To be fair, it's like almost twice the price. The fandyfire 3xml is <50 at dx. 2 of those is pretty close to your 4k lum HID. :bigsmile:
I'd never touch those drop-ins with no threads again. Try getting any dealer to pay you return shipping for the DOAs in that batch. 
And Lightake will send you another Wii crazy bunny toy.
Just for fun.....Edit : 46.50 x 2 = 93 , vs HID's $122 here and $138 in USA.
Thanks 2100 for your comments. I understand what you're saying, and I'm sure you're right that I would probably not notice the difference, at least not as much as I'd notice the diff between the tints. What bugs me is that the NW 4-mode is "leaving something on the table". If it were driven at 3 A, I would be satisfied even if the output were the same as the Skyray or TF 3T6. But since it's driven at 2 A, while the 3-mode is driven at 3 A or 4 A, I would feel gypped. :)
Also, one of my minor targets was to be able to beat a Fenix TK45, and a Maelstrom S12. The CW 3-mode definitely does that, but the NW 4-mode probably wouldn't. How can I brag if I can't beat my friend's lights??? :) (and the S12 is quite a bit smaller than this Dry, so even worse!) In fact, whatever light I buy has to clobber my current brightest light, which is around 650 lm, or else I wouldn't bother.
I can't buy a 3-mode Dry because it has no real low mode. I could maybe try a CW 4-mode, but who knows if the CW 4-mode would drive at 3 A or 2 A?
Oh and lastly: "just buy it"... easy for you rich guys to say!
BTW, does the extension on the trustfire 3xml fit the skyray?
Oh BTW, 2100, if you have a way to communicate directly with Ric, can you ask him why the 4-mode DRY drives at 2 A instead of the 3 A he stated on cpfmarketplace?
Last favour to ask (for now): 2100, if you ever feel like doing beamshots, I'd love to see your two DRYs' beamshots side by side.
petebaby,
TK45 ..... Hey NW already has that 15% disadvantage to begin with. And like i said, for throw, the hotspot size matters way more. TK45 is more throwy, that 10-15% reduction in hotspot size (from Chicago X's pix) is going to require like 40%-60% more lumens to compensate just by "lumens brute strength". As in, 1800 lumens you need to push to 2500-2800L and that is for both lights with CW, and you factor in another 15% disadvantage of NW, sorry it is really too much.
To see which light is brighter via throw on a 200m target by using lumens is a totally losing battle.
Oh yeah, you do have a point. While the 3-mode 4A with the NW is cool, it lacks a real low. But then again at medium, that is going to run for nearly 4hrs. :)
I'll try. Seriously it is really academic on paper. Why does Chicago X's warm white drive at 3A and mine at 2.8A while it is specced at 4A? heh.... I'll just take things as it is.
I'm actually not interested in throw at all. I have a fairly throwy light (5x XRE) already, and find it not as useful as a floody light would be. From the beamshots I've seen, the Skyray and Dry look fairly floody, which is great. What I want is that good flood, but so much of it that it throws fairly well too. I don't need any more than 100 m.
Yep, they are the same hosts. In fact I am using the SR's tailcap on TF body.... nothing in particular....just for convenience because i had it lying around.
Good flood with throw = HID 65W (the Ebay/Aliexpress type). Really, can't beat that. Pipebomb though... its 3S3P. Not for novices.
I actually want a low mode (not SUPER low, but around 100 lm would be fine) not for the run-time, but because whatever light I get is going to be one of my two EDC lights. I've already used a 300-400 lm light to read a menu in a dark restaurant, and people were annoyed. :) Yes, one of those people was my spouse.
Heheh .... tough requirements.
Anyway, i mentioned above for my Xeno E03 WW is 38 lux reflected and 44 lux NW reflected. In fact i must mention that lux meters are calibrated for 2583k, so the advantage already goes to the WW. Cree specs indicates 240lm/200lm so that is 1.2X, 20% diff.
In fact i must mention that lux meters are calibrated for 2583k,
I don't think that's true. They should be calibrated similarly to human eyes in photopic vision which maximize response to like 5kK.
You can try comparing the graph here: hhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photopic_lux to various approximations of sunlight or BB radiation.
The ISO standardisation is 2856k. The actual ISO file costs CHF 58 to download though. LOL!
Check out CPF's testing, there is a big enough sample base. The incans are very close, but LEDs are somewhat off most of the time. Most claim to be close to the CIE photopic curve.
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?94232-Light-Meter-Benchmark-Testing-–-CPF-style
Guys like ma_sha1 mentioned that LEDs somewhat lack the yellow component, even compared to say 5000-6000K HIDs. That partially explains why a 125k SR90 can hang around with a nearly 200k HID. I use a compensation factor of about 1.2-1.3 (as you can see from the figures), others may factor in higher values. This is just talking about PBCP. Look at the R, G, B, totally way off.
Else there really is no way of explaining the differences between HID vs LED phenomenon in lux readings.
If they're cal'ed to 2.8kK, then they're not representative of human eyeballs (photopic), by definition.
The definition is the CIE standard observer function: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:CIE_1931_XYZ_Color_Matching_Functions.svg
Interestingly, if you look at the cree CW output curves, they match this quite well (peaks at 450 and 500-600). IOW they're more efficient because they're designed to be.
I also read the CPF thread briefly. If that table is anywhere near correct, 3kK is definitely not what the meters are cal'ed at. If they were, the ratio of incan vs LED lux as compared to LSI would be way off.
It's also really badly organized. If you wanted some insight into for example the meterman numbers: http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?94232-Light-Meter-Benchmark-Testing-%96-CPF-style&p=1324502&viewfull=1#post1324502
or the common cheap ass one:
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?94232-Light-Meter-Benchmark-Testing-%96-CPF-style&p=2153108&viewfull=1#post2153108
But yeah, we're not really exact anyway. For example, we use inverse squared law "from the flashlight" when we don't even have precise isotropic source.
Heh heh....that is right, the Meterman is really all over the place. But basically we can somewhat see a pattern, the incans are less susceptible to fluctuation and the white LEDs may under read quite a bit. Just to accurately calibrate instruments cost more than our usual entire flashlight collection.
That's why just get the $27 DX meter, no matter what it tells you pretty accurately the lux as well as reflected ceiling "lumens" from the different lights you have, just bear in mind to factor in the compensation. If you can, try to move at least 1m away form the sensor, that affects somewhat as well (your body reflecting/blocking the light. But generally at least for my place which has 3 white boundaries, ceiling + 2 walls, it is pretty ok.
Photos have their own issues (even if the channels are not 255 or clipped, the colour depth limitation + LCD limitations and monitor settings affect perception greatly), that is why I am pretty hesitant to provide WW / CW beamshots, eg WW Dry and CW Trustfire 3T6.
But anyway since Petebaby wants one, allow me to provide the ubiquitous SR3800 (it measured 160s vs 130s for the Trustfire) vs the Dry CW, and as you know some just hate WW while i love WW.
Beamshots are by Vinhnguen52
Malestrom S12 7 amps direct drive
SR3800 rev 2.
DRY CW 3-mode "4 amps direct drive".
What light is the last beam shot? The dry?!?
That is why I, Chicago X and Vinhnguen54 told petebaby and the others, you have to buy the lights. Only when you get to play with it, touch it, measured with your instruments, you form your own opinions etc. Different strokes for different folks. I know seven_architect has been looking for his light for several months now, before the SR3800 which you and I pushed.
So a new LED emitter might be coming, and then it starts all over again. This happens a lot of times in the photography fraternity. And the questions/cycle get repeated over and over and over again. 
The hobby needs to be truly enjoyed. My 2 most powerful units of HID get me easily over 3 million lux (1.73km of throw, @ 1 lux on the target searchlights standard, not that what ANSI/LEMA F1 standard) and nearly 20000 lumens in 6kg package that lights up the cloud bottoms nicely, and just last night i shone the Neutral White driven at 2 amps. And I still go "Wow that is bright and very nice". The SR3800/3T6 just don't cut it for night outdoor real use even for a cement jungle that i am in. Even my wife noticed and commented that the light quality is nice.
Really find it difficult to post, i edited the post but the edits don't come up. Yep its the DRY CW 3-mode "4 amps direct drive". Anyway, seriously when the voltage drops, the current goes down be it the 4-amp or 3 amp driver circuits. So if you want a lower drive, just run it down slowly first. It ain't perfect, but Agenthex said it best....everything is just true on paper.