For a while early on they were shipping bodies engraved with the old T6 logo, even after they started putting XM-L2 emitters in (very blue-white, as noted worth replacing anyhow).
They must have found another freight car full of the old ones somewhere, or a new cloner has started making copies of them.
Watch for the typical “new batch cheaper and worse than the last” progression — since this light has become popular, it’s likely being cloned.
I hope not all of China’s manufacturing follows this same progression.
If they do the same thing with parts for their railroads, aircraft, and power plants — especially all those new nukes — the world’s gonna have troubles.
Quote:
“Got a big new order for that product? Okay!
Make the new batch cheaper — substitute something,
and use that cut-price alcoholic machinist … $$PROFIT$$”
And they’ll blame you, Old Lumens, when their country collapses. You! You made them do this to themselves ….
I’m tempted to buy another one of these,the only thing holding me back is the first one I got from a earlier GB. The tail cap is very loose on the threads, it wobbles side to side when screwing on and the threads don’t look like they will last long. Is this normal for the F13 or did I just get a bad example?
Now that you mention it I did note mine being a bit loose as well. The tolerances could have been a little better, certainly. Once tightened up it’s rock solid though. Given the high number of threads on there I can’t see it being much of an issue anyway, as they’re not under any great strain.
The tail cap threads on mine fit better than those on most of my lights. I understand that the precision of numerical control machining is mainly limited by thermal expansion, so it gets worse as the process is sped up.
—
Flashlight designers should look at lighthouses and pottery.
这些谁设计的手电筒应该看灯塔，以及在陶器。
[snip] Watch for the typical “new batch cheaper and worse than the last” progression — since this light has become popular, it’s likely being cloned. [snip]
This light was already heavily cloned. (eg what we are discussing here was never the original)
This doesn’t mean that cheaper clones can’t be made but generally the process seems to bottom out. (like with the SRK) I think the F13 lights probably bottomed out a while ago.
I’m tempted to buy another one of these,the only thing holding me back is the first one I got from a earlier GB. The tail cap is very loose on the threads, it wobbles side to side when screwing on and the threads don’t look like they will last long. Is this normal for the F13 or did I just get a bad example?
I wrapped duct tape, textile, around the thread, it works, it is smooth and accurate.
I’m tempted to buy another one of these,the only thing holding me back is the first one I got from a earlier GB. The tail cap is very loose on the threads, it wobbles side to side when screwing on and the threads don’t look like they will last long. Is this normal for the F13 or did I just get a bad example?
Get some good silicon gel lubricant and put it on the threads and o-ring…goes a long way in making it smooth screwing it in
I’m tempted to buy another one of these,the only thing holding me back is the first one I got from a earlier GB. The tail cap is very loose on the threads, it wobbles side to side when screwing on and the threads don’t look like they will last long. Is this normal for the F13 or did I just get a bad example?
I wrapped duct tape, textile, around the thread, it works, it is smooth and accurate.
I use duct tape on my two Yezl t9s, because they have intermittent tail switches for electronic switch drivers, but now have regular drivers. The threads are anodized but not completely. It works nicely but eventually starts getting loose. Aluminum foil epoxied on lasts longer. I have some thin copper but haven’t tried it yet. I have a couple of very cheap SK-68s that I have junked because of the tail threads.
—
Flashlight designers should look at lighthouses and pottery.
这些谁设计的手电筒应该看灯塔，以及在陶器。
This is an ultrafire c 308 battery tube that fits but just looks stupid.I am pretty pumped to get this now and finally finish what I started.This light in shorty mode is awesome, now to search out 5+ amp driver.Thanks for confirming the fit Warhawk!
Thanks guys for all the answers regarding the tail cap fit. It seems there are a few people with loose tail cap threads but for $9 you complain too much! By the way mine has been lubed with silicon grease and it is BY FAR the loosest fitting tail cap out of over 100 lights I own. Anyway I have ordered another and hopefully this one is better.
> won’t quite lock out by unscrewing the tail cap after some wear,
> because some aluminum shows through the anodizing
Cautionary. Do you think a wrap with teflon tape would work, or would it eat up the tape?
I guess the threads aren’t particularly smooth since they ate up the anodizing.
Thanks guys for all the answers regarding the tail cap fit. It seems there are a few people with loose tail cap threads but for $9 you complain too much! By the way mine has been lubed with silicon grease and it is BY FAR the loosest fitting tail cap out of over 100 lights I own. Anyway I have ordered another and hopefully this one is better.
Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.
> won’t quite lock out by unscrewing the tail cap after some wear,
> because some aluminum shows through the anodizing
Cautionary. Do you think a wrap with teflon tape would work, or would it eat up the tape?
I guess the threads aren’t particularly smooth since they ate up the anodizing.
It is more that the anodizing is thin. On the Yezl, it is more the rough threads. Teflon tape might be too thin to use on my twisty Yezl, but I think it would work on this one.
—
Flashlight designers should look at lighthouses and pottery.
这些谁设计的手电筒应该看灯塔，以及在陶器。
Just ordered two of them for my DST’s. Used the store points and it comes out to about $6.50/piece. Love 26650’s. It might look strange, but I like it.
I’m tempted to buy another one of these,the only thing holding me back is the first one I got from a earlier GB. The tail cap is very loose on the threads, it wobbles side to side when screwing on and the threads don’t look like they will last long. Is this normal for the F13 or did I just get a bad example?
Ordered two and got my first one today. The threads are very very loose in the end so there will be a fix somehow. The tube sayes XM-L2 on mine and it is one inside. Very nice beam.
No complaining, it´s a cheap light and we like to fix things in here so…
Anyone stuck an MTG2 in one of these? I’m thinking of picking a few up.
The new XHP70 and XHP50 might not work too well with this reflector.
I put both, an MT-G2 and SST-90 in one of these, I didn’t like the beam of either emitter with this reflector, they both had artifacts that I couldn’t get rid of and the stainless steel bezel creates a ring in the outer portion of the beam that I didn’t like.
Anyone stuck an MTG2 in one of these? I’m thinking of picking a few up.
The new XHP70 and XHP50 might not work too well with this reflector.
I put both, an MT-G2 and SST-90 in one of these, I didn’t like the beam of either emitter with this reflector, they both had artifacts that I couldn’t get rid of and the stainless steel bezel creates a ring in the outer portion of the beam that I didn’t like.
IIRC with an XM-L2 the hotspot was quite large when I swapped the stock centering ring for a ‘normal’ thin/winged one. Before that I think maybe it was not very good? Ringy or something? I don’t recall. I do wonder a little what the XHP50 would do.
I ordered one on 1/17 and received it today. What!? I checked my account and it turns out I had ordered one on 1/3. So it took 17 days to get here and not 3.
The tail cap is fine on my sample. I did have to grease all the threads. The light is pretty much as Old Lumens reviewed.
Now I just need to assemble a BLF17DD driver and flash a custom firmware and I’ll have a true budget light.
I ordered one on 1/17 and received it today. What!? I checked my account and it turns out I had ordered one on 1/3. So it took 17 days to get here and not 3.
The tail cap is fine on my sample. I did have to grease all the threads. The light is pretty much as Old Lumens reviewed.
Now I just need to assemble a BLF17DD driver and flash a custom firmware and I’ll have a true budget light.
You know that you’ll be piggybacking that 17mm driver on top of the stock 22mm driver, right? Just checking!
I ordered one on 1/17 and received it today. What!? I checked my account and it turns out I had ordered one on 1/3. So it took 17 days to get here and not 3.
The tail cap is fine on my sample. I did have to grease all the threads. The light is pretty much as Old Lumens reviewed.
Now I just need to assemble a BLF17DD driver and flash a custom firmware and I’ll have a true budget light.
You know that you’ll be piggybacking that 17mm driver on top of the stock 22mm driver, right? Just checking!
Thanks WarHawk-AVG. I wasn’t trying to steer dthoang away from the BLF22DD, I just noticed the specific mention of the BLF17DD. I figured I’d mention the size consideration to try and prevent tears.
I’ve been thinking that I should do some new 22mm boards. There have been plenty of interesting developments since the last 22mm boards were done.
EDIT: Your post is maybe a little confusing to those who don’t know. Why don’t you put the hyperlink to the BLF22DD on the BLF22DD text instead of the BLF17DD text? :~
For a while early on they were shipping bodies engraved with the old T6 logo, even after they started putting XM-L2 emitters in (very blue-white, as noted worth replacing anyhow).
They must have found another freight car full of the old ones somewhere, or a new cloner has started making copies of them.
Watch for the typical “new batch cheaper and worse than the last” progression — since this light has become popular, it’s likely being cloned.
I hope not all of China’s manufacturing follows this same progression.
If they do the same thing with parts for their railroads, aircraft, and power plants — especially all those new nukes — the world’s gonna have troubles.
And they’ll blame you, Old Lumens, when their country collapses. You! You made them do this to themselves ….
The tail cap threads on mine fit better than those on most of my lights. I understand that the precision of numerical control machining is mainly limited by thermal expansion, so it gets worse as the process is sped up.
Flashlight designers should look at lighthouses and pottery.
这些谁设计的手电筒应该看灯塔，以及在陶器。
This doesn’t mean that cheaper clones can’t be made but generally the process seems to bottom out. (like with the SRK) I think the F13 lights probably bottomed out a while ago.
Still fine, still on a break. One day I’ll catch up with you folks! previous wight catchup
list of my drivers & variants (A17DD, FET+1 stuff, WIP stuff, etc)
I wrapped duct tape, textile, around the thread, it works, it is smooth and accurate.
I use duct tape on my two Yezl t9s, because they have intermittent tail switches for electronic switch drivers, but now have regular drivers. The threads are anodized but not completely. It works nicely but eventually starts getting loose. Aluminum foil epoxied on lasts longer. I have some thin copper but haven’t tried it yet. I have a couple of very cheap SK-68s that I have junked because of the tail threads.
Flashlight designers should look at lighthouses and pottery.
这些谁设计的手电筒应该看灯塔，以及在陶器。
Still fine, still on a break. One day I’ll catch up with you folks! previous wight catchup
list of my drivers & variants (A17DD, FET+1 stuff, WIP stuff, etc)
Ermahgerd!!!!
Click for full size
It fits!!!!
And a straight up Li Ion in lieu of those 1.5vdc alkalines is CRAZY bright!
This is an ultrafire c 308 battery tube that fits but just looks stupid.I am pretty pumped to get this now and finally finish what I started.This light in shorty mode is awesome, now to search out 5+ amp driver.Thanks for confirming the fit Warhawk!
Thanks guys for all the answers regarding the tail cap fit. It seems there are a few people with loose tail cap threads but for $9 you complain too much! By the way mine has been lubed with silicon grease and it is BY FAR the loosest fitting tail cap out of over 100 lights I own. Anyway I have ordered another and hopefully this one is better.
Still fine, still on a break. One day I’ll catch up with you folks! previous wight catchup
list of my drivers & variants (A17DD, FET+1 stuff, WIP stuff, etc)
> won’t quite lock out by unscrewing the tail cap after some wear,
> because some aluminum shows through the anodizing
Cautionary. Do you think a wrap with teflon tape would work, or would it eat up the tape?
I guess the threads aren’t particularly smooth since they ate up the anodizing.
Indeed it does! but i like it!
Mooooooo
Well crap, looks like I need to order another one for my DST!
My Favorite Modded Lights: X6R, S8 , X2R , M6, SP03
Major Projects: Illuminated Tailcap, TripleDown/TripleStack Driver
Yes but the DST tube in the F13, there isn’t a clicky or anything so it’s on as soon as you start screwing it in
It’s cool the DST w/ the F13 tube, you have two clickies, on on othe tail cap, and one for the modes
It is more that the anodizing is thin. On the Yezl, it is more the rough threads. Teflon tape might be too thin to use on my twisty Yezl, but I think it would work on this one.
Flashlight designers should look at lighthouses and pottery.
这些谁设计的手电筒应该看灯塔，以及在陶器。
Just ordered two of them for my DST’s. Used the store points and it comes out to about $6.50/piece. Love 26650’s. It might look strange, but I like it.
Ordered two and got my first one today. The threads are very very loose in the end so there will be a fix somehow. The tube sayes XM-L2 on mine and it is one inside. Very nice beam.
No complaining, it´s a cheap light and we like to fix things in here so…
I put both, an MT-G2 and SST-90 in one of these, I didn’t like the beam of either emitter with this reflector, they both had artifacts that I couldn’t get rid of and the stainless steel bezel creates a ring in the outer portion of the beam that I didn’t like.
Still fine, still on a break. One day I’ll catch up with you folks! previous wight catchup
list of my drivers & variants (A17DD, FET+1 stuff, WIP stuff, etc)
I ordered one on 1/17 and received it today. What!? I checked my account and it turns out I had ordered one on 1/3. So it took 17 days to get here and not 3.
The tail cap is fine on my sample. I did have to grease all the threads. The light is pretty much as Old Lumens reviewed.
Now I just need to assemble a BLF17DD driver and flash a custom firmware and I’ll have a true budget light.
one year rookie
Still fine, still on a break. One day I’ll catch up with you folks! previous wight catchup
list of my drivers & variants (A17DD, FET+1 stuff, WIP stuff, etc)
there is a BLF22DD board
More or less the BLF17DD w/ a larger ground ring…your build is a bit newer and more refined though
Thanks WarHawk-AVG. I wasn’t trying to steer dthoang away from the BLF22DD, I just noticed the specific mention of the BLF17DD. I figured I’d mention the size consideration to try and prevent tears.
I’ve been thinking that I should do some new 22mm boards. There have been plenty of interesting developments since the last 22mm boards were done.
EDIT: Your post is maybe a little confusing to those who don’t know. Why don’t you put the hyperlink to the BLF22DD on the BLF22DD text instead of the BLF17DD text?
:~
Still fine, still on a break. One day I’ll catch up with you folks! previous wight catchup
list of my drivers & variants (A17DD, FET+1 stuff, WIP stuff, etc)
That’s the awesomeness of the BLF development community…always someone willing to push the envelope and make bigger, badder, better…
Sure the older stuff is still viable…but the new hotness always needs to be made or the “R&D” side of things get’s stagnant
I actually have two BLF17DD and one BLF20DD that I bought from RMM. I figured that the 17mm one will be easier to piggyback on the 22mm stock.
Or I can just drill a hole in the stock driver and turn in into something like this.
one year rookie
I have broken one glass lens, any idea where i can find a replacement?
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