Review: SkyRay S-A1

Ah nevermind, just being naughty. Actually i have one of those from DX but mine behaves differently. On Eneloop Ni-Mh does about 80 lumens being perhaps a bit overly optimistic. 150 might be right with a 14500 though. My sample starts to behave badly after the voltage reaches 1,26V on any cell. Modes do not work properly and so on. At 1,2V cell voltage or below the flashlight do not turn on consistently. I'm interested how yours behave with a substantially drained AA battery.

I really like my S-A1! It is an impressive torch and works as it should with NIMH but I love it with the Powergenix 1.6V. After my battery is low it will start to flicker on the medium and low setting.

My S-A1 has the smooth reflector and throws a nice beam free from artifacts and has a nice tint.

I wish the knurling gave the light more grip and that it would tailstand but it is a really good torch!

On mine there was no insulator between the LED and reflector, there was only a thin layer of clear rubber cement for a insulator and on my torch the LED shorted soon after I bought it. I removed the pill and used some electrical tape on the reflector and now it's perfect.

I'm glad to see a real review finally being posted about this torch. Thanks Fran for doing a review! I hope you like your S-A1 as much as I like mine.

I like mine too but dislike what happens below 1,26V. :/

Yes, sorry for the delay, I am a bit busy

I... LOVE! LOVE ! LOVE! this flashlight.

I completed the review at forolinternas, waiting for the photos this weekend, but... OMG

Now my favourite flashlight is the SkyRay S-A1. Even boasts the AA-S1 in almost everything.

http://www.forolinternas.com/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=1700

NOTE: My sample is veery god, as said 150 lumens (if not more) with just a NiMh (eye estimated). Is the most powerfull AA light that I have.

My sample works perfect below 1,1 volt, it switchs on perfectly, I can change modes, no flickers at all, but below 1,1volt the light produced is very low, lets say 15 lumens or less.

(I beleive is a new driver version)

I love it too. I bought it, when it was on -30% sale on DX (around 9$). Great little light, bright as hell on 14500. Your measurments are a little strange to me: u get more than 150 lumens out of ni-mh@ 1,5A, which is around 2W, but on li-ion you get just a little over 200 lumens@1,8A which is like 6W is that correct? I think that this light should be much brighter on 14500 (like 2x as bright) at least from my expirience.

Probably. I have a red pcb, not very common.

Mine have red pcb too. I have no problems with almost empty ni-mh - I just tried with 1,18V ni-mh and it works. Maybe new driver is more ni-mh optimized, because I dont think mine puts out anywhere near 150 lumens on ni-mh.

UDO - My measurements are OK. I also am very sdhfkjsdhfkjs of what is happening, specially about 1,8A current draw for 14500 and only slightly increase in output

The PCB of mine is RED too, the same pcb as always, "sandwich" driver, you can see 3 solders which join the 2 boards

Just made this two pics into gif. Both were shot from 2m away at iso 80, 1/25s, f2,8. Brightness comparison between ni-mh and li-ion in Skyray S-A1, both batteries were fully charged:

Hi folks.

The review is finished but the photos will be uploaded tomorrow (I promise to).

Thanks

I liked it in spanish ..

I have looked at this light for so long ..Old4570 liked this light too .I've meant to buy this one for a long long time ..lets do it ..I can wait 3 months for them to send it ...why not !

Folks, the review is finished and the photos added, but I am jinxed. I dont know what happend to me and the photos....

Someone can tellme how to correct those BIG images and put thumbnails or more adecuate sized?

Thanks!

[quote=fran82]

Someone can tellme how to correct those BIG images and put thumbnails or more adecuate sized?

[/quote]

To go back and re-edit them just highlight a pic in your post, then click the insert/edit image button and look on the second tab called "appearance". There you can type in the size you'd like. I usually go 640x480.

Other than that, very nice review Fran.

Could you adjust your pictures with that "100 %"-trick (point 4).

Ma sample pull 2,1A from a alkaline. should be a good 600mA to the led.

Photos repaired!

Just buy it already!!

But once you get it be sure and remove the pill and put a piece of electrical tape on the reflector and cut a hole out for the LED to pass through.

It is really a very nice torch, a real sleeper that needs more attention in my opinion!!

I love mine!!!

Very nice review Fran, that's an impressive output level for such an inexpensive light. Thanks for bringing it to our attention. Hmmm, so no pocket clip and no tailstanding. Those are two very important features for me, unfortunately.

Frontpage'd and Sticky'd. Thanks for the review!

Hmm, bright on Eneloops you say... I wasn't impressed with the two I had looked at, when they were on sale for small money on DX . Every one of the 8+ Hugsby's P31/P32 I checked were brighter. You must have a new driver version.

Hugsby P32 left "old" Skyray SA-1 right (look how much dimmer the side spill is)

(pic has an angle to it, beam radii are the same, distances from wall are the same, both on "fresh" eneloops)

A friend is now trying to implement the Shiningbeam low voltage driver in his Skyray SA-1 together with an XP-G R5.

The copper ring is an oil drain screw gasket from my Yamaha...lol... I'll let you know how it works out.

Ok thanks for the info.

But...... the dude is. Mine is brighter due to a possible new driver revision? or yours are not bright due to QC issues? There is the question.... chinese cheapo lights..... that has happend to me with other lights. I order one light on January, it is good, I order the same light on June, is bad.....