If you’re considering the SK68 then you probably have to consider the Coast HP1. Difficult to beat for ~US$10. The only real downside is the cool white LED.
I still think mines overpriced, under-powered and awful!!!
If yours is so good why have you had to mod it??
Guess it’s down to what different people want it for but for me was a complete waste of money.
My hp1 has a greenish tint. Its a shame because its a nice little light.
supfire f3 (with xp-e2 on copper)
Zeusray definitely worth including.
There are many scattered Zeusray comment and review threads — this is the consolidated thread:
My general attitude to modding:
As my modding experience and skills have improved, I find that I’m no longer satisfied with stock. So much so that when I purchase a light I usually have a pretty good idea of the mods I’d like to try with it. Sometimes these mods are minimal (such as an emitter swap). Sometimes they are radical (such as adding a sideswitch to a light designed for a tailcap switch).
I own dozens of small zoomable lights, including some non-premium ones. None of them satisfy me unmodded in their stock configuration. Every one of them could be or has been improved through modding.
Actually, in the last couple years I’ve only purchased one light, zoomie or non-zoomie, that in my opinion is perfect as-is without any modding whatsoever (Zebralight SC600w III HI).
Regarding improving the On the Road i3 through mods:
The light is beautiful as stock, with a fairly bright flood and decent spot (running on Efest IMR 16340). However, it isn’t perfect.
- Emitter upgrade I much prefer XPL HI in zoomies as it gives much more throw in spot mode.
- More output needed The output of the stock light is good, considerably brighter than a stock Ultrafire UF10, but it still wasn’t good enough for me. I like pocket rockets that output the maximum amount of light possible. Naturally this meant upgrading to a FET driver.
- UI upgrade The stock light had a pretty standard mode cycling with a double-click shortcut to strobe. I wasn’t impressed with this setup. The shorcut should have been to turbo not strobe. Since I needed to replace the driver anyway to improve the output, upgrading the UI seemed the right thing to do. Currently I have a 15mm FET driver with moppydrv firmware, with its 20 user-selectable mode groups. This is ok, but the light would be even better with a DrJones H17F…. the king of clicky drivers. I think there may even be room to fit an H17F inside too, though it might require dremeling the bottom of the pill a bit. This is on my list of “future mods” to do with this light.
I have added the new lights to the op. I have to say many of them I had never seen.
Another suggestion:
Supfire A2. It’s a tube-shaped 18650 zoomie
Pros:
- Built in USB charging
- Electronic side-switch …. very rare in a zoomie.
- Illuminated battery meter and charging indicator (button glows green or red)
- Superb build-quality
Cons:
- Output could be brighter
- XML2 emitter - less throw than lights with higher intensity emitters, such as XPL HI, XPG2, or XPE
- Quite long - about an inch too long in my opinion for comfortable pocket carry.
- UI isn’t great - click to turn on, then click to cycle modes. Hold to turn off.
- High risk of accidental pocket activation - large soft-touch e-switch sideswitch combined with click-turn on.
Zoomies needs to be put into categories:
“ultralight” around 25mm lenses
“light” around 35mm lenses
“middleweigh” around 50mm
“heavyweight” around 69mm
superheavyweight 75+mm
And I would add that optical acrylic lenses are far better than glass lenses for zoomie light. When Brinyte figured that out they manufactured furthest throwing zoomie in middleweight category; B158 with possible 340kcd when properly modded.
> If yours is so good why have you had to mod it??
The better it is to start with (as a host) the better the modding can become.
The (very few) manufacturers who’ve understood this have been willing to sell us hosts and learn what can be made from their stock lights.
Just a quick question re zoomie vs reflector lights. Will a stock Brinyte B158 XP-L HI out-throw a stock 8*7135 XP-L HI Convoy C8?
Thanks.
Zuesray and Led Lenser p7 and p5 get my vote. Or the Poplite variants of them.
Sure thing it will 
Limited availability.
Decent build quality at modest pricing.
AAA - 18500 - 18650 versatility.
RAMPING mode! hidden 3 quick clicks
“Best” by no means but worth mentioning & consideration for modding.
Lens is acrylic, aluminum pill.
>EDI-T
Hmmmm, there are some interesting zoomies here:
http://www.edi-t.net/wordpress/?tag=adjustable
I wonder who sells them?
I tried e-mailing the company a couple of times a few weeks ago to see if they had a European distributor and they didn’t even bother to respond … wonder if it’s a business that either never really got started or did and didn’t appeal so has disappeared.
LOL, thanks! Was always a little sceptical due to the light loss via optics, but looks like I’ll have to get one finally. Anything better than the B158 in the same price bracket? Outright hotspot intensity and fair regulation are the main criteria.
Uf1504 then.
Flood to throw… It has very wide flood in combination with very best throw so you can adopt to any situation. So light loss via optics? You only have light gain imho with optics since you can adopt to any situation you need (distant scanning or dog walking), and see better in flood mode than with “useful spill”.