Something really bright?

I have been thinking about getting a really bright flashlight. SST's seem a little too pricey, so that leaves me with a SSC P7 or Cree MC-E. The DX MTE lights seem to get mixed reviews, but the price is right at around $30. These lights have bigger reflectors that can focus the light better, but I could also go the P60 route. If I did that, I might swap out the driver with the one from ShiningBeam so I get 3 simple modes and memory. That's a lot of heat for a P60, though I don't know that I would run the light very long.

Do you have one that your taking a look at.

There are so many P7's on DX. If I get a dedicated P7 light (as opposed to a P60 host) then I don't think I should get a little one. But I don't know that I want a huge one either. So something medium size that gets 4 stars from reviews:


P7's:

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.15740 Aurora 37mm head 5-mode $38.90

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.22569 MTE SF23 42 mm head 5-mode memory $30.88

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.22567 MTE SF15 41 mm head 5-mode memory $29.51

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.15739 Aurora AK P7 38 mm head 2-mode $33.93

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.12623 MTE 40mm head 2-mode $33.70

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.13336 Trustfire 55mm head 5-mode $39.54

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.19767 Spiderfire 41mm head 2-mode $33.87

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.14451 Aurora AK P7 53 mm head 2-mode 2x18650 $46.93

MC-E:

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.16501

And believe that they are less than optimal for the purpose. The MC-E one came from KD and was supposed to be an XP-G R5 dropin instead. Life is too short to get them to sort it out - it took weeks to arrive as it is. You are better with a larger (2x18650) light to get them to shine nicely and sink the heat better. However, these are on the large side for portability.

The first of the DX links of yours is little better than a P60 dropin as its head is only marginally larger

Good point about the size of the head (there is a lot of variation and I've added that info to each choice above). The choices of 2x18650 bodies are pretty limited. I won't order anything until after I get my Ultrafire WF-504B so that I have some idea about size. I'm thinking the 18650 bodies are going to be smaller than I think. If I go with a 1x18650, it's looking like the Spiderfire might be a good bet. It gets good review and I'm glad that people say it gets very warm because that means the heat-sinking is working. Also it can be taken apart and the modes are simple. Sounds like it should exceed 400 lumens.

The other option would be to get one of the others and buy shiningbeam's P7 driver, which might give the best results anyway. Just so long as it wouldn't be that hard to get to the driver. I know most or all of the MTE models have the head glued on.

Wouldn't the MC-E drop-in be an upgrade to a R5? Now DX has R5 drop-ins too, so maybe KD did you a favor.

Looks like I found what I wanted. Someone on CPF just sold me an Ultrafire WF-1200L. It has a big old head on it and takes 2x18650 with only 3 modes. Should be a good one. He even put a forward clicky in it.

Here's the light listed at DX:

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.16842

More runtime, more mass to heatsink - looks like an altogether better, if less portable light.

Cool man....post pics when you get it.

What do u guys think of this one http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.16091

Is there anything else around this price and of similar price ? i'm not worried about what batts it uses or how long it lasts 30 mins is enough

Sounds like a good one. Probably more flood than throw, but sounds like it is brighter than some of the 1x18650 P7's out there based on reviews and comments.

Just found this one whilst searching around what you guys think, would it be close to its advertised brightness !!

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.19189

I really doubt it. One guy says it's only drawing 1.9 amps on high from a fresh battery and it would take 2.8 amps to get 900 lumens if it is a D-bin P7 and if the driver was 100% efficient. It could be 400-600 lumens. Some of the 1x18650 DX P7 lights are probably not even 400 lumens.

Just got one of the new DX P7 dropins today.

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.36030

First impression, it is a lot brighter than the DX MC-E dropin.

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.21037

Not been near a meter yet, but by eye it is brighter than the XP-G R5 I had in another P60 light.

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.32954

I'm starting to think that ,all things considered, a XP-G R5 if property heatsinked and driven at 1.5A has the best overall characteristics until you get up to the SST-50 level and even then you need to drive it to 5 A or it's just an inefficient MCE/P7.

I have a (2) 18650 MC-E dive light with a 52 mm reflector and it's bright but most of the DX MCE/P7 models all seem to be underperforming (just going by the reviews).

It would be interesting Don to get your impressions as you use the light longer.

I would also like your input as well....as you know im questing for something better as well as the price....so far i like the Q5's and R2's, might be because i know what to expect when it comes to the beam profile.

On the lightbox.

All tests done using the same cell

DX XP-G R5 3-18V dropin high 1428 lux

Piritlight SG-L8 (an MC-E driven hard) 2600lux

DX MC-E dropin high 1714 lux.

DX P7 dropin 2400 lux. This is good. Runtimes will be short and current draw high I imagine. I suspect care will need to be taken with heatsinking.

KD MC-E dropin 2570lux

XR-E R2 dropin (From WF-504B) 1140 lux