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.
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.
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.
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...
I’m going to try the cheap way out again, just ordered another C8 w/18650 for $14.60 from Amazon. If this one doesn’t work, that Sunwayman D40A sure looks nice! (and priced right @ FT)
I have a ‘perfect beam’ UF-V3 modded the way I want. I like it alot!
Are there any C8 reflectors that have such a nice tight, clean, artifact free beam as the UF-V3? A clean hotspot, very little scattered in the corona area, and evenly lit spill like the UF-V3?
If not, I will give up on getting a(nother) C8.
I was thinking of ordering this C8 reflector from FT:
Also interested in hearing about experiments with the different C8 reflectors and how they work (or don't) with specific LEDs. I just recently got a My First C8™ (UltraFire C8) (yes I know, I never got around to picking one up until now) and the reflector does not work AT ALL with a XPG2... ringy and icky just like it was with the XR-E. Pretty OK with an XML2 though. The reflector has a huge flat area around the emitter hole, pretty sure that's just not what the XPG2 needs to work right. In the roughly 42mm x 31mm size, which ones work best with which LEDs?
And to take this off in a completely different direction, I just built a Convoy S4 with a de-domed XPG2 & 3A Qlite, and man... I think it throws better than the C8 with a dome-intact XML2 U2 and the exact same driver. Not joking! It's got an amazing little reflector in it, deeper than it is wide, and even though it's OP it flat out works great (internal dimensions of 17.4mm wide at the front, 18.3mm deep). And unlike a C8 you can hang it on your keychain or stick it in a pocket and forget it's there. Convoy S2, S4 & S5 all have similarly deeper-than-wide reflectors (the S3 has a dumb stumpy little 11mm tall reflector-like thing in it, so skip that one).
Hi Slewflash, I believe the rating on the Fenix TK41 is 59kcd…
Hi Gords1001, When talking about modding with xp-g2, what kind of light would you end up with? A c8 host that can outthrow the Jacob A60, with much more flood?
How would this light compare to the Small Sun zyt-08 you have mentioned?
Could you end up with a light that throws like the TK41, rated at 486m, for a $20-30 price tag?
If so, I would be quite interested in you building such a light for me….
