I posted on reddit too, but wanted to also ask the BLF community.
I’m a newbie to the flashlight world.
I’m thinking about purchasing a Convoy S+ 18350/16340 and a Convoy S+ 18650.
For the S+ shortie I was going to go with XML2 T5-5B.
I have no idea which option to to with from the following:
71353 output current 1050mA
71354 output current 1400mA
71356 output current 2100mA
71358 output current 2800mA
I tried to research what this means and which one I should choose but still struggling.
For the S+ 18650 I can’t decide which to go with from the following:
XML2 T6-4C
XML2 T6-3B
SST20 4000K
SST20 5000K
and same as above I don’t know which output current to choose.
I tend to like either Neutral White or warmer tint.
Sorry about the lack of knowledge. There is so much to learn and I’m having fun learning. Please help me to choose. I’m also planning to buy the Lumintop TLF/BLF FW3A in SST20 4000K down the line if that makes any difference. Maybe I should cross out the SST20 4000K from my options if I’m going to get the FW3A later….I’m sure it’ll look different from a completely different light but…
Thanks for the help in advance!
KG
So far I only have the following flashlight with 16340/18650 batteries.
18650: On the Road M6 6500K-7000K Skillhunt H02 Neutral White
The S2+ that I would suggest is the SST40 5000k model with the 5A driver.
This model has the driver held in with a locking ring and not soldered in like many other S2+ models with more than 7135*4 chips on the driver.The solder makes the other models harder to repair if needed or driver change later in a mod.
The SST40 model also has bypassed springs for much lower resistance.It also has a DTP MCPCB while other S2+ have aluminum and high resistance coated steel springsthat are not bypsaaed
I believe this model can be ordered now from the Convoy Store on AE with biscotti firmware for better modes selection.
Even with the normal firmware it's an excellent light.
I recommend the Samsung 18650 30Q battery for use in this model.
If you still prefer the S2+ with the 7135 chips see the post linked below by Fin17
Good advice, especially with the locking ring.
You can always swap emitters, i just popped a LH351D in with the 5000K tint, which is quite nice actually.
Make sure to ask for the biscotti firmware, way better that the old 3/5 firmware.
The S2+ is a great light, but ultimately it’s a tubelight with good heat-transfer but not much thermal mass. So the appeal of a high-amp driver and lots of light sounds great, but it’ll get hot like the pointy-end of a curling-iron very quickly. If you think you can run a S2+ at 5A for more than a few minutes, think again.
I had an S2+ tailstanding at 2.8A for only 5-10min, and when I went to turn it off it was so scorching hot that I dropped it, and had to use a teeshirt as a makeshift oven-mitt just to be able to grab it long enough to turn it off, and even when off it was still cooking for a good long time before I could even pick it up barehandy.
Favorite S2+ variant? Get the 4C, and swap the reflector for a 20mm TIR lens, say 60°, for a really nice floody general purpose light. If you want a thrower, well, that and S2+ shouldn’t be used in the same sentence.
And the 2.1A driver will visually produce about the same amount of light as the 2.8A driver, but is more “sustainable”.
S2 and CSLNM1.TG has a pretty respectable throw (about 330 meters at 2.8amps). At times when I carried BLF A6 I found I needed more throw with the same compact size.
Certainly an S2+ with CSLNM1.TG is nowhere near “off-the-rack” Lightbringer, Simon doesn't offers such emitter in his shop, although for some reason he has 3030 gaskets for ∅9 mm hole reflector.
uchinanchukg, above you say “Convoy S+” but, maybe you meant “Convoy S2+”? There's no Convoy S+ as far as I know.
I've said this more than once, and here is it again. Driver wise I would choose from of the newer generation SST40 linears, the ∅17mm 5A one with temperature regulation in this case. In essence:
Its actual current output gets shy of 5 A according to user reports. In practice, this is no problem as any of the available to use emitters can withstand that level of current. SST-20s go up to ≈7 A max according to available tests, for example.
The driver features temperature regulation, temperature protection or whatever. It is configured to wind down the current flow once it senses the flashlight temperature at 55° C or above, to avoid overheating. The temperature monitoring and protection also means the flashlight limits itself to the maximum power it can make use of at the set temperature.
Being a regulated, adjustable linear, it is PWM free in all modes (7135s don't). This means higher efficiency in all modes but the highest, which also means more output for the same power or battery drain, or less power and battery drain for the same output.
The driver is now available with Biscotti firmware, Simon confirmed it recently in his thread, post #2134 (I have a couple on the way home, so will know for sure pretty soon).
To make things simple, you could choose the gray Convoy S2+ with SST-40 emitter, requesting Simon to install a Biscotti firmware driver if you like that. You could also ask him to adjust other components, this can be done by means of postponing the order payment and submitting Simon any order modifications via PM in AliExpress. This right now needs to be done via the AliExpress app, where you add the flashlight to the cart (don't hit “buy it now”) and by means of the cart you can select “other payment methods”, then tap on the buy button and after this, go back or exit the app. This creates an unpaid order, so you can proceed to submit whatever modifications to Simon via messaging. Simon should adjust the final price accordingly, and then you will pay (pssst! As a BLF user you can also ask Simon for a discount if you will, for this you tell him your BLF nickname).
