The c8 for well just stuff and it will be easy to keep around and the skyray for stuff that I need more light and for fun too those aren’t good uses I suppose
FWIW, I have a XinTD C8 and an original Skyray King. The C8 throws farther and is easier to carry. Neither one is great for up-close use. I’d suggest having something smaller around for daily use purposes.
edit: For some ideas, take a look at the items in my signature.
I’d also suggest a smaller EDC light to go with the C8. Look at some of the AA/14500 lights available that you can easily carry along in your pocket. The one you carry with you is the one you will use the most.
If its between those 2 choices only, Personally I would choose the SkyRay all day. If you plan to do mods, C8 is a great platform. Or I would look at something like the Solarforce that you can do the P60 Drop in. Those are fun & flexible.
Another Great Idea is the C3. Super nice light. These make great gifts. Shop around. This link is only for a idea! Quality may vary. But overall good light.
I would recommend a Supfire M6 over the Sky Ray King (SRK). At $40 that SRK is only slightly less expensive than an M6 and the M6 is far superior in almost every way.
Slightly bigger the Courui http://kaidomain.com/product/details.S022823 both these lights if you get into modding are very good starting points. The Courui with little work is great value for money.
Make sure to put in the Paypal comments to have them send the 18650 carrier instead of the CR123 carrier. This is one of the very best, cheapest, and most useful throwers ever. Quality is top-notch. Don’t doubt me. Just get it. The batteries from FT you linked to should work fine, or get these…
My most useful light ever, period. Throws/floods and goes with me everywhere. Runs on one AA battery. Just get it. I recommend the more expensive original Sipik instead of the Banggood clone.
It’s arguably brighter, a touch throwier, and has a momentary-on feature, plus a cool UI and is smaller than the SR King. Fits nicer in the hand. Gets less hot. I’d go with this any day. Same batteries (linked to above) go with this.
The only other light I would then add just as a bonus is the next 2 x 18650 super-thrower from Maxtoch, the 2X version. We are having a group buy for it.
FWIW, the SR51 isn’t particularly inexpensive for what it does. The specs say it throws 475 meters, or about 56.4 kcd. You can get that for half as much from a HD2010, or you can get even more throw from a modded C8 (up to 135 kcd or so). Both lights are significantly smaller and less expensive than a SR51.
Many folks around BLF seem to prefer the Supfire M6 over the Solarstorm Warrior, and you can even get a M6 pre-modded for massive output, though either is likely to run a bit better than a Skyray King.
For super throwers, you’re probably looking at pretty expensive items. The world record at the moment is about a million cd worth of lux, and two popular options for a thrower are the Thrunite TN32 and the Fenix TK61. Both are good as-is, or can be turned into ~500k cd throwers with some mods.
I mostly prefer much smaller lights with low low modes, long runtimes, and neutral white beams with good color rendering. L3 L10-219, ZL SC52w, EagleTac D25A neutral XM-L2 or N219, etc. And small 1x18650 tube lights for outdoor purposes like biking. Even a 1xAAA keychain light can put out more lumens these days than an old 3-D-cell Maglite, so “bright enough” isn’t usually a problem.
I started with a SK-68 (it’s a great light for the price), but I almost never use one any more because other lights are so much nicer. Regardless, they still make great gift items.
Thanks for all your help guys I think I will buy a Convoy l4 (I will probably mod it) , a convoy s2 just to carry around since it’s small and a sipik sk68 just for fun then gift it to someone
I will be purchasing everything from fasttech so could you guys link me to the 18650 batteries I should buy I’m not sure which ones would be best and if button top or non button top
Nice selection of lights. I was going to buy the L4 but decided on the C8 based on beamshots.
I didn’t think the extra cost of the L4 was justified. Don’t get me wrong, I think the L4 is better, just not much better. I believe all the Convoys have low voltage indication so any name brand cell should work. Sanyo, Pansonic, etc. although there may be size issues with some protected cells with S2.
Edit : Note that the Convoy S series in these beamshots are deceptive as for some reason they appear to have been made at medium settings (1.0-1.4a)
PS. No, $13 isn’t much of a difference but in the game of budget lights it’s about how much you can get not how much you can pay.
The L4 is a better torch especially if you plan on getting into modding then it has much more value than a C8. Keep in mind it has tailcap clicky for on/off and a side switch to change modes (some people don’t like the 2 switch functionality).
Also, the L4, C8, and S2 all work fine with flattop or buttontop batteries.
Can I be boring and say I thought your 2 options were pretty good… :bigsmile:
We could probably suggest 30 or 40 lights that all have their merits in our own minds…
Not sure where you are in the world,I can’t seem to get batteries from fast tech sent to me…
I mostly use bang good, sanyo 2600’s are good value, pana 3400’s good also, longer runtime, I would say protected are the safest option, flattops will not really work in srk…
Cheers
Anton
That battery holder has built in protection. It is intended to be used in projects so that the battery doesn’t get accidentally over discharged. You don’t need that if you just use it to charge, the accucel6 controls the charge.
Sanyo batteries are a really good choice, I would go for these ones.
Most lights these days are fairly waterproof… like, IPX 7 or IPX 8 or whatever it’s called, rated for submerging a meter deep for half an hour to an hour. Most budget lights probably haven’t been tested or actually certified though.
However, some lights (SK-68) aren’t even really splash-resistant. The item description should tell you if it has an IPX rating, but be sure to check for all the O-rings when you get the item.
Modding a light can make a big difference, depending on the mods you do. For example, you could replace a XM-L2 emitter with a de-domed XP-G2. This would give you fewer lumens but about 3X as much throw. Or you could mod the driver for more power or better modes. Or you could give it a high-CRI emitter for really really white light instead of having a colored tint. Or all sorts of other things. They all make a difference; it’s just a matter of what you want and how much effort you’re willing to spend to make it.
I find it very useful to have a headlight, but that’s a matter of personal preference. I keep mine clipped to my purse facing forward for hands-free light, or it works well as a necklace, or it can attach to any convenient spot via clip or magnet, or it occasionally goes on my head.
BTW, one cool thing about the SK-68 is that it can be used to project images in a manner similar to Batman’s signal. Print an image on transparency paper, attach it to the front of the light (in front of the lens, not behind), zoom to maximum throw, and shine it through a magnifying glass.
My suggestion would be to try a few cheap lights to figure out what you like, then maybe later spend a bit more on something nice. People here can give you suggestions all day, but ultimately it’s about your individual taste. Try feeling the water with your toe before you jump in.
I have no experience with torches so I’m a complete newb. Thanks :bigsmile:
those aren’t good uses I suppose 
