Is the Xeno E03 XM-L durable enough for outdoor usage? Just Got my second Zebra SC50 but still need that budget light to bring to my outdoor adventures, easy to fix and cheaper.
By the way I started my light collection (online purchases) by getting the Romisen RC-G2 from deal extreme from 2009 and now its upgraded to warm Led and sitting as my shelf queen, I really love the light and has been super reliable. Don't have a backup light that I EDC back then, now I carry 2 at least.
Actually when I saw the title I was going to recommend the Tank007 TK-566 to you. ;-) I'm usually pretty careful with my stuff, but one time I handed my TK-566 to somebody who promptly dropped it from about 1.5 meters onto cement. Except for a few tiny paint chips, it's no worse for the wear.
Good question. Its put together well, but its smaller, thinner than some other 1xaa lights (My ITP C7 has at least twice as much metal in it, but you pay for it in weight and size). The bezel is stainless steel which should provide some protection on drops and I think I read somewhere that Xeno did do drop testing on it. However, I am not one to intentionally torture test a light and my Xeno is not really in a duty situation where it would regularly take abuse. Unless you really beat the snot out of it, the Xeno does come with a 3 year warranty however, so Tactical HID will repair it free, although you have to pay to ship it to them to fix.
Xeno E03 drop test
I was going to vote for the Xeno but it is twice the $20 budget that the OP mentioned.
I don't think any of us really know the answer to the OP, because we don't stress-test out lights, in fact I don't think anyone does. I'd say for $20, buy the 4x AA Dorcy yellow light. Probably your best bet, compared to an aluminum light. That is the direction I would go. Also look at the Coleman "Max" products that are Polycarboniate.
Very impressive!! [quote=Thoth]
Xeno E03 drop test
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I have some input for you...
For those that don't know, I work in maintenance/engineering for a large steel mill. Up to this point, the operators (guys on the deck....around molten steel and heavy equipment) have been using 4xAA incan Pelicans. They have failed at an alarming rate. Granted, these guys are extremely hard on all the equipment they use...more so than any police officer or firefighter I've known (quite a few...). If you've never been around a 150MW DC arc furnace, it's a sight to see...and one of the harshest work environments out there.
About 4 months ago, I was talking to the operations supervisor and he was complaining about the replacement cost of those "damn pelicans". I casually mentioned a cheaper LED alternative that was 1/4 the price and only used 1 aa, yet would be brighter (didn't mention durability because I wasn't sure myself yet). He bit, and an order was placed that day to Shiningbeam for 100 Romisons (RC-29's and RC-G2's). Of those 100, I've had 4 come back to me broken. 3 of them were rc-29's where the pill had unscrewed itself from the body due to constant switching from flood to throw. A simple fix with locktite cured them. The one rc-g2 that has come back had a broken connection on the coil to the driver board. A simple solder fix. I've seen quite a few of the others hanging from there lanyards off of the guys belts. They look beat to hell and back, which is no surprise considering the abuse they go through. Despite that, only 4 needed attention.
I feel that I wouldn't have seen any of them if two extra steps had been taken. Those would be locktite on the pill threads, and the pill potted.
So, take this info for what it's worth. A sizable sample of the same lights that are all abused daily, and with a fellow flashaholic present to observe. I'm not going to say that these romisons are the most durable around, but I wouldn't hesitate to bet on one (especially if given a little attention at first). Only one mode, but could easily be swapped to a different driver (and potted at the same time).
Tough little lights.... that's all I have to say about that.
p.s. - forgot to mention one poor rc-g2 that took a half gainer off of the overhead crane rails, which are 110 feet in the air....it still works.
Sorry to threadjack, but match, have you ever potted a light?
I haven't found any tutorials on how, or what to use.
Potting usually means adding a flexible epoxy material for improving shock resistance of electrical components. thermal epoxy would probably work well for this purpose. ive seen them in different color on electrical parts.
I Just bought the Xeno from Ebay(HKequipment) for $32.00 and actually its also available in their website for $30 without insurance and $32 with insurance.
I myself was able to distinguish which of my lights are durable enough due to usage overtime (more than 3 months usage which includes accidental drops). I love my RC G2 and Tank007 E07 but both are single mode. I ask Bryan from shiningbeam if he could sell me a 3 mode version of the RC-G2 but he can't and instead advised me to buy a new driver for it which he also sells. I'm reluctant on moding my lights with new driver as I tried that before and destroyed one.
I actually have several lights that is durable like the Solarforce L2r and L2i but it requires multiple batteries and Now I'm going lightweight for my next hiking trip.
Many. Jamesearljones got it right. If I'm certain I won't be going back into the pill it gets potted. The lack of a tutorial is probably due to its simplicity. For a flashlight, all it involves is filling the void in a pill with non-conductive thermal compound. I've used both arctic silver epoxy and fujik thermal glue. Basically fill the inside of the pill with however much you think you'll need, then seat the driver. If it just barely starts to come out of the wire holes in the top of the pill you got the amount right! For extra shock protection, add a bit to cover the wires connecting to the emitter, since they tend to pop off (although this is more due to poor soldering). Pro tip: make sure the wires are all the way through the correct holes and are long enough before seating :)
I may do this with an extra rc-g2 I have at work.... Change the driver to a 3 mode, pot the entire thing, and seal all the threads sans tailcap with locktite, then give it to the roughest operator at work I know....
For clarification, I'm not stating that I believe the romisans are the toughest budget lights out there....but only the toughest I've had personal experience with on a large scale.
Thanks Match. I guess I was reading too much, about how you need different materials, have to worry about thermal expansion snapping off components, should mix alumina into the epoxy to increase thermal transfer, etc etc.
If I can just glub glub it full of (more or less) household epoxy, that's great!
Although technically you could use standard household epoxy, I'd try and use a thermal based epoxy if you can, especially if you're planning on doing any high powered led lights. A lot of drivers also produce a bit of heat, and it will definitely aid longevity. For something like 3w or less it shouldn't matter as much. The more important thing is ensuring whatever epoxy you use is electrically inert (an insulator). Thankfully, most are.
I can also attest the romisens are quality. I study the designs in detail for fun, and they're the only ones of the cheapo bunch who actually bother to make sure the tolerance are correct and design for durability. All the rest you might get lucky but some barely work in a home environment since their entire r&d process seem to "does it fit? does it light up? ok, let's ship it". ITP is also very good. The c7t I have is excellent durability and properly regulated to boot.
Tank might also, but I don't have enough of their lights to say in general.
I love Romisen lights. They seem to me a notch above most other budget lights. The threads are silky smooth on my Romisens. Never gave them super rough duty but I have confidence in them. The light that I have absolutely beaten the crap out of is my Hugsby P31. That light drops through the engine bay of my car on a regular basis and is always being slid across the concrete and dropped. Hugsby P31, tough as nails.
The inside of a p31 is not. The electronics "pill" is not screwed on even though it looks like it, and I broke the connecting wire when I tried to take it out. Since the head is epoxied on, there's no way to fix it.
The C3 in SS? Seriously that's one tough flashlight. Might not be the brightest but fits all the requirements. I bet you can drive over it till you get bored. Around 13usd.
I had to fix the tail on mine when I simply fitted a longish 14500 (I'm still not sure what exactly broke, I suspect very subtle contact issue caused by the "height" of one small thing). The design seems finicky inside even though it looks tough on the outside.
The original Ultrafire C3 is very reliable http://www.dealextreme.com/p/ultrafire-c3-cree-1xaa-1x14500-flashlight-with-holster-1993 . I ordered it from DX in january 2009, and used it every day at work, with a 14500 battery. I have sold it today for 5 euro, and now i use the stainless steel 5-mode version http://www.dealextreme.com/p/ultrafire-c3-stainless-steel-cree-q5-wc-5-mode-190-lumen-memory-led-flashlight-1-aa-1-14500-26122 .