Convoy S21D w/ legendary Nichia 219b :) - Review & comparison w/ Nichia 519a, E21a & other lights with Nichia LEDs incl. Emisar D4V2, Convoy S21F. (Summary & measurements on P. 1)

(Relevant/interesting post from my other Convoy thread)
From Turbo start, percentage of max brightness where each flashlight settles after stepdowns (in general within 10 minutes after start) using ceiling bounce method. I checked these numbers because for the way I use my flashlight (as a walk light, duration ~50 min), where the light settles (the sustained brightness) is most important. Lights that settle at too low level are not good for me because then I would have to re-push button, then it would get dim again etc.

1. Convoy Headlamp H2 w/ Nichia 219b: 61%
2. Convoy S21D w/ Nichia 219b and 519a: 37-40%
3. Convoy M21E, F, and B w/ Getian GT-FC40: 35-37%
4. Nitecore MH12S w/ SST40: 33%
5. Fenix Headlamp HM65R-T w/ SST40: 32%
6. Emisar D4V2 with Nichia 219b: 22-26%
7. Wurkkos TS30S w/ SBT90.2: 16%
8. Wurkkos TS21 w/ 60° Max Temp: 16%
9. Coast XPH30R Headlamp: 15%

As some of us have observed, Convoy lights tend to settle at highest level, that’s partly why I love them. All Convoy lights stay bright but the Convoy H2 headlamp with Nichia 219b in particular is fantastic and extremely highly recommended as headlamp for evening walk/exploration (keep in mind it is heavy so you need to buy headstrap with a top strap like this one). The Nitecore MH12S, one of my favorite throw lights, is not bad.
The few Anduril lights that I have tend to settle at the lowest percentage, especially Wurkkos, even after thermal limit has been raised. But note that 16% of the monster SBT90.2 LED in the Wurkkos is still the brightest light in my collection :+1: :slight_smile: .

From this small sample of my own lights above, it should be very obvious that the lights with proprietary UI, Convoy, Nicecore, and Fenix, are at the top, and the lights with Anduril (all calibrated and with raised max thermal limit to 50-55 C) are at the bottom.

The question is whether this could be corrected were I to raise my Anduril lights to 60° C. Luxwad in his excellent review did the comparison but the results are mixed, and the percentage still tops out at only 1000/4500 = 22%. Is it because the monster SBT90.2 just outputs so much heat, or is it the inherent nature of Anduril’s auto regulation?

Now I am curious and would like to test myself. The only problem is I don’t have a light with similar LED’s heat and host’s thermal mass profile as the non Anduril lights above. Either the small D4V2 and equally small TS21 will have to do. Fenix headlamp is small too and it has high stepdown brightness.

Just updated the index on page 1 of the interesting or fun posts that I’ve wasted the most amount of time on :person_facepalming: :slight_smile: . Hope it helps for anyone looking to waste time reading about Convoy. The list has become more lengthy thanks to Opple Light Master.

And flashlight fun picture of the copper Emisar D4V2 with its copper finish. I chose green aux, green button lights. The copper has aged beautifully since new.

(The numbers will be updated as I have time to repeat tests & correct errors.)
1. Convoy Headlamp H2 w/ Nichia 219b 4500k: 61%
2. Convoy S21D w/ Nichia 219b 4500k and 519a: 37-40%
3. Convoy M21E, F, and B w/ Getian GT-FC40: 35-37%
4. Nitecore MH12S w/ SST40: 33%
5. Fenix Headlamp HM65R-T w/ SST40: 32%
6. Emisar D4V2 with Nichia 219b 4500k w/ 70° Tmax : 30% (int temp 64° C, ext temp 59° C, cannot hold w/ bare hand)
7. Emisar D4V2 with Nichia 219b 4500k w/ 60° Tmax : 23%
8. Wurkkos TS21 w/ 70° Tmax: 22%
9. Wurkkos TS21 w/ 60° Tmax: 16%
10. Wurkkos TS30S w/ SBT90.2: 16%
11. Coast XPH30R Headlamp: 15%
12. Emisar D4V2 with Nichia 219b w/ 45° Tmax: 14%
13. Wurkkos TS21 w/ 45° Tmax: 8% :person_facepalming: :confounded: my poor Wurkkos, at least the LED is a gem

Redo test and ranking for final brightness percentage from a Turbo run-down, using ceiling bounce test. Please skip this if you’ve seen it in my other Convoy thread - allow me to double post since I think it’s interesting and don’t want future readers to miss it lol.

Convoy still on top, and 60° C limit didn’t help Anduril lights much. Please note these are small Anduril lights; I don’t have similar larger lights with larger thermal mass. Well the Wurkkos TS30S does have larger thermal mass, but it has that crazy SBT90.2 LED.

I plan to edit/update this list if/when I buy more lights since IMHO it’s such an important parameter for a walk light, where lights are on for long duration. Please note this is a “home test” and values may change if I repeat any test when I’m less lazy :slight_smile: and find errors. As always, hope this helps.

Some other observations:

1. At 60° C, my Anduril lights are still at the bottom as far as sustained brightness. Brightness tends to drop very fast in the first few minutes, off a cliff vs my Convoy and Nitecore that have proprietary UI, at least based on my limited test.
2. Unequivocal evidence that the thermal limit makes a big difference in both prolonged initial brightness AND the final brightness. (Reading reviews of other Anduril flashlights this has not always been clear cut to me.) This is a good sign that Anduril auto regulation is working exactly as intended.
3. When I set Wurkkos and Emisar D4V2 to 60° C max, the external temp as measured by my IR gun is around 50-55° C at the head. What this may imply (meaning I’m speculating) is that the internal temp of Convoy MAY be even higher than the 60 that I’ve measured externally at the head.
4. When I reset my Wurkkos and Emisar to factory setting, the temp read 8 C° and 12 C° respectively, where it should be around 20° C. If I didn’t re-calibrate, then this would bring the max limit to something 10° C higher than set (I hope I’m not losing you here :slight_smile: ). Basically this is a way to cheat and increase T max of Anduril . Not recommending, just noting.

Did you factory reset while the light was hot (around 30-ish degrees it would seem)?

Factory reset assumes the light is around room temp (21°C) and sets the temperature offset based on that.

Like you, I do not rely on factory reset. I confirm w IR thermometer, and calibrate the flashlight to match.

Otherwise my Sofirn SC21 Pro will set itself to 8-11C lower than reality. My Wurkkos TS10 after factory reset reads 1-3C lower than reality, I recalibrate to match my IR reading.

After recalibrating, I confirm using the Temp Check on the light, that it matches the IR Temp.

Thanks. This is an excellent point that I did not think about. My lights are all set to one click to Turbo (150) so it’s entirely possible. I was playing around with them at the time of the reset.

This is why I enjoy posting on BLF. I learn a lot from the responses.

Got some $ from Olight M2R refund and couldn’t resist yet another Convoy (3 Olight $ = 10 Convoys) :) MAO M21B w/ B35AM 4500k . Very interesting that this is essentially four E21a? I have taken several beamshots of E21a (for example here) and by now fairly familiar with it ; really curious what the B35AM beamshot will look like.

Some info of B35AM below. I wonder why this would have a “donut free” beam - secondary to the gapless configuration? I thought that’s an issue related to focus positioning of reflector & LED.

Near gapless configuration of 4x E21A die size on a ceramic package with phosphors deposited in between the seams. This 3,65mm x 3,65mm LED is a miniaturization of the bigger 144A (5mm x 5mm) but with color quality and CCT range of E series. Although the max output and current capabilities are less than normal 4x E21A setup, the tighter uniform “donut free” beam and robust ceramic package makes this LED easier to implement where tight beam control is required. The white reflector “fence” make sure most of the light directed upwards and reduce the color shift over angle. Designed for high power (8 watts) narrow beam directional lighting with broad range of CCT (from 2700K to 7500K) and available in various CRI (Rnn, R70. R8000, R9050, R9080).

5step for the 4500K from Convoy.

Thanks. The knowledge on this forum is great.

Out of curiosity I did a rough calculation on the Duv range of 7step. Seems like about 20 points form one end to the other?

That doesn’t seem too bad but I guess 7step’s CCT also has a large range of variation; for example CCT of 4500k looks like it could be as low as 4100k and as high as 4900k. This is quite a large range of beam color variation.

In case you’re a hard core headlamp users, my impression of the 4 headbands with overhead strap that I have tried. Why overhead strap? Weight above ~ 4oz for me. I’ve found that when headlamps exceed ~4 oz in weight, it’s not stable AND I get a headache from the weight pressing on my forehead. Using headband with overhead strap makes these heavier headlamps more comfortable for me.

I’ve decided to split the 4 bands into 2 types because I think the backing might be an important factor to consider. This is an on-going evaluation so opinions obviously may change. Hope this helps and as always IMHO.

WITH HARD PLASTIC PLATE BACKING
Olight “Headband 2 for Perun” headband has a hard plastic backing with a groove, and then a rubber strap that you pull over to hold the headlamp. Except for the relatively higher cost, nothing but praise for it. Unlike the rubber ring design, this design allows you to remove the light quickly. Very comfortable, very well made. The rubber strap means it should fit multiple light diameters. I got mine from eBay for $15.
Skilhunt HB3 Headband headband has a clip, protrudes from a hard plastic backing. The clip is probably best version if you take light on and off all the time (which I don’t do). It’s made for the smaller Skilhunt headlamp, and hence is too tight for Convoy H2 headlamp. You could still use it with Convoy H2, just that I have to be careful with rotating, and forget about taking H2 on and off. Best price on Aliexpress here.

WITH SOFTER RUBBER and 2 RINGS BACKING
Convoy Headstrap has two soft rubber rings (Olight has another band of similar design). The backing is soft rubber. Convoy is the least expensive by far (two for 6 bucks!), but one thing that I’ve noticed about the Convoy headband is the horizontal elastic strap seems to be on the small size (mine is set at max size and I’m not a big person - 5’7” 155 lbs). The elastic band expands easily so maybe it’s not a problem, but I don’t know. On Aliexpress here
Skilhunt HB2 Headband Similar in design to Convoy, key difference being the band that goes around the head is not too tight like Convoy. Discontinued and I could only found this from Aliexpress Here. . I think this one is discontinued and ironically just might be my most favorite. I got mine for about $8 IIRC.

I like all 4 and have some trouble picking out a favorite; all have excellent functionally. Skilhunt and Olight headbands subjectively have the look and feel of an expensive strap. Skilhunt HB3’s “clamps” is too small for my Convoy H2 (not Skilhunt’s fault, it’s not made for Convoy H2). Convoy headband very oddly is very tight and even too tight for my head, and I am of medium built 150 lbs 5’8”. Stability are excellent in all 4. If you wear your headlamp for a long duration, it seems like the soft rubber design might - MIGHT - be more comfortable and should be a consideration. This is an on-going evaluation so please don’t be surprised if my opinions change.

Weights of headlamps with battery (some favorite lamps highlighted):
Fenix (16340 battery) - 1.9 oz - 55 gm
Skilhunt H04R RC 3.4 oz - 97 gm
Sofirn D25L 3.7 oz - 105 gm
Convoy H2 4.4 oz - 126 gm
Coast XPH30R - 4.44 oz - 126 gm
Fenix HM65R-T 4.83 oz - 137 gm

While we are on topic of Nichia LED in headlamps, I have a Skilhunt headlamp with Nichia 519a 4500k :+1: :heart_eyes: coming - that should be a fantastic fit for the Skilhunt headband. I ordered the version with reflector H04R RC because I like to see throw and brightness and among the 3 versions of H04, this is supposedly it. The weight is amazing low (hope it’s correct!) - only 48 gm for an 18650 light (without battery). I can hardly wait.

Nichia 519a has warm golden beam color with world class CRI and R9; should be great for a headlamp. Convoy also has 519a headlamps, in the H1 or H3 hosts. H3 is much cheaper than Skilhunt and in addition has integral USB-C charging, but is just too heavy (88 gm) for headlamp (for me) so I painfully had to pass.

I will write a weight comparison once the Skilhunt gets here. 48 gm is truely exceptional and that’s why I put up with the much higher cost and lack of integral USB charging. Anyway it’s a Nichia 519a and I have a hard time saying no to Nichia lol.

Just an off topic relaxing picture of the nature trail of my evening walks. Lots of plants and flowers along the path to justify why I talk incessantly about CRI and R9 lol. And why I’m ordering M21B w/ Nichia B35AM even though I most definitely don’t need another light :person_facepalming: :confounded: and don’t like lights without USB-C charging (my light is on high brightness for nearly an hour and requires frequent recharging).

Thank goodness Simon seems to be switching and releasing more lights with USB-C charging.

wow beautiful view

> Out of curiosity I did a rough calculation on the Duv range of 7step. Seems like about 20 points form one end to the other?

thank you, that is very helpful info
I do think a 0.0020 point range is not uncommon, and imo it is also not a large visual variation

> 7step’s CCT also has a large range of variation; for example CCT of 4500k looks like it could be as low as 4100k and as high as 4900k.

also great info. I agree a +–400K “seems” large, however
that is within a ± 9% variation, not uncommon

this is why there will always be a “Tint lottery”. No two LEDs will be identical. The Opple can really help quantify the differences, something most people never realized was typical before.

> Skilhunt headband has a clip

great info, and also really appreciate your photos
Im a fan of designs that allow easy conversion from handheld to handsfree use

> 48 gm for an 18650 light (without battery)

add 45 grams for the battery

I look forward to your HeadLamp impressions
enjoy the night walks!:slight_smile:

Nichia 219b and 519a in S21D with side switch and integral USB-C charging is coming.

This is why I hesitate to buy Nichia 519a in M21B even though I would love a throwy 519a. I prefer side switch w/ USB-C lights and am thinking/hoping Simon is going to put it in M21F (?) as he is adding more USB-C lights.

Thanks Argo & Jon for the nice comments. Re. headlamp: Skilhunt H04R RC is in for a fight; the Convoy H2 twins (Nichia 219b 4500k and 3700k) are fantastic and a delight to use. They are throwy for a Nichia light, which I really like for a walk light, and sustained brightness is among the very best. Of course their weakness (weight) is Skilhunt’s strength, so I think I’m going to love all 3 :innocent: .

Hello, is this true? This is what I miss on my s21d, it’s not always convenient to scroll through the modes, I’m used to a button with a smooth change in brightness, this will be perfect

B35AM is like 4xE17A not E21 - fyi, cannga. I have convoy with B35AM, very low lumens, weak hicri led. Not more than 1000lm on 3A (18w) and it make smoke on this. Just 700lm on 9w.

Yes, Simon Mao the person I quoted is owner of Convoy. “In production” hopefully means it won’t be too long.

@dick33 thanks for the helpful info. You have the first gen light that smokes?