Looking for cheap, smallish semi-thrower...

C8 was just delivered. Excitement turns to sadness when the battery won’t take a charge and the flashlight won’t operate on 2-RCR123s. :frowning: Love the form factor though!

Is there some way to tell if the flashlight is functioning without a battery?

if you have a 4.2v battery and some wire, or a 4.2v power supply, then yes, using two cr123 cells is worrying as 6v may have killed something, may not, I’m slightly worried about the cell you recieved and hoping like hell the problem is a poor tailcap assembly.

What do you have available to mcgyver a test rig?

Honestly, I’ll probably just send it back to Amazon. The battery is for sure no good, as it only charges to 1.15v and is bulging on the + end so it only goes in from the top. The light looks like they may have sent it out to someone else before too.

Thank you, gords, for helping…this is quite disappointing because the light itself seems perfectly sized and I’ll bet it throws enough for me. :frowning:

I wouldn’t write off the c8 form factor yet, serious suggestion, you can get a half decent but trust worthy charger from fasttech, I have used one for a while and bought a few as gift packs for friends and family, cells, fasttech is good for them too and they have a selection of c8’s under the convoy and fandyfire brands. May be worth a look.

For the best of the best of the best of the best c8’s though, as dale suggested, go to intloutdoor, order the new xintdc8 v4 and be happy.

Yes, I love FastTech, but it’s at least a week and a half to get anything.

Got an i4 Intellicharger, works great, but not on a bad battery!

What I ‘think’ I really want is an EA4 w/XM-L2, but can’t justify the $$$. This C8 probably would’ve been fine for what I’m going to do with it, might just order another.

Hi, Tallboybass…

One thing to remember about C8s (I’ve had 12 of them!) is you never want to take a chance on a super-cheapie unless you are going to mod it. Most are so cheap they will fall apart in a month of regular or light use. The V4 from Intloutdoors is always reputable and Lightmalls has the best cheap C8s and C12s with bukus of output (1,000+). Even above the KD versions, I always go there when buying one for someone else.

Also, when you see cheapie batteries being sold with lights, always count on them not working. Or, if they work at all, will only have 10 minutes of runtime or so. I’ve used ones that did work to power XR-Es with their low current since they weren’t good for anything else. And never ever compromise by buying cheap batteries for your lights.

Go all out and get the V4 or a C8/C12 from Lightmalls, or you could make an XPG2 de-domed 501B like a few of our members have done for real easy EDC use. If you are going to keep it with you a whole lot of the time, I’d never go above C8 form-factor. Then again, there are a lot of good suggestions here. And nothing wrong with getting two or three switch-out lights like I have and when you get bored with one, grab the next in line!

building vs buying opens up many many many options, I do hold that the best throw/lumen ratio is the xp-g2 and I do intend to build up an xp-g2 c8 for myself, I already have pills and reflectors to try out, just need another good c8 host (cnqg) and to order qlite drivers and noctigon xp-g2’s,

If any of this sounds interesting I’d be happy, once I’d confirmed all the bits go together to build one for someone interested.

The uf-v3 looks very interesting…from Tmart it looks like it could be here in 5-6 days. Does it throw as well as a C8?

Which ‘affordable’ battery should I order from Tmart?

if its driven right, it should do, I got one from ebay and, well……it needed sorting, I threw a spare driver in and an xp-g2, its still no where near the limit but its a marked improvement.

Don’t let this put you off, it is a real nice little light with a wonderful beam, just I like modding lights, the uf-v3 is one of the better mod bases imo because of its reflector. Its a different than typical design and raises a nice light up to a great light.

If left bone stock, does it throw very well? It says the emitter is ‘CREE U2’ is that an XM-L U2?

I have a tiny little EC1 that throws to 160m on RCR123s according to ‘selfbuilt’, it would be nice to get to 300-400m with this light.

Like some of the guys have said, if you are capable of modding the UF-V3 is a very capable little host. In stock form with an xml u2 emitter it does pretty poorly in the throw department. It does have a really nice beam because of the unique reflector. Mine just came pretty under driven.

it’ll certainly do 200m or so, not too sure how much more, it is supposed to be an xm-l u2, but in all honesty, how do you expect to prove that? :slight_smile:

I’d rather not go the modding route. It’d be nice to buy it, use it and love it! (you may say I’m a dreamer…)

They say the C8 with XM-L T6 throws pretty well, I guess it depends on your definition of ‘pretty well’, right?

Sounds like the XinTD V4 is the way to go, but $30 and a loooong wait don’t sound too appealing.

The C8, if it had WORKed, it would have been fine, I’ll bet. :slight_smile:

you need one of three things, patience, low expectations or blind luck lol

LOL, so true!

What do you all think about the Convoy C8 XM-L U2?

it’s supposed to be pretty good, check relics review out, he likes his and I trust him

You have an I 4 charger but no 18650,s? Did you put two cr123's in the c-8or two rechargeable 16340,s in it ?? Either way they aren,t made to r in on anything except. An 18650 2 batteries is too many volts...

2 rechargables s way too many volts

Almost any light with a battery is a bad ide

Very nice light . I have purchased two of them with the 2.8 amp drivers .

I think this will fit in your question :slight_smile:

http://www.fasttech.com/products/0/10000665/1059704-trustfire-168a-t6-mx-l-t6-5-mode-1000lm-memory-led