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 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.
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:
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 !
Someone can tellme how to correct those BIG images and put thumbnails or more adecuate sized?
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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.
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.
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)
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.....
It wasn't just one but 2 Skyray's, that would mean that there was (or is? beamshot was made November 2010) most likely a complete batch which is considerably darker on Eneloops than the Hugsby's. Just a heads-up for potential buyers. Here is the old thread about them back in 2010.
Also your estimation of 150 lumens (OTF) with 1.5 A (on the tail) strikes me as very optimistic. The theoretical ouput with a perfect driver and no loses is 120 Lumens. (1.5 (tail) /3= 0.5 A , Q3 at 0.5 A (to LED) ~120 Lumens) Either your DMM needs a calibration or you are using China-Lumens. ;-)