501's, uprated boards, XMLs, what's now?

LED Flashlights – General Info
1

Hi chaps

Last time in 2011 I was in this game I was buying 501 chassis with XML chips, uprating the boards and selling them at around 900lm.

Ten+1 years on and an old friend who’s 501 I gave them back then is finally dying (testament to the old beauts!), what’s the current equivelant.

Is more achievable now? Looking for 18650 bang for buck giant killers like the old days.

Open to bigger batteries and going a wall, but fill me in with the latest!

Thanks!

Tom

2

The real limit is the thermal path from the drop-in to the case.

Yeah, you can wrap the pill with Cu foil and wedge it in there, but…

There are some nice 351s and SSTs and now the 519 and so on. Depends what you consider “better”, whether color-temp, output, CRI, throw, etc.

3

Oh yeh, I still got my ’502 with paltry 1.4A 1-mode driver feeding an XP-L. Works as well as the day I threw it together.

I EDCed that beastie for years, and it still did like 95% of what I needed it for.

4

Yeah, doesn’t have to be a 501/502. I guess the question is what’s the brightest emitter used these days? Used to be XMLs but I take it times have changed?

5

XHP70 claims 4000 lumens

6

The SBT90.2 has got to be up there then, around 6000 lumens? Maybe one of the new big Chinese boys?

7

Seen some non zoomable XHP70 lights out there, looks a good starting point.

8

Will check out the SBT thanks!

9

In that same size class of XML, the SST40 is about the brightest, and the pretty new SFT40 is the best domeless LED.

10

Thanks