Back when these HD-2010’s were a bit more popular, it seemed most that were shipped to BLF members, no matter who was the retailer, most seemed to have a lot of chips and minor damage to them which didn’t appear to be from shipping. Like they were this way prior to being shipped
Can anyone tell me the physical condition this FastTech version arrives in?
Mine arrived today. The bad news is it’s an under driven one . Good news is the fit and finish is WAY, WAY superior to the Ultrafire one I received last month from Lightmalls . The LED tint on this one though is slightly purple . Think I’ll just swap-out the driver and LED. When FastTech gets the driver issue resolved, I would recommend this one! Cheers everybody, may all YOUR flashlight buys be good ones!
I just ordered a HD 2010 here, http://www.tmart.com/UItraFire-CREE-XM-LT6-8W-1300-Lumen-5-Mode-LED-Flashlight-Gray_p135765.html Shipping from the New Jersey warehouse was really quick, since I live in NJ. It does have the East-092 driver and it is really bright. My dmm only goes to 2 amps so I haven’t tested the current draw. It appears that this is a direct drive light and should only be used with a protected cell. Please let me know if this is correct or not. I just ordered 6 unprotected cells from KumaBear, here on BLF for this light, but now I will need to use them in my other lights. Now my question is how do I determine if any of my other lights are direct drive? Thanks in advance.
** using KK ICR26650E fresh off the charger, unprotected
NOTE: the XM-L2 numbers were good at least for the first 30 seconds. Testing so far seems to indicate the XM-L2's draw more voltage than XML's, so the battery drains real fast, amps/output falls off fast.
The mod'ed HD2010 has a brass pill press fit in, and 5 5/8", 18 gauge copper discs inside the alum pill.
I was reading your thread earlier today. Good stuff, thanks for sharing! Think I’ll de-dome a U3 when I change out the LED. Can’t wait to try the acetone de-doming method. Also, I’m gonna try to get a machinist buddy of mine to replicate the pill in copper. All you folks inspire me, thanks. 8)
You'd be much better off getting TF Flames from Fast Tech. The TF Flames from T-Mart have been found to be fakes. I'm not sure if T-Mart has changed their supply to real ones, but I wouldn't chance it. You could even get the HD2010 frmo Fast Tech too. Don't forget coupon code "BLF" for 5% off.
It depends where you live. Iirc, Tmart ships from Florida. My last order with their US option took about a week. Fasttech generally takes about a week, but it ultimately depends on what US Customs does with your package. They might let it right through, or they might sit on it for a couple months.
I would recommend a protected battery, especially if your a newbie with Li-Ions (there are dangers specific to Li-Ions and they need to be handled properly). My few T-Mart orders have taken about a week (minimum 5 days). My FastTech orders have been about 2 weeks on average (I wouldn't count on having them in less than 2 weeks). There are some US sources for trusted 26650's I'm sure, but others would have to chime in with links. Just beware that there are a lot of fakes out there! And actually, your runtime with a good 18650 wouldn't be that much less and you could carry spares. Good 18650's would be easier to find from US sources (though prices will be higher).
Just got a TMART HD2010 in, ordered late Thursday, delivered Monday. I'm in NY and they ship from NJ, so pretty close. Must say it was in great condition, and had the old direct drive East-092 driver with impressive #'s on a TrustFire 26650 5000 (~4 amps, 900's for lumens, 56 kcd throw).