Hi. Im looking for a small EDC pocket light with good compromise between flood and throw to walk with my dog.
I have a few flashlights, and my current “go out with the dog” flashlight is Skilhunt Mix 7 v2 - great flashlight which I really adore… but Nichia 519a, as I love the tint and floody beam, overall it is just not “throwy” enough for me. So as I am very satisfied with Mix 7 im looking at Skillhunt, and they got EC150 and EC200 mini with SFT25R which Im considering.
EC150 is smaller and more universal (AA and 14500) but has only Cool White option of SFT25R, which is not something I like - are there any options to use some filters to make it Closer to 5000K, or a easy way to replace LED’s?
EC200mini - a lile chunky and probably hotter, but has 5000K SFT25R out of the box, and there is an option to use 1600mah battery (but will 5A be enough to that flashight).
I’ve been looking at the Skilhunt website and I can’t find an EC200 mini, just the dual channel EC200S mini which does not have a 5000K SFT25 option.
Swapping LEDs involves soldering and a hot plate, have a look at Chuele Lights on YouTube, he has a couple of videos where he does emitter swaps, they’re generally Olights but the basic principle is the same. You could possibly try some sort of filter but you’d have to improvise something and whatever it is is going to absorb the light that doesn’t pass through, so it’ll affect output and get hot.
I had EC200S-Mini in mind, and Im looking at it now on their website and there is 5000K SFT25R option… just this flashlight is a little to stubby, and some users said it can get quite hot in turbo mode.
Other than that - it is nice little flashlight that I could get… but only when I could use 5A Battery (with 1600mah), but Skilhunt recommends minimum 8A - except max brightness, would it make any other difference?
I have EC150 with SFT25R. Beam color is extremely green to my eyes. Duv among highest I have measured, positive 0.0100. In this configuration it’s a floody light. Throw measures only 200 m. I don’t recommend it.
Thanks for opinion. I was afraid of that green tint, and it is probably a dealbreaker for me… unbtill someone knows a good filter that could fix that.
Other than that - throw on that is just enough for me. As I could see on Youtube and forums, it is 2x better than on Nichia, and that is all I need - just to see something further than that 30m (of good quality light) in 519a.
How about battery and temperatures?
Sorry ,I’m sure you’re right about the SFT25 version, the site’s a PITA to navigate on my phone.
Turbo is meant to only be used for quick bursts so any light on turbo is going to get hot. As a very rough guide whatever the medium output is is likely to be what it can sustain.
I think using a 5A battery will just result in reduced performance. TBH I’d be more inclined to go for the EC200, an 18650 will give you three times the battery capacity of an 18350 and it only makes the light 30mm longer. I’m not a fan of the 18350 format though, same capacity as a 14500 but bigger in the pocket.
I tried Zircon 1/8, and then Zircon 1/4, Turbo output went from 1500 to about 1300 (within expectation 10-15% loss). But… I don’t think pre-planned Zircon is a good solution. That’s unnecessary loss of efficiency on a low capacity lowish output light.
If you are sensitive to green tint, IMHO get a different LED/light. If not (subjective, no right or wrong), it’s a good light as expected of Skilhunt. I wasn’t expecting tint-snob quality when I bought it, but didn’t expect Duv 0.0100 either (among highest I’ve measured).
Found 1lumen review of this light HERE to make sure I am not completely off base. His Duv numbers also reflect an extremely green LED, 0.0140 in high mode (sub turbo) is what I would call off the chart green.
BTW SFT-25R Duv becomes worse (more positive, greener) at lower power, that’s why the sub-turbo Duv is so bad. Also SFT-25R is a very throwy LED, but in this triple TIR configuration it is NOT that throwy if that’s what you’re lookin for.
14500 lights is not my field of strong interest so I keep thinking people more knowledgeable than me could also help if you don’t narrow the choice to two Skilhunt lights. I also keep seeing a Convoy with B35AM 4500k in your future (I’m such a Convoy “shill” ) but have no idea whether it’s in 14500 light. B35AM is a medium throwy LED with among the most beautiful beam color of all LEDs IMHO, sporting fantastic Ra ~98 Ra ~99 .
Thanks for that info. I’ve been thinking about that Zirkon filters, and even could live with that smaller max lumen output (considering, there is not a big drop in medium/high mode which I use the most), but if you tried it, and it does not work, then I think I’ll pass thah light.
Maybe standard 18650 EC200 is not a bad choice… just wanted something smaller for “diversity”
But will that 5A battery reduce performance on Turbo, or also in Medium/High mode? I don’t mind when it will have impact only on max brightness - it still is way more than I need from that flashlight.
I don’t know I’m afraid, I don’t own that light to be able to test it. TBH if Skilhunt are recommending a minimum 8A battery that’s what I’d be using, without knowing how much current the light’s going to try and draw at the various levels it’s impossible to predict. Skilhunt offer the option to include a battery, I’d get that and remove all doubt.
I’ve got several 14500 sized lights, 2 with the SFT25R emitters and one with a 519A. Neither of the SFT25R lights seem green to me, I like the tint they have much better than the 519A. One of the lights with the SFT25R is a “dual fuel” Convoy T3 and I haven’t noticed a change in tint with different battery chemistries. I must be missing something.
My advice is to wait a bit. Skilhunt will release its second bespoke LED soon, which is shaped a lot like an SFT25R and has high CRI and a 5000K color temperature.
Another option, if you want something from Skilhunt that’s available now is the M200. It has a much more throwy beam than the MiX-7 or any of the triple-emitter lights when using the same LED.
that is mostly caused by the nature of a triple LED arrangement, not just the 519a.
you could buy the M200 w 519a and get the LED color quality you like, with more throw, because it is a single LED in a reflector
you can buy the M200 on Amazon, with High CRI 519a, and if it does not work well for you, just return it.
Low CRI is disgusting, if you want to see for yourself, buy SFT25 on Amazon at the same time as the 519a version and then return one or both if they dont suit you..
My opinion: Never compromise and get Low CRI (SFT25R), when you can have High CRI (519a).
What tint of SFT25R do you have? I heard that 5000K is much better than 5700-6500K in terms of quality.
Other than that, it could be better lens or as you said - tripple emitters vs single emitter.
) but have no idea whether it’s in 14500 light. B35AM is a medium throwy LED with among the most beautiful beam color of all LEDs IMHO, sporting fantastic Ra ~98 Ra ~99 .
