I am very happy with my Thorfire lights. The VG15s is a great tube light that has a real moonlight mode, and it steps down from High after three minutes, so it doesn’t get as hot as the S2+.
The Thorfire C8s is also a very nice light - superb quality for that kind of price (from what I can tell as a layperson).
The downside is that you don’t get the nice neutral and warm tints of the Convoy lights.
I recently bought the Convoy BD06 for a friend. It’s a bit bigger than the 1*18650 tube lights, but the shape means you can easily slip it into a coat pocket. Although it isn’t driven very hard and the output could be higher, the 26650 battery will give you a very good runtime and it is the only light mentioned that you can run continuously in high mode without it even getting warm, and it has got a built-in charging option.
C8.2 isn’t as much of a thrower as a normal C8. The XHP LED makes it a floody throw. Some people prefer it but it should be known that its not like how a C8 is.
There was a good thread here about the c8.2 that described its beam well but it was deleted and even google lost its cache.
Thrower - Convoy C8 XPLhi (U6-3A or 4C tint) 7135x8
Allround- Convoy S2+ (4C tint) XP-L HI 7135x8 or 7135x6 (in the new sand/tan color :sunglasses: )
Be aware that you get the new firmware versions in the convoys. This is a much better UI.
For close range i also really like tir optics and a fatter hotspot. The suggestion of a convoy c2 with tir lens is nice, but i think would go for a hi cri flooder for this.
You may want to consider some of the JETBeam lights; like the JET-I MK, JET-II MK, and E10R, they are great EDC’s and all of which have discount codes posted in the forums this week. (you can grab the JET-I MK, plus free baby turtle speed shipping, for $10 with a code).
Also, follow some of the member coupon/code and group-buy threads. There are deals and discounts for lights, batteries, and chargers (as well as some other gadgets) often posted daily. I’ve scored quite a few great deals in the last few weeks through BLF. [PATIENTLY awaiting my Q8 and MF-01]
if you’re going to use the light purely indoors then i think getting the S2+ 4x driver is fine.
i have the S2+ 4x (neutral tint) and the BLF A6 in 5A tint. i got the BLF A6 kind of for interest and mucking around outdoors, thinking the S2+ would be more practical. having said that, i use the BLF A6 every day at work and it has been surprisingly great. i work in a production environment and use it for inspecting things indoors. i plan to mount the S2+ on my bike now instead.
As I often do, I’ll recommend 35E in favour of GA. For these lights they will be marginally better than GAs due to larger capacity and they will be cheaper too.
Though really I think 18650B will serve you well and will be even cheaper.
The II has no memory and always starts in firefly mode. I don’t mind, as I always “reset” my multimode lights to their lowest setting, but the nomem is a dealbreaker for some.
I can agree with this! I modded a light, placing a Biscotti driver (4x7135 chips), LED XML2 T6-3B (Neutral tint) and a pebbled TIR (60º angle) in a black plastic holder in it.
The front of the flashlight has some differences if compared to an S2+, but the output in the lowest mode of the driver configuration (0,1) is a really good “moonlight”! For indoors its perfect, especially with the TIR. Please remember that for outdoor experience it will not have the most powerful illumination, of course, but even with 4 chips you’ll get a bright 100 mode
Ok, thanks for all the recommendations. I’m definitely picking up the Convoy C8 and at least one S2+, both with the XP-L. Just have to decide what else to get, probably one more normal (i.e. nothing too over-the-top) light.
If I eventually get something like the BLF A6 or that KDLitker C8.2 w/ the XHP50.2 (~2000 lumens at max), would either of those take higher drain batteries? The S2+ and C8 would be fine with the NCR18650B (3400mAh, 6.5A drain), but I’m kinda leaning towards the NCR18650GA or Samsung 35E (both @ 3500mAH, 10A drain) just for future-proofing. I’d only get the Samsung 30Q if necessary, as I’d prefer the higher capacity. Then again, BangGood does have a sale on 4 30Qs for $18.69…
Final note - all of these lights should work with button top or flat top, correct? Not sure which style to go with. In the future, would I be more likely to encounter a light that doesn’t have room for a button top, or would I be more likely to find one that is too big for a flat top? Just curious which is the “safer” bet as far as future compatibility goes.
I like my JetBeam’ and rotate them as my EDC’s. That includes the E10R, which had built in micro USB charging capability (a feature the the OP seemed to appreciate), and the JET-u, which is often on sale for $7-8 a pop.
True about the II, but that little thing puts out a lot of light for its package. Also, starting at firefly is perfect for my application where I need to illuminate dimly lit areas to locate things without blinding everyone around.
But yeh, glad you pointed out the nomem function on the II, forgot about it.
I would say that button-tops are more universal, meaning they are more likely to fit in a larger number of different flashlights. The only time button tops may not fit is if they are protected and thus too long.
The Klarus XT1C XP-L HI could be another option. It has a dedicated instant strobe clicky button and produces about 700 lumens out of a 16340 (comes included) and can be had for $28 with a coupon.
If it’s not too late I’d like to recommend the Astrolux S41 and BLF A6. These lights are thread and part compatible. With a few lights you could Lego to your hearts content from a quad 18350 to a single LED 18650. Want Stainless Steel or Aluminum or Titanium anodize Stainless Steel for the body or tail cap? 18650 or 18350? Quad or single? 4x Nichia 219B/XP-G3 or single XPL? I spent more than I wanted but am very happy with the collection. Watch Banggood daily and often one or more of the offering get a big discount. I believe they have low voltage protection.
Convoys are great because of the great quality vs small price compared to most of what’s out there
The C8 is a great compact thrower, with the XP-L HI you’ll love it. Depending on how much throw you want, an S2+ with a smooth reflector and XP-L HI will throw enough, but not as much as the C8 , of course.
Among the many S models, the S2+ is the more popular, has the most color options and accessories, some have a rubber tailcap, some have a metal switch, and some have both. Other models differ mainly in external appearance and reflector depth (the S2+ and a bunch more have a shallower reflector, the S6 and some others have a deeper one, but not by much)
On Simon’s aliexpress shop (official Convoy shop) you can ask in the observations for options that are not available as default, like and old S2+ with the new driver, or XP-L led, or a clear S2+ with rubber tailcap, choose smooth (better for far away) or orange peel (better for close range) reflector, and I imagine more
I’d get the 7135*8 driver always (ask for the new firmware if you are not buying a model that already ships with it by default). With the new firmware you can set it so the second to last mode can be 20, 35 or 50, so you’ll always have your nice brightness without a lot of heat, and 100 will always be there for the wow
I’d go with the second coolest led tint (usually 3A or 3C). A lot of people here like even warmer tints, but that is a matter of preference
So, to recap, choose your model/color, ask for the new firmware driver if it’s not already default, choose the led you want (ask Simon if it’s not on the list)
For batteries, if you are using convoy drivers (max 2.8 amp draw) panassonic NCR18650B are more than enough. the sanyo GA or samsung 35E will give you better current if you ever get a flashlight that draws more amps, but I’d only get the samsung 30Q if you really plan on having a higher drawing flashlight, as the lower capacity puts them at disadvantage for lower current flashlights
