My SK68 died on me recently and I need a replacement. It was okay, but a little bulky. So I’m in search of a better alternative. I need it to be small, and fit in a shirt pocket with clip. Doesnt need to run on AA. Plus be budget friendly.($15) Zoomie optional. Thanks
That other noname zoomie should fit the requirements perfectly…. Link is around here somewhere. I’ll see if I can find it before someone else does.
Banggood and others have the same light. Both mine run okay on 14500.
I second that. I have the same light from DealExtreme
With the bezel retracted it’s shorter than a Sipik 68 and MUCH slimmer. The beam is very similar to a Sipik 68 in both profile and brightness. Available in 1-mode and 3-mode versions and runs fine on 14500.
I modded mine with a 3-amp 3-mode driver (moonlight, 20, 100 with 90 second stepdown), and swapped the XPE emitter for a dedomed XPG2. This is pretty much the smallest AA-sized zoomie available.
Did you use a 105c driver?
TrustFire F20 (middle light in this group, between an 18650 and a single 18650 EDC host):
Only an XR-E though. Great light after modding with a XM-L. It's my EDC.
Available at DX in black but more expensive:
...and here as an AKORAY:
http://www.dx.com/p/akoray-k-106-cree-q5-wc-220-lumen-led-flashlight-with-clip-1-aa-1-14500-47320
Yes, I used a 105c driver purchased from RMM with my selection of custom modes.
The actual driver compartment in the pill is the same size as that of a Sipik 68, but the pill itself is narrower and thinner. To get it to fit I had to file down the edges of my 105c, almost completely removing the negative contact ring. I soldered several pieces of solder braid to the ground tabs of some of the 7135 chips for negative contact, and had to solder a wire from the 2 star on the driver to one of those contacts. The filed 105c sits below the bottom of the pill rather than inside the original driver socket. But it all fits and all works.
I also added a c-ring made from an aluminum strip around the top of the pill threads to prevent the pill from screwing in fully, and further filed down the lip of the pill just below the o-ring slot for the sliding bezel. I replaced the driver wiring with 22 awg silicone and put the new emitter on a filed down Noctigon star. This particular light has a solid pill, but uses a 14mm star.
The end result: The light is now MUCH brighter than stock with a much better selection of modes. My modifications also moved the emitter closer to the lens in flood mode, resulting in an extremely wide flood… much wider than the stock light or a Sipik 68. The beam in full-power spot mode is also far more intense with much better throw than a Sipik 68 or the unmodded light. I’m quite pleased with how it came out. I run it on Kinoko 14500 IMR cells.