Can T08 use Panasonic 3400mah protected button top?
Convoy M2 with 3C tint and 2.8A driver for 22$ shipped worlwide is one of the best compromises between throw-flood-value-for-money…oh and did i mentioned that machining and anodizing on this light is absolutely flawless…pictures just don’t do justice to this light…and if someone argues that 2.1A will give better runtime with little loss in output…well…that is how it starts…next thing you know you have like gazillion flashlights and your girlfriend/wife goes like |( although i don’t know about Chloe…
I certainly agree about the Convoy M2. The quality is much higher than the price would indicate, and for me it’s the perfect blend of throw and flood that I want in coat-pocket EDC.
yes, no problem with protected battery, however better to use button top one rather than flat top.
OMG - I agree with all of the above... everything... This must be a bad sign...
I love my LM C8 w/SS bezel. Any classic C8 is a must have, whether simpler UF, Convoy, or XinTD. The E09 for the key chain, and the ThruNite T10 has become my favorite pocket carry (thanks Rikr!!) for now, in "must have" category - incredible output on a DLG 14500 w/magnet to fit. Always a debate between a T08 and HD2010, but lately I'm really lik'n my HD2010's - ok I got 4 and a 5th on the way, and 2 T08's right now... The HD2010 is simple, rugged, powerful - I like it as a big area flooder w/dome (high lumens), and thrower de-domed.
Doesn't get much love, but really like the Convoy S3 as a pocket flooder, and like my S4. I got quite a collection of tube lights, so 1 or 2 are definite must have's.
There's more, but I'll stop here... 
The length of the Panasonic is 69.6mm. Isn’t it too long for T08?
You’re crazy.
(In a good way 
)
there’s no issue on my light with PN NCR 18650A protected…
anyway if yours are very tight fit, I think it is possible to trim the negative spring a little bit or press it until deformed (more compact).
I’ve owned a LOT of lights, mostly in the <$50 bracket, and my vote goes to the the
CONVOY M1. The choice of tints and drive levels, coupled with a good fit/finish, makes this a good ’un
For just a shade over $20 it’s a really good buy.
Thanks for the tip.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/400588514791?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&\_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649
Cheap roche clone
My personal favorites.
Convoy L4(solid and bright as hell from the factory, first light i never needed to mod)
Convoy M2 (2800ma)
Roche F8
Convoy C8
Ultrafire C20 (remove resistor R1 and R2, replace with solder, get 3amps)
Solarforce L2N
Sky ray king 3xXML
P-rocket II (best anodizing i’ve ever seen)
Best bang for the buck and gift light. $3.50 shipped.
http://www.amazon.com/FordEx-Group-300lm-Flashlight-Adjustable/dp/B006E0QAFY/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1383763471&sr=8-3&keywords=7w+led+flashlight
While very bright and throwy lights are nice, I find that an EDC with a wide variety of levels is more generally useful. Like, a sub-lumen mode, a single-digit lumen mode, a two-digit mode, and a three-digit mode. Preferably fairly floody and in a small body, and preferably with a neutral tint and no PWM. Bonus for a clip and long runtime.
So, I love my Convoy S3 for some purposes… but it’s a bit large and even its low mode is still way too bright for most of what I want. Same for a SK-68; it’s just too bright. Like, I don’t want to blind myself during a 3am trip to the bathroom when even 5 lumens hurts my eyes. I find that a ZL SC52 or L3 L10-219 (4-mode) are much more generally useful for me. Only a small portion of my needs involve shining at things more than 50m away.
OTOH, any collection would be incomplete without a good thrower and a good photon grenade… even if they aren’t used daily.
Banggood 90 DEGREE ROTATING FLASHLIGHT XML T6
Converts from a straight flashlight to a L shaped one that
clips. Has multi colored filters. Can be used for cycling,
camping, hiking, etc. Plus, I really dig the camo.
The TrustFire Z8 is certainly one: Review: TrustFire Z8 - XM-L Flood-to-Throw.
The new one is the un-branded AA 3 mode at WallBuys and Bangood: 3-mode Zoom AA/1450 EXPIRED ! "Black" $1.99 Max 3ea . This may qualify as ultrabudget.
I am fond of my Sipik SK73 and my Raysoon 18650/XM-L SK68 clone: Review: Raysoon TD-398 (XM-L T6 | 18650) .
All zoomys. Once I got used to working the zoom, there seemed no advantage to having throw and spill at the same time. Maybe for a headlamp or a bicycle light where it is not in your hand.
Convoy M1 is my favorite. Has multiple modes making it handy for any application.
Anybody of you remembers Benny`s best budget light thread on CPF?
If you want to get some of the above mentioned lights.. Go quickly to Wallbuys because they have some great deals;
please read here; ?page=46#comment-490361
Spot+spill is nice when you’re looking at things both up close and far away at the same time. For example, lighting the ground ahead during a walk. Looking across a long narrow room or into a cave, etc. The result is that things appear to have a roughly uniform brightness because the change in intensity is countered by the change in distance.
I used a zoomie on flood mode as a bike headlight for a while. It made the nearby ground bright and everything else was too dim. I’ve been much happier with spot+spill lights for biking.
However, a zoomie in flood mode is great lighting for taking pictures. It’s so even and uniform! And in narrow mode, they’re fun because they can be used as a portable image projector. Just put an image on the lens, aim it at a magnifying glass, and it’ll project the image.
My first two choices are both headlights. For most of my uses, a headlight is a much better light than a hand torch, because I need my hands for holding a dog lead, carrying tools, etc. Plus the height of a headlamp illuminates the ground much better for walking.
- Cheap XM-L headlamp with 2 18650s, for about $15 to $20 from various Aliexpress sellers. Sometimes branded Ultrafire, sometimes supplied with a side switch and sometimes with a rear switch (both have their advantages, but the side switch models have more durable battery holders). Huge bright floody beam is like walking around in daylight; zoomable for long range. If only the 3rd mode was a low rather than a blinky, it’d be perfect. But as it is, it’s my one absolutely indispensable light.
- Cheap XP-G headlamp with 3 AAA batteries, for about $7. Looks very flimsy, but actually survives a lot of abuse. Cheap enough to keep a few dotted around, and lasts for ages on cheap alkalines so no need for a charger.
- Convoy M1 with warm tint. I’m not quite sure why I love this light so much, but it just feels right. The size is a handy compromise between a tube light and a C8, giving a little more throw and a little more heatsinking than the tube lights. The M1’s throw and heatsinking are nowhere near as good as a C8, but somehow the convenience of the size makes up for that. Ordering direct from Simon allows a choice of power and emitter; I love my XML2 warm white T4 7A3, with a 2.8A driver (AMC7135*8)
- Jacob A60. An astonishingly good thrower for only $13. Nasty cold tint, and an XP-G2 would be better, but that’s about my only criticism of it.
- A C8, which offers a wonderful combination of throw and spill in a relatively compact package. A little too big for comfort in an anorak pocket, but for most purposes it eliminates the need for a pure thrower. For $30, the XinTD C8 is superbly made, and is available with a gorgeous firefly mode; but the ~$20 Convoy C8 is pretty good, and arguably better value.