mm ones. What are they for anyway? (real usage)

Lathe works.

I have multiple diammeters at work, but here can be found on hardware stores.

I read this post and the reviews and negative first impressions, and then ordered an SK98 anyway for the heck of it. I really dig my little SK68 and even the UF 3-mode clone I just got. I figure if this SK98 has high and low modes, and I’m not abusing my torch with rigorous testing and running on high all the time, maybe I’ll at least get better, larger-format performance than the SK68 even with the SK98 on low. Obviously zooming an XM-L emitter isn’t going to be the prettiest throw, but having a powerful LED zoomy in my collection seemed like a good idea if not for just the fun factor alone. In fact, I have another eBay no-name special (not a Sipik clone - different design) on the way that boasts 1400 lm. LOL. But I’ll bet that actual 300 or so lms will seem pretty bright when zoomed to throw. Some guys report the SK68 only topping out at 90lm or so, but the perceived brightness of the little rocket seems to be so much more because of the zoom function. Gimmick or not, it’s fun to have a 100 yard beam capability in a little device that fits in my front pocket.

Any feedback on my ideology? If we don’t run this SK98 on high for any length of time, can we expect it to hold together? Anyone else order one of those other 18650 zoomy things from eBay or elsewhere?

I really like my Poppas W-878! Very versatile battery configuration (26650, 18650, 3AAA) and very large flood. $16.33 at Manafont.

-Garry