After hearing so much about Convoy on so many threads, now I’m slightly interested. But the brand doesn’t have a dedicated site, and corn-picking info from varous different threads is really tedious to do; I already have enough of skimming obscure and scattered references in university, thank you :weary:
Can someone please post a primer or résumé of sorts about the manufacturer, the products and other highly relevant pieces of info? It would sure help all users, especially new ones, many of whom I see pointed towards Convoy for their initial lighting needs.
yes reverse clickies are pretty standard for lights with multi modes . forward clickies are much less common.
The place most people learned about convoy lights was FASTTECH site . there is a link in the ad over to the left <—-.
The reson they got so much traction on BLF is because of their consistant quality the ability to basiclly customize your own light by picking emitter , tint and driver . One reason people find it confusing when they first start to look at them … there seem to be too many options ….Which is actually a good thing …maybe not if you expect to be picking the perfect light …but grerst if you’re willing to try out some different models and different tints .
there are of course models more beloved but generally it’s simply a matter of aesthetics. Some models will take the bolt on clipwhile others only have a snap on clip if thats important to you .
best advice is to ask questions about models you like the looks of and mention what you want to use a light for and what concerns you might have . Convoy lights are pretty simple if you ask me they have tube lights and three or four larger lights with newer models having charging the battery while in the light or a side button or two on some newer models . .nothing very earth shattering but solid , budget options that are heavy hitters if bang for your buck is what you’re looking for …
As a tint snob I’ve been terribly excited to see 10 different tint emitters so easilyavailable to so many who can’t or won’t do emitter swaps .
try a s6 4c or a s2 5c with 2.100 or 2.8 amp drivers …< ~ 15$ lights that rock
But this ain’t this colt’s very first rodeo I’m beyond Selfbuilt’s basic primer, and the way Convoy treats the customization reminds me a lot of Vinh’s methods.
Too bad I despise both reverse clicky and “one physical switch for all functions” UI mechanics; I’ve tried and those interfaces irk me. For me, it’s either a twisty action, one electronic button, or one forward clicky switch with an alternate mode control method - either a head twisty like some Fenix LD modes or the older Jetbeam BA/BC series, or an electronic switch on the side or adjacent to the tailcap.
I also find it odd that there’s no lumen estimation, not even a ballpark, for at least Turbo mode. All there is is current drain and percentages of that for each mode. That doesn’t help me much.
All the same, I’ll keep all of this Convoy knowledge stored safely in my mental archive. I know a number of people that don’t mind reverse clicky and could use something with actual quality instead of “Police” cheapo garbage
While true that you cant go wrong with any of those… I’d say the M1 has to be in there too. I find it an excellent, if not heavy duty light well suited to general tasks as well as mounting to a firearm.
For the record I think I read somewhere that the L2 comes with a forward-clicky.
I think it’s funny you actually prefer forward-clicky, I despise it for anything multi-mode.
Simon doesn’t estimate lumens mainly because he’s a very small operation and does everything himself. He doesn’t have money for a reliable integrating sphere or I’m sure the time to do measurements.
If figured as much, which is why I mentioned the ballpark. An integrating sphere is definitely asking in excess, but how about a lightbox or a lux meter? With the other values and the correct Excel tables, transforming the numbers shouldn’t be that hard.
Except when you work alone, of course, then it’s still considerably time-consuming. Derp. :Sp
Forward clicky has its place, usually in “tactical” lights and the L2 definitely could qualify for that. I’m sure most of us here realize it but the benefit of forward clicky is its momentary operation. Paired with a driver that always comes on in turbo first, it makes for a compelling setup for tactical and/or hunting operation.
Generally though I’m with the rest of you guys. Reverse clicky for 99% of my lights.
I understand where you’re coming from, but I kinda get the feeling Simon doesn’t want to give numbers he isn’t totally confident in (estimations). He does give us the exact bin and tint of his emitter options, which is a huge improvement over the big OEM’s. I guess it’s up to us to estimate outputs. The difference between 900-1100 lumens is almost impossible to see unless comparing side-by-side, so I just estimate ~3amps = ~1000lumens and work the percentages from there.
Actually I should say that’s what I used to do. Now I reprogram my own drivers, so I just look at a light as a possible host.
I think lumen numbers are just a marketing point and useless for most modders here because what matters is amp reading, once you get ~3A you can be pretty sure the LED lumens is about 1,000. Unless the driver or reflector is highly inefficient, this number won’t lie. Convoy lights should be seen as hosts, and Simon simply offers a building service with your choice of tint and driver.
I have flashlights rated 960lm that doesn’t seem as bright as a 500lm one, and flashlights marketed as “throwers” that are out performed by a much cheaper DIY C8.
Thing is, Will, I’m not a modder. I just like lights and can appreciate quality offered in a budget package, and understand part of the technical jargon, but no more than that. So to gauge applications, lumens are still a very valid meter for me.
It’s fair if Simon aims mostly for modders, though, if it’s the biggest audience to his lightshow
myself and many others just use djozz’s graphs found here: djozz tests
I could be wrong, but I believe the listed % ratings are power, not lumens.
So take the configured amp rating and the percentage of that power, and find the closest appropriate graph for your emitter choice. Those are measured “emitter lumens” so you’ll need to subtract a bit for losses in the lens and reflector.
I’ve bought several here and they do list lumens which seem to be accurate registered by eye (which means very little). They are NOT the over-rated “Chinese Lumens” most other sellers lay claim to. Check what you like from Simon and get the specs from FastTech, or just buy from FT if you wish. Genuine Convoys there, no fakes and no fake emitters.
Switching to a ‘forward clicky’ is an easy mod. There are a few good ones, but none that can carry the current some reverse-clickys do. And they may be less durable too. I like FCs on some lights but it’s easy to get used to RCs with a little use. The only missing part of RCs is a ‘momentary on’ but I rarely need that.
You can have what you seek but you might have to either compromise on the light or the UI, or you can mod (or get somebody else to) to get exactly what you want. Lots of folks here will be happy to build for you if you don’t want to try.
I’m beyond Selfbuilt’s basic primer, and the way Convoy treats the customization reminds me a lot of Vinh’s methods.