- EagleTac GX25A3 vs. C12 XML2U3 -

3AA vs. 1-18650 * $81(used-on Amazon) vs. $18.95 http://www.eagletac.com/html/gx25a3/specs.html
Page Not Found - Aliexpress.com
I’ve got to say…the performance of these two lights is darned near identical! In totally ‘seat of the pants’ testing, they both throw almost the same distance to my eyes, and in a non-scientific ‘ceiling bounce in the bathroom’ test, they are almost indistinguishable from each other. The ET has a slightly warmer emitter but the hotspot size is about the same. The C12 has a slightly larger spill beam and a more coherent, defined hotspot. The main advantage of the EagleTac is…it’s cute and small and comes with a nice holster…oh, and it has a 9 lumen low, not even a moonlight mode. Personally, I don’t see using AAs as a big plus, don’t we all have plenty of 18650s laying around?

Selfbuilt tested the GX25A3 @ 910 lumens and 28.8Kcd - 339m, so that tells you just about what the C12 is doing as well. The brightness-to-dollars ratio of the AliExpress C12 has been a game changer for me, a light has to beat that performance by quite a bit to justify paying lots more for it and the ET will probably go back.

Thanks, hope this has been helpful to SOMEbody! :slight_smile:

After a little more ‘testing’ the C12 throws just a touch farther than the ET…30,000cd maybe?

Thanks for the review.
The choice is now no brainer.

C12's seem to be very under-appreciated.

I had to put you in a Half-Nelson, and twist your Arm to get you to buy that there C12 J)

Boyd, I went back and read those messages…thanks for being so patient! I think the reflector has a lot to do with how good this light is. It’s much more coherent than pretty much any other light I’ve put it up against. Of course that makes me want to put a hotter driver in it… :open_mouth:

Yep, you were just knee-high to a Grasshopper when you got that light — :bigsmile:

You could go DD with this:

http://www.fasttech.com/products/1612/10001535/1114500

Actually, I’ve been wondering about programmable drivers. My Convoys (S3 and S5) have Nanjg 105C drivers in them. I heard there’s a way to reprogram these to 4-mode with moonlight and no disco. Is that possible?

And yeah, I was a wee little fellow back then, now I’m 6’7” with a ‘few’ more lights! :wink:

This driver was actually Custom Built for BLF, Requested by Myself, relic38, and FlashPilot:

http://www.lightmalls.com/17mm-3-6v-5a-4-mode-memory-led-circuit-board-with-protection-for-cree-xm-l-cree-xm-l2-ssc-p7-moonlight-mode

Looks to be quite cool, goes from DD on high to a nice moonlight…any way to kill the mode memory? With the right battery I’ll bet this would make the C12 a real scorcher!

I love my C12 XML 2-U2 it has since replaced my disappointingly under drive KDC8XML2-U2 as my edc in my belt holster when I order some more Panasonic's 18650's next month I am I'll also be buying some 7135 chips and hopefully start trying on small mods on it I really lime my C12 !

I love my C12 XML 2-U2 it has since replaced my disappointingly under drive KDC8XML2-U2 as my edc in my belt holster when I order some more Panasonic's 18650's next month I am I'll also be buying some 7135 chips possibly a new xml2 emitteron a nogti con star and hopefully start trying on small mods on it I really like my C12 !

Cool LJ, probably the most light for $18 that you can get!

There are reports that Panasonics are too long for many flashlights.
Could you post back whether the Panasonic fits the C12?

anyone can tell me if the aliexpress C12 is better than the one from Lightmalls?

Don’t think Lightmalls carries C12 XM-L2 U3, LM charges $2.95 tracking number fee. Ali often has discounts.

This seems to be a cool flashlight :slight_smile: I want to get it!

Anything about the regulation? How many lumens on the different modes? :slight_smile: thanks!

I think those C12s have been around for a long time - I’m pretty sure I have pictures of my German Grandfather throwing them at Russians in WW I.