Mr. Scott,
Either type will do in the BLF A6. There are spring at both ends to ensure contact. I prefer flat tops, as button tops are longer, but make sure you get a high drain version like the Samsung 30Q or LG HE4. This way you have the most light out of the FET driver…
Thank you ReManG! I’d picked up on the high drain. I was leaning towards the Samsung 30Q or the Efest Purple 35A based on things I’ve read here.
I’ll take a look at the specs for the LG HE4. Still have a lot to learn. All the different batteries get a little confusing.
Thanks again.
I was just informed after ordering 2 more 3d tints and 2 more 5a tints that they have run out of 3d in the bare A6 models. The associate promptly emailed me back and said that the 3d’s would be back in stock by 2/20 though. Has there been any word on when they will stop making the bare A6? Im trying to buy some every time I get paid in case they stop. After years of having
black flashlights that the ano is half worn through a bare model is perfect for me, I absolutely love it. I hope it stays for sale for a
very long time.
No word of stopping I have heard of fogcreature!
Having lights on order usually makes a company/manufacturer happy…
I would place them on order/backorder and ask the associate about availability too. Worse comes to worse and they tell you it will be discontinued, buy them in whatever tint and swap the emitters…
No one here will tell you to buy less…
Anyone here ever do lumen figures for the 4 mode version? I’d like to try and figure out which modes of the 4 mode configuration correspond with the 7 mode configuration. It’ll be a few days before I have the time to do this, and I was hoping someone had those on hand.
The approximate output levels are documented here, along with a lot of other common questions:
Hi everyone. I registered to post here to ask for some help. After a bunch of research I went to Banggood and purchased the BLF A6, the shorter tube, and high-rated 18650 and 18350 batteries. I absolutely love the flashlight, and it was my first next-gen flashlight purchase.
Unfortunately, although it works perfectly every time with the long body and the 18650 battery, it won’t work at all with the short body and the 18350 battery. I’ve included pictures of everything including the batteries. Both batteries are fully charged and tested with a battery tester. I don’t have any other device to test the 18350 battery in, though. Does anyone have any insight as to why the short body and the 18350 battery won’t work? I’m stumped and would appreciate some advice.
G'Day Benchmark, 
Welcome to BLF!!
Make sure you put your wallet & credit cards under lock & key, Otherwise....
Please have a look at:
18350 Battery tubes for BLF A6, Eagle Eye A6 and X6, as well as codes for short Convoy S2+ tubes in Blue and Red
https://budgetlightforum.com/t/-/34979
Unfortunately as you will read there, there have been a lot of problems with wrongly manufactured short tubes.
Best Regards,
George
That’s really disappointing. When I ordered I hadn’t seen that thread and didn’t realize there were problems with the shorty tubes, and the flexibility to make the A6 smaller was one of the main reasons I ordered it to begin with. The shorty tube I received threads into the head and tail cap just fine but it looks like the thread ends are a tiny bit shorter than the original long tube ends.
I read through the message thread but couldn’t find this answer. One end of the shorty tube is bare metal, and the other end is black anodized. Does the bare metal end screw into the tail cap to touch the metal ring surrounding the tail cap spring? Is that where the gap exists that causes the flashlight to stop working?
Hi. I was late at the party. I failed to order this last year. Followed the link on the fist post. Is it the same flashlight and still a good buy? Although, I am already on the process of buying. Shoot first, ask questions later. =)
Benchmark, I suggest you post in that thread, & you will get help.
Best Regards,
George
Will do George. Thanks very much for your help.
Benchmark,
Reading that thread should help you learn many different failure modes of those short tubes, but it’s what, a jillion posts? so here are some things to try:
The good news is that by some stroke of good fortune, you got a shorty tube that threads on!
Both ends of the tubes should be clean of anodization, this is the electrical path from the negative end of the battery up to the LED board. A quick sanding should expose bare aluminum to enable this path.
It is also possible that the short tube is a little TOO short. This can be fairly easily, though inelegantly, fixed with a ‘washer’ fabricated from a paperclip. You will need to figure out which end (or both) it needs to go on. Start by threading the tube into the head nice and tight, put the battery in and use a wire to connect the neg of the battery to the tube. The light should come on (remember it is probably in Moon mode and very dim (yeah I spent more than a few minutes troubleshooting that)) as soon as the circuit is complete. If not, the front end is short and needs a washer. Once the front end is consistently working, screw on the tail cap and check function, if it does not work, try putting a washer there.
These steps should get that short tube working, if not, post again either here or in the A6 troubleshooting thread. (But do spend some time reading the other threads, there is plenty of good info there as well.)
If you decide you want another A6, and really want to be able to use the short tube, purchase the Astrolux version, it comes with a short tube and should work more consistently.
Hey Lazy! I really appreciate the excellent, detailed information. And… it worked! I had to do both tasks - sand down the anodized end of the short tube and make a conductive washer from a paperclip. But once I did, the short tube finally worked. Thank you so much for your help! After reading several hundred comments about faulty 18350 tubes, I considering myself lucky that I got it to work at all.
Have a great day!
Ish! The BLF a6 and AL s1 aren’t showing up on BG, I get a 404 not found. They were up there yesterday, I should have pulled the trigger!
Bankruptcy? Many items have disappeared…
Are you asking if I’m bankrupt? Or are you saying that this flashlight series might be bankrupt/gone?
Not you.
I am asking if BG may be going to bankruptcy.
i think all the lights are sold out. when are they ever going to make some more ?
when are we going to have another group buy to read about every day.
I wonder why Astrolux would re-brand the BLF if they weren’t going to make em for a while?