Hi all, this is my first topic, I hope it’s in the godd section…
I was drooling while looking at the “little brass beauty” that CNQualityGoods sells…but unfortunately I’m more into “budget” at the moment, so even if 30$ is mor than acceptable for this light I’m more into 20$ budget.
So, is anyone aware of a good alternative for a really compact 18650 flashlight ?
I own a Convoy S2, which is really great (XML2-3C and 6*7135) but a bit “bulky” with 24mm in diameter.
I can mod it a little if needed (driver and/or emitter swapping)
There are only few really compact 18650 lights and of the ones I am aware of, the cheapest are the cnqualitygoods ones: brass beauty and DQG18650 (twisty).
Thank you for that quick answer
I was also thinking of a handmade solution, but it would not be user friendly…and maybe only one mode.
Maybe I can use a “host” like that and put a 17mm driver (no more than 4*7135 for thermal reasons…), a 16mm emitter on a chunk of copper, and a TIR optic (slightly reduced in diameter to fit the inner diameter of the “host” : 19mm).
It would be a twisty, because there not enough room inside (87mm)
I got two of the first revision of the brass beauty, and it remains one of my favorite lights about a year and a half later… especially because the driver is easy to access and reflash, which brought new life to what was previously kind of a boring light. I’m hoping I’ll be able to do the same with the 1xAA version, but I haven’t seen any of its internals posted online. I guess I’ll just have to get one and find out myself.
I’ve also got some Nichia 219B emitters to put into brass lights, but I haven’t actually done it yet.
In any case, I know the brass beauty might be too expensive, but I definitely don’t regret getting mine.
Edit: Banggood claims the 1xAA brass light driver is an AK-47, which normally has an attiny13a on it. So, it should be reflashable. Their product pics now also include the underside of the driver, and it appears to be held in by a screw-in retaining ring. So, it should be relatively easy to access. I just ordered three, and plan to post a mod thread later when I start improving them.
Also, it appears that banggood has the 1x18650 brass beauty a bit cheaper than elsewhere (and the “BLF” coupon works to lower it even more). It might come with an odd/warm tint, but I’m not sure. Just thought I should mention it, because it gets the smallest 1x18650 light closer to the OP’s price range. This thread claims it was $21.24 a few weeks ago:
Second, you said you can mod a little, so how would you like to cut your budget in half?
Sorry we can’t cut the 18680 lights in half, but you can drop 1mm diameter and ~9mm length if you check out this thread.
My post (linked) has the links to the parts you’ll need. I don’t want to seem to shill for any vendor, but it was a convenient way to bring all the facts together. I tried to put enough details about the parts so you can go to your favorite vendor & still get the same parts. EXCEPT the torch in the OP. There’s still no news as to what kind of pill it has, but there’s your “half-price special”.
If you have access to a machine shop, you could bore and turn a “just-big-enough” body with a minimal twisty head, and use QTC material to vary brightness. You can get samples from eBay. The problem is getting the body turned…
Zebralight SC62W is a good small light. I like the UI. Maybe not so budget at $85, but it’s well worth it because of how configurable it can be. I just love how you can set up the secondary brightness levels. I’ve had mine for a month now; it’s kicked out my Jetbeam RRT-01 as EDC.
I have a similar charger to the one pictured above… if yours is anything like mine, I’d suggest that you don’t waste your time on it. The threads are short and crappy, and the body is extremely thin.
I like my shiningbeam s-mini, but the price isn’t low.
I think it is the AKOray AK-12. I couldn’t find one last time I looked, but a Google search still shows some. Beautifully sculpted knurling that gives grip with minimum loss in hoop strength. The jewel of my collection.
Length: (10.8cm) Weight:(60.0g) Head Dia.:(2.0cm). About 2 mm. fatter than the cell itself.
Added: I went through the search engine hits again and found none for sale.
My smallest stock 18650 lights are my DQG18650 (lousy light) and my Zebralight SC62w (excellent light).
The Zebralight isn’t cheap though, and the DQG is a piece of junk.
My modded Aleto N8 is smaller than than both these lights, but it required very extensive modding.
I have two of the CNQG brass lights and the Zebralight SC62W. All are the same length within a millimeter or so but the head and tailcap of the Zebralight make it a larger light overall in volume. None meet the OP’s price range though. The only thing shorter would be a twisty user interface 18650 flashlight and I am not sure where to find one, particularly at the wanted price. The brass lights do not fit protected 18650 batteries due to length and the Zebralight has problems with the diameter of many protected 18650 batteries. Something has to give when trying for minimal dimensions.
Due to size restrictions all have relatively shallow reflectors so are not throwers. Great EDC lights though for good run time and the Zebralight has very good high output but gets hot fast at maximum.
I have to put in a vote for the Shiningbeam S-mini. It might be more expensive than some other budget lights, but the form factor is small for 18650. If you search around, you can probably find half dozen cheap dx/kd/etc lights with similar form factor and a bit cheaper and unknown quality. I use my shining beam on bike helmet and has been a great light for the last three years. It’s a nice looking light, IMHO; it is all black, nice straight lines and I like the knurling on the body. I paid $40 and have no regrets. OTOH, I love my $30 C8 light on the handlebars. That has been rock solid too.
Just got a SC600 Mk 2 ZebraLight. Not budget but damn good. It is very small and fits in pocket very well with or without clip. Beware these small lights as battery diameter is an issue. Check out the dimensions and stick with batteries less than 18.5mm.
