Ok, so at this point it's between the JetBeam BC40 and Skyray STL-V2
So are there any worthwhile mods to squeeze any more out of the lights mentioned in this thread (i.e. driver swap)? I'm kind of in the mood to mod and personalize as well :)
There's a neutral version of the Jetbeam BC40 out now at BOG.
Yummy neutral. You might miss some degree of colour rendition with a cool white led, given that your comming from a hid
While true it's listed on that site, it's not actually shipping yet; although you can order it now...as of last night I was told they will ship out in about a week.
OK
which is your best recommendation between these
IMO id say xml preferably , modes is good , less flashy one
SF , m8 = $80 , JETBeam BC40 $70, or Masterpiece Pro-1 << any solid contenders to these guys ?????
i have bee eying those damn SF lights . myself looking for a Solid light and over $80 for one light is ...
Oh snap, I really hope they don't do neutral runs of all the lights I own and like. Bankruptcy would ensue.
btw, here's another USA store to purchase the BC40 under $70:
http://www.aimkon.com/catalog/product/jetbeam-bc40-cree-xm-l/
and their ebay store sells it $3 cheaper (only two left for now):
I gotta say.. I'm torn between the STL-V2 and the BC40. I think someone is gonna have to make up my mind for me, haha.
Well if your located in the USA you can get the BC40 for $59.00 delivered in only 2 days flat, and the quality of the light is better than SkyRay. If your outside of the USA, well then I guess it might be harder to choose; of-course you could always just get both :) and then it wouldn't matter.
Since you are going to be using the light pretty often, better get the BC40. It is about 30k lux @ 1m, pretty ok performance.
But for us Budget Light hobbyists, we need to save up as most of the guys' buying pattern is in volume. And we crave for performance, most of us are not after bling or the last bit of detailing. (we sometimes do indulge in the occasional branded light though). There are a couple here who have more than a hundred lights. I have like 60, and over 20 HID bulbs, 4 extra ballasts and 30 batts. Something like a collection... (and 6 lasers, 405/445/532/650nm)
We have no issue here with long shipping times. The motto here most of the time is - buying enough items, so that you receive at least 2 items per week. Who cares about 3-4 weeks before you receive the darn thing. LOL!
That STL-V2 is probably doing ~ 45k, maybe close to 50k on cold nights in your country.
I think $59.00 for a BC40 qualifies it as budget.
Numbers of lights, I've long lost count :) and only highlight the latest ones I acquire.
Lasers are also another hobby of mine too, about 40 of them, mostly name brand like CNI & Optotronics RPL's. I'm glad you share that hobby too, it's very enjoyable; my last aquisition was very costly, nearly 4K but I wanted it badly, so I pulled the trigger on it. You can always save-up for a better light or what-have-you, when you desire something above your budget.
Still though, budget lights and such are fun too :)
Yes I know what you mean about a couple of deliveries per week :) I think at times I keep my local mailman working instead of being laid off. It's always a treat to see what shows up next.
I guess even a TK70 may quality as budget, if weiser701 has a farm that churns out 80 tons of apples a month and needs a light at night to get around the property. Or arm his guys with flashlights for patrols at night for his lifestock protection 24/7...etc etc. It depends, so you guys gotta scale the $$$ scale yourself. 
Don't need to be big time $$$ too, i just purchased 3.40 magnets yesterday from DX. And today another 10-pack of white gunk type of heatsink compound to try. It could be IR thermometer next to measure how your emitters are doing at 5A, etc etc....not even exactly related to flashlights. LOL!
Totally agree, budget is a subjective word.
Ok, let's do a quick roundup between these lights:
JetBeam BC40
Sky*Ray STL-V2
Sky*Ray 3xT6
Trustfire X8
In which order would you place them in regards to output - throw AND spill together? We don't need to bother with price since they're all within a close enough price range. Basically it just comes down to the light it puts out.
I'm don't want to competion or defend you, in the forum only want to discussion.
Did you test the usual laser light power will last how long time?
Ok, I probably wore out this topic already but if anybody has a response to my previous post I'd be much appreciative. This isn't all about just purchasing one light but rather it's a learning process. I'm kind of catching the flashaholic bug ;)
I don't have all the lights, but it's probably in this order given their draw on 2 cells.
Sky*Ray 3xT6 ~2.7
Sky*Ray STL-V2 ~2.4
JetBeam BC40 ~1.6
Trustfire X8 ~1.4
Note though the human eye registers brightness logarithmically, so twice as bright appears more like 1.4 times as bright.
My problem is I always try for the underdog, and in this case the lesser known "no-name brand" types take most of my attention. If I can, I always like to try out the product the masses don't know about and also save some $$ in the process. Of course, JetBeam isn't exactly a household name either, but it certainly is in the flashlight world. Also, for me this isn't about nitpicking a few $$ for the sake of saving but rather I enjoy the hunt for the right product and nailing it the first time. I like all the anticipation throughout the research process. Almost everyone I know seems to be the opposite. They get bored with it and just want the product now. So for me I get satisfaction out of researching and then finally pulling the trigger on what I anticipate being just what I was looking for. My hobbies and interests are too spread out so I don't accumulate a lot of just one thing. Instead I do plenty of research and hope to make up for trial and error that way. But it's also that satisfaction of getting it right the first time that completes the experience and makes it a challenge. I'm also starting to dabble in track lighting and building my own. I think I'm becoming obsessed and I might one day outfit my entire house with it, haha.
But now I'm trying to figure out if these 3 x XM-L's in the budget variety are the real deal or just gimmicky. Also, this light will be for the old man so I'm also looking for reliability. If it's for myself then I wouldn't mind a repair if something goes wrong. But these Sky Ray's seem to be built fairly well.
EDIT: Upon re-reading posts on the Sky Ray 3xT6 I just don't think I'm ready for the highly probably failure or DOA. I don't mind if it failed some time down the road and I put some new (and improved) parts in it, but it's hard to support a product/company when failure is prevalent right out of the gate. Nice idea but poor execution.
i do endless research too before acquisition, drives my wife nuts, "just buy it already!
a lot of point on this site ( one of my favorites, dont get me wrong) is cheap,cheap,cheap, and while that certainly is considered it is not the only factor in my deciding to pull the trigger on ANY item.
in point of fact, in terms of usefulness in the real world and sheer number of hours of usage, of the 20+ lights i own the clear winners are a nitecore D-10 (my edc) and a shiningbeam s-mini (use 25 times a shift at work), neither light is considered a real "budget" light.
recently gave away the trustfire F15-T6, which was impressive initially but did not have a real world usage for me (and i hate strobes more and more with each passing light) same with the trustfire F20 that my daughter now uses, 5 modes is just a huge pain in the ass after i got over the WOW factor. dont think i will ever buy another.
i have a few of the SF P60 drop in lights, but honestly?, i dont use them. they are not bright enough to light up the night, if that is my goal, and yet their useable lows are not low enough for me, ( maybe a custom E1320 drop in could change my mind?) but right at the moment they look like christmas presents to me.
so, the point? i bought the BC-40 because i saw its usefulness in the real world (as in my first post,above) and think it is built to take years of my abuse. two modes, nothing stupid. i know i can count on shiningbeam to back up their product and am tired of waiting for a month for products that are just OK and give away rather than fuss with trying to return. did it cost a few extra dollars? yes, but i have no real interest in spending 1000usd a quarter just to fill my drawers with clutter i do not use.
The JetBeam BC40 definitely has the reliability factor in its corner and that's the major reason why I'm still heavily considering it. And now that there's a NW offering it's even more attractive. I also am fond of the 2-mode UI because it's simple yet still offers what I need. I have a 3-mode XM-L in a Solorforce L2i and find that I never use medium. Fortunately it has memory, which is a MUST.
So hyde, how well would you say a 100m distance, taking into account width (spill) is lit up? Shining out 100+ meters, how would you describe the spill?