Back on topic of indecently long flashlights with standard batteries and high output, tada ... I present the "Solarfarce Extreme 4xAA R5 3-Mode". It's not the final version, but I'm already quiet happy with it.
Solarfarce Extreme, Superfire WF-501C, Solarforce L2R, Hugsby P32, Maratac AAA SS
Solarfarce Extreme consisting of: L2 Flashlight Body Tube with Extension Tube + Solarforce L2 Flashlight Extension Tube , 18 mm O-ring - to avoid shortening the backside of the driver, DX XP-G R5 on 14mm base, 3-mode high voltage driver with memory, an empty orange peel XR-E dropin (similar to this), thermal grease, a spacer/washer out of laser printer overhead transparencies to keep the contacts of the driver from touching the brass pill, a second spacer/washer (looking like this) to keep the contacts of the emitter from touching the reflector, a third spacer - aluminium tube (203 mm long, 18 mm outer diameter, 15 mm inner diameter, with a sheet of paper surrounding the whole.. for a pressing fit ) - to keep the 4 AA Eneloops rattling to a minimum and some aluminium foil to keep a cool head .
close up of the XP-G R5 dropin in the head
The tint is extremely nice, I wonder if I won the tint lottery, because it looks almost neutral/warm to my eyes.
Brightness with 4 x AA, 1 x 18650, 2x 18650 seems the same to my eyes, I would say similar to the SKYRAY S-R5 (on 1x18650) or even brighter.
The beam is the complete opposite of the Skyray S-R5, due to the "wide" OP reflector of the XR-E dropin in contrast to the "narrow" SMO reflector of the Skyray. (Does anyone know, if they are available somewhere separately? DX SMO reflectors have a different shape.)
DX sent me the wrong driver I wanted 5 modes without memory and got 3 modes with memory, lol ... anyways... 3*SB 1400 mA driver are en-route.
Maybe I will do beamshots, when I am able to find a white wall.