Review: SKYRAY 1JC8 Q4 1x 18650 single mode flashlight

SKYRAY 1JC8 Q4

Reviewer's Overall Rating: ★★★★

Summary:

Battery: 18650, fits protected easily
Switch: reverse clicky
Modes: 1
LED Type: Q4 but it seems rather Q5
Lens: Glass, uncoated
Tailstands: no
Price Payed: 13,39 USD
From: Manafont
Date Ordered: 12th february 2011, arrived the 1st March 2011

Pros:

  • Small size for a thrower
  • Tight shotspot considering the size
  • Easy to mount on weapons due to no knurling and straight lines design
  • Very smooth and serious look
  • Perfectly waterproof with good orings where matters
  • Very inexpensive
  • Driven a bit hard at least at start

Cons:

  • Coated lens would be nice
  • Would have preferred no GITD front oring
  • Threads are average
  • Threads were dry same with orings
  • The light needed a disassembling and cleaning but easily done in a couple min.

Features / Value: ★★★★

It's a thrower in a small package. It has elegant lines and 0 agressive features. Single mode, which i prefer for such flashlights. Due to small size it does sport quite an impressive reflector. Comes with a standard lanyard. It does feature a CREE XR-E Q4 emitter but frankly i think it's "just" a Q5. Not much for "exotic" CREE emitters collection.

Design / Build Quality: ★★★★

Being mainly a thrower it does feature a larger and deeper SMO reflector than your average flashlight. It's type 2 anodized in rather matte finish which is often preferred to glossy black. Threads are average but not bad. Orings are everywhere one would like them to be. Very easy to disassemble if cleaning is required. The pill is screwed to the flashlight body rather than the head. Some do not prefer that type of pill mount but i do not see any issues with that in this flashlight. It's not built to stand out for build quality but it works just fine and look quite above average. If you like the design that is. The body is massive enough to not have issues with overheating.

Battery Life: ★★★★

I measured 1,26A at tailcap with a fresh battery. This indicates that the driver does the required regulation (perhaps slightly overdriven) but will probably drop the current with time. I'm not a fan of runtime tests since i always forget to check. Due to initial clues the light should last at least 2.5h on a good 18650. The only probelm i foresee is the lack of constant brightness which in such a light seems appropriate. Nothing a triple amc7135 driver can't fix and it is also cheap if one bothers or need to have. Runtime may shorten with such a driver to a good 2h of constant brightness if your 18650 is a decent one.

Light Output: ★★★★★

Light output is excellent! It does compare to the MRV Q5 which is a bit better considering it has a larger reflector. Still impressive for its size. The hotspot is not as tight as the MRV but good enough. Its not a pencil beam thrower others like to call very focused hotspots. Artifacts and famous cree rings are clearly seen at close distances which this light isn't intended for. It has a bit more spill than the MRV but still not much. Can be used indoors but one would easily prefer another light for indoor tasks.

Being a thrower it does that and does it good. The picture was taken at 1 metre of distance from flashlight to wall. Camera was recessed around 15 cm more.

Dealer Experience: ★★★★★

It does not come as a surprise that i like manafont. Very fast, very consistent, very good packaging and very good selection of goods at a decent price. Best customer care and service from all BLF known vendors. There is not much more to say, they simply deliver. It's easy to get spoiled dealing with manafont. Beware! ;)


Summary: ★★★★

The flashlight is a compact size thrower. It is bigger than your average solarforce L2 but not by much. Head diameter is 40mm. From my point of view it is very suitable for weapon mount. I fitted successfuly the bare pressure switch from manafont easily. This flashlight gets my reccomendation if you require the following:

- Small sized thrower

- Easy to weapon mount

- Good runtime

- Decent build quality with good waterproofness

- Minimalistic design with no assault bezels and such

- 1 mode

From the price range point of view it is surelly one of the best throwers if not the one above all under 14usd delivered. Feel free to ask anything i may have missed in the review.

The peak should be rounded, not clipped.
The metering mode of your camera was set to 'Multi-segment'.
Perhaps a switch to 'Spot Metering' would help out.

Otherwise an excellent review as always.

Cheers,
Angus

With the POS camera i have i doubt i can influence the pictures. If i get it right, luck is heavily involved. :)

Nikon coolpix L18

Oh and the technical detail was japanese to me. :)

The picture above looks like or is a histogram. That or what to do with one is beyond me. I have lot of hobbies do not tempt me into one more. :)

Oh geee... i managed to get a good reading about histograms... Good to know!

Now i get it. But still i believe that lady pocket camera will do what she wants oh her own. It's great enough that let me disable the digital antishake, flash, and a few other things i can't remember...

I'd guess the spring loaded contact would be worse, given that you have an extra junction to worry about - between the swping and the contact.

They do look a whole lot nicer though.

Awesome review as usual Budgeteer! Your review makes me want to buy one but I already have 2 MRV's plus I don't have any weapons. Oh wait a minute....do slingshots count? Tongue out

I'd love to see a light mount for a slingshot

Don't think it'd be all that useful though....

I don't think it would work either. Laughing

Thanks very much Budgeteer for this very thorough review! Sorry I took so long to get to it. But it's going frontpage and sticky. Very well done!

I agree with your assessment of the styling of this light- I've always admired this one in particular for its clean lines and for being totally free of superfluous frills and fins and teeth etc. Just a classic no-nonsense design that never goes out of style.

Budgeteer, could you describe or take a picture of the pill construction? I am looking for a XML mod candidate and I like how this can have the top screwed off to be a true "candle stick" with the emitter visible from 180 degrees. Does the emitter have a solid surface to mount to or is it the 1mm of perimeter contact like a lot of the zoom lights. Any measurements of the max emitter/driver size allowable? Thanks!

Unfortunately i cannot tell you that since both two i ordered have new owners. I would suggest you to get the MRV instead if stock is not what you want to run it. More mass but it would require a 14mm star with XML.

Can anyone tell me if this skyray 1jc8 fit a 16mm star? I have been tempted to buy this and pop an xm-l into it.

by the looks of the pictures it should be at least 16mm. I just ordered one today and will add some more pictures and measurements when it arrives.

I also think a 16mm would be easy fit.

You ever get this one in to check/verify how mod'able it will be to pop a in an XML? How easy does it look to swap out both the emitter, and driver?

Yes it has plenty of room for modding. The current emitter measures 12.8mm with the max width being 19mm.

Ah, perfect. Thanks!

does a 70mm 18650 battery fit into this w/out modifying the tailcap?

There is a XML version at KD for $18.78

I would highly recommend this host with an XML. I bought the XRE version due to its size, design, and relative large head. I was very happy with the overall quality. It was easily upgradeable to an XML (T5) with a 2.8A driver (H, M, L). It is now my most "go to light" due to versatility, size, beam quality, and overall feel.

For the price, you can't beat it. Go get one!