anyone buy these complete lights to use as a host? they are about $2.50 on aliexpress and LOOK similar to an s2 —-yes I’m sure they aren’t as nice as the convoys, but would just be lower amp around the house/power goes out lights
http://m.aliexpress.com/item/32235761692.html?aff_click_id=39fc61abb92a4a6f8536ff79d277547e-1459317440771-07764-ENjUBzea&aff_platform=y
Without comparing them this looks like an S5. The S5 can only be used with short cells. They are cheap though.
I’ve always bought the convoys but was just wondering… I might buy a couple and see what’s inside… I kinda want to make a few emergency lights the have very long run times
Ordered one for that price looks great thanks.
wow, this one looks really nice!
http://www.aliexpress.com/store/product/2015-Recommend-New-Vander-Tactical-Flashlight-Vander-Q5-lanternas-tatica-de-led-linternas-600-Lumens-LED/906899_32357183898.html
$2.22
I have one, I used as a host for a low-wattage UV light build. They are a decent host as long as you aren’t running a high-power light. IIRC, plastic reflector and lens, but those are easily replaced. Lattice-Bright ultra-cool low-brightness emitter. The biggest drawback is the pill design. Although the light has a pill, it’s a drop-in design with a threaded ring to hold it in place. The pill does not actively engage with the body in any way to help transfer heat into the body.
@the OP: I see an affiliate link… 
the lens and reflector are plastic? yuck….i guess it would be a very low amp-power went out due to weather kind of light……thanks for the info
IIRC, the reflector was plastic, the lens may have been glass. I don’t recall, I replaced the lens with a ZWB2 UV filter as this light is now my 365nm host.
Hmm bad ano , cheap glass ,plastic lens ,light weigt /cheap aluminum, questionable threads ,lame clicky ,inaccessible tail cap ,tiny lightweight pill or worse a hollow pill , funky crap emitter ,garbage driver ,plastic reflector ,slick paint ,poor knurling , sharp edges …
overall a crappy host and a horrid light .
buy a couple …
they suck !!!
putting any time effort energy emitter and driver in them is a bad exercise in futility …
Just buy a convoy host or the equivalent
Really?
The seller is fast to thank for the order but I might cancel the black one
Edit, black one cancelled but I let the silver come for $2,22/I might just swap a AA driver of a real ugly light in there and a aa spacer in the tube so my son can gift it to a friend
Seller is active, canclled the blak one, shipped the silver and communicating good about it.
I am going to put the shop in my favorite list.
ok it came
honestly, for $2.12 a fantastic deal
PRO
The grey silver color is nice
retainer rings in head and tail
big holes in retainer rings
O rings
good threads
cheap
glass lens
CON
plastic reflector
small dropin pill (not threaded into he head)
I am lucky, the genuine LB led has a nice neutral white tint
For now I leave it as it is.
When I want to do somethng funky with a S2+ i’ll pop the UV led in this thingy
I bought a couple of these (one black, one silver) from eBay. They are cheap 18650 zoomies with a bad driver and cheapie LED (probably LB, but unconfirmed). But, even though the host is thin, it seems to be made well enough for the price. Threads aren’t great, but would work better if lubed. Pill is threaded hollow aluminum pill. Driver is 17mm and LED board is 16mm. I put a 3.04A Qlite and a XM-L2 U3 in one and it seems okay. I like it because even though it’s a cheap zoomie, it takes 18650 cells, yet is slim enough to fit easily in a pocket.
This looks like an 18650 version of the Ultrafire 602C.
Has anything better than the above turned up?
Main disadvantage of those seems to be dropin pill (Vander) in the nicer-looking light.
And I just don’t like the looks of the other one.
I took a $3 chance on a “3 Modes Zoom 3000 Lumens CREE XML T6 LED 18650 Gold Flashlight Torch Lamp Light” — “Skywolfeye TLY-8501” model
Every light branded skywolfeye I have are bad
I even have some lights twice in terms of looks and if one of these is labelled skywolfeye it is worse then the other.
Strange.