Decent 18650 Zoomie?

I want to get a zoomie light - many years since the last 18650 zoomie.

Any recommendations for a decent Budget Zoomie, perhaps from fasttech?

Thanks! :)

I daily carry a Trustfire Z6 and it’s great. Although mine is HEAVILY modded, it’s a great light on its own.

This EDI T P14 is built like a tank, has the same crappy beam all zoomies have. It’s hard to beat for $3.99.

Thanks!

I would like it to have an XM-L emitter rather, than Q3, Q5 etc.

Trustfire seems pretty OK. Where to get them with good quality?

+ one thing: it must be able to house a 18650 with protection easily.

unique fire uf t20 …one of the best zoomies out there.

+1 here for the UF-T20

I wouldn’t go for an XM-L one unless you are wanting it mostly for flood. The large LED just doesn’t throw as far as the smaller ones.

Hiya Cheapo!!

I have, for reasons best know to myself, 3 of these:

http://dx.com/p/new-x7-cree-xm-l-t6-900lm-5-mode-white-light-zooming-flashlight-black-1-x-18650-3-x-aaa-146492

2 have been modded with dedomed XML-U2 and XP-G2’s, both direct drive, the other is totally stock with an XML-T6!

I like them, as they can house protected/unprotected 18650’s….and they all have a AAA carrier cartridge.

Best of MOST worlds.

Rob

PS: Oh and I have a Yezl T6…lovely little zoomie, well 2 of them, and a Small Sun ZY-C10-S……just one of those…….

How are you finding the XP-G2’s compared to an XM-L and XR-E?

Dedomed XM-L U2 is quite good, not a lot of lumen-loss to worry about, a bit of a green hue on flood. But bright on zoom-in. Die Projection comes down too roughly 2 thirds of the size when dedomed. They dedome ‘clean’ in petrol (gasoline) too, well mine did after a good sloosh in meths after the pterol bath.

Dedomed XP-G2 is exceptionally good, again not too much lumen-loss, hardly perceptible to the eye, and again, slightly green hue on flood. But on zoom is were it shines (sorry about that unintentional pun), the die projection comes down to around 50% of the size, there’s dots on the projection. XP-G2 on one of my zoomies has taken 5.1amps up it’s backside, it was on a Noctigon with awg20 wire and a Panasonic NCR18650PD fully charged through to direct drive. Bright wasn’t the word.

I did manage to successfully dedome an XR-E.

And put it in a ZY-C10-S.

Almosts parallel beam and very bright. 3.6amps up its backside……useless, but fantastic in the fog!

XP-G2, on copper, will be hard to fry, single cell that is. It’d need pulling back to 5amps with a decent driver for a 2 cell lightsabre though.

I still think the Tank007 TK-737 is one of the best zoomie 18650 lights. Really nice design, fairly compact, and well built. Dirt cheap too. It uses an older LED, but it’s still pretty bright. Not sure how moddable it is, though.

Will be using it on mostly flood.

What would you guys say about Yezl?

http://www.cnqualitygoods.com/goods.php?id=1107

Hmmm…
Yezl might have bad form factor if desired to use with a Bike holder…

I don't like it. The body is too short for me to comfortably hold it and the flood is narrower than Z5. OTOH, when zoomed in it's also narrower & brighter, but for me the zoomies are not throwers [ok, maybe a little, in a pinch]

Ordered also a Z6 lately but don't like it either.. Flood is too narrow and beam is not as even as I would like it to be. It's also too heavy.

The old Trustfire Z5, with it's wide and uniform flood, is still my favorite in-house light. But as a 2x18650 light it's not good for beginners (or lazy people, who don't like measuring cell voltages..)

I have also ordered some 1-cell Z5 clones, which have hollow pill and next-mode memory, but are good mod hosts.. So, here's a recipe for near perfect flood light:

Ingredients:
- one 1-cell Z5 clone (3xAAA or 18650 with sleeve)
- one XM-L2 5B1 80+ CRI emitter (preferably on copper)
- one Qlite 3A driver
- short piece of 19mm aluminum bar
- small amounts of solder & thermal paste

Directions:
- disassemble the light
- unsolder emitter & driver
- prepare aluminum bar (cut to correct length & cut or drill holes for wires)
- fill the hollow pill with aluminum bar
- solder the fourth star from Qlite driver (= make it 4-mode with low low)
- insert driver
- solder driver edges to pill
- solder emitter wires
- glue emitter in with thermal paste
- assemble the light
- enjoy!

Thanks for the tip.
In the end I just picked up two SK98 XM-L´s from Fasttech. I have not tried them before and I like Sipiks, so… :expressionless: