The XML-C8 is a surprisingly good thrower...
I wrote a brief overview of one I purchased from Manafont here...
https://budgetlightforum.com/t/-/3962
This light has throw similar to my properly-driven TR-1200 but is a compact 1x 18650 lamp. It brightly illuminates a barn that is ~700 feet from my house. For the price and amount of light, I have not trouble recommending this to anyone who has a supply of cells available.
added this to my dealextreme wishlist. might want to buy something this cheap just to have after i test my current thrower. guys I run with might be able to use, too so I can loan out to equip up. unlimited batteries make it all this go. always need backups.
I will save this. I like this light.
Am saving all the recommendations on this thread. In case I want to get another
Saving all of these and looking... i might need more.
I appreciate your time. Also, in the future, others can see all this info and can buy from this.
Are you saing that you get the same throw (or damn near up to) with the TF USA168 + R2 pill but with a more "laser beam" style beam, at a lower current and thus longer runtimes?
Sorry for the OT
Tested my new uniquefire 801 before range trip and at range.
FYI: I bought the 801 for the laser beam long range (and it works) AND so I can use my limitless supply of 18650s I can pull from 'dead' laptop batteries (I dont want to use these in my Olight due to possiblity of messing it up. I didnt buy this flashlight for pure need (although now I NEED it)... bought to use with free batteries.
Results below:
At home:
1. installed my trustfire 3.7 protected rechargeables and they worked in 801.
2. tried my dead laptop batteries and they did not work in the 801 but did work in the Olight m20 warrior.
3. dead laptop batteries that I recycled and tested w/ multimeter at 4.2 are a bit shorter than the trustfires. I believe this is the problem.
4. Read online that some carefully pry top connector with 3 vents up a bit and it works. Also read that small magnets will work, too... I am ok with buying those. My terminogoly is wrong but the magnetic connector looks like it could slide off spring and hit the inside of Olight (will not use in Olight). 801 is flat gold and covers entire inside of barrel... but has some hand soldering down there. Was this coherent?
I just found this about magnets! https://budgetlightforum.com/t/-/1443 Looks like I will buy these and test the pry up. I am carefrul with 18650s!
http://www.dealextreme.com/p/super-strong-rare-earth-re-magnets-8mm-20-pack-4248
At range:
10pm, 40 to 45 degrees, dewpoint 40%+
1. installed my trustfires (freshly charged) and either one after install would stay bright for about 20 seconds at high and then switch to low mode automatically on 801. trustfires have worked great for me!
2. happen to both after about 10 minutes outside of car. was warm in car. cold outside.
3. after about an hour problem did not occur and went away. both on high all the time with no problem. is this the batteries adjusting to cold?
801 was exactly what everyone said it would do. laser beam hundreds of yards (before fog rolled in). Cant live without it now.
Suggest you also look here:
https://budgetlightforum.com/t/-/3904
Beam diameters at 3.0m:
HS-802: hotspot = 10cm, corona = ~50cm
UltraOK: hotspot = 20cm, no corona to speak of.
I'm still uncertain which I like more. But keep in mind that the UltraOk is substantially overdriven, thus not advised for longer spells. Anyway, for a throwers lover, it's an impressive experience for little money.
I am going to buy that light... for the price... if it fails is ok. I have so many effing batteries to use on this. I can use a 2nd light for the guys I run with to use. Maybe I can use my batteries without earth magnets.
for the price... who cares. I use my lights extensively but treat them like barbie dolls. good cheap backup/spare with what i need.
after receiving my 802 I am excited about these throwers.
normally I overresearch but since I have the 802 I can wait month to get this
they say 50% of them delivered in 8 to 11 days which I believe IF they are ACTUALLY located in Hong Kong (ships fast out of HK on coast). Many sites say they are in Hong Kong but they ship from interior China which is where the time comes in (I saw a 1940s movie and Chinese people run rickshaws across the country to move mail) so i understand why it takes 4 to 6 weeks.
When you do, ask them to package well. Mine came in a too small envelope stretched tightly over the light's edges, so that the tailcap protruded and got badly abraded.
They were very courteous about replacing the cap, though.
Mine came within what's normal for shipments from HK. About 3 weeks IIRC.
Ah, I just looked at the envelope that I kept due to the transit damage, and it bears the HK post label.
Saik Sa9 Cree Q5 Focus Zoom or the Citipower Sa9 Cree Focus Zoom are small Focus/Zoom aspherics that definitely have a Laser Beam effect, some are driven higher than others- up to 1.5 amps but even at .8 amps they throw quite far.
These have a focus ring that is turned to Zoom out or Focus the light- very stable- and run on 3aaa or 1 18650.
The beams at night are visible in the air against the night sky and are very small and tight like dime to quarter sized for the first 20 feet or so.
Haven't measured the throw in complete darkness, but 200 yards should be easy.
These have less overall light than XM-L reflectors but a concentrated Laser-Like beam and project the image of the LED itself -a square shaped lighted image.
I cruise the different light outlets, 2 - 3 times a week. I opened a page at kiadomain.com 2 weeks ago, and there was a Ultrafire C8, XR-E, CREE-Q5, on sale for $13.99.
http://kaidomain.com/Product/Details.S008835
received earth magnetics this week from here:
http://www.dealextreme.com/p/super-strong-rare-earth-re-magnets-8mm-20-pack-4248
All the dead laptop batteries now work in the 801 I bought.
tested more this weekend under clear conditions. 300 yards was max range of trees (will go further).
when look thru vortex viper 2x7 can easily see everything in trees and make out different objects at 300 yds.
when I go to 7x I can see tree limbs easily and way into the brush/trees at 300.
I MADE the guys at range look the scope with 801 and they were shocked. they were also amazed that this light at this cost could make the laser beam out so far at
Do any of these budget throwers come close to the range of the MPP-1? I love my MPP-1, it is a hell of a thrower. Just wondering if any of these throwers are in the same league? Would be interested in an XML thrower if the price is right and it would be close to the MPP-1. Also have a friend that wants a thrower (he loves my MPP-1) and was wondering if he could pick something of similar caliber up for less money. I see that the MPP-1/L2i combo is $44 from solarforcesales, maybe that is the route he should go.
I have several throwers but I have to admit that I still keep being tempted by that MPP-1/L2i offers, its a terrific price.
Yes the MPP-1 really is a beast. I use mine with an L2 with 2 x CR123As in it, as its not as bright with 1x18650. I would get an extension tube and run 2 x 18650, but right now its small enough that I can still stick it in a jacket pocket.
bought and received the
tested extensively sunday nite in cold at range with scope and without scope.
installed trustfire 18650 rechargeable and 18650s i recycled out of laptop batteries and the super tactics ultra ok had really bad problem of swapping to other of the 5 modes without movement. could screw and unscrew head and tail and sometimes would go to right mode for a while but would switch unpredictably thru hours at nite.
installed 2 new surefire cr123s and did not have any of those problems while at home tonite over 5 minutes of testing.
looks like it does not like rechargeable 18650s but likes 2 new cr123s so problem solved. for $13 who cares? buy it.
I guess your recycled 18650 batteries are flat top?
If so, you may just have an unreliable plus connection between battery and driver and a regular button top 18650 should fix the issue. (Or a blob of solder on the driver bottom, if flattops are what you intend to use.)
I wouldn't drive any light specified for one 18650, with two cr123s. Especially not this one, since it is already overdriven with an 18650.
A BIG +1 on all three paragraphs.
Ok, how about the Small Sun ZY-C10-S? Big lens Q5.