I am looking to get a thrower. One that I am looking seriously at is the Convoy C8. Seems as though it is a very popular light and lots of people like it a lot.
I’m probably about the only one that doesn’t have one. I’d like to ask you all about the C8 and other alternatives.
One thing I see on some of these sales sites is that they’ll list the C8 and then there will be 20 different options you can get on it. I don’t even know what all that stuff is or means or how one is different from the other. Confusing as heck for those like me that are very new at this stuff and don’t understand the terminology and such.
Many times the C8 is listed at 750 Lumens. Is that a TRUE figure or is it much lower like some of the lights I have bought in the last week or 10 days.
I’d like to know if there are others that are better than the C8 that I should be checking out. Seems like its going to take quite a light to top the C8 and it’s reputation. If there is one out there, no doubt you guys will know about it.
If it’s from FT…they try to not put “Chinese Lumens” on their stuff…so it’s ALOT more accurate in what you will actually get OTF (Out The Front) of the light
I really enjoy my C8…for a budget introductory rig it rates right up there (price vs throw)…but I think the Convoy L4 (at 2x the price) is a bit better…but not 2x the money vs throw better
FT only have outdated first gen XM-Ls in their lights. Buy elsewhere.
If you want highest possible peak output and throw. Go for 8x7135.
Convoy C8 have a orange peel reflector, which gives you a very nice beam. But a SMO reflector (found in pretty much any other C8 light) is better for throw.
A C8 is by many not even considered a proper thrower.
Below 20$
Best cheap stock C8 for throw. Tangsfire C8 from Tmart. Its one of the better built C8 non Convoy lights. (might be a coupon code out there?) Its essentially direct drive on high. (That makes it brighter than a Convoy C8)
Best overall C8. Convoy C8.
Above 25$
Best C8 style light. Convoy L4.
Best stock C8. XinTD from intl-outdoor. Comes with AR lens, copper noctigon, Qlite driver and even option for XP-G2, which makes it throw better than C8 lights with XM-L2 (at the expense of less output)
Well… if you want throw for your buck and the same style as C8… try Warsun CT9T… it has deeper reflector that all the C8s Variants
unfortunately not many store carry them, but you can still find some on Aliexpress or Ebay.
not too mention it’s easy to mod with simple resistor mods to boost the output significantly.
You can also try Supfire L6 too… here’s the review
In many cases deeper reflectors does not increase throw. They mostly limit spill and put that light around the hotspot. So you get a physically longer/larger light and usually less light in front of your feet.
As an example, the reflector at the right (deeper than those in Warsun lights) does not throw better than the C8 reflector in the middle. (and yes, it have a normal reflector shape in the middle)
Unfortunately I have to agree…
I’ve got a deeep reflector Trustfire.
Twice as deep as normal C8 reflector.
This makes the parabola it is based on really small, so in comparison the LED is big and not focussed / bundled tightly in the beginning of the reflector…
An XP-C would probably be better in this (for throw)
well… I might beg to differ, to my eyes and my lux meter… when I compared both with Convoy L4 ( which have the same reflector as C8) and Warsun CT9T
Both were resistor mod to about 3.5A and Warsun has the same reflector diameter as L4 but slightly longer.
and it does show it throw further. </a
That’s not that much deeper than a regular C8 reflector.
This one doesn’t start so narrow as the really deep one.
Nice one though.
There are C8’s out there with that reflector too.
I have a couple Tangsfires from Tmart, and fake branded XinTD from Wallbuys. All three are excellent with the slightly deeper reflector and XM-L2. Hotspots are tight and perfectly defined. All came with East92 drivers.
The real xinTDs from IOS or Mtnelectronics are known winners.
I personally don’t care for the Convoy with its orange Peel reflector. It’s all all a matter of preference. I have a really weird reflector that I’m planning on installing in the Convoy with an XP-E2.
The Jacob A60 is always mentioned as a great budget pencil beam thrower, but it’s fans always extol its virtues and fail to mention that it comes with a plastic reflector and an ugly ringy beam.
You asked for the best thrower for the money. I’m not an expert but Convoy C8 from Banggood is definitely best bang for the buck. Just below $15 shipped and you can mod it with better parts (AR lens, qlite, noctigon etc.) in the future. Just buy it already and move on!
ZY-T08 hands down. Best bang for your buck thower and if you ever want to mod it it’s the perfect host for just about anything.
Also if you have a soldering gun you can just about double the throw of any light by simply de-doming the LED all you do is soak it in gasoline for a few hours and the dome will fall off. VERY carefully replace it and BOOM double your throw and usually a nicer tint too. Just don’t bump the tiny wires on the emitter because they are fragile. Also make sure you don’t short the emitter by having the solder points accidentally hit the reflector. A little black tape over the solder points goes a long way. Although most of them have something to make sure that this doesn’t happen.
Two batteries in parallel so you get super run times. The driver is fairly low amp but even so it will out throw a C8 by a long way and with the lower amps you get even longer run times. They can be found for around $20 and they are a huge step up from a C8.
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