Just and FYI for all....I am still waiting hear back what the bins are :)
The $3.77 price from Gearbest is what people here are having their doubts about, not the legit coded price from Neal at Banggood.
.
WHY are the ‘same thing’ so much Cheaper at Gearbest without a code? - Gearbest has nothing to do with our group buy.
http://www.gearbest.com/batteries/pp_196913.html
If it seems too good to be true…?
.
Thanks Martin, and thanks Neal for the Excellent Banggood price - I am sure those will be genuine cells.!
-Chuck
How will they know what they’re getting, from wherever they’re getting them?j
Seems to me this is the beginning of the really interesting part about this group development and purchase —- quality control and tracking production over time, to keep it consistent and catch any substitution or mistake of parts.
It’s an interesting test of the whole process of producing something to specification over a stretch of time as long as there’s demand.
And as long as people don’t find new and unexpected problems, demand will continue to grow, I think.
Sorry I got confused Gearbest with Banggood.This GB, BG is killing me. Corrected mine with strike thru and correction.
Hank - I have no idea how anybody can verify what the bins are which is why I never made an issue of it.. I know I can't "see" and identify what a bin is :)
Yeah its hard to verify bins, you tend to only see the results: more or less lumens.
Thank you Sam for clearing up the BG - GB, Samsung 30Q issue:-)
I wonder if those that are just wandering by are confused yet? 
Thanks again!
-Chuck
Bugsy36,
I’d like to change my order (657, 658)… again.
This time, add 1x more NW, so now my totals:
1x 1A
1x 3D
1x 5A
Cheers 
For anything that’s attractive to counterfeit, the established way, proven to work, is a chain of custody, “provenance” — keeping track at each sale or transfer by adding a line to the documentation, and that goes with the item.
Yeah, at any point someone can fake the documentation too — but it’s harder to keep getting away with that by eliminating the “we don’t know what they sold us, so we can’t tell you what we’re selling you” approach.
It’s not happening yet. But it’s doable. As the cree-pretend emitters become harder to identify except by testing each one, that ought to begin to happen.
For example, if whoever’s putting the LEDs on the Noctigon boards bought one reel from Cree — and received it intact directly, with the invoice — then sent the invoice along with the assembled emitters, to whoever puts those into the pills, and they add a line confirming they used what they were sent and delivered what they said ….
Yeah, it’s difficult. Not happening yet. Presumably we can tell a Noctigon from a fake (shudder) ….
Just mentioning it at this point as a lesson-possible-to-be-learned.
Because if this kind of group development/improvement/purchase catches on — it’ll be wonderful while it’s done right, and terribly tempting to exploit and rip off.
“Trust, but verify” — it’s a good approach for all tech, not limited only to H-bombs.
Well for neutral white there are supposed to be all minimum 1012 to 920 lumens depending on bin @ 3A. Not too much difference between, but enough that people will be disappointed if they go for the low bin when we start measuring. I doubt the cost of paypal refunds would be worth the slightly reduced lower bin costs.
Its not that I like a shorter light, just dont feel like competing with myself…. I like the runtime of an 18650, but hate to let the ladies down….
I just got a few of THESE from RMM for $5 each.
For the price it will be hard to beat, though if you are a capacity freak, they may not be for you… I like that I get use my chargers more…
Fast shipping in the US and a huge contributor here at BLF too…
If you guys can get it for us, I’d like to have a couple of the 18350 version!
Please don’t hit me guys, but I think that a reduction in power would be in order too.
An Efest Purple 18350 is supposed to be 10.5A capable, but there is only 700mAh of it available.
Some of you have a great deal of self control, and you are gonna need it if the thing will still draw 5A. - 8 mins of runtime on high, but of course you would probably at that point not have a flashlight or even a hand left to hold one:-)
Thanks,
-Chuck
Let me be the one to say something… Don’t shoot me either, it’s just talk.
25$?
I understand we’re now getting a clip and extra good tints available to us, but I thought that we were shooting for 22-23$? I thought we were hopeful for even less if the numbers surpassed what the X6 V1 did? Now we are way above those numbers and paying more. What gives?
Are you really going to complain about paying $2 more for a light that’s already over $20 cheaper than anything that remotely compares?
In my mind $23 and $25 are the same number anyways
You are killing me!!!
I was shooting for the $22-$23. Actually behind the scenes I was trying for $20. If we would have found what they originally submitted as acceptable we would have been BUT we would not budge. So in short we made them use the same components that were spec'd in the driver thread, then we went for the Noctigon (more than Maxtoch but still Noctigon), then we pushed the clip that required a host mod, and last we (behind the scenes) raised hell about the choice of 1A and 5A for tints so they had to source the 3D which also add to the cost.
Just a short explanation :)
Per the revised OP;
Final Specs:
XPL emitter in 1A, 3D, and 5A tints
Up to 1600 lumens depending on battery used and spring bypass
Noctigon Copper mcpcb
A17DD-SO8 driver +1 7135 driver(FET for direct drive of upper upper and 7135 for regulation of lower modes)
TK UI made by our own ToyKeeper (see some features) (Click HERE for more operation detail)
User selectable 4 or 7 evenly modes (Moon to High)
Reversing feature
Moon capable
Hidden blinking modes (including strobe and bike mode)
Hidden battery check
Low voltage protection
User selectable mode memory (always starts on Moon without mode memory but easily reverses to Turbo with a click)
Fast PWM for lower regulated modes
AR Glass
OP reflector
Deep Carry pocket clip
BLF-SE engraving
HAIII Anodizing
Packaged in a gift box
Total Cost $25.00
So, as you can see, we now have True Noctigon copper MCPCB, a custom driver, custom software, AR lens, Deep clip, etc.
Simply, it’s now a better light, giving members even more value for their hard earned dollar.
This thing is a STEAL at $25
If $2 or $3 is gonna affect your purchase, I can’t help you there.
I can tell you this, If you don’t get a few you will most likely regret it.
HTH
Later,
Keith
Thanks!
Keith
I use an 18350 in my Rey Ti triple-219B. It gets about 1400 lumens on turbo, but of course I don’t use it on that mode for long… The lower modes are plenty most of the time. So far, I’m getting weeks per charge even when I use it as my primary light.
But then, I also really like low modes. The FET+1 driver on this mostly just gets its +1 used while the FET sits idle.